In a shattered dream.
Ian "looked" at the dark purple data streams that were burrowing into Lina's soul, which contained a large number of fragmented, chaotic pieces of "knowledge" that pointed directly to some terrifying truths about the universe.
His gaze was solemn.
This knowledge itself may contain astonishing value, but its mode of expression, the will it carries, and the vast, despairing background of "existence" behind it are the most deadly poison for mortal souls. No, perhaps it should be said that it is an unbearable burden for most life in the universe.
"Fortunately, we arrived in time," Ian assessed. "Her soul core hasn't completely dissolved yet, so there's still a possibility of 'repair' and 'isolation.' Any later, once she fully accepts this knowledge and embraces the 'new form,' then it would truly be hopeless, and we'd have to physically purify her." Ian concluded.
He did not take immediate action to disperse the dark purple data stream.
Instead, he diverted some of his attention to "analyzing" these fragments of knowledge leaking from the edge of the Cthulhu dream at an almost greedy pace.
This was extremely valuable research material for him! It was far more exciting than anything he could find in the Restricted Section Hogwarts! Although it slightly lowered his sanity, it had no effect on Ian!
"Hmm... this spacetime coordinate is interesting... hmm? This life form transformation formula... though crude and barbaric, the idea is unique... oh? The vague definition of 'Old Gods' and ' Outer Gods '? Interesting..." Ian rapidly absorbed this Forbidden Knowledge, simultaneously neutralizing it with his powerful Mental Barrier and unique "cognitive filter." He was also, incidentally, pondering a plan to save Lina.
Directly and violently remove the pollution? No, that knowledge is deeply intertwined with parts of Lina's soul memories; forcibly separating it would turn her into an idiot or even cause her soul to collapse.
Establishing a mental firewall for isolation? That's possible, but it's only a temporary solution. The source of the pollution is still there, and the firewall will continue to be attacked. Moreover, Lina's prophetic talent itself is like a loophole.
It is easily re-infiltrated.
So...
Within Ian's core consciousness, a bolder, even insane, plan gradually took shape. Perhaps, he could try... "formatting" and "reinstalling the system"?
It's not in a physical sense, but rather at the spiritual and cognitive level.
Using the characteristics of the partial Cthulhu "knowledge" he had deciphered, combined with his mastery of magic and soul techniques, he performed a precise "surgery" on Lina's corrupted cognitive areas.
The goal is to "cover up" or "transform" those distorted and insane parts into a relatively stable and harmless form, while simultaneously constructing a more robust "new cognitive framework" for her remaining self-awareness that is compatible with her prophetic talents. This framework would allow her to retain her talents and some memories while resisting subsequent contamination...
This plan is extremely risky and requires meticulous execution, demanding a deep understanding of the structure of the soul and Cthulhu Pollution. Therefore, it can only be considered a backup plan.
"Perhaps I have a better option."
Ian suddenly realized something.
He no longer considered those fragments of knowledge, focusing all his attention on Lina's agonizing, struggling Soul Projection. His silvery-white Mental Power began to flow in a more complex and precise manner, preparing for this unprecedented soul surgery against the corruption of the Great Old Ones. "Yes, that should work too; it's a minor surgery." Ian's consciousness raced through Lina's soul world, filled with deep-sea nightmares and mad knowledge.
The plan has been finalized, and the details have been filled in.
"It's important to understand that directly confronting or purifying these contaminants originating from Cthulhu is a thankless and arduous task, and can easily trigger deeper backlashes."
He calmly analyzed, "The best approach is not 'elimination,' but rather 'overlay' and 'transformation.' Replace the system implanted by the Cthulhu Pollution with a more advanced, stable, and controllable 'information source' and 'cognitive framework.'"
Ian's gaze fell upon Lina's remaining core of self-awareness, teetering on the brink of collapse under the onslaught of mad knowledge. That core still flickered with a faint but pure light of the soul.
It represents Lina's true nature, memories, and emotions.
"Her 'prophetic' talent is essentially a higher-dimensional perception and information reception ability, which is neither good nor bad in itself. The problem is that the 'signals' she receives are too bad, all Cthulhu garbage channels," Ian thought. "Then, all we need to do is change her 'signal source' and add a powerful 'firewall' and 'decoder' to her 'receiver'."
