"I chose to keep moving forward." Allen did not hesitate in the slightest. Wealth could be acquired through hard work, but precious knowledge was not so easily obtained.
"The game is over." The ethereal voice rang out again.
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.
It only looked like an office because its interior was decorated with the utmost extravagance. Gold met the eye everywhere; even a sheet of notepaper seemed to be "crawling" with gold.
A life of extravagance usually referred to corruption and decadence, yet this "Golden House" inspired admiration rather than obsession. Every detail was handled with the restraint of a gentleman and the elegance of a lady, without the slightest trace of vulgarity. The desk, chairs, curtains, cushions... large and small, every piece sought elegance amid the commonplace—both mundane and refined.
"Hello, Allen Harris." An immensely imposing voice sounded behind Allen. He immediately turned around, his eyes filled with amazement. A remarkably graceful figure stood behind him. Her beauty made one want to look up at her, not daring to entertain the slightest disrespect. It was even somewhat intimidating.
Allen recognized her at once as Rowena Ravenclaw, because she greatly resembled the statue in the Ravenclaw Common Room. Yet compared to the statue, she possessed far more authority and vitality.
"You, a Ravenclaw, are actually not greedy at all!" Rowena walked behind the desk and sat down gracefully. Allen understood what she meant. Ravenclaw literally meant "raven's claw" or "crow's claw," and the hidden meaning in the name was "a greedy marauder."
"You should know Ravenclaw's standards for selecting students better than anyone, shouldn't you, Madam? Students must possess outstanding intelligence—preferably wisdom, fairness, shrewdness, broad learning, cleverness, foresight, intense curiosity, and a love of studying things." Allen gave Rowena Ravenclaw a deep bow. Whether as the founder of a House or as a powerful witch, Rowena deserved his respect.
"I would prefer that you address me as Professor or—Headmistress," Rowena Ravenclaw emphasized.
"Very well, Professor." In Allen's mind, Professor Flitwick was Ravenclaw's true Head of House. Though Rowena Ravenclaw was its founder, at most she could be called its former Head. Therefore, Allen settled for the next best thing and addressed her as Professor.
"Since you have made it this far, you may claim Ravenclaw's treasure as long as you complete the final trial." Rowena scrutinized Allen seriously, staring motionlessly at his face.
"May I ask what the final trial is?" Allen had confidence in himself.
"The final trial is to create a Sorcerer's Stone capable of turning stone into gold and granting eternal life." Allen heard a trace of urgency in her cool voice.
"A Sorcerer's Stone? Forgive me, but why would you still want to create one in your current state?" Allen was truly very curious.
"You mean that I am clearly only a lingering remnant, yet I still desire a Sorcerer's Stone that grants eternal life?" Rowena Ravenclaw's voice unexpectedly carried a note of melancholy.
"My daughter Helena stole my Diadem, and I sent the Baron to find her. I never expected the Baron to kill her! At first, I wanted to create a Resurrection Stone. But after researching it, I discovered that the Resurrection Stone could not truly bring back the dead. It merely summoned something more real than a soul yet more illusory than a physical body, and the resurrected person might not even be happy. In that case, the Resurrection Stone held no meaning for Helena. That child, out of fear of death, actually became a ghost. I wished to accompany my daughter in a more lasting way, yet I did not want to become a ghost. So I thought of the Sorcerer's Stone." Rowena did not mind telling Allen the entire story.
"But you no longer need a Sorcerer's Stone now, do you?" Allen was still deeply puzzled.
"That is true, but I remained unwilling to accept not having fully researched the Sorcerer's Stone. So I left behind this lingering remnant bearing my soul's mark and designed this magical statue. When I was gravely ill and my life was nearing its end, I infused all my magic into it, so that it could protect this lingering remnant bearing my soul's mark to the greatest possible extent." Rowena told Allen everything exactly as it had happened.
It seemed that Rowena Ravenclaw's mastery of soul magic was no less impressive than her achievements in Alchemy. Allen remembered that Voldemort's soul fragment could also think independently and communicate with others, while Rowena Ravenclaw had achieved the same effect merely by leaving behind a lingering remnant bearing her soul's mark. Clearly, Rowena was more skilled.
"Enough, Harris. Are you willing to accept the challenge? If you succeed in developing it according to my notes, you may take all of my wealth. If you fail, I will erase your memory and let you leave." Rowena's presence was immensely powerful, but Allen was not afraid in the least.
"I can accept the challenge, but I do not have the materials." Allen spread his hands, indicating his difficulty.
Rowena turned a magical sphere on the table counterclockwise three times. The wall on the right vanished, revealing an enormous alchemy chamber before Allen. Rowena handed him a thick roll of parchment, then vanished without a trace.
Allen quickly leafed through the precious manuscript. The handwriting was neat, graceful, and generous, and it also contained diagrams personally drawn by Rowena.
The materials required for the Sorcerer's Stone—"Alex, Camoto, mercury, sulfur, aqua regia," and so on—had all been prepared, and the alchemical methods were also marked on the parchment. Why had Rowena's attempts failed? As he read, Allen suddenly had an idea and retrieved Geber's notes from the system. One alchemical product recorded within, the Philosopher's Stone, was extremely similar to the Sorcerer's Stone Rowena Ravenclaw had been researching. Aside from some differences in naming, it could be concluded that the Philosopher's Stone's effects were nearly identical to those of the Sorcerer's Stone. The greatest difference between the two lay in the furnace fire: the temperature recorded in Geber's notes was far higher than the one Rowena had recorded.
There was no point hesitating any longer. Allen decided to take a gamble and set the temperature according to Geber's notes.
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