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Speaker 1: Hello, friends from across the nation and around the world.

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I'm Martin, and you are listening to what has to

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be one of the most reliable bedtime stories podcasts ever created,

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Dad's Bedtime Stories. Bedtime never stops, so neither do I. Tonight,

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we're going to be diving back into the world of

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Lilian the Pizza Witch, which I did one episode of before,

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about a witch who gains her powers by eating different

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kinds of pizza, and so far, she went through her

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original trial and she gained the power of telekinesis, allowing

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her to fly out of broom, of course, and along

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with her cat companion, she's now going to go on

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her other trials. This suggestion originally came to me in

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my Google form from someone named Lilian no surprise, and

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since I published it, I have been having people ask

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me for part two, so I thought I would finally

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do part two tonight. If you haven't listened to part one,

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you're welcome to do that first, or honestly, I just

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explained the whole thing. She's got telekinesis already and she's

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about to go get other powers, so you could probably

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listen from here too. Before we get started, I just

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want to do my normal Sunday shoutouts to my latest

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Patreon sponsors. First of all, thank you to Bronson ten

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years old and Remy six years old, as well as

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their adult Jess for supporting the podcast. That means a lot.

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Next up, thank you to Mike and his probably his

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mystery kids, unless Mike is the kid, just let me

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know and I'll give them a shout out. Next up,

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thank you to Sage and Rory. I really appreciate you

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guys sponsoring the podcast on Patreon. And last for tonight anyway,

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thank you to Colton and Sirnda from the Sunshine Coast

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in Australia for sponsoring the podcast. But now it's that

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time again, after a possible interruption from a possible sponsor.

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Was there one? Did you get a sponsor there? Anyways?

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Speaker 2: Time to close your eyes, get as comfy as you

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can in that bed, and imagine yourself doing what the

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kid in the story does.

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Speaker 3: Now.

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Speaker 1: As I explained before, when we left Lilian last, she

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had just eaten a pizza that gave her the power

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of telekinesis, and she went to bed dreaming of flying

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around on her broom and uh, of course pizza. She

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thought about pizza a lot. When morning came, sunlight crept

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into a room, warm and polite, but Lilian's eyes snapped

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open anyways, because she remembered mana telekinesis, a broom that

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actually flew, and a cat who was pretending very hard

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to be normal, even though normal cats did not, generally speaking,

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help you survive ancient magical trap hauls. The cat was

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already sitting on her windowsill, tail wrapped neatly around its paws,

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staring at the world like it was waiting for her

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to catch up. Lilian sat up slowly, half expecting last

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night to have been a dream. She lifted her hand,

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pointed it at her pillow, and thought very hard about

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the pillow floating up. The pillow rose off the bed,

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floated gently, and bobbed her in the face. It didn't

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hurt it was a pillow, but it did feel like

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magic was laughing at her. Lilian grinned anyways, okay, still

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not elegant, but definitely real. A snappy window blinked into view. Congratulations,

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Telekinesis has been used skill XP plus one. Lilian blinked, oh,

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it keeps score. The cat's ears twitched like it was

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trying not to be impressed. Lilian slid out of bed,

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got dressed faster than she ever had on a school day,

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and tiptoed downstairs. Her parents were already up. They looked

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like they'd slept, a sort of like people who'd been

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smiling all night while worrying quietly. Her mom turned the

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mug in her hand.

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Speaker 3: How do you feel?

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Speaker 1: Lilian paused dramatically, like she was about to answer a

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very important interview. QUI question magical, she said. Her dad

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laughed that tracks. Lilian hesitated. I think I'm supposed to

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find the next chamber. Her mom's face tightened just a little.

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Her dad nodded slowly. We knew that was coming. Lilian

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looked down at the cat, who was licking its paws

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as if to say, yes, the quest continues. Her mum

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disappeared into the pantry and came back holding a small

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bundle wrapped in cloth. She handed it to Lilian like

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it was treasure. Lilian unwrapped it. Inside was cheese. Not

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a slice, not a sprinkle, a whole block of cheese.

