Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 436, Section 435: The Mystery of the Underground
Anyway.

Just like the Western world's lack of understanding of the African magical world.

Ian also didn't know much about this land.

now.

Living in this land during Voldemort's era, Ian has realized that Africa may hold secrets that have never been discovered in his time.

"Perhaps this is why the African Ministry of Magic and its wizards keep such a low profile internationally; they don't want to attract the attention of wizards from other places who might discover their secrets."

"Just how mysterious is this secret?" Ian was filled with mixed emotions. He temporarily suppressed his worries about the fallen god's pursuit and focused his attention on the ruins before him. A pale light shone from the tip of his wand, like a searchlight, sweeping across the rough rock walls and massive stone pillars.

The murals on the walls were severely peeled and blurred due to their age, but some patterns could still be vaguely discerned. They were not the artistic styles of any known civilization—whether it was the solemnity of ancient Egypt, the cuneiform narrative of Mesopotamia, or the mysterious totems of the Maya, they were all completely different from what was before them.

The creatures in the murals are bizarre in form; some resemble multi-limbed crystalline life forms, while others appear to be composed of flowing liquid metal. They are performing some incomprehensible ritual, and instead of the common sun, moon, and stars, they are surrounded by distorted geometric symbols that seem to represent force fields or dimensional concepts.

Besides.

Scattered on the ground are the remains of some artifacts, mostly made of a dark material that is neither gold nor stone, cool to the touch, and has natural spiral patterns on its surface.

"An alchemical creation?" Ian picked up a fragment and tried to analyze its composition and age with magic, but the result only confused him more. The information from the analysis magic was extremely chaotic, as if the atomic structure of this material was different from that of modern matter. Its existence was so ancient that even the most precise dating magic could only give a vague conclusion that "the error is huge, but it should be earlier than the oldest known Titan era."

"Even older than the Titans?"

Even this rough discovery was enough to shock Ian, making his expression even more serious. He looked to the side, where the silent, standing stone sculptures seemed even more eerie.

They are not humanoid, nor any known mythical creatures, but rather structures that defy common sense—spiral columns that extend upwards yet strangely loop at the top, polyhedra that seem to exist in multiple dimensions simultaneously, and things made purely of lines and light and shadow.

The sculpture appears to be merely the "shadow" cast by some enormous entity.

"Tsk tsk, what Picasso-style creations these are." Ian walked through this silent and ancient ruin, feeling like an ant that had accidentally wandered into a giant's toy room.

All standards and all perceptions are overturned here.

“These murals… these artifacts… and this depth…” Ian frowned, a startling guess forming in his mind.

"Since this is a creation predating the Titan era, it might also be an alien civilization that came to Earth like the Titans... They are much older than the Titan civilization! This is a... lost alien civilization that was never even recorded in mythology and was completely annihilated before the tides of time!"

The shock of this discovery even temporarily overshadowed his sense of crisis about being in a dangerous situation.

It's not hard to understand how Ian feels right now.

It's like an archaeologist who thought he had discovered the secrets of Sanxingdui, only to suddenly find traces of a civilization that predates Sanxingdui by tens of thousands of years and is completely different from it.

Think about it; without a doubt, its impact is revolutionary. Of course, this is just speculation, but Ian feels that this speculation can explain a lot of things.

Yes, this also explains why he couldn't discern the origin of the fallen god outside.

The other party is very likely not any deity in the known mythological system at all, but rather originates from this long-forgotten ancient civilization that has not even left a name! The divine office it represents and the attributes of its power are based on a set of ancient rules that are completely different from the modern magic system and even from all subsequent mythological systems, and have long been lost!
"Just how many alien civilizations have visited Earth?" Ian couldn't help but quip, unsure whether he was in a science fiction world or a magical one.

While Ian was immersed in this astonishing discovery—

"boom!!!!!!"

An explosion far more violent than any before.

Suddenly, a sound came from the direction he came from! Then, the entire ruins shook violently, and more dust and rubble fell from above.

The million-layered barrier set up by Ian could only buy him a little time. Under the relentless and frenzied attack of the fallen god, it was finally forcibly broken at this moment!

Thus, the extremely concentrated and nauseatingly foul divine power surged into this relatively "pure" ancient space like a flood bursting its banks.

