The Daily Life of a Hogwarts Terrorist

There are also terms like "Water City" and "Goliath," which clearly indicate locations. I may have heard of them before, but I'm sure I've never seen them in this plane before.

In the past twenty years of his life in Gruberu, he has traveled all over this place. In this small plane of 30,000 square kilometers, there is nothing but Tristine, the only country.

【etc!】

Gruber suddenly realized that the second-year students, Chuluk and Tabasha, weren't from their own country; they were from Goliath and Falang, respectively. Why hadn't he noticed this before? Why hadn't anyone else noticed this, not just him?

“In a small dimension occupied by a single country, there are rumors about other countries that no one has ever seen before, and there are students from other countries studying abroad, yet no one has ever questioned this. Isn’t that strange?” Gruberu told Verne about his discovery and doubts.

However, Verne did not answer, but just looked at Gruber with a strange expression, which confused Gruber and even made him feel uneasy. He had a very bad feeling.

Finally, amidst Gruber's trepidation, Verne spoke: "Quirry, do you remember how many times you've reincarnated?"

[Reincarnation!]

Gruber was shocked. To his disbelief, Verne raised his wand at Gruber.

Avada Kedavra!

The pale green magic shot out, and before Gruber could put up any resistance, he was struck and fell into the void.

Motionless, without breath or heartbeat, Gruberu's body seemed utterly dead. Then, a while later—perhaps just seconds, or maybe minutes—the situation changed.

The previously cold "corpse" suddenly regained its body temperature and heartbeat. Gruberu got up and coughed violently as if he were severely lacking oxygen. His appearance also changed rapidly, and Gruberu became noticeably younger.

Verne bent down and helped him up: "Welcome back, my friend. How does it feel to be reborn? Although the beautiful hair that once captivated countless girls still hasn't grown back."

Gruberu—no, at this moment, Quirinas, who truly remembered everything, looked at the smiling Verne in front of him with lingering fear. Quirinas wanted nothing more than to punch Verne for his clumsy joke, even though he knew very well in his heart that he was no match for the guy.

But that didn't stop Quirinas from complaining to his friend: "It hurts so much, you bastard! Even though there's no real death here, I really don't want to have a similar experience again!"

Although Verne's smiling apology seemed very insincere, Quirinas forgave him after he paid the price of "going back to the Pig's Head pub in Aberforth for three drinks."

However, before Quirinas could finish saying he had forgiven him, Verne immediately asked, "Tell me what happened, Quirinas?"

Quirinas was somewhat annoyed by his friend's lack of concern for his health and his quick change of attitude, but he also knew that this was a sign of their strong friendship because he "didn't mind".

So Quirinas replied with a wry smile, "I was ambushed by the consciousness of another plane, right after you returned to Hogwarts..."

At this moment, thanks to Torvalds, Quirinas finally regained the part of his memories that had been sealed by the consciousness of the plane.

PS1: A big thank you to Gongzi Lan for the virtual currency!

PS2: Please click, favorite, and comment!

34. The Boundary Between Life and Death

Before arriving at this position, Quirinus, who had to hide due to the "Sorcerer's Stone incident," had a private conversation with Verne. In the Chamber of Secrets in Ravenclaw, Verne showed Quirinus a wonderful journey of his own, the starting point of which was the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts.

The Room of Requirement is the only passage in the world that can connect to the now-destroyed Kingdom of Tristain.

Yes, the historical Kingdom of Tristene was destroyed three hundred years ago during the Muggle Papacy's expedition against Atlantis.

Legend has it that an unknown witch who lost her lover in a great war made a pact with Satan and gained great power, and then launched a surprise attack on the Papal army besieging the magic academy on the "Day of Tears of Fire".

Although this operation resulted in her killing several commanders, including the Inquisition Chief, the Grand Knight, and the Cardinal, the witch was ultimately surrounded by the enemy. In her most desperate moment, gazing at the academy about to fall, the witch made a desperate gamble and came to the Ark of the Covenant, hoping to use this enemy's relic to fulfill her wish—to resurrect her lover and protect her homeland.

