Hogwarts: Lacus doesn't want to be a witch who destroys nations.

Chapter 103 Revisiting the Ministry of Magic

The further down you go, the more heavily guarded the area becomes, with layers of protective magic stacked upon each other.

But for Grindelwald, these obstacles seemed to have no effect whatsoever.

His method of breaking the magic locks was elegant and efficient; sometimes he would simply run his finger across them, and the ancient runes would quietly fade away.

Finally, they stopped in front of a huge gate made of mithril and dragonhide wood.

The door is carved with the double-headed eagle emblem from the Tsarist era and intricate runic seals, radiating a chilling magical aura.

The words "Collection Storage" are engraved on the lintel.

"Right here," Lux said confidently.

Grindelwald observed the gate, a hint of seriousness appearing in his eyes for the first time: "An ancient magical artifact, quite interesting."

Instead of forcibly breaking through, he gently placed his palm on the cold door, closed his eyes, and seemed to be sensing something.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, a cold smile playing on his lips: "So that's how it is—it's not a simple lock; it requires a specific permission magic mark to open. Forcing it will trigger a counter-curse."

Just then, a suppressed roar filled with pain and struggle faintly came from inside the door, followed by the crackling sound of something shattering and magic going out of control.

"Oh no!" Lux's expression changed. "The runes seem to have been forcibly activated."

Almost simultaneously, hurried footsteps and shouts in Russian came from the other end of the corridor! Clearly, the commotion inside had triggered the alarm.

Grindelwald acted swiftly, drawing a perfect circle with his wand against the thick wall beside the door: "Bombshell!"

There was no deafening roar, only a muffled, extremely compressed rumble.

The wall encircled by the spell seemed to have been precisely carved away by an invisible giant hand, revealing the treasure vault behind it.

Sometimes, an overly sturdy door can make a wall appear vulnerable.

The three of them rushed inside in an instant!

The warehouse was in a mess.

Several people in Auror uniforms lay unconscious on the ground. A reinforced display stand in the center of the warehouse was broken. A figure stood there swaying, none other than Chevanov, the head of the Soviet Auror office.

He clutched a crown in his hand, its design ancient and adorned with countless jewels, but the crown was now emitting an extremely distorted, dark red light.

Countless dark red energy lines, like blood vessels, spread from the crown, frantically drilling into Chevanov's arm and spreading throughout his body. His eyes were wide open, the whites of his eyes bloodshot, and his pupils flashing with a crazy red light. His face was a mixture of extreme pain and a twisted, fanatical attempt to control power.

"Conquer—conquer—" he roared intermittently and hoarsely, his body swirling out of control like a storm, shattering the nearby glass cabinets.

That crown is the very object housing the Conqueror's Rune!

Chevanov apparently suffered a backlash when he tried to control it, and his body was temporarily taken over by the rune's violent power, making him an extremely unstable rune container.

"Foolish!" Grindelwald hissed, pointing his wand at Chevanov without hesitation: "Faint!"

The powerful stun spell shot out like a red lightning bolt, but Chevanov, enhanced by the power of the runes, suddenly waved his hand, and a dark red energy barrier instantly condensed, deflecting Grindelwald's spell.

"Those who covet power! Die!" Chevanov roared inhuman fury, the red light on his crown surging, a twisted...

A dark red energy beam, brimming with destructive power, shot fiercely toward Grindelwald.

Grindelwald swayed, dodging the attack, and the energy beam instantly annihilated the row of collection shelves behind him into dust.

"Lux!" Grindelwald shouted as he dodged, "Interfere with that crown!"

Lux snapped out of her shock and immediately raised her wand, knowing that ordinary spells would likely be ineffective: "Light Singularity!"

A point of light radiating pure magical energy instantly appeared and exploded beneath Chevanov's feet.

Chevanov let out a painful howl, the dark red energy around him became noticeably disordered, and his movements stiffened for a moment.

"It works!" Lux's spirits lifted.

Just then, Eve moved as well.

Using her vampire-like speed, she instantly lunged to Chevanov's flank, her sharp claws flashing coldly as she reached for the crown.

She instinctively felt that the thing was the source of all the chaos.

But the power of the runes automatically retaliated, and a dark red shockwave sent Eve flying, crashing into the wall, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.

"Eve!" Lux exclaimed.

Grindelwald seized this precious opportunity: "Crunch in the heart!"

This time, Chevanov, whose defenses had been weakened, was unable to completely withstand the attack. Part of the spell's power penetrated through him, and he let out a piercing scream as his body convulsed violently, weakening his control over the crown once again.

The footsteps outside were getting closer and closer; a large number of Aurors were on their way!

Grindelwald's eyes sharpened, as if he had made up his mind.

Instead of continuing his attack on Chevanov, he pointed his wand at a huge, intricately structured magical lamp on the warehouse ceiling: "Shatter to pieces!"

The light fixture exploded, and countless fragments and twisted metal fell downwards, transforming into a wall that instantly blocked the entrance. At the same time, he quickly took out a small silver object from his pocket—an exquisitely crafted Deathly Hallows necklace. He held it high and infused it with magic.

The symbols on the necklace suddenly lit up, and a huge image of the Three Holy Relics of the Death exploded in the sky.

The next second, in several shadowy corners of the warehouse, the air rippled like water, and figures wearing black or dark gray cloaks and silver masks silently appeared.

These were Grindelwald's most loyal followers, who had long been infiltrated in the Soviet Union and were now being summoned.

Leading the group was LeBlanc. Seeing the scene before her and Lux, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes, but she immediately turned to Grindelwald, bowing and saying, "My lord!"

"Clear the passage, block the people outside, I'm going to kill this old bastard," Grindelwald commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"Yes!" The saints immediately turned around, waving their wands. Powerful dark magic and various protective spells instantly sealed the blasted entrance, and they engaged in fierce battle with the Aurors who had rushed in from outside. The light of spells and the sound of explosions resounded everywhere. The saints' cooperation was perfect, and their strength far exceeded that of these Soviet Aurors. In a short time, they completely suppressed their opponents.

The warehouse temporarily became a closed battlefield.

Grindelwald walked step by step toward Chevanov, who was still struggling with the power of the runes within him, his own light completely drawn to the crown.

"You pathetic creature, you have no idea what you're trying to control." Grindelwald's voice was fanatical. "This is a power that insects of your age can never touch. It yearns for a true conqueror, for a will that can lead it to reshape the world!"

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