The world returned to color.
But it did not take Ian away from this scene.
The raven has indeed completed the forging!
Or rather, it was a rather unique biological alchemy! Unlike traditional biological alchemy, which creates life, the raven merely creates a shell!
Yes! A shell!
The body forged from the Misty Illusion Realm does not contain a soul, nor is it a product meant for the Misty Illusion Realm. The body exudes a vibrant vitality not belonging to the Misty Illusion Realm.
Obviously, it's just a baby's shell!
"This..."
Ian stood in the distance, watching this scene, a nameless emotion rising in his heart.
He didn't know who this baby was.
But he knew.
It was an alchemy creation forged.
A unique existence nurtured by the Heart of the Creator, Titan Body, Furnace of Destiny, and many other things Ian couldn't recognize.
A brand new life that does not belong to the past or the present, perhaps not even human but a new species entirely akin to a human baby.
When the raven pulled the baby out of the sea of fire.
Its feathers trembled slightly.
As if bearing some unspeakable weight.
It looked down at the child it held on its wings, a complex emotion flashing in its eyes—not joy, not pity, but a kind of reverent anticipation.
It was anticipation.
It gently unfolded its wings, wrapping the baby within, then slowly flew towards the sky. The volcano still boiled, the world remained in black and white, but something deeper had quietly changed.
The raven spoke excitedly; the information laden in its words was abundant.
"Good, good, good! Bird Lord has made it! Bird Lord, I want to be human again!" The raven's voice echoed through the sky, carrying a hint of pride, a touch of ecstasy, and even a long-lost human emotion.
Countless thoughts instantly surfaced in Ian's mind: Was it tired of being a raven? Did it want to break away from the God of Death's control? Or had it foreseen some greater future?
Did it need a vessel that could truly walk in the real world?
Perhaps not.
Simply wanted to be human?
"So, is this the human body the raven created for itself?" Ian stood frozen in place, his pupils trembling, watching as the raven, entirely black, soared into the sky.
On its back, it stably carried a crystal-clear baby.
His brain momentarily stalled, his face full of incredulity and confusion.
The raven went to great lengths, forging magma, investing the Creator's heart, Titan's organs, even willing to go against the God of Death... just to create a baby body for itself?!
This bird wanted to be human again?! He originally thought the raven was forging some kind of divine artifact or a deeper existence, but it turned out it was creating a new body for itself?
The raven was already a high-being dwelling in the Misty Illusion Realm.
It was the master of destiny, an existence beyond mortal comprehension. But now, it seemed to want to rejoin the human world, becoming "human" again in a new identity.
No matter how one thinks about it.
It all seems this obsession is slightly foolish.
"This is so absurd." Ian's mouth twitched slightly, not knowing whether to criticize the raven's ridiculous plan or to be shocked that it actually succeeded.
His mind was filled with many thoughts.
If he himself was the reincarnation of the raven, did it mean the baby just forged was himself? Such a thought made Ian's mouth twitch even more.
Honestly.
It's improbable for anyone to willingly accept such a circumstance; nobody wants to be a species not born of parents but a "monster" forged in a volcano.
Witnessing one's own birth is an uncomfortable notion just to think about.
"Illusion, it must be an illusion. I am indeed a descendant of the Prince Clan, and my bloodline has been verified." Ian couldn't help analyzing in his heart.
Indeed.
As a descendant of the Prince Clan, there was no doubt, and even Professor Snape, the good uncle, had conducted numerous bloodline verifications.
If there was truly an issue.
Then Snape would have discovered it long ago.
At the very least, he would inform Professor Albus Dumbledore. This is a very reasonable inference; no way would the raven incorporate something like the Prince Clan's bones when forging a baby, right?
There's no sense in that.
Moreover.
Even if so.
The child still lacks a genuine process of birth, and it's unlikely to be considered an heir of the Prince Clan unless the raven altered all wizards' memories?
"Sss."
Ian realized this wasn't impossible based on what he had learned about the raven from Merlin and others, considering the raven's actions often defy conventional logic.
Just like him.
While Ian found himself in somewhat inexplicable emotions.
"Boom—!"
A scythe as black as night tore through the air.
Tearing through the interwoven black-and-white world, heading straight for the raven! Where the scythe moved, the air shattered, space distorted, and a terrifying aura of death swept forth like a tsunami!
It seemed the entire world was making way for this attack.
It's the God of Death!
He finally returned.
This slash, aimed directly at the baby on the raven's back!
The God of Death doesn't want the raven to succeed!
"Gah?!" The raven suddenly turned its head, its red eyes shrinking, wings instantly closing, its form flashing to the side like lightning.