Once Ezra picked up the sniper rifle, a secret corridor opened on his left. As he walked down the narrow path, it led him to an arched stone gateway filled with bright blue smoke.“I must say you have surpassed my expectations!” Ardryll’s familiar voice lauded Ezra’s success. He turned around, hoping to meet the elf’s apparition again, but there was no one standing behind him.“I may not be beside you, but my eyes see everything,” the elf whispered from some unseen corner. “Step into the gateway, and it will lead you back to the main street. We call them Warp Gates. They cut down on traveling time and are immensely useful when you are carrying heavy weights. I promise you will get used to them in no time.”“Sounds awfully convenient,” Marlin mocked. It was clear from his tone that he wasn’t too eager to trust the elf’s words.Ardryll had already noticed the eye on Ezra’s hand but hadn’t been able to put his finger on things until now. Hearing another man’s voice cleared his confusion.

In just two hours Ezra had managed to infiltrate the ruined city and make his way into the heart of the Blood Orchid. But the real challenge lay on the other side.Not many would think about scouring the ruins of the Blood Orchid all alone, but Ezra had braved the dangers and used his wits to outsmart the challenges. And now that he had a mechanical sentry protecting him, it allowed him to ease his nerves.Navigating through the rubble which consisted of remnants of crumbling pillars and floating pavilions, Ezra made his way through the deserted streets and eventually reached a wooden suspension bridge that connected the residential zone to the hallowed ground where the city’s holy lake was located.Loseth Arela was an enchanted lake whose waters were rumored to have magical properties. The people of Valaria believed that taking a dip in this holy lake could heal the mind and cleanse one’s sins, helping them get rid of all vices.A thousand years ago it would have been a common chore t

The Vengeful Spirits crowded onto the shores of Loseth Arela like shadows from some lightless world. And as they closed in on Ezra, the sky overhead turned dark.Ezra and his sentry companion stood with their backs toward each other to eliminate any blind spots and keep the spirits in their sights at all times.“Threat detected! Preparing to eliminate hostiles...” The sentry flew up and launched a missile strike, targeting the shadows in the outer periphery of the ever-tightening ring.Schwoo! Boom!A cluster of explosions ripped through the plateau, leaving a massive crater in its wake. But the blasts did not kill a single spirit. The shadows remained completely unharmed.“Physical attacks do not work against spirits!” Ezra shouted to his sentry. “Only magic and holy spells can harm them!”Ezra equipped his Hodgson submachine gun and reloaded it with magic bullets. Stepping away from the advancing shadows, he fired upon them. The magic bullets punched holes into the shadows, causing

The White Rose was the innermost and smallest subdivision of Galladrium. Despite occupying a small area, it was so well-guarded that no soul had ever managed to breach it. Ezra had a tall task before him, but with his shooting skills maxed out, he felt confident about achieving the impossible.“It is already past noon. You might want to hurry things up if you wish to return to Magaravia before nightfall,” Marlin reminded.“It’s better to plan ahead instead of rushing things.” For the first time, Ezra sounded cautious. It was clear from his tone that he was worried about the obstacles that lay ahead.Since no one had ever breached the city's inner ring, no one in Valaria knew anything about its defenses. Ezra’s best option was to consult the Atlas of Altamir to get somewhat of an idea about the traps on the other side.Accessing his system panel, Ezra tapped on the map and zoomed on the inner ring. The White Rose was surrounded by two walls with a small gap between them. But the most p

The shadow of death loomed over the mausoleum as the Gravekeeper lurched ahead, its swollen joints creaking with every step. A disgusting yellow slime oozed out of the puss-filled warts on its grotesque face, and its dirty white teeth glinted in the dim sunlight filtering through the dusty gray clouds.Ezra grabbed the Bonecrusher with his right hand and conjured an elemental grenade in his left. Keeping his eyes fixed on the wobbly hunchback, he slowly backed away to put some distance between them.Meanwhile, the Solar Defender raised its lance high above its head and unleashed a grating war cry to warn the mummified corpses shambling across the chamber.As Ezra narrowed his eyes on the Gravekeeper, his passive skill automatically scanned the threat, analyzing its strengths and weaknesses.A bright red display flashed in front of his left eye, highlighting all the information on his enemy.[Dragon eye activated!][Target identified: Corrupted Gravekeeper.][Type: Corrupted undead gua