landbeastnovel Chapter 300, page 299: The Gods and the Raven
Chapter 300, page 299: The Gods and the Raven
Chapter 300, page 299: The Gods and the Raven
In another time and space.
In the sky.
The thick, dark clouds seemed to be rapidly stirred up by an invisible hand.
The lead-gray clouds were like ink being stirred by an invisible giant hand, the kind of ink that changes color and is soluble in water. The original dark clouds seemed to have completely disappeared in an instant.
The sunlight poured down like a waterfall, almost absurdly fast. One second it was overcast and gloomy, the next it was cloudless, as if the world's background had been forcibly switched.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the trees, casting golden rays. This sudden change left Ian in disbelief, as if time had sped up at that moment.
"Was the weather like this in ancient times?"
Ian looked up.
Lost in thought, the air was thick with moisture, carrying the fresh scent of earth and grass. The distant mountains stood out sharply in the sunlight.
It resembles a vivid painting.
"That makes sense. The gods control the laws and steal the power of the Titans?" Ian stood on the wasteland, looked up at the unnatural clear sky, and his lips twitched slightly.
"What... such perfunctory weather."
He looked forward.
The sky after the rain was a blinding blue, and the sunlight poured down like molten gold, but it couldn't illuminate the scars on the earth in front of us. It looked completely different from the other forests that were usually peaceful and serene.
It was like the end of the world.
The area where the Sky City crashed was transformed into a sea of fire, with flames devouring the wreckage like a giant beast, and black smoke billowing and rising, gradually turning a small section of the horizon into a murky gray.
but.
Due to the influence of some mysterious force, this murky area did not spread elsewhere—Ian guessed that it was the black-robed wizards who were making their move, which made it easier for him to pinpoint their exact location.
But before that.
We still have to try our best to salvage the situation. There's no other way; Ian doesn't know if he's traveled back in time, and what if this fire accidentally kills one of his ancestors, who was still a mammal?
That's where the grandfather paradox comes in.
He's probably fine.
But nobody wants to return to Hogwarts only to find that the people attending classes there are lizardmen, or even dinosaurs or other such creatures, right?
Although Ian felt that the possibility was not high, he still needed to avoid it to some extent, as he did not have a good understanding of the world at present.
"It's all just something that comes along easily anyway."
The boy looked into the distance.
The earth trembled. Ian trudged through the scorched earth, slowly walking towards the ruins. The ground beneath his feet was scorching hot; with each step, he could feel the heat rising from his feet.
He looked around and saw countless dinosaurs, animals, and magical creatures running for their lives amidst the ruins. The earth trembled violently as if an earthquake were occurring under their trampling.
Many creatures are emitting painful cries.
After all, it was a disaster struck from the sky.
Countless creatures were fleeing—a gigantic Triceratops, its massive body standing out conspicuously in the firelight, drew Ian's attention as well.
"Dinosaurs, oh, I really want to catch a few and take them home."
He witnessed the most primal protective behavior of creatures: a Triceratops was running desperately with its cub, its eyes filled with fear. The cub followed closely behind its mother, glancing back every now and then, as if something terrifying was chasing it. Suddenly, a Velociraptor darted out from the side, attempting to attack the Triceratops cub.
"Roar!" The Triceratops roared angrily, raising its forelegs and kicking the Velociraptor hard. The Velociraptor nimbly dodged, quickly circling to the other side of the Triceratops and launching another attack.
The Triceratops protected its cub, dodging left and right, struggling to move forward through the sea of fire.
"Bang!"
Ian's magic attack instantly killed the velociraptor.
He was moved.
So whether the velociraptors hunted prey to feed their young was not something Ian would care about. After all, human emotions are often so focused on what is right in front of us.
"Boom!"
The violent commotion intensified, the enormous thunder dragon shattered the scorched earth, its long neck swayed like a mast, flames erupted from its body, and it emitted a deafening wail.
Many creatures that escaped the inferno were like this: saber-toothed tigers, their fur ignited by sparks, thrashed about, leaving burning claw marks in the ashes. Swarms of fire crabs emerged from the ground, their shells glowing red in the intense heat, scattering like scorching embers.
