Chapter 726: Levitation - (2) |
A few minutes later, the entire sea began to tremble and boil. Waves churned, and whirlpools layered upon each other like nesting dolls. Everyone's eyes were glued to the shadow beneath the surface, a massive dark figure approaching them. Finally, the shadow revealed its head, and they were struck dumb by the sight of the enormous serpent's head, which had grown several times larger and, unlike its previously graceful form, was now covered with thick reef rocks and hard seabed stones. The rough surface looked ferocious, and magical symbols could be seen glowing through the crevices in the stones!
The giant serpent leapt out of the water, resembling a small piece of land suddenly rising. Hundred-meter-high waves were trivial in front of it, barely comparable to a rough scale on its gigantic body.
The shock brought by the giant serpent was unimaginable. Not only were Horus Greengrass and the surrounding Aurors stunned, but by the time they regained their senses, the serpent had coiled itself into a rough conical shape, its huge head hanging down and its tail pointing upwards, the head and tail meeting.
"A cone of ice cream." A female Auror's eyes widened, "Or rather, a cone of ice cream that's been bitten into." People around her couldn't help but gasp, and a bearded Auror growled at her, "Nonsense, it's clearly an Ouroboros, though it looks a bit odd, as if it's been stretched..."
Others murmured in agreement, knowing from the news that this great wizard had once chosen the Ouroboros as his identity symbol. Such unique symbols were not uncommon in wizarding history, and if a wizard became famous enough, the symbol he chose in his youth might become the family crest.
And one thing they didn't mention was that the name Ouroboros sounded much better than a cone of ice cream, even if the latter was more shape-appropriate... Felix didn't hear this enlightening discussion. It wasn't intentional on his part; to keep the magical channels unobstructed, this was the most effortless way.
These people quickly approached, and when they ascended the floating island, almost appearing out of thin air, using flying brooms and phantom shifts, they realized something was amiss—the ground was filled with the salty scent of seawater, the terrain was uneven, and it was visibly starting to crumble and disintegrate. A deep crack extended from beneath Felix Harp's feet backward, accompanied by unsettling "crack" sounds everywhere.
Everyone could see that something might be wrong with the magic. Indeed, the serpent had 'eaten' too many seabed rocks and was now having a bit of indigestion...
Felix stood on a protruding platform, roughly on the most level diamond-shaped scale where the serpent's head rose, with edges about ten feet long. His hanging hand didn't move.
"Grindelwald!" he exclaimed.
He instinctively raised his wand, his mind in turmoil, the first thought forming in his mind was: It's over, Grindelwald has seized the opportunity and is ready to make a move on Mr. Harp!
"Don't worry," 'Grindelwald' grinned, "I'm here to help."
The rest of the dozen or so wizards gathered around, hearing Horus Greengrass's wary question, "How can I believe you?" confusing the situation for a moment. Grindelwald said nothing, just raised his empty hands, and everyone understood.
If Grindelwald had hostile intentions, he wouldn't stop to explain to them. Horus Greengrass hesitated slightly before stepping aside. 'Grindelwald' walked towards Felix at a leisurely pace, with Greengrass calling out from behind, "Grindelwald... Sir, don't forget, we are wizards."
'Grindelwald' paused briefly, repeating, "You're right, we are wizards."
Everyone watched as Grindelwald and Felix stood side by side. He tilted his head slightly, seemingly whispering to Felix. Although they couldn't hear what was being said, the crack under Mr. Harp's feet stopped spreading. Their feelings were complex.
"Grindelwald..." they murmured the name.
Of course, this scene was orchestrated by Felix. He had indeed found himself in trouble before—but not due to a lack of magical power; his magical power was terrifyingly abundant—but in how to multitask, maintaining the vast volume of the floating island without collapsing while also constructing stable magical channels. Both tasks were
equally tedious and important. But the solution was simple: dividing the work by creating another entity would drastically reduce the difficulty.
Just as Felix was about to do this, he had a sudden idea to take the opportunity to solve the issue of the African magical community's integration, which he hadn't had time to address before.
At this moment, Felix and another version of himself faced each other.
"What should we talk about?"
"God knows, just act close."
"Right, it's to show the outside world that both sides have reconciled, and incidentally clear Grindelwald's name. The old man did a lifetime of bad deeds, but none of these recent ones are related to him..."
There was silence for a while.
"Are you sure? This face won't appear again..." 'Grindelwald' asked solemnly.
"I'm sure. I can handle it."
The sun was high, casting golden light on the sea. Grindelwald's figure had vanished, leaving only Felix. He looked out at the sea with pride, the mist raised in the distance creating rainbows in the sunlight, a breathtaking sight.
After the difficult birth pains, the land beneath them had shrunk, but the reefs and seabed rocks were more tightly connected, no longer scattered, truly outlining the shape of an island. Plus, with the basic construction of the magical channels completed and considering the magic he had invested, the island could float for several years.
Moreover, there would surely be many wizards living on the island in the future, their leaked magic would be collected—like Hogwarts' ancient defense system—to maintain the existence of the floating island, forming a positive cycle.
The Sorting Hat really helped a lot... Felix mused internally, but would the future inhabitants of the island count as his subjects? Probably not, at most he owned the property rights. Reluctantly, Felix imagined himself piloting the floating island for the next few years, like a janitor fishing for suitably sized reefs from the ocean to expand the territory.
Actually, he didn't have to do it alone. This place would become a real window for the integration of two societies... Felix thought as he saw Horus Greengrass approaching, a smile on his lips. "A land where magic and technology merge."
"What did you say, Felix?" Horus Greengrass asked, having caught a glimpse of the conversation.
"I was thinking about the future of the island beneath our feet." Felix said seriously, his thoughts continuing to wander. Wizards—well, he himself was capable of constructing an underwater city in the depths of the ocean, but he shelved the idea just as he had dismissed building a wizarding outpost on the moon. Both ideas would distance wizards from muggles, contrary to his intentions.
But secretly creating a vacation spot in the Mariana Trench seemed nice...
Felix suddenly frowned, pulling out a speaking mirror from his ring. Babajide Akingbade's photo was frantically tapping on the frame.
"Babajide?"
"Felix? Thank heavens, I've finally reached you!"
"What's happened?" Felix asked calmly, then remembered the other's situation, "Haven't we discussed the entire plan? You, as a representative of the union, participating in a televised broadcast, standing on the wizards' side to explain objectively—"
"The problem is, the outside world is spreading rumors that you plan to create a giant meteorite to destroy the entire American continent!" Babajide's face in the speaking mirror contorted.
Felix was dumbfounded.
"Who's spreading these rumors?" He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. With hundreds of satellites watching over him, he quickly concocted an excuse: "Just say—um, the International Confederation of Wizards and the Pan-Magical Alliance are planning to host a Christmas bonfire party, celebrating American wizards' escape from tyranny."
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