[Ding!]
[When the host enters a special location with a long history, the exploration function will be triggered.]
[This function will provide rewards based on the host's exploration progress of the location.]
[Exploration progress reaches 30%, Reward: soul container fragment x1]
[Exploration progress reaches 60%, Reward: spell fragment x1]
[Exploration progress reaches 100%, Reward: warriors dream]
[soul container fragment: Collect two pieces to increase Soul Capacity by 1.]
[spell fragment: Collect four pieces to strengthen a single spell.]
[warriors dream: The ghost of a powerful warrior still wandering the world; the specific benefits cannot be predicted until it is actually obtained.]
...
This description was all too familiar.
If an ordinary person were to travel unprepared to the Abyss region of Holy Nest without any outside help, it would basically be a death sentence.
That is the place of the Void, which even the Pale King Wyrm had to seal personally.
Yet Thorne could still sit here peacefully and even talk to that Old Bee.
Ultimately, it was all thanks to the "Exploration System" before him.
Almost out of instinct, Thorne pulled up the system panel.
[Name: Eric Thorn]
[Race: Human/Shackled Vessel]
[Weapon: None]
[Mask: Shackled]
[talisman: Shackled]
[Spell Library: Three White Spells (Howling Ghost, Vengeful Spirit, Desolate Dive)]
[Soul Capacity: 1/1]
[Items: None]
[Assets: None]
[Number of Special Scenes Unlocked: 23]
[Current Special Scene: St Mungos Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries (0.3%)]
...
The screen was full of "None" and a uniform "Shackled."
Thorne's heart was as calm as still water. Sigh, the various relationships of this body were so terrible that it gave him a strange sense of being at peace with wherever he ended up.
"Mr. Thorne, what's wrong?"
The Old Bee's voice pulled Thorne back from his thoughts.
"Uh, no, nothing."
Thorne was stunned for a moment, but quickly composed his expression, managing to put on a normal look.
This is a good thing.
He said to himself in his heart.
At least I have a system. No matter what, it's much better than going back to the situation where I could be kicked out by my landlord at any time, right?
Thinking of this, Thorne let out a long breath.
When he looked up at the Old Bee again, a faint smile was on his face, and his mental state was completely different from before.
"Can we talk more?"
Thorne's tone calmed down, "For example... the Ministry of Magic, or yourself."
The Old Bee's dozens of compound eyes narrowed slightly at this moment, as if he were squinting to examine Thorne's sudden change in attitude.
After a moment, he gave a meaningful smile.
"Of course."
As the other party spoke unhurriedly, some fragmented and familiar terms gradually pieced together into a complete outline.
Thorne whispered the name in his heart.
"Dumbledore..."
By this point, he was almost certain.
He... seemed to have arrived in some "work" again.
Harry Potter
That was a literary work that was extremely popular in his original world.
To be honest, he couldn't be blamed for not reacting immediately.
Wizengamot, Azkaban... taking these words individually, who could immediately associate them with Hogwarts?
If the other party had mentioned Hogwarts at the beginning, things might have been much simpler.
Moreover, this time the world setting was almost entirely foreign to him.
At most, he had only seen one movie.
The only deep impression left then was that the movie was really dark.
Even this Dumbledore was someone he had only heard of and was very unfamiliar with. In the end, he seemed to have fallen from a building and died... Hiss, a Wizard can actually die from a fall? It seems his strength is just average.
"Alright, that's basically the situation."
After finishing the introduction to the Ministry of Magic and some basic common sense, the Old Bee stopped talking and looked at Thorne with a smile.
"So, Mr. Thorne, is there anything else you want to know?"
At some point, a cup of black tea had appeared in his hand.
Thorne glanced out of the corner of his eye and happened to see the other party drop six sugar cubes into the cup.
"Hiss..."
Thorne instinctively gasped.
This isn't just a matter of being too sweet; this is a lethal dose, isn't it?
As expected of a Bee.
He decisively looked away to avoid affecting his judgment, thought for a moment, and then spoke:
"Hmm... there is indeed one more question."
"That Azkaban Mr. Dawlish mentioned just now."
Thorne tried to keep his tone calm, "What kind of place is that? Is it also a magic school?"
"Cough, cough—"
Dumbledore choked on his tea on the spot.
He gave Thorne a rather strange look, then shook his head.
"No, Azkaban is not a school."
"It is a prison, a prison specifically for Wizards."
"Oh, a prison... is there a difference?"
Dumbledore looked like he wanted to leave immediately, but he kept his tone steady, without any hint of a joke.
"Mr. Thorne, given your current situation... there is indeed a possibility of being sent there."
Thorne's eyes narrowed slightly.
No.
If he couldn't freely explore this world, his exploration system would be as good as useless.
In that case, he would lose even his last resort.
So he absolutely could not go with that Snail.
That Snail was right outside the door now.
And his Soul Capacity was only enough to cast one spell.
Then the plan was clear: use one spell to take out one person.
The remaining one... solve it with physical combat.
Thorne quickly calculated in his head.
