Chapter 113: Fairy Tale Town
“Second, obey the narration and prompts.”
“Third, once a mission is received, it must be completed.”
“Customer Service Notice: The Trial Space is designed to provide players with in-depth role-playing services. By entering here, you confirm that you have signed a player service contract with the Trial Space. You agree to unconditionally abide by the rules of this space. Violation of any of the three rules will result in punishment. This is a necessary condition for in-depth role-playing. We appreciate your understanding!”
What is this?
Harry read the inscription on the stone tablet in bewilderment, his mind unable to process it immediately. What was the Trial Space? What was in-depth role-playing service?
Didn’t he follow Quirrell into the entrance room?
Where did Quirrell go? Where were Hermione and Ron?
Many questions bombarded Harry’s mind. He stopped paying attention to the stone tablet and shouted Hermione and Ron’s names loudly into the magnificent hall ahead.
But his only response was the echo of the empty hall.
Just then, a new line of text lit up on the stone tablet. Distraught, Harry instinctively looked at it:
“Player Quirinus Quirrell, unauthorized use of magic, violation of Rule One, will be punished!”
“Punishment form: Electric shock!”
“Punishment complete.”
Quirrell?
Seeing the familiar name, Harry, forgetting his enmity with Quirrell, hurried to the stone tablet to examine it closely.
It was then that he noticed a small line of text at the very bottom of the stone tablet, clearly stating:
“Current players: 4”
“Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Quirinus Quirrell!”
“Matching for in-depth role-playing scenario in progress…”
“Please touch 【Yes】 below your name to confirm the match.”
What is matching?
Harry’s mind was filled with confusion. He looked at the small option below his name, 【Yes/No】, and hesitated.
What would happen if he chose 【No】?
He didn’t want to play this so-called in-depth role-playing; he really wanted to choose 【No】!
While he was hesitating, the upper part of the stone tablet lit up with new text again:
“Player Ron Weasley refused to match, failed to obey prompts, violation of Rule Two, will be punished!”
“Punishment form: Electric shock!”
“Punishment complete!”
Harry: “…”
After two consecutive punishment announcements, Harry began to understand. Hermione, Ron, and Quirrell, like himself, might have been thrown into a golden hall to face the same stone tablet.
The hall’s sole function and mission seemed to be to take these “players” to some in-depth role-playing scenario, and no violation or refusal was allowed.
What kind of unfair terms are these?
Harry looked up, re-reading the seemingly simple three rules, and the customer service notice below with its respectful tone.
“…By entering here, you confirm that you have signed a player service contract with the Trial Space, and agree to unconditionally abide by the rules of this space… This seemingly polite yet very overbearing style, it’s so familiar…”
Harry inexplicably thought of Vaughn.
While he was spacing out, the names displayed at the bottom of the stone tablet lit up. Hermione’s name lit up, and soon, Quirrell’s name did too.
Although the stone tablet didn’t prompt it, Harry had a strong intuition that Hermione and Quirrell had touched 【Yes】 to confirm the match.
“Mandatory contract, cannot be violated, cannot be refused… It seems there’s really no other way, we can only go and experience that in-depth role-playing scenario!”
Harry scratched his head. With Ron’s precedent, he felt it would be better to follow Hermione’s choice.
He carefully reached out and touched the 【Yes】 below his name. There was no sensation upon contact, only the cold touch of the stone tablet’s surface.
But after touching it, Harry saw his name immediately light up.
His guess was correct!
“What’s next?”
Squatting in front of the stone tablet, Harry stared at it without blinking. After waiting for about fifty seconds, the moment Ron’s name lit up, lines of text appeared on the upper part of the stone tablet like a waterfall:
“All players have confirmed match.”
“Scenario selection complete: Fairy Tale Town.”
“Story template: Hero vs. Dragon.”
“Now proceeding with grouping… Grouping complete!”
“Group A: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger.”
“Group B: Ron Weasley, Quirinus Quirrell.”
“Thank you all players for your trust and support in this space. We wish you an enjoyable experience—”
As the last line appeared, the entire golden hall began to tremble.
The floor cracked, lifted, and sank, as if undulating waves.
Harry quickly scrambled to his feet, stumbled, and clutched the only stone tablet still standing in the hall, staring in dumbfounded amazement at the dramatic change before him—
The hall was disintegrating!
