Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 377, Section 376: The God of Perfection

Blue-gold light pierced the dark vortex above the temple like a sharp sword, tearing a gap in the gloom that shrouded Memphis, and the wand in Ian's hand burst forth with unprecedented brilliance.

The light was very strong.

It was the commotion caused by Ian's breakthrough into the temple that triggered the evil god embryo's return. It then manipulated its mummified priests to attempt to use flesh magic to stop Ian's breakthrough.

dong... dong... dong...

This is not a human heartbeat.

Rather, it is the awakening of some artificially created embryonic evil god. It has been placed here, nourished by living beings and fed on the flesh and blood of believers, and is determined to be truly born into this world.

Sensing the evil god's command, the mummified priests sprang into action. Suddenly, the rubble on the temple ruins floated up, forming an impenetrable barrier in the air. These were no ordinary stones—each fragment displayed eerie golden patterns, like the veins of some living tissue.

Even more terrifying, the ground began to undulate, and dozens of mummified priests burst forth from the earth. The golden fleshy buds on their foreheads grew wildly, turning into twisted tentacles in the blink of an eye!

The mummified priests appeared. They were once priests of ancient times, but now their flesh had decayed, leaving only withered bones and tangled black veils, their eye sockets burning with eerie green flames of their souls. They wielded bone staffs and carried stone slabs inscribed with curses on their backs; with each step they took, black blood seeped from the ground.

The air was thick with the smell of decay and sulfur.

They are neither living beings nor undead; they are containers of flesh and blood magic—the embryonic form of the evil god uses them as "living magic circles" to manipulate the boundary between life and death.

"Blood is the thread, flesh is the net, and the soul is the bait to bind the feet of the gods!"

The mummified archbishop stood at the forefront, his rotting robes billowing even without wind. He raised his skeletal arm and chanted forbidden incantations. His voice sounded like the simultaneous wails of countless people, each syllable tearing through reality. Countless mummified corpses of mortals exploded at the same time, their flesh and blood weaving into a vast net in the air.

Each "network cable" was composed of flowing organs and flesh. In an instant, the ground cracked open, and countless blood-red tentacles lunged at Ian like venomous snakes. These tentacles were made of pure flesh and blood, their surfaces covered with suckers and sharp teeth. Once they wrapped around Ian, they could instantly drain his life force, turning it into nourishment for the priest.

"A mere trick like this? You dare to show off your amateur skills in front of Grand Mage Ian?"

Ian sneered.

Instead of retreating, he took a step forward.

"That's it?"

He raised his hand, and the wand drew an arc in the air. The Elder Wand—at this moment, it was bursting with unprecedented light, and what spewed from the tip of the wand was not ordinary magical sparks, but materialized ancient runes, each rune burning with bluish-white flames in the air.

In an instant, all flesh and blood within a fifty-meter radius of him—whether it was the remains of the mummified priest or the bloodline underground—disintegrated completely.

Turn to ashes.

"They'll all turn to petrification!"

Ian's voice echoed through the ruins. The dozen or so mummified priests in the front row froze instantly, the golden fleshy buds on their foreheads remaining contorted in their final, twisted pose. But this was only the beginning—the young wizard flicked his wrist, his wand tracing a perfect Z-shape:

"Crushed to pieces!"

The petrified corpses shattered like glass sculptures, bone fragments and rotting flesh forming a grayish-white mist in the air. Ian didn't stop; he leaped up from the collapsed stone pillars, his black robes fluttering behind him, like a raven spreading its wings.

"Thunderous explosion!"

A blinding white light shot from the tip of the staff, striking the center of the second wave of mummies. The shockwave from the explosion hurled those twisted bodies high into the air, and severed limbs rained down. But more mummies were crawling out of the cracks in the ground, their decaying vocal cords vibrating, emitting a chilling chanting sound.

Ian landed steadily on a sloping stone slab, his grey-green eyes rapidly scanning the battlefield. Even in the hands of a legendary wizard, Hogwarts' standard spells proved remarkably effective.

However, the area of ​​effect was not large. He needed a more efficient way to clear the area, and it couldn't be the magic he created himself. After all, the temple was located in a city, and there were many civilians around. If the power was too great, it would harm innocent people. If the power was too small, the magic's destructive power would not be enough to turn the tide of the battle.

In particular, the golden fleshy buds on the foreheads of those mummies seem to be the true control core, and are very difficult to destroy.

“Got it!”

Ian suddenly remembered an obscure spell that Professor Flitwick had taught him in third grade.

The wand spun three times in the palm, and suddenly silver-blue threads shot out from the tip—a variant of "Flock of Birds"! But this time, it didn't summon ordinary birds, but a flock of miniature fire phoenixes!

"Feather of Flames!"

