bantayden Chapter 230, page 229: A Beating Heart, Suddenly Returning to the Past
Chapter 230, page 229: A Beating Heart, Suddenly Returning to the Past
Chapter 230, Page 229: The Beating Heart Suddenly Returns
inside the room.
The candlesticks overhead cast a dim, yellowish light, and the shadows on the walls distorted with the flickering candlelight. A gentle breeze blew outside the window, causing the flames on the ceiling candlesticks to sway slightly. Although the light wasn't particularly bright, it still enveloped the entire room in a soft glow.
At least most things, even Morgan Jr. could see clearly.
"I'm speechless!" Ian stared at the object in Morgan's hand, utterly bewildered. He had expended so much energy searching for the hidden treasure within the Mirror of Eris, only to find nothing. Meanwhile, Morgan, seemingly oblivious, had suddenly obtained the very treasure he had been racking his brains to find from the mirror.
This is why the Mirror of Erised teaches a lesson to every impatient person.
Ian felt a sense of helplessness, and he realized that he had just become like Voldemort, falling into worldly ways and obsessing over something that seemed within reach but could never be obtained.
"How exactly does the Mirror of Erised hide things?" Ian was now quite anxious, but this anxiety had turned from finding the hidden things into an obsession with the Mirror of Erised's functions.
Undeterred, he approached the magic mirror again, carefully examining the runes. The runes on the mirror resembled mysterious symbols, each line containing secrets about magic.
"No, no, where the hell is it hidden? That magical rune that should be there." Ian's eyes darted among the magical runes, not missing a single detail, but after looking for a long time, he still couldn't find anything different about the runes, and he couldn't find the special magical rune hidden in the magic mirror at all.
"Could this part of the runes be hidden in some unseen component inside the Mirror of Eris?" Ian pondered to himself; this was the only reasonable guess he could think of at the moment.
He had an urge to take the Mirror of Erised apart.
There's no way around it; how should I put it? Most of the time, this kind of extremism and pride is also the reason why someone succeeds in a certain field. Moreover, the more outstanding the field, the more arrogant the people in it become. Ian is no exception. Like most geniuses, he finds it hard to accept that he can't even find the slightest clue.
Just at this time.
Just as Ian was feeling down, little Morgan looked up at the box in his hand and asked Ian with a curious expression, "Teacher, what is this?"
She had gleaned some information from Ian's expression, so she figured he probably knew what he had found. To be honest, Morgan had absolutely no idea how the box had ended up in her hands.
She was also eager to get an answer.
but.
This falls under the category of the pursuit of magic and knowledge. If Morgan von Leigh were to attend Hogwarts, she would most likely be assigned to Ravenclaw rather than Slytherin, provided she wasn't placed in Azkaban.
"I also want to know what's inside." Ian stopped studying the Mirror of Erised and looked at little Morgan's hands, where the young witch was holding an ancient and exquisite box.
The box is engraved with intricate patterns, and its edges are inlaid with a few shimmering gemstones. The box appears to be made of some kind of ancient wood, but its surface has a faint coppery green hue, a metallic sheen, and an air of antiquity, as if it has weathered countless years.
"Why don't we open it and take a look?"
Ian made the suggestion to Morgan Jr.
However, Morgan hesitated for a moment, her fingers gently tracing the edge of the box, as if weighing something. In the end, though, she still handed the box to Ian.
"You should do it, teacher. I'm afraid there might be some traps inside. After all, there's no such thing as a free lunch." Little Morgan also showed the caution that a wizard should have.
She seemed somewhat uneasy about this "gift" from the Mirror of Erised.
"Shouldn't be a problem?" Ian took the box, feeling its weight and cool touch. He lowered his head and carefully studied the magical runes on the box. These runes emitted faint magical fluctuations. Ian took a deep breath, concentrated, and began to seriously decipher these runes.
This time, we didn't encounter any difficulties.
With his solid magical knowledge, he easily deciphered the magical runes on the box. After confirming there were no traps, Ian slowly opened the box.
Compared to cracking restrictions or guessing the correct "password".
The old methods still work best.
"These restrictions aren't complicated; a simple unlocking spell can open them," he said softly, tracing the surface of the box lightly with his fingers before reciting a string of incantations.
