mesbooks Chapter 180, page 179: The Road to Legend, the First Chapter of Death?
Chapter 180, page 179: The Road to Legend, the First Chapter of Death?
Chapter 180, 179: The Road to Legend, A Deadly Back-Looking Back?
People always learn and grow from their experiences.
Ian is the same.
Ever since his trip to Diagon Alley, he had gained a wealth of experience and knowledge, so when Pandro took the initiative to speak, he immediately and seamlessly pulled out a thick stack of contracts.
"Whenever something good happens to me, you're the first person I think of, my friend. Let's sign an adventure contract. It's the coolest adventure in my time."
Ian's smile may not have been cunning, but he had indeed taken advantage of Pendro's early death and was certainly not familiar with the current trends in the wizarding world.
This is not.
Upon hearing that it was a contract essential for adventure, and even included the word "coolest," which violates the GG Act, Pandro's bright eyes immediately shone even brighter.
"Of course, adventure contract, I understand, of course I understand." Pandro was obviously pretending to know what he didn't. After taking Ian's contract, he glanced at it a few times and immediately signed his name.
He didn't even hesitate much—admittedly, the name Pandro signed was most likely not his real name, but Ian's contract didn't contain any magic.
As long as Pendro agrees to the terms and contents, that's fine. After all, his good friend Pendro is a man who cares a lot about his reputation; he wouldn't do something like Ian, who would be shameless enough to renege on his promises.
"When do we leave?"
After signing his name with a flourish, Pandro was eager to set sail. He even pulled out a quaint backpack from who-knows-where. It's safe to say this guy truly loves adventure; he seemed ready to abandon his "apprentice," Ariana, who was halfway through her sword practice.
"Can I go too?"
Ariana, however, didn't see anything wrong with it. Instead, she looked at Ian with a hint of anticipation—how should she put it, the "apprentice" brought out by Pandro clearly shared some similarities with her.
This may be related to the fact that Ariana's life was too dull both before and after her death. Given the opportunity, it naturally aroused the girl's longing and yearning for poetry and distant places.
Ok.
This is the real poetry and distant places.
"We might need some preparation, but you can certainly come on this adventure with us." Ian answered without hesitation; he would have invited her even if Ariana hadn't asked.
Putting aside any unspoken sentimentalities about friendship and bonds, he might only need to "casually" reveal his team's situation to the old principal, and he wouldn't need to spend money hiring bodyguards anymore. He might even be able to enjoy a super-value package of one for one.
Pandro is a way out.
Bringing Ariana is the real insurance!
"Yay!"
After receiving Ian's definite answer, Ariana cheered and beamed with joy. She secretly put down her sword and began to slack off, but Pendro did not notice.
"What else needs to be prepared? My ample experience in adventure is the best preparation!" He seemed impatient, patting his chest and showing off his authority in adventure to Ian.
"The treasure I found is in the human world, so I have to find a way to get you out of here." Ian shrugged helplessly, remembering Morgan's advice.
"Your ring really can't summon me, I... am too heavy." Pandro was clearly aware of this, and his somewhat embarrassed expression, which he tried to cover up, was quite amusing.
Ian gave his friend a deep look.
The scales of suspicion in my heart tipped a little more.
"Just because I couldn't carry you before doesn't mean I can't carry you in the future. I think I have a very reliable idea." As Ian spoke, he took out a [Guardian Ring] that he had previously had extra.
"You wear this first. I'm sure nothing is impossible for a willing heart." Ian believed that the motivation for the Tomb of King Arthur was strong enough. He watched as Pendro put on the Guardian Ring before he smiled with satisfaction.
Indeed.
His magic, being slightly more than the limit of human power, was indeed insufficient to withstand the strain of Pendro crossing between the two worlds. It was almost impossible for him to bring Pendro to the human world using traditional guardian deity spells.
but.
This is not an insurmountable difficulty. Ian has even come up with a solution. He had an idea shortly after his teacher Morgan told him the true identity of the black-robed skeleton.
With just a slight modification to the Guardian Charm, extracting the soul connection and summoning loops for separate use, many things immediately have many alternative ways and possibilities.
The magic of a half-legendary being was not enough to support Pandro, but what about a god... even a god who appears incomplete is still a god, and the black-robed skeleton's magic, which was difficult for others to fathom, was still vast.
Ok.
Perhaps the black-robed skeleton's power should now be described as divine. With such a super-powerful "power bank" in existence, Ian was convinced that it would be more than enough to support Pendro's energy consumption—if it weren't for the fear of being hung up and spanked by the legendary dark witch, the little wizard would even have wanted to put a ring on Morgan's finger as well.
"It would be so much fun if the three of us teamed up for an adventure." Ariana looked at the ring on Pendro's hand, which was the same as hers, and couldn't help but start to imagine the story that hadn't yet happened.
