Chapter 44: Unexpected Gains

Just like The Truman Show, one wall, two worlds.

Outside the wall, weeds cover the ground, and shrubs, towering to about half a human's height, have overtaken the space that once belonged to humans. The vegetation grows wildly and densely.

Fortunately, Ian had already cut down the tall trees around. Otherwise, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this place a subtropical rainforest.

A winding forest path is faintly visible through the dense vegetation. Perhaps it's because Irene often trims along the way that it has not been completely overtaken by plants.

The two walked slowly forward. Ian followed behind Irene, his wand firmly in hand, ready in case of any sudden accidents or emergencies.

After walking for about a quarter of an hour, they finally arrived at Irene's residence.

What came into view was a three-story European-style building with towering Roman columns and round arches adorned with exquisite carvings. There was also a small garden of about 100 square meters in front of the gate, with a landscape fountain at the center, featuring a sculpture of Cupid and an angel.

However, due to years of abandonment, the once luxurious villa now looked extremely dilapidated.

Pushing open the thick door, unlike the messy office building where Ian had lived, the furniture inside was unexpectedly neatly arranged, though covered in dust from lack of cleaning.

But Ian understood; after all, clean water was scarce in the apocalypse. Irene had lived alone before, and it was rare that things here could be arranged so neatly while conserving her energy.

Irene noticed Ian looking around after entering the room and couldn't help but laugh at herself.

"Isn't it dirty here? Every time I see your room is spotlessly clean and then come back here, I always feel like Cinderella, working in the castle and returning to my shabby house in the countryside."

"Ha, what are you talking about? I'm just impressed by the luxury here, you know? If the world hadn't changed, I might never have had the chance to come here in my life."

"I'll bring you here..." Irene's voice was almost a whisper, weak.

Ian didn't notice this. He was still inspecting the layout of the room, sighing. Then he said, "Go pack your things. I'll wait for you here."

Because of his upbringing in his previous life, Ian wouldn't rashly enter a girl's room easily—it would be rude and vulgar.

"Okay, I'll get it sorted quickly."

Evidently, Irene, who came from a distinguished family, understood his underlying meaning.

Ian watched her leave. With nothing else to do, he wandered through the hall, observing the high-end furniture and comparing it to what he had bought in Hogsmeade.

"Huh? A classic fairy tale masterpiece that has sold 60 million copies and has been translated into thirteen languages—Rosen's Fantastic Journey."

Ian found this book in the corner, and the introduction on the cover surprised him.

It wasn't his fault; the original body didn't leave many memories, and what was left to him were mostly feelings of despair and fear about the end of the world.

So Ian didn't know much about this world, but out of curiosity, he opened the book.

The content lived up to its sales—novel concept and fascinating plot. After reading a little, Ian was drawn into the fantasy world depicted in the book.

Soon, his keen perception picked up on Irene's footsteps, signaling that she had finished packing.

Ian carefully placed the book into his backpack, just as Irene slowly walked down the stairs. Though her backpack was not very full—only enough to fill two mountaineering bags—Ian still used the Levitation Charm to help carry the items. He asked in surprise, "Is that all?"

"Yes, that's all. This isn't my home anyway, and the whole world is like this now. What's there to keep behind? Mostly just the easy-to-store food you gave me before."

At that moment, Irene seemed to regain her former charm, answering decisively and rationally.

Ian strongly agreed with her.

"Then let's go. Do you need to say goodbye to this house?"

Irene didn't say anything after hearing this. She just looked around. There was no sadness or nostalgia in her eyes—only anticipation and yearning for the future.

She softly replied, "Let's go. There's nothing here. We must live well in the future."

…

They walked through the gate and back along the path they had come from. The bright moonlight shone like a silver ribbon, and despite the slight chill of the autumn night, the two seemed unaware of it.

At that moment, the place seemed to transform into a wandering dream, as ethereal and beautiful as poetry, and as surreal and obscure as art. Against the backdrop of the twisted parasitic plants on both sides, every frame and every second brought a strange, surreal beauty.

