Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 344, Section 343: The Teacher of All Ages, Prepares to Depart
Upon hearing Athena say that she was the will of destiny, Ian's eyes narrowed, his silver-gray pupils contracting slightly, as if he had caught some highly informative signal.

"what do you know?"

He asked softly, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable weight. Athena didn't answer immediately, but instead glanced at the other wizards still in shock inside the barn.

The atmosphere inside the barn instantly became heavy. The wizards, who had been immersed in shock and awe, were now enveloped by an indescribable sense of oppression.

It was as if some invisible force permeated the air.

"I know some secrets."

Her gaze swept over them, as if an invisible force brushed against their consciousness—the next second.

"Boom!"

A young witch collapsed without warning, crashing to the ground and losing consciousness. Then, one by one, the other wizards also fainted, as if struck by some silent divine force, without even a chance to struggle. All the wizards fell asleep without warning, as if under a spell.

The difference between gods and ordinary wizards is indeed vast. Athena only made a slight move, and all the ordinary wizards fell to the ground without even realizing it.

Inside the barn, only Ian and Athena remained.

It was eerily silent.

“Now, we can talk.” Athena’s voice was low and calm. She looked at the unconscious wizards with a serene expression: “They shouldn’t have heard these words.”

Ian did not object.

I just waited quietly for her to continue.

Athena walked to the wooden table in the center of the barn, her fingertips lightly tracing the rough surface, as if organizing her thoughts.

“Zeus was always looking for a way to surpass himself, knowing that the rule of Olympus would not last forever. So he dug into the secrets of the Titans’ ruins, seeking power in their remains.” She spoke slowly, “and for that reason, he collected their findings—the buried, forbidden knowledge and history.”

She paused, her gaze fixed on Ian:
"And I was responsible for compiling those research findings."

Ian frowned slightly: "You mean... you know the secrets of the Titans?"

Athena nodded, a meaningful smile appearing on her lips: "Yes, that's why I understand that erased history better than any other god."

Her gaze deepened, as if piercing through the river of time and looking directly at the truth of antiquity.

"The Titans devoured the Creator."

Athena does seem to know some history that even ordinary people, and even ordinary gods, may not know.

"Ok?"

Ian's pupils contracted slightly. He knew about this because of the female Titan Lyle's explanation, but he didn't expect that Zeus and Athena had also discovered this history.

"This is a secret."

he whispered.

“Of course.” Athena nodded. “Otherwise, why do you think Zeus would be so wary of me? Because what I possess is enough to overturn the entire pantheon.”

She looked at Ian, a hint of inquiry in her eyes: "But the most interesting thing is... before the Titans devoured the Creator, a bird had already eaten the Creator's most core part."

Ian was stunned.

He blurted out almost instinctively, "Raven?"

Athena's lips curled slightly, as if she had anticipated his reaction:

"That's right. It's a raven."

Her words struck Ian like a thunderbolt.

He was momentarily dazed.

Ravens are scavengers by nature. They are accustomed to roaming battlefields and places of death, feeding on carrion. But what if... what if that raven didn't just eat a corpse, but devoured some kind of divinity, or even the core authority of the creator? The more he thought about it, the less absurd the idea seemed.

Even...it makes perfect sense.

"What did you say it ate?" He suppressed his shock and continued to press for an answer.

"The power of destiny," Athena whispered. "Infinite possibilities. The ability to manipulate reality. That is the true core power of the Creator."

Her tone carried a hint of awe:
"Everything the Titans gained was nothing more than the scraps left behind after the ravens had eaten their fill."

Ian was silent.

He couldn't tell if Athena was lying, but her eyes told him—she was serious.

Moreover, from some perspectives, this does explain a lot of things.

For example, why can he travel through time? Why can he change fate? Why can he fight against the gods with a mortal body? Perhaps all of this stems from that raven, which swallowed power that should not have belonged to it in some long-forgotten ancient era, which is why even Death could not defeat it.