"The Iron Triangle, this combination looks very reliable." Ian was also quite looking forward to it. Of course, what he was most looking forward to was not the treasure, but whether Pandro would break down and reveal his true colors because of this adventure.
Pandroe was oblivious to the little wizard's "malicious" thoughts. He simply stroked his chin and echoed a rather meaningful remark in an approving tone.
"Seven is a magical number, but three is even more significant...it has created many epics and legends." This can be considered an endorsement of the Iron Triangle theory.
The weather is bright and sunny.
No one is witnessing it.
Perhaps another legend and epic has begun. Sunlight poured down from the azure sky, generously bathing the entire square in golden light, which shimmered warmly and enchantingly against the cobblestones. The three were immersed in a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.
Suddenly.
"Once you've rested enough, continue practicing your swordsmanship, Ariana," Pandro suddenly reminded her. He had clearly been calculating Ariana's intention to use Ian's arrival to take a break.
"Okay, you found out."
Ariana blushed slightly but did not refute. She picked up her longsword again and, under Ian's watchful gaze, began practicing Pendro's swordsmanship for what seemed like the umpteenth time.
It's been a while.
The young wizard was somewhat surprised to find that Ariana's swordsmanship had improved by more than a little bit—the girl's posture was upright and agile when she raised her longsword.
Her gaze hardened and sharpened, as if she could see through all illusions and strike at her opponent's vitals. The longsword sliced through the air, producing a subtle yet clear ringing sound.
Her swordplay was fluid and powerful, each movement perfectly showcasing the essence of swordsmanship. Whether it was a swift thrust, a sharp slash, or a skillful parry and counterattack, Ariana executed them all with consummate skill. Her swordsmanship was both fierce and agile, seemingly able to change freely with the opponent's attacks.
It had a kind of imposing aura that even Ian felt was impossible to defend against.
"good!"
Ian couldn't help but applaud.
He found Ariana's swordsmanship demonstration a visual feast. Accompanied by the young wizard's praise, Ariana, though still fully focused, clearly had a smile on her face.
Only Pandelo likes to stir up trouble.
"What's so good about it?"
He chuckled and picked up where Ian left off, as if deliberately wanting to see Ian make a fool of himself.
"..."
The young wizard turned his head and saw Pendro's mocking gaze. It was clear he wanted to see him make a fool of himself, and of course, he wasn't going to let Pendro's evil plan succeed.
"It combines strength and gentleness, possessing both the power of thunder and the gentleness of spring rain. It is unpredictable and invincible, with a touch of the extraordinary."
Ian doesn't know swordsmanship.
However, that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to praise others.
"I'm not that good..." Ariana was embarrassed by the little wizard's praise, and the sharpness in her sword practice faded slightly.
Ian hadn't even responded yet.
"No! That's it! That's it! Unbeatable, extraordinary, that's my swordsmanship. Although it's not very profound, it's absolutely true!"
Pandelo preemptively switched to narcissistic mode.
If it weren't for the fact that this guy didn't have a long tail, he would probably be wagging his tail in the air with his smug look on his face. Of course, the little wizard who was determined to turn the tables on him wouldn't let him continue to show off.
"Your swordsmanship is impressive, but I've seen even more impressive swordsmanship." Ian said calmly, glancing at Pandro with a sidelong look.
Just as he had predicted.
Pandro immediately became somewhat agitated.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" It was unclear whether he was denying Ian's "experience" or denying that there was no swordsmanship in the world more powerful than his.
"Tch, you're saying it's impossible just because you haven't seen it. You're really something." Ian deliberately imitated Snape's way of speaking, and that slightly sarcastic and slow-paced tone was indeed quite infuriating.
Pandro's face turned a deep red, the color of a pig's liver.
"Bring someone over to compete with me, and I'll believe you." He was sometimes even more childish than Ian, especially when it came to areas where he was proud.
Ian did not respond.
He continued slowly and deliberately, "I won't talk to you about the Void Sword Technique that can traverse space, ignore all obstacles, and attack the enemy's vitals even across several galaxies, nor will I talk to you about the Heavenly Emperor Sword Technique that ignores time and space and can cut through your past, present, and future. Let me just talk about Sword Twenty-Three, which I have seen at least twenty times."
"That's true transcendence, making all swordsmen look up to you like a god. With a single swing of the sword, everything freezes in place, leaving everything at your mercy. Tell me, how many more years would it take you to achieve that?"
Ian described it slowly.
"Swordsmanship this good?!"
Ariana, unsuspecting, widened her clear eyes in surprise. Even Pandro seemed somewhat taken aback by Ian, let alone the young girl.
"It's fake, right..."
Of course, his expression still carried a hint of suspicion.
