Harry leaned heavily against one of the broken Colosseum pillars, breathing in short, ragged bursts. His entire body trembled. His armor was cracked in several places, and dried blood crusted on his left sleeve.
He reached into his inventory with a tired flick of his fingers.
[Inventory → Potions]
Healing Potions: 0
Pepper-Up Potion: 3
"Thank Merlin…" Harry muttered.
He uncorked the first Pepper-Up potion and downed it. The familiar heat rushed down his throat, spreading across his limbs like a streak of fire. Steam burst out of his ears.
[HP +50]
[MP +120]
He drank the second.
[HP +50]
[MP +120]
A third.
[HP +50]
[MP +120]
Finally, his HUD stabilized.
[HP: 200 / 740]
[MP: 390 / 1400]
Not ideal—far from ideal—but enough to keep moving.
He looked at his people. The Serpent Court stood close together near the chamber door, every one of them battered.
Cassandra leaned on David's arm, her legs still shaking. Jason's robes were torn, a thin trail of blood running down his temple. Marcus and Angela both sported splinted arms courtesy of quick battlefield healing.
But they were alive.
And Harry intended to keep it that way.
He stepped toward the massive stone archway that marked the next chamber. Everyone followed, limping, clutching their wands, bracing for another stampede of metal monsters.
Then the doors slid open—
—and silence swallowed the group.
There were no armies.
No archers.
No metal hounds or statues.
Only a single platform, lit by dull firelight.
And in its center stood a humanoid construct.
It was shaped like a tall man, forged of polished stone and metal, but unlike the previous warriors, this one was lean—almost elegant. Runes crawled along its limbs. A large crystal pulsed at its chest like a glowing red heart.
It radiated deadly focus.
Harry's eyes narrowed. He whispered:
"An Elemental Heartstone Golem."
Jason sucked in a breath. "How do you even know that?"
Harry didn't look away from the creature.
"I read about it in one of Master Garrick's old journals. These aren't guardians… they're trials for the worthy." He lied as he learned that from passive Observe skill.
Cassandra frowned. "Worthy?"
Harry pointed to the opposite side of the room.
A pedestal stood there.
On it lay exactly one sword, and one shield.
Nothing else.
David cursed softly. "So only one of us can fight?"
Harry nodded slowly. "This challenge isn't about numbers. It's about proving worth to enter the final area."
Angela hissed under her breath. "Brilliant. A death match."
Jason squinted at the runes. "It's an anti-magic chamber too… I can feel the suppression wards from here."
Harry confirmed it with a quick ping:
[Observe]
Heartstone Golem (Trial Construct) – Lv. 28
HP: ???
Weakness: Physical damage only
Magic: Completely immune
Requirement: Single Combatant
A shiver went down his spine.
He took a step forward.
Cassandra grabbed his arm. "Harry, no. You nearly died fighting the Exarch. Let someone else—"
"No one else here can fight without magic," Harry said gently. "David fights with weapons, yes, but this thing isn't like the metal warriors. It adapts. It learns." He paused, voice low. "It's meant for a tank. And I'm the closest thing we have."
David scowled. "You're a kid, Harry."
Harry gave him a tired smile. "And yet I'm still the only one here with full-body armor and know who to fight with a sword."
Jason tried a warding charm on the floor.
The magic fizzled instantly.
"That settles it," Jason said grimly. "Whoever goes in there can't use a single spell."
Cassandra's voice was almost a whisper. "Harry… please be careful."
He squeezed her wrist once, reassuring, and stepped inside the marked ring.
The moment he crossed the boundary, the air shimmered behind him.
A translucent wall formed—sealing the arena.
His party was trapped outside.
And he was trapped inside.
Harry walked toward the pedestal. He picked up the sword—it was lighter than he expected, perfectly balanced, its blade humming faintly with ancient enchantments that activated only for physical combat.
He strapped the shield to his left arm.
The golem's crystal-heart flared bright red.
BOOM.
The ground shook.
Harry tightened his grip.
"Okay…" he breathed. "No magic. No skills. Just durability and technique."
The Heartstone Golem stepped off its platform, each movement smooth and deceptively graceful. Runes brightened across its limbs like veins of burning magma.
