Chapter 367: Automaton Red Hat
Chapter 367: Automaton Red Hat
Professor Abigail described her idea in detail.
"I don't want to use models or textbooks to teach this knowledge. It's important to learn how to deal with dangerous magical creatures. If we learn it half-heartedly, I'm afraid my students won't be able to handle dangerous situations in the future."
"Actually, if it's just one or two, I can still manage. But Defense Against the Dark Arts shouldn't be taught in a safe classroom, allowing students to spectate and challenge dark creatures that have already been scared out of their wits."
"You need to learn how to deal with opponents who suddenly launch attacks from the shadows, from the soil, or from tree branches. They might even jump out of your closet when you're about to sleep!"
"In nature, not many battles are fought with full preparation. Danger always arrives when people think they are safe."
"But if we do this, I'm afraid I'll only have half my students left by the end of the class, and Professor McGonagall will be furious..."
Professor Abigail's lips twitched, and it was clear that what she feared was not the loss of half her students but Professor McGonagall's anger.
"So, I want to commission a batch of automatons from you, preferably with the appearance, aggressiveness, and cunning nature of these creatures, but without such deadly power..."
"Automatons?" Ved lowered his head in thought.
"Yes, and I can offer you this much for each automaton!"
Professor Abigail stretched out five fingers and said with a pained expression, "This is the largest amount I could request from the school, and I added some of my own funds..."
Ved looked at her expression and suddenly smiled.
"The cost doesn't matter; just give me the production cost. Creating these automatons will also be a learning process for me."
Professor Abigail was delighted. "So, you agree?"
"Of course. What do you need?"
"First, it's Red Hat and Kab, then the Evil Gnome. I have detailed information about them..."
...
Ved returned to the dormitory with a stack of papers, and Phil was still standing guard in front of the Flowing Mirror.
"Mr. Gray has finished school."
Phil immediately stood up and saluted when he saw Ved.
"Please sit down, Phil." Ved sat cross-legged on the fluffy carpet and looked at the mirror, "Has Eva sent the letter yet?"
"Yes, she remembers your instructions. The important thing is to observe."
Phil said, "Miss Eva arrived at 7:30 in the morning, but the observation target had already started work. She was helping prepare ingredients in a Muggle restaurant. After lunch, she switched to another store to help with cleaning. Now she's on her third job."
In the mirror, the werewolf lady had a box hanging around her neck and was selling various small items and flags outside a football field.
Phil said, "The observation target is working very hard, and no strange people have approached her."
Ved hummed in acknowledgment and turned to retrieve various alchemical materials from the closet space. He tapped his wand, and various substances flew and combined, some stretching, some transforming, and some twisting.
The Permanent Transformation Spell was especially useful for creating objects.
In a moment, a small statue appeared in the center of the room.
It was a Red Hat, resembling a fairy with a long white beard, a pointed eagle-like nose, and a pair of fierce red eyes. It wore a crimson hat on its head, as if dyed with blood, and its hands were sharp eagle claws, with iron boots on its feet.
Phil's gaze kept shifting between the mirror and the highly realistic figure.
The Red Hat Automaton stood motionless and silent, lacking the traits that Vold desired. He wanted it to enjoy hiding in the darkness, ambushing humans from behind with a large wooden club.
It would run swiftly, its footsteps echoing with a loud 'thud, thud, thud,' alerting anyone with a keen sense of awareness. Thus, it remained quiet before launching its surprise attacks.
The automaton would also use its sharp claws to attack people's necks or eyes, and when confronted, it would emit a shrill, high-pitched cry, calling for its companions.
Lastly, it had a weakness; spells and charms would frighten it, causing it to flee swiftly.
Streams of magical light fell upon the Red Hat Automaton, as if infusing it with a soul. Its boots, hat, and the wooden club in its hand all glowed faintly, while layers of magical arrays surrounded its body.
Phil stared intently at the Flowing Mirror, afraid to turn around. He feared that if he did, he would be captivated by this wondrous scene and forget his mission.
Phil furrowed his brows, studying Claire in the mirror with utmost seriousness.
The girl spent a long time and finally sold most of the items in the box. She folded the box, stuffed it into her backpack, collected her money pouch, drank some water from a street-side faucet, and then bought a large bag of bread from a nearby store before boarding a late-running bus home.
The area was a slum near the church, filled with dilapidated buildings exuding decay. Not a single window had intact glass, the ground was littered with trash, and the walls were covered in colorful graffiti and profanities.
Two men smoking on the street corner immediately approached Claire with ill intent, but upon seeing her face, they hastily pretended not to notice and ran off.
Ignoring them, Claire hurried into a building with her backpack. The elevator had long turned into a garbage dump, so she climbed the narrow stairs.
Eva couldn't follow her inside, but after flying around outside for a while, she located Claire's trail and flew to the window.
In a relatively well-preserved room, a dirty, bearded man lay on a bed, his body wrapped in numerous bandages, hinting at the blood beneath.
"I'm back, Fatos!" Claire rushed in and asked, "How's your wound? Does it still hurt?"
"It's manageable. The potion you brought back yesterday was very effective."
The man on the bed struggled to sit up and asked, "How was your day? Did you encounter any trouble?"
"No, everything went well. I made quite a bit of money."
As Claire spoke, she pulled out a relatively clean cloth and laid it down before placing the bread she had bought on top. The two of them devoured the food voraciously.
Their eating manners were far from elegant, and a fist-sized piece of bread disappeared from their mouths in mere seconds.
Claire licked the bread crumbs from her hands and said, "I was thinking—"
"No!" Fatos interrupted her without hesitation.
"I just wanted to say—"
"You're not going!"
"But—"
"If Will has returned to Diagon Alley and hasn't come looking for us, that's his choice. You don't need to go after him. If he hasn't returned, then you have even less reason to—what did you bring back?"
Fatos abruptly turned his head, his fierce gaze seemingly piercing through the Flowing Mirror, locking with Phil's!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
