CHAPTER 1088: NEW WORK

Erend leaned closer to the map, his eyes narrowing as he studied the glowing veins that stretched like roots across the parchment.

Aesa stood silently beside him. Her gaze fixed on the darker intersections where the energy pulsed unnaturally strong.

"So it’s starting again," Erend said quietly. "It could be similar to the kind of corruption we saw in the forests before Thar’Zul-Vekar’s awakening. It would affect the whole forest."

Sylmira nodded. "Yes. The patterns match. But this time, it’s not limited to nature-bound Magic. The necromantic trace is old and much older than any of our current Magical records. Something ancient is stirring beneath these lines based on my vision."

Erend exhaled slowly, his jaw tightening.

"Then we don’t have time to wait." He glanced toward Aesa, then spoke again to Sylmira. "These convergence points, how many are there in total?"

"I have detected five major ones for now," Sylmira replied, tracing her fingers across the glowing map. "Each one is tied to a different elemental source of power. Fire, water, air, earth, and the last one... is shadow. The shadow leyline is the most unstable. If corruption spreads from there, it will infect the others."

Arty, who had been standing quietly until now, stepped forward. "If these places are buried or destroyed, how are we supposed to locate them?"

Sylmira looked up. "Some of the ruins still exist, buried under what used to be ancient kingdoms. I can pinpoint approximate regions using the leyline resonance. But we’ll need people to confirm their presence on the ground."

"Adventurers," Erend said. "We’ll need a lot of them to move."

"Exactly," Sylmira replied. "I’ll speak with King Gulben. I’ll ask him to issue a royal order through the Adventurers’ Guild. We can have teams dispatched to each site under the pretext of exploration and Magical disturbance control. That will draw less attention than outright declaring a crisis."

Aesa finally spoke, her tone low and calm. "They won’t survive long if they encounter what sleeps in those ruins. Even if the corruption hasn’t awakened fully, the residue alone will drain their life force. I have encountered necromancy power before."

Sylmira nodded grimly. "That’s why we’ll need a direct link between them and me. I can establish relay crystals across the regions. They’ll allow limited communication and monitoring. If any of the teams find something unusual, we’ll know immediately."

Erend straightened, his expression sharpening with resolve now that he had found a clear goal.

"Good. While the adventurers search, we’ll prepare for the worst. I suggest that you need to dispatch the strongest adventurers to take the closest point first—the shadow leyline."

"I’ll help coordinate the rest from here," Sylmira said. "Arty can assist me in refining the coordinates and maintaining the relay network. Her power is sufficient enough right now."

Arty nodded and said, "I’ll stay here and support you."

Erend placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You and Sylmira must be ready. If things go wrong, you’ll have to warn me immediately, or run."

Aesa turned toward the map one last time. Her eyes glimmered faintly with silver light as she traced a finger across one of the dark intersections.

"I can feel that it’s faint now," she murmured, "but the corruption is awake. It’s waiting."

The room fell silent for a moment. Then Erend stepped back, his decision made. "You should move starting from now. The sooner we stop it, the better."

Sylmira gave a determined nod. "I’ll see to the king’s order and send word to the guild immediately. May the gods protect us."

Without another word, Erend opened the portal.

Erend turned to Arty before stepping into it. The glow of its swirling light reflected softly across their faces, making the moment feel heavier than he intended. He looked at her, hesitation flickering behind his calm expression.

"I wish I could fight with you," he said quietly. "That way, I’d know you’re safe. But there’s something else I need to do right now."

Arty smiled, tilting her head slightly. "You don’t have to worry about me all the time, big brother. I’m strong now. I know how to protect myself, so stop treating me like a baby."

A faint chuckle escaped him. "Alright."

"Just remember that before you go, remember that you promised to meet Mom. Don’t disappear without seeing her first."

Erend nodded. "I will. I’ll go see her soon." He placed a hand on her head briefly, a familiar gesture that carried years of comfort and worry. "Take care of yourself."

"I will," she said firmly.

He turned toward Sylmira next. The Archmage was standing near her desk.

"Good luck," Erend said simply. "That’s the only thing I can say."

Sylmira gave a short nod, her eyes serious. "Alright. And you too, Dragonborns."

A small smile crossed Erend’s face. Then he looked at Aesa, who was already waiting by the portal.

Together they stepped through the swirling light.

Silence filled the room for a few seconds.

Arty exhaled and glanced at Sylmira. "He’s still the same when it comes to worrying."

Sylmira smiled faintly, brushing her hand across the air to close several open books.

"That’s what brothers do. And it’s better that way. We’ll need his caution as much as his strength." She turned toward the desk again. "Now, we should start our preparations. We have a lot to learn in a short time."

Arty nodded, stepping beside her. "I’ll try to handle the relay calibration spells. I’ve been practicing them since last night."

"Alright then," Sylmira said. "I’ll work on the detection matrix to track leyline activity." She pulled a small, translucent gem from a drawer and placed it in Arty’s palm. "Use this as the core for your first test. It will resonate with the main crystal network once I link it."

Arty looked down at the gem, its light swirling like captured mist. "Understood."

Sylmira nodded approvingly. "After that, we’ll move to equipment reinforcement. I have an idea for a new protective barrier spell infused into armor plating. It won’t make anyone invincible, but it should buy time against this necromantic energy."

Arty’s eyes brightened with determination. "Then let’s get started. We can’t let them fight that with normal equipment."

The two women moved swiftly across the room, the air filling with faint arcs of Magic as their new work began.

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