Chương 8: Chapter 8: Re-entering the Fantasy World
London, South Kensington.
Hermione was currently showing her family her new school uniform: a plain black robe and a pointed black wizard's hat.
"Is this frog alive?"
Unlike women who are fascinated by clothing, Mr. Granger was more interested in the hopping Chocolate Frog.
He sat on the sofa, staring at the Chocolate Frog in front of him for almost half a minute.
"Dad, that's just a chocolate candy. Perhaps it's magic that gives it temporary mobility, but it's meant to be eaten!"
Hermione pursed her lips, looking expectantly at the only candy at home—the Chocolate Frog.
Seeing his daughter's look, Mr. Granger hesitated for a moment.
"Sorry, dear, you know the damage sweets can do to teeth, especially now that you're in the correction period. Once cavities form..."
Before Mr. Granger could finish, Hermione habitually took over the conversation, speaking rapidly:
"Once cavities form, they become inevitable until the tooth completely crumbles. The only treatment is root canal therapy to kill the nerve, deep clean the pulp, and then fill it with new light-cured composite resin."
In a huff, Hermione added,
"I didn't even want to eat it, just to look at it!"
After speaking, she no longer looked at the Chocolate Frog. Perhaps she initially wanted to taste it, but hearing about the correction period made her decisively give up the idea.
For some reason, whenever the topic was about teeth lately, Hermione couldn't help but think of 'Bunny.'
This made her both angry and somewhat embarrassed.
"Even if you have a bit of divination ability, it doesn't give you the right to comment on a girl's appearance casually."
Maybe it was because of the letter she received from the owl, confirming the previous divination result, or perhaps it was her visit to Diagon Alley, where she witnessed real magic.
In any case, Hermione herself hadn't noticed that her mindset had unknowingly changed. Her address for Ino had shifted from the previous "fraudster" to now "somewhat capable."
...
No matter how long the night is, dawn will always come as expected.
By the Thames, when the morning sunlight shone into the narrow bridge hole, Ino had already awakened.
"It's another sunny day."
He got up and pulled back the shabby linen curtain. After a comfortable stretch, he walked out of his bridge hole.
Standing in an open area by the bridge, he let the golden sunlight shine on his face. The warm feeling made him close his eyes, enjoying this moment of ease and tranquility.
After a simple wash.
Ino sat on the grass, dazing. As far as the eye could see, the Thames glistened under the morning light.
Watching the passing boats and the few pedestrians by the river, he was increasingly fond of this slow-paced leisurely life.
After a while of peaceful idleness, Ino stood up, slowly walked back to the bridge hole, and began packing his bundle.
He picked some dried cheese, hard bread, and then put in a deep gray wool blanket with holes... and his cherished "Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1."
All this was because he had a subtle premonition earlier.
After more than three months, today was probably the day he would re-enter the fantasy world.
Although he didn't know the exact time, there seemed to be such a feeling in the air, and this premonition had never let him down.
Time passed by second by second.
Coincidentally, after Eno finished packing all his belongings, he suddenly noticed the light around him dimming.
...
In an instant, or perhaps even shorter.
It had just been a sunny morning, but in the blink of an eye, it turned into a dim evening. The stark contrast almost took Eno's breath away.
"Achoo!"
Before he could react, the cold air around him suddenly struck.
"Here we go again, no time to prepare... and it's terrible weather."
After rummaging through his backpack for the shabby wool blanket and wrapping it around himself, he felt slightly better.
However, this getup made him look even more like a wizard on a journey from afar.
The only things missing were a pointed hat and a wand hidden in his coat.
...
In the barren autumn, under a dark and silent long day, heavy clouds hung low in the sky.
On the desolate countryside land, a solitary figure suddenly appeared.
Taking advantage of the last remnants of dusk, Ino saw the cold scenery around him.
Ruined houses, desolate walls, and withered white trees. The sparse scenes revealed an indescribable gloom.
Likewise, it was eerily quiet, with the wind rustling through the treetops.
However, he was no longer surprised by all this. Although he had once wondered why some places in the wilderness were always so desolate, over time, he had become accustomed to it.
After all... although it seemed bleak around, it wasn't dangerous, as long as you weren't greedy and didn't meddle.
Half an hour later.
Ino finally found a place to stay before nightfall.
The smoke rising in the distance and the faint smell of baked bread in the air gradually relaxed his tense body.
In the fantasy world, seeing houses or bonfires in the wild was not enough to make one feel at ease, as it could be the house of a demon or an old witch.
But only the rising smoke could truly make one feel safe. After all, old witches never baked bread; they only brewed nauseating potions.
At the same time.
Following the direction of the smoke for a few dozen meters, Ino finally walked out of the bizarre forest.
In front of him was an endless golden wheat field, crisscrossed paths between fields, and a high-mounted water wheel.
Walking a bit further, he saw a peaceful village or small town.
A dozen or so houses of various styles in a row—thatch, stone, wood... a bakery, a mill, a blacksmith shop, a tailor's shop...
Perhaps because it was close to night, it seemed quiet here, without the hustle and bustle of the day.
Entering the town, Ino's somewhat odd attire drew many people's gazes.
He didn't rashly approach and talk to the locals, nor was he approached. It was as if they were all silently competing.
Ten minutes later.
"Another micro-town."
After confirming the scale of the place, Ino instantly filtered out stories that happened in large cities or the wilderness.
Two years had gradually helped him understand the essence of the fantasy world.
The capital city where the king resides, prosperous commercial cities, medium-sized towns, small towns, villages, wilderness... different small puzzle pieces pieced together a vast world.
Sometimes they were connected, sometimes completely unrelated.
In short, each piece, each place, had its corresponding story.
The difference was, some places' stories had ended, while others had yet to begin.
But no matter what, the people living in the 'puzzle' still lived their lives.
"No tavern or inn, I'll have to find a place to stay."
After roughly walking around the town, Ino had to admit that this place was like a closed paradise.
All the facilities in the town seemed tailor-made for the people living here, with seemingly no consideration for outsiders.
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