Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 147 Chapter 146: Mysterious Encounter! The Haunting Ghost!

In the vast desert.

The haze is like a never-fading curtain, covering the sky tightly. The clouds are thick and low, as if they will collapse at any time and swallow the entire desert.

Unlike the desert with yellow sand all over the sky, here the whole land is pitch black, and the ground is covered with bottomless black sand.

They appear to be a deep and depressing black, and the sand grains gleam with a dark luster under the faint moonlight, like stars in the night sky but seem to carry an extremely ominous aura.

Above the sky, there is a blood-red moon hanging high. Its light is not warm, but instead has a strange chill, making the entire desert look as gloomy as hell.

Even the black sand was stained with a hint of red, making it look even more evil.

"Where did this come from for me to wear?"

Ian's expression was not overly surprised. He had actually experienced this several times in the past and knew that this was another new map of the hazy fantasy that he had accidentally unlocked.

"I don't have any direction in my heart that I desire, and I didn't get anything strange this time. It can't be that this is the useless resurrection stone ring again, right?"

Ian took out the Deathly Hallows that he had sealed for a long time. He pondered for a moment and felt that the probability that he had accidentally entered the new map of the misty fantasy because of the Resurrection Stone was not high.

After all, he has been carrying this ring with him all these days, and has traveled to and from the misty fantasy several times, but he has never encountered the accident of accidentally entering the "Doomsday Volcano" again.

Ian even thought that the reason he accidentally entered the "Mount Doom" at that time might have something to do with Helena Ravenclaw. The founder, Lady Rowena Ravenclaw, couldn't blame her daughter for the incident. Of course, she would only say that Ian and Helena Ravenclaw appeared in the "Mount Doom" because the Resurrection Stone came from there.

"If it were me, I would also have to distance myself from the matter." Ian fully demonstrated what it meant to judge others by oneself. He didn't even believe everything that Ms. Rowena Ravenclaw said.

Even Mr. Morgan's words were sometimes inaccurate. Obviously, what he wanted was to give Morgan a mirror, and his heart should be in Morgan's dark castle.

God knows why I ended up in such a confusing desert again.

“Could this be related to the Mirror of Erised?”

Ian was visibly confused.

He was about to take out his purse when he was surprised to find an unexpected surprise - the elder wand that he had never been able to bring into the hazy fantasy was still intact in the wand bag under his robe. The silent wand made Ian feel safe.

"It can cast magic! Then there's nothing to worry about!" The little bit of uneasiness in Ian's heart immediately dissipated a lot. The wand, which might have felt cold in his hand, warmed his heart.

"Maybe it has something to do with my magic upgrade... or maybe it's because I have embarked on the so-called legendary road?" Ian actually suspected that his unlocking of the new map was also related to these two things.

of course.

Whether it was due to the magic power upgrade or the legendary journey, it was basically difficult to distinguish and judge the truth. After all, it only took a few days for him to reach the limit of magic power and embark on the legendary journey.

The pace is too fast.

The interval is too short.

“Perhaps this is the kind of trouble that only a hacker can empathize with.” Ian was a little self-conscious, but he still took out his purse and took out the Mirror of Erised, which he had put in his purse a long time ago.

He compared the colors of the Mirror of Erised with those of the surrounding environment, but the style of the painting alone was out of tune with the pitch-black dust here.

“Perhaps the mirror-making process comes from the sand here?”

Ian speculated thoughtfully.

Of course he knew that sand could indeed be used to make glass, he just wasn't sure if that was the case, so he squatted down and put several tons of black sand into his purse.

Yes, several tons.

The more outstanding the alchemist is, the more likely he is to have a fear of insufficient experimental materials.

Ian is certainly no exception.

“Even if it’s not the raw material for making the Mirror of Erised, it is definitely an alchemical material with unique effects.” Ian rubbed the black sand in the desert lightly on his fingertips.

The texture of black sand is unique and unforgettable. It seems that it is not ordinary sand. Under the weak light, it shows a deep and cold beauty.

Keep rubbing the black sand with your hands.

Ian felt a strange texture.

They were not loose and fragile like ordinary sand, but more compact and solid. When he ran his fingers lightly across them, he could clearly feel that there seemed to be a subtle gravitational force between the sand grains.

"Could it be that the entire desert has some kind of secret connection relying on this gravity?" Ian looked up and saw an endless black desert.

They seemed to be star fragments that fell from the depths of the sky. They settled over billions of years before condensing into this mysterious black desert.

"Anyway, it's definitely a treasure." Ian thought about this and put more black sand into his purse. He only regretted that he didn't get the skin of the bird snake and couldn't further expand his purse.

The bird snake is a winged, two-legged magical animal with a snake body and feathers. It can grow up to fifteen feet in length. It is considered a very precious magical animal in the wizarding world today.

The bird snake's ability to transform into large or small sizes allows them to adapt to changes in various environments. It is also the reason why they are cherished. Their skins are the best alchemical material for casting the Traceless Extension Spell.

"It's a pity that the bird snakes don't seem to come to the Fantasy Land after they die, otherwise why would I worry about not having bird snake skins to use." Ian put away the heavy purse and stood up. He didn't know where the end of this desert was, but after all, he was here once, so he must explore this area.

There was no guarantee that he would be able to find out why he was led here.

"We shouldn't encounter any scary ghosts. This place looks like a place where even ghosts don't want to live." Ian took out his wand and waved it gently.

then.

Countless gravels on the ground began to roll up and condensed into the shape of an off-road vehicle in front of him. The outline was gradually perfected into a real off-road vehicle.

"Wow~"

However, it collapsed suddenly when it was finally taking shape, and even the color that had begun to change faded rapidly. All the black sand fell back to the ground and returned to its original state.

"Because of the connection between the sand and the sand... I said this thing is interesting!" Ian was also caught off guard by his failed transfiguration.

But he also realized the reason why the Transfiguration failed. If his purse hadn't been full, Ian would have stuffed some more black gravel into it.

"Fortunately, I'm a hexagonal warrior and I know a little bit about everything." Ian was neither discouraged nor disappointed. After the transfiguration failed, he took out his magic cloak which was 99% complete.

