The cave looked ordinary enough, yet Leonard and Midgard felt as though they were submerged underwater.
The surroundings shimmered with faint ripples, as if waves were moving all around them. Despite this, neither of them felt any discomfort. Their movements weren't hindered, and their clothes remained perfectly dry.
Still, both of them had the distinct sensation of being underwater.
"What's going on?" Midgard asked after a long while, finally getting used to the strange feeling as if water were slipping down her throat.
"I'm not entirely sure," Leonard replied, scanning the area. There was only one passage leading deeper into the cave, but unlike before, the gate behind them hadn't disappeared. It seemed they could go back the way they came.
"Even you don't know?" Midgard sighed. "Then this really must be an extraordinary place."
"Don't overestimate me," Leonard said. "This place is… unusual. It's not surprising that I don't understand it. Anyway, let's head in. This ruin doesn't seem too dangerous—there's even an exit prepared for us."
He pointed toward the door behind them.
"Or maybe it's so dangerous that the creator left us a way out out of mercy?" Midgard replied.
Leonard paused, then nodded. "That's possible."
According to his deductions, this ruin should be a type meant for inheritance—it wasn't supposed to push its successor to death's edge. Yet the first ruin had clearly been designed to kill. If he hadn't had a few tricks left, both he and Midgard would've died there.
He still couldn't understand why.
"Either way, we should stay alert," Leonard said.
"Got it." Midgard nodded firmly and took the lead.
They continued down the single path. As they walked, Leonard examined the strange environment.
Looking at the rippling patterns all around them, he began to suspect that this ruin beneath Hogwarts was actually submerged underwater. Perhaps some special magic had separated the water and the ruins in space—both existing in the same place, yet never touching.
It reminded him of King's Cross Station and those countless "platforms" that existed within it.
"But the Undetectable Extension Charm alone couldn't do this," he murmured. "That spell can't open space underwater. Could this be ancient magic?"
Leonard tried to observe with his Magic Sight, but the entire ruin was wrapped in silvery-white traces of ancient enchantments, concealing any visible anomalies.
"Something wrong?" Midgard asked, noticing his strange expression.
"Not really," Leonard said. "I was just wondering if this space overlap was caused by the Undetectable Extension Charm."
"The Undetectable Extension Charm? Oh, right!" Midgard turned back suddenly. "I brought what you asked for. The seeds are here. As for the Parasitic Pods, I left them in the Forbidden Forest—under the tree I was standing by. Don't forget to pick them up later."
She handed him a small pouch. "These are miniature carnivorous plant seeds. I'd completely forgotten until you mentioned that charm."
Leonard took the seeds, looked them over, and tossed them into his Magical Seed Bag.
"What kind of magic is that?" Midgard asked, watching the black hole swallow the seeds.
"It's a spell designed for storing seeds," Leonard explained. "Makes them easier to carry."
"Pretty neat. If only it could store anything," Midgard sighed. "You really learn running a business—the hardest part is transportation."
"Transportation isn't even your job," Leonard said flatly. "What are you complaining about?"
"But watching all that loss during transport hurts," Midgard grumbled.
"It's already counted in the costs. No need to stress over it."
Leonard stopped abruptly. "Careful—something's up ahead."
Through his Magic Sight, several dense clusters of silver-white energy appeared in his vision. When he dropped the spell, they revealed themselves as towering stone statues, each over two meters tall.
They had wandered into a corridor lined with more than a dozen knight statues. The style was identical to those in the Vault ruins, though these were much smaller.
"Oh? The same old setup? But these look weaker than the last ones. They're tiny," Midgard sneered.
She hadn't forgotten the last time she'd been beaten senseless by similar statues—and this time, she was ready to settle the score.
"Be careful. They might be magic-resistant too," Leonard warned as the statues began to stir.
"So what?" Midgard cracked her knuckles and lunged forward in a single bound.
Only an idiot would wait for the statues to finish forming ranks. The best time to strike was before they were fully activated.
Before one statue could even move properly, Midgard slammed her palm against its head.
With a thunderous crack, its head went flying, and fissures split across its torso.
Even without transforming into a werewolf, Midgard's strength was terrifying.
Only then did Leonard truly understand what she'd meant earlier by "So what if they're immune to magic?"
She hadn't planned to use magic at all.
It was actually a good strategy. Whatever worked—whether it was brute strength, lime dust, or a kick to the crotch—was fair game if it took down the enemy.
Midgard moved with blinding speed. Before Leonard could even react, she'd already smashed every statue to rubble. Moments later, she came back holding a partially intact stone head, looking utterly satisfied.
"Ah, that felt great," she said contentedly. "Finally got that frustration out."
Leonard knew immediately that she was venting after being powerless last time. Still, it worked out—he saved his energy, and she got her release. A win-win.
"Why are you keeping that?" Leonard asked, pointing at the stone head in her hand.
"As a souvenir," Midgard said with a grin. "These statues feel great to hit."
"Feel great?" Leonard muttered, shaking his head. Something about this ruin seemed too easy.
Could there be more ahead?
He opened his Magic Sight again to look forward, and his pupils narrowed sharply. His expression turned grim.
"Midgard! Behind you—more incoming!" he shouted.
Without hesitation, Midgard spun around and hurled her "souvenir" straight behind her.