This was Lewis's first time using the Floo Network, and the experience was far from pleasant.
The moment he was engulfed by the flames, it felt as if he had been sucked into a massive socket. His body spun at incredible speed, the roaring wind in his ears deafening. What lasted only a few seconds felt like days.
Only when he felt the cold winter wind brush against his face did he realize he had arrived.
Looking up, Lewis found himself standing in front of an open-air fireplace, surrounded by a small village.
It wasn't large—roughly a dozen houses scattered around.
Built along a hillside, the entire village was uneven, with buildings at different elevations.
The most eye-catching structure was the windmill at the highest point, standing like a giant wearing a white cap against the dim night sky.
It was Christmas Eve. Light snow drifted down from the sky, covering both the ground and rooftops in white. Every house was brightly lit, families celebrating indoors. There was hardly anyone outside.
This was Lewis's destination—Irondale.
The Moonstone Garden he sought lay at the foot of the mountain ahead.
Pulling his thick robe tighter, Lewis drew his wand and began layering buffs onto himself:
Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Eagle's Majesty, Fox's Cunning, Owl's Wisdom, Mage Armor, Frost Armor, Blur, and Haste.
Only after enhancing himself from head to toe did he stop.
With magic augmenting his physical abilities beyond normal limits, the wind and snow posed no obstacle.
Following the road through Irondale, even with Haste, it still took him over twenty minutes to reach terrain that matched his memory.
After all, this was reality—not a game. Both Irondale and the surrounding mountain were far larger than their in-game counterparts.
Reaching the familiar steep slope, Lewis didn't proceed directly. Instead, he moved to the cliffside on the left and cast Spider Climb on himself.
The spell allowed him to crawl along surfaces like a spider.
After confirming no one was nearby, he descended along the cliff. Before long, he spotted the hidden clearing below.
The familiar stone formation stood there.
Now, however, it was covered in snow. There were no Mooncalves, nor any mysterious patterns.
Lewis wasn't bothered. This wasn't his true destination.
Moving forward, he soon came to a smooth rock wall.
He frowned.
If his memory from the game was correct, a massive underground chamber should be hidden within this mountain, with a treasure known as the Scholar's Moonstone at its depths.
Although he didn't know why Legend Lore had guided him here, one thing was certain—
If the griffin beak wasn't outside, it had to be inside that chamber.
But instead of an entrance, there was only a natural rock wall.
Had he remembered wrong?
Lewis thought for a moment, then closed his eyes.
If sight failed, he would rely on perception.
"Psionic Detection."
His mental energy extended outward like tendrils, probing the rock wall.
But there, his senses detected nothing—and even continued passing through it.
Which meant…
The wall wasn't real.
It was an illusion.
"An illusion spell?"
Lewis's expression darkened.
He immediately followed up with a thorough Detect Magic.
As expected, he found more than just illusion magic.
There were traces of warding spells and Muggle-Repelling Charms.
And they were recent.
Which meant—
Someone was inside.
"Coming here secretly on Christmas Eve… either dark wizards or poachers. Either way, not good people."
Lewis quickly made his judgment.
At that moment, he began to consider retreating.
After all, he had only been learning magic for less than half a year. This was still the stage of cautious growth—not reckless confrontation.
Against one or two enemies, he might manage.
But if there were too many, it would be trouble.
Yet…
The thought of giving up the hard-earned clue about the griffin beak gnawed at him.
What if these people were also after it?
What if they already had it?
If he left now, who knew when he'd find another lead?
"…Maybe I should go in, scout the situation first, then decide?"
"My Invisibility Spell is far superior to a Disillusionment Charm. If I'm careful, I shouldn't be detected."
"If they're not too strong—or if I get a chance to take the griffin beak—then it's worth it."
"And if things go bad, I can always retreat."
"Running away without even seeing the enemy… that's just pathetic."
After five minutes of careful consideration, Lewis made his decision.
He would go in.
Casting Invisibility on himself, he carefully bypassed the wards and slipped into the underground chamber.
Walking along the passage, he quickly realized how vast the interior was.
The corridor alone extended dozens of meters into the mountain.
At the end lay a circular stone chamber, about twenty to thirty square meters in size.
Lewis scanned the room.
The walls were built from stone bricks and slabs, covered in ancient Celtic-style carvings. Moss clung to every surface, marking its age.
Torches burned along the walls.
From what he could tell, they weren't magically sustained flames—meaning they had been lit by recent visitors.
Four passageways extended from the chamber.
One was the path he came from. Of the other three, the right and front passages had collapsed over time.
Only the left passage remained accessible.
Lewis approached it and probed ahead with psionic sensing. After confirming no one was nearby, he carefully pushed the door open and continued forward.
Another long, deep corridor stretched ahead.
He slowed his steps, moving silently to the end, where another stone door awaited.
Repeating the same method, he scanned beyond it.
This time, he heard voices.
A man's voice said, "Got any booze hidden? Standing guard here is boring as hell. Let's have a drink."
Another voice responded, thick with an unfamiliar accent, "Are you crazy? If the boss finds out we're drinking on duty, he'll kill us!"
"So what?" the first voice argued. "It's Christmas Eve. Everyone else is by a warm fire with their families, and we're stuck in this freezing tomb with a bunch of scum. That's bad enough—and we can't even have a drink?"
"…Maybe you're right," the accented man said after a pause.
Soon, Lewis heard rustling, followed by the clink of glass against stone and the pop of a cork.
They had taken out alcohol.
Hearing this, Lewis's eyes sharpened.
His opportunity had arrived.
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