Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 342, Section 341: Goddess Athena
boom!
The barn door was flung open, and the Templar Knights scrambled out, their silver armor stained with mud and blood, their former imposing presence long gone. They didn't even dare look back, let alone utter a single threat—the mere presence of that black-robed, silver-eyed man sent shivers down their spines!
"Run! Run!"

A knight roared hoarsely, his voice filled with terror.

"Return to the temple! Immediately!"

The priest was being held aloft by several knights.

His face was deathly pale, his lips trembled, yet he couldn't utter a single complete sentence. His scepter was shattered, his right hand was a bloody mess, and what devastated him even more was that Athena did not respond to him!
The gods...abandoned me?

This idea almost suffocated everyone in the temple.

The gods did not respond.

This was a real blow to the temple knights and priests. They scattered like a pack of terrified rats, disappearing into the darkness without looking back.

These once arrogant and domineering clergymen were as vulnerable as ants before Ian, making it seem as if they were only good at bullying the weak and fearing the strong. Ian didn't defeat them by brute force, but by using a power completely beyond human comprehension to utterly crush their faith and dignity.

"Let's continue, everyone. I haven't had enough of your conversation yet," Ian said to the wizards in the barn, his tone softening as he shooed away the group who had been disturbing his studies.

Inside the barn, the atmosphere remained tense.

The wizards, who had just been pinned to the ground and were about to become prisoners, were now staring blankly at Ian, as if they still couldn't believe what had just happened.

Someone rubbed their eyes.

I'm still wondering if I'm having a dream.

“They...they really escaped…” a witch wearing a raven mask murmured, her voice trembling. “The people from the temple...they actually escaped?”

"And they didn't even dare to utter a harsh word..." An old wizard with a wrinkled face swallowed hard, looking at Ian with a complicated expression. "This...this is simply..."

"Is this... is this true?"

The young witch muttered to herself.

"He single-handedly drove away everyone in the temple?" For an ordinary wizard of this era, defeating the temple's people was by no means an easy task.

They can borrow the power of the gods, something that wizards who have not reached the legendary rank can never contend with; weak magic cannot withstand the crushing power of divine magic.

"Alright, the nuisance's gone, let's continue the party." Ian lightly patted non-existent dust off his cuffs, his tone relaxed, as if he had just casually shooed away a swarm of annoying flies.

"Should we...should we continue the party?" someone finally asked cautiously. This question was like lighting a fuse, plunging everyone into silence once again.

After all, what they had just witnessed was beyond their comprehension. But what terrified them even more was that this person dared to directly challenge the temple! What did this mean? It meant that he was not afraid of Olympus's wrath, and it also meant that he might invite even more terrible retribution.

“Of course we must continue,” Ian’s voice rang out, calm and firm.

Everyone was startled and turned to look at him.

"Are you afraid the temple will retaliate?" Ian glanced around, a slight smile playing on his lips. "I understand your concerns. But if you give up your pursuits because of a small conflict, you don't deserve to be called wizards."

He spoke bluntly, but no one dared to contradict him. They all knew that if Ian hadn't intervened, they would likely have been taken to the temple tonight, where they would have faced trial, exile, or even death.

"I...we..." The witch in the raven mask hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and said with a forced smile, "...continue."

The others looked at each other.

They all nodded in agreement.

Ian saved their lives.

Moreover... who would dare to defy this legend? The atmosphere inside the barn gradually eased, but unlike the previous secret transactions, the wizards were now completely open to communication.

Let's not talk about whether or not there's a transaction anymore.

The wizards satisfied Ian's thirst for knowledge—they guessed he might be a wizard who had been asleep for many years and wanted to understand the new era, unaware that they were, to Ian, the ancient wizards. Ian simply loved learning about the ancient magical knowledge they possessed, much of which had actually been lost to later generations.

And so, amidst an atmosphere of trepidation and anticipation, the gathering resumed. This time, no one discussed deals, and no one held back.

They knew that Ian's strength far exceeded their imagination, and his knowledge was unfathomable. Rather than trying to gain his attention by exchanging some low-level magic, they decided against it.

Instead, it's better to directly showcase your most authentic research findings.

