vncnus Chapter 201: Traps and Deadly Moves
Chapter 201: Traps and Deadly Moves
Chapter 201: Traps and Deadly Moves
Dark clouds churned in the sky, constantly changing shape. While obscuring the moonlight, they also seemed to be concealing some kind of secret observation, as if a goddess walking among mortals had orchestrated all of this.
"So, you are the goddess who represents the moon?" Ian stood in the dimly lit back garden of the temple, looking up at the sky where not a single star could be seen anymore.
There were no electric arcs, no rain, only thick, dark clouds that covered the entire sky like a curtain. If it weren't for the light sources on the ground, it would have been pitch black.
"As the daughter of the sun god, I have the right to decide when the sky should shine and when it shouldn't," the "priestess" who had exercised some kind of right responded with a light laugh.
Ian nodded upon hearing this.
This was not too far off from his deduction. If the illusion of the tower he saw back then was correct, then the black-robed skeleton he found, who was the goddess in front of him, was indeed a fallen sun at that time.
"Set off?"
Ian glanced at the time on his wrist. He was apprehensive about facing a legendary wizard, but he had no choice but to confront him in order to return to the correct future.
Fortunately, he's managed to recruit a goddess into the ranks; otherwise, he alone would definitely not be a match for a legendary wizard. What? Riddle? In terms of strength, this guy is actually the weakest of all Voldemort's remnant souls.
and.
Only someone with a screw loose would trust Voldemort to be a decent teammate. It's a miracle Riddle didn't betray them; he wouldn't have brought Riddle along if he wasn't afraid Riddle would stay and cause trouble.
In fact, Riddle himself didn't want to go.
"Couldn't you just lock me in the dungeon? Or send me back to Hogwarts?" He kept muttering about the school he used to scorn.
Perhaps it was only at this moment that he realized how wonderful Hogwarts was.
"I can't just go back whenever I want. Only when Professor Nicolas Flamel realizes that I live in this era can I return to Hogwarts under his guidance."
Ian wanted to solve Riddle's problem first, but he couldn't open a time portal himself, since there was no Big Ben with an ancient time converter in this era.
"This is truly the most terrifying thing I've heard all day. Didn't you consider the possibility that you might not be able to go back before you chased me here? Over a span of more than two thousand years, the error could be half your lifespan," Riddle commented sharply. "Honestly, I think you should go to Gryffindor instead."
I don't know if he was cursing or if he genuinely thought Ian was a brute.
"I trust my alchemy professor, and..." Ian was fine until he brought it up, but the mention of it only fueled his anger. He then shoved his wand right onto Riddle's nose again.
"You're clearly talking about going back to the Wu Family Orphanage! Going back to your childhood! Is this your childhood? You weren't even a fertilized egg at that age!"
Ian's wand was practically shoving into Riddle's nose.
"I clearly said...start from the beginning..." Threatened with the blown nose, Riddle quickly retreated. His hands were now bound behind his back, and he wore Ian's custom-made collar around his neck. Forget using magic, even channeling his internal magic power was no match for Ian's collar, which could blow his head off.
Heaven knows where a second-grade student got his hands on dragon's blood explosives.
A magic potion that can actually explode.
"Can you two outsiders please stop arguing? I'm the victim here, who should be sleeping soundly in my palace. I'm being forced to fight a filthy wizard."
The "priestess," who could probably retrieve offerings from afar, was probably munching on fruit again. She had changed into a dashing suit of armor, and instead of holding a scepter, she had pulled out a giant sword from somewhere.
A giant sword that was even wider than her body.
"I only wanted to remove the curse from me, I didn't want to make an enemy of a legend..." Riddle's voice became much softer, and after being disciplined, he was extremely obedient in front of the "priestess".
"If you can kill Helbo, the curse you've been under will naturally disappear. This is different from ordinary black magic; it's an 'assimilation' method built upon the power Helbo himself possesses." The "priestess" swung the greatsword in her hand, not as unwilling as she claimed, but rather with a sense of eagerness.
"Is that so...?"
Riddle's pupils flickered slightly.
I don't know what she's thinking.
"I bet he's up to some trick or scheme again." Ian's alarm bells went off as he saw Riddle's reaction; he knew that thoughtful look all too well.
"Don't assume everyone is as bad as you." Riddle rolled his eyes at the little wizard and shook his hands, which were tied behind his back, vigorously.