But she both failed and succeeded. Because all the invading Papal armies and the Kingdom of Tristain vanished from the world.

The Ark of the Covenant, along with the Holy Grail, is one of the two great relics of the Vatican. Legend has it that possessing either one grants any wish. According to the Muggle Bible, the Ark was the chest containing the two tablets of the Ten Commandments that the prophet Moses received from God Jehovah on Mount Sinai. Anyone who touched it without permission would be struck by lightning and die, because they were considered to possess "sin."

But that was just a rumor. According to the wizards' later speculation, one of the Ark's real uses was to activate the magic of the "duds," even though the success rate was low and they still couldn't cast spells.

However, their magic resistance will be significantly enhanced, even surpassing that of ordinary wizards. Perhaps this is because their magic can only flow within their bodies, making them the backbone of the Church's fight against wizards.

The Muggle Church calls this power gained after activation Holy Power, and those who can wield it are the renowned Paladins and Knights of Light. However, this activation is not without chance, and many have even been killed by the Ark of the Covenant due to failed activation.

This is precisely the truth behind the saying that "ordinary people who touch it will be struck by lightning and die," because even a dud has a slight chance of survival, while a Muggle without any magic power is destined to fail.

When a witch touched it and made a wish, unfortunately, it failed, the witch died on the spot, and it caused a huge explosion.

However, historians have different speculations regarding the claim that the witch died on the spot. Based on some historical records and the on-site investigations conducted by historians, the explosion that occurred in Tristene is clearly real. However, whether the witch actually died is something no one actually witnessed.

Those who actually witnessed it had already vanished along with Tristine; later generations only speculated based on the explosion that the witch could not have survived under such circumstances, thus drawing that conclusion.

In addition, the enormous energy generated by the explosion destroyed most of the Ark of the Covenant, with only a small portion being carried to other parts of Atlantis by the shockwave.

Within a 100-kilometer radius of the explosion's epicenter, everything vanished without a trace. This wasn't the kind of disappearance that leaves only wreckage after being bombarded by powerful magic or Muggle weapons; it was utter and complete annihilation.

All the land, buildings, creatures, vegetation, and hundreds of thousands of people vanished. The small country of "Tristine" on Atlantis, with a land area of ​​only 3 square kilometers, was completely wiped out, leaving only a huge, bottomless, dark crater on its original map.

What's even more bizarre is that nothing can enter this pit. The seawater seems to be hitting an invisible barrier around it, splashing and slapping against the surface without flowing in.

This aroused the wizards' curiosity, and they wanted to explore what was inside. However, no matter what methods they tried, whether it was stones, arrows, swords, hippogriffs, dragons, or even magic, they could not break through that transparent barrier.

Even in modern times, some open-minded wizards have sought to use Muggle technology, but the results have been disappointing. They have discovered that no matter how powerful or fast the physical weapons—bullets, missiles, atomic bombs, or even rockets—they cannot penetrate that invisible boundary.

Some daring wizards have tried to apparite into its interior, but each time they ended up being teleported to some inexplicable place.

After repeated failures, the wizards called it the "Abyss Phenomenon," the cause of which was unknown, and the nature of the phenomenon was even more unclear. However, based on the cause of the "Abyss," they speculated that it must contain the vanished kingdom of Tristine. However, no one knows what happened to Tristine today, so the wizards also named it the "Mystery of Tristine."

The mystery of Tristine has puzzled wizards for three hundred years. If it weren't for Jules Verne's accidental yet inevitable discovery, no one would know how to solve this mystery, and no one would have thought that a classroom in Hogwarts would be secretly connected to the interior of Abyss.

Because no one could have imagined that someone would drag an entire country to the brink of life and death.

