Initially, Wenxiu Lord and Severus both felt that the speed of the cart was just like riding a roller coaster, completely manageable.
However, as the cart gradually plunged deeper and deeper, the speed increased rapidly, as if it were heading straight for the abyss of the earth, and the temperature in the tunnel grew increasingly frigid.
Wenxiu Lord was certain that this speed was at least twice as fast as what was shown in the movies, because if he and Severus hadn't been gripping the handrails on both sides, the two of them would most likely have been flung off directly against the ceiling of the tunnel.
The cart sped along, its wheels rattling and grinding against the tracks, kicking up a series of sparks, while the cold wind whipped fiercely against their faces, making it impossible for them to keep their eyes open.
Her face stinging from the biting wind, Wenxiu Lord pressed tightly against Severus, trying to get closer for some warmth, and decided that unless absolutely necessary, it was best not to visit the vaults in the future—and even if they had to come, they must dress much warmer.
As the cart continued its steep descent, Severus caught a glimpse of a dragon flashing past on a platform beside the tracks. He wanted to open his mouth to ask, but the cold wind rushed into his throat, choking him almost to the point of suffocation, leaving him unable to utter a single sound.
Severus raised a hand to cover his mouth, coughing for a long time before he finally caught his breath.
The goblin sitting opposite the two of them noticed the confusion on Severus's face and offered an explanation: "That is the dragon that guards our Gringotts vaults, the second line of defense protecting the vaults."
The cart sped on, and ahead of them, a curtain of water cascaded down.
The goblin explained: "This curtain of water can wash away all spells cast upon a wizard, effectively preventing anyone from using charms to impersonate or control us to steal the wealth within the vaults."
Before the two of them could fully process this or make any reaction, the cart carried them straight through the water curtain.
In an instant, they were soaked to the bone, and coupled with the biting wind they had endured in the tunnel for so long, the pair now felt almost completely numb from the cold.
Shivering with cold, Wenxiu Lord looked at the goblin sitting across from him, who remained completely dry even after passing through the water curtain. That was when he finally remembered that he was now a wizard who could use magic.
He hastily drew his wand and cast a pair of Drying Charms on himself and Severus, followed by numerous Warming Charms. Only then did a healthy flush return to their faces, and they finally had the presence of mind to observe their surroundings.
The tunnel overhead was hung with stalactites of all sizes, the walls on both sides were completely engraved with runes, and the heavy doors of vaults continually flashed past on either side.
After traveling downward for roughly twenty minutes, the vaults along the tracks grew scarcer, and the cart finally slowed to a stop before a single vault door.
Wenxiu Lord stepped out of the cart with trembling legs, leaning against the wall and retching, while Severus, following closely behind, didn't look particularly well either.
Now that Wenxiu Lord had cast the Warming Charms, their warmed bodies seemed to finally regain their senses, and under the lurching and swaying of the cart's erratic turns, nausea set in. Fortunately, they hadn't eaten anything that morning, otherwise he might not have been able to hold it in.
Severus forced himself not to vomit, steadying the churning in his stomach. Seeing Wenxiu Lord still leaning against the wall and retching, he walked over and patted him on the back to help him catch his breath.
"Thank you, Severus, I'm much better."
Severus shook his head, and seeing that the color had returned to Wenxiu's face, he stopped worrying.
Once both of them had recovered, the goblin walked up to the vault door. "This is Vault 7." With a series of manipulations with both hands, the runes on the door emitted a faint glimmer of fluorescent light.
The combination lock on the door let out a rattling mechanical sound, and the dense mass of iron chains and vines unfurled, revealing a keyhole in the center of the door.
Wenxiu Lord inserted the key he was holding into the keyhole and turned it. With a low rumble, the door revealed a round platform about half the size of a palm just above the keyhole.
The goblin said: "Sir, this door also requires verification of the Lorde Family bloodline."
Enduring the pain, Wenxiu Lord bit his finger and let a single drop of blood fall onto the small platform. The platform retracted back into the door, and the heavy door slowly swung outward.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"
The two of them were choked by the dust stirred up by the opening door, coughing repeatedly, and Wenxiu Lord even let out several consecutive sneezes.
Lifting a hand to fan away the dust in front of them, the two finally managed to open their eyes.
Sensing that the door had opened, the oil lamps on the walls ignited without any wind. Before them stretched a sea of gold; the Galleons piled on the floor formed a golden mountain several yards high.
The Galleons gleamed brilliantly in the candlelight, their dazzling golden light hurting the eyes of the two boys.
Surrounding the mound of Galleons were rows of cabinets displaying numerous magical objects whose names they did not know.
Ahead lay an array of well-arranged platforms, entirely covered in jewelry that shone brilliantly in the candlelight.
Wenxiu Lord stood at the doorway in utter astonishment. In his past life, he had never seen so much gold, and he hadn't expected the System to be so formidable. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, 'What a sturdy golden finger this truly is.'
Walking into the vault and casting his gaze around, Wenxiu Lord finally fixed his eyes on a small platform holding two bracelets: one inlaid with dark green gems and carved with delicate patterns, and the other silver-gray, inlaid with a gemstone of an unknown material that looked exceptionally translucent.