You might even get some guidance.

“Your Excellency…” A tall, thin wizard approached Ian respectfully, presenting him with a yellowed parchment book, hoping to gain Ian’s favor. “This is our school’s treasured ‘Ancient Elemental Manipulation’, which records the elemental magic theories of the Third Age. It may be of use to you.”

Ian took the ancient book, casually flipped through a few pages, and his eyes flickered slightly.

"Well, that's interesting."

He nodded.

While reading about ancient magic.

It also showcases new research findings that were inaccessible to some ancient shamans in later generations.

“However, your theory of ‘elemental resonance’ is somewhat outdated. The mages of the Third Era relied too much on external elements and neglected the guidance of their own magic.” As he spoke, he lightly tapped his fingertip, and a wisp of silver-gray magic traced complex runes in the air, instantly condensing into a ball of pure flame.

Inside the flame, however, flowed patterns of frost.

"Look, elements do not exist independently, but can be transformed into one another."

Ian's demonstration was very straightforward.

The wizards stared wide-eyed, some even instinctively moving closer, afraid of missing a single detail.

"This...this is impossible?!" a young wizard specializing in fire magic exclaimed. "How can ice and fire coexist?! The two elements should be in conflict in nature!"

Modern wizards still pursue harmony with nature.

Ian smiled.

“It’s not coexistence, but ‘reconstruction’.” He flicked his finger, and the flames instantly turned into flowing water, then solidified into rock, and finally dispersed into a gentle breeze.

"Magic is the essence; the elements are merely the surface," Ian said softly. Later generations of wizards had begun to challenge nature, which was the progress in the history of wizarding.

"Been taught a lesson!"

Everyone seemed to feel that they had seen the legendary path to the future.

“I’d like to learn about the more controversial magic of your time,” Ian said bluntly, “especially those that were listed as forbidden by the temple.”

He spread knowledge, of course, also in order to gain more magical knowledge from these ancient wizards. The group exchanged glances, and then the older wizard stepped forward.

“We do possess some rather controversial magic,” he said in a low voice. “These spells are said to originate from dark wizards and were once besieged by the gods.”

As soon as these words came out.

This immediately perked Ian up.

“For example?” Ian asked with interest. “For example, ‘Soul Resonance,’ a technique that allows two consciousnesses to connect briefly,” another wizard added, “but if used improperly, it can lead to mental breakdown.”

“There’s also the ‘Star Summoning Array,’ which is said to draw upon the power of the stars to summon some unknown entity,” the young witch interjected. “But we’ve never been able to figure out its true workings.”

talking.

These people all took out their most treasured notes or collected ancient books and handed them to Ian—for ancient wizards, they were used to keeping their most precious things close to their bodies.

Currently, there are no expansion spells, so people hide them in the gaps of their clothes. Some more powerful wizards may modify their body parts and hide them inside their bodies.

"This knowledge is not bad, but there are quite a few errors in it." Ian's learning ability is beyond doubt; after all, he is a true Ravenclaw student.

Ian learned quite a bit of new ancient magic after just a little study. His main goal was to understand the structure of ancient magic, and he didn't hesitate to point out any errors.

He picked up a pen.

Draw a complex magic circle pattern on the ground.

"The key to the Soul Resonance Technique lies in frequency synchronization," Ian explained as he drew. "Human consciousness is like a wave; only when the frequencies of the two are in sync can they truly connect. Otherwise, it will cause chaos."

"As for the star summoning array..." He paused, then continued, "it doesn't summon a specific being, but rather opens a door to another dimension. The reason you failed is because you didn't have the correct coordinates. I recommend you learn more about astronomy."

"What is astronomy? I have some here." Ian also shared some teaching materials he had collected for Professor Morgan, and the knowledge contained therein seemed to open the door to a new world for these ancient wizards.

The wizards were dumbfounded.

They never imagined that these problems that had troubled them for years could be solved in just a few words, especially since the other party was already a super magic researcher who had written books.

Right.

Since it's a legend.

The study of magic must be incredibly comprehensive and in-depth.