"I swear on my wizard's heart," Ian answered resolutely, his gaze unwavering, immediately making Pandro feel somewhat insecure.
What is the Wizard's Heart?
His voice softened considerably as he spoke, sounding quite puzzled. To be honest, he had never heard of this term the young wizard mentioned, despite his many interactions with wizards.
If the little wizard hadn't spoken so forcefully, he would have almost suspected that the little wizard was making things up.
"Of course it's the wizard's heart that thirsts for magic. I swear on my wizard's heart that I saw it with my own eyes. How could it be false?" Ian recalled the time he spent watching TV dramas and reading novels in his previous life.
He certainly saw it with his own eyes.
"Hiss~"
Sensing the young wizard's increasingly determined attitude, Pandro gasped in shock.
"Is what you're saying still swordsmanship?" He still held a strong skepticism towards Ian's words, after all, he still possessed the basic Daoist principles after using a sword for so many years.
"We can talk about this later. My time's up, I have to go." Ian had timed his trial card perfectly, leaving Pandro with a question that would probably keep him tossing and turning for a long time.
He knew this guy's personality all too well.
"You're so mean!"
Pandrok, of course, understood Ian's little scheme. Seeing Ian's figure gradually fading into the air, he could only sigh helplessly and whisper a reminder to Ian.
"The sooner you step into the legendary realm, the fewer troublesome restrictions you'll face." Pandro's tone carried a certain certainty, as if he knew something the young wizard didn't.
"Are you trying to keep me awake at night?"
Ian demonstrated his unusual tendency to "put himself in others' shoes".
"..."
Pandro was utterly speechless.
"It's like a child wielding a heavy sword; the power you possess is far beyond what your current status can wield... I'm not as despicable as you."
He gave a serious explanation.
The little wizard's figure also disappeared completely into the dreamlike illusion and the harmonious town after he finished speaking, leaving only Ariana still yearning for Ian's "whimsical ideas".
And there's Pandelo, still muttering to himself.
"Nonsense about transcending time and space, cutting through the past and the future... It sounds like a biographical story." He probably wasn't disturbed by Ian's words.
He was just sulking because he couldn't find any evidence to refute Ian.
"If we add some magic to swordsmanship, could we achieve the same effect?" Ariana's imagination ran wild, and her words surprised Pendro slightly.
Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!
"Who knows? I'm not a wizard... Everyone has a different path. I'm just laying the foundation for you. In the end, you still need to forge your own path."
It's unclear whether Pandelo's words were meant to be encouraging.
Ariana seemed lost in thought.
"Keep practicing, there's still a lot of room for improvement in your swordsmanship." Pandro continued to urge Ariana on, and after snapping out of her daze, Ariana immediately resumed her sword practice with full concentration.
Swordsmanship.
Body movement.
This was all Ariana practicing, and the amount of exercise was considerable. As time passed, fine beads of sweat began to appear on Ariana's forehead. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her breathing became rapid. However, she did not stop practicing with her sword, but instead became even more focused on her training.
Sunlight cast long shadows on her, swaying gracefully with her movements. The air was filled with the faint fragrance of flowers and the fresh scent of grass; occasionally, a butterfly or bee would flit among the blossoms, adding a touch of life and energy to the tranquil square. The rigorous training continued unabated.
Sweat streamed down her face and dripped onto the ground beneath her feet. The girl might occasionally want to slack off, but when she practiced, she was never careless.
Focus and diligence are Ariana's strengths.
but.
Pandroh still seemed somewhat dissatisfied with this.
"You need to work harder."
He sighed softly.
"This is for your own good, and for everyone's sake." Pandro raised his hand towards the sky, the exquisite ring on his finger gleaming in the sunlight.
"Only by truly becoming a Valkyrie can you bear... the weight of being an angel." The boy's soft whisper echoed through the flower-filled town.
No one heard of it.
Similarly, no one witnessed it.
……
Ian's thoughts gradually returned.
The first sound he heard was a jumble of noises.
"Boom! Boom!"
The commotion grew clearer, and as the little wizard opened his eyes, outside, the rain poured down, the sound like drums, accompanied by the fierce, biting winds characteristic of winter.
It howled through the gaps in the castle, making a series of mournful sounds, while thunder roared in the sky, as if nature were playing a magnificent symphony.
"Finally, another enigmatic night."
Ian sat up gently. The dim candlelight filtered through the exquisitely carved bedside lamp, casting a warm, yellowish glow that contrasted sharply with the raging storm outside.
Of course, the two roommates were snoring quite loudly inside the room, but Ian was already used to it, so he could ignore their somewhat complementary sleeping sounds.
"A legend..." Ian's mind was still replaying Pandro's words. To be honest, he still knew very little about this identity that clearly symbolized a certain rank.
