"War changed all the rules and laws. All rational races became slaves. But unique creatures emerged, who fought against the tyranny of the Gods and even killed them, even if these gods were great. It was then that the first Gods appeared, once mortals, who joined the war... Because of this war, the Gods could no longer interfere in the lives of mortals. They put on themselves shackles and were gradually forgotten. In some worlds, Gods still maintained contact with mortals, reminding them of their presence. In others, they isolated themselves."

"After the war, the Gods divided the worlds, and each God became linked to a specific world, both by contract and faith. According to the agreement, if a new God is born in their world, they become the ruler of that world alongside the other Gods."

Having finished his tale, Caesar sighed and looked at Vallynor, who was full of questions but listened with curiosity and remained silent.

"I have finished the story. The most important parts I have already told. The rest I will tell another time, or you will discover it yourself. Now, ask," said Caesar.

"Why didn't you show the exact forms of each God?" asked Vallynor.

"Because you are too weak, and seeing the true form of a God can destroy both body and soul, if the God desires it. God will always know your whereabouts. It's a precaution... I know you saw the God of Death, and that is remarkable. But I recommend not telling anyone about it. Always say you encountered Death," explained Caesar.

"How did you know what I wanted to say?" asked Vallynor, realizing that Caesar could see the future.

"Because I know the future. But let's not waste time. We have little time today," replied Caesar with a smile. He felt refreshed. Once, he taught someone, and it had been a long time.

"What does the fall and dirt of the soul mean?" asked Vallynor.

"Hmm, an interesting question. Every living being exists by consuming and processing something, like a fire that burns as long as there is wood. To keep the fire from extinguishing, it needs new wood. But this process is not clean, and waste is produced in the form of smoke. Similarly, living beings feed on plants or meat and then excrete waste. The soul also feeds on energy and produces waste. However, the energy each soul can obtain is limited, and obtaining additional energy is very difficult. It's like blood transfusion. The soul uses this energy to sustain itself, to prevent it from disappearing and depleting. And the waste it produces is called dirt. It's so insignificant for an individual that it can be compared to bacteria. Dirt accumulates in the River Styx. Because of this, it cannot accumulate in large quantities as long as the world remains isolated. However, dirt has accumulated to the point where it began to disrupt the world's life and oppress and destroy all living things. Plants are slowly dying, the soil is degrading and turning into sand, and rational beings are starting to lose their sanity, becoming something worse than undead. Believe me, it's better to become a mindless zombie a thousand times than to fall. Once you become fallen, there is no way back. But as long as you haven't fully fallen, there is always a chance of healing or slowing down this process. For that, you need water from the River Styx or souls that will become coal for your soul."

Vallynor looked thoughtfully at the floor, contemplating what Caesar had told him. He became afraid of the fall, despite its insignificance.

"That's all for today... No one has come yet. You can read the next books or... you can teach me the art of diving?" Caesar said, smiling.

"What? How?... How do you know?" Vallynor asked in astonishment.

Caesar pointed at Vallynor and said, "From you. Or, more precisely, from your future self."

After thinking it over, Vallynor did not refuse such an opportunity, but...

"Why do you want me to tell you things you'll find out from the future anyway?" he asked.

"How will I know what won't be if I don't ask?" Caesar replied with a smile.

"I can see the future, or more precisely, its potential outcomes. But there's a limit to what I can learn from my visions. I can't, or rather, I don't attempt to create paradoxes. Here's an example: if I use the ability to see the future and find out that you will teach me, then when the time comes, I won't ask you to teach me. Thus, the future I saw won't come to pass. And at the same time, I know what you didn't say. All of this contradicts many things, and I try not to abuse it," explained Caesar.

"Hmm..." Vallynor pondered thoughtfully. He acknowledged that it was reasonable reasoning, even if using such an ability seemed like a very convenient way to acquire knowledge from others.

Carefully weighing all the circumstances, Vallynor didn't know what to do. Everything seemed too good to be true. Why were they so eager to help and teach him?

