[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 for this location]
[Exploration reach 30%, reward: Soul Vessel Fragment × 1]
[Exploration reach 60%, reward: Spell Fragment × 1]
[Exploration reach 100%, reward: Warrior's Dream]
[Soul Vessel Fragment: Collect two pieces to increase soul capacity × 1]
[Spell Fragment: Collect four pieces to strengthen a single spell]
[Warrior's Dream: The ghost of a powerful warrior still lingering in the world; until it is actually obtained, the specific benefits cannot be predicted]
...
This description was just way too familiar.
If an ordinary person transmigrates to the Abyss region of Hallownest without any preparation, and with zero outside help, it's basically a direct death sentence.
That place is where the Void resides, which even the Pale King Wyrm had to seal off personally.
Yet Thorne can still sit here peacefully right now, and even talk to that Old Bee.
When you get right down to it, it's all thanks to this "Exploration System" right in front of me.
Almost out of instinct, Thorne pulled up the system panel.
[Name: Thorne Eric]
[Race: Human/Bound Vessel]
[Weapon: None]
[Faceguard: Bound]
[Charm: Bound]
[Spell Pool: Three White Spells （Howling Wraiths, Vengeful Spirit, Desolate Dive）]
[Soul Capacity: 1/1]
[Items: None]
[Assets: None]
[Number of Special Scenes Unlocked: 23]
[Current Special Scene: St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries （0.3%）]
...
A screen full of 'None', and nothing but 'Bound'.
Thorne's mind was as calm as still water right now. Sigh, this body's various relationships were so shitty that it actually gave him an inexplicable feeling of taking things as they come.
"Mr. Thorne, what's wrong?"
Old Bee's voice pulled Thorne back from his thoughts.
"Uh, n-nothing."
Thorne was stunned for a moment, but he quickly composed himself and forced a normal look onto his face.
This is a good thing.
He told himself.
At least I've got a system now. Anyway, it's way better than going back to the way I was before—always on the verge of being kicked out by my landlord at any moment, right?
Thinking this, Thorne let out a long sigh.
When he looked up at that Old Bee again, a faint smile was already on his face, and his whole mental state was like a completely different person compared to just now.
"Can I chat with you for more information?"
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 squinting, scrutinizing Thorne's sudden change in attitude.
A moment later, he gave a meaningful smile.
"Of course."
As the other party spoke at an unhurried pace, some fragmented and familiar terms gradually pieced together into a complete outline.
Thorne softly murmured that name in his heart.
"Dumbledore..."
By this moment, he could almost be certain.
He... seemed to have ended up in another "work" again.
"Harry Potter"
It was a smash-hit literary work in his original world.
To be honest, you really can't blame him for not catching on right away.
Wizengamot, Azkaban... if you just pull these words out on their own, who would immediately think of Hogwarts?
If the other person had just mentioned Hogwarts at the start, things might have been a lot simpler.
What's more, this world setting is almost completely foreign to him.
He's only seen one movie at most.
The only deep impression he had at the time was that the movie was really dark.
Even this Dumbledore, I only feel like I've heard of him, not familiar at all, and in the end, it seems he fell off a building and died.... Hiss, a wizard can actually die from a fall, looks like his strength is just average.
"Alright, that's basically the general situation."
After introducing the Ministry of Magic and some of the most basic common knowledge, Old Bee stopped talking and looked at Thorne with a smile.
"So, Mr. Thorne, is there anything else you want to know?"
Without knowing when, a cup of black tea had already appeared in his hand.
Thorne caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye, just in time to see the other party drop six sugar cubes into the cup.
"Hiss..."
Thorne subconsciously hissed in a breath of cold air.
This wasn't even a matter of being too sweet anymore; this was a total lethal dose, right?
As expected of a Bee.
He decisively looked away to avoid affecting his judgment, thinking for a moment before speaking:
"Um... there is indeed one more question."
"That thing Mr. Dawlish mentioned just now, Azkaban."
Thorne kept his tone as calm as possible, "What kind of place is that? Is it also a magic school?"
"Cough, cough—"
Dumbledore choked on his tea right then and there.
He gave Thorne a rather peculiar look, then shook his head.
"No, Azkaban is not a school."
"It's a prison, a prison specifically for holding wizards."
"Oh, a prison... is there a difference?"
Dumbledore looked like he wanted to leave immediately, but he still kept his tone level, without the slightest hint of a joke.
"Mr. Thorne, looking at your current situation... the possibility of being sent there does indeed exist."
Thorne's eyes narrowed slightly.
No way.
If he couldn't freely explore this world, his exploration system would be as good as useless.
If that happened, he'd lose even his final reliance.
So he absolutely couldn't go with that Snail.