"I told you not to come in! You didn't listen! This is blatant disrespect for my divine decree!" The twisted humanoid, or rather, humanoid figure, filled with boundless rage and even more intense greed, stepped through the gap in the broken barrier. Its scarlet eyes immediately locked onto Ian, who was standing beside a strange spiral stone sculpture.

"You...have nowhere to escape...insect!"

The fallen god's voice became even more distorted with anger and a strange excitement... from stepping into this place, "Here... it's not just your legendary status that can extend my life!"

"Your soul... will also be the best sacrifice!"

Without any unnecessary words, the battle erupted instantly!

The fallen god seemed to have changed since entering this ancient ruin. In addition to its original decay and madness, its aura had gained a hint of "vitality," as if it had returned to its lair.
It raised its hand and unleashed a condensed "annihilation divine light".

It's no longer the gray-black color it used to be.

Instead, it took on a deeper, more ethereal color, as if it could devour everything, like a venomous snake from the end of the universe silently darting toward Ian.

"I still haven't figured it out! Damn it!"

Ian dared not be negligent. He swung his wand rapidly, and a composite defensive spell—the "Shield of Universal Restoration"—instantly took shape, combining "Stable Order," "Spatial Deflection," and "Elemental Neutralization." Multicolored magical light swirled across the shield's surface, attempting to deflect and deflect the terrifying divine light.

"laugh--!"

The Divine Light of Annihilation collided with the Shield of Universal Return. There was no loud bang, only a chilling sound of energy annihilation. The divine light was like a red-hot iron cutting into butter. Although its speed was slowed and its power weakened, it still stubbornly penetrated multiple layers of defense, finally striking the armor protection spell that Ian had hastily erected again.

"Damn it, my Eastern Divine Curse!"

In the world of Hogwarts, there are also wizards in the East, but they are called by different names. Ian has recently been studying the magic of his real homeland.

However, the first use of it was so fantastical that it didn't achieve good results.

"Bang!" Ian was slammed backward by the immense force, sliding several meters. His feet carved two deep gashes into the ancient stone slabs. A sweet taste rose in his throat again, and his internal organs trembled. At this moment, Ian was horrified. After entering this ruin, the fallen god's attacks seemed to have become more concentrated and penetrating!

Are the ruins strengthening the enemy?

"Domain of Decay, unfold!" The fallen god pressed his advantage, spreading his arms wide, and an even greater amount of corrupt divine power erupted from it, attempting to pull this ancient ruin into its domain of the laws of the end of all things.

The gray-black ripples spread rapidly, and wherever they passed, even the moss that emitted a faint blue light in the air withered and turned to ash.

"Don't even think about it! Paradoxical laws, reject decay!" Ian forcefully channeled his magic, combining his paradoxical divine authority with his initial understanding of the ancient spatial structure, unleashing a lawful magic that seemed to come from the word! He attempted to use the ancient rules inherent in this ruin, which differed from those of the outside world, to combat the corrupt domain of the fallen gods.

A miraculous scene unfolded! The spreading gray-black ripples were actually significantly hindered when they came into contact with the strange runes on some ancient stone pillars and walls! Those runes seemed to be activated, emitting a faint, vast radiance that was completely different from the nature of the fallen divine power.

The congratulatory light directly formed small "safe zones." Ian's law magic acted as a trigger, briefly activating some residual protective mechanism within the ruins themselves!
"Huh?!" A hint of surprise flashed in the fallen god's crimson eyes, followed by even greater rage. "You dare... invoke the power of the 'Primordial'?! Blasphemy! This is blasphemy against the Sanctuary!"

It seemed extremely surprised and enraged that Ian could manipulate the power of the ruins. It ceased maintaining its domain suppression, instead its body suddenly expanded, transforming into a dark whirlwind composed of countless tormented faces and decaying matter, lunging towards Ian! Its speed surpassed the limits of visual perception!
"Swift Wind - Super Thighs!" Ian channeled magic into his legs, instantly transforming into dozens of blurry afterimages that blurred into reality, darting rapidly between massive stone pillars and strange sculptures to evade the pursuit of the dark whirlwind. Simultaneously, his wand continued its relentless attack, unleashing a barrage of powerful spells towards the whirlwind's core.

"Thunder Spear!"

"Extremely cold and frozen!"

"Dimensional Cutting!"

"Mind Blast!"

