The Old Ones of Hogwarts

Chapter 493, Part 502: The World Rekindles 3

In a shattered dream.

Ian "looked" at the dark purple data streams that were burrowing into Lina's soul, which contained a large number of fragmented, chaotic, yet terrifying "knowledge" fragments that pointed directly to certain terrifying truths about the universe.

His gaze was solemn.

This knowledge itself may contain astonishing value, but its mode of expression, the will it carries, and the vast, despairing "existence" behind it are the most deadly poison for the mortal soul. No, perhaps it should be said that it is an unbearable burden for most life in the universe.

"Fortunately, we arrived in time," Ian assessed. "Her soul core hasn't completely dissolved; there's still a possibility of repair and isolation. Any later, once she fully accepts this knowledge and her new form, then it would truly be hopeless, and physical purification would be the only option."

Ian made his judgment.

He did not take immediate action to disperse the dark purple data streams.

Instead, he diverted some of his attention to "reading" and "analyzing" these fragments of knowledge leaking from the edge of the Cthulhu dream at an almost greedy pace.

This was extremely valuable research material for him! It was far more exciting than anything he could find in the restricted areas of Hogwarts!

Although it slightly lowers sanity, it has no impact on Ian!

"Hmm—this spacetime coordinate is interesting—hmm? This life form transformation formula—though crude and barbaric, the idea is unique—oh? The vague definition of 'Old Gods' and 'Outer Gods'? Interesting—" Ian rapidly absorbed this forbidden knowledge.

He simultaneously used his strong mental barrier and unique "cognitive filter" to neutralize the situation. Meanwhile, he was also devising a plan to save Lina.

Directly and violently remove the pollution? No, that knowledge is deeply intertwined with parts of Lina's soul memories. Forcibly separating it would turn her into an idiot or even cause her soul to collapse.

Establishing a mental firewall for isolation? It's possible, but it's only a temporary solution. The source of the pollution is still there, and the firewall will continue to be attacked. Moreover, Lina's prophetic talent is like a loophole.

It is easily re-infiltrated.

So————

Within Ian's core consciousness, a bolder, even insane, plan gradually took shape. Perhaps, he could try—"formatting" and "reinstalling the system"?

It is not in a physical sense, but at the spiritual and cognitive level.

Using the characteristics of the portion of Cthulhu "knowledge" he had analyzed, combined with his mastery of magic and soul techniques, he performed a precise "surgery" on Lina's corrupted cognitive areas.

The goal is to "cover up" or "transform" those distorted and insane parts into a relatively stable and harmless form, while simultaneously constructing a more robust "new cognitive framework" for her remaining self-awareness that is compatible with her prophetic talents. This framework would allow her to retain her talents and some memories while resisting subsequent contamination.

This plan is extremely risky and requires meticulous execution. It demands a deep understanding of the structure of the soul and Cthulhu contamination, so it can only be considered a backup plan.

"Perhaps I have a better option."

Ian suddenly realized something.

He stopped "reading" those fragments of knowledge and focused all his attention on Lina's painfully struggling soul projection.

The silvery-white spiritual energy began to flow in a more complex and precise manner, preparing to carry out this unprecedented soul surgery against the corruption of the Great Old Ones.

"Yes, that should work too, it's a minor surgery." Ian's consciousness raced through Lina's soul world, filled with deep-sea nightmares and insane knowledge.

The plan has been finalized, and the details have been filled in.

"You should know that directly confronting or purifying these contaminants originating from Cthulhu is a thankless task and can easily trigger deeper backlash."

He calmly analyzed, "The best approach isn't 'elimination,' but rather 'overwriting' and 'transformation.' Replacing the system implanted by the Cthulhu contamination with a higher-level, more stable information source and cognitive framework that I can control."

Ian's light fell upon the core of Lina's remaining self-awareness, teetering on the brink of collapse under the onslaught of mad knowledge. That core still flickered with a faint but pure light of the soul.

This represents Lina's true nature, memories, and emotions.

