novelhk Page 363
Page 363
“Mr. Black, it’s been a long time!” Ms. Rosmerta said with a beaming smile, her eyes shining as she looked at his handsome face.
"Yes, it's been about fifteen years. Fifteen years have passed and you are still so beautiful and elegant, almost unchanged from back then."
Looking at the woman before him, a hint of nostalgia flashed in Blake's eyes.
He used to sneak off here with James to drink all the time.
“Oh, Black, you have a sweet tongue,” Mrs. Rosmerta chuckled, covering her mouth, then poured a glass of Flaming Whisky and pushed it toward Sirius. “This one’s on me…”
"Thank you... ma'am!" Sirius was somewhat flattered. He took the cup, raised his hand in acknowledgment, and then gulped it down in one go.
"It's been so long since I've had this, and the taste is still exactly the same!" Sirius exclaimed happily, swirling the empty glass on the table and wiping the wine stains from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.
His dashing movements, coupled with his unconventional attire, drew repeated glances from Ms. Rosmerta.
Sirius Black, though much more haggard than in his youth, possessed a melancholic air that added to his original handsomeness.
Middle-aged women like Rosmerta are most susceptible to this kind of thing.
At this point, Blake was undoubtedly a friend of women and a heartthrob for housewives.
Harry and Ron sat beside them, looking quite uneasy.
They almost felt superfluous.
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I wonder if anyone has seen "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"? It's a very interesting, slow-paced movie.
Update [4/3], Bonus Chapter [79/105]
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Chapter 398 The Enlightenment Oak
Sirius and Ms. Rosmerta chatted for quite a while, during which Rosmerta was often amused by him and giggled.
“She’s like a hen in heat!” Ron told Harry. “My mother’s chickens always act like that when they see a rooster.”
Finally, Sirius Black loudly proclaimed, "To celebrate my return, this round of drinks is on me!"
Sirius's boldness shocked all the wizards in the tavern, and then applause and cheers rang out... The atmosphere in the tavern suddenly became enthusiastic.
"Wishing you good health, Sirius!"
"Mr. Blake is truly magnanimous!"
"Whitley would be furious if he knew the drinks were free tonight. It's just bad luck he didn't come."
……
All I can say is, a tycoon is a tycoon.
Compared to the original timeline, Sirius's situation is much better now.
With Levine's help in clearing his name, he can now openly appear in Hogsmeade and openly treat people to drinks, instead of having to become that black stray dog, scavenging for leftovers and reading discarded newspapers from "720," as was the case in the original story.
Amidst the toasts of several drunken men, Sirius turned to Harry and Ron.
“Well then, Harry, and Ron, let’s talk,” he said earnestly.
"What are you doing here, Sirius?" Harry asked with a forced smile.
“I’m fulfilling my duty as Godfather,” Sirius said, taking a sip of redcurrant rum.
“Listen to me, Harry, I have a feeling you’re in danger—someone put your name in the Goblet of Fire, and those strange dreams of yours…”
“No one has tried to harm me so far, except for a dragon. Even Grindelwald hasn’t done anything to me,” Harry said, but Sirius glared at him unhappily.
He loudly emphasized the danger of the situation to Harry and stated that he would stay in Hogsmeade and watch over Harry until the end of the Triwizard Tournament.
Harry was overjoyed and no longer thought Sirius was exaggerating, since this meant he could see his godfather every time he went to Hogsmeade.
After Levin arrived at the Three Broomsticks pub, Sirius grabbed him again, begging him to take care of Harry.
It can be said that he was speaking with great earnestness and concern.
That night, Levin returned to the demiplane and stood before the giant oak tree.
Today, he plans to use the [Nature Spirit Enlightenment Spell] on the giant oak tree, as requested by the tree spirit Rose.
After more than three years of growth, Levin has been continuously strengthened and nourished by a large amount of natural energy.
The giant oak tree before us was already as thick as two or three people could hug, and its height exceeded forty meters, almost taller than a tower.
The area around the oak tree, within a radius of more than ten meters, is completely covered by its canopy, which goes beyond the level of a graceful canopy and reaches the level of clouds hanging from the sky.
It contains immense natural power; even if Levin did not establish his sanctuary here, simply standing in the shade of the giant oak tree felt as if he had entered the sanctuary.
Levin sat cross-legged in front of the giant oak tree with practiced ease, placing his hands on one of its roots.
After one attempt, he has now figured out the proper procedure for enlightenment, and the ritual can be completed simply by following the steps.
First, the initial contact with the transformation's initial consciousness.
Compared to the natural consciousness in the forest, Levin's contact with the initial consciousness in the giant oak tree was much smoother. He didn't even need to test it. As soon as he activated the [Nature Spirit Enlightenment Technique] and began to try to make contact, the initial consciousness of the giant oak tree took the initiative to come to him and express its affection.
After all, Levin spent the most effort on this tree.
If plants had feelings, then its feelings for Levin must be the deepest.
