Shanhe Sheji Map

Chapter 14: The Map of Mountains and Rivers

The smile on Brook's face froze instantly.

He turned to look at the staff table.

Dumbledore was watching him warmly.

But that smile—it was clearly up to no good.

The Sorting Hat was about to sort him into Hufflepuff.

But after a moment of silence, it suddenly changed its mind. If Dumbledore hadn't meddled, Brook would never believe it.

Brook: (╯-＿-)╯╧╧

At that moment, the Gryffindor table erupted in thunderous applause.

The commotion was almost as loud as when Harry had been welcomed.

Though many younger students didn't know what it meant for the Sorting Hat to speak, the older ones did!

The older students clapped, so the younger ones had to follow.

Hermione was clapping hard too, her small face flushed with excitement.

Brook set the Sorting Hat down on the stool and walked toward the Gryffindor table, sitting down beside Hermione.

In both his past and present lives, Brook never considered himself a particularly good person.

He wouldn't run wild just because he'd transmigrated, turning into some chaotic-evil lunatic.

But did Dumbledore really take him for a sunflower?

Old man, just you wait.

Sooner or later, I'll drop a big one on you.

"Great, Brook, we're in the same house."

Hermione: (ღˇ◡ˇღ)

"Yeah, it's pretty good." Brook wasn't entirely brushing her off.

Being in the same house as Hermione would at least make copying homework a lot easier.

Dumbledore stood up, spreading his arms warmly. "Welcome!"

"Welcome to Hogwarts for the new school year! Before the feast begins, I'd like to say a few words: 'Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!' Thank you!"

He sat down with a smile.

Everyone clapped and cheered, playing along.

"What does that mean?" Hermione looked puzzled.

"Probably some deep magical incantation, Hermione. Want some lamb chops?"

Brook grabbed a large lamb chop and dropped it onto his plate.

"Lamb chops?" Hermione only then noticed that her empty golden plate was now piled high with food.

"Cut me a piece, please."

Brook sliced off two lamb chops for Hermione, then picked up the bone with his hands and tore into it.

Even though he'd been in England for a year, he still wasn't used to knives and forks.

Lamb chops like this—eating them with his hands was the only way to enjoy it.

Boiled.

Taste was passable.

There was a strong lemon sourness.

Probably marinated in lemon to get rid of the mutton's gamey smell.

Just missing some dipping sauce.

He had plenty of soy sauce and chive flowers in his space, but it wasn't convenient to pull them out now.

Brook ate his fill.

Though all the dishes were simply roasted or boiled, the ingredients were fresh, letting their natural flavors shine.

As for the kidney pie, he didn't touch it.

He liked kidneys well enough, but not like this.

Especially the lingering gamey smell that hadn't been fully cleaned out—it made him nauseous.

The only vegetables were carrots and peas.

He didn't like carrots.

The peas were boiled too—how could you eat them without dipping sauce?

As for Hermione beside him, she was regretting it.

She'd eaten plenty of snacks on the train, but she was still starving.

So without realizing it, he ate quite a bit of meat.

The various desserts after the main course gave her trouble.

Apple pie, treacle tart, chocolate cake, jam doughnuts, rice pudding, ice cream, and more.

She wanted to eat them, but didn't dare.

Brook directly pushed a mango-flavored ice cream in front of her.

"Desserts are cold, no calories."

"You're lying."

Hermione pouted playfully, but still took small bites, a satisfied smile spreading across her face .

Once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Dumbledore stood up again.

"Alright, now that you're all full, I have a few words to say... Finally, I must remind you all that any student who doesn't wish to meet with an accident, or even death, should not approach the corridor on the right side of the fourth floor."

He suddenly became very excited ヘ( ^o^)ノ.

"Now let's all sing the school song together!"

He gave his wand a little flick, and a golden ribbon flew out from it, swirling in the air to form lines of lyrics.

"You may choose whatever tune you like."

Can't find the book by title? Try searching by author—maybe it's just been renamed!

"Ready, sing!"

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, As the last two finished the final note to the tune of the Funeral March, Dumbledore looked utterly satisfied.

The welcoming feast was officially over.

The Gryffindor common room was located in a tower on the seventh floor.

Through the window, Brook could see the sparse stars in the night sky.

After saying goodbye to Hermione, he headed alone to the dormitory.

Inside were six four-poster beds, each draped with deep red flannel curtains.

Hogwarts had placed all six first-year wizards in the same dorm.

Brook greeted the others in the dorm, introduced himself, and then went to take a shower.

When he came out of the bathroom, the dorm was already quiet, the others having fallen asleep.

Perfect—he could draw his lottery now.

He had earned five more draw chances.

The two tasks he'd completed were [Successfully Enter Any House] and [Be Served by a House Elf].

He had some impression of House Elves.

Creatures that looked somewhat similar to goblins.

But when he'd been served by a House Elf, he had no idea.

Still, an extra draw chance was always a good thing.

Brook habitually prayed to all the gods and buddhas.

"System draw, five in a row."

The system's prompt immediately rang in his mind.

[Thank you for your patronage]

[Congratulations, host, on winning the second prize: 1,000 cases of high-purity malt whiskey.]

The Norwegian Ridgeback's favorite food, greatly increasing its favorability.

[Thank you for your patronage]

[Thank you for your patronage]

[Congratulations, host, on winning the grand prize: Shanhe Sheji Map]

The host can freely modify its internal environment and store items and living beings.

Due to force majeure, the Shanhe Sheji Map will be issued to the host in the form of a ring.

As for alcohol, Brook had no shortage of it.

He had hundreds of tons of top-quality white liquor.

Malt whiskey didn't even deserve a seat at his table.

As for the Shanhe Sheji Map, that was truly a good thing.

Although its functions somewhat overlapped with his independent space, he took out the Shanhe Sheji Map that had been transformed into a ring.

Its design was quite ordinary.

It didn't have the ethereal, immortal aura from the movies, nor any paintbrush.

The band wasn't made of metal, but rather seemed crafted from some kind of crystal.

The surface appeared smooth, but upon closer inspection, delicate textures could be seen within.

A large gem was set into the ring mount, with blue and purple swirling inside it.

Brook focused his mind, and in an instant, he appeared inside the Shanhe Sheji Map.

The sky within the space was dotted with faintly twinkling stars.

The entire space was vast, stretching beyond what his eyes could see.

It wasn't as scenic as in the movies—just a barren continent.

He pointed imperiously toward the sky.

"I say, let there be light."

Yet the space didn't change at all; only the starlight continued to shimmer.

Brook felt a bit awkward.

No matter.

Try again.

"I say, let there be mountains."

This time, the space finally responded.

At the direction he pointed, a towering mountain instantly rose from the ground.

Brook suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground.

As if his body had been drained completely.

Fortunately, he had plenty of experience dealing with this kind of situation.

He adjusted his breathing slightly, then opened the hidden door.

He took out a good amount of chocolate from his independent space and quickly ate it.

After downing a dozen or so pieces of chocolate, Brook gradually regained his strength.

He looked at the mountain before him, estimating it to be about 500 meters tall.

It seemed this space couldn't be freely altered—it was likely tied to his physical stamina.