"Not only do I not have a wand, I don't even have the hand to hold one, and I have your bomb around my neck. What are you worried about? By the way, the wand you broke belongs to your classmate, not me." Riddle showed no awareness of being a prisoner and even made a gloating remark.
"I don't think Mr. Lucius Malfoy would care about the loss of a wand, otherwise he'd have to have another son." Ian didn't care whose wand he had broken off. It was questionable whether he could even bring Malfoy back; perhaps Malfoy had already been turned into one of those bizarre mummies.
Just as Ian was pondering whether Malfoy's life was truly fortunate.
"Your Highness, we are ready."
Priest Ryan led a neat procession of priests in robes with runes carved on their faces. Ian spotted four or five people wearing robes of different colors among them.
This even included the group of priests he had seen in that temple. The little girl Cassandra was among them, happily waving to Ian as the temple's high priest shielded her with his hand.
"What kind of spectacle is this?" Ian looked at the procession of hundreds of priests, or hundreds of wizards, and thought that this scale could have been used to wage a wizarding war in later generations.
"I am merely an avatar, not the real body. Now we are facing a legend who has become an angel, so of course we need to gather all the power we can."
"Apart from the Night's Watch, all the wizards in the city are here." The goddess in armor rolled her eyes, thinking that this little wizard was completely unaware of the weight of a legend.
of course.
It wasn't that Ian underestimated his opponent.
He mainly felt that quantity could not make up for the gap in quality.
"I thought you were the main damage dealer, that you could take down Helbo in no time." Ian looked at a group of priests whose magic power was roughly equivalent to his level before he enrolled in school.
to be frank.
He started to feel scared.
"Of course I'm a main force member, but I'm just a main tank. To take down Helbo, we still need you guys. Can't you tell I'm dressed like a tank?"
"Have you ever played God of War Chess? Don't you know my character is a tank?" Upon hearing this, the "Priestess" spun around a few times to show off her armor.
And there's that giant sword that's swung with tremendous force.
"..."
The young wizard was speechless. He turned to Cassandra, "Even if what you say is right, isn't it a bit inappropriate to let a child participate in this kind of battle?"
indeed.
Cassandra may be a gifted prophet, but her magical abilities are clearly not high, and in battles involving legendary wizards, she would hardly even be considered cannon fodder.
He was worried about Ian.
"Don't underestimate her, she's the key to victory." The "priestess" who had shouldered the greatsword smiled slightly and then stepped forward to lead the group of priests who were bowing.
A team of wizards.
They set off in a grand procession towards Mount Vesuvius.
These priests all had their own methods of flying, and Ian was overwhelmed by the variety of flying gadgets. His desire to break the monopoly of flying brooms in the future grew stronger.
"What should I do? I can't use magic." Riddle stared wide-eyed at the wizards flying away one by one, looking helplessly at the little wizard beside him.
"Of course I'll take you."
Ian grabbed Riddle, then transformed into a cloud of white mist, soaring into the sky. Carrying the swaying Riddle, he also rushed towards Mount Vesuvius.
"This is a clever application of human transformation techniques, isn't it?"
Riddle was very interested in Ian's way of flying. He had not yet mastered the ability to turn himself into black mist, but he felt that Ian's magic was exactly what he needed.
"If you're lucky enough, you'll have a lifetime to think about this in Azkaban." Ian threw Riddle to the ground as he landed.
Riddle, who had fallen face-first into the ground like a dog eating shit, wasn't annoyed. He simply spat out a mouthful of black mineral mud, silently stood up, and looked at the dilapidated temple he had just left.
Night fell like thick ink, pressing heavily on the earth and shrouding everything in a deathly darkness. An ancient and sinister temple lay hidden in the pitch-black night, like a lurking beast, exuding a chilling aura.
The outline of the temple was faintly visible in the darkness. The old walls were covered with the mottled marks of time. Occasionally, a few extremely eerie green lights would seep out from the cracks in the temple, flickering and leaping like will-o'-the-wisps, adding a touch of morbidity to the deathly silence.
It looked as if the building had risen from the ground, and it had only just emerged not long ago. A lot of soil, along with some plants, was still swaying in the breeze among the temple's bricks and tiles.
"What are they doing?"
Ian came to the goddess who was looking out at the temple.
Because he arrived late, he only saw a group of priests chanting incantations and casting spells at the temple, releasing magic from their hands to create a magical shield.
"I can sense the evil souls inside, so these priests sealed off the space-time within the temple to prevent Helpo from escaping to other times or places."
