I pushed the heavy door open.
What I saw on the other side left montarily speechless.
The first thing I noticed was a dwarf with a thick orange mustache that seed to glow under the light of industrial-style lamps.
He wore a white shirt stained with grease, dark pants, and sturdy brown boots.
A pair of steampunk-style safety goggles was firmly set on his face, the lenses shining as he examined a strange device on the table in front of him.
With tools in hand, he tightened small screws and murmured incomprehensible words to himself.
So this is Miguel, I thought. He seed so absorbed in his work that he pretended not to notice my entrance.
The laboratory around him was so rich in detail that it felt impossible to take it all in at once.
Gears and tal parts of all sizes were scattered across tables and shelves, so covered in dust, while others glead as if they had been polished recently.
Strange prototypes occupied almost all the free space.
Partially disassembled chanical arms, crates containing devices blinking in shades of blue and green, and an incomplete automaton leaning in the corner, its eyes seemingly watching .
A giant blackboard rested against another wall, covered with notes and sketches of chanisms I couldn’t decipher.
There was also a small steam-powered generator, emitting soft whistles that gave the space a constant, soothing hum.
It’s like being inside an engineer’s garage from my past life, I thought, impressed.
After a few minutes, he finally lifted his head from his work and looked in my direction.
—A new apprentice?
Before I could respond, his eyes fell on the floating magical servant in front of .
He gestured with his hand, as if summoning the being of light closer.
Without warning, the servant shone intensely before exploding into countless glowing fragnts that scattered through the air.
Miguel ran his gloved fingers through the floating particles, silently analyzing them. His eyes rose again and finally fixed on .
"So, Eduard, are you willing to be my apprentice?"
Despite the strangeness of the situation, I answered quickly.
—I am willing!
He smiled, stroking the orange mustache that seed to be his most distinctive feature.
—Good. I’ve had so apprentices in the past, but recently three of them died.
His fingers tapped against the side of the table as he continued.
—Two exploded during experints. The other... well, let’s just say his invention worked too well. The poor fool forgot to create a shutdown chanism. Hahaha!
He laughed so hard that his small figure leaned backward.
I, on the other hand, remained silent.
This dwarf is crazy, I thought, holding back my reaction, though I couldn’t suppress the chill running down my spine.
When his laughter finally subsided, Miguel took a deep breath, removed his goggles, and placed them on top of his head.
That was when I saw sothing I would never forget.
His eyes.
There were no irises, only empty sockets filled with a pulsing golden light.
He seed to notice my discomfort and spoke lightly.
—Ah, accidents happen. It’s part of the process, right? But don’t worry. We’ll begin your initiation.
—Initiation? What initiation?
I asked, still trying to process everything that had happened so far.
He replied naturally, as if it were obvious.
—The initiation of a mage, of course.
Miguel began walking toward .
Despite his short stature, there was an overwhelming aura around him.
He seed larger than anyone I had ever t.
He seed to know it too, because he stopped very close, lifting his face to look at .
—But first, he continued, —tell , Eduard, why do you want to beco a mage?
I hesitated for a mont.
Not because I didn’t know the answer, but because the words that ca to mind carried weight.
—I want to beco a mage because I hunger for power and knowledge.
My hands clenched into fists as I spoke.
—I am willing to do anything to achieve what I desire.
—Ever since I discovered this magical world and left my parents’ territory, I knew that to reach my goals, I would have to go to the limits. No matter the cost. I am willing to kill... and die... for this dream.
The words ca out stronger than I expected, and my eyes t Miguel’s intensely.
He stared at for a mont, motionless, before throwing his head back and bursting into laughter.
—Hahahaha!
He laughed so much he had to bend over to catch his breath.
I stood firm, waiting for his laughter to fade.
When he finally straightened up, Miguel adjusted his goggles again and looked at , his golden eyes burning like an intense fla.
—You will co to realize that the world is full of boys like you. Ambitious. Ruthless. Willing to do anything for power... So will even commit sins the magical world will never forgive, all in the na of their insatiable pursuit.
