Bob swore as sweat dripped into his eyes. Turns out having your entire body wrapped in elegant robes was somewhat inconvenient for manual labor. But well, the acolytes of Archwizard Magnus the Unfathomable had a strict code of dress and conduct. Something something pride of those who seek the depths of the mystic arts.

All Bob knew is that it was terribly hot, and the mask prevented him from wiping the sweat off his brow.

He heaved a sigh and turned to continue directing the other acolytes. They were in a large stone chamber, a massive crystal sphere resting on a pedestal in the center. All around it, acolytes carved geometric patterns into the floor, concotated potions emitting colorful smoke, and placing additional crystals on stands around the room. Bob glanced over Archwizard Magnus’s designs once more.

Just then a large black crow flew into the room and began to glow, exploding in a flash of purple light.

There stood the Archwizard, Magnus the Unfathomable himself.

He had a long white beard on his pale and wrinkled face. He wrapped himself in magnificent, purple robes, various sleeves and ribbons expanding its size far larger than his body. He had a pointed hat covered in all manner of stars and designs. In his hand was a straight black staff tipped with a purple gem that was glowing faintly.

Oh, and he was scowling. Heavily.

“Acolyte, a word please?”

Bob held back to urge to sigh as he followed the Archwizard into a room. The moment he passed through the doors something flew at his face. He caught it by reflex and observed it. He was holding a multi-layered puzzle box.

“Master, what is this?”

“A test, acolyte.”

“A test?”

Archwizard Magnus narrowed his eyes.

“Delays. Setbacks. Accidents. Security breaches. I am…less than pleased with our progress, acolyte. I agreed to set up this communication enchantment for the Association under the assumption it would be a simple project that would not cut into my real work. Yet, time and time again I have found myself forced to intervene in the most simple of tasks, for the most droll of concerns. And I have pondered the question: how could this be?”

His face curled into a sneer.

“I have come to two possibilities. One, gross incompetence among my acolytes. Two, perhaps some among my acolytes do not wish to succeed. Perhaps…some among my acolytes are not acolytes at all.”

Bob held back the urge to hold his head.

Delays…because someone forgot to pay the delivery guys who subsequently ‘forgot’ to make the delivery.

Setbacks…because someone didn’t bother to specify the crystal had to be forged during the full moon and so the entire thing had to be redone.

Accidents…because someone haphazardly tossed a magical catalyst into the same box with an explosive potion ingredient after he ignored the inventory procedure and didn’t tell anyone.

Security breaches…because someone used a delivery app to order chicken nuggets straight to the construction site.

But no, it must be the acolytes’ fault, of course.

“So, a simple test, if you will. You have been overseeing this project so I imagine nothing could escape your notice, correct? Can you even perform magic, I wonder?”

Bob took the puzzle box and held it in his hands. He began to chant in an ancient language. As he did, he glanced around, selecting options from the UI display built into his mask. Power surged through a small box in his pocket, covered in geometric patterns with a glowing flower inside. He didn’t know what any of them meant, but he knew it would release a particular energy signature when stimulated with electricity. Meanwhile, he activated a small gravity projector in his sleeve.

The puzzle box began to glow and float between his hands, its various components beginning to spin around in opposite directions as they picked up on the energy surge.

Archwizard Magnus watched the box closely, then crossed his arms with a huff.

“Gross incompetence then. Acolyte, I expect you to redouble your efforts. I will not tolerate any further delays.”

Bob let the puzzle box drop back into his hands and bowed.

“It shall be done, Master. We will be ready for you tonight.”

“I hope so, for your sake.”

There was a flash of light and Archwizard Magnus disappeared, a large crow flying out the window. Bob heaved a sigh.

Paranoid mages are so annoying.

Come nightfall Archwizard Magnus arrived in the ritual chamber. A handful of acolytes stood in position around the chamber. He glanced around.

The lead acolyte wasn’t there.

Archwizard Magnus narrowed his eyes. A coward…or a traitor. Either way, he would be dealt with.

The archwizard strolled through the chamber, examining every inch of the ritual formation, every catalyst and potion. He raised an eyebrow.

All to his exact specifications.

A coward it seems, just didn’t want to be around if something went wrong most likely. He had earned a merciful death then…assuming everything went right.

