Infinite Horror: The Strongest Zhongzhou Team

"However, Krum, who had transformed into a red lightning bolt, also sensed something and followed closely behind!"
"Volkov! Look, the Bulgarian batter Volkov has made his move!"

The host shouted in a passionate and high-pitched voice.

Chaotic area.

Volkov's eyes quickly scanned the locations of his teammates before a glint of light appeared.

He instantly understood Krum's dangerous situation.

Right now, he only has one thought in mind: he can't let the opposing Seeker, Harry Potter, have it so easy!
With that thought, he swung his heavy bat, his muscles bulging, and slammed it into a stray ball coming from the side.

The black iron ball emitted a muffled explosion in that instant.

The ball no longer attacks the players on the field aimlessly, but transforms into a precise black beam of light, shooting straight towards the path Harry Potter must take!

The objective was clear—to force Harry to slow down or change course, creating an opportunity for Krum!
After all, the Golden Snitch is right ahead, and that's a super item worth 150 points.

"Danger! Harry!"

Ginny screamed from the stands, covering her mouth tightly with both hands.

Just as Volkov raised his hand, Harry's vision was instantly filled with red exclamation marks.

"avoid!
avoid!

It stopped abruptly, turned left, flipped, and plummeted.

Moss's voice exploded in his ears.

At the same time, Harry also heard the noise behind him.

He knew it was the sound of a bat hitting a wandering ball.

Moreover, the sound was so clear and distinct that it must have been very close to him, especially with Moss's reminder.

Harry already knew what had happened.

A strong will to survive and the muscle memory that had formed instantly took over the movements.

Harry almost instinctively kicked his feet hard, leaned back, and abruptly stopped the forward momentum of the Firebolt, while simultaneously turning sharply to the left.

He fell headfirst.

That's this moment.

The deadly ball whistled past his broomstick tail with a mournful sound, the gust of air nearly knocking him over.

With this delay, Krum's broom, like a blood-red comet, instantly overtook Harry by half a body length!
All that remained in the eyes of this world-class Seeker was that single, ever-approaching golden glint.

Krum's previously serious face even showed a smile.

He stretched out his arm, his fingers spread wide, his fingertips almost touching the pair of rapidly vibrating transparent wings!

Victory seemed within reach!

"Krum!! He's got him!!"

Is a miracle about to happen again?

The host was hoarse from shouting, and the entire arena seemed to hold its breath.

At that critical moment, a sudden change occurred!
Because on the field, there are not only wandering balls and golden snitches.

Besides these two, there is another ball with competitive value, namely the red Quaffle, which is worth only ten points.

It was just now.

In an attempt to disrupt a potential Irish counter-attack, Bulgarian player Levski seized an opening and launched an extremely hasty long-range shot from the side towards the Irish goal!

This Quake ball wasn't very powerful, and its angle wasn't particularly tricky.

To the audience and the host, it seemed more like a disturbance to prevent Ireland's goalkeeper Ron from having too much free time.

Even so, it gave Ron an opportunity.

Ron's vision, which had just been frantically marking the Golden Snitch and the trajectories of Harry and Krum, immediately focused on the incoming Quake ball.

The threat level was marked as extremely low (yellow), but the preset defense path changed instantly.

"Move half a meter to the left, squat 15 degrees, and speed up!"
Smash the Quaffle at top speed and send it flying.

Moss's voice was as clear and accurate as ever.

However, Ron's entire attention was focused on the golden snitch approaching overhead at lightning speed and the menacing Krum close behind.

He was so nervous!
Seeing the Quake ball flying towards me and hearing the command, my mind went blank.

Subconsciously, my body flew half a meter to the left and forward, following the optimal path marked in front of me.

At the same time, he adopted a slightly exaggerated diving posture—a posture originally designed to accommodate the maximum speed of the fire bolt.

Ron's figure then accelerated and blurred as he made a rapid advance towards the dense crowd.

That is, at the very moment he made full contact with the Quake.

It blocked the last line of Krum's dive to grab the Golden Snitch!

"boom!"