The floor, walls, dome… everything was crumbling into small squares, like golden quicksand pouring into the black void left by the collapsing hall.
Then, they began to recombine.
Countless small squares converged into a torrent, like a paintbrush coloring, and brown earth rapidly formed beneath the “brush,” quickly extending to Harry’s feet.
Then, the ground flipped, revealing serrated green edges that piled up layer by layer, forming “grasslands” that sprang up one after another.
In the distance, countless “trees” that looked like cardboard cutouts stood up with a rustle, transforming into a forest.
In the center of the forest, a town of the same style also quietly appeared, as if suddenly pulled from a flat surface. Waterwheels, mills, wooden houses, small buildings, streets, and a castle… one after another, they sprang up.
Overhead, a blue sky dotted with white clouds flattened out from a folded state, and a “sun” shining with light rose from the background of sharply defined mountains, sliding to the center of the blue sky and freezing in place.
A gentle and grand voice began to narrate, in this entire “world,” near Harry’s ear:
“Once upon a time, in the Forest Kingdom, there was a kind and beautiful princess. Her parents loved her, and her people adored her. But on a certain night of howling winds…”
Crack—
Harry looked up and saw that as the narration progressed, the sky turned black, and lightning danced like snakes in the sky. At the same time, a giant shadow flew from the horizon to the small town in the forest, to the castle.
“…The evil dragon came. It abducted the princess beloved by the people and said:”
The gentle narration suddenly turned into a rough roar. From the distant town castle, the giant shadow flapped its wings, opened its scarlet, moon-sized eyes, and “spoke” a line of text:
【Forest Kingdom, your princess is in my hands. If you want her to live, please appease the great Fire Dragon with gold and treasures! Hahaha—】
Yes, that’s right, the Fire Dragon’s words were a line of text!
Harry didn’t know what expression to make for a moment!
But the narration clearly wouldn’t pause because of his shock:
“To save the princess, the King and all the people issued a bounty to the warriors. And you, as a warrior, are heading to the Forest Kingdom with your companions!”
Companions?
Harry turned his head and was pleasantly surprised to find Hermione, who had disappeared somewhere earlier, standing beside him!
At the same time, on the other side of the “mountains.”
Ron, with a head of wild hair, stared wide-eyed at Quirrell, who had the same disheveled hair, appearing beside him.
“You…”
“Shut up, Weasley!”
Quirrell’s face was ashen, the searing pain from the back of his head contorting his features. It was his master punishing him, venting his anger.
Wisps of snake-like hisses sounded in his ears, deep within his soul:
“Damn Dumbledore… Damn it… No one can humiliate the Dark Lord like this… I will kill him! Kill him!”
“Ah… I’m sorry, Master—”
Quirrell clutched his head and curled up, sobbing, weeping, and begging: “Please be patient, my Master. When I retrieve the Philosopher’s Stone and resurrect you, your humble servant will follow you to kill that detestable Dumbledore. But for now, I beg you to endure temporarily…”
Perhaps he accepted his suggestion, or perhaps due to the long lack of sustenance from life force, he was growing weaker. The voice in his mind and ears gradually faded.
The bone-chilling pain also disappeared.
Quirrell gasped, and when he raised his head again, the “narration” in the sky was reaching its end: “…And you, as a descendant of the dragon, will go with your companions to the lair to intercept the heroes!”
Lair…
Quirrell looked at the dark, fairy-tale-style “forest” ahead. The cardboard-like trees were all black, clawing menacingly. A similarly distorted-style fortress stood deep in the forest, filled with “monsters” that slid back and forth like bookmarks on a page.
He stared blankly for a moment, then looked at Ron, who was hiding to the side, trying to minimize his presence, his face grim:
“Weasley, why are you and Harry and Granger here?”
Ron’s mouth felt bitter. He never imagined he’d be grouped with Quirrell.
However, despite his fear beforehand, when he actually faced Quirrell, he was no longer afraid. Hearing the other’s question, he snorted, “What business is it of yours why we’re here? Just because you can come in, does that mean we can’t?”
The rules of the stone tablet gave him immense courage. Having personally experienced the pain of electric shock punishment, Ron didn’t believe Quirrell would dare to break the rules again.