"Her prophetic" talent is essentially a higher-dimensional perception and information reception ability, neither inherently good nor bad. The problem lies in the fact that the signals she receives are "too bad, all Cthulhu garbage channels," Ian thought. "Then, all we need to do is change her signal source and add a powerful firewall and decoder to her receiver."

What signal source should we switch to?

Ian immediately thought of himself.

Or rather, it is a certain "trait" and "status" of one's own from the previous life, which has been deeply integrated with one's own soul—the raven.

Ravens, wandering on the edge of time, are mysterious symbols connecting cause and effect with possibility. They represent memory, omens, insight, and—a kind of freedom and perspective that transcends conventional fate. This aligns naturally with the abilities of a "prophet" in a certain sense.

More importantly, the Raven's "status" is very high. Furthermore, the level of rules that the Raven represents belongs to a completely different system from the "chaos," "madness," and "Greater Old Ones" represented by Cthulhu, and there may even be some kind of implicit "restraint" or "isolation."

Therefore, using the raven's "mark" to cover up Cthulhu's "contamination" is theoretically feasible and a more reliable option.

"That's settled then," Ian made the final decision. "Transform her into a Raven Prophet. Using my Raven rank as an anchor, construct a new cognitive core and source of power for her. This way, we can both cleanse her of the Cthulhu corruption and preserve or even enhance her prophetic talents."

"I can also benefit, so it's a win-win situation for everyone." Ian was still very interested in having a prophet attendant. After all, his previous experiences and understanding of Grindelwald had given him a good grasp of the potential of prophet wizards. One prophet wizard was worth many, many ordinary wizards.

of course.

Ian's idea of ​​replacing Cthulhu's corruption with his own power is incredibly audacious. After all, forcibly reversing the corruption of a soul deeply tainted by the Great Old Ones, imprinting it with one's own mark, and transforming it into one's own "prophet" requires more than just technology.

It requires absolute dominance in terms of status and a profound understanding of the nature of one's own power.

Ian trusts the Raven's supremacy.

Based on his understanding of his previous life as a raven, he suspected that the raven and the ancient creators who were devoured by the Titans were at least on the same level.

A being of such a high rank would naturally be able to easily suppress Cthulhu. It's important to understand that while the Cthulhu Mythos is named after Cthulhu, the Lord of R'lyeh is not the most powerful deity within it; he is merely a representative one.

People in this era may not understand Cthulhu, but for Ian, the Cthulhu Mythos is known information, and he is very clear about the various divisions in this system.

In that dark depths beyond the reach of human reason, in the ancient beginning before stars were named and time was formed, the universe was already dominated by some indescribable being.

They are not gods, at least not the kind of benevolent or majestic gods that mortals understand, but rather ultimate realities that transcend logic, disregard good and evil, and ignore the existence of humanity. This is the terrifying universe later known as the "Cthulhu Mythos," a boundless realm woven from nightmares, madness, and sleeping behemoths.

Although the world refers to this entire terrifying mythology system as "Cthulhu," this octopus-headed giant, who should be slumbering in the underwater city of R'lyeh in the South Pacific, is actually only one corner of this vast and terrifying landscape. He does possess power: once the stars are aligned, he will awaken from his millennia-long slumber, causing earthquakes and the collapse of civilizations. Yet, even so, on a true cosmic level, Cthulhu is merely a imprisoned Great Old One.

Powerful, yet still subject to an older, more unpredictable force.

Above him were the Outer Gods, whom even dreams dared not easily touch. At the center of everything, at the intersection of all origins and ends, lay Azathoth, the blind and foolish god. His sleeves danced unconsciously on the throne of chaos, surrounded by the sounds of drums and flutes, while the entire universe was nothing more than a bubble that occasionally burst forth from a mad dream.

If Azathoth is the source of the universe, then Yog-Sothoth is its boundary and gate—omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, existing both in the past and the future, both knowledge itself and the abyss that devours reason. Any mortal who attempts to glimpse its true form will have their soul shatter like thin ice.

Then there's Nyarlathotep, the God of a Thousand Faces. Unlike other beings who slumber or remain indifferent, he is eager to roam the human world, luring humanity towards destruction as a prophet, magician, shadow, or smiling stranger. Solitaire is the only Outer God who actively interacts with humanity, and therefore the most dangerous—because he knows how to exploit hope, leading people step by step into the abyss of madness.

