"The second level! Finally!" With a report, Vallynor, slightly out of breath, exclaimed with joy and began to survey the surrounding space. His senses became more saturated and sharp, and magic unfolded before him clear and distinct.

Joy overwhelmed him, and he almost took off with happiness, but then he remembered that this was just the second stage of development. He skillfully subdued the fervor of his emotions and decided to continue training. However, his reflections were suddenly interrupted by a mysterious voice coming from behind.

"Ahem, ahem," was heard in response, and Vallynor turned around, discovering that the source of the voice was Astro, silently approaching from behind. The words "Lord Caesar, Alexander, and Gabriel are awaiting you" confirmed his attention and presence.

Vallynor nodded silently and followed Astro, who pointed to the door. Approaching it, Astro knocked several times, and in response, a voice said, "Come in." The door slowly opened, and Vallynor entered the room, with it closing behind him.

The room astonished Vallynor with its luxurious decor and numerous precious items. In the center stood a round table, where Caesar, Alexander, and Gabriel were already sitting.

Caesar cheerfully made notes in his book, Alexander cleaned his swords, and Gabriel, wearing glasses, focused on reading and taking notes. An attentive observer would notice that Gabriel seemed to be having a silent dialogue with Ashley.

Vallynor took a seat at the available table and waited for all three to finish their tasks. Fortunately, his wait did not drag on. Caesar was the first to lift his eyes and smiled, as if an old man seeing a long-lost grandson. Alexander, leaving his swords on the table, proudly looked at Vallynor, evaluating his new skills. Gabriel, after two weeks of dissatisfaction and three months of shared adventures, became more friendly towards Vallynor, realizing that his potential had significantly increased after the battle with the giant. Even Vallynor could not help but notice how Gabriel began to consider him a potential suitor for his daughter, given his sincerity and purity that set him apart from most other peacocks accused of sins.

"Congratulations!" Caesar exclaimed joyfully, followed by Alexander and Gabriel.

"Sorry for summoning you right after reaching the second level, but we have important news," announced Alexander, continuing to tend to his weapons. Then he pulled out several sheets of paper and handed them to Vallynor.

Gabriel smiled, seeing confusion on Vallynor's face, and spoke, "We have decided to enhance all three development methods, using our own approaches."

Gabriel's words excited Vallynor, but he still remained in the dark. Why was the decision made to change the development methods created by Caesar? Perhaps the visit of the mysterious man influenced this decision?

"We have decided to pass on to you our methods of development and make you our heir," announced Gabriel.

Alexander disagreed with this decision and added, "It's you who decided to make him the heir, but I still intend to pass on the legacy to my daughter. You will receive only a copy of your development path."

"Yes, yes! Don't try to influence me. I see that you are not as hostile towards this guy anymore, but you have your own children and..." Gabriel began but fell silent, seeing Alexander frowning sadly. It pierced Gabriel's heart, and he apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Alexander responded slightly subdued, "No, no apologies needed. I need to figure out my own feelings."

"Let's set this question aside and discuss it after we complete our plans," intervened Caesar, taking the book that Vallynor had already extracted from his inventory.

Meanwhile, Gabriel and Alexander handed several sheets of paper to Caesar. Caesar quickly read Alexander's and Gabriel's notes, making annotations and corrections. Then he took the book and began writing rapidly. The ink on the pages of the book turned liquid and quickly dried, creating new words and magical formulas.

It was something marvelous, filled with light and much more. The ink simply turned into liquid again, words changed their form, and then became immutable. All of this made Vallynor's heart tremble with amazement.

If he had witnessed this scene before the start of his training, he would probably have felt how grand it was and would have wanted to try it himself. But now, in the process of mastering the basics and higher magic, Vallynor understood that it was more than just magic. It was as if Caesar possessed magic without words, and it seemed like magical ink resisted, preserving its original essence. This created an incredible mosaic, and each fragment filled Vallynor with admiration and a desire to learn more. He never imagined that learning could be so captivating.

Seeing the delight on Vallynor's face, Alexander suddenly remembered his own early lessons and the expression of disgust on his face. In those days, he was forced to focus on physical training, and his face reflected not desire but even hatred.

But now, not so long ago, he enjoyed battling with three heroes at once or even two cunning villains. He fought with them, laughed, and sometimes resorted to magic, despite the prohibition on its use in battles.

Gabriel, smiling, looked at his sheets of paper. But soon he set them aside, took a pen, and started writing on a blank sheet. Occasionally, he drew some strange symbols, and Vallynor was amazed at how they flickered before his eyes.

Alexander sighed and shook his head. What is he doing? Why isn't he creating something more magnificent? Why is he resorting to such weak spells? He could have long created something amazing to capture Vallynor's attention. That was sarcasm. Alexander smiled, looking at his old friends. Then sadness overwhelmed him again.

"Done," announced Caesar, finishing rewriting the book, and handed it to Vallynor. "I have transcribed the first, second, and third stages. I will transcribe them again when the development paths are ready. Before you leave, we will give you some items to help you progress from the second stage to the third."

Alexander was the first to rise and pulled out three huge containers. Passing his hand over each of them, he removed the lids, and they landed next to the containers. Vallynor immediately noticed that inside each of them was powder. In two of them, he recognized orichalcum and mithril. But the third container puzzled him.

"This is powder from the highest quality mithril and orichalcum. Initially, you should use them to saturate your muscles and bones with this ore. Once your muscles and bones are impregnated with mithril and orichalcum, you will be able to use this ore. It's the bloody ore of agonizing cries. It is said to arise from the mixing of the blood of demons, gods, and powerful beings. The more diverse types of blood, the greater the chance of forming such ore."

Closing all three containers with his magic, Alexander handed them to Vallynor. Vallynor took them in his hands but couldn't grasp how serious it was. He understood the mithril and orichalcum powder, but as for ore arising from the mixing of the blood of demons, gods, and powerful beings, it raised questions for him.

Gabriel took several magical stones and announced:

"This is the heart of one of the servant gods. The second is a dragon's heart for magical adaptation. And the rest are rare magical stones filled with mana. They will help your mental chamber develop faster and create a strong foundation."

Receiving the precious stones, Vallynor couldn't comprehend how real this was. He understood the dragon's heart, but a god's heart? Could he become a hero in some unknown story where he was so fortunate?

Caesar, smiling at Vallynor, said after a short pause:

"My gift will come later. After all, you won't be able to train simultaneously in three development paths. So you can leave."

Vallynor was about to leave but couldn't resist asking:

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Is this normal? Is it normal to give me all this? Why are you all helping me?"

"Don't worry so much. We just want to help..." - Gabriel with a fake smile, understood only by Caesar, began speaking, trying to reassure Vallynor.

"Gavriil, I think there's no point in hiding. Vallynor may be innocent, but he's not a fool... It will only complicate everything." - Caesar stopped Gavriil.

"We have many reasons to help you. Even if we failed before. We want you to become stronger, to be able to learn and seek revenge on our behalf. We are trapped and constantly losing strength until we reach the brink of madness." - Alexander, not averting his gaze from the sword, answered Vallynor instead of Caesar.

"Not only that." - Caesar continued, sighing. - "I am confident that you can leave this world and free yourself from this rotten prison. However, as someone who will escape from this world, you will attract the attention of many gods who want to seize all your knowledge, whether we like it or not. Fortunately, you have become an apostle of the God of Death, which means they cannot openly attack you." - Taking a breath, he added: - "But it won't stop the demons. If they learn about you, the hunt will begin. But don't worry. Gods are proud but not foolish. They won't tell anyone about you."

Vallynor, listening, absorbed most of what he already suspected. However, the additional details caused him concern.

"We also want you to become the heir to our knowledge. We have been trapped for centuries, and our knowledge, secrets, and mysteries remain in our hands, born from our sweat, flesh, and blood. Many of us regret that there is no heir who could continue our work." - Gavriil handed several papers to Caesar and continued, instead of Caesar. Caesar looked closely at Gavriil, then at the papers.

