A dinner, an inexplicable old wizard and an inexplicable ink melt off the famous travel writer Varro Temp Zeda completely lost his mood.

According to his daily habits, after dinner, he would take a bubble bath, enjoy an orange oil massage from a lovely halfling girl, and finally sit down at his desk to compile an outline of the day's materials.

But on this day, he simply threw away all his work and distracted himself a little with a bottle of Shaltara's black licorice whiskey—

For a wizard like Varro who was dedicated to writing, it was clearly beyond his expertise to remove this strange curse of black ink on his body. However, for a well-traveled travel writer, whether it is the priest of the temple or the supreme ruler of Waterdeep, he has more than enough places to ask for help, and there is always a way to wash his body clean.

"No, I shouldn't have gone to the old black cane, and I can't add more jokes about me to this old fellow with a beard the color of a skunk's fur. It's still the gentle and lovely Lady Leila who is better to deal with. Varro muttered to himself as he took a large glass.

……

………

The aroma of black licorice whiskey still lingered on the tip of his nose, but the owner of the Yawning Portal Inn, Durnan, sneezed violently, and in front of the former adventurer who had not washed his hands, Varro Temple was fully dressed and waved at him: "My friend, I look back, I think I am now being summoned by my Goddess of Inspiration, and I need to take a trip to the ruins of the Leyline Maze immediately." ”

Looking at the famous travel writer in front of him, Durnan shrugged his shoulders and opened the door to the Yawn Portal Inn: "Be careful on the road, the ruins at night are not a safe place. ”

Varro nodded, acknowledging Durnan's statement, but didn't step forward at all: "You're right, so I want to go straight into the depths of the leyline maze through the portal of your inn, is that okay?"

This proposal made Duernan frown slightly: "Your Excellency Writer, where did you hear that my inn has a secret portal?"

"As a friend of the old black cane, I certainly have a detailed understanding of the secrets of Waterdeep, Mr. Durnan, do me a favor, I will give your inn more publicity in the new book. ”

"Don't advertise this portal. Duernan replied with a dark face.

"But your hotel is called a yawn portal. Varro shrugged, a look of defiant pleasure in his eyes.

After thinking for a moment, Durnan finally gave in: "You can use the portal of our store, but please don't bring trouble to our store." ”

"A ruined leyline labyrinth, what trouble could affect the Yawn Portal Inn?" Varro shrugged his shoulders and followed Durnan towards the cellar, where in addition to Durnan's collection of famous wines, the more important facility was an old portal.

Stroking the ancient mage insignia on the portal, Varro nodded to Duronan: he disappeared at the other end of the door.

When the writer reopened his eyes, he was already standing in a pitch-black tunnel, with a few red and purple dots of light lit up in different places.

It took him a moment to remember that it was a thermal vision of the Drow Elves capturing heat in the dark.

Those beautiful but dangerous pupils were noticeably a little more.

"My dark-skinned friends, if you may permit, light a lamp, or I will have a hard time seeing your faces......

Before he could finish his sentence, he was pushed to the ground, and a cold shackle was fastened around his neck.

Someone said calmly in the surface lingua franca, "Don't worry, Mr. Writer, I just imposed a forbidden collar on you. Your magical skills are worse than those of the low-level apprentices at Warlock Academy, but I know that a wizard can always cause trouble in unexpected places. ”

"You must be a drow master of magic," Varro relented slightly, complimenting his kidnapper, "but you should know that wizards are always curious, how did you get hold of me?"

Let the pale demon fire ignite in the palm of his hand, revealing the arrogant face of Lecki Bondalek, the drow wizard stood in front of Varro and happily revealed the mystery:

"A little spiritual connection, and then a strong hint to you, as long as this will allow you to leave the protection of Waterdeep and enter the dark realm. ”

"Implication magic is also limited by distance. Varro glanced at the Drow brothers who held him hostage and shook his head, "A wizard from the Shadows wants to sneak into Waterdeep quietly, and that is to defy the old black rod as a great magician. ”

"So I got a lovely assistant. Leckie said, holding Mo Yun who was standing aside and trying to merge himself with the stalagmite as much as possible, "The psyker is an expert in spiritual connection, and a good persuader. ”

Looking at the young Drow scout, and then at the Drow brothers who were holding him hostage, Varro nodded in realization: "Lady Rose's outstanding warriors, is this why we have to end our friendship with each other?"

Hokun shook his head slightly, then pressed Varro's head lower: "No drow spirit can escape the web of fate of the Spider God, and when she calls us in her dreams at night, that's why we must obey. ”

"If we don't betray you, then we will be cursed by the goddess, and we will be taken home by the hunters of Morsobre, and become arachnid elves, or sacrifices for the next mass living sacrifice. Coren added with some sadness.

During the conversation between the Drow brothers, Leckie's hand on Mo Yun's shoulder was slightly forced, and through the spiritual connection, he coldly asked, "This is your plan, pretending to be a goddess to send a fake oracle to these low-level ronin?"

Feeling the almost undisguised murderous intent in Leckie's consciousness, Mo Yun replied stiffly, "All the drow elves are in the web of fate of the spider queen, and our intrigues, tricks, murders, and betrayals are the goddess herself. If the Queen thinks I've blasphemed her divine might, then the Queen's handmaidens will descend on the altar of the Mistresses and have the priestesses rip off my cloak and let my body be pierced by the tentacles of the Wax Melt Demon like a broken puppet. ”

Leckie took a deep look at the young drow and finally let go of his hand: "Things are best as you hope, now, take this captive and let us go back to Morsoblay City." ”

(End of chapter)