บท 71: Chapter 71: Middle Earth
At dusk, a faint golden hue spread across the sky, like a splash of color carelessly dropped from an artist's palette.
The boundless prairie appeared infinitely vast in the gentle twilight, like a green ocean with waves undulating, pulsating with the rhythm of life.
The rolling hills in the distance undulated, their outlines gradually blurred in the afterglow of the setting sun, like the wrinkles of the earth. The grass on the hills swayed gently in the breeze, making a rustling sound.
As beautiful as it was, watching it for too long became tiresome.
Ino walked along the prairie for about half an hour before he couldn't resist opening his suitcase.
In the past, he would have been fine walking for days on end.
But now, with a flying broom, it seemed that human nature's inherent laziness had kicked in, and he didn't want to travel on foot at all.
…
He strapped the suitcase tightly to his back.
Glancing down at the arrow-shaped logo on the broom, Ino swung himself onto it without hesitation.
With a gentle push off the ground, the broom shot forward like an arrow, accelerating swiftly into the sky.
Although he didn't recognize the brand of the broom, feeling its swift speed suggested it wasn't a cheap one, and certainly better than those old relics used in flying classes.
…
In mid-air.
Ino rode the broom, flying in a straight line.
But clearly, the terrain here exceeded his expectations. Usually, he would have noticed different scenery by now.
Even when he previously went to Narnia, although he walked for days, the scenery in the forest constantly changed, unlike now where everything remained the same.
But since he had chosen the prairie direction over the forest, he had to stick with it.
Without a precise way to track time during flight, he gauged it by how dark the surroundings became, realizing it hadn't been a short time.
Finally.
Just before nightfall, Ino spotted something different.
Patches of clover fields appeared on the ground, all growing neatly in the same area, obviously the result of intentional planting.
At the intersection of the clover fields and the hills, a farmhouse stood quietly.
The farmhouse's walls were built from stones and wood, looking weathered but still sturdy.
Inside the farm's fence, several cattle, sheep, and horses leisurely grazed, occasionally letting out low calls, adding a lively touch to the peaceful dusk.
From the air, the entire scene looked serene and harmonious in the soft twilight.
"Finally, a place with people..."
Ino sighed softly, slowly descending on his broom near the farmhouse.
…
Walking through the clover fields, it felt as if his sense of smell had been purified, with a faint fragrance filling his nostrils.
After walking for a few minutes, the farmhouse finally came into full view.
"Gulliver's Travels? The land of giants?"
Ino murmured, contemplating which story he had entered.
Because the houses in the farmhouse were clearly not meant for normal people, with buildings standing 40 feet high and entrances as wide as small gates, even Hagrid would find them oversized.
From these clues, he deduced that the inhabitants were likely giants over 5 meters tall, considering the size of the structures.
Just as Ino was pondering how to approach, a rumbling noise in the distance caught his attention.
Without much thought, he swiftly flicked his arm, making the wand hidden in his sleeve appear instantly in his hand.
Thanks to long-term practice and adaptation, the entire process was smooth and swift, completed in an instant.
He quickly turned to look behind him, a massive shadow charging at him, closing the distance from hundreds of meters to just a few dozen in a blink.
"Stupefy! Depulso! Impedimenta!"
Without hesitation, Ino cast three spells in quick succession before sprinting towards the farmhouse.
At that moment, he deeply regretted putting the broom in the suitcase prematurely. If he had it, he wouldn't be in such a dire situation.
The spells only managed to slightly slow down the enormous shadow. But during this brief respite, Ino got a clear look at his attacker.
A giant black bear, over 7 meters long and about 5 meters tall when crouched, loomed threateningly. It wasn't hard to imagine how terrifying it would be standing upright.
Seeing this, Ino ran even harder. With such a massive creature, any giant or three-headed dog would seem insignificant.
A brown bear standing over 2.5 meters tall could shatter a bison's spine with a single swipe.
Looking at the nearby farmhouse, Ino didn't hope for it to stop the bear, but rather that the giants inside would come out, at least to buy him some time to get his broom from the suitcase.
"Ice Arrows! Impedimenta! Binding Charm!"
Twenty icy arrows formed a semicircle around Ino, then shot out one by one like semi-automatic rifle fire.
But the ice arrows barely fazed the bear, merely creating small ice blooms on its thick fur.
Despite this, combined with the Impediment and Binding Charms, the bear's speed was slowed once again.
…
"Is anyone there? Open the door! There's a beast outside!"
Ino shouted loudly outside the farmhouse.
"Open up! The beast will eat your livestock! Your horses are going to be eaten!"
However, no matter how he shouted, there was no response from inside the farmhouse, as if no one was there.
Seeing the bear getting closer, Ino had no choice but to continue kiting around the farmhouse.
In this situation, running in a straight line would only lead to a quicker death, as two legs could never outrun four.
Time passed slowly.
He didn't know how long it had been, but the sky was now completely dark, and a faint mist rose over the distant mountains, giving a strange feel.
Around the farmhouse, various colorful magical lights flickered without pause.
Finally, the bear seemed to get tired or perhaps had other things to attend to.
With a roar, it turned and headed towards the dense forest on the other side of the hills.
"Phew…"
Ino leaned against the farmhouse fence, panting heavily.
At this moment, he was very grateful to be a wizard; as long as he could breathe and had stamina, he could keep casting spells.
Otherwise, in this prolonged struggle, any traditional mage might not have lasted this long. Fast and tough, sticking like glue would be any mage's nightmare.
After resting against the wall for a while, Ino slowly got up and untied the suitcase from his back.
Taking out the flying broom, he used a spell to tie it around his waist.
At the same time, he resolved not to put the broom back into the suitcase until this dangerous story was over.
___
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