Archwizard Magnus took his position in the center of the room. He held his staff in front of him with both hands and began to chant…

Glowing purple mist began to swirl around him, violet streams twisting and turning around the gem on his staff. The crystal sphere ahead of him began to glow purple, as did the geometric carvings on the floor. The Archwizard raised his voice, and the light grew stronger in response.

Louder.

Stronger.

Louder.

Stronger.

Until the archwizard's voice echoed throughout the room, carrying a dark undertone. And the purple light grew too bright to observe directly.

The archwizard lifted his staff into the air and spoke the final word of his chant. A booming sound thundered through the room.

Archwizard Magnus frowned.

“Hm?”

The crystal’s light was dimming.

And starting to turn black.

“What…is this? That acolyte…wait…”

The crystal dimmed entirely…then began to glow with black light.

“...that’s not possible…what is this?”

Archwizard Magnus took a step back. The black light continued to grow, sucking the color out of the room.

The mighty archwizard, foremost master of the mystic arts…began to sweat. He held out his staff and created a purple light in the gem.

Black tendrils grew from the crystal sphere, striking at the Archwizard. He created a sphere of purple light that deflected the tendrils.

But they continued to grow, and wrapped around the sphere.

Archwizard Magnus jumped, his eyes widening as the glow of the barrier began to fade.

“They’re…absorbing my mana?! That’s not possible…”

And then he glanced around as the barrier began to crack.

“No…NOOOOOOOO!!!!”

Archwizard Magnus the Unfathomable…vanished under a mass of black tendrils. Purple light shone from within the black mass several times…and then all was silent. The tendrils quietly untangled themselves and slid back into the crystal.

Leaving behind a withered husk.

And then the glow of the crystal faded…and it grew clear and transparent…as if nothing had happened at all.

“My oh my.”

The acolytes glued to the walls of the chamber jumped as they heard footsteps. Sharp, chitinous legs clacked against the stone as a pale spider woman strode into the chamber.

“It looks like someone forgot the appropriate wards in his design. That’s a sloppy mistake, Archwizard. Who knows what might slip into your ritual? I know, I know, you are the Archwizard, and you would win by sheer quantity of mana alone.”

She licked her lips.

“Unless of course…there was someone who wouldn’t fight your mana…but consume it.”

She looked up at the acolytes around the room.

“Well, come on now. Your master may have perished, but the Association still expects you to finish the job. Not to worry…I happen to know a thing or two about dark magic myself, so I will help you clean up the ritual and avoid any further…unpleasant occurrences.”

The acolytes glanced at each other…and then hurried to get to work.

The spider woman leaned back into a couch, an undead spider kneeling beside her. With one hand, she pet the spider. With the other…she held a small crystal sphere in her hand.

“King Hippo, what’s your status?”

She heard King Hippo growl through the crystal.

“They will all bow to me soon enough. Or they will die.”

“Any signs of the ILS?”

“Let them come. Their flesh shall become our strength!”

“We are not ready for the ILS to learn of our presence, King Hippo. If you choose to fight them now…you will do it alone.”

“Coward…you dare threaten me?”

“I do not threaten. I am simply informing you of what we will do. And you may then choose what you will do. That is how this works.”

“...fine. No, I haven’t seen any sign of those weaklings.”

“Good. Keep us posted on your progress.”

The woman nodded. The updated ritual had worked without a hitch. They could now produce magical communication devices that were completely isolated from and undetectable by mundane technology. A completely secure communication network for the Association.

Well, not entirely. They could hypothetically be breached via magical methods…but the mage in question would have to know the exact details of the enchantments used to create them and then overcome all the security wards put in place. The artifacts themselves were attuned to specific individuals and would not work for any others.

They also weren’t cheap to make and the user had to travel to the original ritual site to attune themselves to the network, so they would be issued solely to the most valuable Association members.

She smiled as she listened to the ongoing conversations.

Of course…she had taken the liberty to make some…adjustments to the ritual. And since no remaining members of the Association were versed in the mystic arts…none of them were now aware she could see and hear everything they did. As well as track their precise location.

She giggled to herself.

Soon…this would all be hers. The spider had begun to weave her web. What could the flies do but be caught in it?