Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 454, Section 453: Echoes of the Past 4
The air was unusually quiet at that moment.

Especially when combined with the intense, almost maddening gazes from those around you, it creates a sense of oppression on a psychological level.

among them.

Mixed in with the sounds from her teammates, the atmosphere was one of utter despair. Lina's condition was gradually worsening and turning for the worse.

goo goo~
Lina's body felt unusually heavy, and her breathing became heavier and more irregular than before, occasionally emitting unsettling and chilling gurgling sounds.

The sound echoed in the silent corridor, as if foreshadowing some terrible change.

Say something.

The thoughts that surfaced in their minds truly terrified them; the issues they realized were enough to challenge their moral bottom line and psychological defenses as white wizards.

Is that really the case?
The terrifying possibility made both of them hesitant to even think about it.

but.

Ultimately, it's a fact that has happened before our eyes, and we still need to face it no matter what.

“Kag.” Saruman’s voice trembled, the light from his wand flickering with his emotions. “Look at these creatures. They bear the marks of artifacts.”

Saruman was already aware of the problem, but he was still somewhat afraid to say it aloud.

“An artifact…” Kag paused for a moment, then cleaved a monster that pounced at him with his battle axe, splattering foul-smelling blood on his face.

He wiped his face, then immediately understood his friend's meaning. His face turned deathly pale, and his hand gripping the axe trembled slightly: "You mean they were once...humans?"

how to say.

In fact, Kag was aware of the problem, but because he was reading it, he would mentally prepare himself and comfort himself, but now that he had been exposed.

They are forced to confront the fact that the people they are fighting against are their own compatriots.

"Just like Lina."

Saruman said bitterly, casting a freezing spell that turned three monsters charging side by side into ice sculptures. "Perhaps these monsters are not naturally occurring; they are all adventurers corrupted by this place!"

This realization sent chills down their spines.

Saruman suddenly recalled some ancient records he had read at the magic academy—about expeditions that disappeared in forbidden lands, and about famous wizards who were thought to be dead.
Now he finally knows their true fate.

Every explorer who falls here will eventually become part of this evil ecosystem, turning into a monster that hinders those who come after.

Forever trapped in this hellish corridor.

"We have to get out!" Kag's voice was filled with unprecedented panic, and he swung his battle axe even more fiercely. "I don't want to become one of those things! I don't want to be trapped here forever!"

The two quickened their pace, but the retreat proved far more difficult than they had anticipated. The Infinite Corridor seemed to have changed after they entered; the once clear path became intricate and complex, and the glowing moss on the walls began to flicker, casting distorted and swaying shadows that created a sense of disorientation.

“Wait! Something feels off!” Saruman suddenly stopped, pointing with a grim expression to a mark on the wall—a directional marker he had magically carved when he came in, a faintly glowing arrow. “This is where we passed by half an hour ago—damn it, we’re going in circles.”

Something obvious.

Although they left marks, magical marks at that, they couldn't guard against the strangeness of this place, having been going back and forth in the same spot for a long time.

Kag stared at the mark in disbelief, his rugged face contorted with shock: "This is impossible! We've been moving forward! I swear we haven't turned a corner!"

To verify this terrifying suspicion, Saruman inscribed a new magical mark on the nearby wall—a rune that changed color over time. The two then continued onward, this time paying extra attention to their surroundings. Along the way, they encountered even fiercer attacks.

A swarm of monsters with bat wings but human arms swooped down from the ceiling, emitting piercing screams. Saruman immediately erected multiple protective barriers.

"Immortal Protection! Eternal Stand! Super Obstacle!"

The magic of a thousand years ago was more complex and different from that of later generations. Three layers of magical barriers of different colors instantly unfolded, and the monsters crashed into the barriers with dull thuds. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kag swung his battle axe, the runes on the blade glowing with intense light, unleashing his ultimate move.

"Flame Slash!"

The world of magic is never just about magic.

Just like I said before.

A thousand years ago, there were training methods for warriors, such as the Knight's Breathing Technique, and warriors would naturally generate corresponding energy when they reached the highest level of their profession.

It might be similar to the fighting spirit in those Western fantasy novels, except it's not called fighting spirit. It's a miracle born from the fusion of willpower and spirit.

"Boom!"

A streak of flame swept across, incinerating several monsters. But what was truly chilling was that the charred corpses soon began to writhe.

New limbs grew out of the charcoal.

"They can't be killed!"

Kag retreated in horror. "This place is repairing them! Damn it! It's completely different from before! Maybe what we encountered earlier was a trap to lure us deeper in!"

"It's alive!"

Whether a warrior is good at thinking depends mainly on whether his head is sharp or not. Kag is clearly not the kind of warrior with a sharp head, so his head is very sharp.

He immediately came up with a reasonable explanation for the inconsistencies in the situation.

“I also have a feeling that this place might actually be alive! A life form beyond our comprehension!” Saruman observed the process closely, his expression growing increasingly grim: “It’s not repair, it’s reorganization. Their essence has been altered, transformed into something capable of infinite regeneration.”

Their discovery suggests that some adventurers, after being assimilated by this place, may have become part of it.

It cannot be killed alone.

of course.

Why Ian didn't encounter these things a thousand years later is probably due to some unknown secrets and stories, which cannot be known at present based on this memory alone.

and.

Ian wasn't there either; he was trapped in the deepest part of the area, a place from which no one had ever escaped over the years.

The memories the blind wizard presented to the man in black were merely the outer perimeter of the Infinite Corridor. Even so, the strangeness of this place exceeded the wizard's comprehension.

The scenes from my memory are still unfolding.

Just as Saruman and Kag realized the despair of being trapped in a spatial loop, an unusually powerful magical fluctuation came from the depths of the corridor.

