Fantasy Realm – Infinite Worlds Adventure

Rishi displays a serious face, as if he is seriously contemplating what to do, but then says exactly what Alex expected him to say.

“Yes, we already got quite a few priceless basilisk parts, and you got at least something out of the kitchen, right? I’d say we stop while we’re ahead,” Rishi says, agreeing with Alex.

Heh, don’t make it sound so logical. You just don’t want your face all bloodied up, huh? But yeah, forcing this and taking such a huge risk at the very start of the mission is a dumb idea. Why take that risk?

After making sure they haven’t missed anything, Alex and Rishi head out through another exit at the back of the chamber. They slowly make their way through the dark pipes. Rishi uses a flashlight he brought along to light the way, while Alex activates En every few minutes, scanning for the best path forward.

At one point, the pipe turns into a near-vertical incline, and Rishi frowns in worry.

“I hate to say this, Alex, but I don’t think I can continue,” Rishi admits.

“Just grab onto me!” Alex suggests. Without arguing, Rishi climbs onto Alex’s back, gripping his shoulders as Alex grabs hold of Rishi’s legs to keep him steady.

Alex powers up his jumps with Nen, using his aura to stabilize himself and prevent slipping backward. After a few jumps, he stabs Mustrano deep into the pipe, creating a hole to steady himself before continuing.

Activating En again, Alex exhales in relief as he notices that the pipe levels out a little further ahead.

“Just a few more jumps!” Alex grunts, pushing forward with determination.

Using up the last of his aura, Alex finally makes it up the incline. They continue walking through the pipe, both visibly tired, until they spot a faint light ahead.

“An exit, finally,” Alex mutters.

“This was riskier than I thought… Without you, I’d have been screwed,” Rishi says, a hint of worry on his face.

Both exhausted, Alex unable to use more Nen abilities, and Rishi drained—they manage to open the exit, a heavy-looking latch, opening some sort of metal door and jump down, unable to see clearly where they’ll land.

As they hit the ground, surprised screams echo around them. Alex looks up and spots a group of students in red and blue robes—and, in front of them, a very surprised Professor McGonagall staring at the two of them.

“Hello there!” Alex says with a slightly twisted smile, still catching his breath, while Rishi barely manages to stick the landing.

McGonagall steps forward, looking at them both. “Students, read on a little bit… I have to talk to these two ‘guests’ who look like they’ve been crawling through our pipes. I’m also sure that’s just dirt I see on their clothes, and not blood or organs. Would you kindly follow me to my office? I have a few questions for you,” she says calmly, but with a pointed edge to her voice.

Well, this can’t get any worse, can it?

In her office, McGonagall turns to face them with an expression that’s anything but amused.

“Now,” she begins, “could you explain to me what, exactly, you two were doing in the pipes under this castle?”

“Professor McGonagall, we’re being paid to protect the students from the corruption. We felt something was off in the pipes and decided to investigate. It’s not something I’ll ever try again, I promise. We’re sorry for interrupting your class,” Rishi says, his exhaustion showing on his face.

Suddenly, the office door bursts open, and Dumbledore and Snape stride in, their robes billowing dramatically as they storm into the room.

Or maybe it can get worse!

“Minerva, we need to talk…” Dumbledore begins, but he stops in his tracks as soon as his eyes land on Alex and Rishi.

He removes his glasses, staring at the two of them intently. Alex, instinctively cautious, avoids making direct eye contact.

“Well, this is… a curious coincidence,” Dumbledore says slowly. “These two happen to be the very reason we came to see you, Minerva. Now, what exactly are you two doing in transfiguration class… and why are your clothes in such a state? I’m quite curious to hear your explanation.”

“They fell through the ceiling and landed in the middle of my class. I’m just as surprised as you, Albus,” McGonagall explains, still trying to make sense of the situation herself.

“Well, Headmaster Dumbledore,” Rishi begins again, his expression completely neutral. “As I just explained to Professor McGonagall, we felt something unusual in the pipes and tried to investigate.”

“I see…” Snape interjects, his dark eyes narrowing. “It’s interesting, though. We’ve had reports from some scared first-years who accidentally wandered into an unused bathroom above the Great Hall. They told me a rather… peculiar story. A man wearing armor, armor strikingly similar to what one of you is wearing, summoned a terrible black claw that screamed and hissed insults. According to these children, the two men and the ‘evil claw’ suddenly disappeared somewhere. The only clue left behind was a sink, wide open, leading down to who-knows-where. Thankfully, the first-years were smart enough not to go inside.”