According to legend, at the boundary between life and death, whatever you desire will be instantly granted. That special space can satisfy all human needs, but the more they obtain within, the closer they get to death, ultimately falling into eternal damnation in this illusory joy. Historically, some wizards, after entering this wondrous yet dangerous place, have successfully escaped through their own wisdom and external healing. Upon awakening, they named this location 'Abyss of Consciousness,' 'Avalon,' 'Choice Point,' 'Gensokyo,' or 'Crossroads.'

The Room of Requirement at Hogwarts is such a place. As far as Verne knew, Rowena Ravenclaw once sealed off her own life force for some special reason, trying to break into the 'border between life and death' to find out what it was all about, but in the end, her goal failed.

However, this dangerous journey was not without its rewards. The result of that incredible trip was that Hogwarts gained a room where any wish could be granted. Although this room was still somewhat different from the true origin of life and death, it could be said to be the closest place in the Prime Material Plane to it.

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PS1: I feel like people aren't really into these kinds of mind-bending plots... even though my own writing is quite mentally taxing...

PS2: Begging for votes by rolling around in cuteness~ Begging for coins by rolling around in cuteness~ Begging for clicks by rolling around in cuteness~ (glug~glug~glug~)

35. Tristan's Last Memory (Part Two)

However, this alone is not enough to reach the "destroyed" Tristine. Not to mention how many wizards can easily enter the boundary between life and death, even if they do, without clear and specific coordinates, ordinary wizards would not be able to find it easily.

Because at the boundary between life and death, if travelers linger without protection for an extended period, the longer they stay, the closer they will get to the side of death, until they can never return.

So searching aimlessly here is a dangerous thing, but Verne still found it.

Jules Verne himself was surprised to discover this place. Imagine how easily a mystery that had remained unsolved for three hundred years was "exposed to him"—why couldn't others have encountered such a coincidence?

Verne knew the reason, and he also knew that although there were many coincidences in the process of finding it, it was an inevitable result, because he held in his hands the "restored remains of the Ark of the Covenant"—"Pandora's Sigh".

In fact, Verne, who wanted to try his luck that year, made a wish at the Room of Requirement to "find clues to the remaining parts of the Ark of the Covenant." Then, relying on the connection between "Pandora's Sigh" and the fragments of the Ark, Verne arrived there.

"Pandora's Sigh," named by Nicolas Flamel, is Verne's seminal work in alchemy and magical literature. The main material is the small fragment of the Ark of the Covenant found on the island of Atlantis, which Verne repaired using dynamic runes he discovered.

Then, as the "new master" of the "small" Ark of the Covenant, Verne naturally discovered a great secret that his "lovely maid" had hidden from the world for thousands of years—spatial attributes!

Countless stories tell of the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant granting people's wishes. The legends associated with the Holy Grail are mostly about immortality and eternal life, while the legends most often associated with the Ark of the Covenant are about victory in war.

Of course, many people have spread misinformation and promoted them as "mysterious" entities that can grant any wish, and as symbols of God's omnipotence.

However, these are all misunderstandings. Whether it is the idea that "any wish can be fulfilled" or "the Holy Grail gives people eternal life and the Ark of the Covenant gives people victory," these understandings are one-sided, narrow, and inaccurate.

Because both the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant can only fulfill one type of wish, which is undoubtedly much less significant than the "origin of life and death".

However, this is determined by two inherent characteristics of the two relics. One of these characteristics is common to both relics: "contract." Anyone who wants to use the power of the relics must sign a contract with them.

To gain something, you must give something in return; this is a fair exchange. Although in many cases, the so-called exchange is not equivalent.

Another distinguishing characteristic determines the different kinds of wishes that the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant can fulfill: "time" and "space".

Yes, the Holy Grail can grant any wish related to time, such as stopping a person's time, thereby achieving a kind of "immortality".

The Ark of the Covenant can grant any wish related to space, such as allowing a person to travel to other worlds and develop their own abilities in those worlds. This is the "truth" behind how the Ark of the Covenant can activate holy power in Squibs.

