"This setting actually reminds me of an old film," Edward murmured as he rubbed his chin. He recalled an older movie—although calling it old might be a bit exaggerated.
After all, in terms of release date, it wasn't that ancient. It was merely that, compared to current production standards, the movie did feel outdated, and that was why Edward instinctively categorized it as an "old film."
The movie's name was Survival Game, and back then it had left a deep impression on Edward, giving birth to some rather unusual ideas. Of course, those strange ideas of his never came to fruition; before he could even attempt them, they had already fizzled out completely.
After all, when people are young, they tend to harbor all sorts of bizarre thoughts and unusual imaginations.
The movie Survival Game was essentially a blend of reality and gaming. Edward recalled it vividly.
The story began with a game tester who shared an apartment with a roommate. On one particular night, the tester received a new game—an unreleased title—and his task was to test it, reviewing whether the game was suitable for release, whether it had potential for approval in the market, and whether it had commercial value. And so, this bearded guy started playing the game.
When he entered the game world, his character stepped into an abandoned house and began exploring. During the exploration, he opened a certain door—only to discover a torture chamber inside, extremely bloody and gruesome.
The moment his in-game character stepped out of that torture room, a female ghost leapt directly at his face, instantly putting a noose around his neck and pushing him from the second floor, hanging him on the spot. The game ended abruptly.
At that moment, the bearded man sensed something was very wrong. He had played countless games before, but never had he encountered anything so terrifying and gory. It made him feel incredibly uneasy.
Worse yet, for some inexplicable reason, when the character died in the game, the bearded man himself felt as though he were also on the verge of dying. It was a strange and incredibly unsettling sensation, filling him with dread. Because of this intense discomfort, he decided to take a break.
But just then, he heard strange noises coming from the second floor. The bearded man, feeling timid, crept toward the sounds to investigate.
Cautiously, he pushed open the door—only to discover that his roommate had brought his girlfriend over to fool around.
Relieved, the bearded man closed the door and returned to rest. Yet even while resting, he noticed more abnormal sounds and even saw a ghostly reflection in the mirror, specifically the same female ghost from the game.
Then the entire apartment suddenly lost power. The bearded man was so terrified that he stepped outside once more to investigate and perhaps ask his roommate what was happening. But when he called for his roommate, there was no response.
In fear, he pushed the door open—and the moment he did, he saw that his roommate's room had transformed into a torture chamber identical to the one in the game. Both his roommate and the roommate's girlfriend had already died gruesomely inside it.
Horrified, the bearded man attempted to run downstairs and call the police, but just as he stepped out, the female ghost rushed toward him, screeching, forcing a noose around his neck and pushing him off the second floor. He died exactly the same way as his in-game character, his corpse swaying gently from the rope, matching the game scene perfectly.
The next day, the protagonist received the news of his good friend's death. It was hard for him to believe—after all, he had just talked to the bearded man the previous night, and they had even discussed the game.
Yet now, they were forever separated by death. The protagonist found this unbelievably difficult to accept. He wanted to go see his friend, but the police stopped him.
After questioning him briefly, they told him to leave. The protagonist, heartbroken, attended the bearded friend's funeral. At the funeral, he met the female protagonist, who was holding a camera taking photos.
Seeing him, she remarked that he was the only one at the funeral who wasn't crying but she could sense that he was deeply saddened. This heavy remark made the protagonist feel even more depressed, but it also marked the beginning of a friendship between them.
Later, the protagonist discussed the matter with the bearded man's friends. They decided they would play the game together as a way to "commemorate" him. Edward couldn't understand this logic at all—it was a very strange way to pay tribute to someone.
But regardless, that was what they did. The protagonist joined his friends to play the game, and his boss joined as well, since both of them enjoyed games. The boss wasn't very skilled, so he often asked the protagonist for guidance, and the protagonist would help, thus maintaining a good relationship with him.
When they opened the game, they discovered that the game displayed a strange memorial incantation on the screen. They had to recite it aloud in order for the game to begin.
At first, no one believed it. In that era, voice-input technology didn't even exist yet, so this requirement seemed utterly absurd.
Still, the protagonist and his friends decided to try.
When they tested it, they discovered that the game truly did react to their recitation—but only if everyone recited together. If one person recited separately, nothing happened. No one took it too seriously. The protagonist's boss recited it along with them, and then the group began playing.
Inside the game, there were many little ghosts; killing them earned roses. The roses could repel evil spirits, preventing them from coming too close.
They proceeded deeper into the house in the game and found various clues. The unlucky boss wandered off alone, and the protagonist instructed him to throw a rose into a room before entering it, just to be safe.
Unfortunately, that was the boss's last rose. When he threw it and stepped inside, a fierce ghost appeared and killed him by stabbing him with scissors. In reality, because the boss had work to attend to, he logged off and didn't continue playing.
No one thought much of it. They simply paused the game together, planning to continue later. However, after returning to his company, the boss encountered an evil spirit in real lifeand was killed. When the protagonist rushed to the scene, the police suspected him, but his alibi, the gaming session, proved his innocence, so they let him go.
Soon, the group realized something was terribly wrong with the game. Their reasoning was simple: the bearded man had played it and died; the boss played and died; something was clearly off. But one of the men in the group refused to believe it, insisting that such things were impossible.
