Hermione clutched the heavy ancient book tightly in her arms, the pages rustling as she flipped through them rapidly.
As she struggled to climb, she recited rapidly, "Ancient texts describe this place as her earliest experimental ground, the starting point where she attempted to separate the concept of 'pain'..."
"But this smell—" She stopped abruptly, took a deep breath, and her expression changed. "This doesn't smell like the ethereal aura of Ancient Magic; it's more like... an industrial furnace!"
"Someone is smelting on a large scale!" Hermione blurted out.
" Goblin," Draco uttered, stopping in his tracks, his eyes suddenly sharpening. "And quite a few of them."
"The scale of smelting sounds and the distinctive sulfurous smell are something no other race, except for Goblin, could produce."
Upon hearing this, Professor Babbling's face, which had been flushed from the mountain climb, instantly turned serious. She lowered her voice and warned:
"If the Goblin have taken over this place, it means they've had their eyes on the ruins of Isidora for a long time."
"We must be careful and absolutely not reveal our whereabouts, otherwise, if we alert them, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Just as she finished speaking, several slender and agile figures flashed through the shadows of the mine entrance ahead.
Accompanied by the crisp clanging of metal and the low murmur of conversation—the distinctive voices of Goblin.
" Disillusionment Charm!"
Draco reacted extremely quickly, immediately raising his hand, his wand drawing an almost invisible silver arc in the air.
Three silent incantations fell simultaneously, and invisible ripples spread out, completely blurring the figures of the three people, ultimately allowing them to perfectly blend into the surrounding air and rocky background.
"Follow me," he said, then slid into the depths of the mine, clinging to the cold, rough rock wall, with the two following behind.
The cave was much more spacious than expected. The further they went, the more dazzling the firelight became, and the clanging of metal instruments made their eardrums vibrate. Even the rock walls were trembling slightly.
As they rounded a moss-covered bend, the three of them stopped in their tracks, gasping at the sight before them.
What lies before us is not some ancient ruin, but clearly an underground factory forcibly transformed by Goblin!
Rows of burning braziers were embedded in the huge rock walls, and the orange-red flames illuminated the cave as if it were daytime.
In the center stood an unprecedentedly giant furnace.
Molten iron churned and boiled within, sparks flying like a golden rainstorm, the heat so intense that even the distant air appeared distorted by the extreme temperature.
Dozens of Goblin, bare-armed and muscular, busied themselves among the intricate tracks and gears.
The sound of hammers striking echoed, causing the stone walls to tremble slightly, and the falling dust danced in the beams of light.
They moved the eerily silvery metal components with practiced yet frantic movements, assembling, polishing, and forging them—
That was the prototype of a giant drill bit.
The thick, long drill rod is crafted from rare Mithril.
A cold, icy light flowed across its surface.
The edges were also covered with densely packed red runes, forbidden inscriptions specifically designed to penetrate magical barriers.
The base connects to a complex power structure, and the steam pipes pulsate like blood vessels. Just looking at this unfinished product is enough to make one's heart pound.
Hermione covered her mouth to barely suppress a scream.
"That must be... a device that can break through underground and Ancient Magic seals!" Professor Babbling was extremely shocked.
"Look at those runes, they want to dig into the Repository! They want to force their way through Isidora's last line of defense!"
Draco squinted, scanning the huge blueprints posted on the rock wall, which depicted the precise route the drill would take through the rock.
Without a doubt, the Goblin are making final preparations to excavate Morgana's " Repository Pain," and a plunder targeting the very foundation of the Wizarding World is about to erupt.
Several burly Goblin overseers paced back and forth in the factory, their leather whips cracking in the air as they sternly urged the surrounding workers on:
"Speed up! All parts must be completed within three days! Lord Ranrok will not tolerate any delays!"
"No matter how thick the barrier of the Repository is, it can't stop the drill! Once the drill is completed, there's nothing we can't get!"
"Once the drill is finished, our era will begin! We will pay back double what the wizards owe us!"
Draco winked at Hermione, signaling her to go deeper into the area and avoid the crazed Goblin.
The light from the Triptych grew brighter and brighter, guiding them through the Goblin' busy production line, using shadows and noise as cover, until they reached a hidden stone chamber at the innermost part of the mine.
In the center of the stone chamber, on a broken stone platform, fragments of a second Triptych float silently, emitting a soft golden light that subtly echoes the first piece of the painting.
"Found it." Draco stepped forward silently and took the picture in his palm.
The two fragments collided instantly, producing a crisp and melodious resonance, like two drops of water merging into the ocean.
But just then, Goblin's alert shout suddenly came from the cave entrance, breaking the brief silence.
"Someone has broken in!"
"It's a wizard! That damned wizard has smelled something!"
"Catch them! Don't let them get away!"
"Looks like we've been found out." Draco said with a relaxed air.
" Impedimenta!" The moment Hermione heard the shout, she raised her wand, and a semi-transparent magical barrier instantly formed at the entrance of the passage, blocking the way.
" Petrificus Totalus!" Professor Babbling also made her move at the same time. Her spells were more skillful, and several magical halos followed the Impediment Jinx, further slowing down Goblin that might rush in.
"Hurry! There are too many of them!"
"Let's go!" Draco grabbed Hermione's wrist and led her toward the narrow secret passage he had already scouted out.
Professor Babbling followed, her robes fluttering in the wind.
"They ran into the abandoned ventilation duct! Chase them!"
"Don't let them escape! Notify the outside to surround the area!"
The roars of the Goblin, the explosions of spells, and the clanging of metal grew closer behind them. The mine was constantly trembling with violent magical shocks, causing rocks to fall and dust to fly everywhere.
The three ran relentlessly through the darkness until they were completely out of the mine, at which point Draco released Hermione's hand.
"Second one, in hand." He held up the two Triptych in front of the two men, a smug smile playing on his lips.
Hermione tidied her messy hair, dusted off her robes, couldn't help but roll her eyes, and muttered:
"Could you please not make it this dangerous every time? We're on a mission, not doing extreme sports!"
"A bland and uneventful life is so boring," Draco thought, finding it quite interesting instead. "It's a bit of a surprise, which proves the trip wasn't a waste. Besides, isn't something exciting more fun?"
"Fun? I almost thought we were going to be used as the first batch of 'test drilling material' for that drill bit!"
Hermione said irritably.