Chapitre 14: Portable Universe
Alex had spent the past few days studying the books he had bought, absorbing as much as he could about magic, enchanted objects, and alchemy. But after hours of constant reading and note-taking, he felt it was time for a break.
He stepped out of the hotel and into the bustling streets of London. The city was alive with energy, and Alex welcomed the change of pace. He decided to take a walk and visit a few places around the city.
His first stop was Covent Garden. The area was filled with tourists, street performers, and shops. Alex walked through the market, taking in the sights, sounds, and eating snacks, enjoying the historic London.
Next, he headed to Big Ben. The clock tower loomed over the city, its chimes marking the passing hours. Alex stood there for a while, appreciating the view. It helped clear his mind.
He then visited the British Museum, where he wandered through the exhibits, fascinated by the artifacts on display. The collection of Muggle history and ancient objects felt connected to the magical world he had been studying.
As he looked at the relics, he wondered about the intersection of Muggle and magical knowledge a few years from now.
After a few hours, Alex made his way back to the Ritz. The day had been a good distraction, but he was ready to return to his studies.
Back in his hotel room, he sat at the desk and looked at the small wooden box he had bought from Borgin and Burkes.
He was eager to see how it worked. Alex carefully opened the box. Inside was a vast space compared to its small appearance outside.
[The Traceless Extension Charm works by creating a link to a separate dimension inside the box. The magic allows you to store items in this hidden space while keeping the external world unaware of the change. The box's interior doesn't physically exist in the same space as the box itself; it's a different, accessible dimension. Simple, but effective,] Lily commented.
Alex nodded as he examined the box. "So, it's like a hidden room that only the magic can access. Got it."
[Exactly. But here's a thought, Alex: why use a physical object like a box or a bag? Why not create your own dimensional storage device by tapping into the Nexus of Universes? Pick a tiny universe and carry it with you, like putting it into a ring.]
Alex stared at the box in his hands, then at the empty space around him. "Wait. You're saying I could have done that instead of studying this box?"
Lily's voice was amused. [You love studying magic, don't you? You seemed to enjoy figuring it out.]
Alex rolled his eyes. "I did, but this sounds way easier. You should've told me about this sooner."
[I love studying how it works, the principle behind it, bla, bla, bla,] Lily mocked.
Alex sighed. "Okay, okay. Sorry..." He felt embarrassed.
[Shall we take a trip to the Nexus, then?]
Before Alex could reply, the air around him seemed to shift. The room faded, and suddenly, he was standing in a vast, open space filled with floating lights. He was in the Nexus of Universes, surrounded by flickering orbs, each representing a separate universe.
[You can touch them, explore them, but you can't move them or carry them yet.]
Alex reached out toward the closest universe. It was small, no bigger than a snow globe, but as he focused on it, he could feel the vastness inside it, a whole universe contained in a tiny sphere.
"I can't even imagine what's inside that," he muttered, fascinated.
[Each universe is tiny but endless inside. Now, choose one that catches your eye.]
Alex looked around, his gaze landing on a small, bright universe near Lily's form. It pulsed with energy, and though it was small, it was the brightest.
He reached toward it, but when he tried to move it, nothing happened.
"How do I carry it?" Alex asked.
[Wait a moment. Let me connect you to it. You'll be able to move it then.]
Alex watched as a strand of energy separated from his body. Slowly, he saw the golden energy wrapping around the tiny universe. It then slowly moved toward him.
It moved closer, and as it did, it shrank, becoming smaller and smaller until it was no bigger than a millimeter in diameter.
The universe, now no larger than a tiny bead, was still full of energy, but now it was something he could hold.
Alex stared at the bead in his hand. "Incredible, it can now fit under my nails."
[You now have a universe with you. If you allow it, the space will continue to expand. But now, probably as big as the Milky Way galaxy.]
Alex nodded, feeling the weight of the small universe in his palm. It was strange to hold something so vast in such a small form.
Before he could think any further, the space around him shifted again, and he was back in his hotel room. The universe bead was still in his hand, glowing faintly.
Alex synthesized a gold ring using his energy and shaped it into a contemporary design. The band had a mix of polished and matte finishes, giving it an elegant contrast.
A single round indentation in the center, with the bead safely embedded. The bead was accentuated by sleek, curved grooves on either side, which flowed diagonally across the ring's surface. These grooves provided a dynamic, modern aesthetic. The inner side of the band had a smooth finish for comfort, with a subtle hallmark 'A' engraved inside.
Staring at the ring with the bead embedded in it, Alex probed it with his energy and sensed the universe inside.
"I will name this ring 'Mín Heimr', based on Old Norse."
[That's a rather decent name. I thought you would name it 'Mi Mundo'.] Lily joked.
"Can I retrieve the contents inside?" Alex asked.
[Yes, but I advise you not to do that. You can also manipulate the universe inside, by communicating with the core using your energy.]
Alex closed his eyes to focus. He separated a strand of energy from his body, and it seeped into the ring. He then manipulated the energy, turning it into a giant glowing golden Chibi Alex the size of Earth. He then imagined using a virtual reality device to control a character in a game.
The Chibi Alex inside the Mín Heimr opened its eyes. Like using a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), Chibi Alex's movements could be controlled by his brain, similar to a virtual character. He could move around, see things, hear, and speak.
"This is really fun," Alex muttered in amusement as he manipulated his avatar.
[It's really weird how you shaped it, like a toy.] Lily commented.
"Isn't it cute?"
[It is, but it looks awkward with a head like that.]
Alex laughed at the remark. "Haha, imagine if there are natives inside, they would probably make a statue of me with only the head, like the Ancient Olmecs."
Another stream of energy formed beside the Chibi Alex inside the Mín Heimr, but it was smaller, like a baby compared to him, the size of the moon. A girl with little wings on her back, like a Chibi golden angel. She hovered around Alex before stopping in front of his face. This was Lily's avatar.
[Unfortunately, there's none yet. Only a massive black hole, cosmic particles, stars, and lifeless planets.] Lily commented.
"Is this how you imagine yourself in physical form?" Alex chuckled.
[Very cute, right?] Lily's avatar blinked its eyes cutely at Alex.
"So small, I could pinch you." Alex's avatar raised his hand, letting Lily's avatar land on it. "Amazing to see the formation of a galaxy in this manner. If seen with the naked eye, space is a lonely place, but if you look at it by perceiving all wavelengths of light, space is beautiful."
[Indeed, images online are less majestic when you look at it that way. Well, you should probably do something with it.]
Alex nodded, perceiving the core of Mín Heimr. It was a condensed solid mass of energy, similar to the source energy that he was using.
He conveyed his thoughts to it. The scene in Mín Heimr paused for a moment, then all the particles, cosmic dust, and stars with their planets dispersed to the periphery of Mín Heimr, leaving the massive black hole at the center.
The celestial bodies became the border of the small universe, rotating constantly, leaving a vast expanse of void with the black hole at the center.
Alex planned on building a massive flat world at the center, put some creatures he collected on it and watch them flourish.
Alex exited his consciousness from the avatar back to his physical body, he felt his stomach empty.
Though he had no need for food to sustain him, feeling his stomach empty still unsettled him.
Besides, eating is one of the pleasures of life, and he did not intend to abstain from it.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone