While everyone else was retreating in fear, Grindelwald stepped forward and entered first. Naturally, Wade, who had been by his side the whole time, followed right behind.
Upon seeing the scene inside, even though he had mentally prepared himself, Wade still felt his heart clench and his temple throbbed violently.
He tried to take a deep breath to calm down, but was overwhelmed by a wave of nausea. He lowered his head and covered his mouth and nose, which finally helped slow his rapid breathing.
Waves of blue fire surged outward, clearing out nearly all personnel within the line of sight in the base.
However, Grindelwald's flames only consumed those who harbored hostile intent toward him. Other black-cloaked wizards, as well as the people behind the walls—if they could even still be called "people"—were untouched.
Because of this, the horrific scene inside became even more visible.
Dozens, maybe even hundreds of "test subjects" were locked in transparent cages, smeared with blood and filth, like livestock. Their limbs were deformed, their skin rotted, and they had strange feathers or scales growing from their bodies. They were letting out weak, pitiful cries.
Some appeared already dead—when the dazzling flames approached, they didn't even flinch.
Wade had originally assumed the base was only conducting modifications based on werewolves and vampires. But that wasn't the case.
Judging by the appearance of these "test subjects," they were also experimenting with the bloodlines of giants, trolls, goblins, banshees, merfolk, and centaurs.
Werewolves and vampires are, at their core, human transformations. While the mortality rate is still high, with proper procedures, the process is at least somewhat manageable.
But experimenting with creatures whose genes differ entirely from humans? That was nothing short of slaughter.
The people in this base were essentially tossing an endless number of human lives into a bottomless lottery, hoping against all odds to pull out an SSR. The involvement of technology and genetic engineering didn't make the process any more successful or humane.
Grindelwald narrowed his eyes and a cold fury flashed across his face. With a wave of his hand, several wizards rushed in, carrying recording mirrors to capture the scene.
He continued deeper into the base and watched as some of the "test subjects" willingly threw themselves into the flames, attempting to end their suffering. Others let out gut-wrenching screams, tearing at themselves until they were nothing but blood and flesh.
He turned around to face the wizards who had followed him in—all of whom now stood silent.
His gaze pierced the magical mist woven into their cloaks and saw clearly the young eyes beneath their hoods.
Not long ago, those eyes had held doubt, defiance, weakness, disgust, blind loyalty, and even baseless arrogance.
But now, their eyes had undergone a transformation—one that he found satisfactory.
Grindelwald looked at them all. His white hair danced wildly in the hot wind, and his sharp gaze seemed to burn both himself and others.
"Before we set out, I asked you all a question. Now… do you have the answer?"
"Why am I still here? Why does the world still need the Alliance?"
"—This is the answer!"
The aged voice thundered in everyone's ears. Even Delaine felt his spirit tremble. He tried to speak, but not a word came out. In the end, he simply bowed deeply.
Wade shuffled a few steps to the side and quickly widened the distance between himself and Grindelwald.
Then he saw it: the black-robed wizards bowed low toward Grindelwald like sunflowers chasing the sun, full of inexpressible submission and reverence.
Grindelwald raised his wand high. A burst of red fireworks exploded above his head, casting vivid reflections in the flames below, making the entire scene look like a descent into hell.
"Go," he commanded. "Kill them all—and bring me their leader!"
The wizards scattered in all directions like a thunderclap, charging off to slaughter.
Cries of "Avada Kedavra," "Reducto," "Imperio," and "Crucio" echoed louder and louder.
To Wizards, Muggles were terrifying as a whole. But in a battle like this, against spell-wielding magic-users, ordinary troops had no chance to resist.
The wizards carrying the recording mirrors diligently captured the brutal conditions of the "test subjects." Upon hearing that another lab had been found, they rushed off again to document more.
Smack!
Not far from Wade, a creature—once human—covered in black fur with a head five or six times larger than normal, slammed its hand against the bulletproof glass of its transparent cage.
Wade turned and saw a pair of blood-red eyes looking at him, filled with pleading. The creature opened its mouth and slowly spoke with all its strength:
"Kill… me… please… kill… me…"
Wade stared into those eyes, as if his breath had been stolen. His fingers, wrapped around his wand, trembled slightly.