In addition, this giant oak tree is the most spiritual and the most proactive of all the trees.
As soon as he connected with its initial consciousness, Levin sensed that the giant oak's self-awareness was far stronger than that of other trees.
In fact, this feeling has been there for a long time.
Even without using the [Nature Spirit Enlightenment Technique] or the [Plant Conversation Technique], Levin could feel the giant oak's aura being close to him whenever he stood beside it. Sometimes, when he was lost in thought, Levin seemed to hear the giant oak's faint initial consciousness talking to him and expressing its closeness.
This gives Levin the illusion that even if it doesn't come to be enlightened today, it won't be long before it awakens its own wisdom and consciousness.
The benefits of a strong initial consciousness are obvious. At the very least, the transmission of enlightenment knowledge is faster, and one can obtain more soul power and natural spirituality.
Levin had already packaged up the basic knowledge for beginners, and it was even available in different versions.
However, Levin had to draw inspiration from his surroundings on the spot.
In fact, how strong a soul a newly formed consciousness can withstand is not determined by Levin, but by the initial consciousness.
The stronger one's initial consciousness, the higher the strength of the soul one can obtain, and vice versa.
The original rose, imbued with spirituality by Levin, drew upon the natural consciousness within a radius of several hundred meters.
The giant oak tree gave Levin a small surprise: it could contain dozens of times more spiritual energy than the rose.
Under the catalysis of a large concentration of natural energy, the spirituality of the area surrounding the giant oak tree is far higher than before.
Therefore, the soul core that Levin prepared for the giant oak tree contained far more spiritual energy than that for the rose.
As spirituality increases, the amount of soul power that needs to be injected also rises accordingly.
Based on the soul power infused by Levin, the giant oak tree's soul at its birth could support a strength infinitely close to legendary level.
Once the initial consciousness reached saturation, an overwhelming surge of life force rushed in from all directions and converged on the giant oak tree.
The surrounding flowers, grasses, and trees swayed in the wind, seemingly cheering and celebrating the awakening of wisdom in a forest companion, or as if sending blessings for the birth of their queen.
At the same time, Levin could sense that all the trees in the surrounding forest seemed to be connected to the giant oak tree.
At this moment, it represents the consciousness of the entire forest.
In this situation, the giant oak tree was able to absorb more natural energy, and even its initial consciousness was enhanced. So Levin took the opportunity to inject more spiritual and soul power into it.
During the giant oak's transformation, Levin felt his understanding of the forces of nature greatly improve, increasing his Druid level by 2.
Click! Click! Click!
A loud, cracking sound came from the giant oak tree.
This is the sound of growth.
The already lush giant oak tree was now rapidly sprouting new branches and shoots.
Instantly, the already enormous oak tree became even more magnificent and spectacular.
Two more thick roots emerged from below, and the main root began to lengthen and thicken horizontally, as if it had gained several legs.
The branches at the top also began to swell and thicken.
The entire oak tree, viewed from a distance, resembles a giant.
In the very center of the giant oak tree, a wooden throne gradually grew, upon which sat what appeared to be a forest goddess.
Her face was especially beautiful, like a finely crafted work of art. Her eyes were large and bright, sparkling like emeralds, revealing profound wisdom and a gentle light. Her slightly red lips, like rose petals, and the slightly upturned corners of her mouth revealed a gentle smile, as if possessing the power to heal all.
Her hair was like bunches of hanging leaves and vines, cascading down to her waist like a waterfall, flowing with the breath of life.
Her figure was elegant and upright, like a graceful tree standing tall; her skin was like the finest tree bark, smooth and full of vitality.
Even from a distance, Levin could smell a faint resinous scent emanating from her, like the fragrance of a forest. Whenever she sat there, the surrounding air seemed to become fresher, making people feel peaceful and comfortable.
She slowly rose to her feet, the leaves and flowers on her body swaying gently with her graceful steps.
A group of little fairies, attracted by her, happily circled around her.
The newly born tree spirit queen—or rather, forest spirit—gently knelt before Levin and spoke in a melodious voice:
"Vera Nestri greets Your Excellency. Thank you for opening my wisdom. My power will be with you."
Although her movements were respectful and elegant, her eyes were full of excitement as she looked at Levin, somewhat like a fledgling bird seeing its mother.
As soon as she spoke, Levin sensed the difference between her and the previous Rose.
At least she would give herself a decent name instead of simply using a tree species as her name.
Furthermore, compared to the naive and ignorant Rose, Vera Nestre is clearly much more mature. Every gesture and expression has its own charm. When facing Levin, she immediately swears allegiance instead of making a farce by rushing off to put on makeup.
If Rose's intelligence is like that of an innocent young girl, then Vera Nestri is quite mature, both in appearance and in mind.
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The image shows Velane Silk.
Chapter 399 The Tree Spirit Queen
Levin immediately began to observe Vera Nestri's abilities:
Name: Vera Nestri