Static! In the grotto, there was an eerie silence. Sirius, Hagrid, Madam Maxime, and all the giants seemed to have forgotten to make a sound. They couldn't believe their eyes as they looked at Evan, witnessing the incredible power emanating from his seemingly frail and thin body. How had he achieved this level of strength? Even Dumbledore and Voldemort might have struggled to defeat such a formidable giant soldier. If a wizard possessed the power Evan demonstrated, giants would become nothing more than war machines or laughable, abnormal trolls.
"I have proven my strength, but does anyone still oppose me?" Evan continued to inquire, surveying the situation around him. No one dared to confront him; their only thoughts were submission. Surprisingly, nobody even dared to make eye contact with him, including Golgomath, who lowered his head in surrender. Continuing the battle held no significance; Evan's second crushing victory had already proven their vulnerability. The magical strength displayed by Evan was beyond imagination, leaving the giants utterly astounded. They would face certain destruction if they didn't qualify for an alliance with him.
Only Sirius might have a clue of what had just happened; Evan had tapped into the power of the Philosopher's Stone. Though he appeared relaxed, he was, in fact, physically drained. The Philosopher's Stone had taken a heavy toll on his body. He fought through intense exhaustion and dizziness, assisted by magical runes, avoiding the immediate loss of consciousness he had experienced before. The Slytherin's locket hadn't demonstrated its unusual power yet. Still, Evan could maintain consciousness, giving him the right to wield the Philosopher's Stone in battle.
In this performance, Evan needed to play his part convincingly. He had to make the giants fear him and make them acknowledge his strength. No matter who they became, the giants forever remembered their fear when Evan's name was mentioned. Evan needed to make the giants realize that supporting Voldemort and the Death Eaters might not be the correct choice.
Judging by the expressions on the giants' faces, Evan knew he had achieved his goal. Giants were a species that couldn't be easily swayed by words; one had to demonstrate their physical prowess. Killing a giant wouldn't make them angry or sad; instead, it would earn their admiration. Evan leaned against the wall, returning the Philosopher's Stone to its place.
Before withdrawing completely from the Philosopher's Stone, Evan raised his head to glance at a giant Cyclops statue at the end of the grotto. In the next moment, his eyes opened wide in disbelief. Even in his current state, where he possessed enough magical power to crush anything, he felt an ancient and formidable presence emanating from the giant statue. This strength was strange, primitive, simple, and yet overwhelmingly powerful. It could contend with a god's power- the Cyclops' strength.
Time seemed to freeze, and the space around him became thick and heavy. Evan stared at the statue, resisting the incredible force it exerted. Hagrid, Sirius, Madam Maxime, and the giants watched Evan intently, not understanding what was happening. Evan remained frozen, overwhelmed by the magical energy he had tapped into, and no one dared to move or even breathe.
After a long silence, Sirius finally approached Evan and spoke hushedly, realizing that something was amiss with Evan's condition. Evan's back was sweaty, and he struggled to maintain control. The red glow from the Philosopher's Stone intensified, absorbing more magical energy.
In response, the strength emanating from the Cyclops statue suddenly dissipated as if it had never been there. Evan's body couldn't handle the strain any longer, and he felt himself slipping into darkness. As he descended into the abyss, he felt like he was falling endlessly, with no end in sight. Just as he began to feel nauseous, a red light appeared.
It was magma, the earth's molten core, like a scene from the depths of hell. Evan saw a colossal monster submerged in the endless lava, its body stretching downward into the magma, partially exposed on the surface. It was many times larger than a giant, its muscular body shimmering crimson. It seemed to merge with the scorching magma, absorbing it into its form.
This was a Cyclops, its eyes closed, devoid of strength and life. But Evan could sense that it was still alive, albeit weak. It was in a deep slumber, and with each breath, the magma surged around it. Whenever the Cyclops inhaled, the magma erupted, which was likely the reason for the frequent eruptions of Mount Etna.
Evan looked around and realized that a single surviving Cyclops was as powerful as the most fearsome evil gods. The situation within the magical circle would profoundly change when he woke up. The world would tremble beneath his feet!
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In legend, Cyclops favorably compares to the Spiritual Gods with its terrifying biological attributes. It possesses incredible strength and can control lightning and magic. However, the eye strikes fear into the hearts of all. Each Cyclops' single eye grants them different abilities, such as cursed sight, perspective, duplication magic, precognition, and even the use of illusions, to name a few. The one eye is their symbol and a synonym for fear, representing the dark age when Cyclops ruled thousands of years ago. If this lone Cyclops were to awaken, the world would tremble beneath its feet.