"Whoo~"

Ian gently draped his cloak over his back and buttoned up the front of his cloak. The next moment, he rushed straight into the dark and gloomy sky like a rush out of dry land.

"Slow down! Slow down!"

"Fly lower! Fly forward!"

"Damn it! Didn't I ask you to fly horizontally with me? Do you know what it means to fly diagonally? I didn't teach you any flying scenes from a 50-cent special effects drama!"

"Fuck! Bah! Bah! I just scolded you and you threw yourself into the sand?"

……

I saw.

Ian's body was bouncing up and down in the air, swaying left and right, and was even stuck headfirst into the sand several times. It looked like he was flying around crookedly.

of course.

He did advance quite a distance, and was even slightly faster than some lagging flying brooms, but after all, it was just a magic cloak with a completion rate of only 99%.

"I shouldn't have thought of giving you independent thinking!"

The unfinished part is of course the training of the "Witch Intelligence". Ian regrets it very much now, but unfortunately there is no regret medicine to take. He can only try his best to coax the flying cloak which has no intelligence.

"Is this the magical version of calming the machine spirit?" After Ian was finally able to fly forward normally, he felt a sense of accomplishment again. The little wizard's emotions sometimes changed so quickly.

He looked down at the earth from the sky. The endless black was deep and gloomy. He flew for a long time but did not see any dead souls, plants or animals.

Not even a single ruin of a building was found, as if no dead soul had ever set foot in this area. It was extremely pristine, with no signs of being invaded by any other souls.

Well known.

When a ghost chooses a place to settle down, its cognition will change the place it chooses, and the desert where Ian is now has really not changed at all.

It's like it's always been like this.

It has been like this since the beginning of the world.

"It can't be that there is some ghost that likes this kind of monotonous living area... Even the God of Death is not that boring?" Ian wondered in his heart why he was led here.

It couldn't be that the god of death really lived here, and had discovered him as a stowaway? But even if that was the case, the god of death should have appeared to punish Ian long ago.

"The time on my illusion 'experience card' is passing normally, which is much longer than the time I could stay here before." Ian's clear inner feelings made him not worry too much.

only.

The changes that Mr. Morgan had said would occur when magic power reaches its limit, not long after they first met, seemed not to have happened to Ian.

"Could it be that Ms. Ravenclaw is correct on this point? She said that my magic power must break through the signs of human wizards before I can usher in some unknown change." Regarding some contradictory information from Witch Morgan and Ms. Ravenclaw, Ian could only judge based on his current feelings.

He had indeed reached the limit of human magic power, but even though he had already embarked on the road to becoming a legend and his magic power could continue to increase, he also knew that he had not yet broken through the bottleneck that imprisoned his magic power.

"So, Teacher Morgan doesn't know everything, doesn't understand everything... At least, she probably made a wrong judgment about what will happen after I reach the limit of my magic power?"

Ian wasn't sure about that either.

after all.

How could the place where he is now not also be considered a change?
I can't leave even if I want to.

All he could do was continue to fly aimlessly in the black desert. He could just think of it as training his flying skills with the cloak, at least it wasn't like he was just idling around.

"Secretly training for two and a half days, my handsome figure will surely shock the whole school."

Ian comforted himself in this way.

The wind and sand blew from time to time, rolling up waves of black dust, which swirled and intertwined in the air, forming a series of strange and illusory pictures in the air. It was pitch black, as if even the vision was bound by the darkness, making it difficult to see the distant scene while tempting the attention.

Every time the wind and sand blow, it is like an illusory picture looming. It is right in front of you, but it is as far away as the horizon. It will be buried and replaced by another gust of wind and sand.

The dead silence and oppressive environment seemed to silence even shouting. As he flew farther and farther, the things he saw became more and more homogeneous, and Ian finally felt a little tired.

"The need to use magic power to support your flight is definitely a temporary compromise. I can definitely find a backup hidden energy source so that you can fly automatically when my magic power is exhausted."

Ian was always serious and rigorous about inventions that could be used to escape. It had little to do with his hope of being able to achieve long-distance flight and the cloak's autonomous alertness in his sleep.

"It's so uncomfortable! The current 'Limited Time Experience Card for the Mysterious Land' is too powerful. If I don't do anything, I'm afraid I will stay in the Mysterious Land for a whole day and night!"

"Can't two ghosts pop out to chat with me? Even the freaks will do! I long for aliens! I long for monsters! At the very least, I'll reluctantly accept Fury..."

Ian rubbed his eyes with some aesthetic fatigue.

The wind and sand will not blind his eyes.

But the ever-changing scenes will.

Coupled with the black dust that was as ethereal as a veil in the wind and dust, Ian only felt a little depressed - well, it had little to do with the fact that it was now twelve o'clock in the morning in the human world and it was emo time.

"Hey! I don't understand! I don't understand why I was pulled into this area!"

Ian silently took out his wand again.

He felt that he still had to cast a few spells to speed up the consumption of the "Mysterious Fantasy Limited Time Experience Card". He really didn't want to stay in this desert any longer.

We have been flying for several hours.

The visible area is no different from "copy and paste". How should I put it? The more Ian flew in the black desert, the more he thought of a painful experience. He felt like he had traveled back to the "Fantasy", the only real shitty game in the history of games, which he had funded and crowdfunded.

There's nothing but desert.

Only the sand in the desert has changed its color.

"Call the gods to protect you!"

Ian weighed the pros and cons and decided that compared to practicing other magic, he still wanted to save his own Blurred Night. He might be able to use Ariana to notify Teacher Morgan, so that Teacher Morgan could cross over and pull him back to the area he was familiar with. Ms. Rowena Ravenclaw had done a similar operation before when she went to pick up her daughter.

Ian believes it.

His teacher Morgan must have the same ability.

just.

No one can tell whether Mr. Morgan is willing to take action.

"No one can figure out the mood of a legendary witch." As Ian cast the Patronus spell, countless silver threads began to emerge from the wand he raised. They drew elegant arcs in the night sky, as dazzling as stars, and were particularly conspicuous in this silent and depressing desert.