Ian felt as if he was gradually figuring everything out. Since returning from his time travel, he had been piecing together the buried history. He didn't know if it was a coincidence or if his entry into the Bronze Gate was also a sign of fate.

Ian was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

"interesting."

He shook his head, as if he had heard some absurd story, yet couldn't completely deny it. Athena watched his reaction, a slight smile playing on her lips, seemingly thinking he was faking it.

"It's very interesting."

Athena chimed in.

Ian glanced at the unconscious wizards on the ground, then looked at Athena and said casually, "If you think that if I agree to your request, you will be spared from Ragnarok."

"Then I might as well agree to your request right here." His words were actually tinged with uncertainty, because from beginning to end Athena only believed that he could obtain protection simply by agreeing.

A hint of relief flashed in Athena's eyes, her tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and a genuine, almost joyful smile even appeared on her lips.

“I will be the protector of wizards,” she promised immediately, “until the end of the age of gods.”

Ian looked at her and suddenly asked:

"If you could truly become the last god, what would you do?"

Athena's expression shifted subtly for a moment before returning to calm.

"I will disappear without a trace," she replied vaguely, clearly not wanting to reveal more.

Ian didn't care about her concealment and just shrugged.

"Alright then," he said lazily. "Good luck."

Outside the barn, the night wind carried the distant sound of temple bells.

Athena gave Ian a deep look, then turned around, her figure gradually turning into golden specks of light and dissipating into the air.

Ian stood there, looking down at his palm, lost in thought.

"A raven...?"

He chuckled softly, shook his head, and then snapped his fingers—inside the barn, the unconscious wizards slowly awoke, looking around blankly as if everything that had just happened was merely a dream.

The wizards awoke one by one, looking around blankly, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion. The barn was quiet, with only the flickering candlelight reminding them of the passage of time.

"What... just happened?" The witch wearing a raven mask rubbed her temples, her voice hoarse.

"Where's Athena?"

Another elderly wizard nervously looked around, fearing that other gods might break down the door at any moment.

All eyes were on Ian. The man in the black robe still stood by the window, his silver-gray eyes reflecting the morning light, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“You can now establish your wizarding organization in the sunlight,” he said calmly. “Athena has promised to provide you with protection.”

Wow!

The barn erupted in chaos.

"what?!"

"Athena...is protecting us?!"

"How is this possible?! Did you really make a deal with a god?!" The wizards looked at each other, their emotions a mixture of shock, disbelief, and ecstasy. Some pinched their arms to make sure it wasn't a dream; some whispered prayers, thanking the unknown deity; and some even knelt down, too excited to speak.

“But…” a young wizard hesitated before speaking, “What about the other gods? Zeus, Hera… many gods hate wizards, they won’t allow it.”

Ian glanced at him, his eyes deep and calm.

"They won't last much longer."

——!
These words struck like a thunderbolt into the hearts of all the wizards.

It won't last long? What does that mean?
Could it be... that this mysterious black-robed wizard intends to personally purge the gods?!
The wizards gasped, their eyes filled with a mixture of awe and fear as they looked at Ian. They had never imagined that one day, mortals could rise above the gods!
But soon, another emotion welled up inside them—gratitude. Ian had not only saved their lives, but also won them the right to live in the sunlight!
"We have no idea how to repay your kindness."

Everyone expressed their sincerest gratitude to Ian, but Ian didn't mind. He simply said that he needed more knowledge, as he had always been a studious child.

The next two days.

Ian stayed in the city.

The wizards provided him with the best lodging, the most sumptuous food, and the most precious magical books. They eagerly sought his knowledge, and he generously shared his own.

“Remember, magic is not a tool, but an extension of your will.” He stood on the high platform, a ball of silver-gray flame condensing at his fingertips, the flame changing into various shapes in the air. “Do not be limited by so-called ‘divine magic,’ your imagination is the true boundary, every wizard is a god of imagination.”

The young wizards' eyes lit up, as if they were seeing a whole new world.

