13 Chapter 13: Removed

Mason stood in the ruins of the Hogwarts Great Hall, wearing a tattered pointed hat on his head, and listened to the crazy ramblings of the Sorting Hat with its cloth wrapped around its top.

He blinked his eyes and realized that the destruction of Hogwarts was likely caused by a planned invasion. There seemed to be more to the truth of the world's destruction than just zombies.

He asked the Sorting Hat casually, "Who do you seek revenge against? Who destroyed this place?"

"Revenge, revenge! The oath of revenge has been made, and I am waiting for my awakening to be stitched up! First, sew me up. It's really unacceptable," replied the Sorting Hat, but it no longer answered him.

Like an old man returning to the light, the voice of the Sorting Hat quietly fell, and without Mason having to take it, it fell from the young man's head and landed in his hand.

Although the Sorting Hat had threatened to eat Mason, there was no sign on System that he had been cursed or injured. Mason shrugged and put the dirty thing in his backpack.

Mason didn't think about hiding anything. As he said, hiding the loot from old K was impossible when he didn't even have a storage bag.

So he continued searching along the ruins of the Great Hall, and after nearly two hours of exploration, he finally found the destroyed school library after passing through a completely collapsed room.

The bad news was that most of the books had been burned to a crisp by Fiendfyre.

The good news was that Mason found a relatively intact version of "The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1" and "A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration" on the shelves of alchemy and potion-making, and a complete version of "Advanced Potion-Making" revised and annotated by Dumbledore himself.

This was one of the most valuable collections he had found so far.

Another hour passed, and a somewhat tired Mason sat on a lace-trimmed bed in the ruins of the witches' dormitory, admiring his loot.

The collection of items in front of him are

Five magic bags of different sizes with minor damage, which could be repaired with tailor skills above Lv2.

A bunch of magic materials found everywhere, including some rare items collected by the teachers which could be used for alchemy and further study of enchantment and inscriptions.

Finally, a long string of keys to different facilities in the college, a "friendly gift" from the dormitory administrator, Mr. Argus Filch

This unlucky guy, who liked to blame others for his misfortune, was trapped in his room and luckily survived the disaster, but he could not avoid his beloved cat's attack, which turned him into a zombie. Mason ended his and his cat's tragic life with a Shotgun.

Speaking of the zombie cat, Mason took out a black birdcage from his pocket that Old K had given him. This was a pure magic item, and the zombie cat transformed by Professor McGonagall was now locked inside.

As he looked at the cage, an information label quickly popped up:

Blackbeard's Voodoo Birdcage

Quality: Excellent alchemy/enchantment item, Excellent craftsmanship

Status: Sealed object (Minerva McGonagall) has been marked, and the spell can be released or regained by telekinesis.

Effect: This birdcage is the creation of the great voodoo wizard and legendary pirate "Blackbeard" Edward Teach, who created a unique sealing voodoo art for his guests.

After marking a sealed object, it could be easily sealed and carried regardless of size and weight. This birdcage can only work on "dead" objects.

Item description: The cunning and cruel Blackbeard prepared a gift for his guests, which earned him the friendship of the respected Old K.

"Meow~"

A gloomy hiss came from the black birdcage, and the zombified cat was restlessly scratching at the cage with its sharp claws.

Mason put the cage on the bed, and as soon as he let go, the cage expanded to its normal size. He comforted the zombie cat inside the cage, snapping his fingers to get its attention and saying.

"Don't worry. I'll have some fresh meat for you soon."

As he spoke, a black shadow fell from the sky. The mechanical sound of the kite being folded and stored in his backpack made him nervous, and the kite man, who looked around nervously, appeared in front of Mason with a package in his arms.

"He's exploring the collapsed tower at the other end of the ruins."

The Kite-Man patted the tablet computer controlling his engineering bomb on his waist and lowered his voice.

"Your prediction was right, Mason. I saw that bitch just go towards Old K's direction through the camera of the drone you gave me. She's the lackey of that guy!"

"Is that so?" Mason grinned and glanced at the Kite-Man, asking, "Is she doing well?"

"Yeah, I guess." Kite man shrugged and showed a smile that all men understood, relieved of pressure by the woman who had come to him last night.

But both knew they didn't have much time left, so the Kite-Man quickly put the big bag in his arms on the bed and opened it.

It was filled with different bottles and jars.

