The Vatoum Wand was one of the famous artifacts collected by Kamar-Taj. Drawing on its operating principles and effects, the Sorcerer Supreme had created a batch of imitation implements for the arcanists to use, while the original was sealed away in an underground prison beneath the Himalayan Mountains, guarded by sentries who never relaxed. Only a select few could use it without supervision and endure the side effects brought by the artifact—the original wand had genuine demon heads set into both ends, with the souls of two powerful Extra-dimensional Beings bound within. It could unleash destructive explosions without incantations, deploy protective spells to shield its wielder, or redirect the arcane energy manipulated by its user, increasing the efficiency with which they drew power from the Outer Dimensions.
The Vatoum Wand's most important function was opening a passage through the veil of the Material Universe into the Outer Dimensions. Therefore, when Master Hamir removed the wand from the underground prison, he was extremely cautious, doing his best not to damage the parchment sealing strips. All the assistants chosen by Master Hamir came from the previous generation of Mystic Families. Thus, when they arrived in a city near the Vatoum Temple, ordinary people saw only a distinctly out-of-place elderly tour group. Some kindhearted locals even came up to warn them to leave the city as soon as possible.
An armed force of unknown origin had joined hands with the guerrillas to wage war against the Cartel Group in several nearby cities. The residents' daily lives and work had been affected to varying degrees. At times, they could see rockets streaking across the night sky and crashing into the forest, or the bodies of Cartel Group members and dirty cops shot dead in the streets. Such an environment was naturally unsuitable for elderly