Harry Potter: The Mage's Path Chapter 24

Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. There will only be one bonus chapter this week, and it will come on the weekend as I am busy with some irl stuff.

Harry and the group of adults appeared back in the clearing, startling the two Aurors guarding the gate. The adults separated from where they had been gathered closely around Harry, holding onto any part of him they could reach so they could be teleported out. It was incredibly awkward on Harry's part, to say the least.

Celeste and Hedwig flew over and landed on his shoulder.

"What happened?" Celeste asked.

"The dungeon won't be as easy as we imagined," Harry grimaced. "The number of monsters inside is insane." He told them about the encounter they had inside.

'I am glad you had the sense to retreat when you did.' Hedwig nuzzled his ear.

"So what now?" Moody growled, stomping around in anger. "Even with Dumbledore, there's no way we can take on that many."

"We need to be a lot stealthier," Amelia said. "But we don't know these monsters' capabilities. For all we know, they can see through invisibility cloaks or concealment charms."

Harry suspected it was related to the perception attribute. No matter how well you concealed yourself, if it was high enough, then it didn't matter what methods you used.

"The monsters are Nuckelavee," Harry said.

"How do you know?" Dumbledore asked.

"I read about them before," Harry shrugged. "They are mythical creatures in Scottish folklore. They are so unique that they cannot be mistaken for anything else."

Suddenly, Moody summoned his wand and pointed it at the trees. "Why don't you show yourselves?"

The entire group whirled around in the direction that Moody was pointing, summoning their own wands in unison.

"You are well informed, Mr Potter," a voice said. Through a gap in the trees, a large group of people emerged. They were all dressed in civilian clothes but carried wands in their hands. Harry's group braced themselves in preparation for a fight.

"Who are you?" Amelia demanded, looking incredibly wary of the strangers.

"Stand down, we are not your enemies," a man said from the front of the group. He lowered his wand, and the rest of the group him followed suit. "My name is Andrew Simmons. I am with the Crown's Magical Defence Force."

"I figured we would see a response from the muggle government at some point," Amelia said, lowering his wand. "What are you doing here?"

The man stepped closer. He was an older gentleman with short grey hair and a stern expression. He walked with an upright posture, suggesting that he was highly disciplined. There were fourteen other people behind him who remained silent, following his lead.

"The Queen and the Prime Minister are concerned about this dungeon of course," Andrew said crisply. "We ventured inside to scope out the place two days ago. But our escape was less graceful than yours, I imagine."

He glanced at Harry, who sighed. It seemed that Tonks friend had tattled on him. It was not surprising, but he was annoyed, nonetheless.

"How did you get past our guards?" Amelia glanced at the two men guarding the gate, and they shook their heads in confusion.

"We bespelled them to ensure we were not noticed," Andrew said. "We needed to see what we were up against."

The Aurors stepped forward angrily with their wands raised, causing Andrews's group to tense.

"Stand down," Amelia ordered. "If you are upset about being caught off-guard, then I suggest you return to the Auror Academy for further training." She turned back to Andrew. "Did you see any survivors?"

"No. We didn't get very far inside before we were forced to flee."

"There are survivors," Harry said. Everyone turned to look at him incredulously.

"How do you know?" Amelia asked.

Ever since he got the quest, he had been thinking of a way to let them know that there were survivors inside the dungeon. He couldn't take the chance that they would come across the boss first and defeat it to close the gate. There were only twenty-four hours left for him to complete the quest, which would indicate the survivors would perish. And that means no skill points. Of course, his motivation was primarily for saving complete strangers and not the rewards. Honestly.

There was another thing he was curious about. How did everyone leave the dungeon when they finished off the boss? When he first defeated the Treant in the Wandering Aspen Dungeon, he used ID Escape to exit. Did they have to walk back to the gate and leave that way, and it closed behind them? What if someone else was still stuck in the dungeon when the gate closed?