Hundreds of fiery birds swarmed towards the horde of mummies, each pecking precisely at the writhing golden buds of flesh. The struck mummies instantly burst into flames from the inside out, crackling and popping with the release of grease. The air was immediately filled with a nauseating stench of burning flesh. The sheer devastation was truly awe-inspiring.

But the evil god embryo remained unmoved.

It shook the earth again, and this time, the number of priests doubled.

Twenty, thirty, fifty... hundreds and thousands. They poured out from all sides of the temple, some crawling on the walls, some hanging from the stone pillars, and some even emerging from the sand.

"Obstacles are numerous!"

Taking advantage of the situation, Ian created a magical barrier, dividing the horde of mummies into smaller pieces. His fighting style was distinctly Hogwarts-like—lacking the elaborate ritualistic movements of Egyptian wizards, instead employing concise and efficient continuous spellcasting, with each spell seamlessly connecting to the next.

"Grow bigger quickly!"

He used the spell, usually reserved for expansion spells, on the ground. The stone slab suddenly bulged, lifting more than a dozen mummies into the air.

"Fuchsia!"

The Hanging Curse causes them to lose their balance as they fall.

"Divine Sharpness Without a Shadow!"

An invisible blade precisely sliced ​​through the target in the air. Finally—

"Clear water like a spring!" followed by "Ice three feet thick!"

The gushing water froze instantly, sealing the fragments of the mummified corpse within a massive block of ice. The entire movement was fluid and graceful, like a brutal ballet.

Ian remained completely unfazed.

The mummified archbishop has regrouped. It floats atop the highest point of the ruins, countless golden tentacles extending from beneath its rotting robes, each connected to a strengthened mummified priest. These newly appeared monsters have a metallic sheen on their skin, clearly protected by some kind of magical enchantment.

"A petty trick," the archbishop's voice laced with blasphemy, "before the true God."

“Shut up,” Ian interrupted impatiently. “Disarm you!”

A beam of red light shot straight at the archbishop, but was deflected by a suddenly appearing golden barrier just before it hit. Ian raised an eyebrow—he hadn't expected the disarming spell to be effective against such a being, even though it had been blocked.

"Then, how about trying this?"

He suddenly pointed his wand straight up to the sky, the light at the tip turning from blue to red. This was a compound spell he had created in fifth grade, which he had never used in actual combat.

"Rain of Blazing Fire!"

The sky suddenly darkened. Not because of dark clouds, but because countless burning meteorites appeared out of thin air, falling with long trails of flame! Each "meteorite" was actually a condensed Fiendish spell, and upon landing, it did not simply explode, but continued to burn with magical flames.

For the first time, chaos erupted among the horde of mummies. Their metallic bodies twisted and deformed in the fiery flames, their golden flesh buds emitting high-pitched screams. The archbishop was forced to retract his tentacles in self-defense, roaring furiously, his voice shattering the remaining stained-glass windows around him.

Ian seized the opportunity, casting the Bubble Head Charm and the Super Senses Charm on himself, then charged directly into the inferno! Fiendfire had no effect on him; instead, it became his best cover. Amidst the thick smoke and flames, his wand moved with the precision of a swordsman's blade:

"He collapsed unconscious!"—A mummified corpse that was reconstructing its body completely disintegrated.

"Torn apart!"—Three monsters defending back to back were simultaneously cut in half at the waist.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The moment the last incantation escaped his lips, Ian himself froze for a second. The green light struck the archbishop's chest, but only caused him to stagger a few steps—it seemed the Unforgivable Curse had limited effect on such a being. "Ha!" the archbishop smugly spread his arms. "A killing curse? That's all?"

Ian grinned slyly. "Who told you that was an attack?" He snapped his fingers. "Flashback Spell!"

A burst of green light suddenly erupted from the Archbishop's body, but it wasn't in the form of the Killing Curse. Instead, it transformed into countless fine threads, binding all the golden tentacles! It turned out that Avada Kedavra was being used as a marking curse here; the true killing move was—

"A barrage of bullets!"

All the tentacles marked with green light suddenly convulsed violently, because every mummified corpse they were connected to exploded! The chain reaction burned like firecrackers all the way to the archbishop's body, finally blasting a horrifying hole in his chest.

"This is impossible." The archbishop looked down at his mutilated body. "Mere mortal magic."

“Mortals are the creators of miracles, and you have already lost your chance.” Ian approached slowly, his wand pointing steadily at its forehead. “Now, tell me where the embryo is?”

"Do you think you've won? No, we just need to buy you time. When the true god descends, we will be reborn, and you and all things will join us."

The archbishop suddenly gave a sly laugh.

Many more mummies continued to appear.

They ceased chanting incantations and instead initiated a direct fusion of flesh and blood—dozens of mummified priests collided together, their bones reforming and flesh regenerating, instantly transforming into a colossal, ten-meter-tall figure of flesh and blood. The colossus had no face; its entire body was composed of constantly writhing muscles and blood vessels, and it wielded a giant scythe made from ribs.

