"Boss... that was really close!" Andrews dismantled the watch and took out the goblin-metal plates inside it.
At this moment, every one of the metal plates was dented and battered. Clearly, if those plates had not blocked the attacks just now, Andrews really would not have escaped...
"Boss, you saved my life again!"
Andrews had finally regained his senses. Looking at the metal plates in his hand and recalling what had just happened, his heart skipped a beat.
Wade had created this watch, modified it into three separate metal plates, and then given it to him.
If even one step in that process had been missing, he would already be dead.
Those dozen or so spells that he had never even seen before... Andrews did not think he could have survived after taking all of them head-on...
"No... if you hadn't come with me, you wouldn't have been in danger. So don't talk about saving your life and all that. Alright, let's get out of here quickly. This place isn't safe!" Wade no longer wanted to stay here for even a second.
Andrews felt the same way. Although he did not know what Wade had encountered inside, that terrifying moment just now was already enough to fill him with dread toward this place.
What was more, Wade, who was usually calm and composed despite his immense strength, was no longer acting so relaxed. That alone was enough to prove how bizarre this place was.
"Let's Apparate back..." Andrews had not even finished his suggestion.
Crack!
Wade had already disappeared from the spot.
Seeing Wade leave, Andrews immediately Apparated away as well. He had no intention of staying here alone.
Ten minutes later, the Thestral carriage soared high through the clouds.
By now, they were completely far away from that place.
Only then did Andrews finally feel somewhat at ease.
He set down the reins and turned around to knock on the carriage door.
"Come in, Mr. Ivanov," Wade's voice came from inside the carriage.
Andrews walked inside. "My Thestrals know the way. They'll take us back to the town from earlier."
"Good, Mr. Ivanov." Wade was sitting at the table making tea. "Come have a cup of tea and calm your nerves."
"You can just call me Andrews, Boss." After this experience, Andrews no longer had any other thoughts in mind.
Even though the boy before him was still young, he was the most remarkable wizard Andrews had ever seen.
Not just anyone could create an alchemical item capable of saving a person's life within only a few hours.
"Alright, Andrews." Wade pushed a cup of tea toward him.
Andrews took a sip. At first, it tasted somewhat bitter, but afterward there was a faint sweetness lingering in his mouth. Overall, it tasted quite good...
He smacked his lips before asking, "Boss, are you going back there next time?"
"No." Wade answered decisively. "Not unless there's an absolutely unavoidable reason."
A person could satisfy their curiosity, but only on the premise that their life was not at risk.
Although he was very curious about the truth behind that ancient tomb, his current abilities were still not enough to satisfy that curiosity...
"Then... the person you wanted to save..." Andrews looked at Wade hesitantly.
Wade had come out alone, and earlier he had said he came here to save someone...
So perhaps he had failed to rescue them?
"It's fine. I've already rescued him." Wade took a deep breath as he spoke.
"Huh? Then... where is he?" Andrews asked in confusion.
"He's recharging... ahem, I mean, replenishing his magic. He should be about done by now." Wade shook his sleeve, and a metal sphere rolled out from his cuff.
Clack!
The sphere opened, and a mass of black mist surged out!
Andrews nervously drew his wand. The black mist from earlier had genuinely frightened him...
But this black mist was not the same mist from the ancient tomb. It was Slytherin wearing the Obscurus robes.
The old man stood atop the table, looking at Wade and Andrews before him.
"Who's this guy?" Slytherin asked.
"Get down first... you're standing up there making my tea go cold!" Wade shooed Slytherin off the table.
After Slytherin got down, Wade helplessly discovered that the steaming hot tea had already turned ice-cold.
Why were ghosts always so cold?
Andrews stared at Slytherin in shock. Only now did he realize that the "person" Wade had gone to rescue was actually a ghost?
Wade snapped his fingers. The teapot floated into the air, and a small flame appeared beneath it.
"This is Andrews Ivanov. He's the guide I hired..." Wade said.
"Oh?" Slytherin floated closer and carefully examined Andrews.
Andrews swore that he had never in his life had a freezing cold ghost stare at him from such close range!
"Ha! Looks like the boy has your trust!" Slytherin said with a grin.
"How can you tell the boss trusts me?" Andrews could not help asking.
"Ha!" With a sudden flicker, Slytherin appeared seated in the chair beside Andrews. "Under normal circumstances, he would never casually expose my existence to someone he didn't trust."
He looked toward Wade and said, "Still, your judgment isn't bad. This lad named Andrews is fairly capable. Keeping him around as a subordinate isn't a bad idea. Though his health isn't great... kid, you've been drinking heavily every day, haven't you? Lately you've been feeling weak, especially..."
"I haven't! Stop talking nonsense!" Andrews immediately denied it.
"Why have you suddenly become so talkative?" Wade frowned.
"Sigh... you can't blame me, Wade. I originally thought I'd be trapped in that place forever... You can't imagine what that feels like." Slytherin sighed.
It was different from sleeping. When sleeping, you knew nothing at all, and when you woke up, a thousand years had already passed.
And this time, he had been completely conscious! Staying forever in that utterly pitch-black place... just thinking about it was enough to make one's skin crawl.
"Thankfully, you came to save me," Slytherin sighed.
"Didn't you write in your manuscript that you would never enter that place again? So why did you go back in?" Wade frowned. "Honestly, after going in once, I never want to enter it again. I seriously don't know what you were thinking!"
"I originally thought it couldn't do anything to a ghost like me..." Slytherin sighed. "I couldn't find any clues, and in the end I thought of that place. Since I was already there, I figured I might as well take another look and continue exploring the ancient tomb that had remained one of my greatest regrets. After all, I was already a ghost..."
"You almost got me killed... And it's summer break right now! I should've been staying at Tom's manor with my friends. It was only because I had to save you that I ended up traveling all the way to that damned place!"
"....." Hearing Wade's complaints, Slytherin unusually did not argue back.
If Wade had not come to save him this time, he really would have remained trapped in that cursed place forever. He truly owed Wade for this.
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