In the distance, a group of horse-shaped water monsters fled across a lake engulfed in flames and steam. The water boiled, and steam carrying their roars rose into the sky, foreshadowing their inevitable doom.
"Poor guys."
Ian had no chance to save the animals.
Fortunately, most magical creatures are stronger than ordinary animals.
Compared to these weak creatures.
Faced with a disaster from heaven.
The magical creatures appeared much more composed, though they were still quite panicked. One small, delicate dragon, its body shimmering with iridescent light, stood out.
A gigantic spider monster, over ten meters tall, writhed through the ruins on its eight thick legs. Its eyes gleamed red, and green venom dripped from its mouth, corroding the ground and creating large, smoking craters. Flames and falling metal seemed unable to harm it.
It seems that it was enraged by the fall of the Sky City.
It was wreaking havoc on everything around it. Some small animals were so frightened that they scattered and ran away, accidentally bumping into its legs, and were instantly entangled in its silk and dragged into its nest.
"Squeak squeak squeak~"
The dragon sprite weaved through the ruins, its wings flapping rapidly, creating gentle breezes. A glittering gem dangled from its beak—a treasure it had found during its escape.
The little guy carefully dodged the flames and ruins on the ground, trying to find a safe place to hide, and then quickly ran away in the opposite direction after seeing Ian.
"You really think I'm some kind of monster, huh?"
Ian was helpless.
He stood at the boundary between flames and ruins, sparks whipping across his robes in the gale. As he approached the scene of the disaster, Ian raised his hand and waved his wand, instantly creating a silver-blue barrier.
The flames stopped abruptly as if they had hit an invisible wall, ceasing their spread and gradually receding and extinguishing. Ultimately, the forest fire was effectively stopped thanks to Ian's intervention.
Actually.
He didn't stop it.
After he leaves, the black-robed wizards will intervene. After all, such a large-scale inferno, resembling a city, could cause immeasurable damage.
Any species extinction could be caused by this.
of course.
Ian's intervention prevented a tragedy.
"I have successfully accumulated merit."
He looked ahead. Although the flames had been extinguished, many animals had still died, and the scorched earth was now a fait accompli. The ruins of Sky City and the burning earth seemed to have merged into one.
Huge metal beams were driven diagonally into the soil, their surfaces covered with molten runes like flowing tear stains; shattered magic crystals were scattered everywhere, still intermittently emitting dangerous magical pulses that blasted any creatures that approached into a bloody mist; several magical beasts blindly rushed into the fire, their silvery manes instantly turning to ashes.
They howled in agony, finally collapsing to their knees on the scorched earth, their silhouettes twisted and blurred. Clearly, this area would likely remain a dangerous forbidden zone for much of the time.
Many years later.
Perhaps it can even become a relic that remains an unsolved mystery.
"Where are those wizards?"
With his worries resolved, Ian immediately headed towards the ruins. He quickly found the wizards' hiding place, as he could sense the infant version of the brute goddess.
The black-robed wizards were very well hidden.
However, Ian also pinpointed the spatial crevices where they were hiding.
All I saw was...
In an instant, a mysterious power surged from the tip of the wand, forming a strange vortex in the air. As the vortex spun faster and faster, the surrounding air began to distort, and a spatial portal shimmering with an eerie light slowly opened, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.
This is how Ian forcibly opened the narrow door.
It used magic that incorporated a lock-picking spell.
Ian cautiously peeked out and saw many dark figures in the crevice, with a group of wizards dressed in black robes standing vaguely among them. When they saw Ian appear, their eyes instantly filled with vigilance and fear, and they all squeezed back, as if he were some kind of terrifying monster, creating a very absurd and comical feeling.
"Um?"
Ian and the people inside stared at each other.
Inside the narrow space.
Dozens of black-robed wizards huddled together, each radiating immense magical power, yet at this moment, they retreated frantically once again like a frightened herd of beasts.
Ian is just one word.
It was as if these people were completely stunned—even though they were all highly powerful in magic, even more so than Ian, they were all filled with fear of Ian at this moment.
"What's going on with you guys?" Ian had learned their language through his previous actions, and he asked with a frown and a puzzled look.
The language barrier has been resolved.
