Chapter 173: Carrying Hope

"The machines all obey commands from a super AI known as 'Crimson Network.' We aren't even their main enemy. The primary targets of the Crimson Network are the war AIs of other corporate giants. We are just insignificant bugs to be crushed incidentally."

"Can't we find this 'Crimson Network' and destroy it?"

"The Crimson Network is a blockchain-based distributed computing system, without a center or servers. It is the entire machine cluster. Killing it would be no different from destroying all the machines."

"So, we have no hope at all."

"From the very beginning, we never had any hope."

"No." Suddenly, someone said, "We still have hope. Go north, to the Scottish Highlands."

"Again with this, Angel. That's just the ramblings of a madwoman! There's no savior! Voldemort is a madman! A fool! A murderer!"

"That's only because he hasn't met that 'Prophet' yet."

"And do you have a better plan?"

"..."

"Let's go, to the north." An old man in the tent said.

"It's just a fantasy..."

"Even if it is a fantasy, I still want to try..."

"At least, I want to die with hope."

Scene 8:

"We're too many; the spy satellites will detect us. We must act separately."

"Lucas, you lead these children."

The bright-eyed girl stood in front of him, "Don't look so gloomy, smile a bit. We're just separating for a few days."

"If you encounter danger, don't try to be a hero, okay?"

"Mhm."

"Be sure to stay safe."

"Don't worry, I still want to see the ocean with Lucas. We haven't fulfilled our wish yet; I can't bear to die."

"Don't use that word."

"Okay. I will survive. Pinky promise."

Scene 9:

"Run! Run! It's the swarm!"

A grey mass spread in the distant sky, moving at an extremely fast pace. Soon, several of the fastest drones arrived.

The buzzing of machinery filled their ears as a wizard lifted his wand, destroying a drone about to fire at a young wizard.

The next second, several lasers targeted that wizard.

Suddenly, a giant ring appeared on the ground, quickly shrinking towards the center of the wizard.

"No, no..." The wizard, foreseeing his fate, cried, "Disapparate!"

He vanished from the spot.

But the next instant, a bright light shot down from the high sky, "Boom!" A forest hundreds of meters away was set ablaze, and from afar, a scream could be heard.

"Heavenly Fire!"

"Don't raise your wands! Use portkeys!"

Scene 10:

"Drones! Get down!"

Several drones flew over the hilltop without noticing the people hidden in the bushes.

"Okay, they're past. Let's rest a bit and then meet up with the other teams."

"We're near the place mentioned in the prophecy; there should be something there to help us."

"General, what prophecy?" he asked.

"A prophecy of hope, I heard it myself, about the resurrection of the savior."

Angel Burton pondered, recalling, then spoke the prophecy:

"The child born from death, his darkness stemming from the past, 'The Prophet' grants him endless wisdom and leaves in the Chamber the key to him... He shall resurrect after death, walking the path of a savior."

Everyone was silent for a while, he asked, "General, who is the Prophet?"

"The Prophet, he was very famous a long time ago, I've read about him in books. His name was &M￥#H@#, a Hogwarts professor. According to the prophecy, he will become the mentor of the savior... If you're interested, I have some books here about the Prophet..."

"What does resurrection after death mean?"

"I don't know, prophecies usually only make sense to those involved in them... Look, they're here."

Down the hill, suddenly with a twist in space, a dozen wizards appeared.

His gaze searched around, finally resting on the girl in the back of the crowd.

"She's still alive." He breathed a sigh of relief, overjoyed.

"Wait, what's that?"

"The swarm! Behind them! They've been discovered!"

"Warn them quickly!"

"It's too late!"

Immediately, the swarm launched an attack.

He wanted to rush to their rescue but was held back by the general, "Quick, take the children and go!"

"No, I must save her!"

However, at that moment, he saw the girl raise her wand, a whirlwind rose, blowing away several attacking drones. But soon, several lasers targeted her.

"No, no! No!" He screamed in agony, "Run! Run!"

But then, Heavenly Fire fell.

Scene 11:

"This is the Polyjuice Potion left by the Prophet, you can turn into a wolf form, which should avoid the drones' surveillance." Angel Burton handed him a potion bottle, "Pull yourself together, Lucas, you're the oldest among these children, their safety depends on you."

Scene 12:

The jungle, companions, wolf howls.

Crying in the deep night.

Scene 13:

The Highlands, a cliff by the sea, he reverted from wolf form.

"Is this the ocean?"

"I wish, you could see it too."

Scene 14:

"Lucas... cough, this is a Time-Turner..." Angel's abdomen had a huge hole blown open, "Take it, find the ruins of Hogwarts..."

"General..." he held the other's hand, "But where are the ruins? What should I do?"

"The Philosopher's Stone..." Angel Burton struggled to say, "Use the Philosopher's Stone, resurrect the King of Wizards..."

"And time, time travel... you've read those stories about the Prophet, you'll understand..."

"Fate will guide you..."

"But..."

"Go, hurry..."

He stumbled away, and suddenly a flash lit up behind him.

"Lucas, the last hope, is yours."

"Boom!"

Scene 15:

Outside the window of a dilapidated room, mechanical war vehicles densely packed. In the sky, countless drones like a dark cloud.

He glanced at a ruined tower in the distance, then at the tens of thousands of mechanical forces in front.

Back in the basement, he took out the diary.

He wrote down a few lines.

Then, he twisted the Time-Turner's knob.

After a dizzying spin, the scenery suddenly changed.

The basement seemed to have become a wine cellar.

He looked at the completely shattered Time-Turner in his hand, threw it aside, then climbed up the stairs, emerging into a tavern where people laughed and drank merrily.

"Oh, this isn't a place for kids."

A voluptuous beautiful woman noticed him, "Get out of here, kiddo."

He looked down at himself, realizing his body had shrunk considerably, and staggered out of the tavern into a bustling village. Wizards with pointed hats walked around, some casually performing magic with wands.

He picked up a newspaper a wizard had just discarded and glanced at the date.

"1990..."

"A hundred years ago..."

Scene 16:

In the basement, the notebook lay open on the table.

He muttered to himself: "Tom, when you see these memories, it means you've consumed me."

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