"There are other reasons, but these three are the most important. You have become a chance for us, and I would have lost this chance if Caesar had not sent you on the search." - Alexander, no longer looking at the swords, smiled faintly, then turned to Caesar.

Vallynor, after contemplating everything, understood the goals of each of them and accepted the reason why they are so kind to him. Of course, it wasn't fun to find out that he becomes a target for gods and demons, but honestly, after reading many books, he knew that the hero often becomes an enemy of the gods. And if they are subject to approximately the same limitations, he could reconcile with this idea.

Saying goodbye, Vallynor turned and left, leaving Caesar, Alexander, and Gavriil alone. Each of them looked at the others and then stood up and disappeared from the room.

***

"Catch this fish!" - Black Tooth shouted to his subordinates, who looked like fallen ones. They moved back and forth, as if possessing intelligence, but occasionally attacked each other.

In the black sands, as if swimming, appeared a creature resembling a fish, which swam back and forth and even jumped out of the black sands. However, at some point, it got caught in a net that pulled it into the sky. This dolphin-like creature was pierced with harpoons and approached the main ship.

Black Tooth approached the caught fish, struck it, creating a hole, and began drawing circles with his right hand, from which black mist began to emerge. His left hand held a small box, which he opened and started absorbing the mist. However, something was strange because the mist absorbed by the box was black-gray. When the box was closed, only black mist started emanating from the fish, chasing Black Tooth's hand.

Black Tooth's left hand became the target of the mist particles, which attacked all four of his limbs, blacker than the night. Black Tooth, feeling pain and fear, fought to prevent these particles from reaching the most vital part of his soul and head, or he would become fallen. After torment and screams, he shouted:

"It's time to go home. Arrpzepl'a'v...latala'ya...v" - In the end, he began making strange sounds.

The fallen ones stopped and turned their heads towards Black Tooth. They looked at him as if he were mentally ill. However, soon they themselves began making various and nonsensical sounds and cries. Then, like frightened animals, they ran chaotically around the ship.

"The speech of the fallen never ceases to frighten me," thought Black Tooth, feeling how physically and morally exhausted he was. He couldn't wait to return and see his long-awaited daughter, who undoubtedly missed him.

***

Returning to his room for rest and contemplation, Vallynor sat on the bed. He didn't hurry but simply reflected, preparing to start studying the book rewritten by Caesar. As he sat there, various thoughts circled in his mind, and he didn't feel a particular desire to do anything specific. Instead, he preferred to immerse himself in contemplation.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind: "What about the tasks?" Vallynor remembered that he had received assignments from the system copy and decided to check their status. All three tasks appeared before him.

The first task was mainly a daily one, requiring learning and training. The second task had already been completed. Vallynor clicked on it and confirmed its completion. Congratulations appeared:

[Congratulations!

You have reached the second stage, taking another step on the path to becoming something greater than just a beast. You have become stronger than ordinary mortals. But don't forget that you are still weak before the true gods. The God of Death expects great achievements from you. As a reward, you receive the Ring of the Living, capable of masking your energy and death emanations. This disguise can even deceive gods under certain conditions. The Pallor in the Dark is a gift that will be with you until your soul is destroyed. This gift will increase the chances of going unnoticed, especially when you are in soul form.]

Vallynor closed the congratulations and moved on to checking the third task. However, it turned out to be empty, lacking any instructions. Initially, this puzzled him, but upon seeing the third task, he came up with an explanation for himself.

In Vallynor's hand appeared a ring. At first glance, it didn't attract attention and looked ordinary. However, upon closer inspection, it seemed somewhat peculiar. Vallynor tried to sense its magical properties but felt nothing unusual. This ring, apparently, was a gift from the system. Vallynor couldn't immediately understand why he was given this particular ring, but the words spoken by Alexander, Caesar, and Gabriel led him to certain thoughts.

