#720 - Despair Town (asking for monthly ticket recommendation ticket)

After concluding his meeting with Andrei, Anduin remained in Germany to continue his profiteering endeavors.

Over the next two days, he successively met with a large number of local merchants, media personnel, and prominent figures in the wizarding community within the German Ministry of Magic, promoting and advertising his magical communication system, while also addressing the concerns of some conservative wizards.

In fact, the debugging of the magical communication base stations in Germany was completed slightly later than in the UK, but as Silver Gleam Commerce aimed to use the German wizarding world as a bridgehead to introduce this magical communication system to various European countries, Anduin prioritized tending to business here.

This upcoming magical communication network was also named 【Magic Net】 by Anduin, and a series of communication, media, entertainment, and shopping content would be built on this platform, which explains why he attached so much importance to it.

【Writing this, I hope readers remember our domain name Taiwan Novel Network →𝘁𝘄𝗸𝗮𝗻.𝗰𝗼𝗺】

At the same time, back at Hogwarts, the Harry Potter quartet launched a surveillance operation targeting Snape.

After two consecutive days of continuous surveillance, Harry and the others discovered that Snape had indeed become somewhat furtive recently, as if he was also tracking someone.

His odd behavior further convinced them that Snape was brewing some conspiracy, and during this time, the group tentatively tried to report Snape to Professor McGonagall.

However, Professor McGonagall's attitude was similar to Hagrid's; she did not believe that Snape, as a professor, would have any improper intentions, and even warned the quartet instead.

Recognizing the current situation, Harry and the others resolutely decided to use their own power to defend Anduin and Dumbledore's assets.

On the very day that Dumbledore left Hogwarts, Harry and the others discovered Snape skulking around in the main tower corridor, as if investigating something.

Upon seeing this, the group naturally followed him, but they were aware that Snape was very alert, so they did not follow too closely.

However, as Snape's route became clearer, the group quickly guessed his destination: the forbidden room at the end of the fourth floor!

"Snape seems to be heading straight for that room. Should we go back and call for backup, or release a warning signal?" Ron suggested nervously, looking at Snape's vaguely visible back in the distance.

"We can't do that now. Before we catch that guy red-handed, calling people in will be of no help at all, and it will expose that we're tracking him!" Harry stared intently ahead, his tone firm.

"Then should we follow him?" Neville muttered softly, "If we take him by surprise, we might have a chance to subdue Snape."

"I think we can try!" Hermione couldn't help but urge.

Perhaps they had become overconfident. After several months of hard training and experience in the Ruins dungeon, they all had a strange sense of confidence in their abilities.→

At this moment, the group even believed that if the four of them worked together, taking down Snape might not be a problem.

"Let's go!"

Harry no longer hesitated, and immediately led the group resolutely towards the room at the end of the corridor.

To be honest, the group had a considerable psychological shadow regarding this strange room, but now they had no choice but to bite the bullet and rush in.

"Bang!"

After Ron unlocked the door with an unlocking charm, he kicked the door open violently. Subsequently, Harry, Neville, and Hermione leaned against the door frame, pointing their wands inside. As soon as they spotted Snape, they would fire without hesitation.

However, the situation inside the room was beyond the group's expectations. The knight statues they had seen last time had been smashed to pieces.

Fluffy was lying on the ground, snoring loudly. Beside him was an automatically playing harp, and the trapdoor in the center of the room's floor had been opened.

As for Snape, he had disappeared without a trace.

"Damn it, he's already gone in!" Hermione rushed in after seeing the scene. "We have to follow him quickly, we can't let him get the Philosopher's Stone!"

"He even dared to destroy the warning statues, Snape is really crazy!" Harry clenched his fists angrily, looking at the chaotic room.

Subsequently, the four of them jumped into the hole under the trapdoor without hesitation. They had to teach Snape a lesson with their actions.