Snape pauses, his sneer deepening. “You know, hidden entrances are nothing new around here. But not just anyone can waltz into the Chamber of Secrets.…”

Dumbledore steps forward, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern. “Now, is there something you’d like to tell me?”

Alex shrugs, his face unreadable. “First-years are such pranksters. I’d never lie to a professor, though; these are some tricky first years. That is such a mean prank.”

“...Do you honestly expect that excuse to work?” Snape snaps, his voice dripping with disdain.

“Parseltongue isn’t rare in my home country,” Rishi cuts in calmly. “I saw a snake emblem and accidentally opened the sink. Naturally, we investigated—it’s our job, after all, isn’t it?”

“That might explain part of the story,” Snape replies coldly. “But it wasn’t you who summoned the claw, was it? According to the children, the claw itself was responsible for opening the chamber. They described it as a claw that spoke and hissed like a snake.” Snape’s sharp eyes land on Alex’s left hand. “And, wouldn’t you know it, every part of your friend’s body is filthy and bloody… except for his left hand, which is mysteriously clean.”

“What a funny coincidence,” Alex says, trying to keep his tone light but starting to sweat slightly.

“...Quite,” Snape replies, his eyes boring into Alex.@@novelbin@@

Should we just tell them? Alex thinks, growing annoyed. You know what? I’m getting pissed off a little.

Without warning, Alex’s [Commander Shepard’s Dog Tag] activates. His eyes glow deep red, and a mischievous smile spreads across his face. Deciding to stick with what he does best, Alex leans into the moment and prepares to bullshit his way out of the situation.

“You know what, why even beat around the bush? We saw some suspicious bathroom, abandoned for no reason, a crazy ghost screaming at me, and then a certain sink with a snake emblem on it. So, I opened it. Why the fuck not? It wasn’t our intention to end up in a damn chamber with a rotting snake corpse down below. We’re lucky we even made it out of there. We took a huge risk investigating the corruption, so why does this feel like an interrogation? Honestly, I’d say we’re owed an apology—and compensation! This fucking castle is a deathtrap!” Alex snaps, arms crossed.

“Hearing it from your mouth, it indeed sounds like you have great intentions,” Dumbledore says calmly. “I’m just wondering, though, why you, young wizard, are covered in basilisk blood and organs… and smell like you just butchered it.”

Shit, it’s not working! Let me try this again! Alex’s [Commander Shepard’s Dog Tag] activates again, and his expression softens, his eyes flashing blue.

“Some things are better left unsaid,” Alex begins, his tone now calm and disarming. “To be honest, I’m very tired. We worked hard today to investigate the castle for potential dangers. Do you think we could return to Hogsmeade? Our friends are probably worried about us.”

“Oh, they’re your friends? Then why did you act like you were fighting earlier? And of course, you’re free to leave. I’d just like to hear an honest answer before you go,” Dumbledore says with a warm smile, leaving Alex momentarily speechless. Even Rishi looks like he’s starting to lose hope.

Snape’s expression darkens as he snaps, “Your pathetic attempts at Legilimency on two of the most accomplished wizards practicing Occlumency are, quite frankly, sad and embarrassing. Now spit it out!”

“To tell you the truth…” Alex looks straight into Dumbledore’s piercing gaze. “…We wanted to gather that damn meat as soon as we saw the huge snake. I know a great cook who specializes in mystery meat, and we figured we’d sell whatever we didn’t eat ourselves!”

“You…” Snape snarls, his patience snapping. “It’s time to stop with the excuses and—”

“Severus, calm down,” Dumbledore says, holding up a hand to stop him. “Odd as it sounds, I feel this is the most truthful thing I’ve heard from them so far. Fine, I’ll accept that explanation for now. You’ve done nothing wrong. However, in the future, do not enter hidden places like the chamber. If you happen across them, inform us immediately. Your focus should remain on the forest and not the castle. You may leave.”

Alex grins and turns to McGonagall. “Sorry for disrupting your class, Professor,” he says with an apologetic smile.

McGonagall’s eyes narrow slightly, but she doesn’t respond, simply nodding as Alex and Rishi hurry out of the office.

As they make their way back to the castle floor and pass through the classroom, Alex notices Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the class staring at them.

“Have fun with your lessons!” Alex calls out to the room, waving with a wide grin. “If you ever want to learn something beyond these silly books, feel free to ask this great master for help anytime!” he says jokingly before leaving, his voice echoing down the hall.