I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 566 The Bewitching Power of the Outer Gods

Even in the bountiful age of the gods, there are histories that have been erased and truths that have been attempted to be buried.

The tragedy of humanity lies in its endless desire for the unknown and power. It attempts to grasp the mysteries of life and the laws of the universe with mortal bodies, but often in doing so, it offends the balance of nature and ultimately brings back consequences that it cannot bear.

A madman who heard the whispers of darkness utterly destroyed that bountiful era.

Now, the fairies, these once greedy and treacherous races, seem to be driven by some ancient power, attempting to relive that tragic history.

The instant Owen's killing curse wiped the soul from the jar—the whispers of the Outer God immediately echoed in his mind.

Cold, dark, and full of temptation.

But the whisper disappeared in an instant.

Along with the soul inside the jar.

"Hoo—" Owen took a deep breath, his gaze fixed intently on the soulless corpse. With a flick of his wand, the leaping flames instantly transformed into a raging tornado, mercilessly engulfing the creation born of the blasphemer. Within the flames, the jar crackled before turning to ash, along with everything that might have lurked within.

Having done all this, Owen slowly turned to the side, his gaze sweeping over the fairy standing beside him. The fairy's face, illuminated by the firelight, appeared complex and tense, but above all, filled with fear.

A deep-seated fear of those in positions of power.

"He brought this on himself—" Owen murmured.

Originally, he thought that the ominous sign that the fairy was infected with was just a chance occurrence caused by a mistake in operating the obelisk. He never expected that the shadow of the Outer God was hidden behind all of this.

Because there is a fundamental difference between the "Ominous Sign" and the "Children of Ominous Signs" created by the Outer Gods. The former is more like a kind of curse or mutation, while the latter is a direct manifestation of the Outer Gods' will.

Therefore, I didn't immediately associate it with Outer Gods.

However, the signs before him forced him to re-examine his judgment. The fairies and the obelisk had been together for hundreds, even thousands of years, so why did the unprecedented "ominous" infection erupt at this particular moment? If this was due to the long-term accumulation of the obelisk's "erroneous program," then such an "error" should have already shown signs, rather than suddenly erupting.

Irving recalled his meticulous examination of the obelisk, its intricate runes and mechanisms having remained stable for thousands, even tens of thousands of years.

In the bountiful age of the gods, how many primordial beings were created for the wizards?

Didn't the wizard anticipate the programming error?

He realized that the "programming error" on the obelisk was not formed naturally, but was deliberately implanted recently.

This sudden change, along with the lack of records of such disasters in fairy research materials, points to a disturbing truth—the Outer Gods have quietly intervened, and some fairies may have already become their puppets.

Thinking of this, a chill ran down Owen's spine. He knew all too well that there had never been a true victor in the battle against the Outer Gods; every confrontation was accompanied by immense sacrifice and suffering.

He must find the bewitched servant as soon as possible and uncover the truth, otherwise the entire fairy race and even the wider world will face unpredictable disasters.

"You—immediately gather all the fairies involved in the research and cultivation area to the royal court. Remember, bring them here alive or dead. If you don't want your entire race to face annihilation, do as I say. There's no room for discussion." Owen's voice was as cold as ice, issuing the order to the fairy Frans beside him without a trace of emotion.

Upon hearing this, Frans's expression changed drastically, but faced with the terror emanating from Owen, he could only nod reluctantly and hurriedly leave.

Irving did not wait for a response. While the fairy's life or death was not insignificant to him, he was more concerned with the huge conspiracy hidden behind it.

If the mastermind behind all this is indeed the Outer Gods, then their purpose is far more than simply infecting fairies with the [Omen].

Owen speculated that the Outer Gods likely intended to transform all the fairies in the Fairy Kingdom into "Children of Omens," using them as pawns to expand their power. However, since this was not the Tower of Divine Gifts, the Outer Gods' power was limited, and they could only rely on the technology of the ruins themselves to implement their plan step by step.

Thinking about this, Owen felt a chill of fear. If he hadn't cut off the obelisk's power supply in time and allowed the research to continue, the consequences would have been unimaginable. He was grateful for his intuition and decisiveness, which had inadvertently stopped the Outer Gods' plan.

Without the crucial energy source of star tears, even the most ingenious methods will be in vain.

"Irving!"

Return to the kingdom's city.

From afar, he saw Hermione discussing something with Koyatl, while Sirius was not with them.

Hermione, ever perceptive, spotted Owen almost instantly. Without hesitation, she grabbed Koyatl and ran towards Owen, her face filled with worry and confusion. "Why did you suddenly disappear again? What happened?" Her tone carried a hint of reproach, but more so, concern for Owen's safety.

"Use the most urgent matters first," Irving said.

The fairy Frans left in such a hurry that I had to catch up immediately, and I didn't have time to follow Hermione and the others.

"What's wrong? What did you find out this time?" Hermione was perceptive, and she immediately noticed that the boy in front of her didn't look too good.

"Hmph—I've discovered that the fairy is courting death." Owen didn't hide anything, but instead told her and Koyatl the whole story and his guesses in detail.

As he recounted the story, their expressions grew increasingly grave. Hermione bit her lower lip, clearly struggling to process the series of shocking news; while Koyatl fell into deep thought, seemingly considering a solution.

"The rebellion of the Golun is most likely instigated by the Outer Gods," Owen said in a deep voice. "They were never the loyal servants of the fairies, but rather artificial life forms born in the Relics Nurturing Zone. For the Outer Gods, directly manipulating these soul-broken Golun is far easier than influencing the minds of the fairies."

Hermione's face turned deathly pale upon hearing this. "What—what do we do—there are still countless goblins here!"

Koyater frowned. She knew the terrifying power of the Outer Gods, but the facts before her told her that the fairies had not yet completely fallen under their control. "They still seem to retain their own minds."

