As Ian Prince uttered the last "open" syllable, the invisible key, which he had been "turning" with his right hand, seemed to be precisely embedded in an unseen keyhole.
In an instant, the entire square, and indeed the entire R'lyeh City, seemed to tremble violently!
The enormous, terrifying magic circle on the ground, which had previously only emitted a faint, eerie glow, suddenly erupted with an unbearably dazzling light!
It's still the same old descriptive technique.
The light was not a single color, but rather composed of countless ever-changing and intertwined strange colors, filled with a blasphemous and chaotic beauty.
certainly.
If we investigate carefully...
It can still be found.
Yet it contained a terrifying power that could freeze one's soul. Every symbol and every mark on the array seemed to be infused with violent energy, lighting up and pulsating wildly. The three-dimensional runes that Ian had embedded were now perfectly integrated with the array, becoming key nodes in the flow of energy.
The entire magic circle was no longer a flat pattern, but seemed to "come alive," transforming into a three-dimensional, constantly rotating and Transfiguration energy structure!
"Boom! Boom!"
Centered on the star-shaped symbol at the center of the array, space began to distort violently like never before.
The light was stretched into a spiral, the air emitted a strained shriek, and the outlines of the surrounding living buildings became even more blurred and bizarre under the intense light and spatial distortion.
An incredibly powerful suction force suddenly erupted from the center of the array!
This suction force does not simply act on physical entities; it is more like a pull on "existence" itself, a forced anchoring and stretching of spacetime coordinates!
"Here I come!"
Ian Prince was the first to be hit. His stable "domain" seemed to offer no fierce resistance to this power, which originated from the magic circle itself and was completely different in nature. He maintained a calm expression, but deep in his deep eyes, there seemed to be a hint of excitement that "it's finally done."
Then, his figure began to blur and become transparent amidst the intense light and spatial distortion, like a reflection in water being scattered by ripples from a stone thrown in.
The scene changes very quickly.
The next second, his figure completely disappeared into the center of that dazzling yet chaotic light, as if swallowed by that invisible "door" and sent to another unknown dimension or point in time.
only.
The activation of the magic circle did not stop with Ian's disappearance; on the contrary, it ceased because he, the "key," was no longer available.
With continued control, the energy outburst became even more intense.
"Splash! Splash!"
The array's light was like an out-of-control sun, frantically pouring energy and distorted spacetime power in all directions.
The powerful suction force did not weaken at all!
Instead, it began to indiscriminately sweep across the entire square area!
"Not good!"
Saruman realized something was wrong the moment Ian disappeared, but it was too late. The toppled pillar where he and Karg were hiding began to groan under the violent energy shock and spatial suction, and countless cracks appeared on its surface. They felt as if they had been thrown into a washing machine and were being frantically torn apart by countless invisible hands.
Damn it! I knew I'd get caught in the crossfire!
Saruman desperately tried to cast spells to stabilize space or counteract the suction, but in the face of the aftershocks of this completely out-of-control, Legend- level magic circle, his meager Magic Power was like a firefly compared to the bright moon, scattered as soon as it gathered.
"Aaaaaah!" Karg roared and plunged his greatsword into the ground in an attempt to stabilize himself, but the sword was pulled out of the stone by an even stronger force after it had only penetrated half a foot!
" Saruman!!"
Karg only had time to let out a cry of surprise before he and Lina on his back were pulled like leaves in a storm by an irresistible suction force, flying towards the center of the magic circle where the light was strongest and the space was most distorted!
"No!!"
Saruman was not spared either.
His last vision was of the endlessly elongated and distorted outlines of green buildings, and that which occupied everything...
A strange light that seemed to melt away his very soul.
Then, he felt himself being thrown into a tunnel made of pure chaotic energy, where time and space lost all meaning. Only countless bizarre and incomprehensible fragments of vision flashed past his eyes, accompanied by roars and whispers that seemed to tear his soul apart.
A sharp pain shot through my body, as if I were being broken down into elementary particles.
