The four surrounding members of the Magic Department had vanished, and the enclosed magic barrier was gone, though the area was likely cordoned off to prevent any idle bystanders from approaching. [Bookmark:] Perhaps because similar incidents frequently occurred in the wizarding world of Harry Potter, especially during Voldemort's rampage when things were often worse, the government wisely chose not to meddle, preferring to be prepared to clean up the mess when the time came.

Fang Senyan limped out of the building with a feigned limp and was immediately stunned. He saw the Metal Mentor floating about three meters above the ground, wearing a solemn mask. His long robe seemed to possess the characteristics of both a magical robe and chainmail; though seemingly ragged, it had a metallic, rigid texture, exuding the solemn majesty of a general who has fought countless battles, his cold light reflecting off his iron armor.

He held a person in his left hand:

This person's eyes were tightly shut, their body covered in countless fine wounds. Blood had soaked their clothes and trousers a deep crimson. Held in the Metal Mentor's grip, they looked like a chick clutched by an eagle!

Judging by the face, it was none other than the escaped Das! Clearly, he had been beaten into a state of critical injury.

The Metal Mentor dropped Das and said coldly:

“Deko, you kill this one. The key obtained after his death will be your spoils!”

At this moment, Finley suddenly stood up and said coldly:

“Nu, I challenge you.”

Nu’s voice was hard and emotionless, like a robot:

“Agreed.”

He immediately used Judgement, expelling Finley from the team. The remaining team members present passed. Thus, as soon as Nu finished speaking, a nearby three-story mixed-structure building swayed, then collapsed with a roar. Amidst the swirling dust, a giant dinosaur burst forth! That seemingly solid building was utterly defenseless before this colossal beast!

This dinosaur walked on all fours, possessing enormous bony plates on its neck resembling a lion’s mane. Its body was also covered in bone plates, and sharp double horns sprouted from its head—those horns even glinted with a metallic sheen! The vertebrae on its back bore incredibly sharp plates. It was an Armored Stegosaurus that looked even more formidable than a tank!

Upon closer inspection, the bone plates covering the Armored Stegosaurus’s body were also riddled with scars, indicating it had just survived a fierce battle. Its claws were terrifyingly sharp, and its four thick legs were planted firmly on the ground, leaving deep indentations visible beneath. Its triangular eyes glared with a frenzied savagery, its muscles swelled beneath its hide, seemingly unable to be contained even by its bony armor. Then, the creature suddenly opened its mouth and roared, revealing terrifyingly sharp, serrated teeth inside, like a bread knife.

Facing this Armored Stegosaurus, Fang Senyan felt an intense threat and instinctively retreated half a step.

Finley’s body staggered, his face ghastly pale. He coughed up several mouthfuls of blood and summoned a few crows to fly towards the beast. But under the charge of this terrifying Armored Stegosaurus, the crows’ attack was completely futile. The Stegosaurus rammed Finley, skewering him through the abdomen, tossing his entire body into the air before he crashed heavily down. Blood gushed violently from the wound, quickly soaking the ground. It was clear he wouldn't survive.

Yet, at this moment, Finley still managed to laugh weakly and intermittently:

“Good, good, good, truly powerful. Metal Mentor, the only thing I don’t understand is how someone like you could be unaware of that terrifying... that irresistible nature of that power! Why drag everyone’s interests into taking this roundabout path?”

“What do you know?” the Metal Mentor’s voice, like the clashing of steel, boomed again: “Once we secure the Philosopher’s Stone and install it on the Stegosaurus, it will possess the ability to regenerate infinitely! I need to prove it to them, I must make those fools see clearly! This world doesn't collapse just because those damned defense-type Contractors are absent! There are other ways to grow!”

Finley laughed wildly and shook his head. His gold-rimmed glasses were shattered, and his cracked, dry lips were smeared with blood foam, giving him a hysterically desolate appearance:

“Metal Mentor, you are wrong. Even if you succeed this time in getting the Stone and achieving your desired effect, even if you can pass this trial relying on this beast, so what? Have you never heard of the horror of growth potential? This dinosaur’s growth is finite; it absolutely cannot have the infinite growth potential of a Contractor! Even if you manage to squeak through once, you will absolutely not pass a second, third time with this fool... I... I’ll be waiting for you... in hell!”