However, after the four jumped into the hole, they felt that something was wrong, because they couldn't see a trace of light during the descent, as if they had entered a bottomless abyss.

At the same time, Hermione, with her keen senses, noticed the anomaly around them. They had been falling for too long. Even if this pit was hundreds of meters deep, it shouldn't take this long.

Furthermore, Hermione even vaguely felt that the surrounding space seemed to be changing during the descent. They might not even be in Hogwarts anymore!

"Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Harry and the others fell in the air for nearly a minute before a light suddenly appeared in front of them, and they crashed onto a wooden floor with a clatter.

However, to the group's surprise, they had fallen for so long, but they didn't feel much pain when they landed. It felt like falling from a height of just over a meter.

"W-where is this?" Ron rubbed his head. The cold wind that had blown for more than a minute during the fall had frozen his entire face.

After they all stood up from the ground, they realized that they were in a dimly lit wooden house.

Everything around them seemed dilapidated. Looking out through the windows at the edge of the room, they saw a gloomy wilderness.

By the faint moonlight, they could see claw-like trees swaying in the wind, creating a ghostly atmosphere.

On a table not far away in the room, several props were neatly arranged, vaguely resembling several sets of vests.

"We're done for! We don't seem to be in Hogwarts anymore!" Ron's voice trembled uncontrollably as he looked at the unfamiliar and dark environment outside.

"The passage we fell through was strange!" Hermione drew her wand and carefully guarded her surroundings. "That hole might be a space tunnel, and judging by the falling time, we might have been teleported far away from the school!"

"What? Can we go back then? I suddenly feel like jumping down rashly wasn't a good idea." Neville drew his wand in imitation of Hermione's actions, but he was still stiff with nervousness.

"And we can't see Snape's shadow at all. The surrounding scenery doesn't look like anyone has been here. He should have been teleported over too!" Harry frowned in confusion.

"Everyone, don't panic. Don't forget, this is a dungeon space established by Professor Wilson. It must have a way to return. We first need to figure out the situation." Although Hermione was also a little flustered, she still tried to calm everyone down.

"Yeah, let's take a look at the things on the table first. I think I saw a transmission vest!" Harry pointed to the table with the equipment.

Immediately, the group moved to the table. Then, they saw four sets of uniformly shaped equipment: a vest, a pair of goggles, a pair of bracers inlaid with several gems, and a parchment map in the center of the table.

"We're really in a dungeon!" Seeing these familiar equipment, Harry's hanging heart finally relaxed.

"Right, if we put on the 【Transmission Vest】, will we be teleported back to Hogwarts after being defeated?" Ron picked up a vest and quickly put it on.

"Not necessarily. Did you forget that the transmission distance of this transmission vest is actually not far? Maybe we'll be teleported to a place similar to the Ruins dungeon command post after being defeated, maybe it's here!" Hermione also put on the equipment skillfully, and then said more rationally.

"In other words, we have to find another way to leave this dungeon. But the most important thing for us now is to stop Snape." Harry hasn't forgotten their purpose here.

"Yeah, let's put on the equipment first, and then explore the truth of this dungeon. Even Snape can't find the location where the Philosopher's Stone is hidden so quickly."

Neville said, then put on the goggles, and then focused his attention on the bracers. It was the first time he had seen this prop.

【Empowerment Armlet】

Quality: Purple (Legendary Item)

Quest Item: An armlet containing mysterious powers, capable of amplifying the wearer or granting them an ability after certain conditions are triggered.

A very brief description, but the content described above made everyone's eyes light up.

"Good lord, they're giving away a purple piece of equipment right off the bat. This new dungeon is really generous!"

Although Ron is no longer as obsessed with legendary items as he was before entering school, he still put it on his left hand, and then he found that this prop could automatically fit itself after being worn, which made him even happier.

"Sigh... you idiot." Hermione supported her forehead speechlessly. "Giving such good props as soon as you enter the dungeon also indirectly shows the difficulty of this dungeon. Do you think it's still the same as the Ruins dungeon?"

