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When Athena declared herself to be the Will of Fate, Ian's eyes narrowed and his silver-gray pupils contracted slightly, as if capturing a signal brimming with profound significance.
"What do you know?" he asked softly. His tone was calm yet carried an undeniable weight.
Athena didn't answer immediately. Instead, she glanced at the other wizards, who were still in shock, inside the barn.
The atmosphere in the barn instantly grew heavy. The wizards, who were previously immersed in shock and awe, were now enveloped by an indescribable sense of oppression, as if an invisible force permeated the air.
"I know some secrets," she said, her gaze sweeping over them like an intangible power brushing against their minds.
In the next instant...
Thump!
A young witch collapsed without warning, crashing heavily to the ground, unconscious. One by one, the other wizards followed suit, succumbing to unconsciousness as if struck by a silent divine power, leaving them no chance to resist. They all fell without warning, as if a magical slumber had been cast upon them.
The gap between gods and ordinary wizards was truly immeasurable. With just a slight gesture from Athena, all the wizards collapsed as if unaware of what had happened.
Inside the barn, only Ian and Athena remained.
The silence was terrifying.
"Now we can talk," Athena said in a low, calm voice. She gazed at the stupefied wizards, her expression serene. "They shouldn't hear these words."
Ian didn't object; he simply waited for her to continue.
Athena walked to the wooden table in the middle of the barn, tracing its rough surface with her fingertips as if gathering her thoughts.
"Zeus has always sought ways to surpass himself. He knew the reign of Olympus wouldn't last forever. So he delved into the ruins of the Titans, seeking power within their remains," she began slowly. "That's why he collected their research, the buried, forbidden knowledge and history."
She paused and met Ian's gaze directly.
"And I... I am responsible for organizing those research findings."
Ian's brow furrowed slightly. "You mean you know the Titan's secret?"
Athena nodded, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Yes, that's why I understand that erased history better than any other god."
Her gaze deepened as if piercing the river of time to glimpse ancient truths.
"The Titans devoured the Creator."
Athena clearly possessed knowledge of history that even ordinary mortals, or perhaps even most gods, might lack.
"Hmm?"
Ian's pupils constricted slightly. He only knew this because the female Titan Claire had explained it to him. He hadn't expected Zeus and Athena to have uncovered this history as well.
"This is a closely guarded secret," he murmured.
"Of course," Athena agreed. "Otherwise, why would Zeus be so wary of me? The knowledge I possess could shatter the entire Pantheon."
Athena gazed at Ian, a flicker of inquiry in her eyes. "But the most intriguing thing is that, before the Titans devoured the Creator, a raven had already claimed the Creator's core essence."
Ian froze.
He blurted out almost instinctively, "Raven?"
Athena's lips curled into a knowing smile, as if she had anticipated his reaction. "Precisely. It was Raven."
Her words struck Ian like a thunderclap.
He felt momentarily dazed.
Ravens are scavengers by nature, accustomed to haunting battlefields and death-stricken lands and feeding on carrion. But what if that raven hadn't consumed a corpse but had devoured something divine, even the Creator's core Authority? The more he pondered it, the less absurd the idea seemed, and the more logical it became.
In fact, it made perfect sense.
"What exactly did you say it ate?" he asked, trying to hide his shock.
"The Authority of Fate," Athena murmured. "Infinite possibilities. The power to manipulate reality itself. That was the Creator's true core power."
Her voice carried a hint of awe.
"Everything the Titans acquired later was merely the scraps left behind after the Raven had its fill."
Ian fell silent.
He couldn't tell if Athena was lying, but her gaze made it clear that she was deadly serious.
Moreover, from a certain perspective, this explanation made sense of many things.
For example, it explained why he could cross over time, alter fate, and challenge the gods with his mortal body. Perhaps it all stemmed from the Raven that, in a long-forgotten era, swallowed a power it shouldn't have possessed. This made the Raven an entity that not even the Death God could vanquish.
Ian felt as if he was gradually piecing everything together. Ever since crossing over, he had relentlessly reconstructed this buried history, unable to discern whether his entry into the Bronze Gate was mere coincidence or if it was also guided by fate.
