章節 6: Chapter 6: Achievement in Five Seconds
Chapter 6: Achievement in Five Seconds
In the depths of the Scandinavian Mountains, atop a cliff, the evening breeze blew. Moonlight penetrated the thin clouds, casting its glow on the forest. In the distance, the roar of an unknown beast startled a flock of night birds. Moon Jones stood on the cliff, enjoying the majestic beauty of nature.
Beside him, the Moon Spirit Flower, surrounded by intricate silver runes, swayed gracefully. Its thousand layers of petals, bathed in moonlight, seemed to be covered in a silver veil.
Moon Jones raised his hands, gradually closed his eyes, and began chanting an incantation, activating the runes.
In an instant, the high-hanging moon, seemingly randomly casting its brilliance across the world, transformed into a focused gaze upon this location.
A large amount of moonlight gradually converged at this center, forming a vortex that infused the Moon Spirit Flower.
The moon, derived from Latin "Luna," corresponding to the metal silver in mysticism, carried a corresponding madness. As the Moon Spirit Flower absorbed moonlight, it also served as a main ingredient for the Moon Eclipse Elixir, a potion that harnessed the properties of lunacy.
At this moment, Moon Jones' cat-headed visage reappeared as the veil on his face vanished. He needed to expedite the refinement of the Moon Eclipse Elixir, utilizing its inherent madness to break the curse afflicting him.
The moonlit night was serene, and the circulating brilliance inadvertently attracted many creatures to gather here. However, they were all deterred by the terrifying aura emanating from Moon Jones and dared not approach.
Several hours later, the moonlight gradually dissipated. Moon Jones opened his eyes, gazing at the three blooming Moon Spirit Flowers at the top of the cluster, revealing a smile.
Although some mischievous spirits had damaged them, three flowers were sufficient for his concoction.
If it weren't for the unexpected events of the day, he wouldn't have rushed to ripen the Moon Spirit Flowers.
After completely harvesting the three Moon Spirit Flowers, Moon Jones returned to the castle.
The castle's basement presented a completely different scene, with numerous exclusive rooms, each serving a unique purpose—storage, collection, alchemy, potion-making, a library, and more.
Entering the potion room, his gaze fell on the cauldron emitting bubbling bubbles on the central table.
The potion was a bright red color, exceptionally thick. After adding the three Moon Spirit Flowers, Moon Jones began stirring.
Lucifer's face suddenly appeared below the cauldron, where numerous flame channels throughout the castle converged—kitchen, potion room, alchemy room, and even hot water in the bathroom were under his control.
"Increase the heat," Moon Jones said casually.
The flames on Lucifer's body intensified, and he expressed concern, "Moon, I still think you're going a bit extreme."
He was referring to Moon Jones using the madness from the Moon Eclipse Elixir to break the curse.
"Really? I find it a fascinating and worthwhile experiment." Moon Jones shrugged, smiling.
After simmering for a while, he lifted the cauldron, placing it aside to settle. He removed the suspended impurities, leaving a thick, gel-like substance at the bottom—the Moon Eclipse Elixir he needed.
Taking out the potion, he returned to the first floor, to his own red leather sofa, arranged himself, faced the fireplace, and consumed the elixir in one gulp.
As the elixir entered his stomach, he felt a spiritual shock. A full moon seemed to appear in his mind, followed by boundless darkness surging in—an extraordinary lunar eclipse silently unfolded in his consciousness...
...
Standing in front of Privet Drive No. 4, Harry reminisced about today's experiences, feeling as if he had undergone a superb adventure like a clever and heroic protagonist in a story. Even though he was about to face the Dursleys, he felt he could respond to their harassment and humiliation with a smile.
Of course, that was just a thought.
Harry patted his face, concealing his excitement and joy. Soon, his face returned to the usual disheveled appearance.
As long as the Dursleys saw him like this, they would feel happy, lifting their heads high like victorious knights, displaying their pride and arrogance.
Conversely, if Harry appeared happy, they wouldn't be pleased. Correspondingly, the Dursleys would intensify their mistreatment of him.
The first rule of dealing with the Dursleys: never show a smile in their presence.
This was something he had deduced from facts.
Creak—
The creaky old wooden door emitted an unpleasant sound as Harry pushed it open. Soft, dim yellow light spilled out, forming a sharp contrast with the darkness on the street. The room appeared warm, resembling a cozy home.
However, for Harry, it was anything but warm.
"I'm back," Harry announced.
Aunt Petunia walked through the corridor, her expression changing abruptly. "You damned little brat, come here quickly."
