"...No, it's nothing."
"Ares" coughed lightly and adjusted to the golden glow emanating from around him in the darkness. He then stepped back half a step, shielding a small shadow climbing up his ankle from view, "What are we waiting for?"
"...Waiting for you to leave."
Professor McGonagall's previously relaxed eyebrows furrowed once again, skepticism tinting her golden eyes.
But in the next moment, as if some intangible ripple spread, the suspicion that had just appeared on the woman's face vanished into thin air, and she nodded, "So, why are you still staying here?" The topic was easily brushed over, as if no one had ever mentioned it.
"Nothing... mind your own business."
William shook his head, also brushing aside the matter. His figure soared into the air, disappearing into the pitch-black sky in the blink of an eye, leaving behind an expression mixed with doubt, bewilderment, and incomprehension, but it didn't last long. Just moments later, the golden glow in the woman's eyes extinguished, replaced by shock that eclipsed all other emotions—
"This is..."
She murmured to herself as she turned and walked towards the direction of the castle.
...
The night wind of the Aegean Sea, carrying a salty mist, struck the golden breastplate, producing a low hum.
"Ares" hovered above the dark waves, moisture slowly condensing with his breath—
William felt a headache, in the literal sense, a splitting headache—the War God's body was fiercely rejecting his soul, with almost every muscle fiber screaming to strangle the soul of this intruder—the source of this magic was still Voldemort.
Admittedly, this guy truly is a treasure trove of ideas.
The inspiration came from Voldemort's possession and the subsequent forceful expulsion—an ability to seize another's body. After William's self-adaptive magical modification, it now required only a medium to forcibly take possession of another's body and imprison their soul, while he could return to his own body—unfortunately, the negative effects could not be avoided, otherwise... it would be a bit too wicked.
The manipulation on the War God's right arm was initially just a spur-of-the-moment thought, unexpected that the other party would be so eager.
As for his current purpose of staying here, it was naturally because... he didn't know the way.
However, it was no problem; he had prepared in advance—William raised his wrist, a dark blue flame seemed to scorch his skin, representing the brand of ancient magic slowly moving and finally forming a string of elaborately bordered English lettering.
"These old mummies really don't hide anything—"
William spat out a mouthful of blood-tinged with golden flecks, marking the road in his mind. Then, his figure suddenly ascended, following by a steep dive, the golden glowing body tearing through the clouds, revealing the silhouette of the mountains below in the moonlight. At the peak of Mitikas, a temple embedded into the mountainside gleamed with a pale glow—
"This is really the place..."
William mumbled, remembering that he had been here once, over two hundred chapters ago. That day, he picked up Hagrid's three-headed dog and met a certain almost century-old master of magical creatures—of course, the biggest gain was that he dug out nearly aircraft carrier-loads of Seik Stones from that inverted colossal temple.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to create a Magic Patterned Stone Statue capable of filling an aircraft carrier.
At the moment, the temple seemed to have been overturned and then smashed into the mountainside. The white seamless marble shimmered faintly in the moonlight.
Without further hesitation, "Ares'" figure descended towards the bottom. His silhouette silently landed in the shadow of a broken colonnade outside the temple, the biting cold wind of Mount Olympus swirling up fine dust on the plaza at the temple's front, producing a wailing sound.
"Tsk, building so spaciously, open to the wind, one day you'll freeze to death..."
William silently complained in his heart, his gaze sweeping the surroundings, seeing no sign of anyone.
Although the situation was sudden, he quickly made the purpose of this visit clear—first, to figure out what plan those old mummies were hatching; second, to understand Voldemort's involvement in all this; and finally... to make off with something valuable.
"Kabuda?"
After confirming that no one was around, William whispered softly. The next moment, there was a slight movement at the collar of his breastplate, and Kabuda's small, furry head emerged, its two bean-like eyes twinkling brightly even in the darkness.
"Get to work, grab whatever you can, use your judgment... of course, be as discreet as possible."
Kabuda nodded excitedly, rubbing its little paws together in front of its chest with a "leave it to me" attitude.
Then it leaped from William's collar, landing soundlessly, its small body instantly "melded" into the floor patterns and shadows of the temple. In such circumstances, William wasn't concerned that Kabuda's freedom of movement would cause any trouble. After all, it was a master thief that had slipped in and out from Snape seven times without being detected—
After watching Kabuda's figure disappear, William continued walking towards the temple's interior. The shell of the War God Ares, while intensely repelling, didn't hinder his movements any more than usual, except every step felt like walking barefoot on countless needles.
Passing through an archway adorned with extravagant stone carvings, William entered a relatively spacious corridor, flanked by tall marble pillars as lofty as white jade with vine-like golden patterns winding around them. Ahead, the faint sound of footsteps and conversation could be heard.
William didn't avoid it; he continued walking forward with a calm expression until two figures appeared before him after the corner—one was tall, dressed in the same bronze breastplate as William, holding a copper spear with a stern face, probably a guard. The other...
Was Lucius Malfoy.
This former Death Eater was now wearing a well-fitted dark wizard robe, with a slightly comical, incongruous white hood draped over the back of his head. He cradled a parchment scroll emitting a faint glow in his hands, his face somewhat pale, with a hint of tension and fatigue deeply embedded in his gaze.
He followed the guard closely, barely concealing his unease.
"...My lord!"
Upon seeing "Ares," the guard immediately stopped, the spear clashing against the ground. His voice boomed as he simultaneously hammered his fist against his chest, making a dull "thumping" sound.
"Hmm..."
William indeed didn't know how to respond, as possessing doesn't mean devouring the other's memories. So, he pretended as if his thoughts had been interrupted, slightly lifting his eyes in an impatient expression, then fixed his gaze on the bewildered Lucius, "Who is he?" William slightly furrowed his brows, appearing just right.