Wade's parents were naturally watching the live broadcast of the competition.
Before this, they had both learned about previous Triwizard Tournaments and knew that for the most part, the first task was usually relatively simple; there had even been written exams in the past.
So, at first, Mr. and Mrs. Gray were quite relaxed.
They sat on the sofa early, waiting for the broadcast. Fiona even picked up a half-knitted sweater, planning to knit a sweater for her son while watching the competition, which would make a perfect Christmas gift for him.
However, as soon as the competition began, a deafening roar echoed, followed by a terrifying Dragon spewing a long stream of flame.
Ferdinand: "…"
Fiona: "…"
Both of them were utterly stunned. The knitting needle dropped from Fiona's hand. She swallowed hard, and when she saw Wade emerge from the entrance, tears immediately welled up in her eyes.
Compared to the Dragon, the fourteen-year-old boy seemed so frail, small, and innocent.
The couple held their breath, as if even a deep sigh would disturb their son. They dared not speak, only clutched each other's hands tightly, trembling as they watched the Dragon open its mouth and unleash a scorching roar at the boy.
Flames instantly filled the entire screen!
But a moment later, Wade passed the Dragon unscathed, entered the Chamber of Secrets, and easily found the Golden Egg.
Just as Mr. and Mrs. Gray hadn't fully relaxed, they saw Wade begin to ambush the other Champions.
"What is Wade doing? He's already in the lead!"
Fiona gripped the cuff of the sweater tightly, speaking with concern.
Ferdinand forced himself to be calm and said, "He must have his own reasons…"
One, two, three… the Champions entering the passage fell without any ability to resist.
Fiona stared intently at the Streaming Mirror, fluctuating between "anxiety" and "relief," while pinching her palm and muttering:
"Alright… alright… hurry up and leave with the Golden Egg! The more Champions that come in, the more danger you'll be in…"
Ferdinand sighed, his broad hand covering her tense knuckles, gently prying open her reddened palm, and said:
"Don't worry, Wade is smarter and more cautious than us. He must have thought it through before doing this."
As he spoke, his fingers were cold and trembling slightly.
Afterward, they saw Wade not only not leaving the Chamber of Secrets but instead walking deeper inside, collecting all the Golden Eggs, and even setting up a terrifying Ghoul at the entrance. He then created a nest-like area and put the Golden Eggs inside.
Fiona grew extremely worried, then suddenly became angry, standing up abruptly and yelling:
"This—this—ignorant brat! Who does he think he is? A Dragon guarding treasure? Just you wait! You just wait! When you come back this time, I'm definitely going to—"
Before she could finish her sentence, she gasped sharply, her hands clutching the fabric over her chest.
Several Champions approached Wade's location, and the FMC director abandoned the thrilling footage of the Champion facing the Dragon, focusing the camera on this dim Chamber of Secrets.
…
"Hiss—"
The cobweb was torn open, and the spider, which had been menacingly spreading its legs, was now burnt to a crisp, lying on its back in the corner.
Fleur looked at the sticky cobwebs with disgust. Only when Ryan dragged the person out did she lean in for a look.
"It's Seraphina." Ryan checked her over, then pulled out his Wand: "She must have been hit by a Stunning Spell. I'll wake her first."
The expressions of the others changed slightly.
Now there would be two people from Ilvermorny, which was a bit disadvantageous for them.
But then, everyone remembered that Wade Gray, who dared to challenge everyone, was waiting ahead.
Although he was alone, his Alchemy could create more helpers for him. Seraphina was not weak, and with one more person in the team, they would have a better chance of winning.
Under the effect of a Reviving Spell, Seraphina slowly opened her eyes. She was disoriented for a moment, then her expression sharpened: "Ryan?"
The girl looked left and right, asking, "Did Wade leave with the Golden Egg?"
"No." Ryan pulled his teammate up from the ground, saying with a wry smile, "Let's go… He's still here, but he took all the Golden Eggs. If we want to continue competing, we have to find him."
Seraphina followed the others deeper into the passage. After a long silence, maintaining the temporary team's harmonious atmosphere, she puzzled, "…Why would he do that?"
"To show off his power, maybe?" Asada Chinatsu said with a calm expression: "For some people… winning the competition isn't enough."
"And then what? What does he want?" Amina said indignantly, "To eliminate all of us, leaving only him, so he can secure the championship early?"
She casually cast a Fire Charm, burning a Kappa hiding in the vines, ready to ambush them, making it scream in agony.
"I don't think so, because the Champions in the other passage didn't encounter this kind of 'screening'," Asada Chinatsu said. "Perhaps… he has another 'battleground' outside of this competition?"
"What do you mean?" Fleur raised her chin slightly, looking down at the petite Asada Chinatsu, and asked.
"I don't know… it's just a feeling." Asada Chinatsu said vaguely.
Fleur didn't pay much attention to her answer, because at that moment, everyone had already smelled a strange odor.
The putrid stench of a Ghoul assailed them, and then, dragging chains, its hunched figure peeked around the corner, its sharp claws scraping an ear-splitting sound against the stone wall.
"Disgusting." Fleur frowned in disgust, her Wand already raised.
"*Stupefy!*"
The Spell hit the Ghoul in the chest, but instead of knocking it out, it only made it stumble back a few steps, hitting the wall.
"Roar—"
The Ghoul roared and quickly ran towards everyone.
Digo was a step ahead, his Wand drawing a sharp arc: "*Diffindo!*"
A shriveled arm flew off, but the Ghoul only paused for a moment before continuing to lunge at everyone.
At the same time, Amina roared, "*Incendio!*"
Ryan quickly said, "Don't!"
A crimson stream of fire had already erupted, instantly igniting the Ghoul. The moment the flames touched the rotting flesh, a horrifying sizzling sound burst forth, and thick black smoke, carrying the stench of decaying corpse, slammed directly into everyone's faces.
"Aaah!"
Fleur shrieked and quickly cast a Bubble-Head Charm over her head. Amina, caught off guard, took a breath and immediately bent over, retching. The remaining few quickly covered their mouths and noses and raised their Wands:
"*Aguamenti!*"
"*Violent Wind Dance!*"
"*Confringo!*"
"*Impedimenta!*"
"*Bang!*"
The burning Ghoul suddenly paused and exploded. Pieces of rotting flesh were swept everywhere by the whirlwind, and water was caught in it, extinguishing some of the flames, but also splashing corrosive fluid all around.
"Ah ah ah ah ah—"
The few couldn't help but scream, hurriedly dodging this biological weapon, but they were still splattered with some of it.
Seraphina was on the verge of tears. She looked at Ryan with watery eyes and asked with a choked voice, "Why did you use the wind Spell?"
Ryan lowered his head apologetically: "I'm sorry… I originally wanted to blow the smell away…"
Amina & Fleur: "Ugh—"
In the Chamber of Secrets ahead, Wade opened his eyes, looking surprised at the entrance.
Just a Ghoul… and it sounds like it's giving them a lot of trouble?
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