Wenxiu Lord picked up both bracelets, and a System panel suddenly unfolded before his eyes.
【Item Name: Twin Bracelets】
【Item Information: When worn by a single person, they can resist one fatal crisis. When worn by two people, they soothe the mind and allow each wearer to sense the distance to the other; the greater the distance, the paler the dark bracelet becomes, and the deeper the silver bracelet's color grows.】
Wenxiu Lord raised an eyebrow. 'Good stuff.' He slipped the silver bracelet directly onto his wrist and tucked the other dark green bracelet into his pocket, planning to give it to Severus once they went outside.
Walking over to examine the other platforms, Wenxiu Lord had to admit that his horizons had been too narrow; every single artifact on these dozens of platforms was capable of warding off fatal attacks.
Next, he came to one of the cabinets, which was filled with boxes of various sizes.
He picked up a briefcase and opened it. The inside appeared to have been enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm, boasting a capacity of several hundred cubic meters, and was packed with various potion ingredients that looked exceptionally precious at first glance.
He opened several other boxes in succession, discovering they were likewise filled with rare materials and alchemical items. A few other boxes contained trunks brimming with magical books; those volumes looked quite ancient, many with yellowed pages and some with slightly blurred cover titles, though fortunately, the handwriting inside remained perfectly clear.
The books in one particular box looked ominous at a single glance, radiating an inauspicious aura that raised goosebumps on Wenxiu Lord's arms. He hurriedly waved his wand to levitate the box away and toss it into a far corner.
Ultimately, Wenxiu Lord chose a briefcase about 20 inches across on the outside, with an interior capacity of several dozen cubic meters filled with Galleons.
He poured out most of the Galleons from the trunk, filled it instead with the artifacts and jewelry from the platforms, and stuffed in numerous potion ingredients and alchemical items taken from the other boxes before finally stepping out of the vault with satisfaction.
Closing the vault door, Wenxiu Lord took the bracelet he had spotted earlier from his pocket and handed it to Severus.
"Here, this is for you."
Severus looked at the bracelet handed to him and shook his head. "I can't accept this."
Wenxiu Lord directly took Severus's hand and slipped the bracelet onto his wrist. "Just keep it, it's not valuable. You're my only friend now, and this bracelet comes in a pair—I'm wearing one too. Not only does it soothe the mind, but once we both wear them, we can also sense each other's distance."
With that, he raised his own wrist wearing the matching bracelet and shook it in front of Severus.
*My only friend.*
Severus pressed his lips together, lowering his gaze to look at the bracelet on his wrist, its dark gem emitting a lustrous glow in the candlelight.
"Mn."
Seeing that Severus no longer refused, Wenxiu Lord broke into a radiant smile.
On the way back, the two of them returned by the same little cart. Having learned their lesson from the trip down, Wenxiu Lord had proactively cast several layers of Warming Charms on them beforehand. However, perhaps because they were traveling uphill, the cart's speed was much slower than the descent, and neither of them felt any nausea this time.
Stepping out of Gringotts' front doors, Wenxiu Lord weighed the briefcase in his hand, turned to look at Severus beside him, and looped his arm through his. "Come on, I'm treating you to everything today—let's go have a grand feast!"
Severus rubbed his pocket, which held the silver Sickles and bronze Knuts he had just exchanged. "No need, I exchanged my own money."
Wenxiu Lord looked at him with a pitiful expression. "Our fare for the ride up and down used your money, so the cost of shopping and buying things should naturally come out of mine. Could you really bear to refuse me? I'd be very sad."
Severus simply couldn't withstand being gazed at by those striking eyes, and ultimately caved.
After eating lunch at a restaurant with a modest crowd, the two began wandering around Diagon Alley, which Wenxiu Lord claimed was merely to aid digestion after the meal.
"Look at this bat, Severus, it's so fluffy."
"Severus, let's buy an owl so we can send letters."
"Severus, I'll buy a large sundae and we can share it."
Severus! Severus. Severus? Severus~
…………
Along the way, Severus was utterly exhausted as Wenxiu Lord dragged him from one shop to another, constantly having to stop him from buying various bizarre and unnecessary items.
As they strolled, the two arrived at a potion shop. "Severus, a potion ingredients shop. Let's go in and take a look."
Seeing the potion ingredients shop, Severus, who had been nearly driven to his wit's end by Wenxiu Lord's relentless shopping trip, perked up somewhat.
Pushing open the door, the air was laden with a mixture of various potion ingredients, while the counter and surrounding shelves displayed all sorts of materials and tools needed for brewing potions.
Seeing customers enter, the shopkeeper put on a smile and hurried over.
"What are our two young gentlemen looking to pick up today?"
Wenxiu Lord glanced over the items sold in the shop. "Small potion vials, a brass scale, and standard size 2 pewter cauldrons—I'll take two sets of everything, please."
He then turned to Severus. "Severus, although my inventory has plenty of potion materials, it doesn't seem to include basic ones. Let's buy some here."
By this time, Severus was already completely enthralled by the shelf of potion ingredients, only snapping out of it after Wenxiu Lord called his name several times.
"Mn, alright." He immediately reeled off a string of potion ingredient names, eager to get his hands on them.