Chapter 751
Stone Circles and Mushrooms
Chapter 751 Stone Circles and Mushrooms
"Wait, is this one of those stone rings?"
Wade quickened his pace to catch up, and asked with a serious expression, "Legend has it that this kind of place is a gateway between reality and another world, and stepping inside is an extremely dangerous act... You're treating it as the entrance to an amusement park?"
He really wanted to pry open Marchionne's skull and see if it was filled with "Gryffindor".
Marchionne seemed to have been anticipating this reaction, and immediately burst into a hearty laugh.
"Dear Wade, do I look like such a brainless person?"
He laughed and shook his head, then reached out and patted Wade on the shoulder.
“Think about it, Stonehenge in Salisbury, the Castriggs stone circle in Cumbria, the Senegambia stone circle in the Gambia River, and the Twelve Apostles in West Yorkshire… These legendary stone circles did indeed connect to other worlds, but that was all in the past.”
"The elves have been gone from our world for over a thousand years. Those passages have been completely sealed off and rendered ineffective because of their departure. Now they are just tourist attractions for Muggles to take photos."
He suppressed his smile somewhat, but his expression remained confident and smug as he said:
“Those large stone circles have become useless, not to mention the small fortresses scattered in the wild.”
"The painting I found is an alchemical work created by human wizards and elves in ancient times. It is not a dangerous portal, and its function of connecting to other worlds has long been lost. The only thing that remains is that incredibly exquisite 'shrinking' magic."
"Don't worry, while you were busy with the competition, Professor Morrie and I have conducted hundreds of tests to ensure it is truly safe. Its sole purpose is to provide our visitors with a wonderful miniature journey."
Wade: "...Okay, as long as you can confirm that it's safe."
He suddenly remembered that he seemed to have heard a similar saying in Grindelwald's Grey Castle—
Over a thousand years ago, human wizards and elves coexisted peacefully for a time. But later, the true elves completely disappeared from the human world.
Among the magical creatures commonly seen today, they often share only one trait with elves, such as the longevity of fairies and their unique magic; the house-elves' emphasis on contracts; the Veela's amazing charm; and the centaurs' mystery and close connection to nature, etc.
Combining these elements creates the true spirit.
However, such mysterious creatures no longer exist in the magical world.
Suddenly, Vader remembered what Lady Grey had said: Some ancient beings... are awakening...
Will the elves reappear?
These thoughts were swirling in his mind, and he was about to discuss them with Marchionni when the person in front of him suddenly reached out and grabbed Wade.
“Don’t get distracted!” Marchionni said. “This place is more dangerous than it looks.”
Before the words were finished, a sharp and chilling buzzing sound of wings suddenly approached!
A huge stag beetle with an ominous gleaming shell charged at an astonishing speed. This creature, which could normally be held and played with in one's hand, now resembled a giant war machine. It approached with a rumble, its two large, black, scythe-like mandibles making a terrifying clicking sound.
The two reacted extremely quickly, rolling to the side almost simultaneously. The black chariot sped past them, billowing dust, and crashed headfirst into the slender stalks of grass.
The stag beetle turned around, its naturally armored head shaking as it locked onto the tiny enemy in front of it.
Vader drew his wand, ready to unleash a powerful attack, when Machione suddenly grabbed him and ran!
"Wait!" Vader shouted. "I can handle it!"
“Don’t forget we’re testers now!” Marchionne shouted back, “Other wizards can’t… oh damn it!… cast any powerful spells!” He was nearly caught by the stag beetle, but Vader managed to throw out a Petrify spell to stop the frenzied insect.
After shrinking, their spells became much less powerful, requiring them to be more focused and attentive than usual to unleash stronger spells.
Seeing that the stag beetle was immobilized, Machioni breathed a sigh of relief, walked over and tapped the beetle's hard carapace, making a "clang clang clang" sound.
He said thoughtfully, "Wouldn't it be a bit too dangerous to put this thing in Lilliput?"
Wade also touched its antler-like upper jaw: "Under normal circumstances, this kind of thing can bite people until they bleed. After it shrinks... if you don't have time to run away, I'm worried it will bite the player in half, and then you'll be in big trouble."
“That’s true.” Marchionne wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead and said reluctantly, “But these things that threaten people’s lives and make their hearts race are key projects here. Moving them out… I’m really a little reluctant to do it.”
“Then how about limiting their range of movement?” Wade suggested, recalling his past experience playing games. “They will automatically stop chasing you as long as you run out of a specific area.”
"Alright... for safety reasons, this is the only way..."
Marchionne said with regret, seemingly very reluctant to give up this exciting gaming experience.
Before he could finish speaking, a glistening, viscous spider silk suddenly and silently descended from above, sticking precisely to his head.
"Wow!"
Suddenly, Wade heard a short, startled cry that rose rapidly overhead, and he immediately looked up.
Marchionne struggled wildly in mid-air, but being an experienced wizard, he screamed as he was pulled up, quickly drawing his wand and shouting at the spider silk pulling him: "Tear to pieces!"
A flash of light, and the spider silk snapped, revealing a dark figure emerging from the bushes overhead, seemingly peering down.
Vader swiftly waved his wand, allowing Machione to land smoothly. He then quickly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the sticky substance from his hair, muttering to himself with feigned composure:
"It seems... the scope of the regional restrictions needs to be carefully considered again!"
"If an unavoidable emergency occurs, is there a way for tourists to escape in an emergency?" Wade asked. "How do we change back? Do we leave the way we came?"
“Oh, that’s easy.” Marchionne looked around, then pointed to the left front and said, “Look over there!”
Hidden in the shadow of a fern's roots were a few scattered red mushrooms, each about the size of Wade's fist at that moment.
"This is the emergency escape method—the catapult mushroom! As long as you step on it, the tourist will be sent into the air... literally into the air."
He pointed to the sky, waving his arms and saying, "—Get blasted away! Everything will return to normal as you leave the amusement park."
"Then we'll experience it again when we leave."
After a moment's thought, Wade said, "However... perhaps we could add another layer of protection? I can make a one-time-use badge with a small armor charm that can last for a few seconds after activation, so that people don't miss the launch mushroom."
Marchionne's eyes lit up immediately, and he asked again, "Is this badge... expensive?"
Vader gestured with his hand: "The armor spell has such a small range... and it's a one-time use item, so the cost is probably only a few nats..."
(End of this chapter)