Harry didn't think that they would be erased or killed. Wherever the Dungeon came from, it seemed to be a permanent construct, just not in the real world. The proof of this was Celeste, who had been held prisoner in one for decades. Furthermore, he was able to access the dungeon at any time with his skill, although that just could be something Gaia was responsible for. It may be possible for Harry to use ID Create to enter the dungeon after the gate closes and find the survivors that way. It would just take a lot of effort on his part.

Time to feed them some bullshit. "Whenever I teleport out of the dungeon, for a brief moment, I get a sense of everyone within the dungeon. It's like a moment of hyper-awareness. I felt it when we left a few minutes ago. I could sense everyone around me. There were eight others that I could feel but could not pinpoint their location."

"That is incredible," Dumbledore said. “You should explore that ability in the future to see if you can do more with it.”

Amelia nodded, looking both sad and relieved. The fate of her Aurors must have been weighing heavily on her. "If what you sense is true, then that means there are still eight alive in there. That means twelve have perished."

Wait, they swallowed that tripe? Well, it's not like they had any way of disproving it. And magic was so broad and esoteric that almost anything could be explained away by it.

Harry turned towards Andrew, trying to change the subject quickly. "Why are you relying on magic anyway? You have soldiers with weapons that can cause some damage."

"There are a couple of problems with that," Andrew sighed. "First of all, we want to keep our team small for the moment to prevent a leak from getting out to the general public."

"There are spells that will help with that problem," Isaac pointed out. "You can guarantee that they will never say anything."

"Well, we actually have some scruples and don't spell our own people," one of the men behind Andrew muttered.

"Quiet," Andrew commanded, and the man fell silent. "While I wouldn't have stated it so bluntly, Carl is not wrong. Unless absolutely necessary, we won't use magic on our own soldiers to manipulate them into compliance."

"What's the other reason?" Dumbledore said.

Andrew hesitated for a moment. "I will share this information with you, but we need you to give us something in return."

"That depends on what information you are looking for," Amelia said cautiously.

"We are looking to get it in contact with the dwarfs," Andrew said. "They may be able to solve a problem that relates to the information we have to share."

"That's not going to be easy," Dumbledore said, stroking his beard. "They dislike humans, and they are very proficient at hiding in their mountains."

"I know a way," Harry said, causing everything to focus on him. "Share the information you have, and I will tell you."

"I will take you at your word," Andrew nodded sternly. "We have received information from our allies in the USA. A dungeon first appeared near a small town, and a mundane wandered inside before magical law enforcement could arrive. They found him collapsed near the entrance. It seems that the dungeon has an adverse effect on the mundanes. They gathered information from the man, and they discovered that he started feeling lethargic and fell unconscious shortly after he ventured inside. After further testing, it was confirmed to be the case. I suspect that magic passively protects witches and wizards from any adverse effects in the dungeon."

"That is not good," Amelia ran her hands through her hair in frustration. "If the dungeons keep escalating, we will eventually run out of manpower. The magical population is small compared to the muggles."

"Mundanes," Andrew corrected. "It is a much less offensive word than a muggle."

Harry could get on board with that. However, mundane wasn't exactly the most flattering term either, as it implies that they were ordinary and dull.

Andrew continued, "It is a problem, which is why we are looking for the dwarfs. They are the only ones that may be able to fit out our soldiers with equipment that will protect them from the dungeon's effects."

"Hang on," Harry said. "If the dungeons affect the mundane so adversely, why don't you let the dungeon erupt? It would be no problem for the British government to cordon off the entire golf course and lay in wait with a bunch of soldiers and artillery."

Andrew looked at him with approval. "You were raised in the mundane world, correct? It is so refreshing to talk to wizards with a broader perspective. We considered the idea, but we decided it would be only used as a last resort. There are so many things that could potentially go wrong, not to mention the number of lives that may be sacrificed. No, we want to find an easier solution."

Andrew looked at him expectantly, and Harry got the hint. "You need to ask the goblins to set up a meeting with them. I did the same, although I'm still waiting for a response. It may help if you offer some equipment you have found in the dungeons as a trade."

"This..." Dumbledore looked dumbfounded. “The Unspeakables have been wanting to contact them for a long time. Why haven't we thought of this before?"

