In the ten minutes it took Carl to return with a single mage, Lanling had pieced together that the owners of the scattered armor had been teleported away rather than disintegrated—a discovery that brought him immense relief.
Teleportation, while disorienting, was harmless in comparison. Disintegration, on the other hand, was an unforgiving spell—it obliterated the victim entirely, preventing resurrection or reincarnation. Their souls would be renewed, erasing all traces of who they once were.
Lanling had never dared to overuse that spell. In fact, he had never cast it on any mortal.
There will always be someone stronger than you, no matter the time or place. The longer he lived, the more deeply he understood this truth. It was a reminder to wield his magic responsibly and avoid stirring sleeping dragons.