Stone Piers Deployed

Chapter 365 Stone Piers Deployed (5.8K) (2/2)

Cedric pushed open the door and entered, the wooden door closing behind him and shutting out the darkness of the corridor.

Behind the door was an unusually spacious underground classroom.

The towering vaulted ceiling was hidden in the shadows above, and the walls on either side were not ordinary smooth stone bricks, but rather lined with rows of gray-white stone figures of people and beasts. They were silently embedded in the niches, casting huge, still, and strange silhouettes in the steady but limited light of the magical torches on the walls.

The firelight mainly illuminated a wide stone floor in the center of the classroom, where Professor Lynch stood with a calm expression, and Harry, who quickly looked up—the latter seemed to compose himself, but his eyes were still a little red.

"Good evening, Professor Lynch. Good evening, Harry," Cedric greeted politely, his voice steady.

"Mr. Diggory," Professor Lynch nodded slightly in response. The raven on his shoulder rolled its dark eyes, silently sizing up the newcomer.

Harry nodded quickly and replied in a low voice, "Good evening, Cedric," his gaze slightly unfocused, as if he hadn't completely detached himself from the conversation.

Lynch gave no time for small talk or awkward silence.

His gaze swept across the faces of the two young warriors, a gaze that was calm yet penetrating, drawing everyone's attention.

"No need for formalities or preambles," Professor Lynch said, getting straight to the point. His voice echoed clearly in the quiet study room. "You all know why you're standing here. The Triwizard Tournament is neither a knowledge contest nor a friendly Quidditch match."

He took a step, the firelight from the fireplace casting his straight back onto the wall filled with books.

"Throughout the history of the competition, the events have varied greatly, testing intelligence, knowledge, skill, and even luck. But one thing remains constant," he turned around, his eyes piercing, "that is, intense, real combat. Fighting against magical creatures, fighting against harsh environments, competing against opponents, and even—fighting against the shadow of death. This is the core reason why this competition is considered dangerous, even leading to serious injury or death for participants."

Harry and Cedric's expressions grew even more serious, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.

"Therefore," Professor Lynch continued, his tone leaving no room for doubt, "during the upcoming special training period, I will temporarily set aside what you can learn in the library or other professors' classes. What I will do is train you in combat, focusing on what you urgently need and what is most crucial."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two of them: "You both experienced simulated combat scenarios and rapid reaction training in the 'Transforming Corridor.' Those alchemical mechanisms simulated danger, forcing you to think, dodge, and even counterattack."

"But," his voice lowered, carrying a cold, hard quality, "the traps are still just traps. They have no murderous intent, and they won't really take anything away from you because of your fear or mistakes. That was just a rehearsal, a lesson."

"Now," Professor Lynch raised his hand, gesturing towards the seemingly calm research room, "the real combat training begins."

Harry and Cedric exchanged a glance, both seeing the same confusion and uncertainty in each other's eyes.

They quickly scanned the almost empty underground classroom, which was devoid of anything except for the stone statues standing on the walls, and then all looked at their only "opponent," Professor Lynch.

Is it going to be a fight with Professor Lynch (Uncle) himself?

The idea appeared in both of their minds almost simultaneously.

Professor Lin Qi's strength was unfathomable, so he directly engaged in actual combat with him.

Professor Lynch seemed to see through their thoughts, and the corner of his mouth twitched very slightly, which could hardly be called a smile.

"Naturally, not with me. My task is to guide and judge. Your 'opponent'—is coming soon. You just need to be prepared."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a strange change occurred.

There was no sound of incantation, nor the trace of a wand being waved; only a faint, ashen mist rose without warning from the smooth stone floor beneath their feet.

The fog was eerily thick, almost tangible, and spread rapidly, filling the entire empty classroom in the blink of an eye.

The torch flames became blurry, distorted orbs of light in the thick fog, and the outlines of the walls and niches quickly melted away. Even Professor Lynch, who was right in front of us, became hazy and indistinct in the fog, as if seen through a layer of frosted glass.

The stone statues of men and beasts transformed into even deeper, more varied shadows amidst the churning gray mist.

Harry and Cedric were startled and instinctively wanted to move closer, but they saw Lynch take a step back and silently disappear into the swirling gray mist and the shadow of the statue.

"Uncle Lynch?" Harry called out tentatively, his voice sounding particularly muffled in the empty stone chamber shrouded in thick fog, and echoing off the stone walls.