It seemed to dispel a lot of evil auras and also infected the deep red reflected by the blood moon. Perhaps it was the first time in many years that white light bloomed in this silent desert.

"what happened?"

As soon as Ian's magic started to work, he noticed something was wrong. He didn't sense the [Guardian Ring] that the Patronus Charm was supposed to be linked to.

It's not just that.

Even the magic nodes when the magic was working had changed slightly - different from many times before, Ian could clearly feel that the magic was connected to something unknown.

"It's the...hazy illusion under my feet." Ian was extremely shocked. After realizing that his magic was connected to the special gravity between the sand and gravel under his feet, he immediately gave up the idea of ​​trying to cancel the magic. He wanted to see what would happen in the end when this situation evolved.

Curiosity may kill the cat.

But it wouldn't necessarily kill the alert little wizard. Compared to taking a risk, Ian wanted to know if this was the reason why he was led here.

I saw.

As Ian's magic power continued to pour in.

Threads of silver magic power leaped out lightly from the tip of the staff and spread rapidly.

These silver magic threads intertwined and swirled in the air, like a skillful weaver girl operating in the dark, weaving out criss-crossing and interconnected line patterns in the darkness.

"I haven't guided them..." Ian realized that the silver light emitted by the Patronus Charm he had just cast seemed to be completing a task that had been preset in advance.

There is some kind of framework.

The silver glow was created with the help of the Patronus spell.

No.

Or rather, a reappearance!
"Wow~"

I saw that the metallic black sand on the ground began to become active at this time, and countless black sands seemed to be gushing up as if pulled by a mysterious force.

Like a swimming dragon.

It flowed like liquid, clinging to the lines outlined by the silver light of Ian's Patronus Charm, and the black color on its body was constantly changing under the shining of the silver light.

"My fucking Merlin's diaper..."

Even though he had prepared himself mentally, Ian was still shocked by the scene before him. His eyes widened like bells, filled with disbelief.

Not that he was making a fuss.

But he was very sure that anyone who came would have the same expression as him!
This is truly shocking!
The silver light of the Patronus spell and the black sand that could be seen everywhere on the ground actually outlined an incomparably magnificent scene in front of him in just a few dozen breaths!

"This is where?!"

A gradually complete city was reflected in Ian's eyes.

Yes, a city.

Sand flowing.

They were piled up along the lines of the city walls to form solid barriers, and spread out along the lines of the streets to form smooth roads. At the beginning, it seemed like a sand painting magnified countless times, but everything suddenly came to life after the color of the black sand and the silver light changed.

The spires of the houses seemed to reach into the clouds, the high walls of the castle looked majestic and solemn, and even the blood moon in the sky seemed to be covered by the misty black sand and turned into a scarlet sun in this scene.

"The power of time..."

Ian sensed a familiar smell.

He looked around.

You are already in a place that seems to be full of vitality.

As the city gradually took shape, the surrounding black desert seemed to be infected by this mysterious power and became less dead and desolate. Some subtle changes began to quietly occur in the desert, and some vegetation began to take root and sprout on the edge of the city, adding some vitality to the city.

of course.

Ian knew it well.

Whether it is the city that emerges around or the plants that grow, they are not real things, but echoes from the past.

The surface of the river is sparkling, and the surrounding streets are crowded with people and bustling with noise. Everything is a picture constructed by black sand and silver light.

It comes from the past.

It reflects the history of today's future.

"The land of death?"

Ian had experienced this kind of immersive feeling in Albus Dumbledore's memory, but it was a little different. He was obviously not reading the sealed memories at this time.

But some kind of power.

It opened up a corner of time for him.

With this.

This allowed him to have a glimpse of the past that happened who knows how many years ago. The vibrant city made Ian a little unsure whether this was the country that existed in the hazy fantasy.

“What a magical thing.”

Ian still didn't understand why the Patronus Charm would have such a reaction with the black desert in the misty fantasy. He just felt that such a scene might be quite important to him.

Look up.

The sky above was still extremely dark, but the blood moon had been replaced by a scarlet sun, which was unable to illuminate the pitch-black sky around it.

There were black holes all over the sky like scars, as if they were wounds torn by some food. The blood-red sun tried its best to illuminate everything.

however.

Even though it wasted its remaining energy without scruples, spreading its scorching sun to every corner of the earth, the haze and darkness in the sky were still not dispelled. This was like a last glimmer of hope in the end of the world, which could be seen from the terrified expressions of the people looking up at the sky on the streets.

The city is falling.

The scorching sun did not illuminate the sky, but it did bake the earth. The rivers were steaming with water vapor, taking away many lives.

The tall tower in the middle of the ancient city was emitting a blue light. That was the power of magic. Under its protection, the talents of the entire city were able to survive the terrible catastrophe.

however.

Just like the sun in the sky that seemed to be fighting for its life, the tower protecting the entire country could not hold on for long. Ian felt that the flow of time around him seemed to be speeding up.

“It’s fading.”

Ian could clearly see that the light emitted by the tower was fading and the fluctuations of magic were weakening, just like an old man approaching his last moments.

Many figures appeared on the tower, as if to give it a last breath of life. However, the blurry figures that appeared one after another could only make the tower rekindle a short-lived light.

"They are legendary wizards..."

Ian's eyes seemed to be meeting those unclear figures on the high tower. He could feel that within the bodies of these wizards, there was a power that was extremely familiar to him.

That was a power that he had not yet explored. It was a great power that could subvert and influence fate to a certain extent, but it still could not reverse the disaster brought about by the mysterious catastrophe.

The sun eventually went out.

Along with the towers that protected the entire country, and the legends who tried their best... they were fighting against something even more terrifying, countless meteorites falling from the sky with huge flames.

The wind howled.

Yellow sand is flying.

Mountains and rivers turned upside down.

Everything is burning.

Ian saw a meteorite passing through his body and hitting the ground under his feet. It was just an echo from the past and naturally could not hurt him at all.

only.

Those who experienced the same disaster at the same time were not as lucky as Ian. The earth collapsed, the world shook, and majestic buildings continued to collapse.

