To be or not to be was never a question for most people.
Faced with irresistible power, unless there were irreconcilable conflicts, the choice of wise men remained the same: cooperation and submission.
Wayne left the Nibelung Divine Realm with a smile. The old dragon had ultimately agreed to his demands.
If people survive while land is lost, both can be regained; if people perish while land remains, all will be lost.
Orynix understood this principle too – stubbornly clinging to the divine realm would only lead to their destruction alongside it.
After annihilating the Heaven Divine Realm, Wayne had roughly guessed the system's intention behind issuing this mission.
These divine realms were like nourishment for the main world. Each one devoured would strengthen its essence.
While ordinary small worlds were manageable, sturdy divine realms like these couldn't be digested naturally, requiring at least hundreds or thousands of years.
This was where Wayne needed to lend a pushing hand.
He was both a destroyer of worlds and a cultivator of worlds.
After Wayne departed, Orynix flew out of the dragon cavern, gazing down at the world he had inhabited for millennia from high above, sighing deeply.
"My whole life has been like walking on thin ice. Can I truly reach the opposite shore?"
He was now thoroughly bound to Lawrence's war chariot. The slightest misstep would lead to a miserable end.
Even though the probability was small, he couldn't help but worry.
Having broken through to Legend status, his lifespan had increased again. Despite his aged appearance, living several more millennia wasn't an issue.
Though conflicted internally, since he had boarded this pirate ship, necessary actions must be taken.
"Vandros!"
His authoritative voice echoed across the Divine Realm. Hearing the summons, a pseudo-Legend silver dragon swiftly approached.
"My king, you called for me."
"Go to Asgard Divine Realm and inform Odin that I agree," Orynix said calmly.
"Yes."
The silver dragon acknowledged and flew out of Nibelung.
...
With an unusually large number of students remaining this year, Wayne organised a series of activities.
He certainly couldn't let them roam idly every day, or else thousands of energetic youngsters might dismantle the castle.
First, he invited his Tornadoes Quidditch team for two friendly matches. Then he temporarily set up two screening rooms near the Forbidden Forest.
Being far from the castle, Muggle electronic devices could function there.
After installing the equipment and generators, the two screening rooms showed different films or soap operas each day.
Arguments nearly broke out between boys and girls over what to watch.
Girls wanted romantic soap operas, while boys preferred action films like Terminator, showing great interest in the firearms depicted.
With only two projectors available, each room accommodating just one or two hundred people, demand couldn't be fully met.
Professor McGonagall eventually intervened, creating a schedule that resolved the disputes.
By Christmas Eve, all remaining students and staff gathered in the Great Hall.
The staff table platform had been expanded into a stage, where Muggle singers and wizarding bands performed alternately.
The invited Muggle singers wasted no time, either conversing with students to learn more about the magical world or carefully observing the marvellous castle.
Communication fosters mutual understanding – this was precisely why Wayne had invited them.
Through their influence, they could reduce ordinary people's fear of wizards - that was enough.
Early the next morning, Wayne looked at the small mountain of Christmas gifts and called over Jerry and Tuantuan to have them unwrap the packages while he went to deliver presents to the young ladies.
His final stop was the Lovegoods' residence in Hogsmeade.
Looking at the middle-aged woman standing beside Wayne, the father and daughter were speechless, letting tears stream down their faces.
"Mum..." Luna whispered softly.
"Luna, you've suffered so much," the middle-aged woman, Pandora Lovegood, cried as she embraced her daughter.
Mr Lovegood sheepishly moved closer to join them.
Wayne smiled as he watched this touching scene.
When Luna was very young, Pandora had lost her life during a dangerous magical experiment.
Already influenced by her father, she had become even more... eccentric, firmly believing that finding the Crumple-Horned Snorkack would allow her to see her mother again.
What exactly a Crumple-Horned Snorkack was, Wayne still didn't know, but reuniting mother and daughter was something he could accomplish.
Only after the three had regained their composure did Wayne take out a small booklet and hand it to Pandora.
"This is human transfiguration, which can alter a person's appearance."
"Returning from death is ultimately forbidden magic, and I don't want to attract too much attention. It would be better for you to appear before acquaintances with a different appearance from now on, Auntie."
"I understand, don't worry," Pandora said solemnly as she accepted it, preparing to study it starting tomorrow.
"There's no need to rush either," Wayne said with a smile. "As long as you learn Muggle makeup techniques, making slight changes shouldn't be too problematic."
In some countries, makeup could practically rival disguise magic - if Pandora could learn even the basics, she could manage perfectly well.
"Do you like this Christmas gift?" Wayne asked, turning to Luna.
"I love it," Luna said, her eyes shining as she looked at the young man. Since she had found her sun, her world had been growing warmer.