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Her mum cleared her throat for emergencies. Lilian stared, then

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smiled so hard her cheeks that's the best idea anyone's

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ever had. Another window flickered in front of her. Congratulations,

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you have acquired emergency cheese item type legendary comfort. Lilian's

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dad squinted, did the uh chamber just rank my wife's cheese?

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Lilian nodded yes, respectfully. Her mom exhaled, Okay, eat breakfast,

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then then go so. Lilian ate toast packed water, tucked

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the cheese safely into her bag like it was a

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sacred artifact, and went outside with her broom. The broom

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was leaning against the porch, innocent, looking as if it

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hadn't carried her into destiny yesterday. Lilian swung a leg

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over it. The cat jumped on behind her as usual,

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making the broom immediately feel steadier. Lilian took a breath

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and pushed off. The broom rose smoothly this time, no spinning,

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no wall bonks, no immediate humiliation. Her eyebrows lifted. Oh,

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I think I've improved a snappy window flashed Congratulations, broom

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riding has improved stability plus one. Lilian lifted higher above

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the rooftops, above the trees, above the sleepy town that

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was already starting to look small. Wind brushed her face.

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Her stomach fluttered. She was flying, and she wasn't doing

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it for fun anymore, not just for fun anyways. It

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was still pretty fun. But she flew along the river

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like it was a road made of water, following the bends,

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the glints of sunlight, the places where the trees leaned

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and closer, like they were gossiping with each other or something.

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Every so often she practiced. She lifted a leaf and

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made it spin with her mind. She nudged a pebble

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off a rock and caught it midfall. She floated her

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water bottle for a second and very carefully put it

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back so she wouldn't spill it all over herself and

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have to explain to the cow why she had dumped

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all of their hydration. Each time she used helekinesis, the

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invisible mind, hand felt a little more solid, a little less,

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like trying to hold a slippery fish with the thought.

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Then near midday she saw it, half buried in moss

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at the edge of a ravine, a stone archway carved

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with the same lightning symbols. The air around it smelled spicy,

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like hot peppers, like pizza that dared you to take

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a bite. Lilian knew that the world system had a

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way of adapting to the challenger, and in her case,

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it had clearly picked up on her love for pizza.

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She landed beside the gate, heart beating fast. The cat

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hopped off first, walked right towards the arch, like it

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had a map in its head, and paused beneath the stone.

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It looked back at Lilian, just as it had the

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first time. Lilian swallowed okay. Trial two, she stepped forward.

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The world tilted, darkness flickered. Then he'd slammed into her,

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as if she'd walked into the mouth of an oven.

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She stood in a stone corridor draped with red banners.

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Torches burned along the walls, steady and bright. The floor

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was carved with grooves that looked suspiciously like tracks for

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swinging things. And above her, the same dramatic voice boomed

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as cheerful as ever. Trial to the Peppergate Gauntlet. A

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snappy window appeared again. Congratulations, you have entered trial to

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objective advance, adapt and don't get sliced, Lilian muttered. At last,

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part is oddly specific. The corridor clicked. A huge blade

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swung down from the ceiling, on a chain. It was

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shaped like a pizza cutter, the size of a wagon wheel.

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Lilian yelped and leapt back. The cutter womped into the

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stone floor and swung back up again, then down again,

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like the hallway was trying to chop the air into

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neat portions. Lilian's hands lifted instinctively telekinesis mind hand. She

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reached out and caught the cutter at the top of

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its arc. For half a second. It stopped, then fought back, heavy,

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swinging and determined. Lilian's teeth clenched. Okay, okay, fine, I

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won't stop you. I'll just politely slow you down. She

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shifted her grip, not holding it still, just guiding it,

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nudging the swing just enough to create a gap. She

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ducked under the cutter as it passed, slid forward, and

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slipped through The cat padded calmly behind her, timing its

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steps like this was a casual walk. The next cutter came,

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Lilian slowed it and slid past as well. The next.