Right now, that Snail was right outside the door.
And his soul capacity was only enough to cast one spell.
Then the plan was clear: use one spell to take out one of them first.
The remaining one... would be handled with physical techniques.
Thorne was rapidly deducing in his mind.
Then, he straightened up slightly, mobilizing the soul magic within his body.
But Dumbledore suddenly seemed unable to help coughing:
"Cough, cough... these old bones of mine can't handle that blow just now."
Thorne raised his head, 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 on the plan to blow me sky-high, Mr. Thorne."
"Your magic is truly special."
Thorne's heart sank.
He'd been seen through.
Since the other party had already noticed his preparations and could still calmly speak up to remind him, it meant this Old Bee was definitely not as simple as he appeared on the surface.
He probably had more than just a couple of tricks.
Thorne completely gave up the idea of resisting.
Whatever.
Just go rot in prison then...
I'll find a way to break out when the time comes, hmm... do I need to tattoo a map of the prison on my body first?
And just as Thorne completely "laid flat," Dumbledore watched him with great interest, clear excitement flickering in his compound eyes.
"Hmm... very interesting."
"I've never seen this type of magic before."
"So pure, and yet so stable."
He paused, his tone becoming increasingly serious.
"More importantly, when they dug you out from the rubble, they found the white light emerging from your body was actively repairing your frame."
Dumbledore leaned forward slightly, as if seeing an extremely precious experimental material.
"I think that should be a brand-new magic system."
"It's very much worth studying."
He threw out the final 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. Aside from the fact that I'm someone headed for prison."
His tone grew a bit more serious, "I must clarify one thing first."
"The reason I was able to do those things is because I'm not human, either."
Dumbledore's expression visibly froze, a hint of confusion surfacing in his compound eyes.
"...Either?"
"Uh, that's not important."
Thorne waved his hand, feeling that compared to the Bee, he was indeed closer to a human.
"Anyway, this is just an ability brought by my own special constitution; it's not some kind of knowledge that can be taught."
That being said.
But the "I'm very interested in you" look on Dumbledore's face didn't fade in the slightest.
It even... became increasingly obvious.
Thorne felt a chill in his heart and instinctively shivered.
This old guy, what's he up to?
"Enough!"
The door to the ward was slammed open.
"Dumbledore, there's no way you're taking this kid away!"
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 moment Thorne saw him, a picture inexplicably flashed into his mind.
In the City of Tears, those aristocratic bugs dripping with grease and dressed in magnificent clothes.
This was a fat, golden cockroach.
Its whole carapace was oily and shiny, its two antennae even trimmed into elegant curves, exuding an undisguised aura of power.
This... it should be worth quite a bit of money if I kill it, right?
"M-Minister?!"
Dawlish's expression changed, "What are you doing here?"
"Fudge."
Dumbledore's tone was calm, "Long time no see."
"Heh, yeah, Dumbledore."
The golden cockroach gave a cold snort, "Actually, every time I see you, nothing good ever happens."
"But I helped you settle a mess this time, didn't I? All the Muggles don't plan to pursue it anymore, which saved a lot of trouble."
"Besides, Mr. Thorne has always been a Muggle and hasn't shown any magical talent, so he hasn't exactly broken the Statute of Secrecy."
"You know, Hogwarts is responsible for scouting out wizards, so leaving it to the school is the safest bet. By the way, where's the stuff I wanted?"
After a moment of silence, pulling a paper bag from his robes and tossing it to Dumbledore, Fudge walked into the ward, his gaze sweeping across the group before finally landing on Thorne, who was still sitting on the hospital bed looking completely dazed.
"Fine, you always get what you want."
He waved his tentacles impatiently, "The man can be taken away."
Dawlish immediately took a step forward, his voice filled with shock:
"Minister, this is a murderer!"
"How can a murderer be allowed to teach at a school? I won't let him go!"
"You will."
Fudge said flatly.
"And as of now, he is no longer a murderer."
At those words, Thorne froze.
Dawlish was equally stunned.
And Dumbledore took a piece of candy from the paper bag, put it in his mouth, and smiled slightly, as if he had long since anticipated this scene.
"A friend of mine sent over some... little gifts."
"Just in time, they'll come in handy now."
"If it's just a case of being near death, they can still be saved."
He said, handing the paper bag to Thorne, then stood up and straightened his sleeves.
Then he turned his head and looked at Thorne, who still hadn't quite reacted, his tone gentle and natural:
"Alright."
"Professor Thorne."
"Please come with me."
"We're going to Hogwarts."
"Um, wait a second, Mr. Headmaster. I have a request," Thorne said suddenly.
"You know, I'm a mental patient, so going back to the hospital is like going home."
"So... can I take a tour of my home?"