Quirrell’s expression grew uglier, but he still forced himself to endure. Rule Two was very clear: obey the narration and prompts.
At this moment, a box hovered above Ron’s head, displaying “Companion （ Do not attack each other ）”…
Taking a deep breath, Quirrell suppressed the urge to kill. For him now, leaving this god-forsaken in-depth role-playing scenario and finding the Philosopher’s Stone was the most important thing.
Everything else was subject to compromise.
Thinking this, Quirrell forced a smile, “If you don’t want to say, so be it. Regardless, the two of us are on the same side now. I think we should cooperate well. Do you remember? The rules require us to obey the narration and prompts. Now, we must go to the monster lair over there!”
Ron was very reluctant, but he had to admit Quirrell was right.
Remembering not long ago, when he accidentally violated a rule and was struck by a bolt of lightning on his head, his limbs convulsed, and his magic power began to chaotically conflict. Ron shivered and quickly nodded.
Thus, the two who were enemies just a short while ago grudgingly put aside their differences and, following the narration, walked towards the lair in the forest, one after the other.
As they approached the lair, the narration sounded again:
“You have arrived at the lair, ready to shed blood and sweat for your master. Your master, the great Fire Dragon, needs to transport a batch of brandy to the front lines, which can enhance the power of dragon’s breath. The Lizard Captain has entrusted this glorious task to you.”
Swish—
A Lizard Captain, who didn’t look like a lizard at all, swiftly slid in front of the two, dragging a unicycle-like drawing, and a dialogue box popped out from its mouth:
【Vile villains, hurry and deliver the brandy, don’t delay the Master’s important business!】
【Be warned, some monsters in the forest are also coveting these supplies. You must protect them, or you will face the Master’s wrath!】
【I suggest you consult the Hippopotamus, Lion, and Hyena before you depart. Only one of the three is a truly experienced guide. Identify it, and it will show you a safe path…】
Quirrell and Ron exchanged glances.
“What do we do?”
“…Let’s find the Hippopotamus, Lion, and Hyena first.”
So the two of them circled around the small fortress and found that they were not hard to find. The characters required for the mission, like Quirrell and Ron, had a box above their heads with their names written on it.
When they had found all three monsters, the narration reappeared:
“For the safe transport of the brandy, you found three monsters. Regarding who is the true guide, the three monsters are all making excuses and refusing to admit it. The Hippopotamus said: ‘The Hyena is the guide.'”
“Dragon descendant Ron Weasley quickly identified the target, but to test his companion, he did not reveal the answer, but instead sighed: ‘Among the three monsters, only the true guide did not lie.'”
“Question: Among them, who is the guide?”
“…”
Quirrell looked at Ron, who had a bewildered expression.
“…If I say I don’t know and the narration is making it up, would you believe me?”
“I believe you! Because you don’t seem like someone with that kind of brain, Weasley.”
Ron felt offended but didn’t dare to say anything, only grunting twice, “Then did you guess the answer?”
“Of course!”
Quirrell said decisively, his paper-pale face showing no emotion, but the bulging veins on his forehead indicated he was not as confident as he appeared.
Damn Muggle logic puzzle!
After thinking for a moment, Quirrell said in a low voice, “The true guide is the Hyena!”
As his voice fell, the narration read: “You chose the Hyena as your guide, and it showed you a path. However, shortly after you departed, a group of forest monsters attacked and looted all the brandy being transported. Mission failed!”
“You have violated Rule Three and triggered punishment.”
“Punishment form: Electric shock!”
Before the two could react, a loud crack echoed from the sky, and lightning struck.
It was not natural current, but rather some kind of magic. It glowed with a dazzling silver-blue hue and violently struck Ron and Quirrell’s heads.
The powerful magic instantly flowed through their bodies. The sensations of muscle spasms and magical disorder, which they had experienced before, returned, and pain surged through their nerves like a tide.
Both collapsed with their hair disheveled. After a while, they shakily sat up.
Ron coughed, exhaling a puff of white smoke, and complained, “Why does it feel like it hurt more than last time… Hey, didn’t you say you guessed the answer?”
“Shut up, Weasley!”