Yet reality soon proved him wrong. When he played the game, he encountered a horse-drawn carriage in the game world. Frightened, he immediately paused the game. But shortly afterward, in real life, an actual carriage appeared and ran him over—killing him exactly the same way he died in the game.
At this point, the protagonist obtained clues from the police. The boss's death perfectly matched the in-game method. Now they could fully confirm: the game was indeed cursed.
Anyone who played the game would die. The memorial incantation at the beginning was actually a spell. Reciting it meant one had agreed to participate in the demon's game. Death within the game corresponded to death in real life—terrifying beyond belief.
Among the group, some were terrified, others angry. The dead man's sister, furious, wanted revenge for her brother. She even discovered a method to confront the female countess, a notorious figure known as Bloody Mary.
She had once imprisoned numerous young women and used their blood to maintain eternal youth. She was unimaginably cruel. The method to defeat her was to nail her with three metal spikes. Once pinned, her soul would be restored to her body, and with a physical form, she could finally be defeated. This, they believed, was the way to clear the game.
Edward was still writing the story's plot, but soon it was lunchtime. So, he decided to take a look at his castle. He wanted to inspect what was inside, since even after the castle had been refurbished, he had barely visited it.
Edward felt he should inspect it personally, since in the future, many people would likely visit. The castle was extremely expensive, especially the inheritance tax and upkeep costs. If Edward weren't the heir to the Devon Corporation, he truly wouldn't have been able to handle the financial burden.
Just thinking about it made his stomach ache. So, Edward boarded a plane and flew to the castle. Some people were already taking photos outside, but they couldn't enter yet, since it wasn't open to the public.
Nestled in a valley surrounded by towering mountains, the ancient castle stood proudly. Though it had endured centuries of wind and rain, it now reappeared in the world with a strange and luxurious brilliance.
Moss covered its outer walls, and the marks of time etched countless fine patterns across the stone. After renovation, the archways were adorned with intricate magical runes, while the stone-framed windows were entwined with vine-like carvings that looked almost alive. Pushing open the doors, one entered a spacious hall.
At its center rested a round table carved from a single massive piece of crystal, its surface shimmering with condensed magical energy. Near the fireplace danced blue magical flames, providing warmth while radiating a dreamlike, illusionary glow. Tapestries depicting ancient legends hung high on the walls, their vivid colors telling silent stories.
The castle's grandeur extended beyond decoration. Every corner concealed mechanisms and secrets. Gems embedded in the walls refracted light into eerie, flickering glows. At the end of a long corridor sat a study. Bookshelves were filled with yellowed tomes exuding the distinct scent of aged ink and paper.
Strange, ornate lamps cast mottled shadows across the floor. Passing through the corridor and stepping onto the terrace, one was greeted by a breathtaking sight: a vast valley shrouded in mist, distant mountains fading into deep blue hues, and a winding stream flowing below with a gentle burbling song.
Bird calls intertwined with the sound of running water, creating a pastoral symphony. This was the kind of beauty that carved itself into the heart with just one glance— unforgettable for a lifetime.
Curious, Edward continued walking inside, only to find two actors in the midst of battle. These mysterious wizards clashed like dragons spiraling across the heavens. Their spells echoed through the air.
One wizard wielded Severing Charm, its sword-light flickering like a dancing serpent, sharp and majestic. The other used a Levitation Charm, moving like a spectral phantom, mysterious and unpredictable. Their two spells intertwined, creating a tornado-like surge of power that twisted space around them.
Suddenly, both cast Killing Curse, and the ground trembled as intense magical energy flooded the air.
Although the battle looked fierce, a careful observer would notice something strange—their movements were too precise, almost theatrical. Their stances carried the exaggerated dramatic flair of stage performance.
Suddenly, both wizards froze, smiled faintly, and stopped fighting altogether. It turned out the battle was an elaborate performance, a cleverly staged magical show. The audience stared with jaws dropped, captivated by the spectacle.
What appeared to be a deadly duel was, in truth, a carefully choreographed act. The wizards exchanged a knowing glance and smiled gently, showcasing not only strength but also artistry and wisdom.
Though spectacular, the performance ended with a warm touch of humor, letting the audience experience a different side of the magical world. This setup had been arranged by Edward.
In the future, he intended for visitors to participate in these magical experiences themselves—earning substantial profits. After all, the Harry Potter merchandise in his previous life was incredibly expensive, to an absurd degree. Even a wand that served no real purpose cost sixty to seventy dollars. If made of real wood, it was even pricier. Carvings raised the cost further, and if the wand could shoot a tiny flame, the price multiplied several times over.
Because of this, Edward placed great expectations on the Harry Potter franchise. Such a massive IP was something he fully intended to develop. However, he wasn't sure how successful it would ultimately be—after all, Harry Potter hadn't even finished filming in this world yet.
This was a truly headache-inducing issue. Edward planned to accelerate his filming schedule. Once the filming reached a satisfactory stage, he felt he could retire from active creation and fully focus on Devon Corporation matters—pushing this world forward as much as he could.
When he thought about it this way, it was actually quite exciting. But even this plan had its complications. Edward scratched his head. When he returned to filmmaking, which project should he choose?
This question troubled him deeply. There were simply too many options. Choosing one was, indeed, a very difficult problem.
(End of chapter)
TN: Decided to post the weeks worth of updates. I'll update the rest of the novel next week too then book finished.