From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 438 Stepping into the Cursed Land of Shadows
“I’ve heard that magical power has different origins in different worlds, but I still get excited every time I see magic that is different from Toril’s.” Elminster took a deep drag on his pipe, his eyes fixed on the red and white vortex of magical power in Ivy’s hand.

That was one of his gains in Streihaven.

Through the Harmony feat of the legendary class [Wideseeker], he can resonate with the unique magical origins of the world of Akavisvo, thus gaining the ability to manipulate two opposing spells simultaneously. The most basic demonstration of this is the creation of a miniature magical vortex using white spell power representing order and red spell power representing chaos.

It was midnight, and Ivy and Elminster's discussion about the philosophy of magic continued late into the night. They had already finished three bottles of wine to soothe their throats.

Mere conversation wasn't enough for the two archmages, Elminster and Ivy both demonstrated some of their unique magical techniques during their chat. The miniature magic vortex in Ivy's hand was one of them.

The two were about to end their magical exchange when the snoring of an Iron-Handed Dwarf startled the old mage.

“It’s too late now.” The old mage shook the empty wine bottle with a hint of regret and stood up from the chair he had conjured. “It’s a pity that Mystra has other plans for Gale’s fate, otherwise I would really like to embark on this adventure with you.”

“For a play, there is enjoyment for the performers and enjoyment for the spectators.” Ivy didn’t say anything to persuade him to stay, leaving Mystra’s white gloves in the group was clearly not in his best interest.

"Haha." The old monk chuckled twice. "You're right! May we all find our own enjoyment in this great drama!"

“Even after living for so many years, I still haven’t learned how to deal with the sadness of parting, so there’s no need to go out of my way to inform Gale.” The old mage’s gaze swept over the camp that had fallen into slumber. “By the way! I’m taking Varo with me. There’s a real bard in this group, so we don’t need this half-baked guy causing trouble.”

Ivy didn't say anything, but simply gestured for him to go ahead.

Actually, he was somewhat disappointed that Elminster wanted to take Varo away.

Because that inept bard's connection to the magic of Faerûn was clearly far greater than he himself knew. In some ways, he shared very similar characteristics with what people often called leyline nodes or the magic vortexes of Akavievo. Ivy speculated that he might be one of the physical nodes of the magic network, or had intricate connections to the magic network itself.

Therefore, in Ivy's eyes, Varo was a guy with extremely high research value. However, the Supreme God Project involved too many things, and Ivy couldn't abandon everything to study Varo alone.

Judging from Elminster's specific suggestion to take Varro away, it's clear he's wary of Ivy. However, he hasn't found anything wrong with Ivy yet, so letting someone unimportant to the adventure leave the party and protecting them alone is a precaution. Why put all your eggs in one basket?
Watching the old mage nimbly knock out the snoring Varo and carry him away on his shoulder, Ivy finally believed the rumor was true—the Shadow Valley sage Elminster was not only a powerful mage, but also a shrewd thief and an agile warrior.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The next morning, while everyone in the camp was starting a fire to cook and packing up supplies to put into the ordinary treasure chest, the adventurers gathered together again.

“Hey! Gail!” Karak spoke up first, “Was that old man who came last night your grandfather?”

“That’s Ilminster Omar—the Sage of Shadow Valley,” Shadowheart corrected her.

“Okay… I don’t think I’ve heard of him.” Karak hesitated for only a second before confirming that she couldn’t find the name in her mind. “But it’s okay. It looks like he came from far away to find us. I think he must have important news to tell Gale. I hope it’s good news, the kind that will make Leezel’s jaw clench temporarily.”

“That depends on how you define ‘good news’,” Gale said optimistically. “To put it simply, you know I have a bomb in my chest, right? Mystra wants me to use it to blow up the Supreme God.”

"Wow!" Karak exclaimed in surprise, but before she could even laugh, her expression froze.

Even a barbarian like her, who knew nothing about magic, could guess that detonating the Destruction Orb would not end well.

“It seems you… uh… I guess that does explain some things, but… Mystra again… Aphrodite, right now my head is definitely hotter than my heart! There’s too much to digest!” Karak’s single-minded brain was clearly not suited to handling too many problems at the same time, but its simple structure also gave her an extremely fast restart time.