What signal source should we switch to?
Ian immediately thought of himself.
Or rather, it's a certain "trait" and "status" from one's previous life, deeply integrated with one's soul—the Raven. The Raven, a mysterious symbol wandering the edge of time, connecting cause and effect with possibility. It represents memory, omens, insight, and... a kind of freedom and perspective beyond conventional Destiny. This has a natural affinity with the abilities of a "prophet." More importantly, the Raven's "status" is very high. Furthermore, the level of rules represented by the Raven belongs to a completely different system from the "chaos," "madness," and "Greater Old Ones" represented by Cthulhu, and there may even be some implicit "restraint" or "isolation." Therefore, using the Raven's "mark" to cover Cthulhu's "contamination" is theoretically feasible and a more prudent solution.
"That's settled then." Ian made the final decision. "Transform her into a ' Raven Prophet.' Using my Raven rank as an anchor, construct a new cognitive core and source of power for her. This way, we can both eliminate the effects of Cthulhu Pollution and preserve or even enhance her prophetic talents." "I can also benefit, so it's a win-win situation for everyone." Ian was still very interested in having a prophet servant. After all, his previous experiences and understanding of Grindelwald had given him a good grasp of the potential of prophetic Wizard; one prophetic Wizard was worth many, many ordinary Wizard. Of course...
Ian's idea of replacing Cthulhu's corruption with his own power is incredibly audacious. After all, forcibly reversing the corruption of a soul deeply tainted by the Great Old Ones, imprinting it with one's own mark, and transforming it into one's own "prophet" requires more than just technical skill. It also requires absolute dominance in terms of status and a profound understanding of the nature of one's own power.
Ian trusted the Raven's supremacy.
Based on his understanding of his previous life as Raven, he suspected that the Raven and the ancient Creator who were devoured by the Titan were at least on the same level.
A being of such a high rank would naturally be able to easily suppress Cthulhu. It should be noted that although the Cthulhu Mythos is named after Cthulhu, the Lord of R'lyeh is not the most powerful deity in the Cthulhu Mythos; he is merely a representative one.
People of this era may not understand Cthulhu, but for Ian, the Cthulhu Mythos is known information, and he is very familiar with the various divisions within this system.
In that dark depths beyond the reach of human reason, in the primordial beginning before stars were named and time took shape, the universe was already ruled by some indescribable being.
They are not gods, at least not the kind of benevolent or majestic gods that mortals understand. Rather, they are ultimate realities that transcend logic, disregard good and evil, and ignore the existence of humanity. This is the terrifying universe later known as the " Cthulhu Mythos," a boundless realm woven from nightmares, madness, and sleeping behemoths.
Although the world refers to this entire chilling mythological system as " Cthulhu," this octopus-headed giant, who should be slumbering in the underwater city of R'lyeh in the Pacific Ocean, is actually only one part of this vast and terrifying picture. He does possess power: once the stars are in their proper places, he will awaken from his millennia-long slumber, causing Earth Tremor and the collapse of civilizations. Yet, even so, in the true cosmic hierarchy, Cthulhu is merely a imprisoned Great Old Ones.
Powerful, yet still subject to an older, more unpredictable force.
Above him were the Outer Gods, whom even dreams dared not easily touch. At the center of everything, at the intersection of all origins and ends, lay Azathoth Blind Idiot God. The pool danced unconsciously on the throne of chaos, surrounded by the sounds of drums and flutes, while the entire universe was nothing more than bubbles that occasionally burst forth from the pool's mad dream.
If Azathoth is the source of the universe, then Yog-Sothoth is its boundary and gate—omniscient and omnipotent, omnipresent, existing both in the past and the future, both knowledge itself and an abyss that devours reason. Mortals who attempt to glimpse the pool's true form will have their souls shatter like thin ice. And then there is Nyarlathotep, the thousand-faced god. Unlike other beings, the pool doesn't slumber or remain indifferent; instead, it eagerly roams the human world, luring humanity towards destruction as a prophet, magician, shadow, or smiling stranger. The pool is the only Outer Gods that actively interacts with humanity, yet it is also the most dangerous—for the pool knows how to exploit hope, leading people step by step into the abyss of madness.
As for Cthulhu? He is more like a forgotten sentinel in this cold universe, a huge and silent monument reminding humanity: you are not the masters of the world, not even the audience, but just a speck of dust that happens to drift through the dreams of the gods. His name is widely known not because of his supreme status, but because his image is concrete enough.
It's enough for a mortal's mind to barely sketch out an outline, without causing them to collapse on the spot.
So people named the entire myth after him, as if that would put the unspeakable terror into a comprehensible box. The real terror lies in those Outer Gods whose names are difficult to pronounce and whose forms of existence are incomprehensible—especially Azathoth and Yog-Sothoth.
"No matter how you look at it, Raven is above Cthulhu! Aren't we all higher-dimensional gods?"
Ian became increasingly certain of this.
Without hesitation, he acted immediately. His silvery-white Mental Power began to undergo a fundamental change, no longer merely probing and defending, but actively intervening and shaping!
He began to extract, condense, and weave the mysterious and cold qualities of the " Raven " within his own soul, using them as a blueprint.
then.
Silvery-white runes, seemingly composed of the purest memory crystals and dust of time, began to form around his consciousness. These runes were incredibly complex in structure, full of non-linear beauty and the rhythm of time, a kind of manifestation of the " Raven " concept.
"It seems to be working."
Ian plans to use these runes as a foundation to first build a sturdy " Raven Sanctuary" around Lina's soul core, isolating it from the continuous erosion of external Cthulhu Pollution.
Then, Eiffel Tower carefully and gently grafted and assimilated Lina's remaining self-awareness with the concept of " Raven."
With his new identity and new understanding as the " Raven Prophet," Ian gradually replaces and covers up the corrupted and distorted parts. This is a delicate and lengthy process, like repairing a broken antique porcelain piece with the finest thread during a storm. Ian is using his abilities to do something "against the gods."
On the other side...
outside world.
Saruman and Karg were so tense they almost stopped breathing. Their eyes were fixed on Ian and Lina.
Ian had his eyes closed, his long eyelashes casting faint shadows in the dim light. His handsome yet cold face was now filled with a focused calm. The silvery light emanating from his fingertips, which lightly touched Lina's brow, became more solid and restrained, as if it contained infinite mysteries.
Lina's change was even more pronounced. Her body, which had been convulsing violently as if it were about to fall apart, gradually calmed down, as if soothed by an invisible hand.
The Girl's face, contorted with extreme pain, gradually relaxed; though still pale, it was at least no longer grotesque.
Her previously rapid, slippery breathing, as if she were about to suffocate, gradually became steady and longer. Most encouragingly, the frantically spreading patterns on her body, radiating an ominous purplish-black light, seemed to be spreading at a slower pace? Even the brightness of the light appeared to have dimmed slightly?
Although the lines are still there and the pulse is still slow, this is undoubtedly a positive sign!
"It works! It really works!" Karg was so excited he almost shouted it out, then quickly covered his mouth, afraid of disturbing Ian. His gaze toward Ian was filled with unprecedented gratitude and awe.
"Indeed! The Eiffel Tower is really amazing!"
Saruman also breathed a long sigh of relief, his heart, which had been in his throat, calming down a little.
He thought more deeply Karg. The mysterious power that Ian was displaying, which seemed to directly affect the deepest part of the soul, made him even more certain of his guess about " Merlin." Only the most powerful beings of the mythical era could possess such incredible abilities, right? Hope, like a campfire burning in the darkness, warmed their almost frozen hearts.
However, they did not know that Ian's "operation" on Lina's soul, especially the power of the " Raven " that he used, was like throwing a "stone" that did not belong to this system and emitted strange fluctuations into the deep, sea-like dream pond of Cthulhu. This "stone" may be very small.
However, its unique "frequency" and "intention" clearly penetrated the chaotic appearance and touched the subconscious of the sleeping behemoth deep in the pond.