"Because British wizards in the magical world are dumb as rocks," Celeste giggled. "I suspect it's all the pumpkin juice they consume. It rots their brains. Who would ever in their right mind drink that stuff?"

There was some laughter from the people behind Andrew. It was evident that they agreed with the fairy, and even Andrew cracked a smile.

"I should feel offended," Amelia said wryly. "But considering some of the wizards and witches that I work with in the Ministry, I don't have a leg to stand on."

"No, that's me," Moody quipped before looking at Andrew. "So, have you discovered any information on these Nuckelavees?"

"Yes," Andrew nodded. "However, the information may not be reliable. These aren't true historical accounts, but stories passed down from superstitious common folk without the rationale to better explain the strange events they encounter."

"Well, they obviously exist in the dungeon," Amelia said with a raised eyebrow. "So we will take what we can get."

"Well, the Nuckelavees breath was considered responsible for epidemics and droughts, and it wilted crops and sickened livestock."

"We didn't encounter anything like that with the Nuckelavee we fought," Moody rubbed his chin,. "It could be we just got lucky. I imagine that their breath would be just as nasty to humans as well."

"Indeed," Andrew nodded. "The only other bit of information that is relevant is that it seems that fresh water is a weakness of theirs."

"Is that why the pools of water are placed there?" Harry said. "Is it the dungeon's way of giving us a chance at killing the monsters? I imagine they would have a hard time escaping if they fell into a pool, even without their weakness."

"That's the conclusion that we have come to as well," Andrew said. "Instead of fighting them directly, we drive them into the water where they will be much easier to dispatch."

"It won't be as easy as that," Dumbledore countered. "There are too many of them still. Furthermore, we are not sure of their full capabilities. The water may be a red herring."

"We can test it out, though," Moody clapped his hands. "What if we raised a barrier and funnel them into the water? Then lure a Nuckelavee into it."

They were all in agreement with that plan. It was decided that the majority of the Andrew’s team would stay outside and guard the entrance. They even began setting up a magical tent where they could rest in case the dungeon took some time to clear.

Andrew walked over with a blonde-haired woman beside him. "This is Cassandra. She will be responsible for luring a Nuckelavee into our trap."

"What qualifications does she have that the rest of us don't?" Amelia asked archly.

"Speed," Andrew said, nodding to the woman. "Show them."

Harry watched in fascination as the woman's appearance changed within a matter of seconds. She shifted onto all fours, her body transforming into that of a large cat. It was compact, standing at a height of two and a half feet, and it had thick muscles that seemed to be able to unleash violence at a moment's notice. It had a distinctive coat; pale yellow to tan coloured fur with spots on the sides that transitioned to rosettes on the underside. A beautiful but deadly animal.

The cat let out a quiet growl that reverberated throughout his entire body. Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "Nice, Kitty. Be good, and I will get you a bowl of cream later."

The cat chuffed, playfully lunging at Harry, who had to resist the urge to step back instinctively.

"Cassandra is a Jaguar Animagus," Andrew said as the woman shifted back into human form. "She can run up to speeds of eighty kilometres an hour. The Nuckelavee will not be able to catch up with her."

"Very well," Amelia said, looking around at the gathered people. "Is everyone ready?"

After a confirmation, they stepped through the gate once more. The group made their way down the fairway. Harry had some questions for Amelia, so he stepped closer to her so he could talk to her quietly.

"Why didn't the teams retreat from the dungeon when they realised how dangerous it was?" Harry asked. "Andrew and his team managed to retreat."

"There is a reasonable explanation. The longer a dungeon remains open, the more dangerous it gets," Amelia said. "This is mainly reflected in an increase in the total number of creatures. This is why it is so dangerous to allow a dungeon to erupt, besides the obvious reasons. The number of monsters swells to an alarming degree. The last team that went in there was a month ago. They probably didn't encounter the number of Nuckelavee initially as we did."

"So, that's how it is," Harry nodded. He wondered how that would affect his ID Creation skill if he didn't close a dungeon right away. Every time he entered the Wandering Aspen Horror Dungeon, the number of monsters remained the same. That meant when he first completed a dungeon, it determined the number of enemies he would encounter on each subsequent visit.