Vallynor pondered his destiny and the role he would play in the future. The words of Alexander, Caesar, and Gabriel made him confident that he was preparing for something greater, that serious trials awaited him.

Continuing his contemplation, Vallynor opened the book rewritten by Caesar. It was filled with changes and new information. Now, to reach the third stage in his development, he not only had to strengthen his muscles but also imbue them with mithril and his bones with orichalcum. It was a significant step, and he understood that the path ahead would be challenging.

As for the development of the mind, it now required drawing various runes and symbols not only on future materials but also inside them, creating complex patterns and ziggurats.

Concerning the soul, some changes were made. Now he needed to acquire six additional souls to fulfill the task of the third stage.

After finishing reading the book, Vallynor began training, using mithril dust. He infused his muscles with mana, restoring them after the efforts he exerted to break through to the next stages.

***

The massive ship soared through the sky, flying straight towards the black sand, gently descending onto its surface. Black Tooth gracefully leaped from the deck and headed towards a colossal stone that had clearly been in this place for a long time.

Looking at the monumental stone, Black Tooth remembered how this stone used to be a floating island full of life and family happiness. However, now, due to the devastation of magic, the island could no longer stay afloat and fell, taking away all living things, leaving only withered trees and a solitary house that preserved its history.

Reaching the two-story house, Black Tooth raised his hand to open the door. However, he heard footsteps behind it, and suddenly a little girl rushed out, literally throwing herself into her father's arms, hugging him tighter than ever. This sudden display of emotion seemed strange to him, but he simply assumed that the girl missed him very much.

Caressing his daughter's short hair, Black Tooth's heart trembled with pain. He remembered that perhaps she wouldn't show him her smile. Perhaps, if he had made a different choice, she could have grown into a young woman and lived in that city. However, looking at her stone-like face, he knew that this decision was inevitable.

Taking his daughter in his arms, Black Tooth headed to the kitchen, where a table was set with various dishes. Placing the girl on a chair, he sat down next to her and began tasting various dishes. After each portion, he honestly expressed his opinion on the taste. Sometimes, some of the dishes didn't appeal to him to the point of nausea.

This puzzled the girl, and she started trembling slightly, quickly grabbing the dishes she didn't like and eagerly destroying them.

Black Tooth continued to enjoy the flavors of the dishes until his attention was drawn to a box placed in front of the girl. She immediately took it and began devouring the souls stored inside. Black Tooth wondered how long she had been alone to crave pure souls so much. But the strange feeling quickly faded when he realized she had been waiting for him for too long.

Black Tooth took the motionless girl, who, as he suspected, was satisfied with her lunch and souls, and headed to the second floor, where they both settled on the bed. Stroking and kissing her cold and firm cheeks, he worried about her condition, but the emotions quickly dissipated. He slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep.

The girl woke up, turning to her father, and stared at his face for a long time. Then she touched her cheek where he had kissed her.

***

"Today, you'll be fighting against Victor, Vasily, and Kamado. Each of them will be armed with copies, and you'll have to use paired knives," announced Alexander, looking closely at Vallynor, who arrived a bit later than usual.

Vallynor wanted to object and demand a more fair weapon because he knew well what knives were meant – paired tiny blades, no longer than a finger. However, he decided not to worsen the situation, remembering the previous time when it led to a painful defeat and almost to his death. Fortunately, he had survived then, resurrecting anew.

"This promises to be an interesting duel," exclaimed Kamado, grabbing a spear and immediately attacking Vallynor.

"Hey, buddy, do you think you can entertain me? I hope you get as excited as I am," said Victor, yawning and, taking a spear in his hands, unexpectedly slapped the backside of one of the girls standing nearby. She looked at him with a sly smile and replied, "Meeting at 11 pm."

"Excellent!" Victor rejoiced and lunged at Vallynor.

"Can I ask for a replacement?" Vasily still gazed at the sky, not even turning to meet eyes with Alexander.