Ezra felt like his heart would burst out of his chest as he tried to fight the urge to lash out at those who were trying to help him. Even though he was still in his senses it was as if his body refused to obey his mind. “I…can’t stay here. It’s killing me!” Ezra grunted as his lips darkened and blood pooled in the corners of his eyes, making him look like a creature from beyond the grave. The more he tried to resist the urge to unleash his skills, the more it hurt him.Count Gressil’s guards held Ezra by his arms and dragged him as Tanya did her best to comfort him.“It is going to be alright, Lord Ezra. I am going to help you. Please try to fight the regression. You need to be conscious for this to work,” she said while holding a rose-shaped pendant in her hand and praying to Ishani. If it were anyone else Count Gressil would have ordered to have him shot by now, but since he had a soft corner for Ezra, he allowed Tanya to attempt her healing ritual despite sensing the danger.With

The exhaustion from being drenched in the Magic Rain and then healed with sacred magic gradually took its toll on Ezra’s body, and he soon fell sound asleep. When he woke up six hours later, it was half past midnight and the maid had dozed off beside his bed.Tanya had ordered her knights to stand guard outside Ezra’s door to ensure he would not try to attempt another sneaky escapade. However, thanks to the special item in his inventory, Ezra did not need to use doors to get in and out.Slowly lifting his blanket, Ezra put on his jacket and slipped into his boots. Careful, not to disturb the maid, he walked toward the only window in his room and pulled out the last teleportation scroll in his inventory.“This is my final scroll. Let’s make it count.”“Are you sure you do not want to keep the last one for sticky situations?” Marlin asked.“We will cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, I can’t miss the chance to register for the tournament,” Ezra replied and unfurled the scroll

This was the first time Ezra had registered for an important tournament after his arms had healed. He still remembered the last tournament he had participated in had ended disastrously with his elimination in the very first round.Now was his chance to finally sweep his past away and prove himself in front of the crowd. A victory over here would not only win Ezra the support of the commoners, but also help him build ties with potential allies.With the registration complete, Ezra was now officially enrolled to participate in the opening duels on the first two days of the tournament. This information was conveyed to him by another sparkling display in which King Reginald Aubrey, the reigning king of Valaria greeted him.“Is that the king?” Ezra asked, taken aback by this unexpected encounter.But Marlin quickly corrected his mistake. “His Majesty is probably sound asleep inside his palace. The magical projection you see before you is merely a pre-recorded message. But don’t worry; you m

Setting his eyes on the next street lamp, Ezra took a deep breath and touched his Lunar Howl medallion to summon his Spectral Companion. The White Wolf leaped out of Ezra’s medallion and howled to the waning moon, its ferocious battle cry drowning the shrieks and screeches. Even though the Shadow Lurkers were beings of darkness, the Dire Howl ability frightened them, causing them to panic and scatter.This brought Ezra just enough time to sprint through the darkness and reach the next street lamp. Once he was there, he caught his breath and surveyed his surroundings again. The next three street lamps were placed at twenty-foot intervals, alternating between the right and the left sidewalks. It created a hazy mirage of light and shade, with only small patches shaded by the trees. Ezra took another deep breath and broke off into a run, crossing the dimly lit path running between the sidewalks. Since there were no cars on the road, it was safe for him to sprint ahead without looking

Now that Ezra was back in his room again, he had time to think about his next move in peace. Taking part in the tournament and winning allies was only one of his many objectives. However, his main goal was to kill Lord Wilhelm and his son and reclaim Aranor.Ezra pulled out the Mirror of Replication stored in his inventory and tried to use it to write a message, but it was badly cracked down the middle and fogged up so terribly that he could not even see a glimpse of his own reflection.“Where are you, sister? I hope you are alright,” he sighed.Marlin sensed the defeated tone in Ezra’s voice and jumped into a conversation. “You still did not tell me what you wrote to her during your stay in that cell.”“I told her that the Morelises had organized a coup and they were trying to kill her. I also told her that father and I had managed to flee Aranor and would contact her again when the time was right,” he replied. “It was the only way to keep Aurelia away from danger. I did not want to