Christian frowned, wary of how enticing that book was to him. He put Odin's Eye away into his bag before slowly approaching the book. He first used his wand to check for curses, but realized it was just a normal book with no magic.

Christian carefully stretched his hand to take the book. The cover was rough, and the pages were yellow due to age. He opened it and immediately noticed that many pages had been torn. 'A diary? And in Spanish?' Christian thought as he read the first entry.

[Does the date even matter?

[What nonsense, Merlin? What nonsense, Planeswalker Program? What nonsense of Gaia and wars? I barely survived this library's test, and you're telling me this is just the beginning? I'm tired of all this nonsense. All I want is to return home to see Mama and Isabella. Although she always destroyed my toys, I found myself missing her.

[Please, I just want to return home.]

'A fellow Planeswalker?' Christian thought. 'However, based on his grammar, word choice, and syntax, he probably lived in the late 1700s. Moreover, he may also be half Portuguese.' The diary owner wrote a few sentences in Portuguese, which Christian noticed.

[That damn Curator forced me to stay and train. Damn him. Luckily, I will return home today. Mama, Papa, Isabella, mi amigos, I will finally escape this hell and see you. I will definitely hug everybody when I return. I know Isabella will be shocked. It doesn't matter. I will hug her and not let go for at least ten minutes — no, thirty minutes.]

Christian controlled himself and ignored all the grammatical mistakes, continuing to read.

[July 23, 1875.

[This is all wrong. This is not my home. These are not my family. Damn Merlin and that Curator — they lied to me. I need to go home. I need to pretend a little longer before I can leave this hellhole.

[Ever since I learned I was magical, I stopped believing in God. But if there is a God out there, please show me the way home. I promised to believe in you for the rest of my life. But, please, show me the way home.]

This was the last journal entry, so Christian closed the book, looking in the distance. He stayed motionless for more than half an hour before he noticed someone was standing next to him.

"How long have you been here?"

"A while," Vincent nodded as he casually glanced at the book in his hand. "You should have learned everything, right?"

"Yeah."

"How do you feel?"

"Overwhelmed."

"That's understandable," Vincent nodded. "Do you need more time to process everything?"

"No, I'm fine," Christian replied as he regained his composure. From his expression alone, it was impossible to figure out what he was thinking. "Did you need something?"

Vincent briefly stared at him before asking: "You should have passed the first shift, right?"

"Yes."

"What grade?"

"Both above a C."

"Is that so?" Vincent muttered with slightly squinted eyes. "What about your next shift?"

Christian hesitated for a moment; "In a year."

"A year? That means you're in the elite program."

"That's right."

Vincent groaned softly. "Then, time is of the essence." He raised his hand to condense a black cube. "Remember when I said I would give you a present if you passed the third trial? Well, take this with you. When the time is right, it will activate."

Christian looked at the cube, but did not immediately take it. "What does it do? And why do I need a specific time for it to activate?"

Vincent frowned briefly before relaxing. "This thing contains my library."

"Pardon me?"

"It contains almost all the knowledge I've acquired in my life," Vincent explained. "After your 14th birthday, and your protection has ended, there will be no problem using this artifact."

Christian's body trembled, but even if it was out of shock, excitement, or both. He did not know precisely how powerful the Curator was, but the mere fact that he had lived for more than 200 years was proof enough that his personal library would be vast.

"Are you really giving such a valuable thing to me?"

"I am."

"Why?"

"You can think I take pity on you, or that I see your potential and invest in your future."

Christian looked at the cube. Only he knew the internal battle going on inside his mind. Ultimately, the temptation of knowledge was too much, so he took the cube and slowly put it inside his bag. "Thank you."

"No problem. How much did Merlin tell you about the training missions?"

"Not much. Well, nothing really," Christian said.

"I figured. In the other realities, there are academies and training classes dedicated to Planeswalkers. Over the years, they have summarized some data that may be useful to you. I'll tell you what I know."

"Aren't you worried about the covenant?"

"You don't need to concern yourself about that," Vincent replied casually. Christian had to admit that these words increased his trust and favor for the latter.

"The fourth and seventh shifts are the most important. The fourth shift will have a sudden and exponential increase in difficulty. Most walkers are unable to adapt, resulting in the highest casualties.

"The seventh shift is hell."

"Hell?"

"Yes, that's the only way to describe it. Few people survive, and the ones who do rarely receive a good grade. Well, to be fair, grades are probably the last thing on their minds when their survival is at stake."

"True," Christian sighed.

"The first three shifts are usually about survival. You will need to learn to adapt and thrive in harsh environments."

"Is that why you designed the third test like that?" Christian suddenly asked.

"That's right. With my training, you should have a 70% chance of surviving, but don't let your guard down or become cocky. I said they are usually about survival, not always."

"I understand," Christian nodded.

"The middle three tests are usually about pushing you to your mental limit and forcing you to make harsh decisions. The final shift will either be a combination of everything or something unexpected. Be prepared."

"I will."

"There are certain signs that can indicate the difficulty level of a shift, and the most common ones are team missions," Vincent continued.

"Team missions? As in missions with other Planeswalkers?" Christian asked.

