First Victory

"What should we do?" Tonks asked.

Harry was silent for a moment, then said, "According to the original plan, regardless of whether Runcorn is here or not, we must disrupt the ritual. First, find an opportunity to enter the fortress and locate the defensive nodes."

As the Goblin patrol gradually disappeared into the distance, the five took the opportunity to sneak towards the side and rear of the fortress.

According to the red dotted line marked on the map, there is a relatively weak defensive node there.

That was an Energy Pillar left behind by an ancient ruin; if it were destroyed, a gap would appear in the entire defense network.

They carefully traversed the Snowfield, avoiding several hidden curses, and finally arrived at the base of the Energy Pillar.

This stone pillar is quite tall, probably over thirty meters high, with its surface covered in dark, thorny patterns, and its top burning with a ghastly green flame.

Upon closer inspection, one can better sense the immense dark energy it contains.

Each pulse of the flame caused the surrounding air to distort slightly.

"That's it," Dyg whispered. "Destroy it, and the breach will appear."

"I'll do it." Cassandra took out the Silver Compass. "The Malfoy family's treasure can dissolve this dark energy."

Just as she was about to make her move, a deep voice came from behind her.

Welcome.

Everyone turned around abruptly and raised their wands.

A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

It was a Goblin, but completely different from ordinary Goblin.

He was tall and wore red armor inlaid with jewels, wielding a Battle Axe that radiated Grim light.

His face was covered in wrinkles, but his eyes burned like flames, radiating a suffocating sense of oppression.

Behind him, dozens of Goblin Warrior emerged from the shadows and surrounded them.

"Runcorn." Dyg gasped.

Runcorn smiled slightly, a smile full of mockery.

He turned to Harry, his gaze fixed on him.

"Harry Potter," he said, "My old friend, we've finally met."

"Runcorn," Harry gripped his wand tightly, "It's been so long, so long that I thought you were dead for good. But I never imagined you'd team up with Voldemort. Have you really fallen this low?"

"Join forces?" Runcorn laughed, his voice harsh and unpleasant. "That arrogant bastard, thinking he can stand on equal footing with me? I'm just using him. He helped me resurrect, and I helped him fight—a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"And now?" Harry asked.

"Now?" Runcorn stepped forward, the light on his Battle Axe shining even brighter. "Now, the ritual is about to be completed."

Once the Return of All Souls is activated, the power of this mountain range will be at my disposal. At that point, Voldemort? He'll be nothing but a clown.

Harry's heart sank. Runcorn's goal was also to Return of All Souls —he had allied with Voldemort, but each had their own agenda.

Voldemort isn't here, but Runcorn has appeared. What does that mean?

"Where is Voldemort?" he asked.

Runcorn's smile grew even more sinister, "Him? Of course he is—who knows? That cunning fellow never tells anyone his location. He said he was going to prepare for the final stage of the ceremony and asked me to greet you here. Now it seems he probably used me as bait."

Cassandra raised her head slightly. "You mean, Voldemort betrayed you?"

"Obviously," Runcorn shrugged. "He had me stall you here while he disappeared somewhere. If you kill me, he'll have more time to complete the ritual; if I kill you, he'll have one less competitor. Either way, he's the winner."

"You knew and you still came?" Tonks incredulously.

A flash of anger crossed Runcorn's eyes. "Of course I know. But do you think I'm afraid? A hundred years ago, I was defeated by you because of my arrogance and carelessness. Now that I've finally seen the light of day again, I need power—I need the power of this mountain range. Voldemort wanted to use me, and I was using him too. I just didn't expect him to be more cunning than I imagined."

He raised his Battle Axe, pointing it at Harry: "But that's alright. There's something more important now. My old friend has finally arrived at my doorstep. That's far more important than any ceremony, isn't it, Harry Potter?"

He brandished his Battle Axe, pointing it directly at Harry.

"Kill!"

At his command, the surrounding Goblin Warrior launched an attack simultaneously!

The battle erupted instantly!

Tonks was the first to act, instantly using Charms to repel two Goblin Warrior pounced on her.

Dyg waved his wand repeatedly, casting spells at the swarming enemies. His spells were incredibly precise, each one hitting its target.

Silva moved among the enemies like a ghost, and with each swing of his magical dagger, a Goblin Warrior fell.