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The next she got faster and more confident, like her

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brain was learning the rhythm. Halfway down the corridor, the

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system window flashed again. Congratulations, Telekinesis has improved to level two.

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Lilian exhaled sharply yes. The cat flicked its tail once,

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like it was saying about time. The corridor opened into

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a wider chamber that looked like a dining hall after

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a disaster. There were tables overturned, chairs scattered, a few

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plates broken on the floor, and something moving. Figures rose

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from behind the furniture. Humanoid shapes made of pale dough,

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wearing scorched aprons, holding rolling pins like clubs. Lilian's stomach dropped. Okay,

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combat one charged her rolling pin, raised Lilian's mind hand

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snapped out. The rolling pin yanked out of its grip

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and smacked into the wall with a hollow thunk. The

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dough creature blinked, looked at its empty hand, and seemed

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genuinely confused. Lilian almost laughed sorry. Another one hurled a

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rolling pin toward her face. Lilian yelped, caught it mid

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air using her telekinesis, and whipped its sideways. It balked

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the thrower in the chest. Dough rippled. The creature staggered

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back and looked rather offended. The cat darted forward, lowed

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the ground, weaving between legs and furniture, and very neatly

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tripped and doe creature at the knees. Lilian stared for

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one second too long. You are not just a cat.

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The cat didn't answer, but its posture somehow screamed. Focus less, talking,

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more moving. Lilian advanced. She use telekinesis to fling chairs

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into barriers, to yank weapons away, to knock enemies off

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balance without crushing them. She didn't want to destroy them.

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They felt more like defenders than villains. At the far

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end of the room stood a tall armored figure with

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a visor dripping red. A knight, a sauce Knight. It

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raised its shield and splashed sauce in a wide arc.

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Lilian recoiled as the sticky warmth of the sauce dotted

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her cheeks. Oh grouse. She grabbed a serving tray off

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at table with telekinesis and held it in front of

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her like a floating shield. The sauce Knight charged, Lilian

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yanked its sword armed sideways. The sword slammed into the

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stone pillar and stuck. The knight struggled. Lilian pulled the

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shield away with her mind hand, like she was stealing

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the lid off a pot. The night wobbled, suddenly defenseless

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without its defenses. The cat leapt up onto the Knight's

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shoulder and hissed right into its helmet. The night froze

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like its programming had just hid an error message. Lilian

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slipped past it, breathing hard, heart pounding, but smiling anyways,

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because she was doing it. She was getting through the trial.

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At the end of the corridor sat a stone pedestal,

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and on the pedestal was a pizza. It glowed faintly red.

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It shimmered with chilly oil. The air around it smelled

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like peppers and daring. A snappy window blinked congratulations reward,

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identified spicy pizza, warning it bites back. Lilian swallowed, I

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can take it. The cat stared at her like it

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had heard that sentence right before disaster many times. Lilian

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picked up the slice and took a bite. He'd exploded

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across her tongue. Lilian made a sound that was not

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a word, and definitely expressed regret. Then warmth surged down

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into her chest like a furnace, igniting. The torches flared,

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the red banners rippled, and the voice boomed overhead. Delighted Congratulations,

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you have acquired firecraft one new skill, firebolt one passive

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spice tolerance one. Lilian stared at her fingertips. A tiny

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ember danced across them like it had been waiting for permission.

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She grinned through the burn. Okay, she whispered, Now we're

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getting somewhere. Lilian stayed in the peppergate chamber for just

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long enough to stop making the my tongue is on fireface,

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which took a while. She sipped water, fanned her mouth dramatically,

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and stared at her hands like they belonged to someone else.

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A tiny ember danced across her fingertips, bright and obedient,

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as if it had been waiting its whole life to

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be useful. Lilian whispered, okay, firebolt. She flicked her fingers.