Yes.
Despite already being a semi-legendary figure who is quite the subject of ridicule, Ian is still rather confused about the path to becoming a legend. This path, which is destined to be explored by only himself, is difficult to figure out the direction of.
"A true legend possesses far more than just unparalleled magic power and powerful magic. Magic power and magic are merely the foundation; there is something even more important that I have not yet realized."
Ian murmured softly, sensing the still blurry images in his mind.
legend.
As the name suggests.
The word itself is used to describe certain epics and legends that are rich in poetry and mystery, and it has symbolic meanings such as heroes, war and love.
A living legend.
Is it obvious that a certain level of social "prestige" is also required? Ian wasn't sure about that; he only knew that wizards qualified to access legendary positions in this era all met this trait.
Grindelwald's power and majesty.
Dumbledore's greatness and extraordinary nature.
Even Voldemort's killings and the fear he brought.
They are all figures who come closest to legend, and these are all well-known labels in the secular world, so that people automatically have certain perceptions just by hearing their names.
No one can say for sure whether one needs to have such historical significance to become a legend.
"For a wizard to become a god, it seems faith is required... So, to truly become a legend, one needs prestige and to forge an epic tale, which doesn't seem too strange?"
Ian suddenly felt as if he had grasped something.
The former principal kept promoting him.
No one can say for sure if this is also a reason.
"Perhaps I should ask Headmaster Dumbledore again... Of course, I should go find Professor Nick Flamel first." Ian glanced at the clock on the wall.
12:07 AM.
A very familiar time.
It was still far too long before dawn. Given the events of the night, the little wizard had no desire to go back to sleep.
He sprang out of bed with a swift movement, quickly put on his thermal underwear and robe, and began his first nighttime outing of the new school year with practiced ease.
Summer vacation didn't make him much less rusty.
Slipping out of the Ravenclaw lounge unnoticed, Ian glanced back at the bronze eagle head on the lounge door, quite certain that the voice he had heard in Morgan's memory was that of the monstrous thing.
"What are you looking at? Are you bewitched by my beauty?"
This is not.
The bronze eagle's head spoke in a remarkably "human" manner, which sent chills down the young wizard's spine. He gasped and immediately fled the scene of trouble.
As for the affinity with the door knocker... he really doesn't plan to use it this year. In the deep darkness of Hogwarts, Ian jogged through the quiet, deserted corridors.
The ancient torches emitted a faint, dim yellow light, and the incessant sound of thunder and rain outside the window was exceptionally clear. The occasional flashes of lightning also illuminated the dim environment of the corridor.
"Huh? Someone's here?"
As Ian turned a corner, he spotted a familiar figure—Lirim, the blond boy from the Ollivander family. He hadn't expected him to be such a daring person who couldn't stay still at night.
"Staying up late at night will get you points deducted! Oh, you're a Ravenclaw student, well then, I'll pretend I didn't see it." Ian was just about to show off his senior's authority.
They then realized that the method of "deducting points" was somewhat inappropriate.
He pretended to cough twice.
Prepare to selectively ignore Ririm and brush past him.
And at that very moment.
"Weren't you also out wandering around without sleeping?" Rirem turned to Ian and asked with a slightly amused tone.
Is it insomnia or excessive dreaming?
He spoke in a joking manner, showing none of the tension one would expect when caught violating school rules.
"I come out at night to make the most of my time and study more." Ian rolled his eyes, looked at Ririm, and spoke to the boy who seemed to have been standing in the corner for a long time with a puzzled tone.
"You're out at night right after the start of the semester, are you trying to explore Hogwarts?"
When he turned the corner, he was startled by Ririm standing there like he was being punished—a blurry figure stood there quietly, with his back to him, as if he had blended into the surrounding darkness. Just thinking about the scene was eerie, not to mention how creepy it looked when combined with the lightning flashing outside.
In response to Ian's questioning.
Ririm simply sighed softly.
"I just wanted to come out and look for materials to make wands. I have some new ideas and concepts... However, it's clear that the nights at Hogwarts aren't as harmonious as I've hoped."
talking.
Under Ian's slightly confused gaze.
Lirim stepped aside from the wall he had been blocking. There, in the corner of the wall, were some words that appeared to be smeared on the surface, faintly visible in the torchlight.
"Um?"
Ian's heart skipped a beat.
He was about to raise his wand and lean in.
"Boom!"
Outside, another bright flash of lightning streaked across the night sky, illuminating not only the corridor where he and Ririm were, but also the clearly visible writing on the wall.
"I...have returned from the dead!"
Bright red handwriting.
It looks crooked and grotesque.
[P.S.: Before the New Year, some trivial matters at work left me owing 4000 yuan. I'll pay double that amount the day after tomorrow.]
(End of this chapter)