Harry thought of another question. "So, how do the monsters work? I know they usually have their own set route they patrol unless you do something to destabilise it. But what if you kill a monster and then leave the dungeon? Will the monster reset when you reenter?"

"Yes," Amelia said. "If we continue down the fairway, then we will meet the same Nuckelavee we killed the first time we entered."

"Interesting," Harry mused. He had been aware that the dungeon was reset whenever he left, but he had never considered how useful it may be. If he wanted to farm a particular monster, or something else, he could use ID Escape to reset the dungeon. The only issue with that was that he always entered the dungeon at the entrance, so the method was limited.

When they reached the first pool of water suitable for their ambush, they constructed a wall of stone around it, with one side being a long narrow passage that was left open to allow the Nuckelavee to pass through. Dumbledore did most of the work, and he even transfigured some steps and a walkway on top of the wall where they could stand and assist in trapping the Nuckelavee.

Andrew turned to Cassandra. "Try and find an isolated Nuckelavee, but don't worry if you attract a small group, as long as you stay safe."

Cassandra nodded before shifting back into her Animagus form. She sprinted off down the fairway, her muscles shifting as she moved. The speed at which she was moving was amazing. Maybe he should look at becoming an Animagus at some point.

They climbed the steps and stood on the walkway. Harry took out his wand in preparation. He was going to get a hit on the thing once it entered the water. The experience from the kill should level him up, and he may be able to start examining some of the Nuckelavee for information.

"Get ready," Amelia ordered as she spotted the Jaguar racing back with a Nuckelavee on her tail. Andrew had been correct; the monster had no chance of catching her, although it wasn't completely left behind.

Cassandra entered the passage and raced down its length, with the monster following behind her. When she got to the edge of the pool, she changed back into human form. Dumbledore levitated her clothes, which enabled him to raise her up and onto the walkway. The Nuckelavee skidded to a stop right before the edge of the pool. However, a giant hand made of earth rose from behind it and shoved it hard, sending the Nuckelavee into the water.

The Nuckelavee weakness has been discovered!

Defence and Magical Defence are lowered by thirty per cent!

The monster let out an inhuman scream as it tried to escape, treading the water frantically. It almost escaped as well, as its long arms grasped the edge of the pool. Harry quickly sent an Exploding Charm at its body before it was followed by a round of spells from the others.

10 damage was dealt to the Nuckelavee.

It was nothing short of carnage. The water began to take on a reddish tint as the Nuckelavee bled out into it. The monster took less time to die as a result of its weakness being exposed.

The Nuckelavee has died.

"Does anybody want to fish out the body to harvest?" Moody said humorously.

The group of adults looked at it with distaste, responding negatively.

"How wasteful," Harry scolded them. "Don't you know that horse meat is considered a delicacy in some countries? What a waste."

Everyone looked at him oddly, and Harry held up his hands. "It was only a joke. However, I'm sure there may be some valuable parts to be found on the body. So I will take it."

Harry glanced at Dumbledore. "Can you float that thing up for me, please?"

"Who do I look like to you?" Dumbledore said indignantly.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Harry asked with a grin.

Dumbledore huffed, but he pointed his wand at the corpse, and it rose in the air. Harry took the Moke skin pouch Amelia gave him and emptied its contents into his own. Thankfully, hers was a lot bigger on the inside, so he could fit its body in easily. Once it was stored away, Harry checked his notifications to see if he had received his level-up. Sure enough, he was now level twelve.

Harry looked around at the rest of the group. "We should see how many we can eliminate with this method. I think it is the safest one." Of course, he was purely motivated by concern for their safety and not experience points.

"I agree," Amelia said. "Although, what if we attract a herd of these creatures? We will be surrounded."

Dumbledore glanced down at the passageway with a thoughtful expression on his face. "It would be helpful to have a gate at the end of the passage so that we can continue to feed more of them into it at our discretion. We should also fortify the walls so they cannot be destroyed easily."

"Let's do that," Amelia said, turning to Andrew." Are you in agreement?"

"Sure," Andrew shrugged. "Of course, only if we are able to obtain some of the Nuckelavee bodies for ourselves. Mr Potter is right when he says that we need to take advantage of every resource that we can get. I am sure our researchers will be happy with us as well."

"Sure," Amelia shrugged before turning to her hit wizards. "Make the necessary changes to the wall. We cannot expect Dumbledore to do all the heavy lifting. He needs to keep some in reserve in case we run into something that is too hard for us to handle."

Nodding, the hit wizards set out to make the changes. It took them twenty minutes, but they completed the alterations. They proceeded to lure more Nuckelavee's into their trap. Now that Harry's level had risen, he now had a chance to observe one of the monsters.

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Nuckelavee~ Type: Normal ~ Level: 30

HP: 630/630 | Mana: 260/260 |

STR: 69 | END: 81 | AGI: 73 | INT: 45 | MAG: 13 | PER: 31

Defence: - Physical: 64 | Magical Defence: 22 |

Resistances: - Water(Salt) 90% | Earth: 50% | Exhaustion: 80 % |

Weaknesses - Water (Fresh): 30% | Blind: 50% | Fury: 70% |

Loot: 500 pounds (100%); Nuckelavee Tongue (50%); Nuckelavee Hoof (30%); Sea Essence (40%)

Harvesting: Nuckelavee Tongue ( 90%); Nuckelavee Hoof (70%); Nuckelavee Eye (30%)

Description: Nuckelavees are mythical sea creatures that resemble demon horses when they appear on land. A rare characteristic of these creatures is their ferocity and their tendency to rage uncontrollably, which affects their ability to think. They usually travel in herds, with a single Nuckelavee Stallion as the leader. Their stamina is nearly limitless, and they can run for an entire day easily without a single break, and they can reach speeds of up to 120 km per hour with the sprinter variant.

=====

Most of its parameters were insane, with the exception of its magical capabilities. Its low magical defence explained why Harry could even damage it in the first place. Another interesting observation was the strange situation with the water element. It was actually separated into two different types of water elements; seawater and freshwater. He never knew they could be distinguished like that.

Its description was the most revealing, however. He had forgotten that the golf course was so close to the sea. Was it part of the dungeon? Depending on its size, there could be plenty of monsters crawling out of the sea. The stallion sounded like it might be an elite monster or maybe even the boss. He had to be on the lookout for it if they came across another herd. Something that looked troublesome was the mention of a variant. It was easy to guess what a sprinter's advantage would be, and it could cause some problems for Cassandra.

When the woman was heading out to lure another Nuckelavee, he warned her. "Be extra careful. We don't know if their speed is constant among all the Nuckelavee. It is possible that some of them will be faster."

"Thanks for the warning," Cassandra smiled.

Over the next half an hour, their plan went off without a hitch. There were a few moments where Cassandra attracted more than one monster at a time, but the gate worked like a charm to keep them separated. Harry's level shot all the way up to level sixteen in no time at all. Because of how easy it had become, a sense of complacency began to creep in as a result.

In Harry's case, he was particularly affected by this because he was currently riding a high on the levels he was receiving. In no time at all, his level had risen again to seventeen, and it appeared as if the gravy train was never going to stop. He should have known better.

They were waiting for Cassandra to bring the next Nuckelavee when a series of disasters cropped up simultaneously.

"When did that appear?" Michael pointed above their heads.

Harry looked up with surprise at the ominous grey clouds gathering overhead. How did he miss it? The thing stretched for at least a few kilometres, if not more. It was like it appeared out of nowhere. The others seemed just as surprised, judging by their expressions.

A thunderous bang was heard across the sky, accompanied by a loud rumbling roar of thunder. The heavens opened up, and rain began pouring downwards.

"Cassandra is returning," Andrew said with a sense of urgency. "She's in trouble."

Harry looked down the fairway and spotted the Jaguar. Unlike the other times, she was not at ease. It looked like she was sprinting for her life to get away from a Nuckelavee that was right on her tail and catching up with her. In the distance, behind them, was a herd of Nuckelavee that was stampeding furiously towards them.

