The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 411 Strange City

Outside the Valley Tavern.

Ino has made as many preparations as possible for the story he is about to enter.

Not only did she dress neatly in the clothes of the Dream God, but she also retrieved the magic stone from the well and made it into a ring to wear on her hand.

When people think of the Philosopher's Stone, their first thought might be immortality, but it also has another very powerful function.

Midas touch.

Although it's called "Turning Stones into Gold," it doesn't mean that the magic stone's effects are limited to gold; it's just that gold is the most stable and the most difficult to produce.

The magic stone, on the other hand, is more like a permanent replacement or permanent transformation, allowing the owner to easily obtain what they want.

Perhaps the magic stone is the best match for the Dream God Umbrella.

Distort reality, and your wishes will come true.

……

Outside the tavern, Ino glanced down at the ring on her hand.

The reason for making such thorough preparations is ultimately because this is the first time I've freely entered the story.

Thinking of this, Ino chuckled self-deprecatingly. It was clearly a miracle that belonged to her, yet she had never truly been in control of herself.

From the moment I entered this world, my first experience in the story was influenced by Hans. It was precisely because of this initial shift in perspective that I had a series of subsequent experiences.

Now, it's rare to be back to square one.

After adjusting her mindset slightly, Ino slowly pushed open the two beechwood doors of the tavern.

……

The city-state finally ended its day's hustle and bustle in the dead of night, and everything fell into a peaceful slumber under the cool glow of the moon.

Looking at the town before him, which resembled an 18th-century place, Ino fell into deep thought.

This place gave him a very strange feeling.

Chaos, malice, and distortion, but also mixed with kindness and innocence.

If the previous stories were all pre-set by the storyteller, then what we see now is more like a real world.

At night, rows of lampposts, each over ten feet tall, line both sides of the main street.

The bright light illuminated the entire street as if it were daytime.

But upon closer inspection, Ino noticed the difference. Although each street lamp shone brightly, it wasn't the electric lighting one would expect; instead, it used a more ancient method—carbide lamps.

The carbide lamp is a convenient and reliable form of lighting. By adding water to calcium carbide, a bright flame can be produced, with a brightness comparable to the earliest electric lights.

From these small details, we can see that the prosperity of this story was not low.

But the only thing that intrigued him was how unusually quiet the nights were.

Logically, in a city-state after the invention of streetlights, the residents' nightlife should not be as it is now.

But as far as the eye could see, the entire street was deathly silent.

……

As Ino pondered this, the atmosphere inside the towering clock tower at the very center of the city was equally somber.

At the very top of the clock tower, a burly figure clad in armor stands by the window, overlooking the entire city.

The smooth, mirror-like armor reflected the unique luster of metal under the light of the carbide lamp, making the person appear to be glowing from behind.

Behind it are huge gears that run smoothly under steam power.

The complex and precise gears and levers run through the top floor of the clock tower, and the steel pipes look like arteries, which appear somewhat absurd and strange.

"The clock is working normally, everything is fine." A clear, cold voice rang out from the top of the clock tower.

From behind a giant gear emerged a young woman dressed in a gray robe, carrying a carbide lamp that was brighter than a street lamp.

at the same time.

As the cold voice rang out, the figure in armor turned around; it was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man.

With thick black hair, sharp eyes, and a short, imposing beard, he seemed to possess an innate air of authority.

"But I always feel like I'm being invaded," the middle-aged man said calmly.

As the city's guardian, Nord felt a sense of unease. His spiritual intuition told him that something was amiss tonight, but the clock behind him was running normally.

"The mechanical core won't malfunction unless the intruder exceeds its detection limits..."

The young woman described the worst possible outcome.

Unlike the local guardians before her, she was a mechanic assigned to this subordinate city by the temple, and she had some understanding of many anomalies.

"Beyond detection?" Nord's voice trembled slightly.

Although I have not witnessed it firsthand, the records and traditions in books state that every instance of an invasion beyond detection was an unprecedented disaster, one that was beyond human control.

"This is just the worst-case scenario; it's also possible that the other party was just passing by."

Even when faced with the possibility of disaster, the young woman still analyzed the situation rationally.

But there was always a hint of resentment on her beautiful face.

As the youngest mechanic in the Mechanical Hall, Celia was once proud of her talent, but now she has some regrets.

If she could, she would rather allocate her talent to Luck, so that she wouldn't encounter the rare anomaly invasion.

Similarly, she also regretted entering the Hall of Mechanics.

If one had ever entered the Scarlet Rose, even with the risk of decay, it would have been better than sitting idly by and waiting to die like this.

Unlike other churches, the early mechanics truly had no ability to protect themselves from unusual events.

To put it nicely, he's a mechanic; to put it bluntly, he's a senior repairman.

……

The night was dark and deathly silent.

Even the shadows seemed to have quietly disappeared.

In the absolute silence, even the faintest sound can be clearly heard.

Ino, carrying his suitcase, looked around curiously. The architectural style and other furnishings surprised him.

Based on initial assessments, this is roughly a city of machinery and steam, and although there are some other elements, it looks fairly normal overall.

Of course, besides this eerie silence.

I walked through several streets, the streets were as brightly lit as ever, but there wasn't a single hotel open.

……

But what Ino didn't know was that his seemingly casual stroll was causing anxiety among the people living in the surrounding houses.

Because this is different from the footsteps of the night patrol.

Although this area is within the city limits and has ample carbide lamp lighting, the nights are still fraught with danger.

Anyone who chooses to go shopping at night doesn't seem like a normal person.

Fortunately, the footsteps didn't linger for long, which made many people around breathe a sigh of relief.

……

Eating outdoors and sleeping in the open seems to be an essential skill for every traveler.

On the street, inside a recessed wall, Ino slowly opened her eyes.

The eastern horizon, which was originally dark, suddenly underwent a dramatic change, as if it had been violently torn apart by an invisible giant hand, peeled away piece by piece, layer by layer, until it completely disappeared under the boundless blue sky.

A vast power slowly rose from the horizon.

Grand and magnificent.

It was only the first light of dawn, yet the light was slightly blinding to Ino.

As he felt the glare, he instinctively wanted to open his umbrella, but the moment he picked it up, the sunlight suddenly softened.

He was somewhat surprised, but he didn't care about that now.

As dawn broke, the entire city seemed to awaken, as evidenced by the roaring machinery and the increasing number of people on the streets.

Across the street, as a building that clearly resembled a hotel opened its door, Ino slowly stood up.

The most urgent task is to find out what's going on here.

He was very interested in the current steam civilization. After all, it was known that magic and electricity clashed. If a different civilization system were used, the magical world in the future would probably be very interesting.

Sorry everyone, there's only one chapter today.

Because of some delays, Xiaodi didn't get home until almost six o'clock.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

(End of this chapter)