His consciousness rapidly blurred under the extreme tearing and onslaught of information. In the last second before he completely lost consciousness, only one thought remained in his mind.
What exactly did that Legend young man activate? And where were they taken? Did they follow Ian Prince to the ultimate battlefield he desired, a place where they might confront Cthulhu? Or were they randomly thrown into some unknown spacetime rift by this out-of-control magic circle?
Then will they face Destiny even more unpredictable R'lyeh?
About all of this.
Nobody knows.
The light engulfed everything, and the suction swept everything away. In the square, only that still flashing wildly remained.
The massive magic circle, whose energy was gradually becoming unstable and seemed poised to collapse and explode at any moment, stood in stark silence, as if the living building had been drained of all its vitality.
The angry whispers of R'lyeh City, too, were temporarily silenced by this sudden upheaval, falling into a state of bewildered stillness.
Saruman, Karg, and Lina, three adventurers who were merely desperately seeking a way to survive, were involuntarily drawn into a temporal storm beyond their comprehension, triggered by a fifteen-year-old Legend. From that moment on, their Destiny were completely derailed.
They fell into an unfathomable abyss of the unknown.
certainly.
This accident may also be an inevitable part of fate.
At least that's how it appears from the perspective of the elderly Saruman.
The eerie blue light of memory flashed as Ian Prince's figure disappeared into the bright light of the magic circle, and Saruman and his companions were pulled in by the out-of-control suction, as if they had been cut in two by a sharp blade.
Suddenly extinguished and dissipated. A thousand years later, the underground Chamber of Secrets was once again filled with a dull silence and the faint glow of Magic Runes. The frantic whispers from R'lyeh, the shrieks of Fractus Spatium, and the roars of energy bursts vanished in an instant, leaving only a chilling sense of vacuum.
"Huh? What happened to the rest?"
The Black Robed Woman was completely focused, waiting to see what would happen to the three teachers after they were caught in the magic circle, awaiting the final outcome of that long-forgotten history—did they follow Ian to Cthulhu? What was their ultimate Destiny? How did the young teacher survive that desperate situation and end up as he is now?
The interruption in his memory caught him off guard. He turned sharply to the elderly Saruman, who sat quietly on the stone bench, his distorted face beneath the hood filled with astonishment and bewilderment.
"Teacher? What... your memory is cut off? What happened after they were involved?"
The man in the Black Robed Woman spoke urgently; he felt as if he were at the very heart of a gripping epic, when suddenly the pages were slammed shut.
"What happened?" The blind Saruman stared silently ahead, his empty eye sockets seemingly still reflecting the brilliant yet chaotic light of the magic circle.
His wrinkled face showed no intention of continuing to present memories; instead, it was shrouded in a deeper, almost tangible solemnity and—a trace of barely perceptible weariness.
"The rest—you can't read it." The old Wizard's voice was unusually hoarse, as if uttering these words required immense effort. "At least, you can't look at it directly."
"Why?" The Black Robed Woman asked, puzzled. "Is it because of depleted Magic Power? Or—"
"It's because of what's inside." Saruman interrupted him, his tone resolute and carrying an undeniable warning, "Beyond that door, where the magic circle connects—what exists there, its inherent corruption and madness far surpasses that of R'lyeh City itself. The mere memory of 'the images' or information about it's contained within is enough to cause an irreversible transformation of the viewer's life form and spiritual essence."
He paused, as if recalling some extremely terrifying experience, and lowered his voice even further. "That wasn't life—it was existence itself crushing and covering over another kind of existence."
"The things inside—just a glance at them distorts the definition of life; a single sound can cause the foundation of reason to crumble. Back then, I was merely a passive participant, sensing even the slightest aftershock on the edge—and paid an unimaginable price."
The Black Robed Woman shuddered slightly upon hearing this. He suddenly recalled his teacher's eyes, forever blind, and the eerie aura emanating from him—a aura shared with his own corruption yet far more restrained and profound. Could it be—that his teacher's blindness, and those hidden changes within him, were not merely due to excessive research into Forbidden Knowledge, but rather because, deep within R'lyeh, he had directly confronted the terrifying being Ian called " Cthulhu "?
