The most powerful wizard in the magic world

Gerlin sat at the table, flipping through an ancient witchcraft scroll with a focused expression, occasionally glancing out the window, as if he was thinking about something.

"Gerlin," Salia's voice broke the silence of the library not far away, "What are you researching?"

He raised his head, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a gentle smile. "I'm studying some knowledge about ancient witchcraft, hoping to find some new techniques to improve the effectiveness of my spells."

"That's amazing." Thalia came closer and sat across from him, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. "You always find things that other wizards overlook."

"Thank you for the compliment," Garlin half-closed his eyes, as if he was thinking about something, "In fact, I hope more wizards can open their horizons and explore the forgotten knowledge."

Sally nodded, and suddenly her expression became serious. "I heard that the atmosphere in the academy has been a little tense recently. Some people said that something might happen."

"What happened?" Gerling frowned slightly. He seemed to be particularly sensitive to this topic. "What do you mean?"

"I talked to some students from the Rebuilding Society, and they mentioned that there have been some unusual phenomena recently, such as frequent curses and runes failing." Salia's voice lowered, "Many people are beginning to worry about the safety of the academy."

"I've heard some of this, too." Gerlin's expression became serious, and he gently put the scroll down. "But I believe the academy is capable of dealing with these problems. We are not alone in Mankro."

"Yes, but if things continue to deteriorate, someone will always take extreme measures." Sallya said softly, her eyes sweeping across the sky outside the window, as if predicting something.

At this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps interrupted her thoughts. Leon, a senior from the college, hurried into the library with a serious face. He walked straight towards Gerlin, his undisguised anxiety obvious.

"Gerlin, we need to find you immediately." Leon said hurriedly, "We need your help."

"What happened?" Gerlin stood up quickly, feeling a little uneasy.

"In the laboratory next door, someone found an ancient book that described a powerful forbidden magic." Leon frowned and said in a low voice, "It seems to be related to the recent turmoil."

"Forbidden magic?" Salia exclaimed, "It's too dangerous. We can't let it fall into the wrong hands!"

"We need to investigate further." Gerlin washed the scroll in his hand and said with determination, "Take me there."

The three of them quickly left the library, their hurried footsteps echoing in the corridor. Gerlin wondered what secrets this ancient book could hide that could cause the entire academy to fall into panic.

They stopped at the door of the laboratory, and Leon's hand gripped the door handle tightly. He turned his head, with a firm look in his eyes, "We have to be careful when we go in."

Gerling nodded and pushed open the door of the laboratory. The old wooden door creaked, and the room was dark, with only a few candles illuminating the surroundings. The scattered books and experimental equipment were in a mess, which looked a bit weird.

"Where are you?" Leon called out loudly, his voice echoing in the empty space.

Just as they were trying to find other people, a faint voice came from the corner. A classmate struggled to sit up, his face pale, with beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. "I... I found out about forbidden magic, but... I can't control it."

"Look!" He pointed to a tattered ancient book on the table. The cover was covered with complicated runes, like some kind of sacrificial pattern.

Gerlin walked forward and looked at the ancient book carefully. "This rune...it is the spell of 'Shadow Contract'." His voice was low and uneasy. "Once it is cast, it may summon uncontrollable power."

"We must stop it!" Sallya said anxiously, glancing at the gradually twisting pages. Pulled by some force, the pages had begun to turn, and a dark aura seemed to permeate the air.

"It's backfiring!" Leon noticed something was wrong and immediately rushed towards the ancient book, trying to close it.

"No!" Gellin shouted, trying to stop him, "We can't use violence! It will only anger it!"

Salia's face became tense, and suddenly, she loudly chanted a spell towards the ancient book, trying to gain control. However, as soon as the voice fell, the ancient book suddenly burst into a strong light, and the air around it seemed to tremble, and the pressure made people breathless.

"Quick! Fight back with strength!" Leon's voice was drowned out by the shockwaves, but he did not flinch, facing the oncoming shadows with a firm gaze.

Gerlin was anxious, and he quickly raised his staff, gathering his magical energy, trying to guide the power back. His hands trembled slightly, and cold sweat gradually seeped out of his forehead.

"Protect the mind!" he shouted, and a halo of light was released from the top of the staff, instantly forming a barrier between the ancient book and them.

Salia followed closely behind, chanting a spell to help Gerlin resist. Her voice flowed like a spring, and was particularly clear in the chaos, as if it could wash away the oppression around her.

As she cast the spell, the ancient book began to stop raging and began to emit a faint light. The tension in Gerlin's heart gradually eased, and he knew that they were getting closer to success.

"Keep going! Keep this up!" Leon's voice was loud and seemed full of hope.

At this moment, a black shadow seeped out from the ancient book and pounced towards them with a roar. The light around them instantly dimmed, as if the entire laboratory was swallowed up in endless darkness.

"Protect yourself!" Gerling shouted, and the huge pressure forced his whole body to tense up.

"Let me help you!" Sallya quickly chanted a protective spell, and the surrounding air began to rotate under the influence of her magic power, forming a halo that surrounded them.

"I have a plan." Gerlin stared at the ancient book and clenched his teeth. "We need to draw back its power and communicate with it with our hearts."

"Are you crazy?" Leon was shocked. "This is too dangerous!"

"I have no choice." Gerlin's eyes flashed with determination. "If we don't try to communicate with it, it will only become stronger and eventually devour us."