This kind of life was quite fulfilling and wonderful, giving Ian the feeling of running a small classroom at Hogwarts. He exchanged knowledge with these wizards and explained many concepts they had never heard of before: consciousness construction techniques, energy resonance theory, soul projection method, astrological analysis model... Every concept fascinated them.

He also learned a lot from these ancient wizards.

They possessed some extremely ancient spells, some even dating back to the Titan era. There were also rituals that could briefly connect different dimensions, and even simulate fragments of rules left behind by the Creator. Ian studied and organized this knowledge, archiving it deep into his memory.

He also selected several highly talented wizards and personally guided them in meditation training and mental enhancement. Their progress was astonishing; in just two days, they had mastered the core theories that would normally take years to understand.

“You are much smarter than I thought.” Ian looked at them, a slight smile playing on his lips. “Perhaps it won’t be long before you are truly in control of your own destiny.”

Upon hearing this, the wizards all expressed their gratitude to him.

They knew that Ian was responsible for all of this.

He gave them hope; he taught them how to face the future. Everyone felt this was the beginning of the wizards' rise, and Ian agreed.

However, parting was inevitable. On the morning of the third day, just as the sun rose, a brilliant golden ray pierced the sky and fell upon the hillside outside the city.

The sun god has arrived.

Ian stood on the city wall, gazing at the figure in the distance, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"It seems Zeus has found everything I needed."

The wizards followed behind him, reluctant to part.

"Are you...leaving?"

The witch in the raven mask asked in a low voice, her disappointment barely concealed.

“Of course,” Ian smiled. “My journey isn’t over yet.”

"Will we meet again?" the young wizards asked him expectantly.

Ian turned around, looked at the wizards who had struggled in the darkness for so long and were finally seeing the light of day, and chuckled softly.

"Of course."

He blinked his silver-gray eyes.

"I hope to see your names in future textbooks." These words brought smiles to everyone's faces, smiles tinged with tears. With that, he leaped into the air, becoming a dark shadow.

They flew towards the direction of the sun god. The wizards bowed deeply, bidding farewell in the most sincere way to the wizard who had changed their destiny.

In the sky, a blazing golden light pierced through the clouds.

The sun god descended.

He wore a long golden robe, surrounded by the glow of burning sunlight, and held a scepter that shone brightly. His aura was majestic and sacred, making it impossible to look directly at him.

But he did not show any hostility; instead, he hovered quietly in mid-air, waiting for Ian to arrive.

"Zeus told me to give you this."

The sun god, clad in golden armor and wearing a crown of the sun, shone so brightly that it was impossible to look directly at his face. Seeing Ian flying towards him, he slightly raised his hand.

An exquisite golden box appeared out of thin air, hovering in the air. Inside were two items—one was a talking rose, its petals still stained with the dust of time; the last was a small bottle of nectar from the night-blooming cereus, said to bloom only in the fleeting moments when fates intersect. Ian accepted the three items.

After carefully checking and confirming that everything was correct, he nodded.

"Thank you."

He was always a very polite little wizard.

The sun god was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Will you really leave?"

Ian raised an eyebrow, looking at him with interest.

"Your personality is quite different from the last time I saw you," he said with a smile. "You've become quite timid."

The sun god was taken aback, and his brows furrowed.

"Is this the first time we've met?"

Ian waved his hand without explaining.

See you in the future.

He turned around, his black robe fluttering in the wind, and said, "Give my regards to your daughter and me."

The sun god's expression froze instantly. However, before he could ask any further questions, Ian's figure had already transformed into a jet-black raven, flapping its wings and flying into the sky, disappearing into the morning light.

in situ.

The sun god remained standing, gazing at the empty sky, speechless for a long time. In the distance, the wizards on the city walls watched the ravens fly away, their hearts filled with both reluctance and an unprecedented hope.

"The teacher of all ages, yet we don't even know his name."

Athena called him Raven.

“Perhaps we should erect a statue for him and place it in the Department of Mysteries that we are planning to create,” someone suggested.

The sunlight shone on them, warm and bright.

Everybody knows.

The age of wizards is about to begin.

(End of this chapter)