"That's right."

"Wait, I thought the other reality had completed their quota. Shouldn't they shut down the program?"

"The other realities needed to compensate for reality 7's situation, and without the Sages' order, no one can stop the program."

Christian grunted. He was glad that no one else in his reality had to suffer the same fate as he because of the actions of the other reality, but he did not like the idea that child-soldier training was still active.

Vincent observed him carefully before continuing. "The second indication is when the Program directly tells you the mission directive."

"What do you mean?" Christian asked, not fully understanding.

"Let me use you as an example. During your first shift, the program used your desire to return home and brought you here, right around the time of the exam. Then, your mission became to pass the test and reach the third area.

"Most of the shifts will proceed in a similar area. You will be teleported to a location, and you have to figure out what your objective is. However, in some cases, the program will directly instruct you on what to do—for example, infiltrating a kingdom or assassinating a key figure.

"These direct missions are usually a sign of a challenging shift."

"I will keep these in mind," Christian sighed.

"Lastly, you have two opportunities to ask for help — three if you have consistent good grades — and it can be anyone you have met. If needed, you can ask me for guidance."

"I can ask for help? How?"

"Hmm, there is a ceremony involved, but in your case, I believe you only need to ask the artifact. I don't know whether it will apply to your situation, but regardless, I'll leave a copy here, and you can learn it."

Christian nodded.

"That's all the information I know. Do you have any questions?"

Christian thought about it. "What will happen after I survive the seven shifts?" Merlin had insinuated the terrible fate of the world if he failed, but no one told him exactly what would happen after he survived.

Vincent hesitated briefly after hearing this: "As I said, the other realities have made up for the Mystery for Reality 7. However, some people have been discussing the possibility of choosing an alternative subsidiary world to replace yours.

"If you survive, the link between all seven realities will be reinforced, and the fusion process will proceed as intended."

"Can we decline this fusion?" Christian asked.

"Don't say these stupid things," Vincent immediately warned. "Your reality is already marked with the Gaia World. The fusion process is an opportunity to become full citizens of Gaia."

"And what if I don't want that?"

"If you're not a citizen, then you're from a colony. Which do you think is better?"

Christian was silent.

"And as I said, the cosmos knows you are associated with Gaia. If you're not a citizen and protected by Gaia, do you think brutal civilizations like the demons will leave you alone?"

"Alright, let's not talk about this," Christian grunted as he caressed his temple.

"Good. How about I give you some personal pieces of advice?"

"I would appreciate that," Christian nodded.

"I've met a few Planeswalkers who survived the program," Vincent started, his eyes slightly dazed as he navigated the depths of his mind to retrieve the hundred years of memories.

"Typically, they turn out in two ways: extremely cold, indifferent, murderous, and antisocial, or they are jovial people with great compassion for life, but with deep psychological issues.

"If you want to become the latter, my advice for you is to do whatever it takes to survive, but do not let the world break you. What you do to survive the program does not have to define who you are.

"Don't be afraid to tap into the darkness, but do not let it consume you. Do not let power corrupt you. Use anything — your family, loved one, friends, or even an adopted animal — as a tether to your humanity. Understand?"

Christian took a deep breath to control the immense weight he felt on his mind. "I understand."

"Good. You should have some time. With your Mind Palace, it should not be a problem to memorize all the books I've labeled in three months."

"How do you know about my Mind Palace?" Christian asked suspiciously. "Now that I think about it, many of the test's areas seemed perfectly designed based on what I know. Did you read my mind?"

Vincent smiled. "You seemed quite confident in your Occlumency? Well, it's understandable given your talent. Unfortunately, young wizard, you have merely touched the surface of how profound the mind is."

Christian stared at him.

"Alright. Be at ease. I didn't read your mind. I used a spell called Mímisbrunnr's Guidance. It's one of the few good things that have happened to me since coming here."

"Mímisbrunnr's? As in the well that Odin sacrificed his eyes to gain knowledge?"

"Exactly."

"And what does this spell do?"

"It's a famous spell in all the realities. Anyone who has learned it — mortal or not — will be sought after as a wise teacher. The spell allowed the caster to know in detail the level of knowledge their students have. They will know their weaknesses, strengths, what they struggle with, and how to teach them."

"That sounds like a perfect spell for Mum," Christian muttered.

Vincent raised his hand to condense a scroll. "I can give you a copy, but don't expect it to work at a high level, or at all, with how little mystery your world has."

"I can manage my expectations," Christian nodded as he took the book. Thinking of his mother, he asked another question: "Does the library have books on Tribal Magic?"

"Tribal Magic? Oh, you mean shaman magic," Vincent said, taking a moment to realize what he meant. "Although a powerful type of magic, it's kind of a niche subject. I remember Sherman once dabbled in the field, so he should have a few books. I'll leave them here for you."

"Once again, thank you."

"No problem. Well, that should be everything for now. Don't forget to buy the secondary materials for the Hercules Potion. Who knows? You may be lucky and find the primary materials."

"I will, but can I ask you one more thing before I leave?"

"Do you want to know about Menes' situation?"

"That, and also about Kallista," Christian nodded.