It was already late at night when Leylin returned back to Silvermoon City with Vereesa. He removed his mage gear and sat upright on his bed.
Before retiring for the night, Leylin would continue his daily routine of absorbing magical energy. Leylin was now thinking of taking up tailoring and enchanting as a profession, so he could craft his own armor and enchant also Vereesa's ranger set.
However, Leylin would have to ask his teacher whether he has books about tailoring or enchanting. After completing his practice, Leylin took out the magic notebook his teacher had just given him, a notebook on arcane studies.
Having studied arcane magic for some time, Leylin understood that arcane magic energy differed from fire magic energy. Fire magic energy was more elemental, while arcane energy was pure energy.
As Leylin further deepened his knowledge on arcane studies. His mastery had slowed down for some time now. But as the saying goes, haste makes waste.
Leylin didn't care that his progress had slowed down but just went on with his daily routines further refining the pure magical energy stored within his body.
Leylin didn't know how to tell his teacher about his new specialization on frost magic. But eventually he had to, who knows his teacher might have some books about frost magic that could further develop his frost magical studies. As for his fire magical studies, just as usual, kept refining more pure fire magical energy.
Just as Leylin was about to relax, a sudden, overwhelming wave of arcane energy exploded throughout the area like a colossal tidal wave.
The air grew thick with raw, unrestrained power, and in an instant, everything around him—every flicker of magic, every whisper of the currents—was violently stripped away, leaving an oppressive void in its wake.
It was as if the very fabric of reality had been torn asunder, and all traces of arcane energy vanished into the abyss. The ground beneath Leylin's feet trembled slightly from the shockwave, and a hollow stillness settled over the space.
Damn!
A cold dread seeped into Leylin's heart. He realized that whatever force had unleashed this surge was far beyond his understanding—an ancient, formidable creature capable of devouring vasts amounts of magic itself.
This was no ordinary spell or energy—this was an obliteration, a void that threatened to swallow all that was magical.
Leylin, disregarding everything else, hurriedly donned his mage's coat and sprinted from the inn. Silvermoon City seemed peaceful, but what had just happened had made Leylin wary.
He ran towards his teacher's mage tower. With a sudden burst of wind increasing his speed, Leylin used his air bending.
He pushed open the door to the tower and quickly ascended to the top floor. Lifting aside the lavender veil, Leylin panted as he looked at his teacher.
The Grand Magister had also noticed the disturbance. He was standing on the outer platform of the Mage Tower, gazing at Silvermoon City.
"You noticed it too, student?" the teacher asked.
Leylin gestured to the intelligent construct to bring him a glass of water. After drinking it in one gulp, Leylin said, "Teacher, while I was about to rest, the surrounding arcane energy was completely drained. It seems a powerful arcane creature is wantonly plundering magic."
Belo'vir nodded and said, "It's not just you. Just now, most of the surrounding arcane magic energy was drained away here in the tower. If I hadn't used a defensive spell to isolate this force in time, I'm afraid it would have been completely drained."
Leylin broke out in a cold sweat. He asked, "What kind of creature could have such power?"
Belo'vir reached out and pulled a weathered, ancient tome from the towering bookshelf, its leather cover embossed with strange symbols that shimmered faintly in the dim light.
He carefully opened the book to a well-worn page titled "The Twisting Nether" his fingers tracing the faded ink as if recalling long-forgotten secrets.
Slowly flipping through the pages, he looked up at Leylin with a serious expression. "Remember the story I told you about the Guardian of Alodi?" he began, his voice resonant with a hint of reverence. "Beyond our world, there exist not only demons but also another kind of formidable energy—creatures born from the arcane itself."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "These entities are not like the typical spirits or monsters you might imagine. They are born from the very fabric of nothingness—pure, chaotic energies that can infiltrate our realm through cracks in the fabric of space, breaches caused by powerful spells, or even through errors in summoning rituals."
Belo'vir's gaze grew distant as he recalled tales from ancient scrolls. "Many summoning spells are complex, requiring precise incantations and careful control. When a spell is miscast or falters, it can open a gateway—an unintended portal—for these arcane creatures to slip into our world. Once they emerge, they are incredibly difficult to banish, for they are not bound by the same laws of magic as we are. They are manifestations of the arcane—neither alive nor dead, but something in-between, feeding on energy and chaos."
He closed the book gently, the flickering light casting shadows across his features. "The Guardian of Alodi was said to be a protector against such entities, a being that kept the balance between worlds. But when the barrier weakened, and the cracks grew larger, these arcane creatures began to seep through, bringing chaos and destruction."
Turning to Leylin, Belo'vir's voice softened but held an undeniable warning. "That is why understanding the nature of arcane and the creatures within it is crucial. If we ever encounter one of these beings, we must recognize their origins and find ways to seal the breaches—lest our world be consumed by the endless emptiness they bring."
Leylin listened intently, the shadows of the room seeming to deepen as the gravity of these creatures settled in his mind. The Twisting Nether was not just a blank space—it was alive with danger, waiting for the slightest mistake to unleash chaos.
And somewhere, beyond the veil of reality, these silent, powerful entities watched and waited for their next chance to enter our world.
Leylin's brow furrowed as he pondered the grim possibilities. The sudden vanishing of arcane energy and the presence of a arcane creature in Silvermoon City hinted at a powerful and reckless hand at work—someone capable of breaching the delicate defenses that kept such entities at bay.
He turned to his teacher Belo'vir, his voice cautious yet probing. "Who could have summoned such a creature within Silvermoon City? It's not something that happens by accident. Someone must have deliberately called it forth, or perhaps, failed in their ritual and opened the way."
Belo'vir nodded gravely, his expression darkening. "Indeed. Summoning these beings requires knowledge of forbidden arts, rare components, and precise incantations."