Seeing Vallynor hesitating, Caesar sighed and said, "I have three reasons why I decided to help you. Firstly, I don't want our legacy to disappear and fall into the hands of those vile gods and demons. Secondly, I don't want you to be in danger when you leave this world, and for the gods to try to capture you. None of us wants that, even if we won't be here to teach you."

"Thirdly, someone has to continue our mission," he added.

"Mission? Are you talking about balance?" Vallynor asked pensively.

"Pfft..." Caesar restrained himself from laughing. After a while, he calmed down and sighed, "No, I'm talking about revenge. I am ready, and not just me, to teach you and make you stronger. So that you can learn the whole truth for us and take revenge on our behalf. And so that you can live on, in our place."

Vallynor was stunned. When he learned that he would have to fight against the gods, he was taken aback, but after careful consideration, he realized he had only one choice. If he tried to escape this situation, the gods would start pursuing him. Life in this world made him despise the gods more and more, associating them with tyrants and corrupt authorities, whom he hated in his own world.

With a sigh, Vallynor, not entirely but still, decided to trust Caesar. It was easier to collaborate when you knew your partner's goals. After some thought, he began to recount everything he had learned about occultism, Norse runes, Egyptian runes, and so on.

Caesar occasionally commented that these were outdated methods of using magic and listened with curiosity to the runes and rituals.

Almost two hours passed when Caesar stopped Vallynor and said with satisfaction, "That's all for today. Gabriel will arrive soon and begin teaching you magic..." Caesar paused and looked at a spot where, after a few minutes, a glowing circle appeared, from which Gabriel emerged.

Gabriel looked at Caesar, snorted, and after reciting a spell, disappeared along with Vallynor.

"Hmm...."

***

Gabriel and Vallynor appeared in Gabriel's study, located on the top floor of the tower.

"My name is Gabriel, and today I will begin teaching you magic. But first, show me what you have already learned from Baba Yaga," introduced Gabriel, assessing Vallynor.

Vallynor was slightly surprised by how Gabriel behaved, but perhaps he had had a bad day, which made him a bit unpleasant.

Vallynor also realized one thing: how did Gabriel know that he had studied with Baba Yaga? But before he could even think about it, he was interrupted.

"Sometimes Baba Yaga came to the city and brought trouble. And after that, rumors spread about her disciple. It's not hard to guess that it's true. After all, this old woman hasn't been seen for centuries. Because of that, many forgot about her. But now she's appeared again. At first, she cursed everyone left and right, instilling in them a forgotten fear. In this way, she tried to warn them not to harm you. So, you can show me what Baba Yaga taught you. I want to understand where to begin your training," Gabriel concluded.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

***

Half an hour later, Gabriel snapped his fingers and said:

"That old lady taught you well, even if it was just the basics. She even taught you how to channel the backlash of a curse. But using such magic is too wild. Wild magic..." Vallynor noticed that Gabriel was looking at him in the same way and asked what wild magic meant.

Gabriel replied with a question, looking at Vallynor in surprise. They stared at each other for almost a minute until their gazes changed, as if they were looking at a rare animal.

"Stop looking at me like that. I can't understand what that old woman didn't tell you about wild magic and the modern one?"

Vallynor pondered and couldn't recall Baba Yaga saying anything about it. He replied, "No."

"Hmm, strange that I'm surprised. Did that old lady predict that I would teach you magic? Maybe that's why she only taught you wild magic. Because I will teach you everything else... Damn!" Gabriel spoke more slowly as he uttered the curse.

Vallynor looked grimly at Gabriel and, at the same time, reflected on various things. Gabriel fell silent and then spoke again:

"Wild magic is a method where most of the time, spells are not created, but rather nature is manipulated. To understand wild magic, one needs not only to be able to create fire and lightning but also to control the weather. For example, summoning a storm and manipulating lightning. Modern magic, on the other hand, allows you to create fire and lightning, and these are just rough examples. I won't delve deeply into the details of wild magic because I intend to teach you only modern magic."