Brilliant magical light and dark whirlwinds collided and exploded repeatedly, illuminating this ancient space that had been silent for countless millennia in a flickering light. Shockwaves of energy raged everywhere, whipping up dust and rubble. This was the earth-shattering commotion that the prisoners, the Aurors, felt.

However, while the commotion might frighten ordinary people, it didn't frighten Ian. To Ian's astonishment, despite the intensity of his battle with the fallen god, the clash of magic and divine arts was enough to easily tear apart the upper prison structure and might even affect the Ministry of Magic on the ground.

However, the damage within this abyssal ruin was relatively limited.

Those seemingly rough, weathered, and massive bluestone slabs only trembled slightly under the impact of the energy aftershocks, without shattering; the rock walls carved with ancient murals, apart from some loose stone chips peeling off, remained firmly in place; especially those strangely shaped stone pillars and sculptures, which seemed to be integrated with the entire earth, remained unmoved no matter how the energy storm struck, without even a scratch on their surface.

Only some smaller, scattered artifacts were reduced to dust in the impact.

Their battle seemed like a futile "cleaning" of this huge and ancient "room," unable to shake its very foundation.

You should know that it's similar to the kind of terror where even the Great Dao has been obliterated. A vacuum has been created outside the ruins, and people from the outside may no longer be able to enter this place physically.

can.

The ruins seemed to think this commotion was nothing serious.

"???" Ian realized that the materials that made up this ruin and its overall architectural structure contained a kind of solidity that he could not understand, far exceeding modern magical materials science, or rather, the "rules" of its existence were more stable and difficult to be destroyed by energy impacts at this level.

The fallen gods were clearly aware of this as well.

Therefore, it became even more unrestrained, its attacks becoming more focused and targeted at Ian himself, attempting to completely suppress this intruder who could draw upon the power of the "Primordial" as quickly as possible. Then, by utilizing the opponent's status, it would mitigate its own corruption and incidentally sacrifice the opponent's soul to awaken its other companions.

The fallen gods have a very clever plan.

The dark whirlwind increased in speed again, clinging tightly to Ian's afterimage like a persistent leech. A violent impact struck, and one of Ian's real figures was grazed by the edge of the whirlwind, his protective magic shattering instantly. He was slammed like a kite with a broken string towards a gigantic object in the distance.

A stone sculpture resembling the hands of a twisted clock!

"Pfft—" A mouthful of blood spurted from Ian's mouth. He felt as if several of his ribs were broken, and his magic flow momentarily stopped.

Meanwhile, the dark whirlwind formed from the fallen god had already caught up, with countless pained faces emerging in the whirlwind, emitting silent roars and opening their greedy mouths.

It seemed Ian was about to be devoured! The final showdown between divine magic and sorcery entered its most brutal phase in this ancient land where even time seemed to have been forgotten.

I saw.

A dark whirlwind, carrying the resentment of countless beings, surged towards Ian like a tidal wave. The countless faces distorted in the wind were the remnants of corrupted natural spirits, the despair of sacrifices made over millennia, and the silent wailing of the land itself due to the abuse of magic. No sound came from their open mouths.

But it stirred up a monstrous wave in the depths of Ian's soul.

"What an evil divine spell."

That is a spiritual devouring, more deadly than physical destruction.

Just as the whirlwind was about to completely engulf him, Ian suddenly opened his eyes. His pupils were no longer human-colored, but two collapsing nebulae.

Like a black hole at the edge of the universe, swallowing all light and time. He did not dodge, nor defend, but instead actively faced the dark torrent.

"The anchor of paradox is placed in nothingness."

The moment the whispers rang out, his body, upon contact with the whirlwind, created a bizarre "double image"—not an afterimage, but a superposition of multiple realities. One Ian was torn apart by the whirlwind, another Ian stood still, and a third Ian even appeared on the other side of the whirlwind, a silver-gray light spike gathering at his fingertips.

This is the manifestation and manipulation of the "person"—he is no longer limited to the existence of a single timeline, but rather, with paradox as the fulcrum, briefly "exists simultaneously in multiple possibilities."

In this situation, the devouring power of the fallen god can only destroy one of the "Ian"s, but cannot reach the core entity that serves as the "anchor of existence".

The magic was clearly insufficient.

and so.

Ian can only continue to rely on divine magic.

(End of this chapter)