The so-called eating in the square turned out to be eating at Avalon's roadside stall. On the side of the square, there was a very sage-like old elf who had built a wooden shed. Inside the wooden shed was an experiment table that Snape and Harry were very familiar with. On the experiment table, there were a dozen or so crucibles of various sizes. In the crucibles, there were either black herbs or green caterpillars. In addition to Harry and his group, there were also a few people sitting in the wooden shed, discussing with the old elf what to eat.
Harry watched in horror as the old elf held a golden spoon in one hand and a crystal cup in the other. He was pouring out all kinds of strange things, and he didn't seem to care much about the orders of the guests. Harry knew that this supper was a random thing. But when he found that the elves of Avalon didn't pay for their food, he was a lot more understanding.
Although the things cooked in the pot were very mysterious and scary, as long as one had the courage to eat it, the taste was unexpectedly very good. Harry even refilled another bowl. Then, Merlin brought them to another wooden shed and treated them to Avalon's native cinnamon tree sap. After they had their fill, they strolled leisurely toward Merlin's residence. It was a comfortable journey with the wind, the moon, the grass, and the insects chirping all the way.
Then, Merlin stood at the fork in the road and asked Harry, "Why don't we go somewhere else?"
Harry was about to happily agree, but he found that Merlin's words seemed to be directed at him and didn't include Snape.
This was awkward. Although Harry and Snape had always kept a secret between them, Harry didn't intend to hide anything from the Potions Professor. Even if he wanted to spread the matter out, he didn't care.
So, he said to Merlin, "I don't feel at ease leaving the professor alone in this unfamiliar place."
Snape: "…"
Merlin: "… I'd better ask Mr. Allen to take care of the old house for me. He might not be able to go to the place I want to take you to."
As a legend, Avalon had many stories of its own, about heroes, about beauties, about prophecies and curses, and about origins. In the history class of Avalon's residents, at the very beginning, Avalon was an oak seed that fell from the sky. It landed on the water and quickly took root and sprouted. The hard roots spread in all directions and finally turned into rocks and sand. The thick trunk suddenly cracked and turned into mountains and valleys. The fallen branches grew into towering trees, the fallen leaves became lakes of all sizes, and the acorns became residents of Avalon.
Merlin said, "This legend is false."
Harry: o (? □?) o
The greatest mage used magic to push the small boat forward. At the same time, he explained, "Although this legend is false, it is right about one thing. The origin of Avalon Island is related to an oak tree, but it is not a story similar to the creation of the world by Pangu of the East."
The boat sailed on the lake in Avalon, and the fog on the lake suddenly thickened. Harry shrunk his arms and listened to Merlin's story.
"The elves of Avalon call it the Holy Wood. Only the King of Elves and his thirteen council members can row a boat here. This is an oak tree that grows alone on the water …"
Harry opened his mouth wide. "You're the King of Elves???"
"… I helped the King of Elves hide the entire Avalon, so I'm a council member," Merlin added. "But you've already met the King of Elves. He's Ariel."
It seemed that Avalon was not the kind of place where royalty was paramount. The supreme leader was even more approachable than the director of the neighborhood committee.
After the boat glided through the fog, Harry sensed the presence of the Oulopolos again. At the same time, his eyes began to burn, and the golden threads seeped in again. Although the Holy Oak was just a blurry shadow in front of them, Harry's eyes had seen through the hazy night and saw the huge oak tree with luxuriant leaves and a big crack in its abdomen. The broken limb of the Oulopolos — a glowing time thread was floating in the crack.
"Do you remember that I told you that time is running out?" Merlin smiled bitterly for the first time today. "Ariel comes to check on the Holy Wood every month. He told me that since half a year ago, the Holy Wood Thread, which is the time thread, began to break. So, I think that it might be fate that you found me so quickly. "
Harry was silent.
When the boat reached the shore, Harry and Merlin went ashore. The whole island made of oak roots was about a few dozen square meters in size. After they went ashore, they went into the crack that Harry saw from afar, which was the meeting hall of the Elven Council in Avalon. The hall was empty except for a two-foot-long crystal box floating in the middle. A time thread was floating in the box.
To Harry's relief, although there were signs of wear and tear, it was still intact.