"Magic is a method of interaction between the world and a person. A mage uses their mana, recites a spell, and visualizes the form and purpose of the spell in their imagination to manifest it. You can think of all this as a form of communication with the world, so that it forms and fulfills the desire of the spell."

"You can compare the world, the universe, reality, whatever, to a capricious woman. To get her to allow you to touch her, you give her gifts in the form of mana and compliment her with spells. Your demeanor and posture are your imagination. So, first, I want to test your imagination. That's why I gave you blank sheets of paper and a pen." Gabriel took out blank sheets of paper and a pen, tossed them to Vallynor, and they landed right on his face.

"Start drawing what I tell you. You can add details. So, draw a beautiful nude woman."

Vallynor lifted the sheets and the pen, and when he heard that he had to draw a braid, he looked at the proud Gabriel. Gabriel began waiting proudly for the results, eager to showcase his vast experience in drawing naked women.

In one moment, he felt a chill and saw a pair of sidelong female eyes staring at him. Gabriel could sense the disgust in the owner of those eyes.

Damn it, she saw it all. As if it wasn't enough that she caught me, naked, singing about cats in front of the mirror, or when I attempted strange positions while trying to have sex with her friend, or when I wandered the city drunk and naked. Or... God, how I miss some peace.

Gabriel began to recall all the sins her daughter had witnessed. And now she was watching him.

Vallynor picked up a pen and started to draw, while Gabriel silently watched him. It didn't take five minutes before Gabriel snatched the paper and pen from Vallynor's hands. There was an expression on his face as if he were looking at an enemy.

"You won't be drawing anymore until I fix your dead brain and teach you how to draw. For that, I'll turn to my friends—a psychologist and an artist. They'll help you," Gabriel said, holding a sheet of paper on which he briefly saw an indecent drawing of an old woman with genital warts, poorly drawn as if a child had done it.

Gabriel immediately looked away and burned the drawing, wondering what could be so appealing about it.

In his soul, Vallynor laughed heartily, watching Gabriel's reaction. He tried to depict the most horrible details he could remember, including disgusting insects and necrophilia. He even used the image of Baba Yaga, who had traumatized him when he first saw her naked. He also remembered the vile summons that tried to corrupt everything normal, as well as traps—inhuman snares created by a demon to lead innocent boys down a dark path with yaoi.

With his eyes closed, Gabriel tried to forget these horrors, but they didn't disappear from his mind. Instead, nightmares gifted by Leia kept coming back, making him shiver even more. He thought that the next time he found himself in a nightmare, he would be even more repulsive.

The invisible pair of eyes expressed disgust for Vallynor upon seeing what was drawn on the paper and gleefully watched Gabriel's reaction. Then, with curiosity, she looked at Vallynor, convinced that he intentionally drew it. And she liked it.

Gabriel banged his head against the wall several times, then stopped and said:

"You must learn to draw. It's crucial for a mage. When you recite a spell, you must visualize the entire process, and the clearer, the better. You must also understand the laws of the world, such as gravity, light distortion, and so on. But others will teach you all of that. I'll teach you the magic itself."

Gabriel raised his right hand in front of him and, smiling, said, "Fire." A small flame appeared on his right hand. Then he raised his second hand, and a second flame appeared on it to match the first.

"What did you see?" Gabriel asked.

"I saw you summon fire on both hands. First, you said 'fire,' and the first flame appeared. The second time, you didn't say anything, but the second flame appeared."

"And?"

"There are two possibilities: it's either a continuation of the spell or a silent spell."

"Excellent. Both options are correct. From the very beginning, I created fire without speaking the incantation, then divided it and directed it to both hands. For me, it would be a shame to recite spells of such a simple level. As you can see, a mage can cast spells by reciting incantations as well as silently. But there are other ways, such as artifacts, grimoires, and so on. Although I would like to move on to teaching silent magic right away, a good mage should be well-read. So remember: there are no useless knowledge; there are only idiots, cretins, and imbeciles who can't make use of them. Let's begin..."