"You—you really did—face that—evil being" back then?" The Black Robed Woman's voice trembled slightly, a fear of the unknown terror.
It also stemmed from the shock of the teacher's situation back then.
"Confront?" Saruman's lips curled into an extremely bitter, almost self-mocking smile. "No, child, it's far from 'facing'."
" Ian Prince is the one who intends to confront and resolve it. Me, and Karg..."
Lina —we are merely spectators, caught up in this event beyond our comprehension, trembling on the outermost periphery, watching from the sidelines. Perhaps we are not even spectators, but simply dust stirred up by the storm.
His words were filled with a sense of powerlessness and weariness.
Even now, as a blind Legend of unfathomable power, he still cannot completely conceal the profound humiliation and fear he felt when recalling his experience on the verge of ultimate terror.
Yes.
Saruman is Legend.
At least in this day and age.
He is.
"But teacher—what happened next? How did you—I mean, you and Karg and the others, in the end—" The Black Robed Woman was still unwilling to give up.
He longed to know the whole truth, to know how his teacher had survived such a desperate situation, and why he had become the person who now guarded this place.
This concerns his own mission, as well as his concern for his teacher's Destiny.
Saruman remained silent for a long time; the only sounds in the Chamber of Secrets were the two people's soft breathing.
Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice carrying an unusual calm, as if recounting an arrangement unrelated to himself. "All the answers, all the details, including what we experienced and saw after that light, and how we ultimately left R'lyeh, and the fates of Karg and Lina —everything is in my mind."
He tilted his head slightly, his empty eye sockets "staring" at the Black Robed Woman, his tone calm yet each word carrying immense weight. "After you complete your mission—you can search my mind yourself." Use your most proficient methods to obtain all the information you need. This, perhaps, is also part of your mission." These words, like cold awls, instantly pierced the thin veil in the Black Robed Woman' heart that he had been trying to avoid!
mission!
He knew perfectly well what his mission was—as the most core and secretive "cleaner" of the Department of Mysteries, his duty was to ensure the absolute safety of the entrance to the ruins connected to R'lyeh beneath the African Ministry of Magic, to eliminate anything that might come into contact with and be contaminated by the ruins, to prevent the contamination from leaking out, and to keep this secret that could overturn the world.
"Cleansing" naturally includes dealing with those individuals that have been contaminated beyond redemption, and could become new sources of contamination at any time, or even endanger the entire seal.
therefore.
This naturally includes—the man before us, who is both a teacher and a father figure, whose strength is unfathomable, yet who is clearly connected to the corruption of R'lyeh, blind and living in seclusion here— Saruman!
"Teacher----"
The Black Robed Woman had been completely absorbed by that thousand-year-old memory and had deliberately avoided thinking about this issue.
But now, Saruman himself has laid this cruel responsibility before him in an almost blunt manner.
His body began to tremble uncontrollably. His distorted face beneath the hood contorted, his vertical pupils filled with violent struggle. Reason screamed at him, telling him this was necessary, the only way to ensure the seal's safety and prevent a greater catastrophe. Even the teacher himself seemed to be—hinting at, even encouraging, him to do this?
Even though I know this is the right thing to do.
But the emotions—those stemming from years of teaching, trust, and the complex feelings deep within his heart for this lonely and powerful old man—were like a surging tide.
It was frantically assaulting the Black Robed Woman's dam of reason.
"Teacher----I----" The Black Robed Woman's voice was dry, like sandpaper being rubbed, filled with pain and confusion.
"Do what you must do, child." Saruman's voice remained calm, even carrying a hint of relief. "This is my own choice, and also—part of the plan. Rest assured, this is not simply an end, but perhaps—a necessary step to break that seemingly unsolvable 'closed loop.'"
There was a strange implication in his words.
It's as if death is not the end.
It was a pre-designed process.
So many years.
Saruman may have been meticulously crafting a game to break that cycle of fate.
Now.
He felt it was time to begin implementing the plan.