Her words dripped with hatred, and her voice was piercing. Suddenly, Harry thought of Moon, the real wizard. Aunt Petunia seemed more like the evil witches from legends compared to him.
"Speak up, did you mess with Dudley's face?" Uncle Vernon also stepped forward, staring directly at Harry standing at the doorway. Their elongated shadows pressed onto his frail figure, even from a distance, making him feel oppressed.
"It has nothing to do with me." Harry straightforwardly denied Uncle Vernon's accusation, his face turning as red as a boiling kettle.
"Troublemaker, and... I heard from Petunia that you also killed the rare plant in the neighbor's garden." Vernon approached, grabbing Harry's collar.
"Oh God, if the other party weren't so kind, I can't believe the debt you've burdened this family with." Petunia expressed anguish.
"I didn't. It has nothing to do with me." Harry weakly refuted.
Uncle Vernon, furious, had been informed of everything that happened today as soon as he returned home. It left him in no mood for dinner, eagerly awaiting the boy's return.
"Do you even have a bit of gratitude towards us?" Uncle Vernon roared. Without waiting for Harry's resistance, he opened the closet door and shoved him inside.
Bang—
The door was tightly shut.
Click, on the small door, a gap appeared, and Uncle Vernon's small, squinted eyes appeared through it. He sinisterly declared, "From today, every moment you spend in this house, consider yourself in solitary confinement."
After saying that, he left straight away, as if Harry had turned into a mouse, unworthy of further words.
Harry brushed off a spider that fell from his pillow, cleared away the dust, and weakly leaned against the bed made of wooden planks. Suddenly, he thought of Moonlight Castle.
That magical castle where he was fascinated. Honestly, even if he worked as a laborer there for a lifetime, it would still be better than being locked up here.
He looked forward to tomorrow, despite the busyness. At least, compared to doing chores and being scolded at the Dursleys, or being bullied by Dudley and his gang, even if the work was hard, what did it matter?
Thinking about it, he didn't even take off his glasses and fell into a deep sleep.
But he felt like he hadn't slept for long before being awakened by loud knocking on the door.
"Get up! Wake up! Hurry!"
Aunt Petunia was banging on his bedroom door again.
"Wake up!" she screamed, "How long do you want to sleep? Don't forget, you still need to work."
Harry propped himself up, grumbled, and then opened the door.
"Quick, go freshen up," Aunt Petunia urged.
Harry glanced outside the window. The day was just breaking, and even from here, he could hear Dudley's snoring. Obviously, he had been woken up very early today.
Only now did he realize what was happening. The Dursleys had no intention of giving him any food. Oh yes, after yesterday afternoon and evening, they had confirmed that the man living at No. 13 Privet Drive was a wealthy and kind person.
"He'll take care of this brat's meals; we don't need to worry."
"He wouldn't let this poor kid go hungry. What a relief for us."
Harry understood the Dursleys' intentions. Whether he liked it or not, he had been driven out of the house like a stray dog by Aunt Petunia.
It had rained again all night yesterday. The morning wind was still a bit chilly. Harry wrapped himself up and stood outside No. 13 Privet Drive.
He didn't know if Uncle Moon was already awake and wondered if he would disturb him. Would going there now seem like he was trying to mooch off a meal? Would Uncle Moon dislike him for it?
Uncle Moon was already very good. Both yesterday's lunch and dinner were extremely delicious, the best food he had ever eaten in his life.
Clearly, he was here to work and atone for his sins, but suddenly...
Countless messy thoughts surged in Harry's mind, interweaving and making him feel anxious. Yet, all these thoughts boiled down to one question he asked himself, "Do I deserve this? Will Uncle Moon dislike me for doing this?"
Creak—
Just when Harry was feeling troubled, the door of No. 13 Privet Drive slowly opened, revealing the dim and dark interior. The only source of light was Lucifer burning
in the fireplace.
"What are you squatting outside for? Looking for goblins?" Lucifer curiously asked.
Harry smiled. Although Moonlight Castle's house was dark, it felt a thousand times warmer and gentler than the Dursleys' house.
"If you're looking for goblins, you can come in and get a bottle of Sneezing Solution. That thing attracts goblins instantly." Lucifer continued nonchalantly.
Harry stood up and walked into the house. "No, Mr. Lucifer. I just..."
??
He saw a figure lying on the red sofa, and his words stuck in his throat.
The clothes belonged to Uncle Moon.
The figure matched Uncle Moon's.
But why... is it a cat?!!
Harry's first shock of the day was achieved in less than five seconds after entering.
(End of this chapter)
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