He pointed to these things and said

"This is everything I found in the ruins that looks like medicine. Maybe it's a magic potion in the legend. But are you sure these things will be useful? You risk taking apart the micro bomb implanted in your spine without any specialized tools. Are you kidding me?"

"If anyone is going to risk their life, it will be me first. What are you afraid of?" Mason quickly searched for and read the information labels on these bottles and jars, saying without raising his head

"I wrote it clearly on the note. Even if I fail and get blown up, you can still seek refuge with Old K and survive. That guy needs people and won't kill you that easily. But if I succeed, we'll have a second way to go As someone who has followed the Joker, you should know how fortunate it is to have options."

"I know! Otherwise, I wouldn't have taken the risk to help you." The Kite Man was still restless, walking back and forth

"But even if we remove the bomb, what then? Old K is very powerful. Even if we attack him together, we will probably be killed by his sword, and we can't escape. Do you have a plan?"

"Yes, wait a minute!" Mason waved his hand to quiet The Kite Man down.

He carefully looked at the bottles and jars on the bed, and the information labels flashed individually.

"Skele-Gro Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, Pepperup Potion, Draught of Peace, I don't need to use any of those. Hmm, Felix Felicis, This is the one!"

Mason quickly took out a small black bottle and set it aside, then continued to search, reciting the exact names of each Potion as he went.

The process made the Kite Man's eyes widen in amazement.

"Skele-Gro Possibly useful! And then there's...Wiggenweld, these are the three I need."

[Note: Skele-Gro - used for growing bones that are missing

Wiggenweld - a healing potion with the power to awaken a person from a magically-induced sleep. It also can be used to heal injuries.]

Mason quickly selected three needed potions and held the differently-shaped bottles in his hand, inspecting their labels. The label on the Felix Felicis potion popped up:

'Detected high-level alchemical compound, analysis in progress. This item is the Felix Felicis potion, a high-level magical potion that brings 'luck' to the person who drinks it, allowing them to successfully accomplish all desired tasks until the effect wears off (12 hours).'

Note: The scope of Felix Felicis is limited to events that are likely to succeed. It does not possess the ability to change the rules. The Potion is toxic, and repeated consumption in a short period of time can result in serious consequences.

'Alchemy knowledge and skills are too low to fully analyze the recipe.'

'The Skele-Gro is a high-level magical potion that can regenerate missing or damaged bones in a short period of time.'

Note: 'The use of the bone-healing potion causes unimaginable pain.'

'This blueprint has been collected.'

'The blood-replenishing potion is a high-level magical potion that instantly replenishes lost blood and heals injuries.'

Note: 'The Wiggenweld is easy to produce, but its effectiveness depends on the alchemist's skills. This Potion is made by a grand wizard and can instantly heal injuries below a serious level and fill lost blood.

'This blueprint has been collected.'

"The Blueprint has been included," Mason breathed a sigh of relief, releasing an engineering bomb that floated above his head as he put the control panel in front of him, projecting a simple 'surgical live broadcast' with the camera.

He took out a potion given to him by Old K and the surgical knife and forceps from his bag.

He looked at Kite Man and said, "Watch for me, if they come, hold them back. I need at least five minutes. If I fail, everything I have is yours. Remember to take care of my body. Oh, and bring my ashes back to Gotham and spread them in the Gotham River."

"Do you really want to do this?" Kite Man asked, looking at Mason's surgical knife and the potions in his hand. He clenched his fist and said, "You're not just risking your life by performing surgery on yourself without any assistance! Maybe we can follow Old K's orders. I don't think he's that bad."

"There's no other choice! Charles!" Mason replied.

Mason stood up and slapped him, shouting loudly

"You listen to me! Don't expect that Old K, or anyone else, will voluntarily remove the bomb just because you're loyal to them. You have worked with the Joker before, while I have worked with the Penguin. I had to give Oswald a bullet with my own hands in order to escape from a miserable future. I did that so that Batman would spare me. Do you understand what I mean? You have to fight for your own life! Don't rely on those bastards now. Watch for me! And pray for my success, OK?"

"I understand."

Meanwhile, Mason returned to the bedside, staring at the reflection of the back of his neck on the tablet in front of him. He removed his shirt, revealing his bare upper body, and drank old K's swallow potion, allowing the healing effect to last five minutes.

