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Yes…
This was a time long forgotten, an era when gods walked the earth and Ancient Dragons soared across the skies.
Though Ian knew this might just be a bold guess of his own, he still felt the possibility was very high. The magic used by those black-robed wizards just now didn't only carry the unmistakable aura of sorcery, it also had that same divine resonance he'd felt before, when encountering gods themselves.
Only someone like Ian, who had actually seen gods, could tell the difference.
If it had been anyone else from Hogwarts, even Dumbledore himself might not have sensed it as he did.
"If this is true… then the entire history of wizards, even the gods, may have to be rewritten."
Ian clicked his tongue in awe at his own speculation. And that wasn't the only reason for his suspicion.
Right now, he stood upon a scarred and ravaged land.
Everywhere he looked, the ground was blackened and cracked, save for the small patch beneath his feet, protected by his own magic.
The air was thick with the burnt tang of ash and the faint, sickly sweetness of roasted flesh.
These were the traces left behind by the black-robed wizards, their mark upon the world after hunting down a Ancient Dragon with magic powerful enough to rival a meteor shower. Since the world hadn't reset, the signs of their hunt naturally remained.
The sky had cleared again, yet the devastation they wrought on the environment persisted.
And as the rain began to fall once more, Ian suddenly sensed that ancient magical aura returning.
The raindrops did not feel cold or sharp, but instead carried a strange warmth and faint luminescence. Each drop that touched the earth seemed to awaken something sleeping below. On the lifeless ground, faint green began to emerge, tender shoots pushing through the ashes, trembling softly in the breeze like the hope of new students at the start of term.
"So they actually understand the importance of environmental protection?"
Ian extended a hand. A droplet landed in his palm, rippling with a soft golden glow.
"A growth spell?"
He tilted his head back, letting the rain strike his face. His narrowed eyes lifted to the now-brightening sky, his heart a tangle of emotion.
This kind of magic…
It existed in his time, yes, but never on such a vast scale, nor with such speed.
This wasn't ordinary rain, but something fused with the essence of nature and the very origin of magic. It felt like the tears of the earth, or the healing power of time itself, quietly restoring life at the brink of death.
"So, not just a growth spell…"
Ian focused deeper, and what he sensed stunned him.
Far away, on the charred trunk of a once-mighty tree, new branches were sprouting.
Lush green leaves unfolded layer by layer until, within minutes, the tree was as vibrant as before. He watched rainwater pool into small puddles, and in those puddles, several translucent little fish appeared out of thin air.
They flicked their tails joyfully as they swam.
Even the creation of life itself! This was something no form of magic, not even alchemy, could accomplish!
"This…"
Ian muttered, his voice trembling with awe.
He looked up. In the falling rain, glowing motes drifted like tiny living stars, each carrying the essence of life itself.
The rain continued to fall, but every scar upon the land was healed. The clouds split apart, a ray of light breaking through, and under its touch, the world bloomed anew.
Ian stood motionless, watching it all, and for the first time, felt a shock that went beyond words.
"As I thought… those wizards, their magic will inevitably make them into gods!"
At that moment, Ian was more convinced than ever that his earlier guess might be right.
This place… It belonged to no known era. It transcended history as Ian knew it.
This was the Age of Gods, but not the glorious age sung of in myth. Rather, this was the origin, the chaotic beginning.
Here, infinite possibilities converged. The world's shape had not yet been chosen.
The gods had not yet decided the path creation would take.
"Still… It's only my guess. But if it's the truth, it's far too shocking to believe."
Ian shook his head, forcing his wild thoughts away.
Remembering the vanished Ancient Dragon and those ancient wizards, he realized that if he ever hoped to return to the proper time, or even the proper era, he would have to find them.
"Always finding the road home… that's becoming my life's theme as of late, isn't it?"
He sighed softly, weariness coloring his tone. This wasn't his first time crossing time and space, but this time was different.
He hadn't entered this unknown world by choice. He had been swept here by a sudden, overwhelming storm of magic.
"It's all my fault for wanting to gather those super potions and alchemy ingredients." Ian felt a pang of regret at his own greed; he'd let the knowledge that every part of an ancient Ancient Dragon was a treasure blind his judgment.
If he hadn't gone searching for a Ancient Dragon, he wouldn't have encountered the endlessly respawning ones. If he hadn't encountered them, he wouldn't have been sucked into this strange, unknown place just for knocking one on the head.
In the end, it all came down to greed.
If he'd just gone back to Hogwarts with the new trio, he'd probably be fast asleep by now, blissfully snoring away instead of standing here in the rain, being watched by mosquitoes the size of his head.
"I knew I shouldn't have touched that bronze gate," he muttered, glancing around. "But now, saying that doesn't mean much. What's done is done."
He sighed.
"Well, maybe this counts as a heroic act in its own way. If I hadn't come, someone else would've, and if it were another wizard, they'd never survive being sucked dry by these mosquitoes."
With a flick of his wand, Ian cast Fiendfyre, reducing a massive mosquito that had tried to ambush him to ashes. Then he tugged at the tops of his waterlogged boots; the sticky squelch beneath his soles was proof of just how drenched the ground was.
He really hated this kind of damp, heavy environment. Even breathing deeply for a few moments made him feel light-headed, and, truth be told, science still existed in this world.
Creatures as massive as Ancient Dragons or even ordinary dinosaurs all needed oxygen to live, but the oxygen levels that could sustain them were far from suitable for humans.
Too much oxygen meant an excess of reactive oxygen species, which damaged cells and DNA. Even Legendary Wizards would start to feel dizzy if they inhaled too much of it.
Still, the dinosaurs, the Ancient Dragons, and all those gigantic magical creatures clearly thrived in such an environment.
The larger the organism, the more oxygen it required. A high-oxygen atmosphere allowed such enormous life forms to exist, since their colossal metabolisms needed more energy. That was why gigantic insects and other massive species could only appear during periods of high oxygen concentration.
Of course, in such an environment, materials ignited more easily, meaning fires could spread faster. But it also made fire-based magic easier to cast and significantly more powerful.
Ian had just experienced that firsthand when he set that mosquito ablaze.
Science and magic coexisted here, in a strangely elegant balance.
"Who says magic isn't a kind of science? Magic is science, in its own way."
He didn't dwell on the thought for long. Right now, the most important thing was figuring out where he was and how to leave.
(To Be Continued…)