Ron wasn’t afraid of him, as he didn’t dare use magic and was frail anyway. “I thought you were something special, but it turns out you were just boasting. No wonder everyone at school looks down on you; they were right.”
Quirrell’s hand trembled. He hesitated whether to draw his wand and curse the annoying redhead to death.
But he didn’t dare.
The annoying Weasley’s feeling was correct. The power of the punishment lightning was indeed increasing. While it hadn’t caused physical harm yet, he was unsure how much its amplification would increase if it continued.
While hesitating, the even more annoying narration sounded again:
“Punishment complete!”
“Descendant’s path continues… The mission has failed. The great Fire Dragon’s favorite brandy has been stolen. As descendants, you must now bear its wrath!”
“?”
The two, who had been arguing moments before, exchanged glances, then looked around.
“Is this a hint for the next step?”
“It should be,” Quirrell mused. “The so-called dragon’s wrath might signify that our next task will become more difficult.”
Ron habitually countered, “Why would it be symbolic? Why couldn’t it be the real Fire Dragon appearing before us and breathing fire on us?”
Quirrell impatiently replied, “Stupid Weasley, don’t you understand yet? There are no real monsters in this scenario. It’s like a three-dimensional novel from Muggle society, a tabletop game. Danger only exists in the narration. All our actions must follow the narration, analyze the clues within it to complete tasks, succeed to get rewards, and fail to accept punishment. The Fire Dragon doesn’t exist…”
Before he could finish speaking.
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
The sound of huge wings flapping approached rapidly from high above. Quirrell and Ron looked up in astonishment, seeing a Fire Dragon descending from the crayon-drawn blue sky and white clouds.
Yes, a real Fire Dragon!
By the time they saw it, the Fire Dragon’s gaping maw had already opened, and a fierce, dark red firelight flickered a few times before it spat!
…
On the other side, Harry and Hermione, who had arrived at the “Forest Kingdom,” encountered the same problem.
Looking at the text in the dialogue boxes above the cardboard figures named “Hippopotamus,” “Lion,” and “Hyena,” Harry’s head swam.
What was all this?
In his eyes, this problem was unsolvable, with no beginning or end!
He couldn’t help but feel discouraged.
After meeting Hermione, they exchanged the information they knew and analyzed that this so-called Trial Space was likely a mechanism designed by Dumbledore to guard the Philosopher’s Stone.
Only by passing would they have hope of obtaining the Philosopher’s Stone.
According to Hermione, this place was somewhat like a level in a Muggle computer game, and the first level in Muggle computer games was usually the easiest.
Harry hadn’t expected to perform so poorly, like an idiot, in the first level.
Who designed such a detestable question?
Was this a question a human could come up with?
Just as Harry was cycling between doubt and self-doubt, Hermione thought for a moment and suddenly said, “I have the answer.”
“Huh?” Harry, who had been holding his head, was startled.
Hermione explained, “It’s very simple to solve this problem. The key lies in the Hippopotamus’s statement, ‘The Hyena is the guide!'”
“Here, we can use the method of assumption. First, the problem states that only the guide among the three did not lie. If we assume the Hippopotamus is the guide, then what he said is true: the Hyena is the guide. This results in two guides, which does not fit the problem.”
“If we assume the Hyena is the guide, then everyone else except him is lying. What the Hippopotamus said is also a lie. The Hyena is not the guide, which contradicts the assumption that the Hyena is the guide, so that’s also not valid.”
“Excluding the Hippopotamus and the Hyena, the final result is obvious: the Lion is the true guide!”
Harry didn’t understand, but he was greatly impressed!
Soon, the narration sounded in their ears: “You chose the Lion as your guide. He showed you a path, and you safely delivered the fire-repelling potion to the front lines without incident.”
“With the help of the fire-repelling potion, you and other warriors joined forces to successfully infiltrate the lair of the Dragon’s Descendants. Due to the lack of brandy, the Fire Dragon did not come to support. You successfully destroyed the lair, bringing you one step closer to the Fire Dragon’s castle!”
“Fairy Tale Town has ended. Now, settlement.”
“Ron Weasley, Quirinus Quirrell, mission failed, punishment received, reward: none.”
“Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, mission successful, reward obtained: Wish Brush.”
“Current faction points, Warrior Group 1: 0 lead!”
