The map with the different campaigns unfolded before my eyes. As I looked at it, I began making mental calculations, sighing at the decisions I had to make.
The mystery surrounding the gods and divinity had become one of my main problems. The merchant and the archmage knew more than they let on, but they didn't plan to reveal much to me. I managed to squeeze a few answers out of them, but the rest I had to investigate on my own.
Now I know that this world had gods in the past, but that was a very long time ago, and today, barely any traces of their existence remain. The most troubling part is that, over the years, relevant information has become increasingly scarce. I don't mean historical data any muggle historian could recite by heart, but real, deep knowledge — the kind that was never recorded, either out of fear or convenience, and was only passed down by word of mouth. Because of that, it has gradually faded over time.
Faced with this situation, and having exhausted every possible option, I had few paths left to understand how to help Elise. I could continue searching for clues in this world — an extremely difficult task — try to access a god-related quest through the board (which do exist), or travel to the past, when there were still tangible remnants of them.
I had no luck with the board, so I chose time travel. The only available method was through the campaigns. While observing them, I assumed the further back I went, the better. That's why I discarded the ones that took place just decades or a few centuries ago. Still, it wasn't so simple.
I had to buy the DLCs with crystal coins, and even then, I discovered that to access some campaigns, I needed to be physically present in the region where they took place. So for now, I ruled out the Asian campaigns, since I haven't been there yet — though I've already sent my clones to expand the reach of the [travel points].
For the moment, I only had access to campaigns in Europe. After reviewing the options, I identified two particularly ancient ones about which I had some information, although I didn't know which one held the key I sought — if any did. I finally decided to start with the oldest one. If it didn't help, I'd try the next.
I made a few minor configurations. My goal wasn't to explore for pleasure, but to find answers. I had to be efficient — there would be time later to examine everything in detail.
[Initializing:... Tales of Camelot...]
...
My search for answers would begin with the most famous wizard from my homeland: Merlin.
Yes, it's debatable whether he lived that long ago, considering he supposedly attended Hogwarts. But the truth is more complex. There are records of more than one Merlin throughout history. I don't know if the name was simply common, or if — as some theories suggest — Merlin has been a reincarnated figure, appearing again and again throughout the centuries. In any case, I'm not talking about the Merlin from a few centuries ago — the one who was in Slytherin and is widely recognized today — but the ancient Merlin, of whom barely any fragments of information remain.
I appeared in a forested field, in the middle of nowhere, in my real body, unmodified, and at full power. I didn't intend to hold back in this campaign. I didn't know where to find what I was looking for, or even if Merlin truly possessed the knowledge I desired… but being the most remarkable wizard of his era, it made sense that he'd know more than most. So I began my search.
...
...
...
The truth is, I didn't have time to go looking for trouble… because it found me first.
My stay there wasn't particularly short or long — until a crucial encounter took place: I crossed paths with one of the era's most prominent figures, both in history and in the campaign. Morgana le Fay.
A mature woman, imposing, beautiful… and mostly, dangerous. Her mere presence made it clear she wasn't an ordinary woman. Her gaze had a hypnotic charm, capable of bending wills with just a word. But on me, those techniques —like Legilimency and other forms of mental manipulation— had no effect.
She didn't come with good intentions, of course. I hadn't hidden my existence, my alignment, or my powers. I was like a lit flame in the dark: too visible, too tempting. My presence alone was enough to draw her attention. I was, to her, fascinating material… a valuable specimen for a dark witch with questionable intentions.
Maybe because of my young appearance, she didn't take me seriously at first. We exchanged just a few words before she tried to subdue me. And so began the first of our confrontations.
Her power… I would classify it as "Great Witch" level. That wasn't what I expected — I was hoping for at least legendary level.
I thought she wouldn't pose much trouble with my current strength. I was wrong.
I defended myself effectively, and thanks to modern spellcasting techniques, I had some initial advantage. However, the fight seemed endless. We exchanged spell after spell; I even used other abilities, but couldn't gain a clear edge. Of course, I wasn't using my full power from the start… and maybe that was one of my first mistakes. I should have defeated her as quickly as possible.
The battle escalated without pause. It got to the point where we simply couldn't stop until one of us fell. Any attempt to deescalate or talk was pointless: neither of us could trust the other. If one hesitated, the other would take advantage. So we kept going… and soon, the mere combat turned into pure resentment. Morgana grew to hate me so intensely that she eventually decided to play her hidden cards — metaphorically speaking.
Her "Great Witch" level was already impressive enough for most… but then something happened that I didn't expect. It seemed there was some kind of seal within her, a magical containment I hadn't noticed. And with an arcane incantation —one I didn't fully understand— she broke it.
What emerged… was terrifying.
