Sokram's gaze shifted back to Amber, who was still looking at him expectantly. He couldn’t help but smile.

Her hunger for knowledge reminded him of himself. Her eyes had that spark that deserved to be nurtured.

“Now, what do you want to know?” Sokram asked, his tone light but probing. “You weren’t very specific in your question.”

As he spoke, he began pulling books from his Void Glove, each one a treasure trove of knowledge. “Multi-Elemental Control? Mana Manipulation? Will-Casting? Or…” He paused, holding up a particularly thick tome. “Oh, this one can help you fight better, too... The Way of the Mage, an excellent martial art for unarmed mages.”

A sizable pile of books formed on his lap, each tome boasting over three thousand pages.

To the others, it looked like a daunting mountain of work, but Amber’s eyes sparkled as if she were gazing at the most delicious feast.

“Do you have a spatial ring or pouch?” Sokram’s question broke her out of her daze.

It was the first time he'd seen her struggle to speak, and it dawned on him that her apparent shyness stemmed from deep-rooted insecurities about her family's financial struggles.

“Amber, that’s alright,” Sokram began gently. “Magical artifacts are very expensive, and as you said, you have a family to feed…”

But Amber raised a hand, motioning for him to stop.

“Look,” she began, her voice tinged with discomfort but also a hint of pride. “I want you to understand my situation, but I’m not trying to play the victim or leech off of you, alright? I just… I want you to know where I come from.”

Sokram nodded, his expression patient and encouraging as he waited for her to continue.

Her story was one he could already imagine, as it was a common tale among those who, despite humble beginnings, strived to walk the Path of Evolution, a similar story to his own in his previous timeline after the war broke out.

Amber came from a family of five living in the slums. Despite their circumstances, she was a prodigy who learned to read at a very young age, thanks to a kind grandmother who lived nearby.

The elder had encouraged Amber’s parents to invest in her magical education, at least enough to help her until she entered the city’s academy.

Heeding the elder’s advice, her parents, who worked on farms outside the city walls, used their meager earnings to procure a few cheap training methods for mana cultivation and basic magical knowledge.

Even these modest investments plunged them into steep debt.

Yet, Amber’s talent was undeniable.

Without formal guidance, she mastered everything in those cheap books, earning her a place among the top 10 at the city’s academy.

There, she honed her skills and awakened as a Mage instead of an Acolyte, making her exceptional talent obvious to all.

However, the fact that Sokram had no recollection of someone so talented in his previous timeline only reinforced his determination to take leadership of the team from Kazzah.

No matter how he looked at it, this team alone had enough potential to change the fate of Norwinter, and perhaps even the entire Northern Continent.

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After hearing her story, Sokram reached into his Void Glove and retrieved a spatial ring.

The team gasped in unison.

Void artifacts, or spatial ring carriers, were rare and valuable enough to change the life of a middle-class family.

Sokram looked at Amber with a mix of caution and sincerity. “Please don’t be offended and accept this.”

He stored the pile of books in the ring before extending it to her. “It won’t be for free, though. I’ll need help with magical research and other things in the future, and the fact that you’re self-taught alone shows me it’s worth investing in you. But we’ll discuss the details once we return to town. For now, just take it.”

He paused, his gaze softening. “These books will help you a lot, Amber. You have the potential to go far, and I want to see you reach it.”

Amber hesitated, her fingers trembling slightly as she reached for the ring.

Sokram smiled reassuringly. “In the Path of Evolution, one must never hesitate to leap at lucky encounters or opportunities, for the blessings of this road are as plentiful as its challenges.

”

It was a quote from The Book of the Paragons, one of the teachings of Belladona.

Amber nodded, her resolve firming.

She accepted the ring, sliding it onto her right index finger before pulling out one of the books.

“Thank you,” Amber said with a firm tone and a twinkle of gratitude in her eyes. “I’ll work hard to repay this. As long as it’s nothing against my morals, I’ll do it.”

“That’s the spirit!” Sokram praised, his eyes gleaming with approval. “A mage should always hunger for more knowledge but remain true to themselves.”

Lucy sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. “Damn, you’re really hard to read. Sometimes it’s impossible to see you as a thirteen-year-old.”

Her comment earned a few murmurs of agreement and nods from the team, each member reflecting on how Sokram’s wisdom and actions often defied his age.

Savannah chimed in, referencing the quote Sokram had recited to Amber. “I didn’t take you for a follower of Belladona. Are you going to become a priest?”

Sokram smiled but shook his head. “No, I’m aiming to become a Seeker of Knowledge.”

“What?!” Kiana blurted out, unable to contain her surprise.

The sentiment was shared by everyone except Amber. “Instead of any other Paragon, you’re choosing Mentyr? The Princess of the Nether? Why?!”

Sokram’s smile widened as he explained. “She’s the first princess of the Nether, the second to find the light of evolution in the eternal darkness. Nhiria named her the Knower of the Unknown. In the Path of Evolution, knowledge is power. But I don’t plan to join the Keepers of Knowledge. Instead, I’ll follow my own path.”

Savannah seemed disappointed. “But what about Lady Belladona?”

Sokram’s smile turned playful, his eyes gleaming with ambition. “That’s the beauty of being a Seeker and not a Keeper. You don’t have to limit yourself to just one path. Of course, I want to unveil the secrets of Biomancy, as Belladona did. But I also want to master Harten’s Magitech, forge bonds through Eliora’s Heartlink, wield Agorath King’s Sight, command my forces with Azulla’s Wardom, explore the joys of Luma’s Bed Arts, and master The Huntress’ Annihilation Art. And one day, I’ll achieve Nhiria’s Grey Blood and become a Grey Dragon.”

He paused, his voice softening. “But that’s for the future. ‘The path is long and full of challenges, but the reward is guaranteed for those who seek it.’

Or so Paragon Ariana said, right?”

Hearing Sokram’s lofty ambitions brought back his image as a child, one whose dreams they now felt compelled to protect and perhaps even help achieve.

The team fell into a contemplative silence, each member reflecting on their own aspirations.

It wasn’t an awkward silence but one Sokram always appreciated.

Sokram had mentored many disciples in his previous timeline, and he always enjoyed sparking self-reflection and inspiration in them.

Seeing his team react this way made him want to take them all under his wing.

But then, memories of how he had lost each and every one of his disciples weighed heavily on his heart.

He quickly pushed those thoughts aside.

Just then, Kazzah called out, “Alright, enough resting, guys. Sokram, lead the way.”

Sokram was caught off guard.

Kazzah hadn’t called him “lizard,” and his tone was surprisingly respectful, too respectful.

Instead of lowering his guard, this made Sokram more alert.

He had seen this behavior before in his previous timeline.

Kazzah always acted this way when he was plotting something; false politeness was always a mask for his schemes.

‘It seems some things can be changed, while others won’t change at all, right, Fate? My dear old friend…’

Sokram looked up at the sky as if directing his thoughts to the personification of Fate itself.

But then, he stepped forward, leading his team. ‘Heh, but this time, I’ll make sure to change the fate of my loved ones, my friends, and even this team.’

His gaze shifted to Kazzah, his eyes turning cold and calculating. ‘Even if I have to reap his fate before it’s due.’

A chilling light flashed in his eyes, unnoticed by the youngsters around him but unmistakable to those watching from afar.