The person is at Hogwarts, but the system is in Middle-earth!

Harry, wearing the Invisibility Cloak, led the way, while Ron and Lowe followed closely behind.

"We've strayed off course," Rowe said in a low voice, scanning his surroundings. "Based on my step count, we're now in the unknown area of ​​the fourth floor of the castle, which falls under the 'fog of war' zone on the map. I have a feeling there might be traps or elite monsters ahead."

"Don't worry, Rowe," Harry's voice came from the void, tinged with an unnatural excitement. "I feel fine, it's safe here. And we have the Invisibility Cloak, no one can find us."

They had been winding their way through dark corridors for ages trying to avoid Filch and that annoying cat. Finally, to avoid a patrolling figure that suddenly appeared, they slipped into an abandoned classroom.

The classroom was filled with old desks and chairs and dusty picture frames, like a ruin forgotten by time. But at the very back of the classroom stood a very imposing mirror that seemed out of place with its surroundings.

It reached all the way to the ceiling, with a strange inscription engraved on its ornate golden border, and two claw-shaped feet at the bottom.

[WARNING! High-energy magical item detected!]

【Item Name: Mirror of Eris】

[System Recognition: Galadriel's Water Mirror/Palantir Vision]

[Danger Level: Extremely High - Mental Pollution]

[Description: It doesn't reveal reality, but rather the deepest, most intense desires of the heart. Beware! Those who become addicted to illusions will lose themselves and ultimately become ghosts.]

Luo Wei glanced at the blood-red skull icon on the system panel before immediately looking away. These ancient artifacts that directly target the mental level are the most troublesome; they could easily cause a drop in sanity or possession by some strange will.

But Harry had already walked over. He seemed drawn by some kind of magic, involuntarily moving closer to the mirror.

"Even the wisest cannot distinguish whether the image in the mirror is real or an illusion." Rowe silently repeated the warning of the Elven Queen Galadriel, trying to pull Harry back. "Harry, don't look at it. It's a trap, an illusion Sauron uses to bewitch people."

"Look! There are my parents!" Harry's voice suddenly trembled with uncontrollable joy. "They're right there! Right behind me! It's real! Rowe, Ron, come and see! They're smiling at me!"

Harry pressed himself almost against the mirror, greedily gazing at the scene inside.

Next was Ron. Intrigued by Harry's words, he pushed past Harry and stood in front of the mirror. A few seconds later, the confusion on his face vanished, replaced by ecstasy.

"I saw it! I'm the student council president! I'm holding the Quidditch trophy! I'm the captain! Bill and Charlie can't compare to me! This is amazing!"

Looking at his two teammates, who were hopelessly trapped in their hallucinations, Lowe sighed deeply. This was the consequence of failing a will check.

"Love, come and see for yourself!" Ron excitedly made way for him, his enthusiasm like that of a salesman. "See what you'll see? Maybe you'll become Minister for Magic? Or perhaps you'll defeat the Dark Lord?"

"I'm not interested in that." Lowe shook his head, trying to back away. "I'm only interested in tomorrow's breakfast."

But he couldn't resist the pull of the two people, and his body was involuntarily pushed in front of the mirror.

He was forced to look up, his gaze meeting the cold, mirrored surface.

In that instant, the system interface in front of Luo Wei began to flash wildly, and countless red warning boxes swept across his retina like a barrage of bullets.

[Alert: Detection of Mental Intrusion!]

[Firewall starting up... Firewall has been bypassed.]

[Reading the host's core desires...]

[Constructing an illusion...]

The mist in the mirror dissipated. Rowe held his breath, bracing himself for the possibility of becoming the King of Middle-earth or wielding his staff to beat Voldemort.

However, the image that appeared in the mirror stunned him.

It was a bright, clean, and even somewhat cramped apartment living room.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, it wasn't the Black Lake of Hogwarts, nor Mount Doom in Middle-earth, but a bustling, modern metropolis. Neon lights flickered, and in the distance, the iconic TV tower and office buildings could be seen.

The Rowe in the mirror was no longer wearing a heavy wizard's robe, nor was he holding any of those damned frying pans. He was wearing a loose cotton T-shirt and shorts, slumped on a soft fabric sofa, holding a smartphone that only existed in that world.

The phone screen was lit up, displaying the interface of the food delivery app: "Your order 'Durian Supreme Pizza and Iced Coke' is being delivered and is 500 meters away from you."

On the coffee table next to him were a Switch game console, a newly unpacked Gundam model, and a glass of bubbly soda.

No orcs. No Dark Lord. No damned system quests. No daily anxiety about survival.

Only peace. Only WiFi. Only air conditioning. Only weekends where you can sleep in as late as you want.

Luo Wei's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

This is his deepest, most secret, and even most unspoken desire—to go home.

Go back to that safe, boring, and wonderful world full of overtime work. Be a 9-to-5 office worker, even if you get yelled at by your boss, even if you have to squeeze onto the subway, you don't have to worry about an "Avada Kedavra" suddenly flying in through the window, or being chased and bitten on the butt by a Cerberus.

"I want to drink Coke..." Luo Wei muttered to himself, reaching out to touch the red can of beverage in the mirror.