As for Cthulhu? He's more like a forgotten sentinel in this cold universe, a vast and silent monument reminding humanity: you are not the masters of the world, not even spectators, but merely a speck of dust drifting through the dreams of the gods. His name is widely known not because of his supreme status, but because his image is concrete enough.

It's enough for a mortal's mind to barely sketch out the outline, without causing them to collapse on the spot.

So people named the entire myth after him, as if that would put the unspeakable terror into a comprehensible box. The real terror lies in those Outer Gods whose names are difficult to utter and whose forms of existence are incomprehensible—especially Azathoth and Yog-Sothoth.

"No matter how you look at it, Raven is above Cthulhu! Aren't we all higher-dimensional gods?"

Ian became increasingly certain of this.

Without hesitation, he acted. His silvery-white spiritual energy began to undergo a fundamental change, no longer merely probing and defending, but actively intervening and shaping!

He began to extract, condense, and weave the mysterious and cold qualities of the "raven" within his own soul, using them as a blueprint.

then.

Silvery-white runes, seemingly composed of the purest memory crystals and dust of time, began to form around his consciousness. These runes were incredibly complex in structure, full of non-linear beauty and the rhythm of time, a kind of manifestation of the concept of "Raven".

"It seems to be working."

Ian planned to use these runes as a foundation to first build a sturdy "Raven Sanctuary" around Lina's soul core, isolating it from the continuous erosion of external Cthulhu contamination.

Then, Eiffel Tower carefully grafted and assimilated Lina's remaining self-awareness with the concept of "Raven" in a deep but gentle way.

With his new identity and new understanding as the "Raven Prophet," Ian gradually replaces and covers up the corrupted and distorted parts. This is a delicate and lengthy process, like repairing a broken antique porcelain piece with the finest threads during a storm. Ian is using his abilities to do something "against the gods."

On the other side...

outside world.

Saruman and Kag were so tense they almost stopped breathing. Their self-beams were locked tightly on Ian and Lina.

Ian had his eyes closed, his long eyelashes casting faint shadows in the dim light. His handsome yet cold face was now only filled with a focused calm. The silvery light that surrounded Lena's brow as he lightly touched her brow became more solid and restrained, as if it contained infinite mysteries.

Lina's change was even more pronounced. Her body, which had been convulsing violently as if it were about to fall apart, gradually calmed down, as if soothed by an invisible hand.

The girl's face, contorted with extreme pain, gradually relaxed; though still pale, it was at least no longer grotesque.

Her previously rapid, slippery breathing, as if she were about to suffocate, gradually became steady and longer. Most gratifyingly, the frantically spreading patterns on her body, radiating an ominous purplish-black light, seemed to be spreading at a slower pace? Even the brightness of that light seemed to have dimmed slightly?

Although the lines are still there and the pulse is still slow, this is undoubtedly a positive sign!

"It works! It really works!" Kag was so excited he almost shouted it out, then quickly covered his mouth, afraid of disturbing Ian. His gaze toward Ian was filled with unprecedented gratitude and awe.

"Indeed! The Eiffel Tower is really amazing!"

Saruman also breathed a long sigh of relief, his heart, which had been in his throat, calmed down a little.

He thought more deeply than Kag. The mysterious power Ian was displaying, seemingly capable of directly affecting the deepest recesses of the soul, further confirmed his suspicions about him being "Merlin." Only the most powerful beings of the mythical era could possess such incredible abilities, could they?

Hope, like a campfire burning in the darkness, warmed two hearts that were almost frozen.

However, they did not know that Ian's "operation" on Lina's soul, especially the power of the "Raven" that he used, was like throwing a "stone" that did not belong to this system and emitted strange fluctuations into the deep, sea-like dream pond of Cthulhu.

This "stone" may be very small.

However, its unique "frequency" and "intention" clearly penetrated the chaotic appearance and touched the subconscious of the sleeping behemoth deep in the pond.

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