“However, brave warriors, this is only a temporary victory. The princess abducted by the dragon still awaits your rescue ahead, in that castle within the painting—”
As the narration spoke, the scene before them collapsed again. The cardboard-like town, forest, and mountains dissolved into countless small squares, sliding like quicksand.
Harry and Hermione floated in a pitch-black void, overlooking the small squares reforming into a giant scroll.
It gradually unfurled in the boundless void, spanning heaven and earth. As the ground-like canvas undulated slightly, a castle appeared within it.
The moment the castle appeared, Harry and Hermione were involuntarily drawn into it.
…
At the very top of the entire Trial Space, Vaughn and Dumbledore observed the progress below.
From their perspective, the so-called Fairy Tale Town was actually a giant pop-up book. As the pages turned, grasslands appeared, forests sprang up, mountains rose majestically, and the sun and moon traversed the sky.
It was magic, and it was an alchemical marvel!
“Before this, I never imagined you had such a childlike side, Vaughn.”
Dumbledore said with a jest.
Vaughn ignored his teasing, his eyes faintly glowing as he carefully observed the Fairy Tale Town collapsing below and reassembling into the castle in the painting.
After a long pause, he finally said, “I chose fairy tales because they are simple, without overly complex plots or narrative logic. Essentially, I was just proposing an experimental concept to see if you, or rather, alchemy, could achieve it.”
“So, are you satisfied with the results?”
“Quite satisfied!” Vaughn replied, “Although it is still far from my ultimate vision, at least it has shown me the direction. Including the castle in the painting… a book, a painting, all are worlds. The research and mastery of space and dimensions through alchemy are truly wonderful!”
Dumbledore looked at him and asked with a smile, “Would you like to go in and experience it? After the level was designed, you haven’t seen it from the inside.”
“Of course, I must go in.”
Vaughn did not refuse, stating.
Because the subsequent events would require him to enter the “painting” to observe them in their entirety; otherwise, due to time constraints, everything would end inexplicably.
However, he had a condition.
Vaughn glanced at Dumbledore and said, “You must transfer the control of the ‘painting’ to me, especially the power to set the rules!”
Both the Fairy Tale Town and the castle in the painting utilized an ancient magic mastered by Dumbledore, the oldest magic passed down at Hogwarts.
A type of contract magic.
It could be traced back to the time when the Four Founders created Hogwarts. The Four Founders, using alchemy, created two alchemical marvels from this contract magic: the Pen of Acceptance and the Book of Admission.
As the names suggest, the contract magic’s function is to sign agreements.
This type of magic is not uncommon in modern spell systems; Unbreakable Vows and Fidelio Curses, etc., are all examples.
But ancient magic still has its merits.
For instance, the ancient magic applied by Dumbledore might be slightly inferior to the Unbreakable Vow and Fidelio Curse in terms of true secrecy and contractual binding power, but it upholds the “powerful” advantage of ancient magic.
The Pen of Acceptance and the Book of Admission are prime examples. These two alchemical marvels can “monitor” the entire British Isles!
Under their monitoring, upon the birth of any human with magical power within England, a contract is immediately signed, “agreeing” to the Pen of Acceptance writing their name in the Book of Admission, with no right to refuse.
Yes, as long as one possesses magical power, even a Squib （ (from the original work, Squibs have magic ）), they will be recorded—of course, in reality, the Book of Admission is stricter. Each time a Squib is detected, it automatically closes, refusing to let the Pen of Acceptance record the Squib’s name.
“It’s a shame, Old Dumbledore has always kept those two good things hidden from me…” Vaughn’s thoughts drifted. The Pen of Acceptance and the Book of Admission were the alchemical marvels with the widest magical coverage he knew of to date.
However, he understood Dumbledore’s caution. Those two alchemical marvels were equivalent to a citizen information database in Muggle society, recording all wizards in England, so naturally, they couldn’t be easily brought out.
The Fairy Tale Town and the castle in the painting also utilized the same magic. Anyone entering them would automatically sign a contract, agreeing to abide by the “rules.”
As for what the “rules” were… of course, they were whatever Old Dumbledore, who created them, wanted to add.
If he didn’t demand control, who knew if Old Dumbledore would add some strange rules after Vaughn entered.