Her movements were fluid and graceful, without any unnecessary steps.

Cassandra stood beside Harry, her wand flashing, sending out silver-blue light like shooting stars, repelling the Goblin Warrior who tried to approach. Her Silver Compass hovered above her head, constantly releasing Purification waves to dispel the dark magic enchantments on the warriors.

Harry, at this moment, was already in battle mode.

He didn't use any large-scale destructive magic—there were teammates here, and Cassandra who needed protection.

He simply raised his wand, pointed it at the charging Goblin Warrior, and whispered the spell.

"Epelliarmus (Disarming Charm)!"

A beam of red light shot out, and the weapon in the hand of the foremost Goblin Warrior flew out of his grasp. Before he could react, Dyg's Stunning Spell had already struck him.

"Shield Charm!"

A platinum-white shield unfolded around the group, blocking several curses that shot from the side.

The shield gleamed with a warm, yellowish light, and was more robust than ordinary Protego.

Stupefy (Stunning Spell)! Impedimenta (Impedimenta)! Petrificus Totalus

(Full Body-Bind!)

A series of spells shot from the tip of Harry's staff, striking their targets with pinpoint accuracy.

His magic power far surpasses that of ordinary wizards; even the most basic spells are powerful enough to instantly render Goblin Warrior incapable of fighting.

The battle lasted less than twenty seconds before the Goblin Warrior fell.

But the remaining enemies remained tenacious; they were well-trained, coordinated, and launched attacks from all directions.

Runcorn didn't make a move; he simply stood a short distance away, watching coldly.

"Not bad," he said, "Better than before, but..."

He suddenly moved.

In an instant, he covered a distance of tens of meters and appeared in front of Harry.

The Battle Axe, enveloped in a deep, eerie light, cleaved down!

"Watch out!" Cassandra screamed.

Harry didn't have time to think and instinctively channeled his magic into the shield.

A burst of platinum-gold light erupted, colliding head-on with the Battle Axe!

Boom!

A violent shockwave spread out, forcing the surrounding Goblin Warrior to retreat.

The rocks beneath Harry's feet crumbled inch by inch, but he did not retreat an inch.

On the shield, the eerie blue light and the platinum light clashed fiercely, emitting a piercing shriek.

A hint of surprise flashed in Runcorn's eyes. "This power—what did you absorb?"

Harry didn't answer, but simply waved his wand, and a thick Platinum Beam shot out from the tip of the wand, heading straight for Runcorn's face!

Runcorn dodged to the side, his Battle Axe Cleansweep. Harry rolled to the ground, narrowly avoiding the attack. He sprang to his feet, flicking his wand repeatedly, sending three Stunning Spell in a Pinzi formation toward Runcorn.

Runcorn swung his Battle Axe, shattering the Stunning Spell one by one.

But just as he blocked that wave of attacks, Cassandra's Blue Light shot from the side, hitting him squarely in the shoulder.

Runcorn grunted, his movements slightly halting.

In that instant, Harry moved.

He held nothing back and unleashed his full magical power.

Platinum-gold light rose from his body, and the tip of his wand shone brightly.

A massive, silvery-white beam of light, as thick as a river, roared out, heading straight for Runcorn!

Runcorn's expression changed, and he gripped his Battle Axe with both hands, swinging it forward with all his might.

The deep blue light and the silvery white light collided head-on with a deafening roar!!!

With a deafening explosion, Runcorn was blasted backward, crashing heavily into the Energy Pillar behind him.

The Energy Pillar trembled violently, the Thorn Pattern on its surface broke off inch by inch, and the Pale Green Flame at its top flickered wildly.

"You—" Runcorn struggled to his feet, dark golden blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

He stared at Harry, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Runcorn." Harry raised his wand, pointing it at him, "It's over, once more."

Runcorn looked at him, then suddenly smiled; in that smile was only a sense of relief.

"Yes, it's over." He sighed. "That bastard Voldemort tricked me into coming here, talking about joining forces and sharing power. And what happened? He just wanted to use me as bait."

He coughed up blood and continued, "Go find him. He's in Peru, on the other side of the Andes Mountains, at an Inca Ruins called the Temple of the Sun. His real rituals are there."

Harry was taken aback.

