Novels by Architekt

Galen stood beside Ethan, his sword raised, the dark blood of their enemies still dripping from its blade. The mercenary's eyes darted between Ethan and the advancing creatures, his jaw clenched in frustration."I hope you've got more tricks up your sleeve," Galen muttered, readying himself for the next onslaught.Ethan gripped his sword tighter, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. They were both exhausted. The odds were against them, but he couldn't let fear take root."We can't fight all of them," Ethan said, his voice strained. "We need to retreat, regroup, and figure out how to get ahead of this thing."Galen gave a bitter laugh, sidestepping as a creature lunged at him, his sword flashing in the dim light. "Retreat? You mean run for our lives.""Call it what you want," Ethan replied, slicing through a snarling beast that came too close. "But if we stay here, we're dead."The creatures were closing in faster now, their twisted forms moving with a hunger that made Ethan's skin crawl.

The world seemed to collapse into chaos the moment the creatures charged. Ethan barely had time to react. The ground quaked beneath his feet as more of the twisted monsters clawed their way to the surface. They were smaller than the ones they had fought earlier, but there were more of them—dozens, maybe hundreds—and their numbers seemed endless.Galen was already in motion, his sword gleaming as it carved a deadly arc through the first wave of creatures. His movements were fluid and precise, like a seasoned warrior who had seen his share of nightmares. But even Galen couldn't cut them down fast enough."Focus, Ethan!" Galen's voice cut through the chaos, snapping Ethan from his trance. "We need to keep moving!"Ethan forced himself to act, pulling his sword free once more. His arm ached from the earlier skirmish, the bite wound still fresh, but there was no time to worry about pain.One of them lunged at him, its claws aimed at his throat. Ethan ducked, swinging his sword upward in a

The echo of the tree's deathly screech still sounded through the surroundings. The air felt different now—less oppressive, but not by much. Ethan crouched by the remains of the twisted tree, studying the charred roots curling inwards like the clawed hands of a dying monster.He winced as he reached into his pack for a pair of gloves. His forearm throbbed where the creature had bitten him, but he couldn't afford to stop now. They had come this far, and he needed more than guesses if there was any hope of truly understanding the Blight—of defeating it for good.As his fingers brushed the tattered remnants of the tree, a cold shiver ran up his spine. Even in death, the thing exuded a dark energy. Ethan pulled a small vial from his belt, scooping up a sample of the blackened bark. It crumbled quickly under his touch, releasing a faint, sulfuric odor."This is definitely unnatural. Even for this world," Ethan muttered under his breath, scanning the area. "There's something more here."Gale

Ethan barely had time to process the change in the air before the first creature came charging at them from the shadows of a tree. It moved so fast it was a blur, a mass of twisted limbs and pulsing flesh. The smell hit him first—a pungent stench of rot and decay, like something that had been left to fester far too long. The creature let out a wet, gurgling screech as it lunged for Galen, its claws swiping at the older man with terrifying speed.Galen reacted in a flash, his sword already drawn. Steel met flesh with a sickening thud as he sidestepped the creature's attack and brought his blade down, cleaving through one of its gangly arms. The beast didn't slow. It twisted in mid-air, its remaining limb extending unnaturally to grab Galen's arm. Ethan watched, horrified, as the thing's flesh seemed to pulse and stretch like putty, trying to envelop Galen's wrist.But Galen was ready. With a swift, brutal motion, he sliced again, severing the mutated limb entirely. The creature howled,

After a busy few days in Nexus and grueling training sessions with Galen, Ethan stood at the city's edge, staring into the vast horizon where the Blight awaited. His body ached from Galen's relentless combat drills, but the real exhaustion settled in his mind. He'd done everything he could to prepare, both physically and mentally. Still, as the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows over the decayed land beyond, he couldn't help but wonder if it was enough.Nexus bustled behind him, ignorant of the encroaching danger. The city's citizens went about their lives, unaware of the dark, festering wound spreading not far from their doorstep. Ethan took in a deep breath, letting the cold, crisp air fill his lungs. It was almost peaceful here, but the tranquillity did little to settle his nerves.He adjusted the straps of his backpack, mentally ticking off the list of things he'd prepared for this expedition. His trips into the Otherworld Free Market had been productive, though cos

Ethan stood in the dimly lit Nexus, the evening sun casting long shadows on the shop's stone walls. His mind buzzed with a hundred thoughts, each one tangled in a web of alliances, enemies, and opportunities. He felt like he was juggling too many flaming swords at once, and one misstep would set his entire world ablaze.The King was dying. The royal court was a viper's nest, poised for a deadly game of succession. Princess Elara was scrambling for control, the Baron was plotting revenge, and the Blight festered like an open wound in the world."Reputation," he muttered again, the word haunting him like a whispered curse. Nexus had potential, but potential wasn't enough. He needed to carve his place into the city's bones before someone else carved him out of it. And that meant making a bold move.The door to Nexus swung open, and Xi stepped in, her presence as unsettling as ever. Her sharp, calculating gaze scanned the room before locking onto Ethan."You've been brooding," Xi said, he

