The Unexpected Portal: A Race Against Time to Save a Life

Winning the Quidditch Cup put the entire Gryffindor House in an excited state, and this mood lasted for at least a week. Even the weather seemed to celebrate the victory: as June arrived, the days became hot and sunny with clear skies, and everyone felt that this weather called for sunbathing on the lawn with chilled pumpkin juice.

But this was just wishful thinking, after all, it was the end of May, and exams were approaching. Even Fred and George, usually the most active, were wholeheartedly preparing for their exams.

Not to mention Percy, who dreamed of working in the Ministry of Magic after graduation. He had told Ryan during a day of revision that thanks to Ryan's help, he had made an impression on Barty Crouch Sr., which would make his path to the Ministry much smoother. Now, all he needed was to achieve excellent results in his N.E.W.Ts, and he would surely find a good job at the Ministry. But this pressure made Percy seem a bit anxious these days, and every night he would shout at the people who disrupted the peace in the common room.

The operation of the study group was also getting smoother, and during this time, the focus was on helping the Weasley twins revise their exams and consolidate what everyone had learned, thereby improving the level of each participant. It's important to note that in the magical world, exams were different from those of ordinary people. Even if you scored high in theory, if your practical skills were lacking, your overall score would be low. On the other hand, if you excelled in practical skills, you could still get high marks even with average theoretical scores.

This is why Hermione's scores in Defense Against the Dark Arts were consistently lower than Harry's in the original series. At least, Hermione couldn't conjure a Patronus like Harry could when they were in their third year.

So, in these study sessions, the focus naturally shifted to practical skills that everyone didn't usually practice alone. In this relatively free and low-pressure environment, everyone made significant progress. Even students like Neville or Hannah, who didn't perform well academically, could correctly cast the spells they were currently learning.

That day, after everyone had practiced the Patronus Charm, Ryan, feeling tired, used it as an excuse to go to bed early. In the middle of the night, once he was sure that everyone was asleep, he opened the portal to the Myriad Realms Store.

After taking some time to pack the equipment he needed, Ryan, dressed in leather armor and a cloak, stood in front of the Store's door. These clothes had been remade in the Fallout world after his return from the Beauty and the Beast world, using legendary Deathclaw hide and ballistic fabric as materials. Ryan had also strengthened this outfit with his own magic.

Because of the experiences from the previous worlds, Ryan felt that he had improved his abilities. So, this time, he invested 32 deviation points to open a portal to a Level 6 world.

After double-checking that he had all the potions, weapons, and supplies he needed, Ryan held his wand and a jade talisman in his left hand and stepped into the pale blue vortex-shaped spatial portal.

Based on his previous crossings, Ryan had noticed that he always landed near the Chosen One (the protagonist) of the world he entered, often at a crucial turning point in the story.

That's why Ryan was always prepared for combat when he crossed over, as many novels, movies, and games often had the protagonist start their story by narrowly escaping danger. He wanted to ensure that if he encountered danger in this new world, he could decide whether to flee or fight back.

However, as the blue light in front of him disappeared, Ryan found himself in a luxurious hall decorated in Rococo style. The floor was covered with deep red carpet with scroll patterns, and the walls featured finely carved wooden wainscoting. In the center of the ceiling, an elaborate golden crystal chandelier hung. Iron shelves around the hall held several potted plants, adding a touch of life to the room.

"Have I entered someone's house?" Ryan was puzzled. However, it would be incredibly impolite to barge into someone else's place like this.

With this in mind, Ryan looked around and called out, "I'm sorry for intruding. Is anyone here?"

After shouting, Ryan listened carefully for any sounds but heard nothing for a while.

"The condition of this house suggests that someone wealthy lives here. It doesn't make sense for such a magnificent residence to be unattended. Maybe this is a haunted house, and the ghosts of the former wealthy owner still inhabit it," Ryan thought sarcastically.

After another round of shouting, Ryan heard a faint sound, like a heavy object falling on the carpet. If he hadn't been using his inner energy, he wouldn't have heard it at all.

Curious, Ryan proceeded to the room where he had heard the sound. He suspected that he might have entered a horror story. However, he felt confident in his abilities, especially after holding the Thunder Law Talisman in his left hand.

Upon entering the room where the noise had originated, Ryan was surprised by what he saw. Contrary to his expectations of encountering monsters or ghosts, he found only a young girl in white pajamas lying on a bed, one arm hanging off the side. A flower vase had fallen to the carpet next to her bedside table.

Ryan's magical detection confirmed that she was indeed a normal human girl, and she appeared to be in a very weakened state of unconsciousness. It was likely that she had been unable to respond to his earlier shouts and had resorted to knocking over the vase in a last-ditch attempt to seek help. Seeing her condition, Ryan rushed to her side and began to assess her.

After using magic, checking her pulse, Ryan came to a conclusion. The girl had started with a simple lung infection, but it had now deteriorated severely. Her pale complexion and weak breathing were clear indicators. If he didn't intervene now, she could die within hours.

Since entering this mansion, Ryan hadn't detected any signs of electricity. This might explain why the girl, though appearing wealthy, had let a simple lung infection reach such a critical stage. In the absence of antibiotics, diseases could easily claim human lives, even in a world with advanced technology. Ryan couldn't help but reflect on the fragility of human life.

Feeling a sense of urgency, Ryan searched his spatial pouch for a way to treat the girl. Given her current condition, even in a world with advanced medical technology, saving her would be difficult. He needed to see if there were alternative methods to heal her.

More chapters on freemiumnovel