The old hinges emitted a harsh sound, and the shadow slowly seeped inside.
After infiltrating, he didn't even have to search much to know where his destination should be.
National Key Cultural Relics Protection Department — Key Cultural Relics Storage Room.
Outside, there were two fences with isolation tape, almost like lighthouses for lost ships.
Howl slowly moved towards it, his flowing body actively expanding in an arc to avoid touching the isolation tape.
Then, his hand turned into fluid and flowed into the keyhole.
A moment later, a crisp click sounded.
He pushed the door open and walked inside. On the display shelves, various unearthed ancient artifacts, deity sculptures, ancient sacrificial vessels of all types and colors, and items containing Dark Arts were exhibited.
Scanning over these one by one, he quickly found the place where the classics were stored. Classics from different periods were placed in different compartments according to their time.
"Golden Age... Let me see... Pythagoras's 'Numbers and magic'..."
Looking up, it was empty.
It seems this is the stolen classic.
Then, he shifted his gaze elsewhere and soon found some things he was looking for.
Periander, Solon, Homer, Hesiod...
"Perfect..." The fluid body trembled happily, then slowly drew a small wand from within its body and waved it around.
A bright light appeared at the tip of the wand, then followed by individual points of light, like fireflies, blossoming in the air.
They probed along the grilles, illuminating them. Soon, they revealed some uniquely shimmering lights, from the glass and the cabinets.
Those fluorescent lights slowly contracted, then covered the variously shimmering lights, obscuring and covering their radiance.
Only after the core hub of the last red magic circle array was obscured and blocked by the fluorescent light did he extend his hand towards the classics.
Ancient advanced duplication spells worked on these ancient classics, and books copied one by one jumped out of the grille glass. They leaped into a giant, abyss-like mouth that opened beneath him.
"Who!!"
"I knew it! Just as I expected!!" A high-pitched voice appeared, and the entire space suddenly lit up.
Howl was completely unmoved, his wand still pointing, while his other hand held and observed Ptolemy's star chart.
His two eyes eerily twisted in different directions.
"What kind of monster is this?!" Immediately, various exclamations of surprise appeared. There were four people in total, three of whom quickly aimed their wands at him.
At this moment, what stood before them was merely a towering, fluid-like, or rather, a ghostly shadow of a monster!
"This?! What kind of monster is this!!" Someone asked in surprise. Then, the group focused their gaze on Gilderoy Lockhart.
Tonight, this was the fellow who had confidently said that the person would definitely attack again.
"I... This..." Lockhart swallowed, his eyebrows raised, and he took a deep breath: "An ancient creature... My goodness, I didn't expect you to have something like this here."
Saying this, he was suddenly pushed out by someone he didn't know.
The heavy thudding of footsteps was exceptionally harsh.
On that body, another pupil and a mouth grew towards this side.
He looked at the Aurors' wands and then said indifferently: "Friends, be careful with your spells, don't destroy these treasures that have managed to endure the torrent of history and make it here."
"You stole Pythagoras's classics, and I can't believe you dare to come here again. If you knew I, Gilderoy Lockhart, am..." Lockhart roared.
Pytha...goras?!
Howl interrupted him with a strange expression.
"Shh... Your voice is very noisy at night. Friend, I'm just copying them. What I want is the knowledge within them, and also, a small suggestion, I also think you shouldn't leave them here to gather dust.
You see, Ptolemy is still regarded as a symbol of foolishness in History of Magic, simply because the church at the time promoted his geocentric theory.
But from the perspective of that time, there was no problem with it. Ptolemy was the first person to draw a sphere on a flat surface; he was the founder of astrology..."
"Enough! Do you think this is your backyard?!" Behind Lockhart, the man who had cautiously noticed Howl and Harry lingering at the third-floor entrance during the day roared.
He pushed the peacock aside and looked at the monster before him.
"Just a thief who dares not confront us directly!"
"Can't deny that." Howl said, waving his hand indifferently: "I don't want to conflict with you.
By the way... do you not have the classics of Plato or Aristotle here? Latin versions from later generations would also work, and Thales..."
"You fellow!!" The man saw Howl's gesture, and the tip of his wand glowed, indicating that a spell could be cast the next second.
"Oh... I didn't mean to curse you." Howl retracted his hand, apologizing without sincerity.
In Greece, pressing down with the palm and the middle finger towards someone has a similar meaning.
Howl actually didn't like to conflict with official forces, after all, there were at least some people in the government who did practical things, and even if there was a conflict, it would be somewhat unjustifiable.
Fortunately, the man was as he said, wary of those classics being damaged.
They had lost too many ancient things in the past, and that desire for protection was rooted in the heart of every modern Greek.
Howl expressed his respect for this.
"It's because of guys like you that we dare not make these treasures public!!" He snapped.
Howl noticed the stirring shadows behind the other shelves... However, he didn't pay too much attention.
"How about this... I'll help you find the two stolen classics." He suddenly said.
The rustling figures behind the shelves suddenly stopped.
"Why should I believe you?" He said.
"You seem to be their leader." Howl said, pointing to where the others were hiding.
Immediately, cold sweat dripped down the man's forehead.
"So I think you must be an old veteran, and you can tell that I am fundamentally different from the previous thief..."
"What difference could there be!" He retorted unhappily.
Howl put down the ancient star chart in his hand and slowly approached the man.
"I think the biggest difference is... in my eyes, your only value is to provide me with more classics, otherwise you are worthless — it has nothing to do with me!!"
The man slightly stepped back half a pace, his face flushed.
He was furious at this insincere, sudden change of words, yet, as he had said before, he had already seen that the one before him was merely a puppet!
"Very good!!" He said through gritted teeth: "If you are truly as arrogant as you say, then come and talk to me face to face."
"Of course, we can arrange a time."
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