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A little bead of flame popped into existence, shot forward

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and hit the stone wall with a harmless It left

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a tiny scorch mark the size of a cookie that

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was adorable. Lilian said. A snappy window flashed, congratulations, firebolt

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has been used. Scale xp plus one. Lilian grinned and

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tried again. This time, the flame went further and left

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a bigger mark. The cat watched with the expression of

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someone observing a child discovering a flashlight. Lilian lowered her hands.

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I know, I know, I'm powerful now. The cat's tail

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flicked like you're warm, not wise. The chamber's red banners fluttered,

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and the corridor behind the pedestal shimmered open into an exit.

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Lilian hopped onto her broom, the cat leapt on behind her,

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and they passed through the world tilted once again, and

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then they were back outside. Standing at the mossy archway

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in the real world, wind cool against her cheeks, Lilian

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took one breath and laughed quietly, because the forest felt

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like it was listening. She had telekinesis, she had fire.

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She had a cat who was definitely a cat and

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not absolutely something ancient and mysterious and possibly terrifying. Right.

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They traveled for days, not long, exhausting days, because Lillian

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was ten and the trials were important, but so was

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eating snacks and not falling asleep mid air. They flew

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over rolling hills and bright rivers. They followed old stone

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markers half buried in the ground, carved with the same

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lightning symbol as the arches. Sometimes Lilian landed to rest

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and practiced her powers like it was a training game.

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She made her water bottle float while she walked. She

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used telekinesis to pull her bag closer instead of bending down.

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She lit tiny fire sparks to warm her hands when

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the wind got cold. Each time, the system rewarded her

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with quick little flashes Congratulations, telekinesis has been used, skal

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xp plus one. Congratulations firecraft has been used scale xp

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plus one. It was kind of satisfying. It was also

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kind of annoying because it made her feel like the

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universe was watching her do just normal stuff like carrying

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a snack, but Lilian couldn't deny it. She was getting better.

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By the third day, she could hold two things at

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once with telekinesis, as long as they were kind of small.

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By the fourth day, her fire bolts stopped being adorable

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and started being slightly intimidating. Then the weather changed. The

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air turned colder, the sky turned pale, the wind started

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smelling like snow, even though it wasn't winter yet. Lilian

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flew lower, squinting into the distance ahead. A mountain range

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rose like a row of sleeping giants, and tucked into

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a narrow pass between two peaks. She saw it a

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stone archway, bigger than the others. It shimmered faintly like

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cold light. Even from far away, she could feel it.

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It was the next chamber. The cat sat up straighter

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behind her ears angled forward as if it recognized a

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place it didn't want to say out loud. Lilian slowed

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her broom and landed near the archway. The stone was

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frosted over, even though the ground around it was mostly bare.

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Lilian rubbed her arms. Okay, that's chilly. A window popped

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up once again. Congratulations, you have discovered a trial chamber.

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Ambient effect cold drain. Lilian frowned, cold drain. That doesn't

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sound good. The dramatic voice boomed Trial three, the freezer cathedral.

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A window opened again. Congratulations, you have entered Trial three.

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Objective control, combine endure. Lilian's breath puffed out a white cloud.

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She stood in a massive hall made of ice blue stone.

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Tall pillars rose into darkness above. The frost clung to

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everything like glitter. The sound of the place was quiet,

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not peaceful, quiet, more like the world is holding its

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breath quiet. The cat walked forward, pause, silent on the stone.

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Lilian followed, gripping her broom like it was a comfort

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item and also possibly a weapon. A soft hum began,

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almost too load, and notice it wasn't coming from any

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one direction, it was everywhere. Her eyelids felt heavier, her

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shoulders felt heavier, even her thoughts felt like they were

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moving through syrup. She blinked hard. Okay, that's not fair.

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A window flashed open. Congratulations, you have encountered frost, hum

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effect stamin a drain. Lilian swallowed. So we're doing the

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sleepy dungeon. The hall split into a maze, and the

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maze had mirrors, not normal mirrors, tall ice smooth walls

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that reflected like glass, except the reflections weren't always right.

