The Vespid Swamps had always been notorious for their terrifying wildlife which included several kinds of deadly reptiles and amphibians. It was the reason why most people chose to avoid going anywhere near it.Glenn would have preferred to take the longer route and go around the swamp, but the two roads on each side were guarded by Towers of Corruption.Although the airship could fly above the clouds to avoid detection, the magic crystal powering it had expended most of its energy, and trying to boost its power and increase the altitude again would slow the airship down and prolong their journey.To shorten their travel time, Glenn and Zala had decided to take the quickest route by flying over the swamps. However, this treacherous path also brought them closer to the monster lurking in the depths of the tarry black bog.As the Wind Rider approached the Vespid Swamps, Ezra leaned over the railing and looked below. The wetland was festering with corruption, and every single tree was cho

Glenn lauded Ezra’s efforts as he returned to the airship while Zala looked on in disbelief. He was among the few dark mages who knew about the powers of the Ancient Garnock and the threat it posed to any magic user.“Not even the most powerful Elementalist could have survived that encounter. But you came out on top and even managed to kill the Garnock,” Zala spoke with a note of admiration in his voice. “I never believed Glenn when we told me about you, but now that I have witnessed your power with my own eyes, I cannot deny you are truly Ishani’s favored sword. Perhaps there is still hope left for humanity.”“I have to admit I have never seen a Gunner using such advanced skills in battle at such a young age. You are truly a prodigy, Lord Ezra,” Glenn added.Ezra brushed the praise aside and looked westward. “The Garnock was powerful, but it wasn’t too smart. I am more concerned about the three necromancers.”“You will need the help of Elementalists and sorcerers to deal with their da

The Black Lotus was the first ring of the ruined city, designed to keep sneaky spies and intruders at bay. Being the city’s first line of defense, it was protected by twenty-nine watch towers and three barracks that housed the finest elite soldiers.According to old legends, even the elves and orcs had tried to invade the ancient city of the firstborns. But their armies were crushed by the elite warriors before they could breach the walls.Luckily for Ezra, the guards had perished centuries ago and the only ones still perched atop the towers and battlements were the skeletons of the dead warriors.It was strange to find such a great city in a state of ruin. No one knew what had caused the first civilization to collapse. But some legends claimed the ancient city wasn’t destroyed from outside; but consumed by a terrible curse that corrupted it from within.As Ezra took his first steps inside the Black Lotus, he could feel eyes staring at him from the darkness. Even though the watch tower

“Activate scroll: Shadow Army!” Ezra exclaimed aloud, tossing the scroll high up in the air.It unfurled upon reaching its peak and disintegrated with a blinding flash, releasing the magic spell contained within.A hundred shadow clones descended from above and surrounded Ezra. They initially looked like dark silhouettes, but gradually transformed into clones, copying Ezra’s physical features to perfection and even replicating his clothes and weapons.The four Forest Guardians were confused by this sudden increase in their enemy’s numbers. It now became impossible for them to find the real Ezra since all the shadows resembled him perfectly.Unable to understand what was happening, the Forest Guardians started attacking the shadows at random. Their vines whipped through the crowd, targeting multiple clones at once. And as soon as they struck a shadow it disappeared. Ezra quickly realized that though these shadows resembled him in every aspect they could not replicate his movements or a

The Blood Orchid was the main residential zone of Galladrium where most of the city's population lived. It was spaciously organized with small cottages, towering basilicas, grand wooden taverns as well as small stone cottages with thatched roofs.As Ezra looked around, his eyes fell on the statues of the elven mages flanking the courtyard in front, and it confirmed Ardryll’s story.Even the mixed architecture consisting of brick houses with rectangular windows and towering skyscrapers with wooden canopies seemed to suggest that this city was indeed inhabited by a diverse population consisting of both elves and humans.Before taking his next step, Ezra opened his inventory and tapped on the Atlas of Altamir. A magical map appeared before him, highlighting the three rings inside Galladrium and pointing out all the places of interest within the city.The lake named ‘Loseth Arela’ was located on the other side of the Blood Orchid ring, just beyond the sacred elven shrine of the Forest Godd