"Then what do you want me to do? See such good equipment, and then cry?" Ron rolled his eyes unhappily.

Harry on the other side shook his head helplessly when he saw the two still arguing at this time, and then reached out to pick up the map in the middle of the table, preparing to study it.

Who knew that after he picked up the map, a cold mechanical voice suddenly came from the ears of several people.

【Welcome to Despair Town!】

【Despair Town, formerly known as Hope Town, once had thousands of residents on this land, who originally lived peacefully here.】

【Until one day, a resident, driven by curiosity, opened a long-sealed seal!】

【Subsequently, terror descended. The demons sealed for thousands of years were awakened, and the abyss gradually enveloped the entire town.】

【In this place, everything has been contaminated by the breath of the abyss. Food, water, land, and even air contain terror!】

【The only way for the survivors who strayed into this place to gain liberation is to completely seal the demons, otherwise they will be trapped here for eternity and gradually submerged by the abyss!】

【Mission】

First Stage: According to the guidance in the map, collect three copies of the 【Revelation Manuscript】.

Second Stage: Stronghold Defense, which will be displayed on the map after collecting the 【Revelation Manuscript】. After a successful defense, the three manuscripts can be combined into the 【Exorcism Book】, which is an important tool for sealing the demons.

Third Stage: Kill the demon entity. After synthesizing the 【Exorcism Book】, the demon will manifest its entity, and the location will be displayed on the map.

Fourth Stage: Protect the 【Exorcism Book】 and survive. After killing the demon entity, the 【Exorcism Book】 will enter an enlightening purification state. At that time, it will not be able to move, so it needs to be protected from being destroyed. If the 【Exorcism Book】 is not destroyed after three minutes, and at least one member survives, the Despair Town can be successfully purified and the return channel can be opened.

【Note: While in Despair Town, survivors will be affected by the breath of the abyss at all times. This effect will be displayed as a fear value.】

【All survivors start with a fear value of zero. In Despair Town, the fear value automatically increases by 1% every 5 minutes. After being frightened or using contaminated items, the fear value will increase significantly. After staying in Despair Town for more than 3 days, the fear value will increase by 10 times.】

【When the fear value exceeds 70%, it will attract the attention of the demons in Despair Town. When the fear curse reaches 100%, the member will greatly attract enemy hatred and have the possibility of being possessed by demons!】

【Demon Possession: Everything in Despair Town has the possibility of being possessed by demons. If a survivor is possessed by a demon, they will lose control of their body. The possessed survivor can regain consciousness under the attack of teammates.】

【After dispelling the possession, the member's fear curse will be cleared.】

【How to Reduce Fear Value】

1. The fear value can be slowly reduced at the source of fire. At the same time, in 【Despair Town】, fire sources such as bonfires and oil lamps can only be ignited by locally produced fire starters. Spells such as 'Ignition Charm' will not work.

2. When indoors, the fear value increase rate will be reduced. If there is a light source indoors, the fear value will be slowly reduced.

【Survivors can be resurrected after death】

Resurrection Method: After a survivor is killed, the 【Empowerment Armlet】 will drop at the place of death. Other survivors can pick up the armlet and resurrect the member at the altar.

The location of the altar will be displayed on the map.

【Currently, the 【Abyss Well】 dungeon is still in the testing phase. The return channel is connected to the secret storage room, which contains a door that can return to Hogwarts. Note! Please do not touch the remaining items in the secret storage room except for the return door. You will be responsible for the consequences!】

"Hiss!"

After listening to the dungeon introduction, the quartet couldn't help but gasp.

Good lord, this 【Despair Town】 is simply hell on earth. Standing there and doing nothing, just breathing is dangerous!

And is the difficulty of the tasks in this dungeon a bit too much? There are actually four stages. Compared to the hostage rescue tasks in the Ruins dungeon, it's simply child's play.