Dumbledore’s face lengthened, “You don’t trust me?”
Vaughn smiled and replied amiably, “I might trust anyone else, but you, I don’t trust at all.”
“…”
Old Dumbledore was speechless for a moment, then finally mumbled something under his breath and waved his hand downwards.
Soon, a scroll appeared from the vast canvas below, like a plain, emerging from the land, and flew into his hand. The scroll looked ordinary, with no divine aura.
But in the eyes of Vaughn and Dumbledore, it shone as brightly and dazzlingly as the sun!
Literally bright and dazzling.
Vaughn’s eyes shimmered with magical light. Due to his Alchemy Talent, he saw that the scroll was entirely composed of countless densely packed runes. Their number was so vast, and they were stacked so tightly, that the runes had almost merged into one, even the light forming a continuous stream.
“This is the body of the painting, and the key to controlling it…” Dumbledore handed the scroll to Vaughn. He paused, suddenly feeling awkward, because Vaughn’s concerns were also his own.
What if, after entering, Vaughn added some bizarre rules…
Vaughn saw his thought and gave him a sidelong glance, “What about the control spell? Don’t you trust me?”
“…To be honest, not very much…”
“…”
The old and young man stared at each other. After a moment of stalemate, they simultaneously chose to ignore the embarrassing issue.
“Ahem, Harry and Quirinus have already entered.”
“Yes, let’s go in too…”
Dumbledore raised his arm and signaled Vaughn to grab on. “I must say, Vaughn, the castle in the painting will absolutely amaze you. It was completely built according to the virtual reality concept you proposed, although it is somewhat different from virtual reality.”
“I specifically looked into it later. Muggle virtual reality is more like weaving illusions in the brain. Magic disdains creating something that is essentially still fake, because it is too simple. We can use alchemy to make the false become true!”
As they spoke, Vaughn had already grasped Dumbledore’s hand, and Old Dumbledore slowly flew down with him.
As the two approached the vast canvas below, it was an illusion. As the distance closed, Vaughn felt his vision expand to encompass the canvas, which seemed to stretch further and further, almost in an instant, the flat canvas had become like the horizon, extending as far as the eye could see.
Then, at a certain moment, everything before them transformed instantaneously.
The deep darkness overhead and the ancient inner walls of Hogwarts Castle suddenly vanished. The blue sky and white clouds reflected in their eyes. Beneath their feet was a winding path, undulating along the hills, extending to the foot of the distant mountains, converging into a town.
The path passed through the town, piercing into the forest further away, and deep within the forest, a castle whose silhouette was only vaguely visible!
Dumbledore released his hand and looked at him with a smile, “My dear, welcome to the Painted World!”
Yes, they had entered the painting.
But…
Vaughn reached out, feeling the softness of the air as a gentle breeze brushed past his fingers, and inhaled the complex scent of the forest mixed with soil, dew, flowers, and even the steam rising from the sun-baked earth.
He could even feel the slight sting on his skin from the sunlight!
Magical paintings were common in the Wizarding World. The Weasley family had some, and Hogwarts corridors were lined with them. Vaughn had studied them before.
Although he hadn’t understood much then due to his lack of knowledge in alchemy, he knew that magical paintings, like photos treated with Developing Potion, were just “moving paintings” and essentially fake.
The mountains, water, flowers, and trees in the paintings were merely pigments combined according to certain rules. Only the figures in portrait paintings might be endowed with certain memories and personalities, exhibiting “free will.”
Before entering this painting, Vaughn had initially thought that the castle within it might be like the Fairy Tale Town, merely an extension in space and dimension.
However, everything he felt now was beyond his expectations.
It felt as if… Dumbledore had extracted a part of reality and placed it within the painting!
Thinking this, he couldn’t help but gaze at the town at the foot of the mountain. From here, he could see many people moving about in the town.
Could it be that there too…
As soon as this thought arose in his mind, Vaughn heard Dumbledore sigh, “Unfortunately, it’s still not perfect. I can’t create humans or living creatures, so I had to retain some fake elements.”
“Then, the people in the town are…?”
“Oh, they are all puppets,” Dumbledore shook his head, then quickly became cheerful again, “Thanks to Minerva and Filius, they contributed their most exquisite Transfiguration and spellcasting skills…”