"Hmph!" Amesbury grunted triumphantly. "You're not the only Major Arcana in this joint class anymore, Hans!""Oh, shit!" Emily moaned beside Cal. "That's Hans Müller! He inherited The Tower legacy from his family. Apparently, there was a tragic event, and his older sister, who should have inherited it, died. Watch yourself, Cal."Callum frowned as he glanced at Hans. The guy was around six foot and four inches tall. Which meant he towered over everyone from the two classes. He had a rugged square jaw, dark hair, and piercing blue eyes. "That's him. Over there!" Amesbury gleefully pointed Callum out. "That's Callum Shaw, The Magician! Are you scared now?""Shaw? The Magician?" Hans grunted as he scanned Callum before marching up to him. "Are you Felix Shaw's grandson?"Callum reeled in shock. "You knew my grandpa?""That's right." Hans nodded as a grin spread across his face. "Master Felix personally trained me in the basics when I awakened! If it weren't for his support, my family ma

[Name: Arcane Bullet Classification: Assault Stage: Circle Elements: Arcane Complexity: 2 Power: 4 Secondary Power: 0 Required Mana: 2 (Expand) (Expanded): Arcane: 2 Description: A low-power ranged arcane-type spell.]Callum barely paid any attention to the notification as he met the hungry gazes of his classmates. 'Well, this should be enough for now, right?' He licked his lips as he removed his hands from the cube and lay back in his chair.'It would be nice to have more spells, but I've already drawn too much attention. There must be a way to create spells away from all these prying eyes.'Cal was oblivious to his classmates' thoughts as he relaxed at the back of the class. His casual attitude made them feel like he was saying this course was too easy and they were insignificant in his eyes.Of course, Callum had no such thoughts. Well, apart from the easy part. Mages were notoriously competitive and always searching for ways to improve their standing among their peers.

Callum sighed as he sat back and watched the others for a while. After several minutes, no one else had created a spell. 'What's going on? It's not that hard.'Cal frowned as he noticed the tense expressions of his classmates. He could tell they were concentrating, and nobody seemed to be slacking off. Even Professor Morales wore a look that said it was perfectly normal. 'Did I get lucky?'No matter how he thought about it, that shouldn't be the case. 'There's only one way to find out.' Callum shrugged his shoulders and placed his hands on the cube again.As the interface popped up, Cal already had a spell in mind. Now that he knew how spells were made and that they had a 'memory' of their own, there was something he wanted to make his mana refinement easier.Before long, a green glow lit up the class from its rear. Callum almost wondered if he had become deaf because of the silence. Unanimously, the whole class turned to stare at him again."Ahem," Professor Morales cleared her throa

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise." Professor Morales said while staring at him. "Our first success within minutes of class starting! I didn't expect you to succeed until you asked for help, and we had a few classes together."She sounded absolutely delighted as the rest of the class stared at him with a mix of awe and envy. Even Emily, near the front, had her mouth hanging open as she looked at him as if he were a monster."Please, tell me, what classification is your new spell?""It's a ward-type spell," Cal replied as he felt his face heating up."You hear that class? Mr Shaw showed wisdom beyond what most fresh young mages do. It's important to have a way to defend yourself before focusing on other methods. Now, if you would, please show us your spell."Cal gulped as he removed his hands from the cube and looked around the class. Oh well, there's nothing I can do about it now. Whirlpool!Cal stood up and moved back as he stretched out his arm. His mana flowed through his body, cr

Callum cursed as he rushed through the hallway. His hair was still wet, and he'd missed breakfast. Thank god for that enchanted thing in the bathroom that cleans clothes. It would have been embarrassing to arrive on the first day with odour issues.Luckily, the bracelet is enchanted to show where your next class is. Cal grinned as he stared at the black metal band on his left wrist. The enchantment was pointing at a door on his right a short distance away.There were a few minutes left until the class started, so Callum paused outside to catch his breath before going inside. Silence descended in the lecture room as he opened the door and stepped inside. His classmates stared at him with confused expressions, and a young man in the middle row looking down at him opened his mouth to say something."Callum!" Emily squealed from the second row, which drew everyone's attention to her.Callum sighed in relief. At least there's one person I know in my first class. His relief was short-lived

"Wait!" Cal said, but it was too late."Where are we?" Maya looked around the room they had appeared in.Callum cocked an eyebrow as he scanned the large but almost empty room. There was a comfortable-looking four-poster bed in the middle of one wall with a set of drawers and a wardrobe against another. The strangest thing though, was a desk and chair with a black gem-like ball embedded in it.A knock sounded against one of the three thick wooden doors in the room and Maya was quick to open it. On the other side was a young woman with dark circles under her eyes. "Is Callum Shaw here?" The woman asked as she peered into the room. "I'm here to deliver his materials and explain a few things to him.""I'm right here," Cal said as he waved her in. "Maya, give her some room.""Thank you. My name's Emily Fletcher." The woman smiled brightly despite her evident exhaustion. "First, let me say congratulations on joining The Clocktower. You must be quite skilled to pass the entrance exam despit