Gavriil observed what was happening from the sidelines, like a hidden observer delving into the secrets of the magical world. Ashley, shining with her knowledge, was supposed to open the doors of magic for the boy. At that moment, the lesson turned into a real gathering of wizards, where each of them shared their discoveries and discussed the intricacies of the magical art.

Discussions flared up so much that even the most experienced mage could not resist the temptation to express their opinion on the most effective method of creating magic. Some preferred chanting spells in an ancient language, resurrecting forgotten words and symbols, while others preferred using more understandable and modern forms of incantations. There were also those who mastered silent magic, creating symbols and runes in the air, directing streams of magic with their fingers. Vallynor listened to each mage, immersing himself in the world of diverse methods he had no idea about before.

Gavriil, although familiar with all these methods, still felt an insatiable desire to learn more. He marveled at the fact that even in our time, there are people who continue to study and develop magic, revealing new facets of it. It reminded him that even after centuries, magic still hides secrets, perhaps accessible only to the gods of magic.

Vallynor watched as the mages argued and fought among themselves, applying only the method of spell creation they shared. One by one, they proved or disproved their theories and research. Ashley, immersed in her studies, forgot about the external world and other things, striving to understand how to create magical artifacts.

Of course, each of these mages was like a living supercomputer, but they were also people with their own personal affairs and problems. The recent years had been tough, and many of them lost the motivation and inspiration to continue moving forward.

Gavriil sighed deeply and stood up, carefully arranging his things around the magical ring. Then, slowly, like a great master, he approached the group of mages and took out several items for the lesson, starting his lecture:

"Let silence fall!" - His words pierced the attention of everyone present. Even those who had just been fighting stopped and stared attentively at Gavriil.

"Father? Is something wrong?" - Ashley, slightly embarrassed, asked her father.

"Watching over you, I could not stand aside and finally decided to fulfill Caesar's request. So let's sit down and listen."

All silently fixed their glowing eyes on Gavriil. They had been receiving lessons from him for a long time, but now there was a chance to learn something new, something that would change their perception of magic and the world in general.

***

In a cozy cottage permeated with the scent of antiquity, an old woman skillfully knitted miniature toy figures of people with threads. Her hands moved slowly, like magical fingers, creating delicate shapes from soft threads. A cat slept on a chair in front of her, its ears rising and falling, like a vigilant guard.

"What's up, kitty?" - The old woman, with a slight smile, threw a question towards the cat, as if communicating with it in a secret language. Then she settled more comfortably and continued her creativity, crafting small fairy characters from threads.

"Something happened?" - Under the influence of the cat's strange behavior, the old woman felt that something unusual was happening around her. The smile never left the old woman's face, like the bright sun shining through a blanket of clouds.

"Nothing, I just thought. Since the arrival of Baba Yaga's familiar, you've become somewhat quiet and even strange," the cat whispered, like a breeze penetrating through the stale windows.

"Oh, I won't deny that it's sometimes sad to realize that gradually they all leave, one by one. Forever. Without the possibility of rebirth or redemption. Bestowing..."

"Emptiness!" - A joyful male voice suddenly echoed from the entrance. Noticing, like the old woman and the cat, both turned their heads and saw a man in a black suit and golden glasses. He held a cane in one hand, and with the other, he clutched a hat to his chest.

"You?... What are you doing in my house?" - The suddenly agitated grandma began to shout and was ready to utter curses. But inside her, an icy fear gripped.

"Don't worry, I didn't come for you, but for this mischief-maker!" - The man smiled ear to ear and approached the trembling cat.

"I am a witch! What are you..."

"Don't try to deceive me, the last son of the Former Queen of Spiders!"

***

"…no matter how to embody the spell. The main thing is to extract all the hidden essence from it. Execute everything correctly. It is also important for a mage to possess knowledge of various summoning methods, for example, a fireball. Let's say a mage has an understanding and connection. Then something is inserted into his mouth, depriving him of the ability to speak words. What will happen to this mage if he does not master the art of silent magic? He will become powerless, and perhaps even perish. This is just one of many examples; there are thousands, if not more!" - Gavriil spoke and taught everyone, especially Ashley and Vallynor, revealing various aspects of magic in a more refined light.

Vallynor listened with enthusiasm; his eyes sparkled with interest. And he was not alone – many others also absorbed the knowledge with fascination. Even Ashley, with a smile, watched her father, recalling the days when magic was not forbidden, and Gavriil taught all mages, including his children. And after that, he immersed himself in the study of magic, and in the nighttime hours...

Ashley blushed, remembering how her father amused himself with other women, leaving her mother in sorrow.

