Book excerpt: After witnessing his own soul during an encounter with Reiculf—the lord of all demons—Ryson Acumen's unquenchable curiosity blossoms as he hopes to comprehend the larger meaning of his inner essence. While he begins a quest of spiritual understanding, he meets an old adversary on a quest of his own. The wizard of crimson spells, Neltus, has lost his magical core. Without it, he is unable to embrace the red energy which served him in so many ways. Determined to regain what was removed from him, the coreless wizard takes uncharacteristic risks, and without the delver's knowledge, joins forces with creatures of far more wicked intent. From the desert to the western shores, Neltus leads Ryson through twisted passages of betrayal. Foes from the past combine forces to threaten every level of existence, and the delver faces a warped menace in a new realm of deceit. In one devastating wave of upheaval, demons are freed from the restrictions which held them within their breeding grounds. Colossal fiends capable of destroying entire cities are unleashed on the land, and even the spirit warrior who guards Ryson's hometown is unable to stop them. The delver and his allies face a whirlwind of treachery as they stumble from one disaster to another. While the threats to Uton continue to grow, the delver takes control of the battle and brings the fight back to the demons' breeding grounds. Returning his focus to his initial quest, Ryson breaks through new barriers and allows a growing enlightenment of his inner essence to guide him against his enemies. A new perspective of the spirit offers the one path which may allow him to defeat the devious menace and save his friends.