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And one mirror she looked older, wearing a cloak and

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a crown made of pepperoni slices, and another she looked

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small again, five years old, holding out crusts to a

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wild cat in the woods. And another she looked like

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she was made of ash. Her stomach tightened. Okay, she muttered,

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that's rude. The cat brushed against her leg, steady and warm.

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Lilian took a breath, then reached out with her telekinesis

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and lifted a small pebble from the floor. She tossed

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it down one corridor. The pebble clinked. The echo sounded wrong,

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as if it bounced too quickly. Fake, Lilian whispered. She

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tossed another pebble down a different corridor, the echo deeper, slower, real,

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she whispered. She guided them through by sound, not sight,

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ignoring the mirrors as best she could, and somehow it

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worked until something drifted out of the shadows, a shape

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like fog, like snow, like a ghost made of cold.

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Then another, then three. They weren't walking, they were floating,

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gliding silently to water ice wraiths. Lilian's hand lifted instinctively

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fire bolt. She flicked her fingers, a flame shot forward

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and hit the first wraith. The wraith hissed, not a

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sound exactly, more like a sudden pop and temperature. Its

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form broke apart, like smoke. Yes, she said. Then the

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cold mist gathered again. The thing re formed, whole and angrier, looking.

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Her smile vanished. Oh no. The cat's tail puffed slightly,

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like it had been waiting for this part. Lilian backed up. Okay,

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so fire disperses but doesn't finish them off. She scanned

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the floor quickly near one pillar. Half buried in frost

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were blocks of something pale salt. Because, of course, the

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chamber had provided an answer, like had always did, Lilian

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grabbed a salt block with her telekinesis and hurled it forward.

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It slammed through the first wraith. This time, the wraith shuddered,

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its edges tearing like fabric. Lilian immediately followed with a

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fire bolt. The wraith broke apart and stayed apart. Her

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eyes wide and salt plus fire yes science. A snappy

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window flashed Congratulations, combo discovered purge burst salt plus firecraft

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equals wraith disruption. Lilian didn't have time to celebrate. There

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were more to destroy. She grabbed another salt block, then

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another to at once. Telekinese is strained, but she held

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a snappy window blinked as she did it. Congratulations, Telekinesis

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have as improved to level three, multi holed, unlocked for

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small items. Lilian gasped, oh, thank you. She launched the

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salt blocks, followed with quick firebolts, clearing a path forward.

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The cat raced beside her, low and fast, occasionally battling

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a wraith like it was a particularly rude snowflake they

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reached the end of the mirror maze and burst into

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a wide chamber. The ceiling soared up like a cathedral,

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and in the center of the chamber stood something huge,

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a golum. Only it looked like it had been built

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from frozen dessert and ice, layers of pale blue, white,

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and pink, like a giant Gelado statue. It turned its

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head slowly. Its eyes glowed cold. The frost hum deepened,

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and Lilian's knees felt wobbly. The golum raised an arm.

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Lilian lifted both hands, tele the canese is snapping out

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like chains. She tried to pin its arms. The golam

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moved anyways, heavy and unstoppable. Lilian's broom skittered backwards on

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the icy floor like it wanted to leave. Lilian's heart hammered, Nope, nope,

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I'm not losing here. She fired a fire bolt at

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the golum's elbow joint. The flame sizzled and steam puffed up,

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but the golum didn't fall. It did slow, however, Lilian

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fired again, Steam rose, the gelato's surface softened slightly. The

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golams swung. Lilian threw herself aside, sliding across the icy

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floor and barely stopping before she hit a pillar. The

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cad hissed leapt forward and clawed at the Golum's ankle,

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like it was trying to trap a giant. The golum

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barely noticed. Then it raised its arm again. This time

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it was aimed right at Lilian. The frost hum pressed

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down on her like a heavy blanket. Her stamina felt

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like it was draining through her shoes. Lilian tried to

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lift her hands, tried to grab the arm with telekinesis,

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but her mind sort of slipped. The Golum's arm came down,

359
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Her eyes widened, and the cat shot forward. It planted

360
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itself between Lilian and the falling blow, and for the

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first time, the cat's shadow did not match its body.