Then, he quickly took a few drops of Felix Felicis, and powerful excitement rushed over him. A sense of confidence screamed in his mind.

Mason's voice seemed to echo, "Go ahead, young man! You will survive and give old K a big surprise! You will accomplish great things starting now!"

Putting the Count's Interference Device aside for later use, he approached the back of his neck where the bomb had been implanted with a steady hand, holding the surgical knife in his left hand and the forceps in his right.

"Swish."

Under Mason's unbelievably stable cutting, the sharp surgical knife sliced open a V-shaped wound on the back of his neck, and blood gushed out instantly but quickly stopped due to the effect of the Wiggenweld.

With a piece of gauze in his mouth, Mason let out a low groan as he used his right-hand forceps to feel his wound. He stared at the tablet screen in front of him, with pain not affecting his fingers' movements, even after the pain relief potion's effect had kicked in.

This is why he reaches Engineering Level 2 before attempting to remove a micro-bomb. Only with the "Dexterous" trait under this level could one guarantee that they wouldn't have their fingers shake from the pain.

The bomb implanted in the spinal cord's crevice was smaller than a fingernail. If Mason's hand slipped, let alone remove the bomb, the spinal cord might be pierced, killing him instantly.

He stared at the tablet, gripping the edge of the micro-bomb with forceps. Perhaps the Felix Felicis had indeed taken effect, as this should have been the most challenging process, but it went smoothly and efficiently.

After confirming that he had caught the bomb, Mason did not even have time to pull it out bit by bit. He directly pressed the surgical knife against it and, with both hands, forcefully cut out a piece of flesh.

The unbearable pain almost made Mason pass out on the spot.

But he held on.

He threw away the surgical knife and punched the jammer on the table, emitting an electromagnetic pulse that delayed the micro- bomb's detonation when it was pulled out of the wound.

As Mason drank Wiggenweld frantically, he tossed the bloody piece of micro-bomb with forceps towards the birdcage on the bed, where the zombie cat, already stimulated by blood, bit into the flesh and swallowed it whole.

"Bang!"

Mason collapsed on the ground. His whole body was covered in blood, and he felt like he was about to die the next moment.

But under the influence of several magical Potion, his cut wound healed rapidly, almost restoring to its original state in the blink of an eye.

He lay in a pool of blood, staring wide-eyed at the grayish sky, his body soaked through with sweat and blood. But a feeling of no longer being threatened surged up in his heart, making him unable to help but reveal a wry and weak smile.

And the System in front of him, a delayed message, seemed to be celebrating his hard-won victory:

"Successfully completed an outstanding craft: High-Precision Engineering Explosive Disposal. Engineering proficiency increased by X40."

"Oh my god!"

A few minutes later, the Kite-Man, who had fallen from the sky, looked at Mason Cooper crawling out of the blood pool with his strength, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He shouted, "You really did it! Good job, kid! You're a genius! Come on, remove the bomb too. We agreed on this before."

"Let me rest for a while."

Mason washed his body with water and massaged his healed neck. He glanced at the Kite-Man and then pointed to the zombie cat in the birdcage on the bed, which was howling and screaming, and said, "Do you now understand why I wanted to keep it?"

"I see! After removing the mini bomb, you need to have a carrier that is close to you and won't explode so that K won't realize that you removed the bomb." The Kite-Man grinned.

Under Mason's gaze, a big, screeching zombie mole was grabbed from behind. Its claws and teeth had been removed.

Kite man sneered and waved the fat mole in his hand, saying, "I was prepared for this. I just caught it for this moment."

"You know," Mason stared at the zombie mole in Kite Man's hand and said with a serious tone, "I don't have to fulfill my promise to help you remove the bomb. You have to follow me honestly and go down the path with me till the end, right?"

Kite Man's expression changed for a moment.

In the next instant, Mason pointed to the bed and gave a "Ha, gotcha" smile, saying, "Go, lie down there. It might hurt a bit later. But I already warned you, Charles."

The young man took out some medical alcohol and disinfected the surgical knife in his hand. He looked at Kite Man, lying on the bed and taking off his clothes, and reminded him, "Once we do this, there's no turning back. I can only trust you. I hope you can trust me as much as I trust you."

"I understand. I'm a Gotham local, after all." As Kite Man removed his clothes and put a piece of gauze in his mouth, he closed his eyes and mumbled, "You'll be my new boss from now on."

.....

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