We played the third map.
Second duel.

The leveling process was terrible. At level 7, I only managed to get machines after clearing out the base and getting perks. Then I got defense and BDP. But after that, it didn't offer any more magic spells. I ran around without magic until turn 25. I just wanted something other than Chaos.
But I finally got Light on turn 25. Immediately after, I tried to get the Tome of Light, but there was no mentor to transfer the machines to. No bracers either. The rogue kept not appearing, and the stats in the tavern were not very good, so I ended up running through the center.
I positioned myself successfully on the opposite side with a stable and reached the castle on turn 212.

There was no final battle.
Thanks for the game.

I had a similar experience; things were going badly at the beginning. At first, I was leveling Irbet, but she chronically refused to level up properly. I started leveling Sorgal, and it wasn't until the third week that I decided he would be my main hero, although Irbet reached level 20 by the end of the game and turned out to be a pretty good trickster. The portal to the center was far from the city, plus it was guarded by 200 black steeds. At first, I didn't want to waste too much meat to break through (there were already a lot of losses), but then I thought that at that stage, Grok would definitely come after the mentor, without logistics, and wouldn't be able to reach it in one turn, but things turned out differently. Thanks for the game