She tried to reassure Hermione, while also trying to give herself some confidence: "If the fairies were really bewitched, we wouldn't be standing here so calmly."

The fairies haven't made a move against them yet. That means Owen's prediction was probably correct; their plan was just one step off.

"Even so, the situation is still dire." Hermione's face remained pale. "There are hundreds of thousands of goblins—not just a few hundred or a few thousand. What if..."

Seeing this, Owen gently patted Hermione's shoulder. "That's precisely why we need to stay here. If these hundreds of thousands of goblins are all bewitched by the Outer Gods, how badly will the situation deteriorate?"

This city is now a cage. As long as we prevent the fairies from leaving, it will be to our advantage.

And—it's not as bad as you think.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Hermione and Koyatl, before continuing, "Moreover, things might not be as bad as we think. If the Outer Gods had truly succeeded in bewitching the goblins, they would have launched a frenzied attack the moment we retrieved the Star Tear, attempting to reclaim this sole source of energy. But that's not the case; the battle that just erupted proves that the Outer Gods haven't completely controlled the goblins yet."

"By the way, what about Sirius?"

"Sirius went to see the Fairy King," Koyatl continued, "He went to see the Fairy King hoping to seek some external support."

"Foreign aid?" Owen's words were firm and unwavering. "No—no one is allowed to leave the Fairy Kingdom now. And no one from outside is allowed to come in."

"I understand." Koyatl naturally understood why Irving did this.

The allure of the Outer Gods is powerful. If outsiders were to enter at this time, the mixed mix of people could easily cause them to fall victim to the spell. Even more terrifying is the possibility that this person might escape the Fairy Kingdom and bring the calamity outwards.

"That's right," Owen continued. "The situation is tense, but still within a manageable range. There should only be a few traitors among the fairies. I suspect that most of these fairies are connected to that breeding area."

"Now, the most important thing is to find the Fairy King."

"The Fairy King?" Hermione nodded. Yes, if Owen's guess was correct, then as long as the Fairy King ordered a thorough investigation of the fairies connected to the breeding area, it would be easy to find those fairies who had been bewitched.

The fear is that even the Fairy King himself might be bewitched.

"It's alright," Owen said, noticing Hermione's worry. "Even if the goblin king is bewitched, I can save him. You still have one of my former patients standing next to you."

He gave Koyatl a half-smile, then pulled Hermione along and quickly walked towards the royal court.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Inside the royal court, the atmosphere was heavy and tense. Sirius Black was negotiating with King Legnark XVII, the goblin king. But it was clear that the weakened goblin king did not quite agree with his request.

No matter what changes occur in the kingdom, the fairy remains the same fairy, greedy and cunning.

For him, this eternal city was the fairies' greatest treasure, and the underground ruins belonged to the fairies.

The more people know about the existence of the ruins, the more likely they are to attract the attention of those with ulterior motives. Although the ruins were built by humans, others only want to reclaim the wealth of their ancestors.

But this is unacceptable to fairies.

If the [Ominous Sign] hadn't spread so widely, almost pushing them to the brink of extinction, the Fairy King would never have sought the wizard's help.

Or rather—it was precisely because of the Fairy King's indulgence that what was originally a small-scale "Omen" infection has been dragged into the current state where everyone is in crisis.

"Black." King Legnac XVII's voice, weak yet carrying an undeniable authority, was like a withered leaf swaying in the autumn wind, echoing in every corner of the hall. "I have listened carefully to your request and have deeply remembered it."

"But—the Eternal City cannot accept more outsiders." His single eye gleamed with a complex light, a mixture of his obsession with power and his fear of the unknown.

"This is the only possibility to save the fairies," Sirius said patiently, frowning.

"No!" King Legnack XVII interrupted Sirius with agitation, a violent cough forcing him to pause for a moment. Once he could catch his breath, he continued, "The real hope lies with Mr. Rosier—he is our only salvation. If he can lift the curse on us, then everything will be resolved. Cough cough..." Another bout of rapid coughing followed, as if it were draining all his strength.

After a while, he calmed down: "Perhaps we don't need to save so many fairies—"

After calming his breathing, King Legnac XVII's voice grew even colder: "As for the other fairies, perhaps we don't need to save every single one. Individual sacrifices are insignificant compared to the kingdom's interests. I'm willing to exchange some precious treasures for them, only asking that you focus on rescuing those fairies who have made significant contributions to the kingdom."

"We don't want your treasures!" Sirius was furious; he couldn't understand the meaning behind the fairy king's words.

To prevent the underground ruins from being exposed to the magical world, he was even willing to abandon most of his people.

He found this greed utterly repulsive.

If the other party were just an ordinary fairy, he would probably have already taught them a lesson.

"What a disgusting choice." Just then, a firm and cold voice came from the entrance of the hall.

Owen, along with Hermione and Koyatl, had just arrived when they overheard Sirius's conversation with the goblin king.

"You abandoned your subjects so easily. You are truly the most foolish ruler I have ever seen."

"Rozier!" The fairy king on his throne was filled with a mixture of anger and shock. His voice trembled with rage. "How dare you be so disrespectful! Don't forget, this is my kingdom, my territory!"

"Heh—your territory?" Owen's lips curled into a mocking smile, his eyes looking at a conceited clown.

He simply couldn't understand how the other person had the nerve to say such a thing.

The underground ruins are to be ignored. Even Owen is no longer entirely sure whether the fairies built this eternal city independently.

Everything here bears traces of human activity.

Because the size of the building is not based on the size of a fairy.

I really don't know how he could so brazenly say something like, "They all belong to me."

Although Irving was inwardly turbulent, he remained outwardly calm.

Controlling a fairy king was a piece of cake for him.

(End of this chapter)