From outside the barrier, Cassandra shouted:
"HARRY! IT'S COMING!"
Harry lowered his stance—the way goblins fight.
"Come then," he whispered.
The golem lunged.
The trial had begun.
Harry barely had time to raise the shield.
The impact was catastrophic.
The blow slammed into Harry's guard with the force of a charging troll, lifting him off his feet and hurling him backward across the chamber floor. He hit the ground and rolled twice before managing to dig his boots into the stone to stop himself.
A notification blinked sharply across his vision:
[HP –34]
[Stamina –15]
His arm throbbed from the force of the hit. Even through goblin-forged steel armor, the blow felt like it nearly ripped his shoulder free.
"Merlin's beard…" Harry muttered, breathless.
Behind the barrier, Cassandra's voice rang out in panic.
"HARRY! KEEP YOUR GUARD UP!"
He didn't dare look at her. The golem was already charging again.
This time its movement was disturbingly smooth, almost… adaptive. As if it were learning the motion of pursuit from how Harry dodged the first attack.
Harry braced himself and whispered through clenched teeth:
"No magic. Only the blade. Fine… let's see what you've got."
The construct's next strike came low—aimed at Harry's legs instead of his chest. He jumped aside, narrowly avoiding the sweep. The sword in his hand flashed once, slicing across the golem's flank. Sparks erupted from the impact as the blade carved a shallow groove into the stone.
A small notification blinked:
[Damage: –4]
Pathetic. Four points. The golem was a fortress of enchanted stone. Cutting it down with simple steel would take forever.
Jason shouted from outside the barrier, "Aim for the heartstone in its chest! The crystal is the weak point!"
The golem heard the voice. To Harry's horror, it turned its head toward Jason, pausing as if analyzing the sound. Then, almost unnaturally, its torso rotated with a new flexibility it didn't have moments ago.
It was learning.
Adapting.
Evolving.
Harry grimaced. "Of course it does…"
The golem sprinted. Not charged—sprinted. And it was faster now, much faster. Harry raised the shield, but the next blow hammered into him before he could position it properly.
He felt ribs crack.
[HP –52]
[Critical Hit!]
The impact launched him across the arena. He struck the far wall with a painful crack, collapsing to the floor.
Cassandra screamed. "STOP THE TRIAL! PLEASE!"
The barrier shimmered but did not weaken.
The trial permitted no outside interference.
Harry pushed himself up slowly, gasping as pain lanced through his chest. It took everything he had just to stand.
"You… are one ugly statue," he whispered under his breath.
The golem was already advancing. Its fists glowed red, runes igniting beneath the stone plating. That glow meant one thing:
A finishing strike.
Harry whispered the command through bleeding lips:
"Observe."
The text flashed across his vision immediately:
[Heartstone Golem – Lv. 28]
Behavior: Learning your attack patterns.
Weakness: Heartstone Crystal (Chest)
Note: Adaptation Rate increases every 30 seconds.
His stomach sank.
"It levels up mid-fight…"
The golem raised its burning fist.
Harry rolled away—barely—but the aftershock of the punch blasted a crater where he had been standing. Shards of stone ricocheted around the chamber.
He fought to get up again, but the golem was on him faster than he could react. A stone knee slammed into his ribs, a brutal follow-up that smashed the air from his lungs.
He hit the ground again—hard.
[HP –61]
[Warning: HP Critical!]
[HP: 11 / 740]
Everything blurred.
The room dimmed at the edges of his vision.
He tasted blood.
Cassandra sobbed against the barrier, pounding against the magic. "Harry! Please—stop fighting!"
But Harry's eyes sharpened.
Inside the thick haze of pain… an idea flickered.
"A construct learns… but so do I."
He forced himself upright with a groan, using the wall for support. His legs trembled violently. His shield arm hung numb at his side. His entire torso burned with each breath.
And yet—he stepped forward.
The golem sprinted again.
Harry didn't block.
He charged head-on.
"HARRY!" David shouted in disbelief.
At the last moment, Harry ducked under the golem's outstretched arm—an arm that had struck in the exact same pattern several times. He knew the timing now, the angle, the sound of the stone joints grinding.
