Chapter 13: Lemon Drop For Sleeping Beauty
Chapter 13. Lemon Drop For Sleeping Beauty
Harry and Iris were currently flying in the evening sky, playing tag in the mid air. The soft cool wind blew on their faces and through their hair, the warm red light of the setting sun shone on their happy laughing faces.
Below them, the wilderness spread as far as their eyes could trace. They had come far away from their manor, so lost in their fun they were.
Harry suddenly shot towards her like a rocket, a grin clear on his face. Iris froze in fright and instinctively pushed her hands forward to stop the impact. But just before he could collide with her, he rolled to the side and flew past her.
"Harry!" She yelled indignantly and chased after him. But he just laughed, his voice carried to her by the winds, making it seem louder than it was. She narrowed her eyes and went as fast as she could without breaking the sound barrier. She shrieked in surprise when he stopped without a warning and turned around to face her. Again, just before they could collide, he rolled by her side, barely missing her.
"Stop doing that!" Iris complained and crossed her arms. Harry grinned mischievously as he flew towards her, this time at a slow speed. She didn't move and hovered in her place, staring at him annoyedly. Though she didn't complain when he pulled her in his arms and yelled by her ear over the loud wind.
"Let's go home. We have played enough. It is getting dark."
He was correct in that. The sun had sunken behind the western horizon and the calm silent blackness was growing through the sky.
"Fine." She accepted reluctantly. If she had her way, they both would fly for the whole night.
And as she said that, he teleported them to his room and they promptly fell back on his bed, catching their breaths and letting their heartbeat slow down to normal.
"That was fun." She sighed.
"It was. But we are only having fun for the past few days instead of working to get stronger. Even mum is getting irritated. I didn't give you this Perk and these Skills for fun. It was given to make you stronger." Harry said exasperatedly as he lay on his side and she did the same to face him.
"Don't be a spoilsport. We have enough time to get stronger." Iris yawned tiredly and pressed her face on his chest, huddling against his side.
"I guess so." He agreed half-heartedly. After grinding for almost a year in the other world, this idle rest was making him feel all jittery and nervous. He felt uneasy, like he needed to do something and doing nothing didn't sit right with him. Still, his sister was enjoying herself and seeing her smile and laugh was a soothing balm to his recovering heart.
Later he would curse his past self for jinxing himself.
~xXxXx~
ATTENTION!
A special unavoidable quest has been assigned by the [Creator] for you and your sister and the world's reality has been warped for his amusement.
QUEST:
— Mad Mad World!
The world is suddenly strange and different than it was before. Fulfil the given quest set in this Mad World to make it right again.
REWARD:
— 3000 XP for Harry Potter
— 3000 XP for Iris Potter
— Unknown Legendary Rewards
Harry, who was playing a board game with Iris in his room, froze from shock before groaning loudly. Iris gave him an odd look but waited for him to explain himself.
'Isis… what the hell?'
I know the feeling, Harry. Because I yelled the same thing. Unfortunately, you have no real choice here, but to do it. Honestly, it's not that bad. The Creator won't give you an undoable task since it would risk your life.
As I have said earlier, he is biassed towards his variants. Most probably this will end in your benefit. And look at the bonus, you are getting so many levels for yourself and your sister which normally would have taken much longer.
'Is it safe for Iris to attempt?' he thought reluctantly, still unsure about bringing his sister into this.
If you are careful, everything will be safe. That I can assure you. This will not end like Halloween night if you don't act stupid and don't make rash decisions. Believe me, these special quests are a very rare thing and you shouldn't waste it.
'Fine. I accept it. Not that anyone asked me for my permission. And do you remember the time when you had said that I have the choice to ignore my quests and live a normal boring life and no one would bother me? That was a fucking lie.'
When Isis gave no response, Harry sighed and looked at his sister.
"Iris, we have a quest to do now." He said out loud and then informed her about his talk with Isis.
Her green eyes sparkled and she upended the board, scattering all the game pieces before jumping down the bed.
"Let's go. I am so excited."
"Iris. This is not a game. We can be hurt. We might even need to fight and kill other beings, even humans. Are you ready for it?" Harry warned her gravely. Some of Iris' enthusiasm dimmed down but she then nodded with a strange determination.
"I am ready, brother. I don't want to be always babied by you or mum. I don't want to be coddled anymore like a child. I want to see it. I want to see the real world with my own eyes." She said with some seriousness. Harry stifled the need to point out that she was in fact a child. Then again, what was he, a hundred years old sage?
"Okay. Let's do it." He agreed, not having it in him to belittle her. He winced as he checked on her stats.
Name: Iris Potter
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Lvl: 16
HP: 800
MP: 1600
Affection: 100
Obedience: 60
Thoughts about you: Love, Respect
Well, he might need to be extra careful for her. Her levels were abysmal. Just as he thought of that, the details of the quest popped up.
QUEST: Mad Mad World
— Lemon Drop for Sleeping Beauty;
Obtain a Lemon Drop from the tree of Largebone and free the Sleeping Beauty from her cursed sleep.
"... What?"
... What?
"What!"
The three whats were uttered by three different people. One with confusion, one with exasperation and one with excitement.
A large golden teleportation circle appeared on the floor of Harry's room. It was a clear invitation for them to step in it. Harry looked at it with more than a little trepidation.
Just go with the flow, Harry. It seems the Creator is in a particular funny mood. Thankfully, it will also mean less danger for you both.
'Okay.' Harry mumbled dubiously.
"Hey! You didn't answer me. What is the quest?" asked Iris.
"We have to get a Lemon Drop from the Largebone tree to cure the cursed sleep of the Sleeping Beauty."
"... What?"
"Right. Let's go."
~xXxXx~
After stepping into the teleportation circle, they appeared on a small hill overlooking a beautiful valley.
Behind them lay a dark forest and in front of them, down the slope, a path led to a village nestled in the green valley. Harry turned to look at Iris and found her changed into a different set of clothes than the ones she was wearing earlier.
Instead of her modern t-shirt and shorts, she had tight brown leather trousers and a white old fashioned undershirt on. A beautiful green embroidered travelling cloak was over her clothes and went down to her ankles. Sturdy high black boots adorned her legs. Her wand lay in a sheath hanging at her waist as if it was a sword. The cloak's hood was thrown over, hiding her braided crimson hair.
All in all, her appearance was that of an adventurer of old times. Or at least like the ones he had read in a few fantasy novels.
"Iris, what happened to your clothes?" He asked, astonished and enamoured by her look. She looked so cute in it.
"I should ask you the same question, brother. Look at yourself." She whispered in awe as she checked herself.
Harry did and found that his clothes were exactly like her. Even the colour of his clothes and the cloak was the same. With their same height and similar eyes, the clothes did a superb job in making them look like twins. One look at their appearance would be enough for others to identify them as siblings.
"I look awesome. Don't you think so?" Iris laughed, giving a knightly pose. Harry chuckled and nodded.
"You look beautiful and deadly. Let's go and see what this is about." He smiled and pointed towards the village down in the valley.
"Oh, look! There is an arrow hologram hovering over us. I think it is our guide. This actually feels like a game." Iris grinned, jumping from one foot to another in her exuberance.
They descended down the hill and approached the gate of the village, following behind the hovering red arrow hologram. Two people in cheap bronze breastplates and red tattered uniforms stood guard outside. Above the gate a shabby wooden plaque hung, which displayed the village's name.
"Teatanpole. That's a… good name." Harry corrected himself before he could offend the gatekeepers who were staring at them suspiciously. Iris wasn't sure whether to laugh or blush so she did both and covered her mouth with her hand.
"Identify yourself, strangers, and state your purpose for visiting Teatanpole." One of them said loudly.
"My name is Harry and this is my lovely sister Iris. We are travellers, wandering from one village to another in search of an adventure." Harry answered with a good natured smile, acting his part. Iris too smiled and nodded.
"A bit young for adventuring, lad and lady. But we will let you try as well. You have come to the right place in the end if you wanted an adventure. There is indeed a perilous quest and a greater reward for the ones who conquer the evil sorcerer and revive the slumbering daughter of the chief. Go through the gates and seek the village chief. He will tell you the details. Good luck children, you will need it. And rest in peace if you die. We don't want any more undead, we just defeated and drove them away last winter."
Harry's and Iris' smiles strained, but they peacefully stepped into the village of Teatanpole without making a scene. A broad cobbled path passed straight through the village while many smaller and narrower stony roads intersected it at various points.
Archaic brick houses stood on the sides of the roads and people shot them curious looks as they marched towards the village centre where the chief's house was. Harry stopped short when he saw a group of scantily clothed ladies leaning against a wall. They were talking and giggling among themselves. The amount of skin they showed made him blush furiously.
"Oh, darling, come here. We will make your dreams come true. Just one galleon and this mommy will let you drink milk from her very own teats." A buxom and flaxen haired woman whistled as she noticed them, shaking her big round boobs at him while the others chuckled.
"Or will you rather become a man and impale me with your pole, little boy?" Another woman, this one black haired and tan skinned, proposed, pulling up her dress and baring her thighs until her frilly underwear was visible. The laughter just turned louder and louder. Even the passers-by were smiling amusedly at the uncomfortable look on the young travellers' faces.
Iris grabbed his hand and they hurried past them, ignoring their calls to come back. Both the Potters were blushing down to their necks at the show of such indecency. They had never been more mortified in their lives.
Those women were even worse than the other Daphne, Harry thought. In front of them she seemed so innocent now. A wave of longing hit his heart at the thought of his friend from the other world.
They soon reached the village centre and easily found the chief's house. They stood in front of the door and knocked. Half a minute later, a servant opened the door and led them towards the meeting room. He took them near a long table and asked them to take a seat. He informed them that the master of the house would see them soon.
"How are you finding your first quest, Iris?" asked Harry.
"Interesting and fun. Are all your quests like this?"
"No. This is new even for me. Usually my quests are very straightforward and mostly centre around killing. This is a nice change of pace. It's like we are in some good old fantasy world." Harry grinned happily.
Iris just shook her head in amusement, not knowing how to react to that. Before they could continue their conversation, an old man entered the room and sat on a high chair in front of them. He stared at Iris dumbly before looking at Harry and then back at Iris.
Name: Lowng Boner
Race: Human
Lvl: 36
HP: 360
Affection: 100
Obedience: 30
Thoughts about you: Confusion, Relief, Love
Harry was obviously very confused after seeing the stats of the man.
First of all, who the fuck names their kid 'Lowng' when their surname unfortunately happened to be Boner. That was just asking for becoming a joke and the clown of the school. Secondly, why the hell his affection points were maxed. He hadn't ever met him. It didn't make a lick of sense.
"I think you need to see her." The man stood up just a second after he sat. "Come, follow me."
Harry and Iris shared a strange look, but did as they were told. They tailed behind the ancient looking man and walked down a hallway before climbing to the second floor. There they stepped into a room to their left. What or exactly who they found in the room left them speechless.
Lying on a large bed was Lily Potter. Their mother. She was wearing a light white dress and her white skin shone from within.
"This is Lily Elven Boner. Known around here as the Sleeping Beauty. She is also your mother. And I am your grandfather."
Name: Lily Elven Boner
Race: Demi-Human
Class: Mage
Lvl: 30
HP: 3000
MP: 6000
Affection: 100
Obedience: 10
Thoughts about you: None
…Well, they hadn't expected that.
~xXxXx~
Sometimes Harry had to ask himself if the gamer system was a curse or a boon. He really had underestimated this quest. He hadn't given much thought to the 'world's reality has been warped for his amusement' part, but now he understood the meaning behind that. He also realised how monstrously powerful the Creator must be to just change the reality of this world whimsically for the sake of his entertainment.
He and Iris sat by their mother's side as their grandfather told them about their history. Harry was also sure that their grandfather was dead in reality. He didn't even know if this one was real or just some stranger given the script of being their mother's father. He also didn't know whether to laugh or despair as their 'grandfather' narrated their absurd history.
The story goes this way.
'The night Lily Boner was born, a small celestial star fell on their house. Rose Boner, Lily's mother, and Petunia Boner, Lily's elder sister, were the casualties of that celestial incident. But miraculously, Lily and Lowng survived. And the magical energy of the stardust transferred into the infant. From then on Lily Boner was named Lily Elven Boner since her skin divinely glowed from within like those of ancient Elves.
'Then she grew up to become the most beautiful woman of the village. Many men vied for her hand, but Lily Elven Boner spurned away all of them. At last James Eunuk, a traveller from further lands won her heart and they married with pomp. Alas, tragedy struck when her childhood friend, Severus Oleways, who was smitten with her beauty couldn't contain his jealousy anymore and killed James Eunuk while he was drunk and asleep.
'He would have also killed the newborn twin children if Lowng Boner hadn't stumbled in and drove him away. But he didn't go away without doing further damage, he put Lily into an enchanted sleep. And proclaimed that only his kiss can pull her out from the throngs of sleep or the Lemon Drop from the garden of evil dragon, Dumbodoor.
'Severus Oleways comes in Teatanpole every year, offering his service, but Lowng Boner always declines it, knowing that his daughter would never forgive him for that. Fearing for the safety of the children, Lowng Boner sent them far away in the western lands to be brought up by Alice Longbottom and Frankly Longbottom, who were family friends of James Eunuk.'
As Lowng Boner finished his tale, Harry looked at Iris who was red in face, not in anger or shame, but because she was trying her best to hold her laughter.
She was unsuccessful.
"Pfft! Hahaha– Elven Boner– Long Boner– Eunuch– Hahaha!" Iris laughed, clutching her stomach as if she had heard the best joke. This was better than even Sirius' jokes. Harry's own lips twitched in amusement, but he was able to keep his mirth within.
Lowng Boner shot Iris an affronted look for laughing at such tragedy. He was getting angrier by each passing second as Iris didn't seem to be able to stop her laughter.
"Don't take it wrong, Mr. Boner. Iris is not making fun of you. It's her own way of showing grief. Since she too has some of the star blood in her, so she has some quirks. That's why she laughs when she feels sorrow and cries when she experiences joy." Harry explained hastily. At once all the stiff anger fled Lowng Boner and he became flaccid.
"I see." said Mr Boner in understanding. Iris at last stopped giggling and discreetly gave a thumbs up to Harry for the nice save.
"What is the way to cure our mother? We will do our best and make her hale and healthy again." Harry prompted, wanting to finish the quest and escape this crazy village. This whole quest was big sexual innuendo prank and he wished that he didn't understand some of the hidden and some not hidden hints. But unfortunately, he grew up with a shameless Sirius Black.
"As I said earlier, either a kiss from Severus Oleways or a lemon drop from the garden of the evil dragon Dumbodoor. In that garden, there is a Largebone tree on which the lemon drops grow. It is said that the fruit has the power to cure any disease, magical or mundane. You just have to swallow it. But the problem is that Dumbodoor is very possessive of his Largebone and won't give a single lemon drop to anyone.
"Hundreds of people have died when venturing too far into his garden. I urge you not to risk your lives. Lily won't ever forgive me if this quest results in your death. Please don't be foolish in attempting this quest. You are only eleven years old after all. You are just children." Lowng Boner begged passionately.
Harry hmmed in a non-committal manner and stared at his luminous mother. He scrunched his brows thoughtfully before doing something so strange that left both Iris and Lowng Boner incredulous.
Harry grabbed Lily's face, leaned down and kissed her on the lips. Hard.
Honestly, Harry didn't even know how to kiss properly. He just pressed his lips on hers and moved his mouth on hers until Lily Elven Boner's eyes fluttered open and she instinctively shoved him away. Harry stumbled back and fell down the bed while Lily sat up and wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her dress. She growled angrily, but before she could say something her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell into the enchanted sleep. Again.
Harry stood up and dusted his clothes.
"I see. I thought maybe any kiss would suffice. I mean it was illogical to think that a curse could differentiate between Severus Oleways' and my kiss. After all, a kiss is a kiss. Then I remembered in which village I am." Harry grumbled under his breath at his unsuccessful attempt.
"Brilliant! You are here just for an hour and you already woke up Lily, even if it was for a brief time. It was the first time I saw her open her eyes in the last decade. I am so proud of you. You know what, go, attempt to steal the lemon drop from Dumbodoor, you have enough brain to trick him. I am sure." Lowng Boner jumped up and shook excitedly.
Iris gave Harry a half-impressed and half-annoyed look. He shot her a small cheeky grin to which she just rolled her eyes.
~xXxXx~
"I can't believe you kissed mum." Iris snorted as they lay together on the bed after dinner. It was night and they had decided to attempt the quest tomorrow morning. When Lowng Boner had offered them a room to stay, they readily accepted it.
"What's so hard to believe about it? Let's look at this way. If you, Iris, was put to an enchanted sleep. And there were two boys, one me and one a stranger, whose kiss could wake you up. Wouldn't it be better for you to be kissed by me instead of some creepy stranger?" Harry explained with no shame.
