Rowena's Lingering Regret

"I choose to move forward." Allen did not hesitate in the slightest. Wealth could be acquired through effort, but precious knowledge was not so easily obtained.

"Game over." The ethereal voice rang out once more.

In an instant, Allen felt as if his stomach had been hooked, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived in a place that looked like an office.

The reason it looked like an office was because its interior decoration was the height of luxury; everything he touched was gold, and even a scrap of memo paper was "crawling" with gold.

"Debauchery" is a term often used to describe people falling into depravity, but this "Golden House" was captivating without being addictive. Every detail was handled with a gentleman's restraint and a lady's elegance, lacking even a hint of vulgarity. For instance, the desk, the chairs, the curtains, the cushions... large and small, every piece sought elegance within the gaudy, being both gaudy and elegant at once.

"Greetings, Allen Harris." An extremely majestic voice sounded behind Allen. Allen turned around immediately, his eyes filled with awe. A truly beautiful figure appeared behind him—a beauty so great that one could only look up to it, not daring to harbor the slightest thought of desecration, and even feeling a sense of intimidation.

Allen recognized her instantly as Rowena Ravenclaw, for she looked very similar to the statue in the Ravenclaw common room, yet possessed far more majesty and vitality than the statue.

"A Ravenclaw like you is actually not greedy at all!" Rowena walked behind the desk and sat down gracefully. Allen understood her meaning; the literal meaning of Ravenclaw is "raven's claw," and the hidden implication in the name is "greedy predator."

"You should know the selection criteria for Ravenclaw best, should you not, respected Madam? The students must have superior intelligence, preferably wise, fair, shrewd, learned, clever, visionary, highly curious, and fond of delving into things." Allen bowed deeply to Rowena Ravenclaw. Whether as the founder of the house or as a powerful figure, Rowena was worthy of Allen's respect.

"I would prefer you to call me Professor or—Headmistress," Rowena Ravenclaw emphasized.

"Very well, Professor." In Allen's heart, Professor Flitwick was the Head of Ravenclaw. Although Rowena Ravenclaw was the founder, she could at most be called the former Headmistress. Thus, Allen settled for the next best thing and could only address her as Professor.

"Since you have made it here, as long as you complete the final trial, you will obtain Ravenclaw's treasure." Rowena scrutinized Allen earnestly, staring unblinkingly at his face.

"May I ask what the final trial is?" Allen had confidence in himself.

"The final trial is to create the Sorcerer's Stone, which can turn stone into gold and grant immortality." Allen detected a hint of urgency in the cold, feminine voice.

"The Sorcerer's Stone? Forgive me, but why would you still want to create a Sorcerer's Stone in your current form?" Allen was genuinely curious.

"You mean to ask why I, a mere wisp of lingering thought, would still desire a Sorcerer's Stone for immortality?" Rowena Ravenclaw's voice sounded somewhat melancholy.

"My daughter Helena stole my Diadem, and I sent the Baron to find her, never expecting that the Baron would actually kill her! I had originally intended to create the Resurrection Stone. However, after research, I discovered that the Resurrection Stone cannot truly bring the dead back to life; it merely summons a substance that is more real than a soul but more illusory than a physical body, and the resurrected person is not necessarily happy. In that case, the Resurrection Stone would have no meaning for Helena. That child, out of fear of death, actually turned into a ghost. I wanted to accompany my daughter in a more lasting way, but I did not want to become a ghost, so I thought of the Sorcerer's Stone." Rowena did not mind telling Allen the whole story.

"But you do not need the Sorcerer's Stone anymore, do you?" Allen was still very puzzled.

"True, but I am still unreconciled to not having thoroughly researched the Sorcerer's Stone. So, I left behind this wisp of lingering thought bearing my soul imprint and designed this magical statue. When I was terminally ill and my life was coming to an end, I injected all my magic into it to protect this wisp of lingering thought as much as possible." Rowena told Allen the facts exactly as they were.

It seemed Rowena Ravenclaw's attainments in soul magic were no less than her achievements in Alchemy. Allen remembered that Voldemort's soul fragments also possessed the ability to think for themselves and communicate with others, yet Rowena Ravenclaw had achieved the same effect with only a wisp of lingering thought bearing her soul imprint, which showed that Rowena was even more brilliant.

"Very well, Harris, are you willing to accept the challenge? If you can successfully refine it according to my notes, you may take all my wealth. If you cannot, I will erase your memory and let you leave." Rowena's presence was overwhelming, but Allen was not afraid.

"I can accept the challenge, but I have no materials." Allen spread his hands, indicating his predicament.

Rowena rotated a magic orb on the table three times counter-clockwise, and the wall on the right vanished, revealing a massive alchemy lab before Allen. Rowena handed a thick roll of parchment to Allen and then vanished without a trace.

Allen quickly flipped through the precious manuscript; the handwriting was neat and elegant, and there were diagrams drawn by Rowena herself.

The materials needed for the Sorcerer's Stone—"Alex, Camoto, mercury, sulfur, aqua regia," and others—were all prepared, and the alchemical techniques were also noted on the parchment. Why had Rowena's refinement failed? As he read, a thought struck Allen. He pulled up a copy of Geber's insights from the system. The production of one of the alchemical products, the "Philosopher's Stone," was very similar to the Sorcerer's Stone Rowena Ravenclaw had been researching. Aside from a few differences in names, the effects of the Philosopher's Stone were almost identical to the Sorcerer's Stone. Comparing the two, the biggest difference lay in the furnace fire; the furnace temperature recorded in Geber's insights was far higher than the temperature Rowena had recorded.

Hesitation would be of no use, so Allen decided to take a gamble and set the temperature according to the instructions in Geber's insights.