As Evan's consciousness hovers above the red magma, he gazes calmly at the colossal monster below. Had this creature battled Gryffindor in the past? It was truly formidable, defying description by ordinary standards. It left no room for rebellion and made giants like Cacus and Golgomath seem like mere dwarves compared to it. Compared to an average person, the mightiest giants appeared frail and insignificant, ready to crumble with a single blow. Humanity was like tiny ants to the Cyclops, and a careless step could seal their fate. Evan recalled Ravenclaw's warning from his memories that even the ancient masters didn't dare provoke Cyclops recklessly.
Turning his gaze away from the fearsome Cyclops, Evan noticed thirteen semicircular stone platforms on the edge of the rocky nucleus. On these platforms stood cloaked and hooded wizards, wielding wands and chanting incantations rapidly. Magic energy emanated from the wizards, gradually forming complex magical patterns. Oval-shaped black gems adorned the dikes behind them, surrounded by intricate dark green magic patterns. These patterns and arcane designs intertwined, and cryptic ancient writings slowly materialized. The progress was slow but steady.
These wizards in black robes were slowly converging towards the center of the magma, resembling vines creeping up a wall. As the magic continued, the magma below churned wildly, giving birth to an inexplicable and mysterious power. Evan sensed an unsettling premonition from the dark ceremony fueled by the magic these wizards were conjuring. The Cyclops within the magma had not perished; it lay dormant, regaining its strength. These dark wizards were attempting to awaken it. Did they know what they were doing? This was as insane as summoning an evil god.
Evan wanted to intervene, but he was only conscious at this point and couldn't take action. He began to wonder if everything he was witnessing was real or just a dream, albeit an incredibly surreal one. What would these dark wizards gain by awakening Cyclops? The first sacrifice would likely be the dark wizards standing on these platforms.
But this dream felt strikingly real, and the world was never short of lunatics who would undertake such insane actions. Evan lost track of time but eventually noticed a translucent figure smiling beside him. He blinked and realized it was Gryffindor, a youthful version, probably around 17 years old. Gryffindor had a happy expression on his face, with slightly bashful features. There was no scar on his eye, and his nimble and resourceful gaze matched his fiery red hair, making him look youthful and charismatic. He hadn't spoken yet but waved to Evan, holding a silver-white scabbard.
Evan received the scabbard, and information flooded his mind. He learned the essence of the situation. Under the influence of the Philosopher's Stone, Gryffindor had embedded his thoughts into the scabbard, hoping Evan would prevent the dark ceremony from awakening Cyclops. Gryffindor didn't know the specific purpose of the ceremony but was certain that it had to be stopped. Evan realized he couldn't communicate with Gryffindor, and all the information he needed could only be obtained by taking the genuine scabbard to exchange thoughts with Gryffindor. This would reveal the true nature of the dark magic being performed and why the dark wizards attempted to awaken the deep-core Cyclops.
Gradually, the red-hot temperature receded, and the surroundings turned dark, pitch black. Evan calmly floated in the darkness. He was overwhelmed by exhaustion, and it seemed he had fallen asleep.
In his slumber, Evan heard someone calling his name, probably Sirius. Sirius informed him that because of his display of power, they had formed an alliance with the giants, a basic requirement of which was for Cacus and Golgomath to marry their daughters to Evan. These were two young and adorable female giants, and Evan couldn't refuse. However, he was struggling, unable to exert any strength.
Then, Evan found himself completely undressed by the giants and thrown onto a rock-made bed, which Cacus and his wife had used before. Evan continued to struggle, but he couldn't make a sound. Two young female giants, Cacus and Golgomath's daughters, approached him. One was roughly his age, while the other was about five years older. From Evan's perspective, these two female giants were truly colossal, with impressive growth. The older of the two was even taller than Evan by a considerable margin. They climbed onto the bed, and breathless Evan watched as they merged into one being before his eyes, transforming into the terrifying Cyclops.
The pressure on him grew, and Evan felt himself being crushed mercilessly by the immense weight. Struggling to breathe, he opened his eyes and found himself in a bed, possibly inside some grotto. Evan was gasping for air and felt that the surroundings gradually merged with the images and dreams he had experienced.