The unlocking spell, with its extraordinary properties, has an immediate effect.
As his voice faded, the runes on the box gradually lit up, then quickly dimmed again. The lid of the box made a soft "click" sound.
It was as if some kind of mechanism had been triggered.
The moment the latch popped open, a mechanical buzzing sound pierced the air. As the box opened, a series of mechanical sounds rang out, crisp and rhythmic, like some kind of sophisticated instrument starting up. Ian and Morgan's eyes simultaneously focused on the inside of the box, where they saw a heart made entirely of metal.
All I saw was...
Inside the box, a heart made entirely of metal lay quietly, its surface gleaming with a cold silver light, its seemingly intricate metal texture delicate and regular.
It appears to have been meticulously crafted by the finest artisans, possessing a striking cyberpunk aesthetic. Surprisingly, this heart is actually beating slowly, emitting enchanting mechanical music.
Each of its jumps was accompanied by a slight mechanical sound, causing the surrounding air to vibrate slightly. The sound wasn't loud, but it was definitely exceptionally clear and distinctive.
"Wow! Is this a moving work of art?" Little Morgan's eyes widened as he looked at the mechanical heart with great curiosity, and he couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"I don't think it's a work of art." Ian looked surprised. As if he had suddenly thought of something, he quickly took out the eyeball he had taken from Merlin earlier from the money bag in his pocket.
as predicted.
Just as the little wizard had expected, the eyeballs spun wildly in his palm, as if summoned by some special force, and countless lights seemed to flicker on the originally calm surface.
Meanwhile, the mechanical heart inside the box beat more frequently and rapidly. An invisible connection seemed to have formed between the two magical entities; they appeared to be attracting each other, trying to come together, yet lacking a central framework, or other components.
"The Alchemist God... an organ of an artificial god...?"
Ian murmured to himself, recalling Merlin's words about the origin of this eyeball. His brow furrowed slightly, a surge of intense curiosity and doubt welling up within him.
He remembered that the Alchemist God was the true creator, created by the Raven in disguise, but he couldn't understand what purpose the Alchemist God had in creating these things.
of course.
Perhaps he could use these two so-called organs to make inferences. If the young wizard was not mistaken, these two organs should possess some special abilities.
However, it is still necessary to study and explore what kind of special abilities it possesses.
It can't be simple, after all, if it dares to name the complete form of this creation "god", then it must at least be able to contend with a real god after it is complete.
Just as Ian was staring blankly at the two alchemical creations that were trying to merge but failed, Morgan suddenly looked at Ian and said something for no apparent reason with a nervous look in his eyes.
"Teacher, are you leaving?" This was a rather abrupt question, and even Ian, who was focused on studying the mechanical heart, couldn't understand why little Morgan would ask such a question.
however.
In those few seconds that Ian was stunned,
Suddenly, he felt the ancient time converter in his arms begin to vibrate slightly. Looking down, he saw a faint light shimmering on the surface of the converter.
It was as if triggered by some force. Ian was startled, not expecting the time converter to activate at this moment. Had Professor Flamel from the future found another way to guide him?
"This is a bit too sudden."
Ian felt the power of time gradually emerging.
He could clearly feel the torrent of time surging around him.
but.
What surprised Ian even more was how little Morgan knew in advance. Was it because little Morgan had a stronger sense of time than he did, or because little Morgan also possessed the talent of "prophecy"? It seemed that many powerful wizards he knew possessed the power of prophecy, and even Dumbledore simply chose not to believe in the power of prophecy.
Ian, who didn't have that talent, didn't bother to complain. He took out the glowing time converter and looked at the metal heart that was still in the box.
"I think it should belong to you." The little wizard closed the box again, and the mechanical sound immediately stopped. He then handed the box back to little Morgan.
But Morgan Jr. didn't take it.
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"Will we ever meet again?" Morgan saw Ian's expression and immediately confirmed her feeling. Her expression suddenly became somewhat reluctant.
It was even rare to notice that the girl's eyes were a little red.
"Of course," Ian answered without hesitation. He quickly took out his usual class notes and handed them to Morgan. The cover of the notes was already worn, and they were filled with Ian's handwriting, recording various magical knowledge and his insights. Naturally, there were also things that Morgan had taught him in the dreamlike realm.