"Professor Lynch?" Cedric immediately called out, turning quickly toward the direction Harry had just been in, his hand already gripping his wand.

However, the next moment, both of them were stunned.

My companion, who was right next to me, has vanished!

The dense fog not only obscured visibility but also seemed to distort space and perception.

They could hear each other's tense breathing, but they couldn't see each other, and even their general location became blurry.

Deep within this oppressive, unsettling fog, Lynch stood silently. A wand, its surface a warm, ivory white, appeared in his hand.

Lynch’s wrist began to flip in a rhythmic, almost elegant motion.

The tip of the white wand traced subtle, almost invisible lines in the thick fog. Each delicate tremor and each brief stroke was accompanied by the release of a seamless expansion spell.

As these incantations were effortlessly "cast," one invisible force of spatial stretching layered upon another.

Intertwined, acting upon the area already shrouded in thick fog. The inherent spatial structure of this classroom, within this continuous...

Under the influence of intense spatial magic, it was repeatedly stretched, extended, and twisted.

It's like a painter casually splashing paint on a canvas, or a conductor silently orchestrating a symphony of space.

Expand, and expand again.

Zoom out, zoom out even further.

The actual distance between Harry and Cedric, which might have been only a few steps apart, had become impossibly far under the repeated and unreserved use of spatial magic, separated by countless layers of empty, misty voids created out of thin air by magic.

Immediately afterward, just as Harry and Cedric, each gripping their wands tightly in the thick fog, warily scanned the empty space around them—a space devoid of anything but gray mist and silent shadows—

Lin Qi's calm and clear voice pierced through the thick fog, seemingly ringing out from all directions at once. It carried a chilling announcement of the start of actual combat and seemed to directly awaken the ancient guardians of this stone space: "Stone pillars, move out."

"Buzz—Crackling—"

A deep, rumbling sound, as if from the depths of the earth, came from different, distant directions deep within the mist. A certain heaviness...

Hardened, awakened creations began to move across this vast battlefield shaped by magic.

"Boom—Boom—"

The heavy footsteps echoed through the thick fog, growing closer and closer, making the ground beneath Harry's feet tremble slightly.

He gripped the holly wand tightly, his knuckles turning white, his heart pounding in his chest. All around him was a pure, suffocating gray; nothing could be seen but fog, and the source of any sound was elusive. Fear, like cold vines, coiled around his stomach.

Suddenly, the fog on the left churned violently, and a huge, grayish-white outline appeared!

It was a stone pillar as tall as Hagrid, rough and menacing, holding a rough but heavy stone axe in its right hand and an irregularly shaped square stone shield in its left.

Its faceless form "looked" at Harry, and the stone axe came crashing down with the force to crush everything!

"Ah!" Harry cried out, using his Seeker's agility to dodge backward in a clumsy manner. The stone axe slammed into the ground, sending shards of stone flying and scraping against his robes.

He didn't have time to recite any complicated defensive spells; his mind was focused on the most familiar and handy incantation.

It must be dearmed!

He staggered to his feet, raised his massive stone axe arm again toward the stone block, and shouted with all his might, "Discard your weapon!"

A brighter red light than usual burst forth from the tip of his staff, striking precisely the junction between the stone axe and the stone hand.

The spell worked, but the effect was completely unexpected by Harry.

When he casts the spell on a wizard, the wizard's wand will fly lightly toward him, and he can always catch it steadily.

This time, however, the heavy stone axe did indeed break free from the stone block's grasp under the impact of the red light. But it did not fly in lightly; instead, it came crashing down on Harry's chest with terrifying weight and speed!

Harry's pupils contracted sharply, and his mind went blank.

He instinctively wanted to catch it like he would a magic wand, but the heavy whooshing sound of the stone axe cutting through the air instantly brought him to his senses—he couldn't catch it!

will die!

He scrambled to the side and crashed heavily onto the floor.

The stone axe whistled past him, its cold stone edge tearing his robe and the force of the wind stinging his cheek.

With a muffled thud, the stone axe crashed onto the ground a few steps behind him, shattering the stone slab and embedding part of the axe blade.

Harry was still in shock, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

Before he could catch his breath, heavy footsteps tolled like a death knell—the stone block, holding up its massive stone shield, charged toward him at an even faster speed, like a chariot starting up!

