Chapter 340 Altered Destiny And The Dark Temple
The mysterious ancient magical civilization, the Dark Gods of the void, and the magical creations left behind by the most wicked Dark wizards in history, the unfolding of events had far exceeded expectations...
This led Evan to wonder if he was in the magical world of Harry Potter.
He sighed and gently touched the wand at his waist, the cold touch bringing him back to reality.
Deep within the underground ruins, the eye monster proclaimed itself as the God of Death in front of the Acromantulas. It was in charge of eternal life and had aided Aragog in extending his life with Dark powers. However, in the end, it was proven that it was no God at all, but the magical creation of the most malicious Dark wizard in history, possibly Herpo the Foul himself.
So, what about this creature called the "Forest God" by the Centaurs?!
Evan pondered for a moment, but confusion clouded his mind. He didn't know what the other monster was, but he was certain that things were getting very complicated, and the Centaurs who believed in it held a part of the key to Gryffindor's Secret Treasure.
Reclaiming the fragmented part was certainly not going to be easy.
"Did you see the blood moon over the Temple?!" Firenze said softly, his face hidden in darkness. "This is the worst of omens. As I just mentioned, ancient evil is returning, and the malevolent god is on the verge of re-entering the world..."
"Are you suggesting that someone is trying to summon the evil dark creature your ancestors worshipped or awaken it from its slumber?!" Evan inquired.
"Could it be Voldemort?" Harry said, "He is the most nefarious Dark wizard."
"Yes, sounds like something You-Know-Who might attempt." Ron nodded.
"This makes no sense at all. How does Voldemort know about the Centaurs?" Hermione frowned. "And it's impossible for him..."
"I don't know what has happened, but destiny has truly changed!" Instead of addressing their questions directly, Firenze continued, "In the past days, events have unfolded. The blood moon representing the malevolent gods coincided with Mars's path symbolizing Magical War, which means not only you humans, but even the Centaurs will be involved in the upcoming war."
Upon hearing Firenze's words, the faces of Harry, Ron, and Hermione were filled with uncertainties.
They had no clue what Firenze was speaking about. A terrible evil god had just emerged, and now there was an inexplicable Magical War.
Harry recalled Hagrid's remarks about the Centaurs when he was chatting with him a few days ago: "The Centaurs are just old confused mules. They always stare at the stars and give vague warnings to others, but turn a deaf ear to what's happening around them. They may know many secrets, but never directly reveal what they know; it's futile to communicate with them about such signs."
Harry pondered on it for a moment but found no leads.
Evan knew that the war Firenze spoke of was the Second Magical War after Voldemort's return.
Did that mean Voldemort would summon the evil god revered by the Centaurs' ancestors?!
Although Voldemort had always looked down upon non-human magical creatures, that did not rule out this possibility.
Everything was too vague, and in the face of unknown foes, Evan needed more information.
Just as he was about to ask Firenze, he noticed Magorian and Sirius arriving.
"Honorable human warrior, welcome to the Centaur colony!" Magorian bowed gently to Evan and waved his hand, seemingly a signal.
Almost instantly, the dark, straight path in the middle of the colony suddenly lit up.
Bonfires were set on both sides of the road, which were lit in turns by the Centaurs.
It was a path of light illuminated by fire, stretching from the entrance of the colony to the Temple on the central island, looking truly spectacular.
"The elder is waiting for you!" Magorian turned around and looked disdainfully at Sirius, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, saying with disgust, "As for the four of you, you are also allowed to enter the Sacred Temple!"
"They are treating us as followers of Evan!" Ron couldn't help but murmur.
"Don't take it seriously; the Centaurs have always been like that. Many Centaurs are like Magorian. They are arrogant. They disdain humans," Sirius said uneasily. "We'd better hurry and not linger here too long."
The grand welcoming party moved forward again, and Evan and Hermione also wanted to ask Firenze about the evil god he had just mentioned, but he was nowhere to be seen.
They entered the Centaur colony along the central path. On both sides of the road, more and more Centaurs emerged from the cabins, watching them with curiosity.
Most of these Centaurs were elderly women, weak, and children, and most of them were foals. Evan noticed that several foals were very small, only reaching his knees. Apparently, they had never seen humans before, their eyes filled with curiosity and fear.
Compared to following this path directly, Evan preferred to visit the Centaur colony and observe closely the civilization of these beings, which was a very rare opportunity.
Magorian apparently had no intention of doing so. He led the way forward.
As Evan drew closer to the huge Temple on the central hill, he felt more surprise and hidden pressure. The Temple was about half the size of Hogwarts Castle. It was made of obsidian, and the floor was covered with cyan marble slabs.
The walls were engraved with exaggerated patterns of Centaurs, hunting, making sacrifices, gazing at the stars, conversing, etc., as well as the paths of various stars.
But that was not all. There were many creatures and patterns that Evan couldn't understand.
They were irregularly arranged everywhere, and the eyes of all the creatures gave the feeling that they were being watched, creating an ancient mysterious pressure that prevented speaking aloud.
If there were words to describe the Temple, it would be that it was dark and depressing.
"Something terrible is about to happen. In the dark Temple full of taboos, the ancient magic of the Dark Devil will be..." with the wind whistling, Professor Trelawney's hoarse and hysterical voice resonated once again in Evan's ear.
Could the Centaur Temple be the place mentioned in that prophecy?
Uncertainty arose from the depths of Evan's heart, and he felt his blood about to freeze in his veins, pondering repeatedly on this matter, reflecting on the terrible prophecy that was about to be fulfilled.
When he came back to reality, he realized he had reached the entrance of the Temple.
A cool breeze blew, and his back was soaked in cold sweat.
Evan gasped, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead and looking at the dark and narrow stone passage ahead of him...