After a moment of silence, Ian suddenly chuckled.
"Fascinating."
He shook his head as if he had heard a preposterous tale yet couldn't entirely dismiss it. Athena watched his reaction, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips as if she suspected he was feigning indifference.
"It is quite amusing," Athena agreed.
Ian glanced at the Stupefy-ed wizards on the ground, then back at Athena. He said casually, "If you believe my agreement will spare you from the Twilight of the Gods, I might as well give you my word right here and now." His words carried a hint of uncertainty because it had always only been Athena's belief that his assent would grant her sanctuary.
A flicker of relief flashed in Athena's eyes. Her tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and a genuine, almost joyful smile graced her lips.
"I will become the protector of the wizards until the end of the Age of the Gods," she vowed immediately.
Ian studied her intently, then suddenly asked, "What will you do if you truly become the last God?"
For a moment, Athena's expression shifted subtly before returning to its usual composure.
"I will vanish into obscurity," she answered vaguely, clearly unwilling to reveal any more information.
Ian shrugged, unfazed by her evasiveness.
"All right then," he said lazily. "Best of luck."
Outside the barn, the night wind carried the distant tolling of bells from the temple.
Athena gave Ian a long, lingering look before turning away. Her figure gradually dissolved into golden motes of light that dissipated into the air.
Ian stood rooted to the spot, staring thoughtfully at his palm.
"Raven . . .?" he murmured, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. He shook his head, then snapped his fingers. Inside the barn, the Stupefy-ed wizards slowly stirred, looking around in bewilderment, as if everything had been a dream.
One by one, they regained consciousness and scanned their surroundings as if everything had been an illusion. The barn was eerily quiet, the flickering candlelight the only indication that time had passed.
"What just happened?" A crow-masked witch rubbed her temple; her voice was hoarse.
"Where's Athena?"
Another elderly wizard looked around anxiously, fearing that another god might burst through the door at any moment.
All eyes turned to Ian.
The black-robed man was still standing by the window. His silver-gray eyes reflected the dawn light, and a faint smile played at the corners of his lips.
"You can now establish an organization for wizards in the sunlight," he said calmly. "Athena has agreed to provide you with protection."
Whoosh!
The barn erupted into chaos.
"What?!"
"Athena is protecting us?"
"How is that possible? Did you really make a deal with a god?" The wizards exchanged bewildered glances; their faces showed a mixture of shock, disbelief, and ecstatic joy. Some pinched their arms to confirm that it wasn't a dream. Others whispered prayers of gratitude to an unknown god. Still others fell to their knees, too overwhelmed to speak.
"But..." A young wizard hesitated. "What about the other gods... Zeus, Hera... Many gods hate wizards. They'll never allow this."
Ian glanced at him, his gaze deep and calm.
"They won't last much longer."
Bang!
The words struck the wizards' hearts like a thunderbolt.
'Won't last much longer? What did that mean?'
Could it be that this mysterious black-robed wizard intends to purge the gods himself?
The wizards gasped, their gazes on Ian filled with awe and terror. They had never imagined that a mortal could one day rise above the gods.
Soon, however, another emotion surged through their hearts, gratitude. Ian had saved their lives and secured their right to live in the sunlight.
"We can never repay your kindness," they declared, offering Ian their sincerest thanks. Ian dismissed their gratitude with a casual remark about needing more knowledge, explaining that he had always been a studious child.
Over the next two days, Ian remained in the city.
The wizards prepared the finest accommodations, the most sumptuous meals, and the most precious ancient magic books for him. They eagerly sought his guidance, and he generously shared his knowledge.
"Remember, magic is not a tool, but an extension of your will," he said. He stood on the high platform, conjuring a ball of silvery-gray flame at his fingertip. The flame danced in the air, morphing into various shapes. "Do not be constrained by so-called 'Divine Magic.' Your imagination is the true boundary. Every wizard is a god of fantasy."
The young wizards' eyes gleamed as if they had glimpsed an entirely new world.
This life was fulfilling and beautiful, reminding Ian of his days teaching a small class at Hogwarts. He shared his knowledge with these wizards, introducing them to concepts they had never heard of before: Consciousness Construction Technique, Energy Resonance Theory, Soul Projection Method, and Astrological Analysis Model, to name a few. Each concept captivated them, leaving them utterly spellbound.