Iris stared at him for a second before dissolving into giggles. She scooted closer to him and patted his cheek condescendingly.
"I see now. I understand you now, Harry. You are cutely possessive. You think that if anyone needs to kiss me or mum, then it should better be you since we are your mother and sister. What a strange and ridiculous logic." Iris laughed, holding her sides.
Harry frowned and asked, "Is it really that strange?"
That just sent her into another fit of laughter.
"Hey! Enough. You are making too much fun of me." He pouted as he pulled her to his side, hugging her close.
"You know what, Harry, you are really adorable." She smiled softly, snuggling against his side and clinging to him.
"I still don't know if you are making fun of me or are being genuine."
"I am honest. It was a compliment. Kind of."
"You just had to not say 'kind of'."
Iris didn't answer and just smiled on his chest before closing her eyes.
~xXxXx~
The next day, they left for the garden of the evil dragon, Dumbodoor. Lowng Boner told them that the garden was behind the dark forest from where Harry and Iris entered into the village. The siblings left Teatanpole and climbed up the small hill and stood at the edge of the forest. They shared a look as a wolf howled from somewhere deeper in the woods.
"Let's just fly above the forest and directly into the garden." said Iris. Harry beamed at her for the good suggestion and nodded. Why fight various animals and magical beasts when they could altogether avoid them?
They activated their flying skills and soared into the sky.
As they flew over the dark forest, various winged beasts screeched and followed them. Harry turned mid-flight and shot a [Bomb] in their midst before grabbing Iris and hurrying frantically forward.
The big boom of the bomb echoed throughout the jungle and the village. The people looked up, thinking it was thunder and a herald of a storm.
The followers were nothing more than pieces of flesh and bone as their remains rained down onto the treetops.
Iris couldn't help but roll her eyes. She hadn't forgotten the Halloween night where Harry had solved every challenge by dropping a bomb on it. Though she hoped that this day would not end like that. She should probably stop drawing parallels between this quest and the Halloween one. She had no interest in dying again, thank you very much.
They soon cleared the forest and reached the other end of it. Behind the line of trees was a small plain that ended in a cliff after a fifty metre expanse. Below, far below the cliff, a river rushed to meet the sea. The sound of the loud swirling of water was still hearable from this high up.
This fifty metre expanse was filled with dozens of types of pretty flowers. A narrow path between the flowerbed cut straight towards a single giant tree which stood near the cliff.
Harry and Iris flew down and stood at the beginning of the path. The whole surrounding was filled with the sweet fragrance of roses and daisies and other ten types of flowers. They took a minute to admire the beautiful garden, but then their gazes fell on the giant tree or more specifically on the sleeping white eastern dragon with its body wrapped around the trunk. Its beautiful scales were gleaming in the morning sunlight. It was the Largebone tree and the dragon was Dumbodoor.
"Here is the plan. I will distract it and you will sneak towards the tree and steal one of those lemon drops." Harry announced, taking out the fabled Invisibility Cloak from his Inventory and passing it to her.
Iris took it from him but frowned nervously.
"Will you be alright? That looks like a huge scary snakelike dragon." She mumbled, glancing at the sleeping wingless dragon.
Harry's lips turned up in a confident smile.
"My dear, you haven't even seen my true strength yet. And I don't think you will be forced to see it today. Just go do your work and be safe. I will be absolutely fine. Honestly, I am excited. I have something awesome to test." He chuckled, trying to reassure her.
Iris nodded reluctantly.
"Okay. Best of luck." she said and hid under the cloak of death.
~xXxXx~
Harry walked towards the tree boldly and stood at some distance from it. He used [Observe] on the dragon.
Name: Dumbodoor
Race: Eastern Dragon
Lvl: 1000(Max)
HP: 100,000
MP: 200,000
Affection: 0
Obedience: 0
Thoughts about you: Nothing
Harry suppressed the pool of fear which was spreading inside him. He thanked the Creator that he didn't need to kill this thing. It would have been impossible and fatal at his current level.
Now, all he needed to do was distract it and hope Iris was up for the task.
"Evil Dragon, Dumbodoor. I am here to take a lemon drop from your Largebone. You can either lay still and let me do it or we can struggle. The choice is yours." Harry yelled, ignoring so many innuendos that he just made.