A torrent of rage and sorrow surged through his chest, so intense it made his heart ache.
A black-robed wizard approached Grindelwald, glanced curiously at the hooded Wade nearby, then lowered his voice and asked:
"Sir, should we also…?"
He gestured toward the test subjects, mimicking a killing motion.
"No, leave them," Grindelwald replied with a faint smile. "Let the Ministry of Magic figure out what to do with them. It'll give them more of a headache than it gives us."
The black-robed wizard nodded obediently. "Understood."
After sending everyone off on their missions, Grindelwald waved Wade over. "Come with me, kid."
Wade, who had earlier distanced himself, glanced at him silently and walked over.
His mind was in turmoil, and he didn't notice that some blue flames had spread to the nearby area. Grindelwald spotted this and was about to extinguish them with a wave of his hand—when he saw Wade calmly step through the flames, completely unharmed.
Grindelwald's smile deepened.
With a flick of his wand, he let the dangerous blue flames fade, and stepped out of the chamber.
As Wade was about to exit as well, he suddenly felt a desperate cry echo in his ears. He instinctively turned back—and saw the red-eyed "person" staring straight at him with eyes filled with an uncontrollable and burning desire.
Wade raised his wand and pointed it at the person.
The black-robed wizard from earlier quickly tried to stop him. "Wait, you can't—"
Boom!
A dull thud echoed through the room. The black-robed wizard whipped his head around, only to see the person in the glass cage explode into a cloud of blood mist—dead beyond all doubt.
Strangely, the severed head that flew from the blast bore a faint, satisfied smile.
At the sight, the other test subjects erupted into a frenzy. Many of them rushed to the glass walls, pounding against them with all their strength, making desperate gestures—begging Wade to grant them the same swift and clean death.
The black-robed wizard muttered, "You really are planning to break away from that side, huh…"
—Break away from what?
Wade stared at him, confused.
He was still caught in the emotional aftermath of what he'd done. His breath was ragged, his wand trembled in his hand, and he could hear the pounding of blood roaring in his ears.
Wade raised his wand again, intending to cast a calming charm on himself—but suddenly, the black-robed wizard grabbed his arm.
"All right, that's enough. Killing one could still be chalked up to a moment of emotion. But keep disobeying Mr. Grindelwald's orders, and even you won't escape punishment."
As he pushed Wade out the door, the wizard added quickly, "Still, I gotta say—I like your spirit, kid. When this whole thing's over, let's grab a drink together, yeah? Name's Antoine Moreau, don't forget it, Grey."
The sudden use of his real name hit Wade harder than any spell—immediately sobering him.
He gave the man a deep, searching look. Aside from his nearly six-foot frame, the most distinctive feature was the silver four-leaf clover ring on his hand.
Following the pressure of Moreau's push, Wade stepped out of the room—and saw Grindelwald standing in the hallway, looking back at him with an expression that showed not the slightest trace of surprise.
"Let's go," Grindelwald said.
Wade silently followed. He soon realized that Grindelwald was surprisingly familiar with the layout of the facility. With purpose and confidence, he led Wade around a few corners and pushed open a door—
It was the surveillance room.
Inside, the staff were nowhere to be seen. The desks and floor were in disarray, and most of the surveillance screens had failed under the influence of magical interference, displaying only black-and-white static.
Only about one-third of the cameras were still functioning, showing scenes of battle between the Alliance wizards and the opposing soldiers.
Both sides had taken casualties. The wizards didn't have an overwhelming advantage—while the Shielding Charm could block regular bullets, it still required a timely reaction.
Grindelwald slumped into a chair, letting out a long breath. The intense vitality he had displayed earlier quickly faded, and exhaustion and weakness radiated from his entire body.
Noticing Wade watching him, Grindelwald smiled and said, "Surprised? I'm not as powerful as people think. If you attacked me now, you might even manage to send me back to Nurmengard… or straight to hell."
Wade could feel that he was being completely sincere. That fatigue and frailty didn't seem like an act at all.
All the other acolytes had been sent away by Grindelwald—only Wade remained by his side. And from what Wade could see, there was no one else nearby, hidden under invisibility or concealment spells.
He pulled down his hood and looked at the dark wizard who struck fear into the hearts of so many. "If you think I might attack, why not leave a few more people here? Or are you really willing to see your cause end right as it begins?"
"My cause?" Grindelwald laughed. "Do you even know what it is I'm trying to do?"
Wade's eyes flickered.
Grindelwald's old slogans were infamous—only fools and dropouts wouldn't know them.
But before Wade could answer, Grindelwald continued on his own:
"I once did want wizards to rule over Muggles—that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The world was in chaos, and some Muggle leaders were even working with me... But in the end, both he and I failed."
"And what do wizards have now? Just a few decades of peace, and they've become timid, lazy, utterly useless."
He sneered at a feed on the screen, where a wizard was caught off guard by a soldier. The wizard hadn't even lifted his wand before a bullet tore through his abdomen.
If a comrade hadn't shown up right after, that wizard would've been shot in the head the next second.
Scenes like that were everywhere—wizards wounded or killed because they reacted too slowly, cast the wrong spell, or couldn't aim properly.
Grindelwald's rage simmered and waves of anger rose in his chest. Several times he had to restrain himself from exploding and obliterating those "useless fools."
He thought of the battle-hardened elites that once served under him—and then looked at these green, soft rookies. He held back from cursing them out loud, but couldn't stop himself from sighing deeply.
"Peace breeds no warriors for revolution. All I ever wanted was to plant the seed of resistance in their hearts."
Grindelwald sighed again.
"Just now, my most important goal was fulfilled… No matter how many years pass, the wizards who were here will never forget what they saw. They will forever remember the cruelty and greed of Muggles—and they will never again let down their guard."
"And you, Wade Grey?"
"You're a smart boy. After seeing all this, do you still—like Dumbledore said—believe that Muggles are a weak group in need of protection?"
Grindelwald posed the question.
Wade thought for a moment. This time, he didn't avoid it like before. Instead, he replied, "Weakness and strength are always relative—but morality and justice are not."
He paused for a moment, then continued:
"Muggles can hurt wizards, and wizards can hurt Muggles. There are unforgivable crimes in both groups. Defining an entire group as the enemy by only looking at one part of the picture—that, I believe, is the real mistake."
"But wizards were persecuted by Muggles to the point where they had to isolate the wizarding world and hide like rats. That's a fact too!" Grindelwald snapped. "There's not even a foundation for equal dialogue, and yet you still dream of understanding them? Isn't that laughable?"
"But trying to change reality through bloody rule and slaughter won't work either—and you've already proven that," Wade retorted bluntly. "Muggles have slaughtered each other for thousands of years. Far more people have died at their own hands in war than from wizards. Did they ever bow down to that?"
"Oh, but they did!" Grindelwald shot back with a cold smile.
"Isn't there a young Indian girl among your companions? Do you know how long her country was ruled by Brahmins and Kshatriyas? No one dares rebel in that place—not if they're born into the lowest caste!"
Wade was momentarily at a loss for words, but then he said, "But Muggles are not Dalits of the past from India. Unless you wipe out every educated ordinary person, it's impossible to establish the kind of total wizard rule over Muggles you envision."
"If you slaughter the Muggles, what about the other magical creatures who oppose wizard rule? If you kill them, what about the pacifists among the wizards? And if you kill everyone—who will be left by your side?"
"Hate and massacre are nothing more than crude outbursts. They'll never solve the problem!"
"If we want to change the status quo, we must clarify one thing—who are our enemies, and who are our allies? Only by uniting broadly, gaining more supporters, can we strengthen ourselves and strategically isolate and weaken the real enemy."
"The enemy can be a wizard or a Muggle—but it must be someone who causes harm to the majority, who violates basic morality and justice! Not someone you define just by drawing a line and forcing everyone to believe that anyone standing on the other side is the enemy!"
"If you blindly push everyone to the opposite side, even the best situation will crumble to dust—just like what happened back then when you…"
Cough cough cough cough cough!
Grindelwald suddenly erupted into a violent fit of coughing, as if he were about to cough his lungs out. His thin back bent like a tightly drawn bow, and the entire room echoed with the sound of his hacking.
Wade immediately shut his mouth and his eyes flashed with a hint of regret.
—Crap! Got carried away with the speech!
He stared at the 110-year-old man trembling in his chair, worried he might've accidentally argued him into a heart attack.
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460
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