Now you will have to listen to the long-winded chatter of this old man...

A slightly trembling old hand takes a small piece of chalk from the table and begins to draw some incomprehensible diagrams on the board.

"What do you even remember from my lectures on the basics of cosmogony and the global interplanar structure, Gimlet?"

You feel awkward and embarrassed, realizing that you clearly should have been a more diligent student in the past.

"Well... I guess... I can say that in addition to our world, there are other worlds... There are many of them... There are Lower Planes, Inner Planes, Outer Planes..." - alas, even you yourself feel the unfortunate superficiality of your knowledge.

The old man, without turning to you, continues to draw the scheme.

Your hearing catches a contemptuous, dull laugh: "I thought so... No systematicity and depth of knowledge... Look at the scheme, Gimlet!"

You see a chalk scheme, which is a jumble of large and small circles that connect to each other in some incomprehensible chaotic logic.

"Have you ever seen the night sky, strewn with many bright stars?" - Professor Gleivinthal asks you.

"Yes... Yes, of course..." - you answer, puzzled.

"Can you name the exact number of stars that strew the night sky with?" - there is a hint of sarcasm in the old man's voice.

"No... There are too many stars..." - you answer.

The old man turns to you, stroking his gray beard.

"That's right, Gimlet. There are so many stars that we do not know their exact number. The same situation is with other worlds - their huge number we cannot yet accurately count. Using scientific terminology, these worlds can be called "planar spheres". In addition to our planar sphere, there are countless other worlds. Our world, Agrafeon, is one of countless others. I will not bore your weak mind with stories about legends according to which our world arose from the colossal skull of an ancient titan, whose flaming heart became the sun that warms our world to this day... Outdated treatises characterized our world with the term "Material Plane", but now it is obvious that this is only the result of ignorance. The matter of other worlds also exists and we simply do not yet have sufficient knowledge to analyze the types of this extraplanar matter. I have drawn on the scheme a multitude of planar spheres that are connected to each other and to various demiplanes ... "

Probably, the stupid expression on your face was too noticeable: "Ahem... Just don't tell me that you do not understand the term, "demiplane", Gimlet!"

"I... Well... I think that..." - you try to mumble something.

The old man's voice says measuredly: "A demiplane is a closed sphere of existence of a smaller scale, which is connected by a special channel only to a specific planar sphere. Usually, one planar sphere is connected to many smaller demiplanes. If you were attentive, you would immediately see such designations on the diagram! The essence of demiplanes can be different, but often they are closed worlds controlled by specific deities. After ****, the souls of the adherents of the corresponding religion go to the demiplane of the deity whom these adherents worshiped..."

You feel that soon you simply will not be able to restrain the desire to yawn.

So you try to steer the conversation in the direction that interests you: "What about the planar spheres that are connected to our world? Who exactly are our "neighbors"?"

Professor Gleivinthal frowns with displeasure: "You don't even understand the basics of cosmology, Gimlet! You can hardly understand the essence of my answer. But, okay... Your words about the Lower Planes, Inner Planes, Outer Planes... All this is just one of the superficial cosmological classifications of other worlds. This classification is partly outdated due to the fact that over the last century, science has been able to obtain information about worlds that do not fit into this primitive classification. And something else has become known for sure: our world is not the center of the Universe at all! Our world is just a grain of sand in the unimaginably colossal ocean of the Universe!"

The old man approaches the table and drinks water from a small glass. Then he continues: "You asked about the "neighbors" of our world... Yes, something is known about them... They are very dangerous creatures. Those of them who have the ability to travel between planes are doubly dangerous. Any ritual to summon an extraplanar entity requires careful work by an experienced mage. It is desirable that this ritual be performed by at least two mages (so that each of them can help the other in case of emergency). Your weak mind does not have even a fraction of the imagination that would allow you to imagine other worlds, their structure and their inhabitants... And perhaps this is even for the best, Gimlet! "

You sense something like sadness in the old human's voice. As if old, soul-tormenting memories have surfaced in his memory.

"Have you been to other worlds, Professor Gleivinthal?" you ask.

The old man is silent.

