The Old Ones of Hogwarts

Chapter 347, Section 346: A Bountiful Harvest! The Money Pouch Explodes!

Chapter 347, Section 346: A Bountiful Harvest! The Money Pouch Explodes!

The moment Ian stepped into the square tomb chamber, the stone slabs beneath his feet made a slight "click" sound.

"Ah, classic." He raised an eyebrow, glanced down at the sunken brick, then looked up and around at the dense holes in the walls, which were enough to trigger trypophobia.

Moreover, it was as if countless eyes were peering into the darkness at the people outside.

inside.

They were all scarabs.

"nice one!"

Ian was, of course, very excited.

He wasn't an archaeologist or a tomb raider, but a potion master. To him, these holes weren't a terrifying sight, but a treasure trove filled with potion ingredients.

Therefore, Ian, as a potion master, naturally did not feel fear. On the contrary, he was very happy. Ancient resources were abundant, and scarabs were an extremely rare species in later generations.

High-grade magic potion.

"Quick! Come here, babies!"

Ian knew what to do. He chose the coffin closest to the center, the one with the turquoise inlay, which clearly indicated that the deceased inside was either rich or noble.

Scarabs are a type of grave-guarding trap.

This is not.

Ian's feet had only just begun to move.

Rumble!

A chilling, hissing sound emanated from the holes in the wall, like thousands of tiny metal claws scraping against the stone. The next second, a swarm of pitch-black insects erupted forth!

The bronze-colored scarabs were each the size of a fist. Their carapaces gleamed with a cold, hard metallic sheen.

Its mouthparts are as sharp as knives, and its six legs make a clicking sound that makes your teeth ache when it crawls.

"Sizzle~" The scarabs chirped and surged in from all directions like a tide, instantly covering the entire floor of the tomb and crawling frantically toward Ian!

However, faced with this scene that would terrify any tomb raider, Ian's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but smile, feeling incredibly happy.

"Yes, that's it. Quick, get to my cauldron." Ian calmly took out his wand and waved it lightly as he infused it with magic.

"SoporifusTotalus." (Sleeping Spirits)

This is an advanced spell derived from the Stun Spell, possessing the effect of causing mass unconsciousness. It is not only effective on humans, but also has remarkable effects on all living beings.

The curse rose into the air.

It instantly transformed into a pale purple mist.

It enveloped the entire tomb chamber.

The leading scarab suddenly swayed, its six legs began to tangle, and then it collapsed to the ground with a series of thuds, its shell opening and closing slightly, as if it were drunk. Before the rest of the swarm could react, they crashed into their companions one after another, and then also tumbled to the ground.

With their six legs in the air, they were unable to move, or rather, they were no longer able to move, all having fallen into a deep sleep. In just a few seconds, the once menacing swarm of insects turned into a carpet of "drunkenness".

There were a few live scarabs that were still twitching their legs, but they no longer posed any threat—the live scarabs that were in a daze were often more effective than the dried scarabs.

Ian's spell can put these creatures into a deep sleep, lasting until their next life. He only needs to remove the sleeping spell on the spot to prepare the medicine, thus maximizing the efficacy of the scarab beetles.

"Perfect."

Ian nodded in satisfaction, squatted down, and carefully examined the stunned scarabs. He picked one up at random and scrutinized its shell.

His eyes shone with a professional radiance.

"This one's big, so the potion effect should be pretty good." He said, carefully placing the scarab beetle into the potion ingredient bag he carried with him.

Then he picked up another scarab beetle and shook his head: "This one is underdeveloped, but it's usable enough."

talking.

The little wizard also put it into his bag.

He then pulled out an exceptionally plump scarab: "Wow! A top-grade 'Eclipse Beetle,' with natural runes on its abdomen that can temporarily conceal its presence when used in medicine!"

Ian grew more and more excited as he picked through the insects, even humming a little tune. He sorted the sacred insects into different crystal bottles, just like picking crabs at a market.

"This can only be used to make the 'Iron Skin' potion—"

"This only works for 'toxic resistance' formulas—"

"This one—? A mutant?!"

He suddenly stared at a scarab beetle that was different from the others—its carapace was not bronze, but a deep dark red, and the pattern of the Eye of Horus was faintly visible on its back.

"A scarab king blessed by Horus?!" Ian gasped. "This thing is extinct in later generations! One could be traded for a shop in Diagon Alley!"

He carefully placed the "King of Insects" into a crystal bottle with gold trim, and thoughtfully added a piece of what looked like moonflower and something to enhance the beetle's vitality.

