Once again, Musa’s situation validated the philosophy that Ian had once summarized.
Imagination is the strongest weapon that allows a wizard to achieve anything.
Of course.
This does not necessarily mean Musa is vastly superior to Ian and Albus Dumbledore in talent, intelligence, or brilliance. His madness is the main reason.
On the other hand.
Alchemy research, much like materials science, depends heavily on the direction of ideas, but luck is even more critical. Some discoveries are not accessible simply through exceptional talent.
If this were not the case.
Alchemy would not be a discipline that many people fail to master throughout their lifetime. Naturally, Musa’s ability to achieve this is not merely a matter of having a bit more luck or ideas than Ian and Dumbledore.
Ian calmly analyzed the reasons.
For one, the disparity lies in the time invested. Musa devoted decades of his later life to gambling everything on the research of Time Magic, with single-minded focus. Every inspiration, failure, and pain were transformed into fuel to advance his research.
Meanwhile, Ian and Dumbledore bore many responsibilities: confronting Voldemort’s threat, balancing the powers in the Magic Realm, teaching students, and exploring the mysteries of various domains of magic. Time is a scarce resource for them, making it impossible to concentrate all their efforts on a single point like Musa.
This is a crucial reason.
In fact, regarding the overall accomplishments in alchemy, even under such circumstances, Ian and Albus Dumbledore far exceed Musa by a substantial margin.
Thus it is evident.
Musa does not have a higher talent than them.
That old man is severely specialized and obsessed in his alchemy. Besides this, a more important reason lies in the difference in layers and concerns. Ian and Dumbledore stand at a higher place, allowing them to view a broader landscape.
Naturally, they can foresee more clearly the terrifying backlash that might arise from tampering with time.
They are deeply aware of the fragility and peril of time, much like a master chess player who sees many moves ahead, exercising caution to avoid making moves that might lead to a complete collapse of the board. Whereas Musa, driven by overwhelming pain from losing everything, has long cast aside concern for his own safety and the stability of the timeline.
His research carries a decisive attitude of “succeed or die trying,” a mindset that fosters the dangerous and insane ideas that Ian and Dumbledore, because of their concerns, would otherwise not delve into. Therefore, the daring ones often lead the way.
“Regardless, this indeed reaffirms my philosophy: for wizards, the most important aspect may not be merely the depth of magic power and the breadth of knowledge, but rather that unrestrained and imaginative creativity.”
Ian realized something. Musa’s experience demonstrated that sometimes, unconventional breakthroughs come exactly from those forced into desperate situations, who dare to embrace the sparks of thinking unbounded by norms.
This near-obsessive spirit of exploration of the Magic Origin is also a powerful force.
At that moment, Ian felt a subtle enhancement in his state of mind. It wasn’t an increase in magic power, but rather an expansion in his understanding of “possibilities.” The path of magic is long and there is no end to exploration, even upon reaching the Legendary Domain; countless unknowns await, and there are many ways to explore.
As the saying goes.
A true master maintains the heart of an apprentice.
Yet, as he soaked in this realization, an extremely faint but exceptionally clear magic fluctuation rippled through his powerful perception, like a stone cast into a tranquil lake.
Instantly, Ian gathered all his thoughts, his gaze turning sharp and focused. He slightly tilted his head, as if his eyes pierced through the walls of the inn and across vast distances, accurately locking onto the direction from which the fluctuation came—it was precisely the intelligence dealer approaching nearby, and the mark Ian previously placed had come into play.
The magical mark left on that cunning merchant was triggered.
This meant the individual had successfully obtained what Ian desired—the “Door Key” capable of accessing the African Ministry of Magic without conventional detection.
“That was fast.” A barely noticeable smile tugged at the corner of Ian’s lips. He withdrew his profound gaze from the forest night scene and temporarily buried the audacious theories about “deceiving time” from Musa’s notes deep within. For now, there were more immediate matters to address.
“Let me see what’s up with the Ministry of Magic key in this place.” Ian adjusted his somewhat casual robes, pushed open the door, and walked out.
The inn corridor was brightly lit, in stark contrast to its previous tranquility, now tinged with a tense and solemn atmosphere. Several uniformed law enforcement officers with the emblem of the African Ministry of Magic on their chests were busily engaged.
They surrounded the corner where the Dark Wizard fell, some using detection magic to scan residual energy traces, others swiftly recording the scene with feather pens and parchment.
“Wasn’t expecting law enforcement to be involved.” Ian glanced over, the “corpse” of the Dark Wizard long since removed, the ground cleaned, leaving only faint, indelible marks tainted with a hint of Dark Magic’s corrosive aura.