"This is a very necessary tactic when dealing with legendary wizards. You can never imagine how many trump cards the legends have. I've heard of a legend named Merlin who tricked several gods like an eel." The goddess spoke of this with lingering fear, wondering if she was one of the victims.
"Helper also mentioned Merlin, but if I remember correctly, Merlin lived after your time?" Riddle, an all-around excellent student, was very good at history.
He cautiously asked his question, somewhat puzzled.
"Before asking such a question, think carefully about what a legend really means." The goddess scoffed, mercilessly mocking Riddle's limited knowledge.
Riddle seemed thoughtful.
"What does that mean?"
The young wizard then asked a question.
He has always been troubled by the path to legend.
"It means you have to make yourself the center of a story, throughout history." The goddess didn't hide anything; she gave Ian a meaningful look.
"As for the specific story, that depends on your ambitions. The simplest one is to become a dragon slayer, but I don't think that's the path you want."
This goddess's eyes seemed to see into people's hearts, possessing a depth more dazzling than the stars, as if she could see through their bodies and directly into their souls.
"I can sense that your path is one that is even greater than greatness."
She suddenly spoke.
The details are unclear.
This left the young wizard completely bewildered.
"Challenging legends, that should be considered the core of a story, but I don't know if it conforms to the rules that run through history." Ian was more concerned about whether his legendary path would be smooth.
"Perhaps."
The goddess's answer, however, was vague.
Just at this time.
The protective barrier that enveloped the entire dark temple was finally complete, and all the priests prostrated themselves on the ground, using themselves as magical nodes to maintain the barrier.
"Let's go."
The goddess took a step and moved.
Ian was about to follow.
A small hand grasped Ian's hand from behind.
"God, would you like me to sing for you? I heard you are going to fight a terrible and evil scourge." The little girl Cassandra looked up at Ian with worried eyes. She was the only one who hadn't participated in the magic ritual, probably because she was too young to learn that kind of magic.
"If you feel it's necessary, of course, no problem." Ian patted Cassandra's head and put a bracelet on the little girl's wrist.
"It will keep you safe."
Ian still remembered the eruption of Pompeii. He had originally planned to mobilize the city's residents before the eruption, but no one expected the trouble caused by Herpo. So, unable to carry out a full mobilization, he had to settle for second best, hoping to save as many people as possible.
"This must be a blessing!"
Cassandra looked at the bracelet on her wrist with surprise.
"It's just a simple alchemy tool."
Ian chuckled softly.
Looking back at the priests prostrate on the ground, Riddle hurriedly followed the goddess and was held in her hand, seemingly playing the role of a shield.
A soft singing voice came from behind him.
It is both innocent and beautiful.
"The first generation of cheerleaders was born ahead of schedule."
Ian did not turn around.
He gripped his wand tightly in his hand, while the temple remained utterly silent, seemingly indifferent to their arrival. However, the moment the three paused at the gate, the temple's heavy doors creaked open. An ancient and mysterious aura wafted out, accompanied by the creaking of the hinges.
The noise was particularly jarring in the still night. The open door, in the darkness, resembled a vast, unfathomable black hole. In fact, in this eerie atmosphere, the slowly opening door seemed to be inviting these uninvited guests inside, inviting them to step into the depths of this temple filled with the unknown and mystery.
"Is this some kind of trap?" Ian wondered, but the real brute had already charged in, wielding Riddle and the greatsword.
"..."
Ian could only follow. The moment he stepped across the threshold, a chill ran up his spine. The temple was much larger inside than it appeared from the outside.
The walls were covered with glowing runes that writhed and changed shape like living things. The floor was made of some kind of dark stone, and you could feel subtle vibrations when you walked on it.
It was as if the entire temple was alive.
"Where is Helbo?"
The brute goddess looked around, her eyes shining brightly in the dim light, like two small suns, providing Ian with a lot of light to draw upon.
"Avada Kedah Plague!"
Ian was equally decisive.
He immediately expanded his domain. Waves of green light, almost tangible, spread outwards from him, bubbling on the ground as if boiling.
"hehe."
In the silent temple.
A few disdainful sneers rang out.
"It's him! Herpo!"
Riddle covered his eyes in terror. His eyes burned with an intense heat, as if some force was devouring his soul, and visible black furrows appeared around his eye sockets.
"Riddle, you have certainly lived up to my expectations."
A hoarse voice rang out.
It seemed to come from all directions.
"You're a spy!"
The brute goddess gripped Riddle's neck tightly.
She lit up completely, and the dazzling golden light instantly illuminated every dark corner, making the entire temple, which was shrouded in the Avada plague, bright and clear.