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It stretched, it expanded, it grew, fur surged outwards like

363
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a storm cloud, and the air itself seemed to shift

364
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to make room. In the span of a heartbeat, the small,

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scruffy cat became something enormous, a titan cat, bigger than

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a hoarse shoulders, rippling with muscle, eyes glowing with ancient light.

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It roared, not a normal roar, but a sound that

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felt like a command. The golums arms slammed down onto

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the Titan cats raised paw and stopped, just stopped, like

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the universe had suddenly decided the cat had priority. A

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window flashed congratulations, Guardian protocol activated, companion form, titaned, Guardian

372
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Cat limited. Lilian stared, mouth opened. The Titan cat glanced

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back at her, and even in that giant, terrifying form,

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its expression still somehow said now do your part. Lilian's

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brain clicked into place. Okay, she whispered, Yes, I can

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do my part. She surged to her feet, sliding on

377
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the ice, and threw telekinesis around the Golum's legs, tight

378
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like convisible ropes. She fired a firebolt at the same

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softened joint. Again, steam erupted. The Golum's knee buckled. The

380
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Titan cat lunged, shoved the Golam's sideways, and slammed it

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into the stone floor with a thundering crash. The frost

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hum faltered. Lilian didn't waste the opening. She grabbed a

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huge salt black with telekinesis barely holding it and slammed

384
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it into the Golum's chest. Then she fired one last

385
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fire bolt into the crack it made. The golam shuddered,

386
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Its glow flickered, and it collapsed into a heap of

387
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frozen dessert rubble. Silence fell. The titan cat stood over

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the pile, breathing slowly. Then it shrank, fur folding inward,

389
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shadow compressing. In seconds, the giant guardian was gone. The small,

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scruffy cat was back, sitting neatly on the icy floor,

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as if nothing dramatic had happened at all. Lilian stared

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at it. The cat just licked its paw and rubbed

393
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it over its head. Lilian's voice came out very small,

394
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You are you're a guardian? The cat blinked once, which

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was absolutely a yes. A stone pedestal rose from the

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floor at the far end of the chamber, as if

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the chamber had been waiting politely for the fighting to stop.

398
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On it sat a pizza, A frozen pizza, frost rimmed

399
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the crust, snowflake like roans shimmered in the cheese. Lilian

400
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stepped closer, shivering. A window appeared. Congratulations reward identified frozen pizza,

401
00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:58,119
warning cold truth ahead, called truth. Why does everything have

402
00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:02,640
to sound so ominous? She picked up a slice and

403
00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:07,599
bit it was colder than it should have been. Then

404
00:34:08,079 --> 00:34:11,199
the cold spread through her chest like a new kind

405
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of fire. Sharp, clean and bright frost sparkled along her

406
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finger tips. A breath escaped her lips in a glittering puff,

407
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and the voice boomed overhead, Congratulations, you have acquired cry omancy.

408
00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:37,360
One new skill, frostbind one. Lilian stared at her hands.

409
00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:41,719
Tiny ice crystals formed and danced in the air. Then

410
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she looked at the cat. The cat sat beside her,

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calm as ever, but this time Lilian understood. It hadn't

412
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followed her because it liked her house. It hadn't stayed

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because she fed it. It stayed because it was meant to,

414
00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:06,199
because she was meant to. Lilian swallowed, feeling the cold

415
00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:11,880
magic settle inside her like a new star. Okay, she whispered,

416
00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:14,239
Now we're getting.

417
00:35:14,000 --> 00:38:29,679
Speaker 3: Somewhere, an.

418
00:38:33,480 --> 00:44:11,199
Speaker 1: Inn ne more unionism of thing.