After an elaborate explanation of each type of magic, Gavriil began teaching how to apply one spell in various ways. He talked about how to read correctly, draw symbols, and many other skills. Vallynor realized that to master many of these skills, he would have to delve into the study of magic.

Then, Gavriil paused for a moment. Taking a breath, he said:

"If we talk about different ways of creating the same spell, we also need to mention more specific methods directly related to certain types of magic. There are many of them, but I will tell you about the most well-known. For example, Blood Magic, Curses, Necromancy, and so on. Blood Magic allows creating spells using one's own or someone else's blood to form symbols. Masters can even depict these symbols inside themselves without causing harm. Curses are usually created according to accepted rules, but adding a few extra words can make them automatically active under certain conditions. These are dangerous things, don't forget. Once, I even showed how to cast a curse by simply adding it to a potion. Necromancers can compel their minions to perform all the necessary actions to create a spell. And through the connection linking the owner and the undead, they gain access to the spell. And these are just three out of the multitude of types of magic, and there are thousands, if not more, that I haven't fully studied."

Then, Gavriil not only talked about it but also demonstrated the practical creation of some types of magic, animating zombies and creating golems. He showed how to use blood magic, curses, and necromancy.

Vallynor was shocked by the new knowledge of necromancy and disturbed by the fact that his father resorted to such magic. But scrutinizing his creations closely, he found mistakes he himself made before they showed him how to do it right.

After all this, Gavriil invited each mage to approach him and share their discoveries about creating magic and how to better utilize it.

Time passed quickly as Vallynor listened attentively. Today's lesson was filled with theory, unlike the previous practical sessions. However, he absorbed many new terms and concepts. If he had known all this earlier when he was just starting his journey, he would have been more anxious about not remembering everything. But now he could easily recount everything from the very beginning to the end, although, of course, some details and nuances always remained, but his memory was almost perfect. Why didn't they give him such opportunities at school?

"Hmm, it's time to wrap up. That's it for today!" - Gavriil looked at the clock and began to gather his things, preparing to leave the room together with Ashley. Ashley said goodbye to everyone, sighed, and followed her father home.

***

In the old woman's house, a loud explosion echoed. Dolls made of hair soared into the air, piercing the old woman's arms and legs. A brave man in a costume grabbed the boy by the neck, and spider legs burst out from the boy's back, swiftly aimed for an attack. However, the man, smiling mysteriously, instantly disappeared with the boy, as if dissolving into the mist of the night.

***

Returning to his cozy room, Vallynor felt the heavy burden of the past crashing down on him. Memories of the brutal beating inflicted by Rick and his wife came alive in his consciousness. But along with these dark thoughts, he sensed something new, something powerful and elusive taking shape in his soul. Vallynor's combat instincts awakened and began to fall into place.

Gradually undressing, Vallynor removed his training attire, saturated with sweat and the spirit of battle, and changed into another outfit. This new clothing looked as if it had just been created from the most exquisite materials and sewn by the most skilled hands.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Questions flickered in Vallynor's mind, like the playful rays of the sun on the surface of a lake. Who creates such magnificent clothing? And every time he changes attire, is it a new creation, or does it simply renew through magic, as if by a magical touch?

Immersed in his reflections on simple but important things, Vallynor suddenly stopped, feeling that something important had slipped from his attention. He frantically searched the room, hoping to find the lost artifact of time.

Suddenly, in the silence of the room, an unfamiliar voice echoed, like a ghost penetrating his consciousness. Vallynor fearfully turned around and saw a man in a black suit before him, young and mysterious, with a cane in his hand and dark glasses on his face.

The man slowly picked up a cylindrical hat, bowed, and placed it on his head. At that moment, Vallynor understood that he was not just an observer but someone who knew his secrets, someone who had been watching him and his fate.

"Who are you?" - Vallynor whispered, recalling that he had seen this mysterious man before, but they had never communicated. At the same time, a sense of unease crept into his chest, like an ominous harbinger of imminent danger.

"I am just an observer who watches over you and everything you hold within!" - The man smiled mysteriously and began to move slowly around the room, like a shadow, attracting Vallynor's attention. And then, as if miraculously, the shadow separated from the man and began to glide through the room, disappearing into nothingness.

"Observers? Why are you watching me?" - Vallynor was stunned; his mind was filled with questions, like a fog enveloping his consciousness.

The man smirked, raising an eyebrow as if he were a connoisseur of secrets and mysteries. He said, "I considered stripping you of this so-called gift, but when I saw how you became a puppet of destiny, a shiver ran down my spine. I envisioned myself in your place, a puppet subservient to inevitability."

