(Scars do not appear to be cause of death –shock ... - Bad Request

"There are two secrets to becoming great. One is never to reveal all that you
know."
"To become powerful, you must be willing to sacrifice: whether it is parts of
yourself or things precious to you. Power is a bargain: One must give in
order to receive."
"Honor and virtue are concepts that kill men and kill the spirit. They are only
abstracts that drive men to strangeness and death. Be true to yourself and
obey only your own will." My blood seemed to move more sluggishly as the
book spoke, as if it had chilled within my veins, or as if my heart had
hardened.
"Do not suffer one who has hurt you to live. To do so is an open admission
of weakness."
"The soul of man is a sea of emotions. Often man struggles to bring order to
these emotions, but it is a false order. Man's natural state is chaos, and it is
a state that should be surrendered to."
"Know the meaning of mercy, use it to your advantage... but do not practice
it."
"Nurture fear in others, for only fear rules men. Nothing else leaves deeper
scars."
"Extend a smile and the hand of friendship to your enemies. When they
clasp your hand, strike them with the dagger in your other hand, else they
will surely do the same to you."
"These are my last words of advice. Weigh them carefully. Remember that
you can expunge anything you find undesirable. You need only have the
will." As the book spoke those last words, a chill weight settled on my heart.
I felt somehow tainted. Clearheaded, but tainted.
It was then that it made its second offer.
The voice of the tome seemed saddened as it spoke to me, by the dim light
of the candle. I was alone in my apartment, as always, and hung onto every
word. "Unfortunately, master, the laws that bind me demand a greater
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