The Jaguar quickly entered the passageway. Laura was already prepared, and she lowered the gate just as the monster arrived, crashing into the stone obstruction with a resounding thud.

Suddenly, Harry received an urgent notification, the screen popping up in front of him.

=====

The Nuckelavee Fairways' first cycle has finished its twelve-hour rotation. Switching over to the second cycle!

A number of conditions have been set in motion as a consequence!

Spawning a random monster from another dungeon!

The gate is being relocated to another location somewhere inside the dungeon!

One individual will be selected and teleported to a random location in the dungeon!

Relocating in 30, 29, 28, 27...

=====

"We need to get out of here," Harry said, but no one responded. "Guys?"

Harry followed their gaze upwards, where something was emerging from the clouds. It was an enormous bird with a head like an eagle and three large wings that extended outwards from its body. Its feathers looked ethereal, like clouds, and its entire body was shrouded in a veil of lightning. Its eyes peered down at them like they were ants, and it let out a screech, the harsh sound grating on their ears.

"Thunderbird," Dumbledore breathed. "Everyone, get your shields up now!" He grabbed Harry by the shoulders and pulled him to his side.

The Thunderbird almost seemed to wave its three wings lazily, and lightning crashed down on them just as they raised shields above their heads. Harry felt the jolt deep within himself, even though Dumbledore's shield managed to hold. Unfortunately, not every shield was able to accomplish the same thing. A couple of the hit-wizards, Paul and Darcy, screamed in fear as their shield collapsed, and they were struck by lightning.

Since Paul was in close proximity to Harry, he witnessed the entire thing. His eyes could not be taken off the horrifying sight before him, and he bore witness to the man's painful death. It didn't take long for the man to stop jerking, and Harry's nostrils were filled with an awful burning stench. Paul fell down and lay motionless. As he tried to comprehend what had happened, Dumbledore called out.

"Harry, you're glowing," Dumbledore said. "What's—"

Harry felt as if he was suddenly engulfed in a sea of darkness, but the sensation lasted for only a brief moment. Suddenly, he collapsed onto the hard ground as he appeared somewhere else. He lay there, stunned for a few minutes, as the last few crazy moments played over and over again in his mind. The image of Paul being electrocuted alive was now permanently etched into his mind.

Using his occlumency, Harry managed to calm himself down and only then did he hear the voices shouting over the bond.

'Harry, what's going on?' Celeste cried.

'Hatchling, what happened?' Hedwig chimed in.

'I'm okay. The shit just hit the fan, that's all.' Harry said. As he told them what had happened, he was still a little shell-shocked by what he had witnessed. Who would have thought that the dungeon could be capable of doing that? Wasn't that totally unfair?

'Get out of there right now! Hedwig ordered.

'I agree. You have no idea where you are. Plus, you have lost your protection.' Celeste said.

'Hang on for a moment.'

Harry summoned his wand, and he used it to illuminate the area. There was a wall of rock surrounding him on all sides, with an opening to the south. Some kind of cave?

He opened his map and found that most of it was obscured except for a small portion of the map where he was located. Harry bit his lip. Should he explore the area or do the smart thing and leave? He got the feeling, however, that he might lose his chance to rescue the survivors if he left the dungeon.

Harry pulled his cloak from the Moke skin pouch and wrapped it around himself, so he was completely concealed. He didn't know how effective this thing was at hiding him, but it was a heroic piece of equipment. That had to mean something, right?

'Don't tell me you are not leaving? ' Hedwig barked.

'He is a dummy.' Celeste sighed. 'I will enter the dungeon right now to look for you.'

"No, that won't do any good. The gate has moved, so you could emerge anywhere. I need you to tell the others out there what happened, except for the parts about Gaia, naturally. Warn them not to enter until I have further information. Don't worry. The first sign of trouble, I will leave. Just let me satisfy my curiosity a bit."

Harry extinguished the light from his wand and stepped forward, using the mini map to navigate in the darkness. Where would the path lead him?

So, what do you think? The dungeon certainly isn't playing fair. Will Harry be able to find his way out and rescue the survivors?

Thanks for reading.