Then, he straightened up slightly and channeled the Soul Magic within him.
But Dumbledore suddenly couldn't help but cough:
"Cough, cough... my old bones can't withstand a hit like that one just now."
Thorne looked up, his gaze meeting Dumbledore's for a brief moment.
The next second, Thorne suddenly relaxed his body and lay back on the hospital bed.
"Oh, sorry."
Dumbledore looked at him, his smile still gentle.
"It's fine."
"As long as you give up the plan to blow me sky-high, Mr. Thorne."
"Your magic is truly special."
Thorne's heart sank.
He had been seen through.
Since the other party had already noticed his preparations and could still calmly offer a reminder, it meant that this Old Bee was definitely not as simple as he appeared on the surface.
He probably had more than a few tricks up his sleeve.
Thorne completely gave up any intention of resisting.
Forget it.
I'll just go to prison quietly...
I'll find a way to break out later. Hmm... should I tattoo a map of the prison on my body first?
While Thorne completely "laid flat," Dumbledore looked at him with great interest, clear excitement flashing in his compound eyes.
"Hmm... very interesting."
"I have never seen this type of magic before."
"So pure, yet so stable."
He paused, his tone becoming more serious.
"More importantly, when they dug you out from the rubble, they found that the white light emerging from your body was actively repairing your physical form."
Dumbledore leaned forward slightly, as if he were looking at extremely precious experimental material.
"I think it must be a completely new magic system."
"Very much worth studying."
He threw out the last sentence with a smile:
"So, do you want to be a teacher?"
Hearing this, Thorne couldn't help but rub his temples.
"Sorry, Mr. Headmaster. Setting aside the fact that I'm someone headed for prison."
His tone became a bit more serious, "I must clarify one thing first."
"The reason I can do those things is that I, too, am not human."
Dumbledore's expression froze noticeably, a hint of confusion appearing in his compound eyes.
"...Too?"
"Uh, that's not important."
Thorne waved his hand, feeling that compared to a Bee, he was indeed closer to being human.
"Anyway, this is just an ability brought by my own special constitution, not some kind of knowledge that can be taught."
That being said.
But the "I'm very interested in you" expression on Dumbledore's face didn't fade at all.
In fact... it became even more obvious.
Thorne felt a chill in his heart and instinctively shuddered.
This old man, what does he want?
"Enough!"
The door to the ward was suddenly pushed open.
"Dumbledore, there's no way you're taking this kid!"
Dawlish walked in with a cold face, his gaze sweeping over Thorne like a knife.
"Kid, the place you're going is prison."
"Whether you know these laws or not—you killed someone, and there's no escaping that."
"Dawlish, shouting is forbidden in the hospital."
Just then.
Another figure walked into the ward.
The first time Thorne saw the other person, an image inexplicably popped into his mind.
In the City of Tears, those noble bugs who were stuffed with fat and dressed in finery.
This was a fat golden cockroach.
His entire carapace was shiny and oily, and his two antennae were even trimmed into elegant curves, exuding an unmasked aura of power.
This... there should be quite a bit of money after killing him, right?
"M-Minister?!"
Dawlish's face changed, "Why are you here?"
"Fudge."
Dumbledore's tone was calm, "Long time no see."
"Heh, yes, Dumbledore."
The golden cockroach snorted coldly, "Though every time I see you, it's never anything good."
"But I've helped you solve a bad situation this time, haven't I? All the Muggles have decided not to pursue it, which saves a lot of trouble."
"And Mr. Thorne has always been a Muggle and hasn't shown any magical talent, so he hasn't technically violated the Statute of Secrecy."
"As you know, Hogwarts is responsible for identifying Wizards, so leaving it to the school is the safest choice. By the way, where is the item I asked for?"
After a moment of silence, Fudge pulled a paper bag from his coat and tossed it to Dumbledore. He walked into the ward, his gaze sweeping over the group before landing on Thorne, who was still sitting on the bed looking bewildered.
"Fine, you always get what you want."
He waved his antennae impatiently, "The person can be taken away."
Dawlish immediately stepped forward, his tone astonished:
"Minister, this is a murderer!"
"How can you allow a murderer to teach at a school? I won't let him go!"
"You will."
Fudge said flatly.
"And now, he is no longer a murderer."
At these words, Thorne was stunned.
Dawlish was also stunned.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore took a candy from the paper bag, put it in his mouth, and smiled slightly, as if he had expected this scene all along.
"A friend of mine sent some... small gifts."
"They happen to come in handy now."
"If they were only on the verge of death, they could still be saved."
As he spoke, he handed the paper bag to Thorne, stood up, and straightened his sleeves.
Then he turned his head and looked at Thorne, who still hadn't fully reacted, his tone gentle and natural:
"Alright."
"Professor Thorne."
"Please come with me."
"We're going to Hogwarts."
"Uh, wait a moment, Mr. Headmaster. I have one more request," Thorne said suddenly.
"As you know, I'm a mental patient. You could say returning to the hospital is like coming home."
"So... can I take a tour of my home?"