He had just straightened up, and before he could even adjust his center of gravity, the wind pressure generated by the stone shield had already locked onto him.

There's no escaping it!

"No--!"

"Bang!"

A dull thud resounded.

Harry felt as if he had been struck head-on by a moving wall, his whole body flying off the ground and crashing backward, his wand flying out of his hand and disappearing into the thick fog.

His back slammed heavily onto the ground, the excruciating pain and chest tightness making his vision blur and almost unable to breathe.

My ears were ringing, and I could only vaguely hear the heavy footsteps of the stone pier approaching again.

It’s over.

This was the first thought that flashed through Harry's mind.

He lost his wand, was knocked around and felt dizzy, and the stone monster was still coming.

Unlike Harry's close dodge, Cedric quickly calmed himself down upon sensing the heavy approaching footsteps. He took a deep breath, held his wand steadily in front of him, and rapidly eliminated impractical spells from his mind.

When the first stone pillar broke through the thick fog and came into view, Cedric did not immediately attack or move much.

He quickly moved two steps to the side, observing with keen insight: the stone pier's structure, movement patterns, and range of motion of its joints—

"Obstacles everywhere!" He made the first move, but instead of attacking the stone pillar itself, he released an obstacle spell on the ground in the path the stone pillar would take.

As expected, the stone block stumbled for a moment. Although it quickly crushed the magical barrier with its heavy weight, its speed was noticeably slowed down.

Cedric needed this moment of slowness.

Unlike Harry, he didn't rush to eliminate the threat, but instead adopted a more systematic strategy.

"Shock absorption and speed reduction!" He waved his wand, and a light blue light shot towards the leg joint of the stone block.

This wasn't a powerful offensive spell, but rather a practical magic used to slow down the movement of objects. The stone block's movement slowed down noticeably by another beat.

"An eye-cursing spell?" Cedric thought, but the stone pillar didn't have real eyes. "Power-releasing and energy-draining"? No, that might not be effective against inanimate objects...

'

"Perhaps we could try to disrupt its movement —"

"Obstacles everywhere!"—The incantation struck the stone statue's path, causing its steps to noticeably falter.

"Shock absorption and speed reduction!"—A light blue light struck the stone statue's leg joint, further slowing its speed.

"Partial petrification!"—He tentatively applied the spell to the ankle joint of the statue. Although he couldn't actually petrify the magic-driven rock, he successfully made that part of the statue move more stiffly and clumsily.

He was like a skilled chess player, each move carrying a clear purpose.

With a few simple yet effective control spells, he successfully confined the first stone block to a relatively fixed rhythm and range of attacks. Each swing of the stone block was powerful and heavy, but always a beat too slow, or deflected by invisible obstacles, never truly threatening Cedric's agile movement and ability to maintain distance. He even had the energy to observe the stone block's structure, searching for possible weaknesses or energy nodes.

However, just as he seemed to be gradually gaining control of the situation, the thick fog on the right side surged violently again!

The second stone pillar appeared without warning, taller than the others, wielding a thick, long stone spear. As soon as it appeared, it swiftly thrust towards Cedric's flank.

The pressure has increased sharply.

Cedric's pupils contracted slightly, but he did not panic.

He had long anticipated that he would not have only one opponent.

He spun around swiftly, his wand tracing an arc: "Bless all!"

A brief protective force field flashed beside him. Although it was not enough to completely block the thrust of the stone spear, it successfully deflected the angle of attack, and the spear grazed the hem of his robe.

At the same time, he did not forget his first opponent: "Trip-heavy!"—the spell landed precisely in front of the first stone pillar that tried to take the opportunity to approach.

He was caught in a two-front war, but his rhythm remained intact.

His movements were swift and efficient, traversing the limited visible space. His wand acted like a conductor's baton, alternately unleashing controlling and disruptive spells, barely maintaining a precarious balance. He was searching for an opportunity; perhaps a powerful shattering spell could solve one of them, but it required the right timing and angle, and his magic had to be carefully calculated—

Just then, another unexpected event occurred!

Without warning, the thick fog directly in front of them suddenly collapsed inward, as if it were being violently sucked in by some enormous thing. Then, a low and swift gray shadow shot out like a cannonball!

It was no longer a clumsy human-shaped stone pillar, but a beast-shaped stone statue made entirely of rough rock, resembling a wild boar!