The Head of the dragon twitched shortly before its grey slitted eyes opened lazily.
"Tell me your name, young mortal, who dares to show his face in my sacred garden." A deep rumbling voice came through the dragon's snout.
"I am Harry Boner. Son of Lily Elven Boner. I am the dragon of the west in whose veins the power of a celestial star flows." Harry claimed proudly and dearly hoped that his sister hadn't heard it or if she did then she wasn't laughing her arse off instead of doing her work.
The dragon huffed mirthfully, a white plume of mist flowing out of his snout.
"You are too young to challenge me, Harry my boy. Tell me the reason you need my lemon drop for. I may provide it freely if I find your desire acceptable."
Harry stared dumbly at him. This wasn't part of the plan.
"My mother is cursed by a spurned lover who in a fit of anger put her into an enchanted sleep. I need this fruit to heal her."
"I see. It seems like a valid reason. Let's see if you are telling the truth or not. Look in these old grey eyes, my boy." The dragon growled and widened his eyes. Harry couldn't help but stare back at the humongous orbs of grey.
"Hmm. I can't see your soul, my boy. Something shields your very soul and mind. But you are telling the truth. I can see it in your eyes. And sometimes all you need to read someone's mind is to look in their eyes. Many have come here in search of glory and adventure, they all died quickly and painlessly. Only you, Harry Boner, are the one who came here with a noble intention. Stand proud. Here, take it, my boy. Take it." Dumbodoor's rumbling voice was full of pride and respect.
A yellow candy was plucked magically from the tree by the dragon and was thrown towards him. Harry easily caught it and put it in the Inventory.
'What do you say about taking candy from a stranger? Yay!'
Harry glanced at the dragon and bowed briefly.
"Thank you, Dragon of East. You have my eternal gratitude." said Harry. He felt for his Invisibility Cloak and was pleased that Iris had backed off towards the edge of the forest after the plan went off the rails. It wouldn't do attracting Dumbodoor's wrath because he caught her sneaking and judging it not noble enough.
"Goodbye, youngling. I hope for your mother's fast recovery." Saying that the dragon closed his eyes and went back to sleep. Harry walked towards the forest half in bewilderment and half in triumph. Iris soon reappeared beside him as she folded the cloak and handed it to him which he then put back in the Inventory.
"Even though the plan failed, it went smoother and easier than expected." Iris commented happily.
"Hmm. I am disappointed that I didn't get to transform into a giant red dragon and distract him by using my [Shapeshifter] perk, but I guess it was for the better. Dumbodoor was really really powerful. I might only have been able to buy you a few minutes before I would have to teleport myself to safety. He was level 1000 so that's given. It's time like this that makes me realise how far I have to go in terms of gaining power. It shows how weak I am right now." Harry thought out loud.
Iris bit her lip in determination and promised herself to be serious about gaining power too. If her brother who was already so powerful but still felt he was weak, then she was not even in the same league.
"What is your level?" She asked curiously.
"It's 170 now, but after I finish this quest I will gain 15 more levels. I will reach level 185." Harry smiled proudly. Iris nodded in wonder.
"And what is my level?" She questioned him, her voice full of excitement. She knew she wasn't that powerful, but she must be at least 50 or 60 something.
"You are level 16." answered Harry.
Iris stumbled, but caught herself before she looked at him desperately.
"Really? I am just level 16?"
"Don't be so sad. Everyone our age is between level 10 and 15. See, you are not less or anything. You will be happy to know that when we finish this quest you too will get 15 levels. So, after this you will be level 31. Which I might add is a very respectable level. I have only seen one person other than me who is above level 100 in our world. That is Dumbledore who is level 150. So, you really shouldn't compare yourself to me." Harry quickly added seeing how down she looked. Instantly she perked up and latched onto his arm.
"Why are we walking? Just teleport us to the hill! We have a quest to finish! We can't waste time here. Come on! We have to get stronger." She shook him impatiently. Harry just laughed and grabbed onto her before doing exactly that.
Teleporting.
~xXxXx~
As they neared the village centre, they realised that there was a crowd growing around the chief's house.
Harry and Iris hurried towards the centre before slipping through the crowd and coming up short to see some confrontation going on between two people.
