Prologue

'Who knows, one day, you might become greatest magician to ever walk this world.' he said.

These words have always been source of my courage. Without those words, I wouldn't probably overcome all the challenges that have been thrown in my way by my cursed fate, up to this day.

At the time he told me those words, I was only six years old. Even though that man has probably already forgotten that he said those words to me, because of those words, I have been doing my best to fulfill expectations he placed on me. Even though he said those words only to encourage me and never meant them seriously, I had taken them to my heart.

Because they were words said by one who bore name of greatest magician himself. If he had such high expectations of me, I felt like I had to fulfill them. especially because no one else had high expectations of me, and I felt it necessary to prove them all wrong. To show them that I, who was seen as weak, would have power to rise above them, and mock them for believing that I am inferior to them.

What a childish reason it was. As I grew, my goal of becoming strongest magician has not changed, but what changed was reason why I pursued it. After losing many things and not being able to obtain others, I started to believe, that in order to be happy, in order to gain happiness and to never allow anyone to take it away from me, I needed to be stronger than anyone else, to be able to protect everything and everyone I liked.

It took many years before I realized how useless having power is. No amount of strenght can help you protect from breaking that which was broken to begin with.

Yet, even after this realization already reached me, I kept walking the same way. Why? Hell if I know. Maybe that childish desire of proving everyone how strong I can become was still rooted inside me deeper than I thought. Maybe it was just because path of becoming stronger was only path I knew. Maybe because I needed to distract myself from the guilt I felt. Or maybe because there was still a person I wished to reach.

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There were moments, when I thought I could ease up. When I was satisfied with what I reached, thinking I don't have to aim higher and try harder anymore. When it looked like I no longer had to worry about anything. When I no longer felt the need to reach greater heights.

But whenever that hope of peaceful future just appeared in my dreams, something terrible happened, and I was woken up, realizing I had been forced back onto this never ending path of surpassing everything that stood in my way.

In front of me, countless challenges to take on, and behind me nothing but grief and in its shadow, terrible curse following me like a hunter is following its prey, prepared to strike me and once more take everything i value away from me, were I to ever stop walking forward.

This story of my life was always about walking forward. About journey to reach the end of never ending path.

And now, I guess, this journey of mine is about to end.

As I feel my life slipping away from me, I do not feel any surprise. I always knew, that this curse of mine would one day put me in front of a challenge I would have no chance of surviving. Though I did not expect it to be damned poison.

But even now, as death approaches, I can but laugh bitterly and take it on, like all other challenges I overcame. Laugh, as I calmly continue walking forward, without looking back or giving in to fear of approaching death. Laugh as I spit this poisoned blood of mine onto ground beneath my legs.

So mere death thinks it can claim my life? It thinks that mere incurable poison could end me? Me, one they call Infinite Magician, Warlock of Eight Sellswords?! Think again! There is no way I would lose to cheap trick like some poison. After all, I am greatest magician that will ever walk this world. And there is no way I will go down without paying all my debts back.