He paused, taking a deep breath before shaking his head.
—But that doesn’t matter now. What matters is that you are here, ready to face whatever cos.
He stepped back, opening his arms as if presenting the chaotic laboratory around us.
—So, let’s begin!
Miguel turned efficiently, walking toward the central table of the lab.
His quick hands picked up so peculiar tools and a small pile of softly glowing blue crystals.
He turned back to , pointing to a small box in a corner of the laboratory.
—Co, boy. Leave your items there.
—Yes, sir, I replied promptly, carrying my belongings to the box.
I placed them carefully, trying not to show any hesitation.
When I turned back, Miguel was already holding a strange object, sothing resembling a asuring tape, but its numbers flickered erratically every ti it was pulled out.
—Before any direct contact with magical energy, we need to perform a basic analysis.
—These asurents are crucial to calibrate the potions and devices I’ll use.
—After all... he let out a sudden chuckle. —I don’t want you to overdose on energy and explode on your first day, right?
His words sent a chill down my spine, but I kept my expression firm. He began asuring , pulling the tape and murmuring to himself.
—1.75 ters. Not bad.
Next, he led to an unusual chanical scale, which creaked slightly when I stepped onto it.
After adjusting a few gears, he noted my weight.
—Seventy-five kilos... You’re quite well balanced, boy.
After a few more asurents and notes in a notebook that seed to update itself, Miguel announced:
—Alright. Everything is ready for us to begin.
He walked over to a large lever fixed to one of the walls.
With a decisive motion, he pulled it.
A tallic sound echoed through the laboratory: "Clang."
The floor around Miguel began to transform.
The tallic material seed to bend and reorganize itself into a complex circular formation, filled with glowing golden runes and symbols.
A strange energy began to flow through the room, making the hairs on my arms stand on end.
The laboratory lights dimd, leaving only the golden fla at the center of the formation.
Miguel turned to , his golden eyes shining with a serious intensity.
—Boy, now stand at the center of the circle.
Without hesitation, I walked to the center of the magic circle.
After that, Miguel picked up a potion containing a blue liquid with strange letters floating inside it, then poured it into another container marked with nurical asurents. When the liquid reached a specific number, he stopped pouring and turned to .
—This is a safe amount for your body. Now drink it all and give your hand!
I extended my hand, took the potion, removed the wooden cork, and greedily swallowed the liquid as it flowed down like apple juice in my mouth.
As I drank, I noticed that the palm of his hand was smaller than mine, yet he gripped my hand firmly.
There was a strength in his grasp disproportionate to his small stature.
—Following the rites of ancient tis, he began, —I will guide you, Eduard Edson, on the path of a Mage!
The energy around us seed to grow stronger as Miguel began speaking in a strange language.
Although I had never heard it before, the words sohow made sense.
—Repeat after ! he commanded.
—I swear!
—I will seek the truth eternally! The words left my lips almost as if my mouth were acting on its own.
My voice, still young and tinged with traces of immaturity, echoed through the laboratory.
—Without my ntor’s permission, I swear I will not reveal any knowledge my ntor transmits to ...
Miguel continued the oath, and I repeated every word. Our voices began to rge, creating a synchronized sound.
"Hummm~~"
At the center of the formation, the golden fla suddenly flared, burning with great intensity.
The heat swallowed , but it did not hurt.
I felt strange, and internally the liquid spread rapidly throughout my body, to the point that I could feel it moving—almost like the sensation of blood returning to your arm after you’ve slept on it and it’s gone numb.
Finally, the fla dimd, leaving only a soft glow.
Miguel released my hand and stepped back.
He smiled, adjusting his goggles as he said,
"Congratulations on officially becoming a Level 0 Acolyte!"
I looked at my hands, slowly turning them.
Sothing felt different.
It was as if the world around had changed in so inexplicable way.
Miguel watched closely before speaking again.
—Welco to the beginning of true power, boy. From here on, your journey will only beco more interesting... or more dangerous.
I swallowed hard, feeling a mixture of nervousness and excitent.
—I was born for this mont.
...
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