Karak shook her head, a spark flying from her ear, then quickly grasped the point: "So what do you plan to do, Gale?"

“Oh! You know me.” Gale still had that optimistic expression, but anyone who had been adventuring with him for a while could tell that the young mage was just imitating Karak’s usual expression.

“I’m a perpetual optimist. I’m trying to focus on the positive side right now…” Perhaps noticing that his companions’ eyes were all on his dark circles, Gale rubbed his face and continued wearily but calmly, “In fact, I’m just barely hanging on. I’ve always known that consuming magical items is just a temporary fix, it can’t bring true salvation.”

"If there is any difference, this is perhaps the most peaceful moment I have had in months. At least my death can be intentional, and not just a small ripple in the torrent of history."

“God! Gale! You damned mage!” Karak yelled. “You need someone to pick the simplest, most obvious option for you! That’s me!”

Karak pounded his chest, then poked Gale's chest with his finger, the immense force sending the Waterdeep Archmage staggering backward.

“If Mystra can’t think of a way other than sacrificing you, then she’s not a god worth worshipping,” Karak said seriously, staring into Gale’s eyes. Then she realized she had been too blunt; after all, Mystra was Gale’s ex-girlfriend.

Karak quickly tried to cover up: "Uh...you know what I mean? Maybe you'd like a gentler word? Asdallen! Think of one and teach me!"

“Ha!” The pale vampire standing in the sunlight chuckled, casually picking at his nails. “If it’s about flirting and dirty jokes, you do need my help. But when it comes to comforting your companions… you have a very, very passionate heart, Karak. That’s enough for Gale.”

Asdallen's remarks elicited a burst of good-natured laughter, and even the bomber himself, troubled by the Destruction Orb, felt relieved.

"Oh! I see!" Only Karak had a look of sudden realization. "It's the heart! Gale! You need Ivy! He not only helped me adjust the Infernal Engine in my chest, but he also promised to help replace my heart! What do you think if you let him replace all the skin or organs around that magic orb for you?"

"Thank you for your suggestion, Karak. I'll consider it." Gale smiled. Sharing the burden does indeed halve the pain, especially since he had so many companions on his adventures.

Evil thought moved his prosthetic arm and looked around: "Has anyone seen where Ivy went? He wasn't there at breakfast, and neither was Halsin."

“Before you got up, I saw them heading together into the woods at the top of the mountain,” Will said, then noticed the strange expression on Evil’s face. “Don’t worry, no one can defeat that combination silently.”

“Oh… I’m not worried about enemies, but about Halsin…” Evil thought waved his hand, banishing the unbearable images from his mind. “Hopefully they can make it to breakfast.” “A wise mage doesn’t miss a single breakfast; that usually means a whole day’s worth of energy studying magic,” Gale said. “It’s just that I’m surprised Elminster didn’t stay for breakfast. And Varo is missing too.”

"DOOM and the Druid are back, leading a horse." Minsara squinted at the mountaintop, where Ivy walked beside the Archdruid, the two of them and the horse bathed in the golden light of the rising sun.

It wasn't until the mountain's shadow obscured the rosy light that the adventurers realized that not everyone's golden complexion was a gift from the sun.

"Am I seeing things?" Yingxin couldn't help but ask, "Ivy is leading a golden unicorn?"

“I was just thinking about this too…” Evil Thought rubbed his eyes. “Since everyone has seen it, it must be true…”

“Perhaps we’re all trapped in a massive illusion spell…” Gale, now back to his archmage powers, said seriously, “and I’m just about to use some magic to check…”

“By the way, Gail.” Hearing him say that, Evil suddenly became curious, “You said yesterday that you had regained your archmage strength. But what exactly is ‘archmage strength’?”

“Well… to put it simply, it means being able to use ninth-circle spells and having your own mage tower.” Gale answered the evil thought’s question while preparing the spell model to dispel the magic.

"I remember you said that the spell Ivy used in the nursery was a ninth-circle spell, so you can use it too?" the evil thought asked.

Gale successfully cast the Greater Dispel spell, but nothing happened. Unfazed, he turned to continue answering the evil thought's question: "In fact, ninth-circle spells also vary in difficulty, and Prayer is the most difficult of all ninth-circle spells. The only ninth-circle spell I know of so far is Shadow Slayer, an illusion spell that can create a terrifying illusion and severely damage the minds of a group of people."

“Yesterday you were a lousy mage who could only cast second-circle spells, and today you’ve become a true archmage. Ah, the world is truly wondrous.” Will stared at Ivy and Halsin, who had already begun waving at them. “So, are those waving at us actually enemies?”

“Oh my god…” Yingxin sighed, “Losing an eye really does affect eyesight, and that’s our companion, Will!”

The golden unicorn following Ivy was naturally his old friend, Golden Horn.

In fantasy worlds, unicorns have always been associated with sacred qualities, and the continent of Faerûn is no exception.

After traveling for some time, Ivy was finding it increasingly difficult to endure the fatigue from walking. Now that they were about to enter the Cursed Lands of Shadows, the holy creatures radiating golden light seemed like an excellent excuse.

So he got up very early, intending to summon his companions from a secluded corner. However, he hadn't expected that so many people in the camp were already up early.

Fortunately, the Golden Horn, which is located in the Ivy demiplane, is also considered an otherworldly creature in the world of Toril. Therefore, spells that summon otherworldly creatures, such as interdimensional oaths, are effective against it.

This way, Ivy wouldn't have to expose her Grimoire of Destruction, and she'd also get a comfortable ride; the West Wind Horseshoe ensured Ivy's backside wouldn't be affected by the bumps.

Of course, there was also the archdruid's amazement.

“I never thought of that!” Halsin shook his head so hard it was practically a rattle drum. “A pure unicorn would choose a human male as a partner and let him ride on its back.”

"Because Golden Horn is the most unique member of her tribe, somewhat... unconventional." Ivy explained one last time, then greeted her companions in the camp, "Good morning, friends, we'll set off after breakfast. Are you all ready?"

The adventurers looked at the mess around the campfire and decided to tell the truth.

“Of course,” Yingxin nodded. “If you haven’t eaten yet, I know that Xie Nian has secretly hidden some bread and cheese, and maybe some sausages and ham.”

"Hey!"

Amidst the discontented shouts of evil thoughts, Ivy smiled gently: "That's good. Golden Horn and I have already eaten Master Halsin's divine berries... Gather everyone, we're ready to set off."

It was still early morning, but the path down the mountain was becoming increasingly difficult. The light in the valley grew dimmer with time, and the sun high in the sky seemed to have become a mere decoration, emitting only a few weak rays that provided negligible assistance to the group of adventurers, a mix of Tifflin, Ironhanded Dwarfs, and various other adventurers.

The trees stretching out from both sides of the mountain path appeared increasingly twisted and bizarre, and the corpses of many birds and beasts began to appear on the ground. It was as if they were running freely one second, and the next second their lives were taken by the shadows.

The civilians in the group began to make some uneasy noises, but they gradually quieted down when they saw Ivy riding on the back of the golden unicorn.

Stepping onto the dividing line between light and shadow, everyone felt a shadow loom over their hearts and couldn't help but shiver.

Ivy, riding on the back of the golden horn, slightly raised his arm, and the entire team immediately stopped, awaiting his command.

"The journey ahead will be the most dangerous of our trip, but I assure you, no one will be harmed by the Shadow." Ivy's clear and confident voice echoed throughout the group, and everyone clearly heard the incantation he recited, "Protector of God!"

A pale golden mist emerged from Ivy's palm, rapidly expanding and dispelling the darkness of the Cursed Lands of Shadows, forming a massive light shield that enveloped the entire group winding along the mountain path.

Fortunately, the mediocre treasure chest had already packed most of the supplies; otherwise, the two ends of the team would have been further apart, consuming even more of Ivy's magic.

This is another use of the Guardian Charm besides a physical guardian deity. It shapes the light mist into a special barrier to equally isolate the effects of dark magic.

Aside from consuming a fifth-ring spell slot every so often, there's nothing wrong with this usage, and Ivy has an unusually large number of spell slots.

(End of this chapter)