Mortal Bodies, Equal to Gods

Liberty Island

Located in New York Harbor, it is a very small island.

The island may be small, but it is incredibly famous.

How famous is it?

There was a Far Eastern wizard—Lu Xun, who said everything he said—who even wrote a poem to praise it:

On Liberty Island, there's a goddess statue; beneath it, you and I play games; behind it, we make deals.

Indeed, the most famous thing on Liberty Island is the Statue of Statue of Liberty Emperor Guangxu.

It was designed by France sculptor Fred Auguste Thor and then presented as a gift to the United States to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the War of Independence.

Tonight, Liberty Island welcomed many tourists, but Muggle security personnel on the island were "sick" and on leave.

William was also among the tourists.

After receiving the information from Picquery, he immediately shook off the man and brought Hermione here.

A little inquiry reveals that there's a gathering here tonight.

The rally took place inside the Statue of Liberty.

Walking among the large crowd, William and Hermione were inconspicuous.

The most eye-catching were the wizards dressed in clothes with insignia.

What was printed on their clothes was not a slogan or a badge, but a strange pattern:

Amidst the dazzling yellow and red flames, a pair of hands gripped a broken magic wand.

--The logo of the Salem Association.

The Salem organization has appeared multiple times in the history of United States History of Magic.

The earliest instance dates back to the seventeenth century.

The Scourers of the time, in alliance with the Puritans, orchestrated the infamous Salem Witch Trials.

This was a trial of people accused of practicing witchcraft, which resulted in the execution of 20 people, most of whom were girls.

This event led to the establishment of the Magical Congress of the United States of America.

The Scourers also united to form the Salem Association and confront the Magical Congress.

This time spans more than a century.

The period was also marked by the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, both of which featured elements of wizarding conflict.

With the Scourers suffering heavy losses and going underground, the original Salem Association also vanished completely.

The Second Salem emerged in the early twentieth century.

The initial leader was Mary Lou Barebone, a descendant of the Scourers and an extremist.

Originally, this was an insignificant organization, one that even the Magical Congress of the United States of America didn't really want to pay attention to.

But among the orphans adopted by Barebone was a boy Credence... who was unexpectedly a Obscurial.

Grindelwald's discovery of him also led to the Battle of New York, which nearly exposed the entire United States magical community.

Later, with the death of Credence and the defeat of Grindelwald, the Second Salem was declared a failure.

Just before the turn of the millennium, this organization resurfaced, giving rise to what is known as the Third Salem.

For more than a year, they have been holding rallies and trying to expand their influence.

William and Hermione went up the stairs and into the interior of the Statue of Liberty.

The interior of the Statue of Liberty was already open to visitors, but it has now been expanded by the Undetectable Extension Charm to accommodate even more wizards.

The two descended a narrow staircase into a circular room, where they were met with a shocking scene.

Hundreds of male and female wizards gathered in one place, the crowd was dense and the atmosphere was tense.

Some wizards were nervous but curious, while others were extremely excited.

There was nothing in the hall, not even seats—just a podium against the opposite wall.

People were whispering, their voices mingling and buzzing together, creating a dull and noisy atmosphere.

Finally, the crowd began to cheer.

A sixteen-year-old boy stepped onto the stage, and the wizards were overjoyed, erupting in cheers.

William recognized the man at a glance—sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle.

Tom hasn't changed at all compared to four years ago.

Because he was resurrected from Horcrux, he cannot grow up, and his strength and appearance are completely fixed.

But his ability to manipulate people became increasingly sophisticated.

Tom Riddle stood on the stage, looking like both a demagogue and a rock star, and the audience's enthusiasm gradually escalated.

"Good evening, friends. My name is Osiris." His gentle voice echoed in the room.

Tom didn't use his real name; instead, he used the name Osiris, the god of the underworld in Egypt mythology.

He's acting just like he did two years ago at the Quidditch World Cup... truly treating himself like the Death.

Tom's voice was calm and unhurried, without any sense of pressure, as if he were chatting with everyone.

"Tonight, with everyone gathered here, I am able to share my thoughts with you all in this place."

Some people applauded, but the majority of the audience were still the witches.

Clearly, Tom has picked up his most powerful weapon again—making a living with his good looks.

Tom pressed his hand down and said loudly:

"But today I don't want to talk about the International Statute of Secrecy; I don't want to discuss the dark history of the Magical Congress; I don't want to criticize the conservatism and corruption of the International Confederation of Wizards..."

I just want to talk about Muggle, about the changes they've undergone.

No one spoke, but the atmosphere grew increasingly lively.

Tom looked around and paced slowly across the podium:

"To understand the changes in Muggle, one must understand the historical context, which is crucial at all times, and tonight is no exception."

He snapped his fingers, and images began to be projected onto the walls of the room, like a movie.

"Early Muggle created a vast system of myths to explain things they couldn't understand."

In Muggle terms, it's called the "God of the Void."

Tom looked at everyone and explained:

"This means that when ancient people came to understand the world around them, they used gods to fill in the gaps in their knowledge or understanding of the world."

"And countless powerful wizards became gods in the mouths of Muggle," Tom said.

"However, Muggle scientific knowledge has advanced rapidly over the past few centuries."

At that moment, another set of images appeared in the sky, filled with various mathematical and technical symbols.

"Muggle gain a deeper understanding of the world, the gaps in their knowledge gradually disappear, and at the same time, they worship fewer and fewer gods."

Thus, Jesus, who was able to rise from the dead, fell from his pedestal;

Merlin became a magician Joker, and the dark wizard Morgan was completely forgotten;

The story of Moses parting the Red Sea with a magic wand has become a laughable tale.

In addition, there are stories like George slaying the dragon, David Goliath...

Everyone held their breath. Tom said in a low voice:

"These once powerful wizards, who once held the place of gods in the hearts of Muggle, have also become a foolish myth from a primitive era, forgotten by the Muggle."

"However, please don't get this wrong. It's not the Muggle' fault; these 'gods' have simply hidden themselves."

Wizards, having abandoned their former status and concocted the so-called "International Statute of Secrecy," are now relegated to the shadows like rats.

"The blossoming of magic occurs only in a select few souls. And these few, with mortal bodies, stand shoulder to shoulder with the gods."

Tom shouted, his voice deafening:

"We were born to be gods, to rule this world, to rule the Muggle, just as we did thousands of years ago!"

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Thank you to the generous donor "The Person Under the Moon Has Passed Away" for the donation.