The stench that filled the air was suddenly replaced by a more ancient and dangerous aura. The glowing moss on the walls began to shimmer uneasily.

The shadows cast were distorted and deformed, as if they had come to life.

“Something’s coming! Something big!” Saruman whispered, his wand immediately assuming battle stance, a dazzling golden light gathering at its tip. “This opponent is different.”

Kag immediately placed Lina in a relatively safe corner, his battle axe held horizontally across his chest, veins bulging on his thick arms: "I can feel a terrifying pressure! It's like facing a volcano about to erupt."

at the same time.

"Hoohoho!"

Just then, an enormous monster emerged from the shadows. It had a human-like upper body, but its lower body consisted of dozens of writhing tentacles.

It retained a roughly humanoid shape, but stood nearly three meters tall. Its pale skin was covered with twisted runes that seemed to writhe slowly, as if alive. Most unsettling of all, it held a twisted magic wand in its hand—though deformed, it was still evident that it had once been a beautifully crafted magical artifact.

The star-shaped gems inlaid on the staff still radiated an ominous light.

And this ritual implement.

Perhaps it enjoys a high reputation among the shamans in Africa, belonging to the kind of magical artifacts that many people can recognize, which confirms the two people's guesses.

“Merlin,” Saruman recognized the decoration on the wand, “that’s the wand of Alanil the Star Speaker! He disappeared fifty years ago while exploring the Silent Valley.”

have to say.

The appearance of this magical artifact shattered the last glimmer of hope in their hearts, forcing them to confront a cruel truth they could hardly accept.

This place is indeed devouring those who enter, assimilating them into its own part, and the monsters in the corridor are indeed former humans.

To know.

Alanir's wand is a unique artifact, with no imitations. It is one of the most powerful magical artifacts in the world.

After all, it belongs to the heritage of the dwarves, and the craftsmanship has been lost. It is difficult to even learn from it, let alone imitate it. So it goes without saying what it means to see this weapon here - a well-known wizard, who also fell into ruin because he came to explore this place and became emperor.

Kag's expression turned extremely solemn, filled with disbelief and unconcealed panic: "So even a wizard of that level can't defeat this place and escape?"

It has to be said that the thought of this situation caused Kag to feel an overwhelming sense of despair, and he dared not even think about what would happen to his group.

after all.

Everyone who lives on this land knows how powerful the 'Star Speaker' Alanir is. Perhaps he doesn't have the legendary rank, but he is still a master-level super wizard.

It could even be said that they were among the best of the masters. If even such a wizard could not escape his terrifying fate, how could other wizards and warriors possibly hope to survive?
Newborn shock.

This somewhat affected Kag's fighting spirit.

"Stay calm! 'Star Speaker' Alanil is a man of the past! He is also extremely arrogant and conceited, and it's not impossible for him to be caught off guard and suffer an unexpected setback!"

"Do not think too much."

The fact that Saruman could utter such words, besides his pride as a super genius, also contained his deep-seated worries that he dared not express.

He feared that if Kag's will was destroyed, it would also reveal that Lina had been vulnerable to some unknown invasion, which would also affect their group's breakout.

Therefore.

Even though he was filled with shock, fear, and dread, Saruman couldn't show it at all; he could only cheer on his teammates.

"Stay, stay, stay."

That's why he's called a powerful super wizard. This 'Star Speaker' Alanil is slightly different from other mutated monsters; his brain may still retain some language system.

It's roughly similar to the fallen evil god Ian encountered. Not only that, but the degree of distortion on his body isn't as high. However, it's unclear whether this is due to insufficient time spent here, or because the 'Star Speaker' Alanir himself is powerful enough to resist the pollution of this place.

of course.

The most likely explanation is that the abilities of 'Star Speaker' Alanir are still useful in this place, which is why this place allowed 'Star Speaker' Alanir to retain some form and self-awareness.

how to say.

This may be a form of kindness.

But that was definitely not mercy in the human sense. The monster raised its wand and cast a spell, a twisted black lightning bolt shooting towards the two.

Although she still retains magic, Alanir's magic has clearly been corrupted, and due to a lack of self-awareness, she no longer possesses as many skills.

This is good news for the adventure team. After all, what makes a master a master is not only their strength, but also the magical skills that ordinary wizards do not possess.

The skills have been lost.

The pressure of facing a master can be reduced by at least half.

of course.

Although their skills are not as powerful as those of a living person, they still possess some muscle memory and conditioned reflexes, and their magical skills in this regard far surpass those of ordinary wizards.

Black lightning is very powerful.

Faced with such an attack.

Saruman hastily cast a defensive spell.

"reflection of mirror!"

Black lightning struck the magic mirror.

It caused a tremendous uproar, and the resulting shockwaves were enough to terrify ordinary wizards—Saruman certainly had reason to be proud, having already surpassed many wizards at such a young age.

Right.

After all, he was an old relic who lived to Ian's time and could do things that even Voldemort couldn't do. How could he not be a genius with extraordinary talent?

Dumbledore, in his youth, was capable of fighting master wizards of his time. Admittedly, Saruman wasn't as exceptionally talented as Dumbledore, but he was still quite remarkable.

He should have no problem beating the masters from Africa.

Although it was difficult.

But it's not that you can't fight.

The black lightning was refracted directly onto the wall beside him, corroding a large hole. Of course, the force of the magical backlash still forced Saruman back several steps.

He was a wizard who was used to carrying a wand, so his hand holding the wand was trembling.

"Its magic has been corrupted, and although it has lost many advanced magical techniques," Saruman gasped, "its power remains undiminished—it's incredibly violent!"

"I'll help you!" Kag roared as he charged forward, his battle axe whistling through the air as it cleaved towards the monster: "Who cares who it was before, now it only wants to kill us!"

A fierce battle ensued.

(End of this chapter)