However, just as he was about to become completely immersed in this beautiful illusion, the system in his mind seemed to think that the scene was too un-epic and too disgraceful to the "savior".

[The host's desires have been detected to be too vulgar.]

[System determination: Does not conform to the "Hero of Middle-earth" character setting.]

[System repair initiated.]

[Forcibly overwriting the screen...]

"No! Don't touch my soda! Leave the WiFi!" Luo Wei roared inwardly.

But it was too late. The image instantly reassembled, like shattered glass.

The cozy apartment has vanished. In its place stands the imposing fortress of Minas Tirith.

In the mirror, Rowe was clad in heavy silver armor, wearing a crown, and wielding the reforged Narsil sword. He stood atop the highest point of the White City, with the banner of the sacred tree fluttering behind him, and countless cheering crowds and kneeling orc captives below. In the sky, giant eagles circled, and Sauron's Black Tower crumbled in the distance.

The "hero Luo Wei" in the mirror held the holy sword high, his eyes resolute, exuding a suffocating aura of dominance.

In real life, Luo Wei's lips twitched violently.

"So tacky. So tacky." He rolled his eyes at the mirror, all his earlier emotion gone. "System, is your aesthetic sense still stuck in the Middle Ages? Who wants to be a king these days? I want air conditioning and takeout, not to be here in this crappy place polishing my sword every day!"

He decisively turned around, his back to the mirror.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked curiously. "What did you see? Did you become a warrior too? Or did you strike it rich?"

"I had a terrible lunch," Rowe lied expressionlessly, his tone full of resentment towards the system. "And the waiter was rude; he wouldn't even give me a straw."

Harry and Ron looked at each other, completely unable to understand what he was saying.

Just then, a soft footstep sounded in the corridor. Harry and Ron's expressions changed; thinking it was Filch, they quickly pulled Rowe into the Invisibility Cloak and hurriedly slipped out of the classroom.

Lovi deliberately lagged behind by a few steps. As a "Ranger" with perception skills, he had already sensed the powerful magical fluctuations emanating from the corner of the classroom.

After Harry and the others' footsteps faded into the distance, Rowe stopped and turned to face the empty corner of the classroom.

"Since you're here, why don't you come out and chat, old man?" Luo Wei said to the shadows.

The air rippled slightly, and a figure emerged from the shadows.

He had a long, silvery-white beard that could be tucked into his belt. He wore crescent-shaped glasses and a purple robe, and carried no wand, yet his aura was ten thousand times stronger than that of the troll.

[Warning: Maiar units are approaching.]

[Identity: Albus Dumbledore/Gandalf the White.]

[Danger Level: Extremely High (Friendly?)]

"Good evening, Mr. Baggins." Dumbledore smiled, his eyes gleaming with wisdom through his spectacles. "Many people waste far too much time in front of this mirror."

He slowly walked to the mirror and said, "It's dangerous. It doesn't show the future, nor knowledge, but a poison that makes people addicted."

"Indeed." Dumbledore nodded approvingly. "It shows a desire that we can either never have or cannot satisfy even if we do. I'm glad to see that you haven't been swayed by it, and even showed a unique disdain."

"I'm just picky," Lowe shrugged. "Its illusions are too exaggerated and lack any logical support in reality."

Dumbledore seemed quite interested in the answer: "Extravagant? That's a fresh assessment. Most people see wealth, power, or deceased loved ones."

"One cannot live in a dream, Professor." Lowe usurped Dumbledore's line from the original book, which softened the headmaster's gaze even more (this kid actually thinks the same way I do!). "Especially when there's no euphoria in the dream... well, I mean, nothing of real value. If one indulges in the false glory in the mirror and forgets that there's a pile of potatoes waiting for me to peel in reality, that's the real tragedy."

Dumbledore walked to the mirror, looked deeply at his reflection, then turned and stared at Rowe.

"You possess a clarity beyond your years, Mr. Baggins," Dumbledore said softly, a hint of感慨 in his voice. "At this age, few can resist the desires of their hearts. It is a rare quality, more precious than any spell."

[System Settlement:]

[Mental resistance test passed (perfect).]

[Achievement: [The Sober Observer]]

[Dumbledore's favorability has increased: He believes you are a determined child, somewhat eccentric, but fundamentally kind and wise.]

[Rewards: Mental Resistance +3, Willpower +1.]

Luo Wei smiled bitterly to himself. Sober? No, I'm just despairing of this dangerous magical world. My desires are too simple, so simple that even this magical world can't understand them.

"Go back to sleep." Dumbledore winked playfully. "Also, the Invisibility Cloak is a good thing, but don't use it for bad things. And don't use it to sneak food into the kitchen."

"Of course, Headmaster." Rowe bowed. "I'm just practicing my stealth skills so I can better protect Hogwarts in the future."

"A very interesting statement."

Watching Rowe's departing figure, Dumbledore seemed lost in thought. He had never seen any student behave so indifferently, even with a hint of disdain, before the Mirror of Erised.

"What an interesting child," the centenarian murmured to himself, his voice echoing in the empty classroom. "Perhaps he has seen some scenery that none of us have ever seen. Perhaps it really is a beautiful world without the Dark Lord."