One was Lowng Boner himself while the other one was a sallow skinned and greasy black haired man in black robes. Harry recognised him as Professor Snape in the normal reality. He used [Observe] on him to see who he was in this Mad World.
Name: Severus Oleways
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Lvl: 55
HP: 2750
MP: 5500
Affection: –100
Obedience: 0
Thoughts about you: Utter Hatred
'Fuck you too.'
"You know how cruel it is that the women I loved since I was a child betrayed me and chose some fucking foreigner. You know how hard that is?" Severus yelled angrily at Lowng Boner.
"So what? Life is hard, so is my dick. Suck it up!" A drunk man stumbled forward from the crowd, interrupting their fight and thrusted his pelvis towards Severus, in one hand he had a bottle of ale and in the other his trousers. He was just in a loose undershirt and underwear, proudly showing his flabby legs.
Iris hid behind Harry, not wanting to see if the 'thing' was really hard.
The crowd laughed and jeered and Iris did too, shaking from mirth behind him.
Severus' eyes blazed with murder and he drew his wand, pointing it at the drunk man. Many gasps and shouts were uttered and the crowd pushed back in fear.
"Stop!" Harry said coldly and stepped forward before the drunk man, shielding him from the wand point.
Severus' eyes widened in disbelief before they narrowed in hatred. His wand arm trembled as the rage coursed through his body.
"You, brat! You are the child of James Eunuk and my Lily. I will kill you."
Harry activated his [Killer] perk.
The morning sun suddenly dimmed. The warm sunlight turned chilly. The clear blue sky became overcast. A large shadow fell around the chief's house. The air was full of evil bloodlust as if a madman was leering at his prey.
"Run and save yourself. You don't want to know what will happen otherwise." Harry warned, his voice eerily reverberating around them. His emerald eyes glowed from within and the very shadows moved and writhed around him as if they wanted to merge with him, as if they coveted his touch.
The villagers were shuffling nervously, wanting to run away like headless chickens but also desiring to see the show to its conclusion. At last, curiosity won over dread and the crowd stayed where they were.
Severus Oleways couldn't stop the terror from clasping his heart and he fled, his body ignoring his prideful mind. But just before he could cross the fountain of the village centre, Harry turned towards him and pointed his arm in his direction.
"Death Arrow." He mumbled underneath his breath. The black arrow shot in the air and pierced Severus Oleways through the back and the heart. There was a sickening crunch as his torso exploded from down the neck. His mangled body stumbled into the fountain, spasming violently before it stilled, pouring dark blood into the water, colouring it red.
That was the cue for everyone to scream and flee in terror. Just in a few seconds, everyone had left bar Harry, Iris and Lowng Boner.
"I fucking lied. How cruel." Harry chuckled darkly as he then looked at Iris, as the shadows receded and the [Killer] perk deactivated.
"That, Iris, should be the first and the biggest reason for gaining power. To destroy the ones who have harmed or can harm our family. Show no mercy to them and wipe them out completely. A dead enemy is the best enemy." Harry advised seriously.
Iris nodded slowly, still too shaken up to verbally reply. It wasn't the first time she had seen Harry kill people, but it had been a while that she had almost forgotten about it.
"That is an excellent suggestion, grandson. If I had that much power or ability I would have done the same." Lowng boner agreed proudly.
~xXxXx~
The three of them stood expectantly in Lily's bedroom. Harry and Iris sat on the bed, on either side of her. Harry grabbed her jaw and pulled her mouth wide open. Lowng Boner promptly dropped the lemon drop in her mouth which she sleepily swallowed.
"That should do it." Mr. Boner said eagerly, rubbing his hands.
Few seconds later, her eyes sluggishly opened.
And just like that their quest was finished and they were forcefully teleported back to their room.
"Oh, come on. At least let us meet the Lily Elven Boner. On second thought. This is for the better. I don't want to meet that version of mum. I don't want to associate my mum with anything resembling a boner." Harry grimaced, intentionally blanking his mind.
Iris giggled, but nodded to his suggestion.
"So, the quest is over?" enquired Iris, looking around, seeing that they were in his room instead of Teatanpole.
"Yes. It is. Reality is restored. Whatever we did won't matter anymore since everything will go back to as it was." Harry answered and looked at the notification.
QUEST:
— Mad Mad World!
The world is suddenly strange and different than it was before. Fulfil the given quest set in this Mad World to make it right again.