The volcano also began to wake up, and magma gushed out like an angry fire dragon, dyeing half the sky red and turning most of the ancient city into a flaming purgatory.

The catastrophe is devouring all living things and traces of civilization.

All Ian heard were countless cries for help, screams, and heart-wrenching cries. The blood and fire pushed the entire country into the abyss in the catastrophe.

"Save me! Save my mother!"

There was a girl with a little yellow dog crying beside Ian.

Mood ups and downs.

Ian subconsciously reached out to help, but his hand penetrated the already empty image, and he only grabbed a handful of black sand that returned to silence.

"Damn illusion! What the hell is going on!" Ian stared at the fine sand slipping from his fingertips, and the little girl in front of him who was engulfed by flames and could not change her fate.

For no reason, he felt a surge of anger in his heart.

He watched as flames and meteorites engulfed the country that had lost the sun, and he watched as heavy rains and floods washed away all traces of the country's existence after the disaster.

The waves were fierce and surging, they came and went, leaving behind only the desolate and broken land. The once bustling and prosperous land has now turned into a desert. No one survived, nothing remains - an entire country fell from the human world into the abyss of never to be seen again in the catastrophe.

Ian could see it.

Because he is following the city's perspective at this time.

It kept falling, and the whole country fell into the world of the dead. It was as if it was punished from the mortal world by some indescribable force and sent to this dark and desperate place.

A country and its people fell into hell. The wind was the only sound here. It whistled and roared, sweeping up the black sand and blocking all hope.

The commotion was huge.

It has a sad and desperate meaning.

There were still people wailing, children crying, men and women screaming, their voices were so loud and noisy that Ian couldn't help but cover his ears feeling uncomfortable.

"Could I have seen some forbidden history that I shouldn't have seen..." Ian saw the little girl with the little yellow dog again, but she, like this ancient city, had become a part of the world of the dead.

Some people knew what happened, while others were still confused. In short, their noise and the fall of the entire country seemed to disturb a sleeping existence in this area.

The blood moon appeared silently, like a watching eye. It looked a little drowsy and sleepy, as if it had been awakened for the first time in countless years.

"Jiejiejiejie~"

suddenly.

Just when Ian felt it clearly for some reason, an extremely abrupt and cutting sound suddenly rang out, and a black figure appeared from a crack in the air.

"Nimma! You scared me!"

Ian grabbed the uninvited Black Phoenix, pinched the Black Phoenix's neck and lifted his companion up. Finally, the creepy and shrill cry stopped abruptly.

"You can actually cross the boundary between life and death at will. This is indeed in line with the ability of a real phoenix." Ian stuffed the Black Phoenix directly into his robe.

Just as he was about to continue observing the echoes of the past around him, perhaps influenced by the appearance of the Black Phoenix, everything began to gradually dim.

The city, the dilapidated streets, the shouting people, the poor little girl and her little yellow dog, everything was frozen in an instant, and then began to disappear like a mirage after the breeze blew past.

Just like a fragile dream, the edges of the city began to blur first, and the originally horrific scenes on the streets disappeared in an instant, and everything returned to the black sand that constituted them.

The lines drawn by Ian's Patronus spell also disintegrated and turned into tiny dots of light, which were slowly blown away into the distance in the wind and dust like the black sand.

It's as if it had never appeared.

Everything falls silent.

However, Ian, who was trying hard to close and hold down his robe, not wanting the Black Phoenix to show its head and scream again, was somewhat surprised to find that a broken tower appeared not far away after the black sand dissipated.

"How strange! It wasn't there before." Ian could vaguely make out the outline of the tower, as if it was the shelter tower that appeared in the illusory echo before.

Many legends have climbed up there, probably to prolong the time of the catastrophe. In Ian's opinion, such a building must be the culmination of alchemical creations. After all, it can temporarily resist catastrophes and natural disasters that are beyond human control. Ian has never heard of it in the Hogwarts library.

Just as Ian was hesitating whether to go over and take a look, weighing whether it was just another echo of the past.

"Jiejiejiejie~"

The Black Phoenix was unable to get out from the place where Ian was covering, but it still found a loophole, and went straight down Ian's robe to Ian's feet and quickly crawled out.

This guy is very fast.

By the time Ian reacted, the Black Phoenix had already flapped its wings and flew away - it flew towards the mysterious tower, and Ian could only control the flying cloak to catch up.

“It’s something that actually appeared out of nowhere!”

Ian quickly arrived in front of the tower. He looked at the slightly dilapidated building in front of him with some surprise. He was also quite puzzled by this thing that was beyond his cognition.

Was it always here, but I just couldn't see it, or was it the echo from the past, some trace left behind for some reason?
The black sand and the mottled light and shadow under the blood moon shroud everything here in a halo of semi-light and semi-darkness. The dilapidated tower is full of pits and holes as if it had been corroded by sulfuric acid.

The windows of the tower have been shattered, leaving only empty window frames, staring at the barren land. The cracks all over the tower look like dried blood vessels.

That is the trace of time.

Even in this hazy fantasy, it seems there is no escape.

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that this tower and the country it is in were forcibly exiled to the world of the dead? Ian could only guess, and the knowledge in his mind was obviously not enough.

"What's in here? What makes you so excited?" Ian saw his Black Phoenix standing at the top of the tower, as if waiting for him to follow in its footsteps.

"Jiejiejiejie~"

The Black Phoenix let out another creepy cry, and then crawled in through the broken window - Ian couldn't get in because the window was too small.

Maybe if he was five or six years younger he could still squeeze in a little.

"I'm not a bird. I should go in through the main gate." After trying without success, Ian landed in front of the tower in dissatisfaction.

The gate of the tower had long disappeared, so one could just walk in. Ian walked forward along the broken stone slabs, and the first thing that caught his eye was a huge clock.

It looks relatively intact.

But all the pointers that should be there are gone.

"This thing is an alchemical creation..." Ian's sharp eyes clearly found something wrong with the huge clock. There were many inscriptions on it that looked broken. They were obviously made by human wizards, and they were significantly different from the legendary inscriptions and death inscriptions that Ian had seen.

However, these inscriptions also did not belong to the category of runes, but a kind of ancient magic runes that Ian did not understand. He thought that perhaps Mr. Morgan or Nick Flamel could see some clues.

"My knowledge is still too shallow, I need to work harder." Ian believes in the good qualities of a good scavenger, that a thief never leaves empty-handed. No, it should be said that.

He simply took out a series of tools for committing the crime, and took down a huge clock that was much taller than him from the wall and put it into his purse.

All of a sudden.

Ian felt that the purse had become heavier - the physical objects stored in the Traceless Stretching Spell could not reduce the weight, and some magic that could change the weight of the objects needed to be superimposed on it.

Rao is so.

It can only reduce the weight of some items, but it is impossible to completely ignore the weight of the items. At least Ian's current magical attainments are not enough to make a "space bag" of that level.

Of course, it was already amazing that Ian could do what he did now. After all, not everyone had the ability to carry half of Hogwarts with them. "I just don't know if I can get out of the Twilight Zone." Ian was a little worried about the harvest this time. After all, he had done similar experiments before and wanted to get something out of the Twilight Zone.

Apart from the pieces of the dress given by Teacher Morgan, he had only taken out the stones that existed in the hazy fantasy world. He could not take out anything like flowers and plants.

Teacher Morgan's golden dinner plate, Pandro's sword, and Ariana's straw hat can all be taken but not taken out. Ian still hasn't figured out the specific rules.

"This Big Ben originally came from the human world, so I don't think it should have any ownership in some mysterious fantasy world, right?" Ian looked around as if he wanted to pry something open.

If his purse had not had a limit on its opening, he would even want to take out some black sand and put the entire tower in it. The previous echoes of the past had already fully demonstrated the extraordinary nature of this tower.

"A real wizard should live in a wizard tower, which is more impressive, instead of an ordinary villa or castle." Ian admitted that he was now in a state of getting bored with the old and loving the new because he had found a new love.

He continued to search through the hall inside the tower, but it seemed that except for Big Ben, which he had already collected, everything else had decayed over time.

There was a huge stone table in the center of the hall, with some ancient scrolls and broken utensils scattered on the table. Ian just touched these things with his fingertips, and they turned into ashes like powder. When they floated in the air, they even made people feel choking.

"Bah, bah, bah~"

Ian felt his face covered with dust.

"Jiejiejiejie~"

Just as he began to use magic to summon clean water to wash his face, the strange cry of the Black Phoenix sounded again above his head. It showed its head at the top of the tower and called for its master.

"If there is no treasure! I will kick your butt hard with my shoes!" Ian gave up the things on the stone table and wanted to fly up directly with his magic cloak.

however.

"Not moving?"

"Stand up for me."

Ian found that his magic cloak seemed to have lost its effect - he was a little confused, and quickly tried another magic, which was very successful. This was obviously not a magic-forbidden area.

"Only other alchemical creations are prohibited?"

Ian took out a [Bone Crusher and Ash Box] and placed it in front of the stone table. The next moment, the [Bone Crusher and Ash Box] started to work, stretched out its legs, opened its mouth, and began to gnaw at the stone table frantically.

It is obvious that the use of alchemical items is not prohibited in this tower. In fact, Ian's wallet can prove this. Taking out the [Bone Crushing and Ash Raising Box] is just for additional proof.

"The only thing is that take-off is prohibited... Maybe this place is an important place and needs some solemn respect?" Ian looked at the various complicated runes engraved on the tower and made reasonable guesses.

His legs did not rest, but instead moved towards the stairs, climbing up the winding stairs, getting closer to the top floor where the Black Phoenix was.

en route.

The mural on the wall next to the stairs also attracted Ian's attention.

There were exquisite murals hanging on the walls, depicting the prosperity of a city in the past. The pictures were already mottled and the colors had faded, but careful inspection still allowed Ian to make a surprising discovery.

"The Wild Swans..."

"Cat deer..."

"Shapeshifter..."

"Hiss! I knew there must be mermaids in the world!"

……

Even though it was in ruins, one could still see that creatures that Ian had never seen in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" appeared one after another on the incomparably exquisite murals of the past.

Each mural seemed to be a microcosm of an ancient story, quietly telling the glory and fantasy of the past. Even Ian, who couldn't read the words on it, could understand what they wanted to express. They were still flowing... Perhaps it was because the tower had not completely collapsed and there was still some magical power left.

Ian saw a group of elves dancing around a huge ancient tree. They had pointed ears, slender bodies, and were wearing shimmering costumes with smiles of happiness and joy on their faces.

On a mural depicting dwarves.

The dwarves were busy digging for treasure, and around them were piles of glittering gems and gold coins, obviously the results of their hard work.

There is also an elegant unicorn standing in a field of blooming flowers, its horn is as white as jade, shining with soft light, as if it can heal all the pain in the world.

Fairies, wearing light gauze skirts, dance gracefully in the clouds, while mermaids sit on the rocks, expressing their desire and pursuit for love with their beautiful and moving songs.

Many magical animals that may have become extinct are shown in the murals, and Ian saw something unusual in the mural about dragons.

Each dragon described here has a unique form and power. They soar in the sky or hover on the seabed, showing endless majesty and mysterious power.

"It's the ancient dragon that I have signed a contract with!" Ian stared at the murals depicting dragons, and he realized that the tower might have been even older than Morgan's time.

to be frank.

This is not the most surprising discovery.

If Ian had not clearly seen the era in which this tower existed and the role it played, he would definitely have suspected that these murals might just be the imagination of the ancients.

After all, in addition to the magical creatures whose existence cannot be confirmed today, Ian also discovered some scenes in the murals near the top floor that really shattered his three views and cognition.

"A brave and resourceful little tailor defeated a powerful giant through his wisdom. What a familiar story."

"Oh my god! A beautiful and kind princess, persecuted by her evil stepmother, finally found happiness with the help of seven dwarfs and the prince... Isn't this Snow White!"

"The brave and innocent girl showed her cleverness and wit after encountering the wolf. She is definitely Little Red Riding Hood!"

"And this...a girl who was abused by her stepmother and sisters, but found happiness through courage, kindness, and magic. If she's not Cinderella, I'll throw my phoenix into the pot right then and there!"

……

Looking at the mural in front of me.

Ian just felt like he was watching fairy tales instead of reading about history that had happened. This feeling of astonishment and fantasy is really hard to describe in words.

Even though he already knew that many of the things that looked like stories might actually be history that had happened in the wizarding world, these murals still had a huge impact on Ian.

Isn't this explaining it.

Have those fairy tale countries ever really existed?

"If all of this really happened...hiss, it would be a historical earthquake."

Ian pressed his hands tightly against the mural. Although he failed to inject magic power, he could still feel some residual breath.

"The oldest magic."

Ian realized that the existence of these murals was obviously not to tell stories about the past to future generations, but that they contained one of the oldest magic in human history.

It is similar to the magic that Harry Potter's mother used to protect him.

"It's hope..."

Ian had a rough understanding of one aspect of how the tower operated.

It is unknown what terrible catastrophe this country was fighting against, but it is obvious that the power of love and hope was an important part of the means used to fight against that catastrophe.

These stories engraved on the tower are the carriers of that ancient magic. Unfortunately, this kind of power used by Lily Evans to defeat Voldemort is not invincible.

At least in the last moments of this kingdom that has fallen into the netherworld, love and hope have not been able to create miracles. I don't know if it is related to the collapse of the faith and hearts of the people in the kingdom.

"No matter what, even with so much hope and love, we still can't resist the disaster... It's terrifying when you think about it." Ian recalled the falling sun and the fallen city.

It only takes one look at that grand and tragic scene to remain fresh in your memory for the rest of your life. He speculated that the cause of the catastrophe might be related to the illusory gods.

Just like there are more than just humans on Earth in the vast universe, since the god of death has been confirmed to be a real individual, it is natural and reasonable that there are other gods.

Maybe we can ask Mr. Morgan, after all, he saw my sister on the mural.

"The God of Death destroying the world? Or some other god that I don't understand?" Ian continued to walk upwards. The contents of the murals were all different. He also saw some different wizards in the murals.

These wizards wear black robes or long cloaks and carry magic wands or magic books.

They are often associated with elements such as darkness, thunder, and storm, symbolizing their brilliant and powerful magical powers.

Perhaps the figures of these wizards have also appeared in various fairy tales, but on the murals today, Ian can only see the glowing light on their bodies, proving that they have all become legends.

"If the characters in fairy tales have existed in the human world, then would they also be present in this fantasy world?" Ian slowly walked to the top floor with mixed feelings of curiosity.

It's dark here.

The red moonlight outside couldn't shine in at all.

"Lumos!"

Ian raised his wand and chanted a spell, and a ball of white light was frozen in mid-air, like a small sun, illuminating everything in the room on the top floor of the tower.

"Philosopher's Stone!!"

Ian saw his Black Phoenix resting on a stone slab. Before he had the time to ask what the Black Phoenix had brought him here for, his eyes were attracted by a pile of gems inlaid on the stone slab.

Dozens of glittering magic stones lay quietly on it. These magic stones were of different sizes and shapes, but without exception, they had the same properties as the magic stones Ian knew.

It can turn any metal into pure gold and create an elixir of life that makes those who drink it immortal. Only Nicolas Flamel has created this thing in this century.

"What a pity, the magic power is gone." Ian rushed forward and picked the magic stone off the stone slab, but his luck was not so good after all.

Although all the Philosopher's Stones still had their luster, their condition was only slightly better than the one absorbed by Voldemort. The magic power contained in them had almost been completely consumed.

Many people actually don’t know.

The Philosopher's Stone can indeed make people immortal, but its magic power is not eternal. The specific amount of magic power contained in it is related to the alchemist's skills and the refining process.

"It should be the magic power that maintained the previous operation of the tower, and then it was all sucked away." Ian sighed heavily, feeling a little disappointed for having been happy in vain.

"People can't be too greedy."

He comforted himself in this way.

"Jiejiejiejie~"

The Black Phoenix seemed to be responding, and then flapped its wings and flew towards the depths of the top of the tower. Ian followed it and saw a high platform appear in front of him.

It seemed to have grown naturally from an ancient stone wall, like a pair of giant hands holding a box. In the box, which had been opened by the Black Phoenix's mouth, lay an emerald green seed.

"What the hell is this?"

Ian moved closer and looked at it carefully. It looked ordinary, but in this dim and mysterious environment, it exuded a vitality that was extremely vibrant.

It seems to contain some extraordinary power.

The black box containing the seed was also engraved with many runes, which were quite similar to the runes seen on the walls of the tower before, except that these runes still seemed to have magical power and were flashing slightly.

"It must be a good thing."

Ian picked up the seed carefully, feeling the warmth and life force coming from its surface. Although it was just a small seed at the moment, Ian had a strong premonition in his heart that as long as it was given the right soil, sunlight and water, it would surely bloom with amazing brilliance.

"Kakakaka~"

Just when Ian was wondering if he could use this seed to grow a world tree, his act of taking the seed seemed to have triggered a mechanism in the tower.

"Taking one is taking! Taking all is also taking!"

Seeing the ground shaking and a dull sound coming out, Ian grabbed the small box that contained the seeds without saying a word and tried to run towards the window.

He had already taken out his wand, intending to see if he could blast the window bigger, but before he reached the window, the movement in the tower suddenly stopped.

"Jiejiejiejie~"

The Black Phoenix, still standing there, cried as if mocking Ian's cowardice.

"Once I learn how to Apparate, I will definitely be braver than you." Ian turned back unconvinced and wanted to refute, but found that the platform holding the seed box had disappeared without a trace.

Instead, there was a long passage... Blue candles lit up on the walls of the passage. After hesitating for a moment, Ian walked in with his wand raised.

Keep going.

The room grew darker.

Fortunately, Ian's lighting spell can always provide vision.

