The shocking revelation about the Staff of Chaos changed everything. Till now, Zepheroth was lying powerless in his own domain, but with his favored weapon back in his possession, he could unleash his dark magic and wreak havoc upon the human world.Count Gressil furrowed his brow and moved his hands over the map, carefully flattening its creases. “If your Goddess speaks the truth then we do not have much time. The necromancers have already captured two important cities and are on their way to conquer the third.”“But Zepheroth needs a host to invade our world,” Ezra intervened. “Without a host, the Lord of Decay cannot travel between realms. He is still bound to his domain.”“Well, that gives the necromancers more reasons to attack Magaravia. By now they must have figured out that Tanya and I have gone into hiding. And what better place to seek shelter than the capital?” Count Gressil’s left eye twitched as beads of sweat glistened on his creased forehead. “If the Staff of Chaos has r

Tanya wanted Ezra to accompany them in the motor wagon, but his reasoning had convinced Count Gressil that it would be better for him to ride on horseback. Eventually, Ezra got what he wanted, and they set off on different rides.As the gentle rays of the rising sun bathed the city in golden hues, the people of Magaravia yawned in their beds and opened their eyes to a new day. Ezra was surprised to see how different life was in the capital. He remembered most people in Aranor would already be working by sunrise, but here, everyone seemed to be enjoying an indolent and carefree life. Even the patrolling guards were nowhere to be seen, and the only ones keeping watch were the Longmans lazily riding their mechanical contraptions.Since it was still too early in the day, the guards at the gate did not bother asking any questions and let Count Gressil’s car pass without any checks. Although they poked fun at Ezra for riding a horse, the guards did not care about verifying his identity.

In his days, Marlin had watched the veteran Gunners take on some of the toughest monsters and come out on top, but they usually relied on their customized enchanted firearms to crush their foes. Ezra, however, had managed to eliminate the Kakeron cluster without using any enchanted weapons.Impressed by his horse riding and the clever use of his newly acquired shooting skill, Marlin was all praises for him.“I have never seen someone wipe out a Kakeron cluster so fearlessly. Most would try to tackle these venomous flowers from a distance, but you are probably the only one who could have executed such a bold move,” he said. “Most high-level Gunners rely on their Magic Flight skill to outmaneuver their enemies, but you are a gifted horseman, my Lord. There is no doubt in my mind that you have what it takes to become the best Gunner in Valaria.”“That was a lot easier than fighting a Behemoth,” Ezra replied as he turned his horse around and joined Count Gressil’s motor wagon.The Count l

Milton escorted Count Gressil and his companions to the governor’s office on the second floor of an ancient-looking building which seemed to be completely out of place in a town like this. The current governor of Silver Springs was a lean middle-aged man with back-brushed black locks and a scraggly beard that had not been shaved for weeks. Although he was dressed in a fine gray overcoat and spotless white shirt paired with a black bowtie, it looked like he was in desperate need of grooming.“Governor Creed. You have visitors,” Milton announced, interrupting the governor’s work.The governor was still sifting through official documents when he was distracted by the voice. He hurriedly stacked the papers and stuffed them inside a cabinet before turning around with a frustrated expression.“I already told you a million times not to—”“Good afternoon to you as well,” Count Gressil greeted, narrowing his eyes on the man.The governor was expecting some engineer or construction working show

When Ezra had entered the firearms store, he never expected to lay his eyes on such advanced weapons. He could tell that these guns had not been manufactured in Silver Springs and the store owner had most probably acquired them from a dubious source.However, Ezra was more than happy to pick a free weapon even though the guns inside the case looked out of place in this world. They were the kind of weapons one would expect to find in an era dominated by tanks and mortars, instead of trebuchets and battering rams.“You seem to be in two minds, brother. What bothers you?” Kerry asked. “I can teach you how to use them. There is no need to feel awkward. In fact, these weapons handle a lot better than the ones the Imperial Gunners use. Plus, they pack a lot more firepower as well.”Ezra took a good look at the weapons on offer and noticed there were no glyphs or runes engraved on them. It once again confirmed his doubts about the origin of these weapons.“These are all common weapons. Can yo