bookbashuk Chapter 461 Return to Central Continent
Chapter 461 Return to Central Continent
Chapter 461 Return to Central Continent
The Central Continent has been in the human era for thousands of years.
Elves have long become legends, dwarves have long since disappeared, and the world is now ruled by humans.
Human beings have left their footprints in every corner of Middle-earth, and even crossed oceans to discover new continents, completing the feat of circumnavigating the globe.
Humanity entered the steam age; the former kingdoms had long since vanished, replaced by numerous nations.
In a place overlooked by humans, there exists a hidden magical world.
The main body of the magical world consists of human wizards, along with a small number of dwarves, hobbits, and various other magical races and creatures.
Over thousands of years of historical changes, wizards have been scattered throughout the Middle Continent, and some have even crossed oceans to settle on overseas continents.
This led to the formation of various magical kingdoms, each with its own independent Ministry of Magic, and even different magic schools.
But no matter what, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as the oldest magic school and the birthplace of wizards, holds a special place in the hearts of all wizards.
It was under these circumstances that Dui appeared out of nowhere in Hogsmeade.
Hogsmeade City is hidden by magic and has never been discovered by ordinary people for many years. It is a city inhabited solely by wizards.
This ancient city, steeped in history, is the world's largest community of wizards, with nearly 100,000 people living there. It is a pilgrimage site for all wizards.
The entire city is filled with a magical atmosphere. Diagon Alley, as the oldest magical street, has been transformed countless times, but landmarks such as Ollivanders Wand Shop and Gringotts Wizarding Bank have always stood and become its iconic buildings.
Many of Gringotts' staff are dwarves, a race extinct in the ordinary human world. They have signed permanent magical contracts with wizards, cooperating with them to run banks, mine precious minerals underground, and forge various magical items, thus gaining a place in the magical world.
Dui wandered through the wizard streets, looking around at the familiar yet unfamiliar city with a touch of nostalgia.
His aura was restrained, just like an ordinary person, unnoticed by those around him.
It was the start of another school year, and Hogwarts Castle, which faces Hogsmeade across the lake, once again welcomed new students.
The new Minister for Magic at Hogsmeade is an enlightened man who actively follows up on the development of the ordinary world. He purchased a steam train from the ordinary world and built a railway from Brie to Hogsmeade.
Bree is now the largest city west of the Misty Mountains and the capital of the Eriardo region. Hogwarts students are required to travel to Bree, take the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade Station, and then proceed to Hogwarts to enroll.
Although this rule drew complaints from many wizards living in Hogsmeade, the Minister for Magic insisted that it was a necessary ritual.
Moreover, it is unclear when this tradition began, but newly enrolled students are required to come to the dock by the Black Lake, take a swan boat to the dock below the castle, and then go up a steep staircase to enter the castle to participate in the Sorting Ceremony.
The exquisite and elegant swan boats were once built by the elves of Tyrell. After thousands of years, they still show no signs of decay or fading, and once a year they carry newborns across the lake to begin a new life.
Watching the new students stumble along in the boat heading towards the castle, Dui silently boarded the last boat and followed them to Hogwarts Castle.
Hearing the exclamations of the new students as they gazed up at the magnificent castle, Dui's gaze fell upon the lake. Through the darkness of the deep lake, he saw a giant octopus sleeping at the bottom.
He felt a pang of nostalgia, reached out and stirred the lake water, and sighed softly, "Kraken, it's time to wake up."
His voice was so soft that even the other freshmen on the same boat didn't hear it. But the giant octopus sleeping at the bottom of the lake suddenly opened its eyes and showed a look of joy and excitement.
The once calm lake surface suddenly became turbulent. Amid the students' panic and chaos, a giant octopus, as large as an island, emerged from the water, waving its enormous tentacles that shot skyward and emitting a joyful hiss.
The school administrator guiding the new students was also taken aback by this scene and didn't know what to do.
Although he knew there was a giant octopus in the Black Lake that had lived for countless years, this octopus slept at the bottom of the lake year-round and would not attack people. Even if a mischievous newborn fell into the lake, its tentacles would lift it up and put it back on the boat, so he was always at ease.
But for some unknown reason, this giant octopus has become so agitated that the commotion it has caused has made all the ships sway precariously, with the possibility of capsizing at any moment.
"Stop! Stop now, you big guy!" the admin shouted at the giant octopus while clinging tightly to the hull.
The freshmen behind him let out screams of terror.
"Behave yourself, Kraken, don't scare the children," Dui said helplessly, looking at the excited giant octopus.
This guy has no idea how big he is; even the slightest movement he makes can cause a huge uproar.
Upon hearing Dui's reprimand, the wildly dancing octopus Kraken froze, obediently stopping its movements, but its eyes and voice were filled with grievance.
The giant octopus's cessation brought a sigh of relief to the administrators and all the new students. The little boy, who was alone on the last boat, boldly observed the giant octopus and then keenly noticed that its eyes were looking in his direction.
At first, he was startled, but then he realized that the giant octopus wasn't looking at him, but at what was behind him. Its huge eyes were filled with human-like closeness and excitement, just like when he hadn't seen his father in a long time.
The little boy felt a chill run down his spine and his face turned pale. He remembered that he was the only one on the boat, but the octopus clearly saw that someone was behind him.
The little boy, who kept imagining himself scaring himself, had a series of changing expressions before finally mustering his courage and turning his head to look behind him.
The force was so great that it almost snapped his neck.
Then he saw a handsome, tall man sitting behind him.
The little boy couldn't describe what kind of man he was. He looked very mysterious and noble, with deep black eyes that seemed to suck your soul in with just one glance.
When the little boy accidentally made eye contact with those eyes, his mind went completely blank. He only regained consciousness after the other person looked away.
The little boy, still shaken, dared not look at Dui again, his face filled with tension and his voice trembling: "Sir... are you even human?"
"A person?" A smile flashed in Dui's eyes as he looked at the little boy whose thoughts were written all over his face, then he shook his head slightly. "Not really."
After all, he can be considered a god now, so he can't be considered a human anymore.
But the little boy clearly misunderstood; his face turned deathly pale instantly, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Seeing that the little boy was about to cry from being frightened, Dui stopped teasing him and handed him a pearl.
"Alright, I won't scare you anymore. Here, take this pearl as a gift. Goodbye, little one."
The little boy blankly accepted the pearl that emitted a faint glow, and then watched helplessly as the man faded away and disappeared into thin air.
At the same time, the giant octopus also disappeared back into the lake.