After walking for several minutes, Ian finally reached the end of the passage. It was a room that looked like a bedroom, with all kinds of luxurious decorations.

In the center of the room stood a huge four-poster bed, the bedposts carved with intricate vine patterns and wrapped with golden silk threads, and the top was inlaid with dazzling gems, sparkling with an alluring luster.

The walls of the room are also covered with exquisite tapestries. The edges of the tapestries are outlined with gold thread, which complements the golden decorations in the room and reveals endless luxury and nobility.

"The King's chamber?"

Ian touched them lightly and found that these things were also rotten. He couldn't help but feel a little regretful in his heart. His eyes were finally attracted by the place where the Black Phoenix stayed.

It was a king's throne.

A huge crystal chandelier hangs above the throne, each piece of crystal has been carefully carved, and the throne is made of pure gold and inlaid with countless gems and pearls.

"These things are meaningless. They will break at the slightest touch and are not worth anything at all. If you really like treasure hunting, let's go to the human world someday. I'll take you to find dragons, divide gold, and determine the mountains!" Ian walked forward and kicked the throne lightly. Sure enough, this seemingly luxurious thing immediately began to rot.

In the blink of an eye.

It became dust all over the ground.

but.

The things behind it were also presented in front of Ian - it was a hidden dark room. In the empty room, there was only a black robe hanging in the corner.

There were countless shackles and chains interspersed throughout the black robe.

"An imprisoned slave girl?"

Ian went into the secret room out of curiosity, and just as he was about to grab the white skeleton exposed outside the black robe, suddenly, the black robe that had been there for who knows how many years moved.

"There's no wind here..."

Ian was slightly stunned.

Before he could continue to reach out.

next moment.

Under the black robe that seemed no different from the dead things around it, the skeleton's body began to tremble slightly. Just as Ian was startled and stepped back several steps, he took out his wand and the potion of equality for all.

The man in drooping black robe slowly raised his head.

Inside the pitch-black hood.

A white skull looked at Ian - its bones were as white as jade, not pale and fragile as usual. Instead, they had a strange translucent texture, as if they had survived the baptism of time and death but remained the same, without a trace of decay.

The aura of the entire skeleton was like a pool of stagnant water, but it could roll up a huge wave at any time! Ian had never felt such clear majesty from any wizard.

"The dead? The remnants of the old times?"

Ian was a little unsure of the properties of this skeleton. The other dead people he had encountered in the hazy fantasy were basically souls with the bodies and appearance of living people.

This kind of state, where the whole person looked like they had crawled out of a cemetery, was something he had never heard of in his hazy fantasy. It might be related to the fact that the country where the isolated tower was located had all fallen into it.

"Can you communicate?"

Ian's eyes were fixed on the black-robed skeleton. The mysterious and strange bones made him feel uneasy, and he felt a little nervous for no reason.

of course.

He was more concerned about whether these bones could be used as medicine, which overwhelmed the nervousness and anxiety that rose in his heart. Ian swallowed his saliva at the black-robed skeleton.

"Did anyone lose this skeleton? If no one claims it, I'll take it away!" Ian asked knowingly and shouted a few words in a fake manner towards the empty space around him.

"Jiejiejiejie~"

The Black Phoenix started to laugh at his attempt to cover up his mistake again.

"Whoo~"

Just at this time.

The skeleton's eye sockets were originally empty and dark, but now it seemed as if flames were ignited in the eye sockets, and red soul fire lit up. He first looked at Ian.

In an instant.

Ian only felt a little dazed, as if the other person's gaze carried some extremely heavy power, so that his breathing became a little faster.

Fortunately, the black-robed skeleton didn't keep staring at Ian.

"Jiejiejiejie~"

The strange cry of the Black Phoenix attracted the attention of the black-robed skeleton.

It turned its extremely stiff head and stared at Ian's Black Phoenix. Its body movements, which suddenly became somewhat hurried and cautious, were extremely obvious.

"Jie?"

The Black Phoenix tilted its neck in confusion.

Ian actually found himself feeling the emotions of the black-robed skeleton.

From the initial anxiety to gradual calming.

"It has no soul...it's just an empty shell."

A hoarse voice came out again from the skeleton's throat, which had no vocal cords at all. It seemed to relax a little and adjusted its sitting position.

Perhaps it was due to the state of vigilance just now.

There were red lines spreading out from its eyes.

Dense red lines began to light up on the body of the black-robed skeleton. These lines were as hot as burning flames and as vivid as flowing blood.

The surface of the bones was covered with a thin layer, as if it was condensed from magical energy. This layer of film flashed a strange and dangerous light against the backdrop of the red lines.

Ian could feel the power that made his heart palpitate hidden in it.

but.

It's not that dangerous.

Because this kind of power is too weak to be felt. It seems that it may be extinguished at any time, and there is no possibility of erupting.

Honestly, the fact that this skeleton can still move and communicate is a miracle. The feeling of exhaustion is too obvious on this skeleton.

"He's actually alive! No! He's pretending to be dead!" Ian's voice sounded a little disappointed, but he still remained alert and asked in a slightly curious tone.

after all.

No one knew if the skeleton's exhaustion was a disguise. The young wizard silently took out a few more bottles of [Magic Suppression Potion], wondering if it would be useful to the ancients.

"I won't die..."

The black-robed skeleton supported itself and stood up, its voice carrying an ancient and mysterious rhythm. It stood there quietly, like an ancient and mysterious sculpture.

The black robe tightly wrapped around its frame. Although the cloth was already tattered, one could still vaguely see its former magnificence and solemnity. The robe was also engraved with many patterns that Ian could not understand.

"Are you one of the legends who once protected that city?" The little wizard saw the lines on the black-robed skeleton, and saw them spread across every bone in the black-robed skeleton's body.

to be frank.

It was very similar to the legendary rune that had lit up on his body before, except that the patterns that lit up on the black robe skeleton's bones were more complex, connecting together and occupying almost every area of ​​​​the bones.

Those red lines looked like burning flames or flowing blood. They meandered and coiled on the bones of the skull, forming a complex and exquisite pattern.