Vallynor tried to figure out how to escape this situation without falling into a trap. He searched for salvation in his mind, like a traveler in impenetrable darkness. Initially, he thought about using his teleportation ring, but he realized that his time magic wasn't working. It was the same magic that prevented him from leaving the battlefield. He realized that the man before him wasn't an enemy, but not a friend either, and decided not to launch an attack for now.

"You know, many wish to teach you for a reason. Most know that you..." - The man touched Vallynor's chest, and he suddenly felt sharp pain, as if struck by a sword. Pain? How is that possible? – "You became an enemy of the gods from the moment you arrived here. And it's a good investment, even if you can't kill; you can still cause them trouble."

Suddenly, the man turned to the window and saw his own shadow holding a boy by the neck and pulling him out of the city. Occasionally, a spider leg detached from the shadow, and blood flowed, but the boy quickly healed thanks to his rapid regeneration. The boy screamed in pain, but his cries were drowned in the silence and indifference of the surroundings.

"Give me something in exchange for knowledge," - the man whispered, as if proposing a secret agreement that could change everything. - "Everything has its price, and what is given freely always pursues hidden goals. In most cases, it's a cunning lure, a trap to seize the target... Become stronger if you want to survive. Here." – The courageous stranger threw the artifact towards Vallynor, and as if by instinct, he deftly caught it. Only now did he notice a small wound on his neck, which had already healed, ceasing to bleed.

"I have done you a service, and now I will distract one individual from you for a while. Become stronger and don't disappoint me, puppet of destiny." – The courageous stranger left, smiling devilishly.

As soon as the massive doors closed, they instantly swung open again, and Caesar, Alexander, and several others entered the room. They penetrated cautiously, looking around, and their gazes focused on the astonished Vallynor.

"Where is he?" – Caesar asked authoritatively, expecting an attack. But seeing that Vallynor only shook his head, he became less aggressive and asked, "Tell me what happened in every tiny detail."

Vallynor detailed everything he knew, and as Caesar listened, an even darker expression appeared on his face. Then he reached out to Vallynor and grabbed the artifact.

Approaching the window and inspecting it closely, Caesar discovered a note with a single word: "Slow. As always!"

***

In the accursed forest, on the black sand, a mysterious entity glided. Its shadow was barely noticeable due to the deep black shade of the sand. But as it advanced into the depths of the forest, it took on a shape and became increasingly distinct. It was like transitioning from a flat world to three-dimensional reality.

The person inside this black shadow seemed almost transparent. In his left hand, he held a child who no longer resisted. As they moved, both of them were enveloped in denser matter, and the shadows ceased to be so black. The man in the suit slowly extracted a cane from his right hand and continued his strange journey through the forest. Every fallen one who dared to attack him immediately fell on the sand and quickly disintegrated until his shadow absorbed the man's shadow.

"We are approaching the goal!" - the man tossed the child in front of him and bound its shadow. Then he took out two vials with a few drops of blood.

Opening the first vial, the man forced the child to open its mouth and drink the contents. The child tried to resist, but his efforts were in vain. After drinking the drops of blood, the man remained motionless, waiting for half an hour. During this time, the child began to panic and beg for mercy, but he couldn't utter a single word.

"It's time to fulfill your duty, bait!" - the man's shadows released the shadow of the child, and then he said, "Strive to survive!"

A loud rumble frightened the child, and despite fully understanding the man's words, he could do nothing but run away.

"My king, is that you? Finally, you felt my love!" - the voice of an enamored girl resounded piercingly. This voice might seem skillful and beautiful, but not to this child. For him, this voice belonged to the devil.

The child quickly ran in the opposite direction, away from the source of the voice and far from the city itself. The man took no action; he simply observed what was happening. After five minutes, a girl emerged from the forest, accompanied by two spiders. She looked around, not noticing anyone, and began to lament, but soon her sorrow turned into anger.

"How did he dare to appear and escape?" - the girl sharply turned in the direction where the child fled and ran after him, followed by two spiders. The man sat motionless, observing the events. But for her and her minions, he was invisible: there was no scent, warmth, magical fluctuations, or other signs of his presence.

The man raised his cane and drew several circles, saying, "Not so fast, let him run in circles for a few hours." Then he turned and left.

***

After a prolonged interrogation, Vallynor and Duke Mogila conferred with each other, leaving Vallynor to his own devices. Unfortunately, they learned little from him, often stating that he was too weak. Vallynor sat contemplating the shimmering artifact, as if the very mystery of time reflected within it. The silver edges of the skillfully crafted form captivated his gaze, arousing a thirst for knowledge within him. In his hands lay the Grimoire - a book that held the answers to all questions, including how to activate this mysterious artifact. He flipped through the pages thoughtfully and suddenly found what he was looking for.