Success!
REWARD: Gained!
— 3000 XP for Harry Potter
— 3000 XP for Iris Potter
— Black And White Sword
[Black and White Sword]
— Two swords made from the same ore and by the same method. But one which was tempered with mystical light turned white while the one bathed in evil darkness turned black. Both the Sword increases the user's strength by 10x. But when used against dark creatures, the White Sword goes in a berserk mode and increases the strength by 12x. And when used against holy creatures, the Black Sword becomes the annihilator and increases the strength by 12x.
Harry took out the swords and equipped them in his two hands. Both had the same designs. Even their hilts were the same: a plain red leather. With both in his hands, Harry was far stronger than he ever was. Together these two blades boosted his states by 20x, meaning that his current level which was 185 was multiplied by 20. In truth he was wielding as much power as if he was level 3700 which was just insane and unbelievable. This quest really did benefit him in the end. These swords easily earned their legendary rank.
Alas, this much combined power was still dwarfed by what he had detected in Voldemort's souls. It scared him and relieved him at the same time. Although he couldn't comprehend how someone could have so much power, now at last he had some reference to how strong the dark lord was.
"Wow. Beautiful." Iris whispered in amazement, looking at the white sword yearningly. Harry smiled before giving it to her.
"Take it. This sword is legendary and will make you immensely formidable. But remember, never depend too much on weapons otherwise your growth will become stagnant." Harry warned kindly.
"Whoa! I feel like electricity is coursing through me. I think I am faster than anything and stronger than anyone." Iris gasped as she waved the sword slowly around her. The air around the blade vibrated with a deep thrum.
"You are. Your current level which is 31 is multiplied by 10. So in reality, you are now level 310 while you wield this weapon which makes you easily stronger than me." Harry informed her with a smirk as he saw her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Thanks, brother. I love it. Though it won't be quite normal to carry a sword with me everywhere." She mumbled with a frown. As if hearing her wish, the sword disappeared and reappeared as a white plain metal bangle on her right wrist. "It's so cool."
Harry left her to admire the sword while he kept his own in the Inventory. He already had a golden bracelet on his wrist and he wasn't interested in wearing more than one accessory on his hand.
This bracelet was a twin of the silver one which Daphne of the other world wore. He kept the bracelet as a fond remembrance of the good times he had with her and Tracey, even if they were few and far in between. While he couldn't go back to them, he would always remember them. And this bracelet would be the memorabilia.
~xXxXx~
OMAKE :
What if the Lemon drop was bigger?
The three of them stood expectantly in Lily's bedroom. Harry and Iris sat on the bed, on either side of her. Harry grabbed her jaw and pulled her mouth wide open. Lowng Boner promptly dropped the lemon drop in her mouth which she sleepily tried to swallow.
But something unexpected happened. The lemon drop stuck in her throat and refused to go down. She tried to swallow it, but it was just too large and girthy. She started choking, not being able to breathe anymore.
Harry and the other two were frozen in surprise, just staring at her disbelievingly.
"Fuck! She can't take it! It's too big. Pull it out." Iris screamed and pushed her mother in a sitting position. She thumped her mother's back, but nothing happened. Lily struggled violently due to the lack of oxygen, headbutting Iris in the process, who went tumbling down the bed from the impact.
Harry quickly found a solution and implemented it instantly. Maybe if he had time he would have come up with a more dignified approach. But since he was in short supply of time, he just enacted the first thing that came in his mind.
He jumped onto the trembling body of his mother and sat on her hips. He used his [Shapeshifter] perk and many thin slimy octopus tentacles sprouted from his sides and wrapped around Lily's body, binding her tightly and keeping her in a still sleeping position. Then he used his one tentacle to probe her mouth, moving past her lips and slipping inside her gullet. It sucked the lemon drop and pulled it out of her throat.
Lily coughed and heaved a massive sigh of relief and panted in her sleep, breathing in huge amounts of air as if it was going out of fashion. Her body slowly relaxed as the shadow of death vanished from above her.
Iris and Lowng Boner stared at him impressively and gratefully as he single handedly saved Lily's life. Harry gently climbed off his mother and stood before the other two with a spit covered candy/fruit in his hand.
"We probably should have peeled it and cut it in fine pieces before forcing it down her throat." Harry announced tiredly.
He fucking hated this village and this quest.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone