On the way, Ryan felt a sudden pain in his right eye, so they had to stop on the midway. They apparated down in a small village. The magic orb began to glow in his eye with a green hue. He placed his palm over it, slightly stumbling forward. Bella caught him with a worried expression, "What's wrong?" She asked, her voice laced with concern.
"Tsk. I'm going back inside the space ring. You girls find an inn and wait there."
Bellatrix wanted to argue, but Ryan disappeared before she could say anything. She looked at the glowing ring on her finger. Then she glanced at Narcissa, "You drained him pretty good, huh?! Cissy?" She teased.
"Jealous?" Narcissa replied with a smirk.
"Don't push your luck, sis," Bella walked past her, bumping her shoulder against Narcissa as she passed by.
.
Ryan materialized within the space ring. The pain in his eye intensified, the magic orb embedded in his soul pulsating with a vivid green hue. He sank to his knees, clutching his head as the visions began to flood his mind, more potent and vivid than ever before.
The shadows wrapped around him, dragging him back into memories from ages ago. His surroundings morphed, and he found himself in a lifeless wasteland. The sky loomed above in a sickly gray, thick with a heavy gloom.
The earth lay parched and cracked, drained of all life. He saw gnarled trees in the distance, with their branches twisted and dead. An icy chill swept up his spine, a distant scream bringing waves of cold wind that howled through the open field. The dead land was flooded with a bright light as suddenly the valley became alive and teeming. In the distance he could see buildings that looked like some kind of ancient temple and others appeared as though they were fit for royalty.
Out of nowhere, he wasn't alone anymore. Figures started to appear around him, draped in dark robes. Their faces were hidden beneath hoods, but Ryan could feel their piercing stares. They were wizards, powerful practitioners of magic from a time when darkness reigned supreme.
These wizards were tapping into an ancient and forbidden type of magic that Ryan recognized right away. It was the same necro energy flowing through him, the very force that had led him down this dark road. But these wizards were using it recklessly, their eyes shining with a crazed intensity that hinted at madness.
They began their chanting, hands moving in intricate patterns as they spoke words lost to time. The ground below them rumbled and the cracks opened up to let a dark mist rise from within. It fed and it moved rapidly, consuming everything in its path. It was a scourge — the mist, carrying with it doom and rot. He could feel the life draining from it, sense nature becoming something other than what she was meant to be.
The fields, once lush and blooming with life were now just a barren wasteland of brown dirt littered with the rotting remains of plants. And with that, the scene shifted and Ryan found himself in a great hall lined by walls hung thick with centuries-old tapestries of triumph. In the center of it sat a throne with some figure barely visible shrouded within darkness. It was the genius of plague, the wicked sorcerer who became lost to myth.
The sorcerer lifted his hand, and the wizards around him bowed in submission. Ryan could see the madness flickering in their eyes, mirroring the insanity of their leader. They were intoxicated by the power they had unleashed, oblivious to the chaos they had caused in the world.
The mad leader began to speak, "We have ascended to godhood," he proclaimed, his tone oozing with arrogance. "With this power, we will purge the world of the weak and unworthy. Only those who accept the darkness will endure."
As he spoke, Ryan felt a sudden rise of his own necro energy. This time it was intensified beyond anything he had ever felt. It tugged at him, trying to seize control and bend him to its dark will. But he fought back, fists clenched tight as he resisted the pull of the dark magic. He couldn't let it take him over, not like it had done to those wizards. He needed to maintain control if he were to achieve his ultimate goal.
The scene shifted again, and Ryan found himself on a battlefield. The air was thick with the scent of blood, rot, and death, and the ground was strewn with the fallen. The blight had spread far and wide, wiping out entire armies in its wake. The wizards were at the heart of the chaos, their eyes wild with the thrill of destruction.
He could see the toll the magic had taken on them. Their skin was pale and drawn, their bodies frail from the relentless drain on their life force. Yet, they pressed on, driven by an unquenchable thirst for power.
And then it happened. The very magic they had unleashed turned against them. The blight, once under their command, began to spread uncontrollably. It devoured everything in its path, including its creators. The wizards screamed in pain as their bodies were ravaged by the curse they had unleashed. Their flesh decayed, leaving nothing but bones and ash.
He could sense their suffering, and feel the surge of horror that came with this realization and reduction. They had toyed with powers they knew nothing about, and now it was their turn to pay the piper.
The vision faded, and Ryan was left in the moment. He found himself lying on the floor of his space ring, covered in sweat. He felt drums pounding in his chest and harsh breaths squeezed from between clenched jaws. The pain in his eye had since dimmed as well, but the image of those mandibles gleaming did not appear to be going anywhere.
"Fuck! What the hell was that?!" He cursed aloud, feeling his body trembling from the aftershocks of whatever vision he'd just had. "This power leads to madness?! Fuck that!" He slowly rose to his feet, looking around the space ring.
"Madness? No, we warned them during their era," A familiar voice of a woman came to his ears. He turned back to see the same lady who guided him back then and told him about the trials, standing behind him. She wore a black cloak that concealed most of her face, only showing a pair of glowing blue eyes.
'A new look, huh?!'
Ryan looked at her with confusion, "You mean the wizards I saw? You warned them?"
The woman nodded, "Yes, we warned them. However, they refused to listen, blinded by their arrogance and lust for power. In the end, they met their demise, consumed by the very magic they sought to control. You humans are really funny creatures. Afraid of the unknown, but always seeking it out."
"Yeah, power is like aged alcohol, once you get hooked, it's hard to let go," Ryan replied sarcastically.
She smiled, "What about you? Are you perhaps getting addicted to this new power of yours? It seems you've improved more than I expected over these months."
"Addicted, you say? Well, this necromancer's power isn't bad at all, though I must admit it comes with some drawbacks." Ryan frowned, remembering the pain he had just experienced and the stamina drain back when he was fusing those wolves' souls into his spectral hounds.
She chuckled, "That's normal. Necro energy is a very dangerous and taboo magic. You are playing with the dead, so you shouldn't expect it to come without a price. Well, this body of yours is holding on pretty well. But you know, I'm glad..." She turned around and began to walk forward toward the sleeping necro dragon.
"Glad?" Ryan raised his eyebrow.
"Yes. I'm glad that you are still sane after playing with Necro Energy for this long. Your soul is stronger than anyone I've guided in the past. Maybe you'll be the first one to reach the end of Necromancer's path or consumed by it. Either way, it's your journey ahead. Just make sure you don't lose your sanity in the process. Well, I did my part of warning you to be careful," She said while running her fingers along the dragon's body, before turning back to Ryan, "Oh, before I forget. You've unlocked two new curses. Plague and corpse explosion. Use them wisely!" She waved before disappearing.
Ryan stood there for a few seconds before he sighed.
"How the hell do you expect insane dark wizards to listen to you if you just speak like that? You are sending a warning for God's sake, can't you be a bit serious? Seriously, what a troublesome guide!" He sighed.
'Two new curses, huh?! Looks insanely dangerous and powerful.'