Beginning the Operation

Sagreles's expression eased slightly. Before setting out, he asked one last question. "Red Kestrel, why were those two Dark wizards targeting you?"

"They saw my crystal ball. I guess that's why..."

Sagreles's face turned serious. Seeing this, Nightingale hurriedly warned her, "We've told you more than once not to reveal your divination talent or tools in front of other wizards, especially Gypsy wizards!"

The little girl lowered her head. She was clearly a little frightened by Sagreles's stern expression.

Thunderbird quickly changed the subject as well, volunteering some information he'd obtained from Gregorovitch. "I got some research notes on the Elder Wand. Some of the techniques mentioned are things I'd never considered before... I mean, compared to the Wolf Family's traditional craftsmanship, they're completely different..."

Red Kestrel couldn't help asking in the end, "So Thunderbird and I are just supposed to wait in the safe house?"

Sagreles nodded. "Nightingale and I will first find old Elios and retrieve her sea monster heart. Then we'll go to the place from your prophecy to look for materials, and finally hand them over to Thunderbird to make the wand."

Nightingale added reassuringly, "Don't worry. If your prophecy is right, we'll definitely find the materials we need there."

Thunderbird joked, "Red Kestrel and I would only get in the way if we went, so staying here counts as doing them a huge favor."

Before leaving, Sagreles warned the red-haired witch again, "You can't use the crystal ball for divination again within the next year unless you want your life to end here!"

"Oh, I understand." Red Kestrel lowered her head as she agreed, sounding utterly unconvincing.

Sagreles ignored her and turned to Thunderbird. "Do you have any spare wands? I need to borrow one for now. My previous one has already been damaged."

Thunderbird immediately took several wands from his bag for Sagreles to choose from. However, as a traditional North American wandmaking family, the Wolf Family's wands were all exemplary works of the North American school. They clearly didn't fit Sagreles's hand very well, but they were better than nothing.

After slipping the wand into his robe pocket, Sagreles addressed Nightingale again. "Any Felix Felicis left? Give them two drops each, and get them some common potions for emergencies."

Nightingale nodded and pulled out a pile of colorful crystal bottles from her wizard robes, distributing them one by one to Thunderbird and Red Kestrel.

"Although neither of you will directly appear at the place in the prophecy, you must still be careful. Too many things have already gone wrong with this operation. I don't want to hear that anyone else has been injured."

Red Kestrel and Thunderbird nodded solemnly. Sagreles added, "The prophecy says all of our actions will be hindered, so if you truly encounter danger, crush it."

He handed Thunderbird a sea monster eyeball. "This is a Portkey. It's illegal, but it can help you escape danger."

Once everything was prepared, Sagreles took out his Norwegian Sea Monster heart and immediately cast a spell, turning it into a temporary Portkey.

This Portkey would take them to another sea monster heart. By then, the two of them ought to give old Elios a surprise he'd never forget...

Sagreles took Nightingale's hand, nodded to the other two in the cabin, then grabbed the Portkey and left the safe house.

A flash of spell light vanished in an instant, and the two disappeared immediately.

Traveling by Portkey felt extremely strange, as if their bodies had been forcibly stuffed into a bottle, then squeezed back out through its mouth.

Once the sensation completely faded, the two appeared inside a dust-covered magical ruin.

The instant they materialized, a wave of black air rushed toward them.

Sagreles sharply raised his wand, and a powerful Shield Charm instantly blocked the attack. At the same time, Nightingale used a Levitation Charm to control tables and chairs, obstructing their opponent's view.

"Bombarda!"

Yellow spell light shot out from a corner, instantly striking the obstacles blocking the view. A rapid series of explosions followed, blasting the floating tables and chairs into fragments.

A strange laugh came from behind the flying debris, sounding like a duck being strangled. "Ha? It's you again, you greedy woman!"

Elios's voice drifted unpredictably, and he was clearly constantly changing his position.

"I'm not greedy. I'm only here to take back what belongs to me." Nightingale calmly continued controlling the debris.

"Oh... is that so?"

"I have no reason to lie to you."

"Killing Curse!"

A flash of dazzling green light was his response.

Nightingale decisively used the obstacles to block the Killing Curse, then raised her hand and hurled the airborne debris toward the source of the green light.

"Shield Charm."

Elios used a Shield Charm to block the attack, then fired back with a Stunning Spell. "Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do!"

He shouted furiously, "You're all coveting my skills! You want to steal my research!"

Before his words had even faded, a sharp Cutting Curse skimmed past his scalp. Elios touched the smooth top of his head in horror, and an indescribable sense of humiliation suddenly rose within him.

"You greedy bandits! I'll make you taste Elios's power!"

With a wave of the old man's wand, the dust-covered ground immediately began to ripple. Countless monsters crawled up from beneath the earth and attacked the two without end.

Some of the monsters were humanoid, while others were magical creatures. Without exception, their naked bodies were covered in twisted black veins.

"Haha, I nearly forgot. You were hit by my spell too."

The old man suddenly remembered that during their previous battle, this woman had been struck by his spell. The realization delighted him, because she would soon be cursed into becoming his puppet just like these monsters.

"To be honest, you really surprise me..." Elios stirred his wand, and black smoke poured from its tip. "You can still use magic after being hit by my spell... It seems you have remarkable endurance."

"In over ninety years of mastering this magic, there haven't been many who could do that..."

"Venomous Blood Plague!"

He suddenly pointed his wand at the two of them. The black smoke immediately transformed into three slender venomous snakes, which then shot like lightning into Sagreles's palm.

"Ha! So someone helped you transfer the curse..."

Elios looked even more delighted. "Very good. So you're the one who cut off my hair, aren't you?"

Sagreles didn't answer. At that moment, an indescribable agony surged from his cursed right hand, making it impossible for him to concentrate.