Thus, the years went by. My desire for vengeance against Garden still burned in my chest, just as strong as on that first day. I had reached the fifth circle of mana and devoted myself tirelessly to the refinement of my magic. Yet, even with all my training, I knew that in a battle against him, I would likely still lose. Garden possessed not only a vaster mana reserve but also far more combat experience. Even with my reputation as a genius of magic, I was well aware that he could have grown stronger over the years, just as I had. And for me, it wasn't enough to simply defeat him — my desire was to make him suffer, to inflict a pain worse than death, something that would mirror the suffering he had caused me.