Mark sat in a crowded auditorium. His face beaming in anticipation. For years, the kingdom of Levi has been under siege by the Dark Kingdom to the east. Little by little, Levi’s territory has been pushed back until recently holding the line at the Varkush Mountains. Now, however, a new hope has emerged in the guise of Dr. Farn’s supposed breakthrough in the wizard arts. “The presentation will begin shortly. Please takes your seats” a young man’s voice resounded inexplicably throughout the building. As the last people sat down, the chatter turned into scattered whispers until evaporating into silence. The lights dimmed until only a single vibrant spotlight highlighted the center of the stage.
A middle aged looking man approached the podium in the middle of the stage. His facial features exuded considerable wisdom seemingly far beyond his years. Mark recognized the man as Dr. Farn, the leading expert in magic as well as an esteemed wizard in the Kingdom of Levi. Wizards are already rare in the world, and wizards of Dr. Farn’s intelligence and skill are rarer still.
Dr. Farn began, “As you all know, when two warring armies face off, if both sides have but a single capable wizard, they are able to completely neutralize the effects of all magic in the area. In this way, most warfare is reduced to conventional tactics between armies. However, I believe I have found a way around this, a way for wizards to display their full might even in the face of another magic being.”
As Dr. Farn began elaborating on his breakthrough, Mark sat there with a paling face. His reaction was completely antithetical from the rest of the crowd. While this technique would initially favor the Kingdom of Levi, only Mark seemed to realize the dire consequences. The Kingdom of Levi and the Dark Kingdom were but only two minor powers in the world landscape. Once verified, news of Dr. Farn’s technique would spread. Mark believed a period of war would break out; the scale of which has never been seen before. Powerful wizards themselves may even attempt to establish their own countries.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
After the presentation ended, Mark along with a select few were secretly invited to a second talk taking place a week later about the actual specifics of the technique. The rest could only leave to spread propaganda about Levi taking back the eastern region with their new secret weapon. However, Mark did not have any thoughts about attending the second talk. His mind was already on making preparations to leave.
Mark was an esteemed, learned wizard, but his actual magical abilities were a far cry from elite. That said, he did have one ability he was proud of, teleportation. Mark was well versed in short range teleportation, and while studying under his old mentor, he researched long range teleportation. While long rang teleportation existed, it required vast resources, and the two connecting locations needed immense structures to be built in tandem. Even once constructed, only wizards could make the journey, rendering these feats impractical for the majority of the people. Only a few such locations existed for use by wealthy wizards. Mark had other ideas. He believed he had found a lead on a way for a wizard to teleport over long ranges without the construction of any buildings. His progress in this technique earned him acclaim to the point where aspiring wizards even sought to study under his tutelage. However, Mark had always turned them down preferring to make his way on his own.
Now, Mark believed himself to be important enough to be able to seek refuge in the relative safety of a large powerful country before any large scale wars broke out. With this incentive, Mark only needed a way to traverse Levi’s border. Unfortunately, the Kingdom of Levi closed its borders after the Darkness Kingdom advanced to the Varkush Mountains. Mark realized this is the perfect opportunity to attempt a long range teleportation.
With his plans in mind, Mark excitedly made his way back home to his lavish, one bedroom apartment. “The next day, one way or another, will be monumental.” Mark thought to himself as he began making his preparations