These patterns not only give the skeleton an awe-inspiring sense of power, but also make it look more vivid and real, as if it could release destructive power at any time.

Ian felt that this strange red looked familiar - in the previous echo of the past composed of black sand, the sun hanging in the dark sky seemed to be this color.

"Can't remember..."

As the skeleton opened its fleshless mouth, its jaws moved in an uncanny way, emitting a low, raspy sound.

"So what do you remember?"

Ian swallowed and continued to ask.

"Can't remember."

The skeleton repeated his previous response and raised his finger to point at his empty head, as if telling Ian that he had lost the brain that stored memories.

"..."

Ian was speechless for a while.

He felt like something was wrong, a feeling he couldn't put his finger on.

"You can speak without vocal cords, so why do you care whether you have a brain to recall the past?" After holding it in for a long time, the little wizard finally couldn't hold back the weird feeling in his heart.

"Needs...brains."

The black-robed skeleton spoke again in a hoarse voice.

"Where can I find brains for you? How about a cow's brain? Just use it." Ian took out the brains he had prepared for the hotpot at the Room of Requirement from his wallet.

"I have a pig brain too. I feel a pig brain will definitely make you smarter." Ian signaled with his eyes that the Black Phoenix should take the two brains in his hand and let the Black Robe Skeleton choose.

Phoenix, who was in tune with him, naturally did as he was told.

"..."

This action made the black-robed skeleton silent for a long time.

It is clear.

After it was revived, it was absolutely speechless by Ian.

"People who are loved will grow flesh and blood." The black-robed skeleton did not raise his hand to pick the brains contributed by Ian, but continued to whisper to Ian in a hoarse voice.

"Tsk tsk, who gave you these chicken soups?" Ian originally thought that the black-robed skeleton was joking, but he never expected that the black-robed skeleton was staring at him with eyes burning with deep red soul fire.

Still silent.

But he seemed extremely serious.

"You don't want me to kiss you, do you?" The little wizard's eyes widened immediately. He thought of scenes that seemed to have appeared in many fairy tales.

He had just read the stories about the prince smelling the princess and the princess kissing the frog on the murals in the tower, and now they all came flooding into his mind.

“People who are loved will grow flesh and blood.”

The black-robed skeleton is like a ruthless repeater.

"?????"

Ian's expression kept changing very obviously. Amidst the strange laughter of the Black Phoenix, he swallowed and looked at the other party, who was about 1.8 meters tall even though he was just a skeleton.

“People who are loved will grow flesh and blood.”

The black-robed skeleton repeated it again and even raised his hand to Ian.

"Okay, okay! The copper-refining male corpse!"

Ian said nothing.

He immediately turned around and ran.

What a joke!
Let him kiss this ghost thing in front of him?

This was his first real kiss!
Not to mention handing it over to a pretty girl, even if it was something like a bronze eagle head, Ian would not want to have a bone-kissing fight with a guy who looked like a male skeleton!
"England's tradition started too early!" Ian ran out of the dark room quickly. He suspected that the fallen country before was also developed on the cursed land of England.

This is not.

This weird thing that had been sleeping for who knows how many years actually wanted to be loved the first moment it woke up. Ian didn't believe that flesh and blood would grow on the other person if he kissed him!
"Magic also has to follow principles!"

Ian didn't have any abnormal sexual fetishes, so it was impossible for him to fall in love with a male skeleton. He certainly couldn't use the power of love. He knew that he would only lose his first kiss to the evil skeleton.

"I shouldn't have been curious in the first place. If I wasn't curious, I wouldn't have entered this bedroom. If I hadn't entered this bedroom, my ears wouldn't have been polluted!"

Ian ran straight out of the tower and sprinted down the stairs, looking back from time to time. Fortunately, his Black Phoenix followed him out.

The figure of the black-robed skeleton did not appear... Thinking of the shackles and chains on the skeleton, Ian felt a lot more at ease and slowed down his pace as if he was running for his life.

"I don't think that guy can get out of that room." Ian raised his hand to catch the Black Phoenix flying towards him, touched the Black Phoenix's head and whispered.

"Jiejiejiejie~"

No one could probably understand what the Black Phoenix's cry meant. Ian could only judge from the emotion in the Black Phoenix's voice that the Black Phoenix did not seem to agree with what he said.

"If it could get out, why would it be tied up there for so long?" Ian ran out of the tower and looked back, only to find that the tower was beginning to slowly disappear like those old echoes before.

A breeze blew by.

There is nothing left.

Only the constantly dissipating black sand seemed to indicate that it had once appeared.

"It only took a short while to get into that tower, but it actually accelerated and consumed a lot of my limited-time experience time?" Only then did Ian notice something strange.

According to Ms. Ravenclaw, the deeper he went into the end of the misty illusion, the shorter the time he could stay there would be, but the consumption was not obvious when he was in this desert.

How come after entering that tower, a day and a night had passed without my noticing? This speed was much faster than at the Doomsday Volcano.

"Could it be that this tower is located farther away than Mount Doom, and for some reason it only briefly appeared in front of me?"

Ian was filled with confusion as his figure gradually faded in the misty illusion. He returned to the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts with a clear mind.

Normal moonlight shines through the dense treetops, illuminating the ground in patches, forming silver spots that sway with the gentle night breeze and swaying leaves.

Quiet.

Peaceful.

The breeze that usually felt a bit eerie now seemed quite refreshing to Ian, and the occasional noises made by those magical animals felt more intimate than ever before.

"I've been in that desert for too long. I'm almost suffocating." Ian grabbed a Bowtruckle who heard the noise and came out to be on guard.

He was playing with this cute little thing.

however.

The tree-guarding hunchback had a look of horror on his face.

"I thought we were already close friends!"

Ian originally wanted to give this Bowtruckle a good beating, but he saw a figure in the Bowtruckle's small pupils that made his whole body go cold and his scalp tingle.

“People who are loved will grow flesh and blood.”

Husky voice.

It sounded behind the little wizard.

[ps: No, it goes beyond the fantasy worldview that combines Harry Potter, fairy tales, and the legend of Merlin.]

(End of this chapter)