From the level of a great witch, she ascended to a legendary one in just a few seconds. And not a low-level one, either. The intensity of the fight escalated brutally. I had to unleash nearly all my abilities just to hold my ground. In no time, the terrain we passed through was left devastated in our wake. And the worst part was discovering that many of her spells were completely unknown to me. Some of my magic, instead of harming her, seemed to empower her. It wasn't just magical resistance… it was as if her very essence distorted the nature of magic itself.
I underestimated how complicated things would become.
I couldn't escape. Many of my evasion methods were neutralized, and I couldn't secure a retreat without serious consequences. The battle dragged on, forcing us both to reveal our techniques, to learn each other's style, to adapt. It became a war of attrition.
I think it lasted between two and three days. In the end, there was no victor. Circumstances forced us both to withdraw.
I ended up wounded by her dark raven magic: wounds I couldn't heal with my own powers. I could feel how the curse was slowly trying to corrode me. My blood magic barely managed to contain its effects, but I knew it would take time to recover. She didn't come out unscathed either. Maybe she didn't carry a curse like mine, but I struck her so many times, pressured her so intensely, that once the "seal broken" state faded, she looked pale, trembling, exhausted… emaciated.
The last hateful look she gave me before vanishing into a dark cloud was enough to make it clear she wouldn't forget this defeat.
I would find that out… later.
For a time, I set aside my research on divinity. Licking my wounds became a priority. That battle opened my eyes. The magic I faced was so different from the usual, and Morgana's methods so strange, that even I had to acknowledge her talent. Witnessing all that only increased my curiosity about Merlin. I thought that, upon finding him, many of the doubts I arrived with would be resolved.
But I didn't get the chance to find him.
The fight with Morgana was only the beginning… and that witch held a serious grudge. Without her transformation, she wasn't especially powerful in direct combat. But her methods… her methods exceeded all my expectations.
Curses. Many, horrible, and constant curses began to fall on me like an unending plague. Later I would discover the reason: I was an easy target. Apparently, it's rare for someone to be so purely evil, or possess a magic as anomalous as mine—blood magic. And because of that, to certain entities or ritualists, I was easy to select as the target of their curses.
They were twisted, perverse, beyond anything I could have imagined. If the first battle against Morgana ended in a draw, this phase was undoubtedly a total defeat. There was little I could do against some of those curses; all I could do was learn to endure them… and start using rituals to contain or weaken them.
Those were hellish months.
Until she appeared again.
She came back to finish the job. To avenge the previous humiliation. To kill me… or use me as an experimental subject, or who knows what other depravity.
This second time, we both gave our best from the start. And that's what allowed me to survive… and escape after an entire day of combat with no winner. She didn't expect I could keep drawing power from within, although it was mostly the Sin Essences that helped me. Lust, for example, was an excellent distraction for most—but not so much for her. Just as I resisted her mental attacks, she quickly developed resistance to the lustful influence I tried to provoke. That only confirmed we were back to square one: neither of us able to prevail.
But this time, I was the one who suffered the most.
And my plans to find Merlin were almost extinguished. Not because I stopped believing in him, or that he could help me against Morgana, but because I simply had no opportunity. I lived hidden like a rat… sometimes literally. Trying to heal, to regain strength, to prepare for the next encounter with that damned fey.
Yes… the fight lasted far longer than anyone would have imagined. What began as a clash turned into a rivalry as intense as it was toxic. I wasn't exactly the most willing to let it go: her curses truly affected me. And she, with her immense pride, didn't allow it either.
We clashed again and again, over several years. And every time we gave it our all, without restraint. We both kept refining our techniques, learning to counter each other's magic. Her curses were still excruciating, but I learned to endure them—even to break them. In turn, she managed to adapt to my modern magic… and to the raw onslaughts of my blood magic.
Just as she learned to find me, I also learned to track her. And we began attacking each other, in our respective bases or on neutral ground. I had a slight advantage thanks to the [Fief], but even that was no guarantee.
I think neither Merlin nor Arthur hated Morgana as much as I did. In fact, it's very likely that, amid our personal war, they faded into the background. Because for us, there was no other goal: we knew that as soon as the opportunity arose, we'd strike the killing blow.
Nearly a decade.
That's how long our war lasted. With highs and lows, with decisive battles that nearly ended in the death of one or the other. Morgana was, without doubt, a formidable nemesis. Nothing like Voldemort or those other fools with delusions of grandeur. She was a true dark witch—lethal, intelligent… someone you could never let your guard down against.
And then came the final battle.
Year nine. An entire city was razed. And not just any village… it was a great city for its time. Flames consumed it completely. The earth cracked, the air turned to fire, and the sky was stained blood red. Even Merlin himself was drawn to our fight and was on the verge of intervening to stop us, to prevent further destruction.
But I don't know if he succeeded…
Because I… lost.
---///---
I'm having surgery midweek. After that, I'll take two weeks to recover before gradually getting back to my activities.