Nether Scroll

Before speaking again to explain things to Ryan, Alexander waved his staff, chanting incantations to weave a series of magical barriers before he slowly continued.

Watching the legendary mage—whose strength remained unfathomable—perform this sequence of actions, Ryan felt a chill run down his spine, knowing the real business was finally about to begin.

Alexander reached out to take the box made of abjuration stone from the nearby table. As he chanted an unknown incantation, the magical runes on the box lit up one by one, emitting a soft blue glow, until with a sharp "click," the box's magical lock disengaged.

The old man looked at Ryan, who was waiting quietly, and said kindly, "After carrying it for so long, you must be very curious about what is inside, right?"

Ryan nodded his little head, his deep blue eyes filled with curiosity and inquiry. To say he wasn't curious at all would be impossible; as a qualified mage, maintaining a spirit of inquiry toward all things in the world was a basic requirement.

"Take it and see." Alexander tossed the box, lid secured, toward Ryan. Ryan scrambled to catch it, casting a resentful glance at the old mage, who was calmly stroking his beard and watching the show.

Holding the box with extreme caution, Ryan held his breath and gently lifted the lid to reveal the hidden secret.

Inside the box, nestled against a layer of red velvet, lay a scroll made of thin gold leaf. Ryan took it out gently and unfurled it in his hands; the scroll felt as supple and smooth as fine paper, and the silver magical script on its surface seemed to flow as if it were alive.

At a single glance, a massive torrent of information surged directly into Ryan's mind. Various miraculous, advanced magical techniques and spell principles surfaced in his heart. While lamenting, "Not again?" Ryan skillfully utilized the system's storage capacity to receive the incoming flood of data.

Observing Ryan's calm expression, Alexander's hand, which had been stroking his beard, paused. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, and the smile at the corner of his mouth became meaningful.

When Ryan finally regained his senses, he looked at the mysterious scroll in his hands, his mind recalling certain records he had read in the past.

A wave of astonishment and the disillusionment of having hit the jackpot washed over Ryan. He stared wide-eyed at the old man, who was quietly enjoying the sight of Ryan's shock.

"This... could this be a Nether Scroll?" Ryan still found it hard to believe, yet the facts were right before his eyes; the appearance and effects of the scroll were identical to the records he had seen in books.

The Nether Scrolls were artifacts discovered by the Netherese in the ruins of Aryvandaar, said to contain the essence of magic and the secrets of the gods. The rise of the Netheril Empire was largely due to the knowledge they inherited from these scrolls. Through their study of the Nether Scrolls, the powerful magical empire created the Mythallar and floating cities, among other miraculous inventions.

The era of Netheril was the age of magic, where legendary mages who could move mountains, fill seas, and command the winds held their floating cities aloft to contend with the gods, governing vast and fertile lands.

At the same time, the magical empire opened the gates of magic wide, selecting many magical geniuses through an academic system and passing down countless arcane secrets. It could be said that the foundations of magical theory in Faerûn today were all developed and inherited from the Nether Scrolls.

According to records, the Nether Scrolls were divided into two sets, each containing fifty scrolls. One complete set was located deep within the Tower of Song in the ruins of Myth Drannor, taking the form of golden beech wood, known as Keryvanya (The Golden Grove of Hidden Knowledge), though it had since been completely destroyed by catastrophe.

The other set consisted of scrolls, each being an 8-by-10-inch page of thin gold leaf. These had been scattered, with most lost; only a few were known to be hidden in dangerous, desolate locations, while the location and status of the rest remained unknown.

As it stood, only a few major factions possessed the strength and possibility of preserving even a handful of these Nether Scrolls.

The knowledge recorded on the Nether Scrolls formed the basis of modern Faerûn's magical theory. Although not always direct, in truth, every mage skilled in any field of the arcane had gained knowledge derived from the Nether Scrolls since the rise of Netheril. Of course, much of the information contained within these scrolls had been treated as common knowledge by the magical community of Faerûn. Nevertheless, the Nether Scrolls still contained a vast amount of information that was helpful to all students of the arcane.

Because of the mysterious magical knowledge recorded within, everyone who read a Nether Scroll had the chance to enhance their understanding of the essence of magic, gaining a wealth of information regarding spells and techniques, and deepening their profound insight into the craft. They were, quite literally, priceless.

Ryan could hardly believe that his teacher would let a weak, pathetic intermediate mage like him transport such a priceless treasure; it was as if she didn't care about a national treasure at all.

Ryan's face darkened immediately, and he asked Alexander, "With something so precious, you let an intermediate mage like me deliver it—isn't this a bit of a joke?"

Hearing this, the kindly old mage burst into laughter and said to Ryan, "Hahaha, you underestimate your teacher too much. That cunning teacher of yours isn't so simple. This is a test, and also an entry ticket."

"A test? An entry ticket?" Ryan asked, puzzled.

"That's right. Your teacher placed her own magical mark on the abjuration box long ago. Once that mark is more than a thousand feet away from you for more than two days, Yefalin will use divination magic to locate the mark and teleport directly to it. Who knows, she might even catch some big fish.

Furthermore, the box itself has been sealed with a specific magical lock by her; anyone who doesn't know the incantation cannot open it.

This is a test for you. If you can successfully deliver the scroll to Waterdeep, you pass." Alexander's aged face beamed with a bright smile; cultivating the younger generation was just so much fun.

"So, the people from the Zhentarim were also within your expectations?" Ryan's mouth twitched, gaining a new appreciation for his teacher's bottomless lack of scruples.

Upon hearing the mention of the Zhentarim, a flash of coldness crossed the old mage's eyes, and he said indifferently, "Those rats from the Zhentarim—though they never dare to engage in a direct confrontation, they always find the gutters to hide in, lurking in the shadows and waiting for an opportunity.

So, taking this opportunity, we spread some rumors, attempting to thoroughly investigate and purge the rats within the association. By following the trail, we indeed uncovered quite a few spies and moles.

As for your safety, Yefalin has great confidence in you and said she already gave you a trump card to save your life, so we didn't look into it further."

Only then did Ryan understand the deeper meaning behind the "Greater Teleportation" scroll Yefalin had given him before leaving. So, as long as I run, you'll show up right behind me to recover the quest item and catch some big fish while you're at it. If I had known that, why was I even stressing out?

Although he could understand Yefalin's good intentions, Ryan still felt a bit annoyed at the fact that he had been arranged so thoroughly as a mere tool.

Watching Ryan's twitching brow, the old mage, who still possessed a youthful spirit, joked, "Hahaha, do you feel like Yefalin is going too far? That little monster takes pleasure in this. She relies on her attainments in divination magic to peer into fate itself. Otherwise, why do you think she is called the 'Sage of Stars'?"

Ryan was speechless, muttering to himself, Before you said that, I thought she was called that because she was good at using the ninth-level spell 'Meteor Swarm'. Who the hell knew that was the reason? Damn, I really underestimated my teacher.

But even though I know she's a master of the divination school, isn't peering into fate a bit too broken? How has she not been hunted down by the Goddess of Fate after all these years? I have to give you a 'well played' for that, Teacher.