Borrowing the power of others to fulfill one's own desires.
Herpo had proven with his actions just how firmly he had control over the situation.
It was no wonder that he hadn't shown himself back at the temple earlier. Now it was clear, he had already prepared to exploit the reckless Goddess, and even Ian, Riddle, and Malfoy, these three outsiders.
Compared to Riddle's cunning, Herpo's mind was far more sinister. He wasn't gambling on possibilities; he had precisely calculated every step, deceiving Ian, a Goddess, and perhaps even the gods in the heavens.
"You're right, maybe we really should just run." Ian, hearing the reckless Goddess's explanation, didn't have time to think much before he noticed countless black threads materializing around his body.
They looked as if they were drawn from some unknowable space, writhing like eels around him, constantly trying to latch onto his body, yet never quite succeeding.
Still, even though those black threads failed to burrow into his body, Ian could feel a powerful pull emanating from Herpo's direction, growing stronger and stronger with time.
This was without a doubt Herpo's power at work.
The third Angel's Seat was trying to influence Ian. Honestly, it didn't matter how Herpo looked now, which was quite hideous and grotesque. Even if he were a cute white-haired loli, Ian had no intention of becoming part of anyone else.
"Quick, let's go before it's too late." Ian was the type who knew when to fight and when to get the hell out of some place. He wasn't the sort to awaken some "invincible will" the moment he encountered a strong foe.
He immediately grabbed Cassandra, and before the reckless Goddess even had time to react, he had climbed up her slender 1.8-meter-tall frame and perched himself on her neck like he was riding her.
"You're using me as a mount? What the hell!" The reckless Goddess couldn't help but complain, though her movements didn't slow in the slightest as radiant light burst forth around her.
That brilliance was like countless fragments of golden foil, leaping and flickering in the air. Her hair streamed wildly within the glow, each strand like a golden thread infused with life.
"Hold on tight." She gave the briefest warning.
Each syllable thrummed with power, making the very air hum in resonance. Ian didn't hesitate to clamp his hands tightly around the Goddess's neck.
The next instant, he felt the world spin wildly as golden light engulfed him and Cassandra completely. For a moment, he felt a warm yet overwhelming force flood into his body, as though even his soul was being ignited into blazing fire.
The reckless Goddess had transformed herself, Ian, and Cassandra into a golden pillar of light. It drove back much of the chill brought forth by Herpo's god-ascending ritual, and it felt like the first light of dawn piercing the sky, carving a dazzling path upward through the rolling black storm clouds.
The sight alone was magnificent. It was as though heaven and earth were directly connected in that moment.
The golden light streaked like lightning, ripping apart the heavy clouds. The dark mass was torn asunder with a deafening roar, as if a massive hole had been clawed open in the heavens.
The reckless Goddess's speed was blinding.
It was the speed of pure light.
And yet, just as they broke through the clouds, a strange power struck against them head-on. It was like a vast invisible hand that yanked them back with brutal force.
The whole world seemed to shriek with the grinding sound of gears jamming.
"What's going on?!" Ian's vision warped violently, as though reality itself had been crumpled like a paper scroll. And the very next second, they were back exactly where they had started.
Staring at the all-too-familiar surroundings, Ians couldn't make sense of what had just happened. But then again, Hogwarts never taught this kind of knowledge, just like college counselors never teach you how to get a promotion or a raise.
"Damn it! It's Herpo!" The reckless Goddess understood immediately. Her expression turned grim as her clenched fists burst into golden sparks.
"Time reversal?" Ian furrowed his brows, making a guess based on his own knowledge reserves.
But,
"It's worse than that."
The reckless Goddess shook her head, raising her gaze toward the massive, mocking, serpentine face looming over the distant city. Mockery gleamed openly in Herpo's eyes.
"The power of Paradox?" Ian tried again.
This time, the reckless Goddess nodded heavily.
"Yes. The power of Paradox. He's already on the path of godhood. Though he hasn't yet seized authority, paradoxical power already saturates the space around him."
"That means we're standing inside a paradox domain."
"In this domain exists an unbreakable logical trap. The moment we try to leave, we trigger its power. To put it simply, right now, we're imprisoned in a cage from which there is no escape. Every attempt to flee will only circle us back here."
Her voice was low and hoarse, and her tone was trembling slightly as she spoke. It carried the fear of the unknown, the dread of a force that should not exist, and yet stood so near at hand.
And it was not just her.
Hearing this, Ian also felt a surge of shock that smothered even the nausea from earlier when they had become a pillar of light. Even with his wild, imaginative way of thinking, it was impossible for him to fully comprehend such power.
"So it seems we really can't run. I thought you'd be a little more reliable." Ian could only draw his wand, sighing heavily and speaking with a helpless tone.
"Can't your true body at least warn the other gods?" He wasn't even hoping for the reckless Goddess's true self to fight anymore, only that she might call for reinforcements again.
"What if my true body never knew what was happening here at all?" The reckless Goddess let out a sigh of her own.
"But earlier you clearly could still--" Ian cut his own words short. Before the force of paradox, arguing over what had or hadn't really happened seemed meaningless.
"This is truly a terrifying Authority." Ian couldn't help but voice his heartfelt awe as he looked and felt this power.
"Yes. But luckily, Herpo hasn't finished ascending yet, so he can't fully wield this power. That means we still have a chance to survive, we can stop him, or kill him, before his godhood is complete, and then we can leave!"
The reckless Goddess raised her hand, and the colossal sword appeared once more, blazing with golden fire.
"We?" Ian glanced around.
The priests were all prostrate on the ground, their eyes filled with terror and despair. With trembling hands clasped, they muttered in jumbled prayers to the gods.
Cassandra, meanwhile, after enduring that earlier light-speed flight, was suffering a severe "light-sickness" reaction. Her whole body was limp like a slug, collapsed on the ground with a deathly pale face with foam bubbled weakly from her lips.
Clearly, neither she nor the priests were any kind of fighting force.
"When you say we, you mean just the two of us, right?." Though Ian's words carried a trace of sarcasm, he nonetheless roused his magic. That vast, awe-inspiring torrent of magical power began to surge, enough to leave any wizard in astonishment.
"We don't have any choice. As long as my father's divine power lingers, we have to try. This is our only chance." The reckless Goddess drew a deep breath as she spoke.
(To Be Continued…)
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