"You think this is the core?" Runcorn laughed mockingly. "It's just a decoy. He had me here to distract you while he went to perform the real ritual. I knew he was up to something, but I didn't expect him to be this ruthless."

He slowly stood up, using his Battle Axe as a support for his body.

"Kill me," he said. "It's unbelievable how much you've grown. I admit defeat at your hands once again. But remember, Voldemort is more cunning than you think. If you don't find him soon, he'll become stronger than anyone else."

Harry looked at him and remained silent for a moment. Then he nodded.

"Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome," Runcorn said. "I just didn't want him to win."

Harry raised his wand, and a platinum-gold light shone forth.

A beam of light shot out and struck Runcorn squarely in the chest.

Runcorn's body stiffened slightly, then he slowly collapsed.

The flame in his eyes gradually died down, finally freezing at the moment the burning red light dissipated.

The Goblin leader, Runcorn, is dead.

Upon seeing their leader fall, the surrounding Goblin Warrior dropped their weapons and scattered in all directions.

No one was chasing them; they were too exhausted to continue.

Tonks collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. Her clothes were torn in several places, and she had a few wounds, but none of them were fatal.

Dyg leaned against the rock, his face pale, his magic power depleted.

Silva's arm was cut and he was treating it with the medicine he had on him.

Cassandra stood beside Harry, her face also pale.

Harry put away his wand, walked to Runcorn's beggar's desk, and knelt down. He looked at the wrinkled face, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

A hundred years ago, the Goblin attempted to seize the Bede Magic and rule the world, but was ultimately defeated by him; a hundred years later, he was resurrected by Voldemort, betrayed by Voldemort, and finally defeated by him again.

It must be said that seedlings can be planted in any cycle.

"The Temple of the Sun," he said, "Peru."

Kingsley's urgent voice came through the communicator. "Potter! How's the situation on your end? We've sensed a huge Magic Fluctuation!"

"We encountered Runcorn," Harry said. "It's mostly resolved. But Voldemort isn't here—he's in Peru, at the Temple of the Sun. Runcorn told me that before he died."

"Peru?" Kingsley's voice was filled with shock, "The Tornador Peak— "

"It's bait." Harry stood up. "Runcorn is bait, and Miaoli's ritual is bait too. Voldemort's true core lies elsewhere."

There was a few seconds of silence on the communicator, then Veratia's voice came through. "Potter, do you still have any trouble?"

Harry glanced at his teammates. Tonks was still sitting on the ground, Dyg had taken a potion of Magic Rejuvenation, Silva was still tending to her wounds, and Cassandra, though pale, was still standing ramrod straight.

"Okay," he said.

"Okay," Veratia said. "I'll contact the Peruvian Ministry of Magic immediately to coordinate a change of direction for the main force. You guys destroy Miaoli's Energy Pillar first, then find a place to rest. Wait for my message."

Harry nodded, then turned to look at the damaged Energy Pillar.

"Cassandra," he said.

Cassandra understood, took out the Silver Luo, and walked to the Energy Pillar.

She pressed Luo against the pillar, and the silver-blue light clashed fiercely with the dark green energy, emitting a piercing shriek.

Cracks appeared on the surface of the Energy Pillar, and the cracks spread rapidly. Then, with a bang, the entire Energy Pillar suddenly exploded.

The sound of the explosion echoed through the mountains, and fragments scattered, landing on the ground with Pupu Preserve thuds.

After the ghastly green Fire Serpent at the top went out, the oppressive feeling in the surrounding air noticeably lessened, as if a stone that had been blocking one's chest had been removed.

Tonks got up from the ground, dusted herself off, and her hair slowly returned to its original color from a tired gray.

Leaning against the rock, Dyg swallowed his second bottle of Magic Rejuvenation Potion. His face was still pale, but at least he could stand up straight.

Silva's arm was bandaged. She moved it around a bit and nodded to indicate that she was alright.

Cassandra put away the silver ribbon and walked to Harry's side. The two looked at each other without saying a word, but they both understood what the other was thinking.

"Damn it," Tonks cursed, "We've been tricked."

"Not just us," Dyg said with a wry smile, "Runcorn was played too. Voldemort even betrays his allies, truly—"

"He's always been like that," Harry said. "Always. Nobody's a true ally, just a tool."