With each step it took, the earth collapsed, and a strong, pungent stench filled the air.

It wields its giant scythe, and before the blade even reaches the ground, the wind pressure has already flattened the sand.

Ian looked up, his eyes still calm.

“Large size does not equate to great power,” he said softly. “You’ve forgotten—I am a writer who uses paradoxes as my pen, and as part of the will of an evil god, you know what I am capable of.”

He closed his eyes and began to write.

It's not about using a pen, but about using your mind.

Short Story: The Collapse of the Colossus

The colossal creature wielded its massive scythe with overwhelming force.

But at its core is the head of a mummified priest.

That head was once the most loyal servant of the evil god.

It dreamed that it was sitting on a divine throne, looking down upon all living beings.

But when it woke up, it discovered that it was just a part of the colossus.

It was unwilling to accept this.

It struggles.

Its consciousness began to devour the structure of the colossus.

Muscles torn, blood vessels burst, bones disintegrated.

The colossus crumbled from within.

……

A 500-word essay was completed in an instant.

Reality is anchored.

The movement of the flesh-and-blood colossus came to an abrupt halt.

Suddenly, a crack appeared in its chest—the eyes of the core head opened, filled with resentment and unwillingness. It began to writhe wildly, trying to break free from the colossus's grasp. This movement affected its entire body; the colossus's flesh began to tear apart itself, muscles ripping muscles, blood vessels strangling blood vessels, until finally—

boom! ! !
The colossus exploded into a shower of blood, and the foul-smelling liquid rained down, staining the sand a dark red.

Ian stood in the rain, unharmed.

He looked up, gazing into the depths of the temple. Suddenly, the entire temple ruins trembled violently! Countless cracks appeared in the ground, and golden liquid, like blood, gushed from the fissures, coalescing into a massive sphere in the air. Vein-like patterns appeared on the sphere's surface, and within, a humanoid silhouette was faintly visible—the embryonic form of an evil god was undergoing its final transformation!

"Looks like you managed to seize the opportunity. But even if you hatch, so what?" Ian's wand sensed the power and automatically switched to defensive mode. Instead of retreating, he revealed an excited smile, as if he had finally awaited a long-awaited challenge.

"Victory will only be on my side."

The wizard's invincible spirit rose within Ian.

The faint light on the horizon suddenly went out.

Ian looked up and saw that the eastern horizon, where the sun should have been rising, was now replaced by a writhing golden ball of flesh. The surface of the thing was covered with a metallic sheen of mucus, and countless vein-like lines pulsated on it. Each contraction made the entire city of Memphis tremble.

Even more terrifying is that the light it emits is no different from sunlight—warm, bright, and full of life—yet it causes all the plants it shines on to wither instantly, and animals to collapse and convulse.

Ian's wand automatically erected three protective shields in front of him. He tentatively fired a "Splitter" spell, which was absorbed the moment it hit the golden flesh ball.

Not even a ripple was stirred.

The same goes for Fiery Blaze.

Blue flames shot into the sky like a tornado, striking directly at the embryonic form of the evil god.

The flames split into countless strands in the air, each carrying the definition of "existence is nothingness," enough to burn away concepts, yet the moment the flames touched the embryo—it was absorbed.

There was no explosion, no resistance, like parched earth swallowing rain. The surface of the embryo rippled slightly, as if feeding. Then, a laugh emanated from within the embryo.

Deep, distorted, with countless overlapping tones, it was like a million souls whispering simultaneously:

A clear, ethereal laugh echoed from within the embryo, like a chorus of a thousand voices. "Poor little wizard... still using toy-like magic."

Ian ignored the taunts. He quickly glanced around, and taking advantage of the brief respite, began to inscribe a magic circle on the ground. The tip of his wand didn't spew ordinary sparks, but rather liquid ancient runes; each symbol ignited upon landing, leaving blue flames.

Within a minute, the entire temple ruins were covered with an intricate array of runes, interconnected to form a massive three-dimensional magic circle. Spreading like a neural network, they covered an area of ​​thousands of meters in radius, each rune precise to the nanometer level, creating a colossal magic circle capable of distorting causality.

“Come on,” Ian whispered, “let me see what you really are.”

at this time--

The embryo of the evil sun suddenly contracted.

Immediately afterwards, a heart-wrenching cry rang out.

The embryo split open, not by exploding, but by slowly peeling away like an eggshell. The flesh receded like a tide, revealing the figure within—a perfect human form suspended in mid-air.

He had an Apollo-like handsome face, a body with perfect proportions, and every inch of his skin radiated a divine glow.

Seven golden halos spun behind his head, his pure white robe fluttered without wind, and the complete Eye of Ra was inlaid on his chest, radiating a warm, sun-like light.

Anyone who sees it for the first time would think it is the incarnation of the sun god Ra.

However, Ian knew that it was all just a facade.

(End of this chapter)