"Good boy, don't die, you're a rare breed." Ian's movements were skilled and methodical, as if he were performing a delicate surgery. While collecting the scarabs, he didn't forget to observe his surroundings. After collecting the scarabs on the ground, Ian looked at the holes in the wall with lingering interest.

The inside of the hole was surprisingly smooth, as if something was frequently going in and out. Ian gently ran his fingers along it, feeling the depth of the hole and the direction it extended outwards.

He discovered that these holes were not just simple caves, but connected to some kind of complex ventilation system, and he didn't know if it was because the scarab beetles needed air to live.

of course.

Ian didn't want to research this further, after all, he wasn't a magical entomologist. Ian's only interest in these beetles was taking them back to use as ingredients for potions.

"Since we're already here—" "We must make the most of this place and leave no regrets." His gaze fell on the hole in the wall, and a bold idea surfaced in his mind.

He rubbed his hands together, walked directly to the nearest hole, reached in and rummaged around. "I don't care about antiques, but I can't waste potion ingredients."

Ian was always good at finding excuses for himself. He groped around inside the hole a few times with his fingers and quickly pulled out a handful of sticky insect eggs.

"Scarab eggs! Freshness is off the charts!" Ian's eyes lit up. "These are much more valuable than adult scarabs; they're the base for making the 'Rejuvenation' potion!"

The so-called "rejuvenation" potion is certainly not an immortality potion. Admittedly, it has a slight effect on prolonging life, but its greatest effect is to make the elderly return to their youth.

However, the body's functions cannot return to youth; only the outer skin can be changed. Ian has been trying to explore and improve the drug's advanced version.

If a way could be found to rejuvenate internal organs as well, then a relatively inexpensive version of the elixir of immortality would certainly have a significant impact on the elixir of immortality that requires magic stones to produce.

They might be eliminated outright.

It's like choosing between a thousand-yuan smartphone and a ten-thousand-yuan flip Nokia; those who need it naturally know how to make the choice. Seeing that there were still many holes around with scarab beetle eggs, Ian didn't hesitate to empty several nearby holes and collect all the eggs he could find into a specially made preservation bag.

The potion master went out.

All the necessary containers were so comprehensive. Then, while he was busy in the Pharaoh's tomb, he discovered a luminous fungus clinging to the cave walls.

"This is—: 'Styx Fluorescent Fungus'?!" Ian's voice trembled. "The legendary, extinct ingredient used to craft 'Potion of Communication with the Dead'!"

He searched through every hole in the wall like a treasure hunter, not even missing the insect droppings in the crevices, since the excrement of scarab beetles is also a top-quality alchemical catalyst.

Once he was sure he couldn't extract any more value from the money, Ian reluctantly stopped, looked at his bulging purse, and sighed contentedly.

"This trip was incredibly profitable." Now, only the turquoise-inlaid coffin in the center of the tomb remains.

Ian dusted off his hands and walked to the coffin.

His fingertips gently traced the hieroglyphs on the coffin lid.

Those who disturb the Pharaoh's slumber will suffer the torment of countless insects devouring their hearts.

This was one of the most common methods of preventing tomb raiding in ancient Egypt, and there really was a curse attached to the coffin. However, even such a childish curse could not stump the legendary Ian.

"It's already been consumed, thank you." He apologized to the coffin without any sincerity, first using his wand to cleanse the curse, then slamming his palm on the coffin lid!

boom!

The heavy stone coffin lid was blown off and smashed into the wall, breaking in two.

Inside the coffin, a mummy wrapped in bandages lay quietly, its hands folded over its chest, with a palm-sized piece of gold foil pressed under its palms—cursed gold foil!

Just as Ian was about to reach for it, the mummy suddenly opened its eyes!

"I knew this would happen." He rolled his eyes, then took a small bottle of "corpse-dissolving water" from his purse and splashed it directly on the undead's face.

It's sizzling!

The monstrous creature let out a silent scream, and the bandages quickly decayed, turning into ashes.

"Do you even know how valuable Ian of the Nine Gates is? You think you can scare me?" Ian easily picked up the gold leaf and blew away non-existent dust.

"Done."

Ian weighed the cursed gold foil in his hand; the thin gold sheet glowed with an eerie red light under the torchlight.

Logically, a normal person would leave the eerie pyramid immediately after obtaining the target item, but the Potion Master's thinking is clearly different from that of ordinary people.

"Since we're already here," Ian said, repeating his previous statement. He looked around, his eyes gleaming with excitement in the darkness. "Wouldn't it be a waste not to empty this place outright?"