It moved on all fours, almost silently, and at an astonishing speed, instantly breaking through the safe distance that Cedric had previously relied on to maneuver, its fanged, ferocious rock head heading straight for his chest!

too fast!

This completely exceeds the behavior patterns of the previous two stone statues!

Cedric was horrified; all his tactical calculations were disrupted by this sudden attack.

He had no time to execute complex dodges or cast control spells; he could only rely on instinct, channeling all his magic into the most direct and solid defensive spell, his wand rapidly tracing a protective line across his chest: "Protect the Armor!"

A semi-transparent magic shield, shimmering with a faint light, instantly solidified in front of him; this was the strongest armor spell he could currently cast.

However-

"Boom!"

The beast-shaped stone statue slammed into the Ironclad Curse with astonishing kinetic energy!

The magic shield emitted a piercing cracking sound as it struggled under the strain, lasting only a moment before shattering into countless points of light like glass struck by a heavy hammer! The statue's charge was only slightly halted, and the remaining immense force was transmitted solidly to it.

"Ugh!" Cedric groaned, feeling as if he had been hit head-on by a speeding carriage. He was thrown backward without any resistance, his feet leaving the ground! His wand slipped from his hand, his vision spun, and his back slammed heavily onto the cold, hard ground. The huge impact made his vision go black, his chest heaving, and he almost suffocated.

He struggled to get up, but the excruciating pain and the dizziness from the backlash of magic left him powerless. He could hear the heavy footsteps of the other two stone pillars approaching, and the beast-shaped stone statue, after knocking him away, had already turned around, silently lowering its body, preparing to pounce again.

Failed.

Cedric lay on the cold ground, gazing at the swirling gray fog above, a bitter feeling rising in his heart. His strategy, his control, his mastery of spells as an outstanding graduate—all seemed insufficient against the relentless, especially the final, and unpredictable, onslaught. Professor Lynch's training was far more rigorous and—real—than he had imagined.

In the thick fog, all sounds gradually subsided, and the stone statues seemed to stop moving.

All that remained were his heavy, unwilling breaths.

Then, just as it had appeared, the thick fog began to dissipate without warning, not slowly fading away, but as if it had been swiftly wiped away by an invisible hand.

The gray curtains were peeled away layer by layer, revealing the original outline of the underground classroom: a towering vaulted ceiling, the silent gray-white stone statues of men and beasts in the niches on the walls, and the steady but limited glow of the magical torches on the walls. The strange feeling of the space being infinitely stretched disappeared, and the open stone slab in the center returned to its original size.

The two people lying on the ground were momentarily dazed.

The vast, boundless, and perilous fog-shrouded battlefield, the heavy stone statues and the swift stone beasts, all seemed like a terrifyingly realistic collective hallucination.

However, the physical pain immediately shattered this illusion.

Harry groaned, trying to sit up. A dull ache shot through his chest where the shield had struck, and his back burned from the fall. As soon as he moved, he caught a glimpse of something nearby—a glaring dent in the once-smooth stone floor in the center of the classroom, its edges cracked and prominently radiating.

It was caused by the stone axe that crashed down after his "Expel Your Weapon" attack was deflected.

The craters were fresh and jagged, silently proclaiming that what had just happened was no illusion.

Cedric slowly sat up, rubbing his shoulders and back, which felt like they were about to fall apart. He could feel the discomfort in his chest with every breath.

He clenched his empty hands, then remembered that his wand had been knocked out of his grasp at the last moment. He scanned his surroundings and quickly spotted his wand lying on the cold stone floor nearby.

Not far away, a sturdy stone statue, originally embedded in a niche and holding a stone hammer, now stood silently, indistinguishable from the other statues around it, as if it had never moved. But Cedric clearly remembered the sound of the wind as it swung its hammer, and the many obstacles he had placed upon it.

Lin Qi remained standing in the center of the classroom, as if he had never moved.

The crow on his shoulder quietly preened its feathers, its black bean-like eyes watching the two disheveled young men indifferently in the flickering torchlight.

The underground classroom fell silent again, with only the faint hissing of the burning torches and the heavy, uneven breathing of the two boys echoing faintly under the empty vaulted ceiling.

The return to reality brought no relief; instead, it made the weight of failure and the danger they had just experienced weigh even more heavily on their hearts. The silent silhouettes of the stone statues in the surrounding niches now seemed to carry a cold, scrutinizing quality.

This is not a dream.

This is the first lesson they must face.