Necromancers inhabited an inner world, and it was crucial for Vallynor to influence it using the artifact of time. The answer sounded simple and clear: before entering the book, the artifact needed to be activated. Then it would function both on the Grimoire and the inner world, without any issues.

Having activated the artifact and crossed the cemetery's threshold, Vallynor found himself in a realm crafted for necromancers. There, Duke Mogila awaited him, impatience evident on his face. After a brief greeting and recounting of what had transpired, Duke Mogila fell into thoughtful silence, a grimace forming on his face. Then, suddenly clapping his hands, he turned to Vallynor and spoke:

"Today, we will begin our immersion into the world of necromancy, and fortunately, your artifact of time can help us in this...,"

"Wait," Vallynor interjected, noticing how quickly Duke Mogila changed the subject and evaded the question. "You haven't told me who that mysterious man was."

"No, there's no need," Duke Mogila replied, his voice stern and insistent. "You're not ready yet. The more you know about him, the more influence he can exert on you. I can only say this: he was the one daring to break all the rules as he saw fit. He aspired to become a God. It's better for you not to know more. Let's begin our lesson."

***

Under the veil of night, the city awoke as if stirred by magical breath. People, engrossed in their affairs, couldn't help but notice the beautiful melody emanating from afar. They paused for a moment, attempting to unravel the mystery of this music, or continued on their way, immersed in the magic of sounds.

Those who chose to follow the source of the melody discovered a guy playing the piano at the top of the tallest tower of the castle. This guy, Vallynor, performed songs from his inner world. On different days, he could play classical pieces or melodies from movies and anime – it all depended on his mood. Currently, his music penetrated the hearts of listeners in a jazz style, and additional instruments added their sounds, conjured by his skillful hands.

An hour later, Vallynor concluded his performance and neatly arranged the instruments in their place. Putting on his bracelet, he headed towards the castle, intending to meditate using his time artifact known as the "Hourglass of Black Sands." Since the mysterious Caesar appeared in their lives, Vallynor had been dismayed by the artifact, which accelerated time by three times. Caesar ordered Gabriel and Ashley to enhance it, and they used various precious stones and black sand imbued with the power of Time Butterflies. As a result, Ashley presented an improved artifact capable of accelerating time fourfold.

However, Caesar was not satisfied with this outcome and insisted on further improvements. This led to disagreements and disputes between Gabriel and Ashley, but after several promises from Caesar, Gabriel calmed down a bit and even smiled. One of the promises was allowing Ashley to resume her research and create new artifacts, although a significant portion of her creations had to be handed over to Vallynor. Ashley was delighted with this news, and her face lit up with joy. Gabriel, who was already preparing to celebrate the victory, barely held back laughter upon seeing his daughter. In his thoughts, he cursed Vallynor.

Since then, they conducted research on the artifact, trying to find ways to further enhance it. However, unfortunately, they were unable to make it even better. Two weeks had already passed since the arrival of the mysterious man.

Sitting in a special room on a soft cushion, where pure energy gathered, Vallynor admired the greatness of this place filled with symbols and magical items capable of developing his spiritual self.

"Today is a great day," he whispered with a smile on his face, embarking on his inner and spiritual journey.

Over these two weeks, or more precisely, almost three months, Vallynor trained with Alexander and numerous other warriors and heroes, as well as adversaries who were masters of their craft. Training with them brought joy, despite the dull exercises like running and weightlifting. Throughout three months of tireless training, Vallynor overcame the first stage of physical perfection. His muscles no longer clenched but retained their strength, as if belonging to a hero infused with anabolic elixirs.

However, other aspects of his development progressed much more slowly. Magical energy in this world was distorted and polluted, hindering his spiritual and mental progression. Vallynor could train his mind using magic, but the energy quickly dissipated from his body, leaving him thirsty.

As for the development of his soul, it required meditation, but Caesar insisted on more intensive methods, different from simple introspection. He had heard of a mysterious forbidden technique on which Caesar had been working.

Activating the "Hourglass of Black Sands," Vallynor closed his eyes and began to perform a ritual that had become a kind of prayer for him. He followed the instructions instinctively, absorbing them. When he finally finished, he opened his eyes and felt that all three aspects of his development had reached their peak. There was no need to wait any longer.

Vallynor took a regular white stone given by Caesar and smashed it into small shards. Mysterious smoke began to evaporate from the stone. Hurriedly gathering the shards in a circle, he placed the last one under his tongue and closed his eyes, immersing himself in meditation. Time began to flow slowly, and suddenly, a sound of clapping echoed.