However, it did not reveal the location of Herbo.
"No! I didn't! I'm not a spy!" Riddle frantically grabbed the hands of the Brute Goddess, but her hands were like iron clamps, preventing him from breaking free.
"Is it possible that he was just being used?" Ian saw Riddle almost rolling his eyes, and he could clearly sense the fear and grievance in Riddle's heart.
"Step! Step!"
Even though he was exhaling more than inhaling, Riddle still managed to utter two words. He sounded terrified, as if he were afraid of something. Upon hearing this, Ian looked down and saw a black shadow lurking beneath the Avada plague.
"What is this?!"
Ian quickly controlled his Avada Kedavra, trying to retreat and engulf the black shadow, but it was as if it didn't exist and couldn't be touched by magic at all.
"Damn it! It's the Silent Mist Nightmare!!" The brute goddess looked down and saw several moving black shadows beside her. She immediately let out an incredulous exclamation.
Perhaps out of conditioned reflex, she jumped into the air.
"..."
Seeing this, the little wizard quickly darted into the air.
"What the hell is this?!"
Ian unleashed Fiendfire, merging with the Avada Plague, yet it still couldn't harm the shadowy figures in the slightest, as if they existed in a different dimension from Ian and the world.
"It is a special kind of life form that feeds on memories and secrets. Anyone who touches it will be pulled into a dream and have their hidden memories, even secrets that they themselves may have forgotten, discovered."
The brute goddess began to explain, her tone quite tense.
"You're a goddess, why are you afraid of special life forms?" Ian was very puzzled. Even if what was here now was just a avatar of her will, she was still a goddess.
Hearing the little wizard's question.
The brute goddess revealed a smile that was even uglier than crying.
"Guess where this life form originated?"
She actually wants to be a riddle teller even at this point.
"Can't you just say it directly! Put me down! No! Take me out of here!"
Riddle, who had been lifted up, roared loudly.
He saw dark shadows appearing on the surrounding walls, and he no longer cared about offending any gods. He felt a sense of terror and threat emanating from his very soul.
"Simply put, even gods can get sick, and this creature is born from the gods' diseases. You can think of it as a virus that is nourished by the gods' bodies."
"I can be infected too!" The brute goddess panicked. "The Silent Mist Nightmares can't get on me, otherwise they can use them to devour my memories and distort the past and future, distorting the entire history. That's the most terrifying thing about the Silent Mist Nightmares—they have the ability to modify stories that have already been set in stone!"
talking.
The light emanating from the goddess was so bright it almost blinded Ian.
She was clearly very worried.
"Apparition! Quick! Apparition!" Riddle grew increasingly terrified as he listened. He had never seen such a magical creature before, and he shouted at Ian at the top of his lungs.
"We can't move it... We've sealed off this temple..." The goddess's voice was weak, and she seemed a little guilty. As soon as she finished speaking, laughter rose from all directions.
"It seems his target isn't me and Riddle, but you." Ian noticed that the most silent mist demons were around the brute goddess, and immediately realized Helbo's scheme.
This guy... wants to kill a god, or steal something that belongs to the gods!
"Think of a way!"
As Ian addressed the rather useless goddess, he waved his wand, and a silver light shone from the tip of his wand, revealing Ariana's guardian form.
This trick really worked.
The silent mists around him were forced back somewhat by the light of the guardian deity.
but.
The silence and fog surrounding the brute goddess, however, did not decrease but rather increased.
"No! This isn't a guardian deity!" The brute goddess was astonished to find that her large light bulb couldn't compare to the microscopic features on Ian's wand. She looked at Ian with utter astonishment.
of course.
Seeing that the surrounding silence and fog were increasing, the brute goddess no longer cared about delving into Ian's secrets.
"There's no other way! We have to use our trump card!"
She growled.
"Use it quickly! Use it quickly!"
A sense of silence and gloom had already crept onto Riddle's face as he was lifted up.
"Is it the real body descending?"
Ian was also somewhat looking forward to it.
however.
"No."
The brute goddess gritted her teeth and denied his guess.
"I won't let my true form come to a place full of viruses... so..." Suddenly, she raised her head and shouted at the dimly lit temple ceiling.
"Father! Brothers! Sisters! Help!"
Her voice was incredibly powerful, soaring straight to the sky.
It truly is a powerful weapon, a ultimate move.
It just goes to show that a goddess truly lives up to her name; her voice is something no ordinary person could match.
(End of this chapter)