Professor Slughorn stared blankly at Ethan.
His brain was still reeling from the massive shock, and for a moment, he couldn't process what the newly appointed Headmaster was saying.
—The wisdom of Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the Hogwarts Four?
What on earth was Ethan talking about?
Slughorn's gaze shifted to the shimmering silver diadem. Feeling the profound, surging magic emanating from it, his eyes flickered with astonishment.
"This... this is...?"
"This is the lost relic of Lady Ravenclaw, and the crown jewel of my House," Ethan replied, a smirk playing on his lips.
He winked, his expression turning mischievous and a bit sly. "It was originally defiled by dark magic. But after a few little 'arrangements' of mine, its purity has been restored."
"Oh..." Professor Slughorn murmured, though he didn't quite follow.
Then, a realization hit him like a Bludger. He nearly jumped out of his skin.
He was wearing a relic belonging to one of the Four Founders on his nearly bald head?!
"Merlin's beard! My head—!"
Trembling with uncertainty, Slughorn reached up to touch his scalp.
That single touch was the final straw. As if a harsh autumn wind had swept through, his few remaining hairs—having lost their last bit of strength—gave up the ghost. They fell away in clumps, landing dejectedly on his broad, padded shoulders.
Professor Slughorn: "..."
Is this what they mean by being "brilliantly bald"?
His scalp felt smooth to the touch. With one swipe, he had wiped away the last of his dignity. What he didn't know was that Ethan's "little arrangement" involved traveling back decades into the past. Ethan had placed a protective charm on the diadem before Voldemort could ever taint it, ensuring it would never be destroyed.
To the side, the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw watched Ethan with a complex expression.
Looking at the handsome youth, she felt her cold, dead heart—which hadn't beaten in centuries—shudder.
[He actually did it... This is a feat nothing short of a miracle.]
[If I weren't already dead, separated from him by a thousand years, he would be exactly the kind of man I'd pursue...]
Helena let out a long, wistful sigh, pressing her hand against her silent chest. Her eyes were filled with a strange sort of hope as she whispered:
[Perhaps, after a millennium, Hogwarts has finally found its true master...]
[You have successfully purified a Horcrux — Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem]
[Ravenclaw's Diadem: A precious relic of Ravenclaw House. When worn, it stimulates inspiration and grants revelations of knowledge.]
["To those who follow: only the one who wears it and remains unchanged can be called truly wise. At that moment, the key to the Peak shall manifest." — Rowena Ravenclaw]
[Soul Fusion increased by 0.4%!]
[97.68% → 98.08%]
A 0.4% jump all at once!
Ethan's breath hitched, and his eyes widened in pleasant surprise. He felt a torrent of energy erupt in his mind, like a series of magnificent fireworks exploding in his brain. It made the world before him blur into a kaleidoscope of colors, as if he were pleasantly drunk.
A numbing sensation spread down his spine, reaching into every bone and limb before finally converging at his fingertips.
Sensing a change, Ethan drew his wand.
As if finding a new conduit, magic surged down through his fingers. The wand spontaneously transformed into a lustrous, glowing paintbrush. Amidst the brilliant light, intricate patterns began to etch themselves into the wooden handle, spreading like growing sprouts, radiating a vibrant, burgeoning life!
[Perfect Brush Upgraded!]
[Acquired Skill: The Miraculous Brush]
["One flower, one world; one leaf, one life." Your brush can now create "The Real World."]
[A world created by you, allowed to develop and evolve on its own!]
[You are one step closer to the Gate of the Peak.]
Whoosh!
An ethereal doorway materialized before Ethan. Cobalt light spilled out, and the divine aura pulsing behind the door became clearer than ever. Ethan felt that he was closer to the threshold than ever before. Even the darkness swirling around the edges of the frame was sharper, more defined.
At this moment, even if Merlin himself had dropped out of the sky at Ethan's feet, Ethan wouldn't have spared him a glance.
"The Gate of the Peak... it's right there!" Ethan muttered, his heart pounding against his ribs. "Only 2% more fusion!"
Then, he could step through the gate of "Godhood."
"Mr. V-Vincent? Headmaster?" Slughorn called out softly, looking confused as Ethan stared intensely into the empty air.
For some reason, that look in Ethan's eyes made him shiver. It was a look that filled him with dread... it reminded him far too much of a certain student from his past.
Ethan didn't answer. Instead, under the nervous and bewildered gaze of the old professor, he suddenly swung his brush.
Swish!
Dark, somber colors suddenly swept through the entire classroom.
Crack, crack.
Grey-black stone began to crawl up the walls, seeping moisture like an underground cavern. Ores emitting a dim, fluorescent glow jutted out from the rock face, becoming the only source of light in the gloom. The air became thick with mist, turning sticky and humid.
If it weren't for the occasional glimpse of the original ceiling through the gaps, one would think they had been instantly transported deep underground.
"This is..."
Slughorn looked around in shock, completely lost. Was Ethan changing the interior decor? Were they going to live like cavemen from now on?
Honestly, if any other wizard had created this with a wave of a wand, Slughorn would have been moved to standing ovation. But this was Ethan—an interdimensional visitor who could summon "Old Gods." This level of magic was practically a warm-up for him.
But then, Ethan did something even stranger.
He pulled out several eggs belonging to the Giant Squid—since Ethan had found the Giant Squid a mate during the Triwizard Tournament, the two had been... prolific. He placed the eggs on the ground and then set Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem directly on top of them!
[What are you doing?!]
Helena's vision went dark for a second. She glared at Ethan in shock and fury.
—Out of the tiger's den and into the wolf's mouth! When would the Diadem finally receive the respect a rare relic deserved?!
"Don't be nervous, Miss Helena."
Ethan's eyes crinkled as he looked down at the squid eggs bathed in the Diadem's glow. He spoke with a tone that was both pleasant and utterly mad:
"Your mother wouldn't be so stingy as to refuse to share her great wisdom with other creatures. Hehehe... let's wait and see."
With this new skill, combined with the remains of the Reaper, he should be able to create the highest level of artwork: a [Tier 4 · Purple Epic]!
And what better canvas than the entirety of Hogwarts to create the ultimate sanctuary?
Helena was speechless, choked with indignation. ...Could it be that I'm simply too stupid to understand the vision of Ravenclaw's new guiding light?
She had a sinking feeling that this wasn't just a gap in intelligence—it was a gap in basic sanity.
By the time he left the transformed classroom, Slughorn still hadn't figured out what Ethan was tinkering with.
"First, he creates an underground cave, then he puts the Diadem of Wisdom on some squid eggs. Ha, surely Ethan isn't trying to create a new species?" Slughorn chuckled to himself, shaking his head at the absurdity.
"The idea is interesting, but even if those squids gain intelligence, they won't just turn into a new species. The birth of a new species requires growth and evolution within a changing environment... wait."
Slughorn stopped in his tracks, a thought suddenly occurring to him.
If he just wanted to make the squids smarter... why did Ethan go out of his way to change the entire geography of the room?
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