"Look at you, you're always sleeping in crystal coffins."
Harry mocked while taking out the crystal ball that contained the Oulopolos from his dimensional pocket. The time thread in the crystal ball broke into inch by inch and suddenly shone brightly, echoing with its companion in the crystal box.
Merlin looked at the crystal ball and felt some regret. No matter what, as a god, Ouroboros had fallen to such a state. It was quite depressing.
Harry turned the crystal ball and said with a smile, "It should be able to repair this Holy Wood Thread."
"Yes." Merlin nodded.
"Then the Oulopolos can unlock the Ring of Time. If I join forces with him, two against one, Nihon shouldn't be able to defeat us. "
Merlin looked at Harry for a while and suddenly smiled. "Do you think this is why I brought you here?"
Harry tilted his head. "This is the only plan I can think of." He pointed to his head. "To be honest, I've been thinking about various plans since we set off."
Merlin beckoned Harry to sit on the ground and asked with a smile, "Can I ask about the plan you originally prepared? The one that will make Mr. Allen furious. "
Harry held the crystal ball in front of him with both hands and said seriously, "I will swallow the Oulopolos and restart the whole story. I, not the world, will restart it so that my name never appears at all, and then this paradox will break the Ring of Time. "
"Since you have never appeared, the whole story about you should not exist... Indeed, this paradox will break the Ring of Time and modify the whole timeline. You will disappear from the stories of all your relatives and friends, and you will become..."
"Basically, a god." Harry covered the crystal ball and smiled. "Then I will go to see Nihon and settle the old score with him."
Merlin smiled and did not comment on the plan. But Harry still saw some clues from the old man's smile. After thinking about it, he asked, "So, what is the purpose of you bringing me here? If it is not for the Holy Wood Thread? "
Merlin shook her head modestly. "I can't say that my purpose has nothing to do with the Holy Wood Thread. After all, I was entrusted by someone." This person was, of course, the Elf King Ariel. "But I have some private thoughts that I want to talk to you about... Daniel, do you think the world, the world you speak of, has its own will?"
Harry was stunned and could not speak for a while.
Ever since he deciphered the riddle in the hint of the library, in all his conjectures, the world was a being that manipulated the will of others at will, a common villain in conspiracy theories. This could not be said to be unreasonable, but it was indeed the result of his anger. Therefore, when Merlin suddenly raised this question …
"I can't answer that."
The old sorcerer smiled kindly. "Daniel, you rarely use the power of the God of Existence, that is, the Librarian, because you resist that identity, right? To be honest, earlier today, you told me that I, we are just characters in a fictional story. I was quite frightened, and you, when you were quite young (20 years old?), you already knew this. Knowing this, I think you must be angry as well as alarmed. Angry that your will is being manipulated. So you resist this kind of thing, this kind of setting the rules of the game, manipulating the characters, and then playing the role of the savior. You are very resistant — right? "
Harry expressed his affirmation with silence.
"I think this anger does affect you. You resist being the savior, you refuse to listen to the cry for help of the world. You don't want to be the savior, but... "Merlin sat up straight and looked deeply at the young sorcerer." Harry, tell me... "he said the name." Is the world worth saving? "
"I..."
"Do you really want to give it up, give up your story, and be a — I don't know, I don't call it a God. Do you really want to do this?" The old man looked sad.
The young sorcerer was silent.
"Harry, I am older than you, and I have heard more. To be honest, I think the world really wants someone to save it, and it wants that person to be you... "Merlin looked back at the young sorcerer's confused eyes." It gives you hints, it pushes your plot, it wants you to get there before it is too late... I really think it wants you to save it, and not let it sink into nihilism. It needs a little hope, a little motivation to exist. "
The old man sighed. "So, Harry, I don't agree with your plan. The world doesn't need another God of Existence who is going to nothingness in time. "
Harry's emotions were in turmoil for a long time, and he could not calm down. He said emotionally, "But I don't have a plan B! It only gives me one path, doesn't it? Either I die, or I become a God! Fortunately, both paths can save all the people I care about... "He suddenly remembered Snape's anger and was silent for a moment.
Merlin looked at him kindly. "You see, you are not so satisfied with your plan."
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