He slid beneath the strike, letting the golem's own momentum carry it past him.
The construct stumbled one step.
One crucial step.
Harry pivoted behind it, lifted his cracked shield, and with the last of his strength, hurled it straight at the crystal pulsing in the golem's chest.
The throw was perfect.
The impact was devastating.
CRACK!
[Weak Point Hit!]
[Heartstone Stability –22%]
The crystal flickered violently. The golem staggered, stone plates vibrating.
Harry didn't give it a second to recover.
He sprinted—charging straight toward the construct despite the agony screaming in every bone.
The golem turned, swinging a massive arm toward his head.
Harry dropped to one knee, sliding under the blow, and with both hands gripping the hilt, he drove the sword upward into the fractured heartstone with a primal roar.
The chamber erupted into blinding light.
CRRRAAAAAACK—BOOOOOM!!
The crystal exploded.
The golem howled, metal shrieking and stone splitting apart. It convulsed once, then collapsed backward in a thunderous crash that shook the entire floor.
Harry collapsed to his knees, gasping for air, drenched in blood and sweat. The sword slipped from his fingers. He was barely conscious.
The arena barrier dissolved with a soft hum.
Cassandra reached him first, dropping to her knees beside him and grabbing his face with trembling hands.
"Harry—Harry, look at me! Answer me! Please!"
Jason and Marcus helped lift him carefully, checking for broken bones.
Harry managed a weak smile, eyes half-open.
"I… really hate… statues."
Cassandra punched his shoulder through tears.
"Don't ever do that again! Ever!"
David chuckled, relief flooding his face. "You did it, kid. You passed the trial. You earned this victory."
Cassandra hugged him tightly, ignoring the armor.
Harry leaned against her, exhausted but triumphant.
"Is…" he whispered, "…the next room open?"
Jason stared at him in disbelief.
"ARE YOU INSANE? You nearly died!"
Harry's smile widened faintly.
"And we're so close to the treasure."
DING!
A silent, golden notification flashed before Harry's eyes.
[LEVEL UP!]
HP restored.
MP restored.
Stamina restored.
All injuries healed.
Warm magic surged through him like a tidal wave.
His cracked ribs fused.
His bruised muscles tightened.
His bleeding lip sealed.
Even the ache in his bones dissolved.
In a single heartbeat, he was completely restored.
But—
Harry didn't move.
He forced himself to stay limp, to keep breathing heavily, to keep his limbs slack as if every bone in his body still hurt.
He could not tell them.
He could tell no one.
The Gamer ability was his greatest secret.
"Harry! Harry, are you alright?" Cassandra still beside him, panic sharp in her voice.
He gritted his teeth theatrically. "I… think so. Just… bruised everywhere."
Jason examined him quickly. "You shouldn't even be conscious after that hit. That thing threw you across the whole arena."
"I'm… tough," Harry muttered, pretending to wince as he sat up slowly.
He could have stood up in a single smooth motion—his stamina bar was full—but he deliberately moved as if every joint screamed.
David let out a breath of relief. "We thought you were done for."
Harry coughed once, forcing the sound. "Just… give me a minute. I need to catch my breath."
In truth, he felt amazing.
If anything, he felt too energized, like he could run up a mountain or fight another metal warrior immediately.
But he kept his shoulders slumped, his breathing uneven, one hand pressed against his ribs as if something still hurt.
Cassandra insisted, "Don't push yourself. Stay back until we make sure you're okay."
Harry nodded weakly.
"Yeah. I'll… I'll take it slow."
Jason helped him to his feet, and Harry pretended to lean heavily on him.
Marcus shook his head. "I still say it's insane that a kid fought something like that alone."
Harry forced a weary smile. "I didn't have a choice."
He did.
But the dungeon wouldn't let anyone else fight—and he couldn't tell them that either.
Angela looked at him with wide eyes. "You're either the luckiest boy alive or the most cursed."
Harry chuckled weakly. "Why not both?"
They laughed softly, the tension easing.
None of them suspected how quickly he had healed.
None of them could guess that he stood there perfectly fine, merely acting injured.
