Machioni's "Little People Country" doesn't actually cover a large area, but after applying The Undetectable Extension Charm and setting various scenarios, shrunken people walking within it will feel the place is simply endless—
Ferns and grass form a perilous "forest."
Large and small stones are piled into jagged, steep slopes and gorges.
The garden puddle transforms into a vast lake, with leaves as little boats for crossing.
A fallen, decaying log's interior forms a dark and terrifying tunnel, crawling with all kinds of insects, each one enormous and frightening.
Bird nests are like giant trampolines, with crisscrossing branches and vines forming a complex, three-dimensional, magical space.
They catapult themselves with bent branches, grasping tenacious spider silk to whiz down from the tops of plants, delve into massive, palace-like abandoned ant nests, and even fly on petals lifted by the wind.
Most insects are not as aggressive as that beetle; some ignore people walking nearby, while others are gentle enough to temporarily serve as "transportation."
These usually inconspicuous little bugs, when humans are of the same scale, reveal their dazzling colors and intricate structures.
The insects appear frightening when enlarged, but after looking for a while, they exude a unique attraction.
Not to mention, Machioni has also added various human structures within—
There are castles suited for a shrunken human size, "safety cabins" made from coconut shells, and even a few houses for people of normal size.
Of course, no one actually lives in the latter, but for shrunken people, the carpet's pile looks like a dense "prairie," and a sweater casually draped over a chair back becomes a complex mountain range full of holes, making it extremely difficult to navigate.
The tall desk now resembles a vast plain, the sofa's soft surface becomes steep and dangerous, and looking down from it makes the ground seem dizzyingly distant.
Scattered on the ground are tools like wrenches, fire tongs, kettles, and forks, each appearing incredibly large; a teacup looks like a bathtub, and Machioni accidentally fell into a kettle, nearly unable to climb out.
Currently, this Little People Country has no additional adventure plot set, nor is there "treasure" buried for visitors to explore.
But merely changing perspective, the shrunken world presents a breathtaking and enchanting grandeur and mystery; even the most ordinary items now hold a different fascination.
The world unveils its intricate construction with unprecedented clarity—
Wood grain, fabric fibers, the veins of grass leaves, the colors in dragonfly wings...
Every massively magnified detail evokes the excitement and joy of "seeing" the world's true face for the first time, an instinctual awe of gigantic things interwoven with intense curiosity to explore unknown realms, making it irresistible.
Dusk gradually sets in, and the surrounding scenery becomes fuzzy and gray; despite lingering reluctance, the two had no choice but to end this survey.
They stepped onto an Ejection Mushroom, its cap slightly sinking, and then Vid felt a sudden powerful force underfoot propelling his body swiftly upwards!
A heart-pounding feeling of weightlessness instantly hit, with all the plants around blurring into streaks of color rushing downward, as if he passed through a softly glowing barrier with a "thud," landing on a soft platform.
Machioni also landed with a "thump" beside him, letting out an "ouch" and muttering, "This exit method is too unfriendly; I'm going to pad here with three...no, five more layers of carpet!"
When Vid stood up, he found that he had returned to his original form, losing the lightweight feeling of being small, but the sense of solidity was back.
They landed on a flat, spacious rooftop platform, covered with a layer of soft padding, at the end of which was a spiral staircase for leaving.
Vid turned to look back at the direction they came from, seeing that the vast world just now was actually just a garden, and the house they lingered in seemed to be a former gardener's residence.
This bizarre sense of dislocation left Vid momentarily flabbergasted. He looked at the garden, comparing it with the locations he remembered traversing, savoring the wonder and thrill, suddenly feeling a bit of wistfulness and loss.
Machioni dusted off the dirt from his robe, unlike Vid, even though he was deeply immersed in the experience just moments ago, now he quickly shook off that emotion.
He rummaged in his pocket, pulled out a frayed notebook, and swiftly scribbled a few lines on it.
The notebook was densely packed with their observations, fleeting inspirations, and details needing improvement—from overall safety mechanism enhancements to adjustments in specific scene settings.
He's serious about making money.
Vid withdrew his gaze, looked at his partner beside him, his tone filled with undeniable certainty:
"No doubt about it, Machioni... this project will definitely achieve great success."
"Of course, I never doubted it."
Machioni smiled expectantly and confidently.
But the next second, as he turned his head, upon seeing something, he paused slightly, then slowly widened his eyes, opened his mouth, the whole person frozen on the spot, only his chest was heaving violently.
Soon, his eyes that had just sparkled dimmed down, one hand clutching his chest tightly, his entire body trembling slightly.
"...What's wrong?" Vid quickly asked, reaching out to support Machioni, who seemed unable to stand steadily.
"I'm so sad, Vid."
Machioni slowly put away his notebook, gazing into the distance, with a real tearful glint shining in his eyes, his tone laden with genuine sorrow.
He gazed at London shrouded in dusk—city lights beginning to twinkle, skyscrapers made of glass and steel extending to the horizon, like a never-ending jungle shimmering with starlight.
"Look there, Vid... look at those windows lit up, behind every one of them are living people, millions and tens of millions of Muggles... no! There are billions of them!"
Machioni's voice quivered slightly with sadness, as he said with deep regret and despair:
"If not for the Confidentiality Law, if not for that damned isolation...if the Magic World could merge with Muggle society...I could earn money from all over the world!"
"What a vast, magnificent enterprise that would be!"
"But now? I'm stuck in this tiny Magic World! Our greatest inventions, our most magical experiences, are confined in this hidden corner that can't see the light of day!"
"Our market... it's like the ant nest I dug out, seeming large and complex, but really, it's just tiny!"
He covered his face, on the verge of crying in anger and frustration.
Vid: "..."