We are finally able to communicate effectively.
however.
Faced with Ian's question, the black-robed wizards exchanged glances, none of them speaking. They simply surrounded Ian at the narrow doorway, staring at him warily.
The air was so thick it was almost viscous enough to make you squeeze water out of it.
Only heavy breathing echoed in the air.
Ian impatiently took a step forward, as if to squeeze in, but finally, the elder in the lead stepped forward and stopped Ian's attempt to break his people.
That's what it's like to be a leader.
If there is any danger, I should be the first to step in.
This was true, at least in ancient times.
In these tribal-like groups, being a leader is not easy. Unlike in later generations, one cannot simply use family members to take the blame when something happens; otherwise, one could be ousted from the position of leader in no time.
after all.
Emotional values are not important in this era. What matters is being able to ensure the safety of the tribe and lead them to a better life. This is not about being someone who can just deceive others.
Competence is very important in this era.
"Raven..." The black-robed leader was an old man with white hair and a thick white beard. His voice was dry, as if it were being squeezed out of his throat.
"Don't push your luck."
Although his tone lacked confidence, the old man still stood firmly in front of the crowd, his withered fingers tightly gripping a black bone staff, the head of which was carved with a soaring eagle.
His eyes were filled with unease, yet he still shielded the other wizards behind him. In that respect, the old man was quite competent as a leader.
Whether you like it or not.
At least he did that.
"What are you talking about?"
Ian squinted.
"Raven?"
He keenly grasped the meaning of that word.
"Raven? You know me?" Ian paused thoughtfully, then a hint of curiosity crossed his face. He observed the strange reactions of the group before him.
A strong desire to explore arose within me.
"Stop pretending!" Zeus, the leader, hesitated for a moment, organized his thoughts, and slowly said, "You are the raven of the land of the dead, and also a being that brings calamity."
In conversation.
The old man's voice still carried a hint of fear.
“I’m not a raven,” Ian raised an eyebrow, softening his tone and raising his hands to indicate he meant no harm, “I’m just… a poor, corrupted person.”
"Yes, don't be afraid. I come from the future. I found a raven's corpse and it was contaminated, so you can see that I can turn into a raven, but I can feel something corroding my soul."
"Yes, I'm a victim just like you." Ian resorted to fabricated stories in an attempt to evoke empathy, a tactic that was truly ahead of its time.
but.
The wizards looked at each other, still not quite believing it.
At that moment, a familiar figure emerged from the crowd—it was the woman they had encountered before, her silver hair like frost, her eyes as deep as the starry sky. She stared at Ian, and after a moment, turned to the old man and said, "Zeus, he didn't lie. He carries my daughter's aura...they had a pact."
Upon hearing this...
The old man in black robes, Zeus, was taken aback. The old wizard turned to look at his people behind him, his eyes filled with conflict. He then turned back to Ian, scrutinizing him from head to toe.
"Zeus?"
Ian was also taken aback.
Their gaze returned to the old man.
The small eyes stared at the old eyes.
"So, you really are the future God-King?"
He confirmed his earlier suspicions.
Zeus paused again, clearly unfamiliar with the title, but soon a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes, and he straightened his back slightly.
"God King..." he repeated softly, as if savoring the weight of the word, "A fine name."
Ian understood. Sure enough, these people were the gods of future mythology; for now, they were just a group of wizards who had just overthrown the Titans' rule.
It has not yet ascended to the altar.
"I am not your enemy," Ian said again, his tone sincere. "I really come from the future, and for some reason, I am trapped in your ancient era." He deliberately lowered his posture, even showing a hint of fatigue, as if he were just a pitiful person who had been tricked by fate.
"Huh? Time travel?"
Zeus stared at him, a slight easing of his guard. He glanced back at his people, then finally sighed, "If you weren't a raven... perhaps we could talk."
Regardless of whether what the other party said is true or false.
He knew he could only accept that what the other party said was true—the power to kill a Titan was too terrifying, and they would only be lambs to the slaughter in the other party's eyes.
"Very well, then let's talk about what a raven is first, shall we?"
Ian asked the question that concerned him most.
he knows.
These people are reacting abnormally.
There must be a reason.
(End of this chapter)