Although he couldn't see the Metal Mentor's expression, Fang Senyan could sense his absolute fury. Without the Metal Mentor making any visible move, a ring of fire suddenly appeared on the spot where the grievously wounded Finley lay. Then, after only two or three seconds, a massive plume of fire, like a geyser, shot up from the bottom of the ring! It sprayed seven or eight meters high before its momentum slightly abated.

This pillar of fire came and went quickly, lasting only a few seconds before vanishing, leaving behind a gentle sprinkling of black ash drifting down from the air. Several seconds after the fire disappeared, Fang Senyan, standing not far away, felt an intensely scorching wave of air wash over him! His eyebrows and hair were nearly curled and scorched. This showed the terrifying power of the Metal Mentor's strike.

After a long while, the Metal Mentor forcibly suppressed his agitation, tossed out a few rolls of bandages, and instructed those present to slowly recover their health points. He also ordered the rescue of those trapped in the ruins. Meanwhile, Nu was already commanding the dinosaur, rounding up the remaining members of the Banks Gang without mercy, letting several senior team members execute them. Unfortunately, not a single Blood-Red Key was dropped.

Once everyone had mostly recovered, the Metal Mentor spoke coldly:

“Everyone will have to work hard. The appetite of those idiots in the Banks Gang was too large; they used the wormhole to enter in three separate waves. The first wave was here to deal with me and Nu, the second wave was here to deal with you all, and the third wave, though weaker, seized the opportunity of no resistance to also go after the Philosopher’s Stone.”

Hearing this, Fang Senyan gained a much more direct assessment of the Banks Gang's strength! The Symbiotic Society was clearly not on the same level as this organization. It was no wonder Vance was so arrogant when he saw the crowbar earlier.

The Metal Mentor continued:

“In the original plotline, the Stone, originally stored in Gringotts, was taken away prematurely by Hagrid, causing Voldemort’s raiding party to fail. But this at least shows: that supposedly impregnable Gringotts Bank is not as secure as it seems. We can further infer that a path to safely enter and exit Gringotts must be obtainable from Voldemort’s slaves!”

“And I have found this clue and hold it in my hand.” As he spoke, the Metal Mentor produced a shimmering golden key and held it up. “We are heading there immediately. Those idiotic Banks Gang members, lacking the key to the crucial mechanism, are bound to suffer heavy casualties, conveniently paving the way for us. Work hard, everyone, and rush over. If we succeed, you will all be core members!”

When the Metal Mentor said this, the remaining few members looked overjoyed, but Fang Senyan sneered internally. This was because he had just learned from Gringotts’ Infiniti: the important mechanisms and secret doors in Gringotts could not be opened by a key! They had to be opened personally by the fingers of a Gringotts Goblin employee. And these goblins, without exception, were the descendants of the Goblin artisans who originally built Gringotts! This kind of mechanism, like a genetic fingerprint lock, could only be opened by the corresponding Goblin's finger! How could it possibly be a golden key held by the Metal Mentor?

Based on Fang Senyan's deduction, it was likely that the group from the Banks Gang heading there possessed the method to open the mechanism, which explained why that group didn't need to be particularly powerful. This also explained why the Metal Mentor was so furious, demanding everyone rush over immediately. Time was critical, and the Metal Mentor didn't have time to ask for detailed reports on the preceding battle. However, after the great sifting that had just occurred, there were clearly no spies from the Banks Gang among those remaining, so the Metal Mentor led the group forward with confidence.

The direction the group took was not towards Gringotts, but towards Knockturn Alley. It still presented a picture of desolation, ruin, and decay. The Metal Mentor affixed a badge to himself and approached the entrance of what looked like an abandoned house, kicking the door open with brutal force.

A wizened old man, dressed like a native Black tribesman, looked up. He was actually quite tall but appeared short due to his stooped back. He wore a necklace strung with bones around his neck, his face painted with mysterious symbols, and a throwing ring woven from bones and thorny plants on his body, along with a headband woven from bones and thorny plants. As the door was kicked open, he already had a skull-topped staff clutched in his hand.

“What do you want?”

The Metal Mentor arrogantly pointed to the badge on his chest.

“Kabatawa, your hut has been temporarily requisitioned by the Magic Department.”

Fang Senyan, however, noticed that the small house was filled with strange bottles hanging everywhere. Similar to a doctor’s dissection room, the bottles contained floating brains of varying sizes, internal organs, and strange herbs.

There will be another update at 12 AM! See you there!