At that moment, Wayne took out several palm-sized scales and handed them to Mr Lovegood.
"These are scales from Orynix. In the Nibelung Divine Realm, any creature with even a bit of intelligence can recognise his scent. You'll be able to handle those without reason."
Mr Lovegood happily accepted them. With these, he could go exploring again.
After having lunch with the family of three, Wayne left under Luna's reluctant gaze.
He rarely felt such dependency from Luna, and if possible, he would have liked to stay and spend more time with her, but Wayne knew it wasn't possible now.
Not only had the family just reunited, but he himself couldn't spare the time anyway.
Long before the holidays began, he had promised Astoria he would accompany her to the Maldives for the break.
Ah, there just wasn't enough time.
...
Europe.
After the Nibelung envoy met with Odin, communication between the divine realms grew increasingly frequent.
They were growing increasingly dissatisfied with their current territories and had begun expanding, relying on their formidable military power.
Back when the wizarding world only had two top-tier wizards - Dumbledore and Grindelwald - they could still fight Muggles to a stalemate, let alone now when facing the divine realms.
The only good news was that various Ministries of Magic, under pressure, were gradually cooperating with them to resist the invasion of ancient wizards, but the effect was minimal, and they continued to suffer repeated defeats.
Several regions had already completely given up, and even the freest nation was on the verge of collapse.
In North America, the Scourers were mortal enemies of wizards. Previously, they were no match for wizards, but with the emergence of the divine realms, the situation took a turn.
Though the North American continent lacked large divine realms, it did have the ancestors of Native Americans. When they returned and discovered their descendants had been nearly exterminated, their rage naturally demanded an outlet.
The two sides hit it off immediately. Now, the situation in North America was poor; where there used to be shootings every day, now there were shootings every second.
Recently, the Aztlan Divine Realm from South America had also joined in, aiming to carve up the continent entirely.
During Christmas, the Worley family fled to Britain for refuge.
They couldn't hold on—truly couldn't hold on.
On the first day of the New Year, dozens of countries finally made up their minds to join the Modern Magic Alliance proposed by Wayne.
However, when they arrived in London, the man himself wasn't there.
It wasn't until the seventh, the day before Hogwarts term began, that they finally met Wayne.
Wayne didn't take advantage of their desperation and change the treaty terms to be even harsher.
Because they were already excessive enough.
Any further changes, and they'd probably rather side with the ancient wizards than agree.
In the grand conference hall of the Ministry of Magic, the Ministers for Magic from forty-seven countries signed the treaty.
The Modern Magic Alliance was officially established!
Wayne seized the opportunity to announce his first policy.
"Each country must establish sufficient magical schools to cope with the increasing number of magical power awakeners."
"Eh?"
The Ministers were collectively baffled.
"Mr Lawrence, isn't the priority to curb the expansion of the divine realms?"
"That's my concern, not yours," Wayne declared with a wave of his hand. "Student intake is the future of the magical world. Three hundred schools must be built by September this year, and they will begin enrolling students starting next academic year."
'Bloody hell, I'm graduating in a year. Three hundred schools mean at least 150,000 new students. If each provides me with a few points, that's a fortune.'
'To cut off someone's wealth is to kill their parents. If anyone dares hinder me from earning points, I'll send them straight to meet Merlin.'
Sensing the chilling killing intent emanating from Wayne, the Ministers didn't dare refute.
Sandra from North America stood up and asked, "Mr Lawrence, I fully support your decision, but the current state of the North American Congress is dreadful. We simply don't have the capacity to build new schools."
Wayne understood her meaning and stated decisively, "Tomorrow, I'll return with you. If I don't see fifty wizarding schools in six months, I'll dismantle the Congress myself."
...
The next day, Wayne arrived in North America, forcefully eliminated a pseudo-Legend from the Aztlan Divine Realm, and captured several Native American wizards whose power was slightly inferior to what Voldemort's once was.
He had too few usable personnel, and their strength was generally lacking. Dumbledore and Grindelwald weren't purely subordinate to him either.
These Native American wizards' power was just right; he only needed to set a few safeguards in their bodies to confidently use them as tools.
Meanwhile, the Aztlan Divine Realm, having lost a pseudo-Legend, was naturally furious.
Yet they dared not confront Wayne directly. At this moment, Heimdall, the envoy of the Asgard Divine Realm, came knocking.
Three days later, a nation controlled by the Asgard Divine Realm announced the Ancient Wizard Alliance to counter the Modern Magic Alliance established by Wayne.
Furthermore, since most witches joining their alliance were organised by tribal divisions, they became known as the Tribe to distinguish them.
Thus began the global standoff between the Alliance and the Tribe.