They turned toward the giant stone doors ahead—carved, ancient, trembling with old magic.
The treasure chamber of Arcanus awaited.
Harry straightened ever so slightly—but kept his face pale, his movements slow.
"Let's… see what he left behind," he murmured.
And together, limping and leaning, they stepped into the final chamber.
The door to the next chamber opened with the sound of shifting monoliths—slow, heavy, ancient. A gust of cool air swept across the group as the stone slabs parted, carrying with it the faint scent of dust, parchment, and something older than any magic they had known.
Harry leaned weakly against Cassandra as they stepped forward. Every breath hurt, but excitement buzzed through his chest stronger than the pain.
The others followed quietly, holding their breath.
And then—
The light hit them.
The chamber sprawled out like a subterranean cathedral carved into the bones of the earth. Lanterns floated from the walls, igniting one by one with soft blue fire, illuminating an impossible sight.
Their jaws dropped.
The first thing they saw was the gold.
Not Galleons. Not sickles.
Ancient Roman wizarding currency—solid aureum coins the size of a child's palm—poured across the floor in glittering dunes, spilling from busted chests and cracked urns.
Several notifications appeared before Harry's eyes:
[Treasure Detected: Aureum 124,000+]
[Material Value Conversion: HIGH]
[Loot Collection Available]
David let out a low whistle.
"Merlin's socks… this is enough gold to buy a country."
Jason grinned.
"Or at least enough to get goblins very, very angry."
Beyond the gold lay rows of pedestals, each holding weapons or artifacts encased in shimmering containment wards:
A sword of bronze with lightning-shaped runes.
A metal gauntlet humming with stored mana.
A cloak woven of silver thread that moved like liquid.
A shield embossed with three concentric circles that radiated protection spells.
Harry's [Observe] triggered on instinct:
[Arcanus Warblade – Rare]
Bonus: +10 STR, Shock Enchantment, Mana Conductor.
[Aegis Gauntlet – Epic]
Bonus: Channel spells 25% faster. MP cost –10%.
[Cloak of Mercury – Rare]
Speed Boost: +7 DEX, Mist Form (Passive).
[Shield of Fortuna – Epic]
Defense Boost: +20 END, Lucky Block Chance 10%.
Harry's eyes widened.
"These are insane…"
Cassandra touched a protective ward with reverent fingers.
"These belonged to Arcanus' personal guard. His elite centurions."
But then, deeper inside the chamber…
Harry saw it.
A raised stone platform stood in the very heart of the room—an ancient altar surrounded by thirty-two marble pillars. Shelves were carved directly into the stone walls, each overflowing with scrolls, journals, spellbooks, and tablets preserved through impossible enchantments.
Harry's heart stopped.
"His… library."
Jason swore under his breath.
"By Salazar… these are original Roman spellcraft texts. Half this knowledge has been extinct for two thousand years."
Angela approached a shelf, hardly daring to breathe.
"This… this is worth more than every aureum coin in this room combined."
Harry could barely stop shaking.
He stepped onto the platform and gently pulled a large, blackened journal from its pedestal.
A new notification appeared:
[Arcanus Grimoire – Legendary]
Contents: War Magic, Metal Enchantments, Construct Forging, Lost Rituals.
Warning: Some spells require MASSIVE MP and specialized materials.
Another.
[Arcanus Personal Notes – Legendary]
Includes: Research logs, ritual diagrams, sealed techniques, forbidden experiments.
Harry swallowed.
Knowledge like this could rebuild or destroy civilizations. No wonder Gringotts had searched for centuries.
Behind the platform sat a massive circular forge, now dormant—made entirely of magically reinforced metal. Runes encircled it, glowing faintly as if remembering the last flame they held.
Harry's [Observe] triggered once more:
[Heartstone Forge – Unique]
A legendary crafting forge capable of creating enchanted metal constructs.
Requires: Heartstone Core, Dragonfire, Ritual Circle.
Note: Last used by Arcanus himself.
Harry stared.
A forge… that could create soldiers like the metal army they just faced?
His mind reeled.
Angela nodded.
"This is the legacy the goblins wanted. Not gold. This."
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