Nick was honest enough to admit he'd become a bit too lax. It wasn't so much that he'd underestimated the skill and knowledge of the Tower's mages, but that he'd grown so accustomed to no one else showing interest in his magic that he subconsciously believed it would always stay that way.

Now, the situation wasn't as bad as it could have been. He had been careful to only show acceptable magic and never even took out his dagger from the spatial ring, which meant that the more compromising parts of his skillset stayed hidden. However, it was clear now that he hadn't been as subtle as he had hoped.

"I was young once, Nicholas. I understand the temptation to delve into the ether, to reach for its boundless power. But you should know better than to use such risky magic against your fellow apprentices," Tholm said casually.

He hadn't yet made any move that would lead Nick to believe he was more than mildly curious about his more esoteric affinity, but he was still feeling nervous.

Every time Tholm pulled him aside for a talk, he was never in control of the conversation. He simply couldn't predict the twists and turns the old man would take, not in small part because he couldn't sense any emotion from him.

Another way in which Xander was right. Getting used to always knowing what others are thinking is a bad habit.

"I assure you that I thoroughly tested any spiritual spell I used in the tournament," Nick replied confidently. It was even the truth, since the only experimental magics he'd used were [Lightning Whip] and [Crest of the Thunderbird], which did not contain spiritual components.

Tholm hummed, peering at him from beneath his bushy brows. "I see. And I imagine I do not need to tell you that using such volatile magics within the Tower is forbidden without the proper precautions. I'm sure you had the time to study the bylaws over the past weeks, given how voracious your reading habits were."

Nick cleared his throat, feeling more embarrassed than defensive now. "Well, I assure you I was fully in control of everything I cast, and Master Lasazar assured us the wards were set to full power to prevent any accident."

Sighing softly, Tholm shook his head with what seemed like fond amusement. Unable to truly sense the man's emotions, Nick felt uneasy, unsure how genuine the pretense was.

"Alright, I shall believe you. You've earned that much with your studiousness," Tholm said, though Nick could read between the lines and knew he'd be watched more closely.

He knew that would happen after winning the tournament, so he wasn't too worried about it. It was kind of the point. Being in the limelight makes moving subtly more difficult, but it also opens doors I wouldn't have been able to go through before. Now that he knows I'm even more interesting than he initially thought, I bet he'll bring me further into the fold. And I need that if I want to learn the secrets of how to fight against an Artificer.

"More importantly, I'd like to ask why you're requesting to be taught anti-demon magic."

Nick cleared his throat. Fortunately, he had a simple excuse for this. "I'm not surprised news hasn't reached Alluria, considering how swiftly Prelate Marthas dealt with it, but my hometown of Floria was the site of an exorcism not too long ago," he said, affecting a somber tone. It wasn't too hard, considering that the image of the demon possessing the poor mothman was still etched in his mind's eye.

Tholm cocked an eyebrow, clearly unaware of this matter.

"Yes, it was quite the affair, and if it hadn't been for the dungeon raid afterward, it would have remained the talk of the town for a long time. Essentially, one of the beastkin living in Floria had somehow become possessed by a demon, and Prelate Marthas discovered this during a cleansing ceremony. You can imagine my shock at seeing such a foul abomination, and ever since then, I've been looking for ways to protect myself from something like that."

The gears visibly ground behind the old man's eyes, and though Nick couldn't be sure it wasn't just a front, he trusted in his high CHA to see him through this little misdirection.

Clearly, I only started studying spiritual magic after Marthas' exorcism of a demon. That is the logical explanation. How else could a novice mage come into contact with such dangerous magic?

Even if Tholm asked around, something that would take him just a visit to Sashara's temple in Alluria, where they no doubt knew all about the incident, he'd only confirm what Nick said.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

That was why any good Occultist wove their lies into truth. It made the person they were trying to fool do most of the work for them.

After a moment, Tholm nodded shallowly. "I see. That is certainly a harrowing story, and it puts everything in perspective. Very well, I shall give my approval to this matter, though you should know that most who find themselves facing the abominations usually resort to divine magic or objects enchanted with divine power. It is a much faster way to handle the creatures than most specialized magic."

"I see, thank you for your counsel, as always. I would still like to see if it's possible for myself," Nick replied, and the Archmage finally left his room, likely to confirm he hadn't just been fed a load of lies.

The way he phrased it… Is there a connection to anti-demonic magic? He made it sound like it would be as challenging as learning a new element.

It was unfortunate that he didn't have a weak demon to absorb through a ritual, or he could have shortened the timeline significantly. But even Nick wasn't reckless enough to summon one just to gain an affinity faster.

"Anti-demon magic, huh?" Lasazar tapped his large fingers on his desk, considering the request.