***

Leia was in her small domain in the heavens, gazing at the city surrounded by black sand. In her hand, she held an empty glass with remnants of red wine.

Placing the glass on the table, she called out, "Typhius!"

"Why are you shouting like a banshee?" Typhius retorted.

"Have you carried out my command?... I'll remember your words," she replied.

"Yes, Caesar received what you gave me... But I can't fathom why you decided to help that boy? Are you preparing a sex toy for yourself?" Typhius asked in shock, as if he couldn't believe it. However, one could expect such things from the virgin queen of nightmares who had only lost her virginity in dreams and had ventured into a world of nightmares where there was nothing but lust.

Cries of pain echoed everywhere.

***

In the "Hope" restaurant, which most people considered a bar due to the opportunity to sample quality alcohol here, was Henry, the son of Cthulhu, the only one who could brew it.

However, after Henry learned that his father was alive, he returned to his room, or rather, to the basement pool of the restaurant where Mia was, using various spells to comfortably stay in the water.

Since then, Mia had always been with Henry, trying to comfort him, even putting him to bed several times. It helped Henry, but he remained melancholic. Mia had fallen in love with Henry and couldn't bear to see him suffer. Although she cheated on him technically, because Henry couldn't always be with her due to Minker's greed, who had deceived Henry and made a contract with him. Because of this, Mia often felt unsatisfied in bed. She had to deal with it every day. But in the end, she was just lustful. But almost everyone was. Even the nuns, who were supposed to maintain purity of the body and serve Caesar, had become such that some of them worked in a strip club. All of this indicated that morality and common sense had disappeared.

While Mia hugged and caressed Henry, they heard banging on the door and shouting:

"Sir, hear us out!"

"Get out of here. If you want to stay, pay," Minker said, taking a stick and threatening. In the eyes of the octopuses, he looked like a thug, for whom only money mattered.

Each octopus reluctantly pulled out a small sum from their pockets and approached Minker. It was the fifth time already. Minker, like a greedy merchant, completed his profitable deal, cheating his customers, and said:

"Not enough. This time, I'll give you three hours," snapping his fingers, he returned to his restaurant, leaving them behind.

Mia cursed both the stupid octopuses and Minker's greed. But she still had to thank Minker because he wasn't entirely devoid of human qualities.

..."Beer is alive!"

"We need wine. And we need the boy... You understand? Ha-ha-ha!"

"I heard Cthulhu is alive!"

"Hey, hey, didn't you forget I was with you?"

"Hey, this boy has started learning, right?" One of the restaurant visitors stood up and shouted, addressing everyone around.

"Yes! And what's it to you, you fool?" replied one of the girls from the group that had asked for wine and the boy.

"I want to make money. Right now, I can't make anything, but by teaching this boy what I know, maybe I can earn some money."

"Daydream. Why would he need philosophy and art? But your idea isn't bad. Maybe I should try it too. And maybe even spend a night in his bed. He must be more interesting than all the other men," another girl from the same group replied.

"I wonder why the leaders want to teach this boy?" a man holding a glass of whiskey-like drink and a violin lying on the table nearby asked.

"Why guess here? This is part of Caesar's cunning plan. Have you forgotten who Caesar is? He's the embodiment of the devil. He created mortgages, loans, and banks. He's the devil," replied one of the drunks, dressed only in torn underwear.

"How did you end up here, homeless?" Minker, seeing an old acquaintance who owed him money and whom no one could evict, didn't think about how he looked. Because he had no money.

"Don't worry, I have money... And hearing the offer from these idiots, I also thought about the possibility of becoming this boy's teacher. Maybe this way, I can pay off my debt."

Vallynor didn't even imagine that on the first day of his education in the city, such a commotion would start. Many would want to teach him. Some for money, some out of interest, and some would look deeper, seeing a part of Caesar's plan and feeling inspired.