In turn, he learned a great deal from these ancient wizards.
They had mastered extremely ancient spells dating back to the Titan era. They also possessed rituals that could briefly connect different dimensional spaces and simulate fragments of the rules left behind by the Creator. As Ian studied, he organized and archived this knowledge deep within his memory.
He also selected several exceptionally talented wizards and personally guided them in meditation training and mental force enhancement. Their progress was astonishing. Within just two days, they grasped core theories that normally took years to understand.
"You're far more intelligent than I imagined," Ian remarked with a slight smile as he observed them. "Perhaps it won't be long before you truly control your own destinies."
The wizards responded with heartfelt expressions of gratitude.
They knew it was all thanks to Ian.
He had shown them hope and taught them how to face the future. They all felt that this marked the beginning of the wizards' resurgence, a sentiment Ian wholeheartedly endorsed.
But farewells were inevitable. On the third day, as the Sun God rose, a brilliant golden ray pierced the sky and landed on the hillside outside the city.
The Sun God had arrived.
Ian stood atop the city walls, watching the distant figure and smiling faintly.
"It seems Zeus has gathered everything I need."
The wizards behind him lingered reluctantly.
"You're leaving?" a female wizard in a crow mask murmured, her voice tinged with barely concealed disappointment.
"Of course," Ian chuckled. "My journey isn't over yet."
"Will we see you again?" the younger wizards asked, their eyes fixed on him expectantly.
Ian turned back to gaze at the group of wizards who had struggled for a long time in the darkness before finally glimpsing the dawn. He chuckled softly.
"That's a certainty."
He blinked his silver-gray eyes.
"I hope to see all of your names in future textbooks." His words brought smiles to their faces, though tears welled up in their eyes. Then, he leaped into the air and transformed into a shadow.
He flew toward the Sun God. The wizards bowed deeply in unison, offering their most sincere farewell to the wizard who had changed their destinies.
In the sky, a blazing golden light tore through the clouds.
The Sun God had descended.
Clad in golden robes and surrounded by burning solar radiance, he held a scepter that radiated blinding light. His aura was both majestic and sacred, so overwhelming that few dared to meet his gaze directly.
Yet he displayed no hostility, instead hovering serenely in midair, awaiting Ian's arrival.
"Zeus instructed me to deliver these to you," the sun god declared, his voice ringing with celestial authority.
Adorned in golden armor and a solar diadem, his light was so bright that his features were impossible to discern. As Ian approached with Accio, the sun god raised a hand slightly.
A delicate golden casket materialized in midair, floating before him. Inside were two items: a talking rose, its petals still dusted with time's dust, and a small vial of nectar from ephemeral flowers, said to bloom only when destinies intertwine. Ian accepted these three gifts.
After carefully examining them to ensure their accuracy, Ian nodded.
"Thank you."
He had always been a remarkably polite young wizard.
The Sun God fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Are you really going to leave?"
Ian raised an eyebrow and regarded him with amusement.
"Your demeanor is quite different from when we last met," he chuckled. "You've grown rather timid."
The Sun God stiffened, furrowing his brow.
"This is our first meeting, isn't it?"
Ian waved his hand dismissively, offering no explanation.
"See you in the future."
He turned, his black robes snapping in the wind. "Give my regards to your daughter."
The Sun God's expression froze instantly. Before he could ask questions, Ian's figure transformed into a jet-black raven. Its wings beat powerfully as it soared into the morning sky and vanished into the dawn light.
Left alone, the Sun God gazed at the empty sky, lost in thought. In the distance, the wizards on the city walls watched the raven disappear, their hearts torn between lingering reluctance and a burgeoning hope unlike anything they had ever known.
"The teacher of all ages... we don't even know his name."
"Athena calls him Raven."
"Perhaps we should erect a statue in his honor in the Department of Mysteries we're planning to establish," someone suggested.
Sunlight bathed them in its warm, radiant glow.
Everyone knew it.
The age of wizards was about to dawn.
(End of Chapter)