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Claudius sat on a alt Stone, as if it were a temporary throne. He put his heavy spear on his shoulders with deliberate indifference, but his majestic aura imposed an eerie silence on the place. He raised his eyes to meet me, spoke in a low voice but carried all the strength he possessed: "sure, it was an exciting show, White. But don't tell me you've just had enough. Don't you have something to tell me"

I sat down in front of him slowly, trying to keep my composure. It was not easy to meet his gaze, he has that annoying balance between fun and authority. I smiled half-heartedly and said: "what I have seen now is only the beginning. But I know you didn't come to watch a show."

Claudius laughed,a light but confident laugh. "As smart as I've always been . And now What happened And how did you end up with a book with such a weighty name as 'the dissident Guardian'"

I felt a bit of tension creeping up on me. Knowing that telling him my secrets would not be in my favor and would probably make a mess, I slowly opened my palms, showing the book that seemed to come to life. Its dark cover and ancient inscriptions shine in the dim light. "Find me... Or maybe I found it. I don't really know. Then the event that happened simply"

Claudius leaned forward, his eyes glowing with a strange interest. "Found you?" Don't be naive. A book like this does not 'find' anyone. He's selective... He chooses, white."

He let his spear settle next to him and leaned against the wall. "But let's not waste time on philosophy. What interests me is that you have become a magician, and this more or less serves my plan. But..."He stopped, and looked at me with a look that bore something of pity and contempt. "Your magic circles are incomplete, and the book itself... It won't do you much good."

I looked at him questioningly, but before I could speak, he raised his finger, indicating silence to me. "The difference between a lumineer and a magician is something that takes a long time to explain, and I don't like to explain, and as for the book, you are carrying the Magic Book of the Ultima magician . His book is full of complex spells that suit his level, not yours. You may find something useful, but most of it will remain like a mountain that you can't climb."

I smiled sarcastically and said: "so, his legacy is in my hands, but it's useless right now. I can hardly use magic. My magic circles are incomplete, my strength... Don't compare to any of this."

Claudius's tone changed a little, becoming more serious. "The lumineer who has Unlimited Mana, but cannot use it, turns into a magician who plans to steal the moon.Ridiculous, isn't it?

His eyebrows rose slightly as if he was enjoying his words. "Oh, and what about the Empire? You're a mutant Lumineer, you carry a controversial book, and you'll be hunted by everyone."

I smiled wryly, a smile that held both pent-up anger and boundless ambition. "The moon... is still far away. Maybe I need more than this book, more than these missing circles. But I will get there one day, Claudius. And I'll steal it. And as for the Empire, I'll get out of it... and when I come back, I'll reassemble the fragments of my pain and suffering."

"What exists outside the Empire is hell for your peers. Even the Empire is afraid to face it. Going there is suicide.

"I prefer suicide to execution... I also have a plan and advantages," I said, thinking about the system and my transformation into a mage.

He smiled slightly sarcastically and said, "White, I've never seen you like this before. Is this the real you, or is the book starting to take its toll on you?"

I sat in front of him on a frost-covered rock, and smiled a faint smile. "That's me, or maybe something new. In the end, we don't become what we want to be. We become what we have to be."

Claudius laughed, but his laughter carried something heavy. It's like making fun of an idea that he knows is bigger than my words. "Great philosophy, white. But it won't do you any good in this world. Only power determines everything. And you, barely started. If I were you, I wouldn't talk about revenge or stealing the moon while still roaming in the world of magic."

I looked up at him, my features frozen like an ice sheet. "Maybe. But even a small step is enough if you know the way. I know him."

He stopped laughing for a moment, looked at me carefully, then tilted his head slightly, as if measuring me. "You know the way?" he said slowly, as if questioning every word I said. Then he continued in an arrogant voice: "You are barely in the first level, while your book itself was in the hands of a level six wizard. Do you even understand what level six means?"

I didn't respond directly. I let him speak, I knew that for Claudius vanity was not a flaw, but part of his existence.

"The sixth level is where the body ceases to be just a mortal thing and becomes something else. Something bigger. More pure. And you, with all the luminous mana you carry and think it's unlimited, just a kid playing with a book older than his age."

Before I could answer, we were interrupted by a frightening screaming that split the air like a sudden stab. The cry was loud, imbued with anger and power, as if it came from a mythical creature.

Claudius was the first to move. He stood lightly, contradicting his size, an unnatural look burning in his eyes, as if he had been waiting for this sound for a long time. His spear rose to his side, as if it were more than a weapon.

His eyes widened frighteningly, but it wasn't fear... It was madness tinged with pure happiness.

"Do you hear that?" he said in a whisper-like voice, but his face glowing with joy. "It's... She. Finally, my little prize has reached me!"

I stood, unconsciously taking a step. I didn't understand what he meant, but seeing Claudius so crazy was enough to make me wonder: what could this creature be to make someone of Claudius' calibre behave like this?

The sound of shouting that ripped through the basement was unusual. It was like an explosion, a living force echoing in every stone and every void. The walls shook violently, as if the castle itself was responding to the call of a mythical creature. The dust fell from the ceiling, and I felt colder overwhelmed me, but it wasn't magical cold... It is the coolness of danger.

"Go now. If you want to survive."

I didn't pay attention to the response, and there was probably no need to respond. Before I could comprehend it, Claudius was moving, with fast but steady steps, as if the whole castle was nothing but a paved road for him. The large door leading to the outside opened with a loud sound, and Claudius rushed through it, leaving behind the echo and ashes.

I stayed there for a moment, leaning against the stone wall that was still shaking under the sound of shouting. Something in this voice was digging in my ears, as if he wanted to tear me apart from the inside. I took a deep breath, but the coldness that surrounded me was not enough to calm the explosion I felt inside me.

I looked around. The cellar was changing, slowly shattering under the weight of the screams. The old stones were separated from each other, as if led to death.

I carried the sword of Tyroen, his flame had been extinguished and he was warm.

"I'll go, but before that I'll give back some favors."

I said it to the void while I was thinking about the traitor.

Edward, Klaus, Theodore, Oliver, Tarus and Tarus... One of them is the traitor!