After obtaining the cursed gold leaf, Ian didn't leave immediately. Instead, he began wandering through the pyramid tomb as if he were there to buy goods rather than to rob a grave. Of course, the powerful and wealthy always like to bury themselves with many treasures, but Ian had no interest in gold and silver; he was only interested in the extraordinary.

Around the corner of the tomb chamber, several fist-sized black scorpions stood guard, their venomous tails raised. These were the Pharaoh's death guards, said to be able to kill an elephant in ten seconds with a single drop of their venom.

"This is good stuff too!" Ian's eyes lit up as he pulled a specially made glass jar from his purse. "We're just missing the main ingredient for a 'highly toxic neutralizer'."

He snapped his fingers, and a wisp of silvery-gray magic coiled around the scorpions like a thread. These ferocious venomous creatures were instantly frozen in place, obediently lining up to crawl into the jar.

The last scorpion king tried to resist, but Ian gently pinched its tail with tweezers and lifted it upside down.

"This venom sac is so full it's almost overflowing."

He shook the scorpion with satisfaction. "Enough to make three doses of the 'Immunity to All Poisons' potion."

Ancient resources were far more abundant than those of later generations; these things nearly became extinct in later times and were entirely cultivated artificially.

However, as is well known, artificially cultivated medicinal substances are definitely not as effective as wild ones.

This is similar to how dragons in dragon farms can't beat wild dragons from the outside world.

"Da da da~"

The little wizard wandered through the pyramid.

After passing through a narrow passageway, he discovered a stone chamber filled with bottles and jars. This was clearly a mummification workshop, with various preservatives displayed on shelves.

"Nyquist resin, Natron salt... and complete records of organ preservation techniques?" Ian flipped through the papyrus scrolls as if he had found a treasure. "These formulas have all been lost to later generations!"

1

He ruthlessly pocketed all the medicine formulas, even taking the preservative ingredients from the corner of the room.

He whistled with delight when he discovered a well-preserved jar of "Pharaoh's liver".

"The perfect ingredient for treating heart disease!" There was a reason why eating mummies was popular in Europe for a time; the wizarding world did indeed have a tradition of using parts of mummies in medicine.

It's unclear which wizard spread this to the Muggle world, but it sparked a wave of criticism from historians who considered it foolish, since eating mummies normally wouldn't have the effect of a potion.

"I doubt that any collection in Diagon Alley is as comprehensive as mine."

Ian continued to plunder.

The pharaoh's final resting place was indeed full of treasures, but what surprised Ian the most was the secret chamber hidden behind the murals. Pushing open the hidden door, a fully equipped ancient alchemy laboratory came into view.

Bronze stills, obsidian grinding stones, gem-encrusted balances... each instrument is engraved with the mark of the Eye of Horus. The most eye-catching item is the thick Book of the Sun on the experimental table.

The cover is also inlaid with intricate constellation patterns in gold.

"The legendary and famous magic book."

The Book of the Sun is an important text in ancient Egyptian mythology, representing the Pharaoh's divine approval, similar to a "code of the gods," and is considered one of the two great treasures of ancient Egypt, along with the Book of the Dead.

The latter governs resurrection, while the former symbolizes the "power of the sun" and the "principle of death." These were lost in later generations, but unexpectedly, Ian rediscovered them in ancient times using cheating methods.

"This is a treasure." Ian carefully put away the Book of the Sun, his voice brimming with excitement. "The ancient Egyptian alchemy and magic systems were truly unique."

Many spells in later generations were influenced by the ancient Egyptian magic system.

This shows that ancient Egyptian magic was indeed extraordinary. Without saying a word, Ian stuffed the entire scripture into his money bag and also packed up the equipment on the experimental table to take with him.

As he tried to move the bronze furnace, which was half a person's height, the furnace suddenly emitted a protesting creak.

"Oh? It's a spiritual alchemical artifact?"

Ian was even happier.

"Then we absolutely must take it with us."

At the very bottom of the pyramid, Ian discovered a dark chamber filled with seals. The walls were covered with various cursed items: a bronze mirror that sucked blood, a shroud covered in eyes, a Holy Grail constantly oozing black liquid... and many more.

When Ian finally emerged from the pyramid, his money bag was almost overflowing.

It was filled with all sorts of rare materials and ancient secret texts.

outside.

The sky was already turning a pale white.

"One objective achieved, plus a bunch of rare materials as a bonus—this trip to Egypt is off to a good start." Ian's figure quickly disappeared on the road to the next destination.

He was going to find Anubis to "borrow" the Styx oar.