"You shouldn't know the details, boy. But I'll tell you so you understand the seriousness of the situation - there is a fate worse than ****. There are worlds, the very atmosphere of which exudes disgusting abomination and chilling horror. The most incredible atrocity can turn out to be commonplace. And the most nightmarish horridness can poison the soul of an unprepared mage who risks contacting the forces of another world... Classifications and typologies can be very diverse... Gloomy Umbral planar spheres, Abyssal worlds, planes of Chthonic horror, Fae planar spheres, permeated with chaos that distorts the body and soul..."

Gleivinthal seems to be trying to detach himself from the tide of painful memories.

"You said "neighbors"... A stupid word... Look at the examples of extraplanar entities, whose "neighborhood" inspires nothing but the desire to never meet them!" - The old man takes a large volume from his desk, the cover of which is covered with thin strips of copper.

Then he flips through the yellowed pages and shows you the illustrations one by one.

What you see makes you feel fear permeate every part of your mind.

Disgusting faceless creatures with many spiky tentacles instead of normal arms and legs.

Figures as if woven from a substance alien to your world... Some kind of black flame, engulfing a silhouette with two pairs of long arms.

Insect-like creatures with dozens of small eyes, six limbs and a large long tail, at the end of which is a sharp sting, exuding a vile liquid.

The mere sight of these entities makes you feel the pressure on your sanity...

Suddenly, you notice something familiar among the illustrations and extensive text comments...

Figures of creatures with large leathery wings, hooves instead of feet, long thin tails, curved horns on their heads.

On their hands there are sharp dagger-like claws...

Their faces and figures are quite anthropomorphic...

In addition, among these illustrations there are also silhouettes resembling women.

Very seductive, graceful and sexy women who are not at all embarrassed by the extremely small amount of clothing on their charming bodies.

Such a terrifying contrast with the terrible monstrous elements of their bodies...

You try not to show your reaction and restrain the trembling of your voice: "Professor Gleivinthal... And to what category do these extraplanar entities belong?"

The old human looks at the book and grumpily replies: "Have you tried to read the explanatory text yourself, Gimlet? There it is very clearly stated - these are illustrations of creatures that live in various Abyssal planar spheres. These particular examples refer to dangerous and insidious monsters, called by the term "succubus". These vile extraplanar entities masterfully manipulate the minds of their victims and demonstrate stunning cruelty. They like to **** and corrupt. They are like a cat that plays with a mouse for a long time and intricately before eating it. Fortunately, there are many abyssal planar spheres and their inhabitants are constantly at war with each other. And even within one abyssal planar sphere, there is a constant massacre for power between the local inhabitants. This fact restrains the extraplanar expansion of such monsters..."

"Expansion?" - you say questioningly.

The old man is clearly dissatisfied with the primitiveness of your questions: "Of course! All worlds exist due to energy! The energy of primordial magic lines, the energy of souls, the energy of the elements... The essence is approximately the same... If a certain **** achieves dominance in a planar sphere, then this **** may well desire expansion into other planar spheres! That is precisely why rituals for summoning extraplanar entities require the highest magical concentration, careful preparation, and the participation of experienced magicians! "

"But how can one counteract..." - you try to ask the question that interests you.

"Enough questions, Gimlet! It is too early for you to delve into such complex topics. In the best case, only in a couple of years will you be able to understand the essence of my explanations, and for now you are unlikely to remember anything... Go, you probably have a new lecture starting soon, and I need to take care of my own affairs..." - Professor Gleivinthal is clearly not in the mood for continuing the conversation.

He turns away from you and begins to slowly erase the scheme from the board.

You are about to leave, but your gaze sees stacks of books on the table.

In addition to the book whose illustrations the professor showed you (this tome is lying open - you are unlikely to be able to steal it - Professor Gleivinthal will immediately notice), there are many other books here.

You manage to read the title on the spine of one dusty tome: "Methods for neutralizing the influence of a summoned entity."

The title hints that the contents of this book can help you in some way.

You try to approach the table unnoticed...

A quick movement...

You hide this book under the fabric of your student robe and quickly leave the room.