The Legendary Mage (Alavin)

Chapter 61

To the east of Botanic Haven lay a rugged ridge of broken stone, secluded and desolate.

Alavin arrived here at the stroke of midnight, drawing closer to Botanic Haven under the cloak of darkness.

Mariela knew he would come. After meeting him, she said little, leading him through Botanic Haven along a narrow path to the mountainside some five hundred meters away. She knew the patrol patterns of Botanic Haven like the back of her hand, easily avoiding all who crossed their path.

Soon after they entered Botanic Haven, the roaring stopped, and an eerie silence fell over the place, devoid of even the chirping of insects.

Mariela glanced back at him, but Alavin said nothing. He could feel powerful summons and the restlessness of the Shadowbringer within the Energetic Coreenergy.

Having come this far, he had no concerns and was curious to see what lay before him.

Mariela led him to the mountainside, where an ancient and beautiful grove once stood but now lay a deep chasm stretching over a hundred meters across. The chasm was riddled with ferocious cracks and was bottomless, with rubble and rotting trees scattered everywhere in disarray.

A gargantuan, oddly shaped rock jutted out from the depths of the chasm, reflecting a ghastly pale light under the moon. It was surrounded by thick waves of energy that twisted the space around it, signaling the immense power within. Thick golden chains, gleaming with a dazzling light, wrapped around the rock, making its silhouette resemble a struggling figure. One end of the chains bound the rock while the other was firmly rooted deep into the ground, radiating a resplendent majesty.

"The Elders have just left, but they could return at any moment. What will you do?" Mariela herself was on an adventure, but it was worth a try.

"Are you sure you didn't tell your master?"

"I came to you in private."

"Are you certain I can handle it?"

"Not certain, but let's try. For Celesse's sake, you'd best pray you're up to the task." Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

Alavin was about to step forward but then hesitated and stepped back. "I have a condition. No matter what happens, take me back to the warehouse, and don't let anyone touch me."

"You can trust me."

What choice did he have but to trust her? Alavin took a deep breath and cautiously approached the ruin.

The massive stone was silent as if it sensed Alavin's presence, its emanating energy noticeably receding.

Mariela watched Alavin and the stone with furrowed brows. Could it really be working? Was its sudden awakening truly connected to Alavin?

Alavin moved slowly, anxious.

Mariela watched intently, ready to intervene at any sign of trouble.

As Alavin drew closer, the energy from the stone weakened, retreating like the tide, and when he finally stood before it, the energy vanished completely. Apart from its strange appearance and the chains, there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary.

Previously, only a few meters of the stone were visible above ground, but now it towered three to five times that height from within the chasm.

At that moment, not only the stone but also the Shadowbringer itself was silent. The moonlight cast a mystical glow, and the silence was like that of the grave.

Alavin circled the stone slowly, while Mariela stood at the edge of the chasm, watching intently.

After a while, Alavin looked towards Mariela, his brows tightly knit.

Mariela's heart tightened, sensing trouble. "What is it?"

"What am I supposed to do?"

Silence was Mariela's answer.

"What exactly is sealed inside?"

"It poses no threat to you."

"You have a strange sense of humor."

Silence again.

Alavin tentatively raised his hand and reached out to the stone.

"Boom!" The bottom of the chasm trembled violently as if something was fiercely striking from within. The chains immediately tightened, their golden light intensifying.

Mariela gripped her ice sword, tense and watchful.

But the strike was a solitary event, and no further disturbances followed. Alavin stayed alert for a while, then placed his hands on the stone, concentrating. But other than the cold, smooth surface, he felt nothing, and after listening for a moment, all was still. Strange, he thought, “He was summoned in such haste, yet now all is quiet?

Mariela was puzzled. "Do you sense anything?"

Alavin moved away from the stone, tapping it, but still, no response.

"Try again," Mariela urged.

"How should I try? Should I pull it out?" Alavin gave it a shove, shrugged, and left the chasm. "I've done what I could."

"You felt nothing?"

"What am I supposed to feel?" Alavin's words felt oddly out of place.

"Could I have been wrong?" Mariela mused to herself.

"I'll take my leave then. Just pretend that I was never here. By the way, what was that talk of a union during the day?"

"Marak wants to marry Celesse. The organization has yet to decide."

"And what's the organization's stance?"

"When marriage becomes a matter of greater concern, personal will cannot prevail. Lord Viperbane's envoy, Neasilis, was the Commander's fellow apprentice before he pledged allegiance to Lord Viperbane. To gain Lord Viperbane's trust, he did not hesitate to slay the Cobalt Strike Elder.s He knows the secrets of Botanic Haven and realizes the threat this secret poses to Cobalt Strike. If..."