Just as Krum was about to close his fingers, a fast-moving figure in a green team uniform suddenly appeared in the low air directly in front of him.

Krum's entire attention was focused on the thief, and he never expected the goalkeeper to move in this way at this location and at this time.

It was too late to dodge!

"Thump!" A dull impact sound rang out.

Krum's broom head slammed into Ron's raised thigh, causing him to lose his balance and tumble awkwardly halfway through the air.

His outstretched hand was just a hair's breadth away from the golden thief, but he could only watch helplessly as the golden light narrowly missed his fingertips. The golden thief, as if startled, accelerated and changed direction again!
"Ron?!"

Harry hung upside down on the firebolt, his heart pounding as he watched Krum from behind.

But at that moment, Moss's voice rang out again.

"Opportunity! Directly ahead, at 7 o'clock, 12 meters above sea level, charge!"

Moss's voice didn't falter at all, because Ron's goalkeeping movement, which could only be described as "disastrous" from beginning to end, was precisely the perfect "assist" in his plan.

Harry then understood what Moss meant.

At this moment, he didn't even have time to think.

If someone were looking down from a high altitude, they would see this.

Those red and green figures became a source of vigilance for the Golden Snitch, so the more people there were, the less selective the Golden Snitch's movements became.

The midfield was originally in a state of extreme chaos.

Ron's pick and roll cleared the way for Harry in an instant, creating a brief but incredibly clear path!

And ahead of this passage was the golden thief with transparent wings.

Harry's familiarity with the Firebolt's performance was ingrained in his bones. Upon receiving the instruction, he pressed the broom handle down to its limit, bending his body almost parallel to the broom.

"Whoosh-!"

The fire arrow transformed into a streak of emerald green, tearing through the air.

At a speed exceeding any previous one, it plunged down along the precise coordinates marked by Moss!

He could clearly see the panicked little golden ball, trying to change direction again, rapidly magnifying in his field of vision!
This time, there was no delay or interference.

Harry Potter's arm shot out like lightning, his five fingers clasped together!
A cold, hard, and violently struggling sensation came from my fingertips!

At that very moment, an overwhelming joy instantly overwhelmed him!
At the same time, the entire arena focused on Harry Potter's outstretched right hand.

It remained frozen for three seconds.

Then the cheers from the entire audience erupted!
Harry slowly straightened up, and the fire bolt slowed down and stopped in mid-air.

Harry stood frozen, seemingly unable to believe he could do it.

He clenched his fist tightly, then raised it high!

Within the magnified magical light screen.

The golden snitch, desperately flapping its wings but unable to break free, shone with a dazzling golden light under the white glow, right in Harry's clenched fist!

"Ah ah ah ah ah!!!"

The host went completely mad, his voice cracking uncontrollably.

"Gotcha!!!! "
Harry Potter!!!

Ireland's 15-year-old Seeker—Harry Potter!!!

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he captured the golden thief who would decide the outcome of the battle!!!

"Waaaaaahhhhhh!!!"

The sharp whistle, symbolizing the capture of the thief and the end of the match, rang out throughout the entire Quidditch World Cup final stadium!

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Immediately afterwards, the stands where the Irish fans were located erupted like a boiling volcano, with deafening, sky-piercing cheers!

A sea of ​​green instantly engulfed the entire stadium.

The green magic fireworks and the clown dancing in the air with strange poses also reappeared.

Harry only realized what had happened when the game was actually over.

Harry hovered in mid-air on his Firebolt, panting heavily, his forehead soaked with sweat long ago.

He felt the cool, golden ball in his palm, felt the deafening roar of the crowd, and his heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest.

It was at this moment that Harry lowered his head.

murmured:

"I did it! I really caught it!"

“Father, it seems I’ve surpassed you in Quidditch…”

For a moment, the stadium where the final match was taking place disappeared from Harry's sight.

Instead, we've traveled back to three years ago.

He followed Hermione and Ron blankly to the Quidditch Hall of Fame at Hogwarts.

That was the first time Harry Potter learned that his father was the best Seeker in the house that year.

