Then, William wasn't in a rush. Instead, he leisurely cast a Forgetfulness Spell on everyone except for the minister. Afterward, he put his hood back on, and his form began to transform rapidly—the kind of transformation a Human Transfiguration Spell could achieve, given that Voldemort's appearance was somewhat too inhuman.
Wrinkles began to cover William's entire body, making him look like a long-bearded old man on the brink of death. The magic wand in his hand transformed into a pitch-black bird-headed staff.
Fluffy obediently walked over and hoisted William onto its back. A golden throne grew from its back. Having made all the preparations, William lightly pointed at the pile of people who had fainted. The next moment, Andrew, who had been foaming at the mouth, rolled his eyes and woke up again.
"Boom—"
At the moment he regained consciousness, the smell of sulfur suddenly hit him, and the man who was still somewhat disoriented snapped awake instantly. He looked at the deep red lava flowing downward from the top of the Divine Hall, and his lips began to tremble uncontrollably. Before he could speak, a hoarse sigh came from the back of the Three-Headed Dog—
"My name is Hades..."
As they say, when you're out and about, your identity is yours to decide!
...
...
"Bang—"
The man rolled down the stairs and planted headfirst into the snow at the base of the peak. William, who had returned to his original appearance, clapped his hands, put away his wand, and led the Three-Headed Dog, who was stretching its legs to pee at the door of the Divine Hall, back inside.
After re-spreading the Niffler "virus," William got up and walked back to the base of the Zeus Statue.
At this moment, the statue looked completely different from before. Although "Zeus" was still sitting casually on his throne, the lightning he had been holding indifferently was now raised above his head, as if ready to smash down on any intruder. Even his previously calm expression had turned ferocious.
There indeed was a mechanism here. After William pretended to return from the Netherworld as Hades, the man, who had just been hit with a Crucio, followed by a barrage of spells like the Confundus Charm and an Occlumency assault, wouldn't just believe William if he said he was Hades; he might even believe it if William claimed to be God.
Thus, under a round of friendly coercion and inducement explained in simple terms, the man spilled all the secrets he knew about the Divine Hall as if pouring beans from a bamboo tube.
With the man's introduction, William opened the secret door at the base of Zeus. Though Zeus did want to make a move at that moment, he was immediately incapacitated by William's Imprisonment Spell. The golem, being too large, was too slow to act. It would take Zeus long enough to stand up that William could brush his teeth, wash his face, and get a good night's sleep.
After confirming that the facts were consistent with what the man said, William cast two Forgetfulness Spells and a Stunning Spell to send the man into dreamland. When he wakes up, he won't remember Hell's Three-Headed Dog, Nine-Headed Giant Serpent Hydra, or Hades descending on Olympus... If he can remember his own gender, that would be impressive resistance.
William triple-checked that walking into that secret door was safe. Having mingled in Black Wizard circles for half a year, he always remained cautious, as a wizard even at their peak is as fragile as a normal Muggle when ambushed.
Therefore, William would never put his weak points at risk.
Behind the secret door was a hall with astonishing capacity. It seemed more like the proper Olympus Divine Hall. Around the hall's perimeter, empty, human-sized chairs were neatly arranged. The marble pillars, resembling white jade, were no longer as grand as those outside, having returned to normal size.
In the hall's center was a vast floor tile made of a Seik Stone that radiated golden light.
Similarly, at the center of the Seik Stone was a stone instrument resembling a Meditation Basin, but it was clearly a Moon Gnomon.
"Sectumsempra!"
William didn't rush to move forward. Instead, he swung his wand, sending an invisible blade slicing through the air, targeting the marble pillar to his left. The originally polished stone pillar instantly developed a notch, revealing a golden flow from the cut.
The black crystal was exposed in the air.
Is this place entirely composed of Seik Crystal?
Looking at the crystal beneath the pillar, William waved his wand at the ceiling once more. Amidst the dust, similar black, semi-transparent crystals appeared in William's view.
"Tsk—"
Seeing the golden runes emerging from the crystal, William's eye twitched slightly—as a modern master in Ancient Runes, even if he stared at the runes for a moment longer, he started to feel a bit dizzy.
He closed his eyes and diverted his gaze, but his hands didn't idle. Alternating between The Blasting Curse, Diffindo, and Sectumsempra, he efficiently chipped away at the marble encasing the Seik Stone like a modern construction team. The fragments were then uniformly collected by a pair of Nifflers and carried away in their bellies.
"Damn..."
Feeling the dizziness from all directions even with his eyes closed, William channeled magic power into his brain, his Occlumency running at full speed, filling his head with a refreshing coolness as blue flames danced within his eye sockets.
Finally, the complex and profound runes began to become more obedient before his eyes.
"Is this... Traceless Extension?"
Frowning, William carefully scrutinized the runes on the surrounding pillars, eventually confirming the answer. Although these appeared far more complex than the "modern" Runes etched on Moonstone, he could still sharply discern their common origin.
Looking again at the intricate patterns covering the space, William confirmed once more—
The mighty gods of myth were merely exceptionally powerful wizards from ancient times. Otherwise, why did Zeus's many children living among mortals in Ancient Greece possess Divine Power? It was due to inherited magic power; a wizard's children are often wizards too.
At most, the unusual ones might be Squibs.
With that conclusion in mind, William walked up to the Moon Gnomon at the room's center and touched the unknown liquid it contained.
He scooped some with his hand. The next moment, the water surface, illuminated by the moonlight, aligned back with the stone—was magic at work, suggesting he should drink it all? Andrew had told him that according to an ancestral secret code, whoever could finish it would gain the powers of the Olympian Gods.
William tasted a bit with his fingers...
Well, as Andrew said, it was indescribably awful.
William then gazed at the Three-Headed Dog, which followed at his heels, focusing on the head to the left, which appeared more foolish than Fluffy and Xiaoming. He couldn't help but smile, "Are you thirsty?"
"Woof?"
...
...
Mount Olympus, a famous tourist destination, was designated a protected tourist ecological area by Greece as early as 1938.
But now, during the Christmas holiday, there weren't many tourists here.
And at the foot of Mitikas Peak, the sparsely populated wooden walkway creaked as William held the lethargic Three-Headed Dog in his arms. He opted not to carry it in his hand and fly down. Having a fear of heights, and with what just happened... better not torment it any further.
Narrowing his eyes, William began to contemplate his recent gains. But it was at this moment that he sensed something and instinctively turned his head.
And then he met the eyes of a plainly dressed old man.
The old man, with a head full of white hair and a face full of wrinkles, was staring fixedly at the Three-Headed Dog, which now had only one head due to transformation, in William's arms. Upon noticing William's gaze, the old man smiled shyly, and the freckles on his cheeks, seemingly present since boyhood, flushed slightly.
"Your... dog's condition doesn't seem quite right."