They were currently inside the man's private office, which was on the fifty-first floor. Much lower than the Archmages', but still well above most students, apprentices, and even recognized Tower mages.

Lasazar was a master of his craft, after all, and a Prestige one at that. That alone gave him more benefits than most others could hope for.

It also meant they were alone on the floor, except for the man's apprentices, who were on the other side, far enough that they couldn't hear anything, even if there hadn't been privacy spells inscribed on the door and walls.

"Is that something you can teach me?" Nick asked. He'd been under the impression that Lasazar could, especially after learning about his famous adventures, but perhaps he'd been too quick to assume.

Fortunately, he was waved off. "Yes, it's not a matter of being able to do it. I've delved deeply into the topic and even developed a few new spells of my own. The thing is, should I? You've won the tournament, which gives you the right to learn any one thing from me, but this is magic that is usually kept only for the Masters for a reason. It's not just a matter of output or lacking mana reserves. Most below Prestige simply do not have the sturdiness to cast these kinds of spells."

Nick was about to point out that it wasn't really Lasazar's problem if he couldn't do it and that he only needed to provide the knowledge, but the way he spoke gave him a hint.

"Is there a way to find out if I have what it takes? A Prelate once told me I could have a bright future as an exorcist under him."

And considering that Marthas was a rank above even Lasazar, that was saying something. Of course, it would have required Nick to fully commit to Sashara, which was a non-starter, but it was still an important data point.

Lasazar paused for a moment, clearly knowing who he was referring to.

That was another thing Nick had gradually realized. He'd known from the beginning that Marthas was a major figure, but he hadn't fully understood just how significant. Prelates weren't necessarily the highest-ranking priests in a diocese, but they all possessed impressive combat skills, and more importantly, only one Prelate was known to live in the west.

And that was Marthas, the Grand Exorcist of Sashara. A monster of a kind only Xander or an Archmage could hope to match. His words carried significant weight, and even though Nick didn't enjoy depending on their connection, he would leverage it fully if it meant moving forward.

"I see," Lasazar nodded. "Yes, we can do it that way; a simple test to gauge your potential for the craft. And if you don't have any, you can still choose to learn something else."

Nick smiled. "That sounds wonderful. Do you need some time to prepare?"

Chortling, Lasazar shook his head and stood up, "No, no. There's a chamber available for this purpose that's always free, so we can use it now. Unless you want some time to prepare?"

Nick shook his head as he followed his teacher out of the study. "No, sir. I'm confident I can do it."

To his surprise, when they took the elevator, Lasazar didn't announce their destination but instead placed his hand against the cage's walls and spoke authoritatively. "Master Lasazar, requesting access to the underground chambers."

For a moment, nothing happened, then a voice, much deeper and more masculine than the one Nick was used to, responded. "Authorization granted, Master. Which room?"

"Three hundred and twelve," Lasazar replied.

A beat of silence passed before the man on the other side agreed. "The room has been reserved for your use for the next six hours."

That wasn't an artificial voice. So, someone is monitoring the elevators? Interesting.

Down they went, passing through the private apartments of most mages, then the students', then the classrooms, and finally, heading below the ground.

Yet, their trip didn't stop a few floors deeper, as Nick had expected. Instead, they continued for much longer than it took to reach Tholm's floor, which meant they had to be truly deep.

Finally, several minutes after they had taken the elevator, the doors swung open.

Nick had been searching their surroundings since they left the surface, but he hadn't found much beyond solid bedrock. The irritating feeling of the Tower's dimensional magic also kept everything unfocused unless he truly pushed himself.

But now that they had reached their destination, everything was different.

If the part of the Tower above ground was something akin to a dimensional beacon, a lighthouse boldly claiming its right to shine across the entire ether and countless other dimensions, the underground was a much more subtle nexus.

The wards stayed in place, but Nick could now see beyond them, though still somewhat blurry. Countless dimensions unfolded all around him, some completely empty or made of simple energies, while others were far more complex or even of a higher order than his own, forcing him to look away to avoid straining his mind.

Lasazar didn't seem affected by it and simply walked through the marble corridor they found themselves in, idly looking around until he finally stopped before an iron door with a little hop. "Aha!"

Nick observed the door. It reminded him of the one he'd seen beneath Inari's temple, which made him think something was being contained inside.

Is there a demonic artifact inside? I suppose that would be a useful test. It would reveal how I respond to their corruption, and I wouldn't risk opening the door for an abomination to come through, even if I lose control of myself.

Yet, when Lasazar ran his hand over the door and it swung open, Nick saw nothing inside. It was a completely empty stone chamber.

"Well, come on in, then. We have a demon to summon."