So it wasn't the Ark of the Covenant that activated the Squibs' abilities, but rather that the Ark transported the Squibs to a world where they could develop their abilities. There, the Squibs gained more time and resources than others, so when they successfully trained and returned, they could immediately become experienced paladins, even if they were just children or had never touched a weapon before when they first encountered the Ark of the Covenant.

As for why some Squibs fail? Why some Muggles die? Surviving in a dangerous other world isn't easy. After all, not every other world allows you to start from scratch, and not every traveler can be accompanied by a goddess who's intellectually challenged yet capable of resurrection.

In the legend, what was the wish that the witch made after touching the Ark of the Covenant?

"Resurrect your lover," "Save your homeland."

According to Verne's speculation, if the witch had touched the Holy Grail with the property of time, the result would likely have been that she was sent to a point in time before the Papacy's invasion, or perhaps to a timeline where the Papacy's invasion would not have occurred.

However, at that time, the witch made her wish upon the Ark of the Covenant, which possessed spatial properties.

The Ark of the Covenant, through its own power, fulfilled the witch's wish: to move the entire city of Tristene from the Prime Material Plane to the boundary between life and death. Here, the nation of Tristene could survive, but at the cost of the Ark, overburdened, collapsing on its own.

Upon entering the origin of life and death, the Tristains discovered that the living do not die here; and the dead can be "resurrected." As long as no one here can destroy Tristain, the witch's wish has been half fulfilled, and the next step is to resurrect her lover.

Although it is claimed that the dead can be resurrected, there is a difference between so-called resurrection and true resurrection at the origin of life and death. All the souls of the dead are merely placed in new bodies. Once they leave this place, they will once again have nothing but their souls. Moreover, as long as no new souls are generated here, and as long as they can remain at the origin of life and death, there is no difference between them and being alive.

For the witch, that was enough, as long as she could embrace her "lover" again.

Driven by intense longing, the witch made a wish, and a young man's body appeared before her. The same face, the same smile—the figure that suddenly appeared was identical to the one who repeatedly appeared in the witch's memories.

However, the empty eyes and mechanical reactions all indicate that there is no soul inside!

It's unclear where things went wrong, or if it was all a deception from the start. At the origin of life and death, the witch merely created a body identical to her lover's, but his soul was not there.

Although, thanks to the help of the Origin of Life and Death, that body could do anything the witch asked it to do—speak, eat, perform dances, play music—it would execute whatever the witch said without fail. However, being only capable of mechanical reactions, it was ultimately not "him".

The origin of life and death is said to be omnipotent, claiming to grant any wish, but it is ultimately just a claim; it can only influence things of this world. As for those unfulfilled desires, they are like the Mirror of Eris, which can see through people's hearts—all that can be gained is a self-satisfying deception.

Such an outcome was naturally unacceptable to the witch!

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P.S.: Kazami Yuuto, how's your middle school entrance exam preparation going? How's your history memorization going? Have you been actively involved in politics? Did you understand the English reading comprehension? Stop reading novels and focus on your studies! If you do well on the exam, I'll send you an extra chapter privately after the results come out.

36. Tristain of Reincarnation and the Witch of Nothingness

The witch's lover is not from this world; he comes from a faraway world where there is no magic and no strange and wondrous creatures.

Before being summoned to this world by the witch, he was just an ordinary second-year student with average athletic ability, mediocre grades, no girlfriend for 17 years, no rewards or punishments, and about to start preparing for the college entrance examination. He had an ordinary name like Hiraga Saito.

So, as the witch's familiar, after he fought bravely against the invading papal army to protect the witch and ultimately sacrificed himself, his soul returned to his homeland.

Unable to see her lover again, the witch painfully made wishes time and time again, but her lover never appeared.

However, the witch did not give up. She firmly believed that there must be a way to find her lover. Since she could not do it "now", she would do it "in the past"!

"Since any wish can be fulfilled here, let's go back to the past!"