"This is simply pioneering a new school of thought!" The wizards were all incredibly shocked by the impact of the spell system, and their gazes toward Ian became increasingly awe-inspiring.

obviously.

This is because Ian believes that the spell system is an innovation that paves the way for future generations—the legendary wizard before us is not only powerful in his own right, but also a wise man who has the future of wizarding in mind.

For a while.

And so, a delightful misunderstanding arose. The spell system certainly wasn't created by Ian, but the ancient wizards were unaware of this; they simply received the concept of the spell system from Ian. It was the culmination of generations of effort, naturally comprehensive, and brought these wild wizards a completely new experience, akin to a game-changer.

In the time that followed, the wizards in the barn completely abandoned their previous caution and rushed to ask Ian for advice.

"Your Excellency! Our school has been unable to solve the stability problem of the 'Spatial Folding Technique'..."

“Try using reverse magic flow to stabilize the node.” Ian casually drew a three-dimensional rune in the air. “Like this, the magic doesn’t flow in one direction, but forms a closed loop.”

"Oh my god! So that's how it is!"

"Your Excellency! We have never been able to replicate the 'divine runes' of the ancient magic circle..."

“Because you’ve been misled.” Ian scoffed. “The so-called ‘divine runes’ are nothing but tricks used by ancient magicians to fool people. The real core is ‘magic resonance’.”

With a light tap of his fingertip, a complex magic circle instantly took shape, radiating a light far purer than any temple magic.

The wizards were utterly shocked.

This was no "exchange"...it was a veritable "magical feast"! The night was deep, candlelight flickered in the barn, and the air was thick with the scent of paper, ink, and lingering magic. Ian sat at a worn wooden table, an ancient scroll of parchment spread out before him, densely covered with the knowledge he had just acquired.

It wasn't just about taking; while learning the ancient theories of magic, souls, and astrology of this era, he also generously shared his knowledge with them—from the basic principles of energy flow to the deep logic of consciousness construction techniques, and how to enhance mental strength through meditation.

“You must understand,” Ian said firmly, standing in the middle of the crowd. “True power does not come from the gifts of the gods, nor from the complexity of spells, but from the indomitable will deep within your heart.”

He scanned the crowd, his gaze sharp and piercing:

“You are wizards, not priests. You should not kneel before gods, but rather master the rules. You must believe that as long as you are powerful enough, nothing can truly harm you.”

He paused, his voice low yet powerful:

"So remember this: Wizards are kings, and the mind is the world."

These words struck like a thunderbolt, exploding in the hearts of these wizards who had long been suppressed by the gods and bound by their beliefs.

They looked at each other, some with excitement in their eyes, while others were lost in deep thought.

An elderly witch spoke slowly: "If...if we could really do what you say, would we still need to fear Olympus?"

“No need,” Ian replied, “but on the condition that you unite, establish your own order, and create an ideal haven for wizards.”

"And what about you?" the young witch couldn't help but ask. "Are you willing to lead us? You are the strongest, you are qualified to be our leader."

The room was silent; everyone held their breath, waiting for his answer.

Ian smiled gently and shook his head: "I will eventually leave. I can help you, but I cannot protect you."

His words disappointed everyone, but they understood.

After all, this person was never an ordinary person belonging to this era from the very beginning.

Just as the atmosphere was getting a little somber, suddenly—

"After you leave, I can take shelter for the wizard."

A clear, cold, and authoritative female voice came from the doorway.

Everyone turned around suddenly.

A woman dressed in a silver-white battle robe, wearing a golden crown and a long cloak stood quietly at the entrance of the barn. Her demeanor was noble and calm, and her eyes revealed unparalleled wisdom and strength.

"Athena!" someone exclaimed, immediately kneeling down.

The others also lowered their heads, their faces pale, as if they had already foreseen the impending disaster.

However, to everyone's surprise, the goddess of wisdom on Mount Olympus showed no anger, nor did she impose any punishment. She simply gazed at Ian silently.

His gaze was as deep as the sea.

"If you can spare my life when Ragnarok comes, that's all." Her voice was soft, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly, with a hint of pleading in it.

Dead silence.

The wizards stared wide-eyed.

I could hardly believe what I was hearing.

(End of this chapter)