Entering

The carriage continued flying south, and the terrain below gradually changed from the plains of France into rolling hills.

The outline of Montagne Noire grew clearer ahead, and the oak forest on the southern slope of the mountains gleamed dark green in the afternoon sunlight.

Hagrid landed the carriage in a clearing at the edge of the oak forest. The Advance Team jumped down, and Kingsley took the Magic Fluctuation Monitor from his backpack, scanning the surrounding environment.

The screen showed no abnormal signals—the Protective Charm over the Hexagon Center clearly included a magical camouflage function as well, making all scanning equipment mistake this place for an ordinary forest.

Cassandra raised the Silver Compass. Its needle slowly turned half a circle, then steadied, pointing toward a direction deep in the oak forest.

"This way."

The team followed her into the oak forest. The light between the trees was far dimmer than outside. Cassandra walked at the front, the Silver Compass in her hand steadily pointing in the same direction.

Kingsley followed closely behind her, his right hand resting on his wand. Macnair and Cole guarded the team's flanks, one on each side.

Nasser walked in the middle of the team, holding the Analyzer in his arms, its screen flickering with real-time updates of magical fluctuation data. Vivi walked at the rear, her gaze sweeping over the trees on both sides, silver-white magic flickering in and out of sight at her fingertips.

After they had walked for about twenty minutes, the oak forest began to thin.

Ahead appeared a limestone cliff completely covered in vines and shrubs. The cliff was about fifteen meters high, with rubble and dead branches piled at its base, having collapsed from the top.

Cassandra stopped before the cliff and raised the Silver Compass to eye level.