By the time they returned home, it was almost midnight. Ian lifted the Levitation Charm and placed the two backpacks in the corner of the living room. He then said,

"You're not unfamiliar with this place. Choose a room for yourself, but there shouldn't be any suitable rooms on the first floor. After you choose, I'll help you clean the room with magic."

As Ian had said, Irene was already familiar with the house, so she made her choice without much thought.

"Let's go to the second bedroom on the right side of the second floor. I like the floor-to-ceiling window and the warmth when the sun shines on it."

"Okay! Let's clean it up first." Ian turned and walked toward the room on the second floor. He was familiar with the second bedroom on the right—it had good lighting, as Irene had said.

"Clean up!" Ian cast a cleaning spell, sweeping away even the most hidden dust in the corners.

Then he took out a few pieces of wood he had prepared earlier and used the Transfiguration Charm to make a bed and a simple storage cabinet. He turned to Irene and said,

"It's getting late, so let's leave it at this for today. I'll help you make a proper bed and some furniture tomorrow."

"Didn't you make the bed?" Irene asked in surprise.

"No, this is just temporary. I used Transfiguration magic. These things will revert to their original shapes in a week at most, unless you suddenly want to fall off the bed one day," Ian explained patiently.

Irene shrugged slightly and said with some admiration, "Well, magical magic!"

"The rest is up to you. You know that everything you need is in the storage room. Pick out some daily necessities for yourself."

Ian walked downstairs without looking back.

The main reason was that he was still thinking about Rosen's Alchemy, because that book had made him realize something important: he could make full use of the cultural resources of this world and become a plagiarist in the magical world.

He had once planned to explore the secrets of magic alchemy, but didn't want to waste the little magic left in the Philosopher's Stone. If he consumed the magic in it, the stone would be useless.

He had previously worried about finding a new way to make money without using the Philosopher's Stone, but after reading this book, all his problems were solved.

Becoming a best-selling author—this career that brings both fame and fortune—seemed the best fit. As the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor next year, Lockhart had taken this career to the pinnacle.

With this plan in mind, Ian returned to his room, washed up quickly, then lay down on his bed to read.

He made up his mind that if the content and plot of this book hadn't appeared in his original world, he would raid the libraries in the city early the next morning.

Perhaps due to the work-rest habits he had developed, Ian felt sleepy after reading for just a while. Following his biological clock, he closed the book and fell asleep.

…

Ian had a good night's sleep. He was only awakened once by a rustling sound upstairs in the early morning. He immediately pulled his wand from beneath his pillow, but after a moment, he remembered something and silently placed the wand back down.

"Oh, I forgot about Irene..."

He had always lived alone in the apocalypse, and his heightened alertness made him sensitive to any movement. With the addition of another person, Ian was slightly uncomfortable.

This discomfort was mostly due to Irene's transformation. After dietary adjustments and care, her already stunning figure and delicate face had only become more beautiful.

Though Ian had been single in his previous life, thanks to popular education by certain "teachers," he was well aware of these matters.

Also, this body had already passed its 15th birthday, and considering the time flow differences between the worlds, it was almost 16 years old. Given that Westerners mature earlier, Ian had become slightly distracted when he heard the rustling sound earlier.

"I'll install the endoscope tomorrow and block out the sound. Then I can relax and sleep, without being so alert," Ian thought to himself.

When it comes to popular alchemical items in the magical world, many people might not know the Philosopher's Stone, but they would definitely know the Telescope and Looking Glass.

The former is essential for watching Quidditch matches, and the latter, while resembling a toy, is the best tool for wizards to defend against malicious Dark wizards.

The Looking Glass is a spinning glass top that glows, spins, and emits a shrill whistle when there are untrustworthy people or malicious intentions nearby.

Therefore, the Looking Glass is the first choice for any wizard engaged in dangerous missions.

...

Next 20 chapters are available at: Pat reon. com (slash) LordMerlin