"Then you can give me this box when we meet again." Morgan took Ian's notebook, but still didn't take the box that fell from the Mirror of Eris.
Obviously.
She wanted to use this box as a kind of agreement between Ian and herself.
Ian looked at Morgan, wanting to say something, but suddenly realized that Riddle and Malfoy weren't nearby, so he immediately turned sharply toward the door.
They wanted to run over or use magic to summon them.
However, the power of the ancient time converter was exerted very quickly, and the surrounding time fluctuations came in stronger and stronger, engulfing Ian like a surging tide.
All I saw was...
Ian's figure began to blur.
In Ian's view, everything belonging to this era is rapidly becoming blurred.
Morgan stood there, clutching the notebook tightly, her gaze lingering on the spot where Ian had disappeared. A tear flickered in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by unwavering resolve.
"I will find you, teacher, no matter how long it takes..." she said softly, her voice filled with determination. There was still so much she didn't know about her teacher.
but.
Perhaps she could learn all this information from the boy who had been left behind by the teacher? Morgan left the room and walked into the hallway, where she saw figures still moving around in Riddle's room.
Obviously.
The other two didn't leave with Ian. To be honest, Ian was also quite speechless about this; he was in the time tunnel but didn't find Riddle and Malfoy.
"Then what were you doing going back in time?!" Ian had originally gone back in time to hunt down Riddle, but he never expected that not only would he not find Malfoy, he would also lose Riddle.
This journey... well, it wasn't entirely meaningless, was it? At least I've become a legend and saved a city? I just don't know what kind of trouble Riddle and Malfoy might pose in the Middle Ages.
"Please don't let me see a history book that's been drastically changed! Or that the whole world has changed!" Ian thought to himself, as he followed the resounding passage of time into the future.
The surrounding light and shadow shifted rapidly, like countless shattered mirrors reflecting fragments of history. He saw medieval knights charging into battle, achieving great feats, Renaissance artists expressing their inspiration on canvases, and even steam engines roaring amidst the thick smoke billowing from the chimneys of the Industrial Revolution.
These fragments range from momentous events and glorious moments of great figures to the tragic tragedies of the defeated. They are like frozen moments in time, silently piecing together the complete history of humankind. Of course, there are also many fragments about wizards, such as the founding of Hogwarts, and... that mysterious transfer student and the raven. That transfer student was indeed quite mysterious.
Ian saw more than just the other side wreaking havoc.
even.
As the dragon fell at the other's feet, Ian swore he saw the other look up at him! Ian had encountered the same situation once before in the time tunnel.
but.
The time she looked at her baby was no ordinary sight.
"This transfer student??" Ian didn't have time to look at much more; the fragments about transfer students and Hogwarts had already flashed by. This "train" was clearly faster than the last one, perhaps because they were afraid that things might change if they were slow. The power of time seemed to be urging Ian onward, carrying him towards the future.
Suddenly, a blinding light flashed from ahead, and Ian instinctively closed his eyes. He felt his body being pulled away from the passage by a powerful force.
"Finally, I'm back in my time." A deep buzzing sound came to Ian's ears, like countless people whispering, but he couldn't make out what they were saying.
Perhaps this is the aftereffect of "driving fast".
Fortunately, it didn't last long.
Ian immediately felt his body become heavy again, and his feet seemed to be on solid ground. He slowly opened his eyes, and a familiar scene came into view—the alchemy professor's office at Hogwarts. Inside the room, bookshelves were filled with ancient books and strange alchemical tools.
Ian's gaze swept around before finally settling on what lay ahead. There stood a tense Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and a relieved Professor Nick Flamel.
good news.
Ian noticed that the two professors' attire and the layout of the classroom had not changed, and he sensed that there were no banners or slogans in Hogwarts proclaiming Voldemort's conquest of the world.
As for the bad news... some of his past actions have ultimately affected the future. Ian saw an ancient oil painting on the wall of this office that shouldn't have been there.
He's up there.
There is also Helbo, who is depicted as a shadow monster.
His face was still shown in close-up.
(End of this chapter)