At that time, he had an idea when he first entered the magic academy at the age of twelve.

That means being like your father, or even... surpassing him.

And now, Harry has actually done it.

Compared to Harry, who was stunned.

Ron was lying on the grass.

He stared blankly at the Golden Snitch held aloft by Harry, his mind completely blank.

Several seconds passed before an immense, unbelievable ecstasy welled up inside me.

Ron shouted unintelligible words, waving his fists, his face flushed, and roared with all his might:
"Harry!!! It's Harry!! He caught him! We won!!!"

"I won too..."

As he spoke, Ron touched his slightly red and swollen shoulder and arm, which were caused by his collision with Krum after knocking the Quaffle away.

Even though he, the goalkeeper, was knocked to the ground.

But it was all worth it.

Because victory belongs to them.

In the past, this kind of red and swollen pain could make Ron cry his eyes out, and he would even turn into a pitiful bug and hug Hermione for comfort.

But right now, these pains mean nothing to Ron.

There are even some minor illusions.

Compared to the Irish team, who were caught up in a frenzy of celebration, there were also the spectators.

The Bulgarian team members, especially Krum, who had just regained his balance and whose face still showed surprise and a hint of pain, were all frozen in mid-air.

They looked up at the boy who had caught the thief.

Krum's eyes were filled with complex emotions: shock, resentment, and finally, a hint of helplessness and deep scrutiny.

He lost, lost to this unknown boy who created a miracle.

And... that seemingly clumsy goalkeeper who unexpectedly changed everything.

In the audience, Hermione's eyes were fixed on the figure lying on the grass, still not getting up. She was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes, and she hugged Ginny tightly, who had also jumped up and screamed.

It happened the instant the referee made the announcement.

The announcement from the Supreme God echoed in Cheng Xiao's mind.

[Complete the special side quest to obtain one C-rank side quest and 2500 reward points.]

Cheng Xiao watched as the green figure was quickly surrounded and thrown into the air in the center of the field.

Talking to himself:
"Isn't this side quest a bit too easy to earn? I don't think I've done anything?"

"Or is it that the protagonist's halo is too strong?"

As he spoke, Cheng Xiao shrugged helplessly.

"An opportunity... Ron Weasley, well done. The protagonist's halo plus an 'unexpected' teammate... That's fate."

The score was finally set on the giant magic scoreboard:
Ireland: 280 points

Bulgaria: 120 points

The Golden Snitch's 150 points have been highlighted and are now displayed below the Irish national team.

"I declare Ireland the undisputed champions of the Quidditch World Cup! A new legend is created on this day by fifteen-year-old Harry Potter and his 'lucky' teammates!"

………………
-
After the match, Harry and Ron declined interviews and the awards ceremony, and left the chaotic scene with Mr. Weasley.

Campsite, Weasley family tent.

"Open it quickly so I can see it! I've never seen a real fire crossbow before!!"

George and Flander excitedly accepted the gifts from Harry and Ron.

They began to caress and kiss.

He even put it in his mouth to taste it.

Both Harry and Ron instinctively took two steps back.

Even the youngest, Ginny, showed a rare expression of disgust.

However, everyone present was excited, even though the Quidditch World Cup had ended.

But everything that had happened before still left the Weasleys unable to let go.

Even Ron's father has been holding Ron and talking to him non-stop ever since he entered the tent.

This was also the first time Ron realized that he could be loved and trusted by his father.

So much so that the group, who had originally agreed to rest upon their return, started another evening tea party.

Cheng Xiao is now more integrated into the group.

Three hours later.

Mr. Weasley packed his bags and then met up with George, Flander, Ginny, and Amos and his son. They then went out before it got dark.

Mr. Weasley, holding his cane and slinging his bag over his shoulder, turned around and gave the instructions:
"Ron, remember to bring our tent back after the party tomorrow night."

Ron nodded stiffly and then waved.

After Harry and Hermione greeted everyone, Mr. Weasley and his group set off. They disappeared from the camp shortly after leaving, their worn boots twitching under their weight. (End of Chapter)