The die that Yarpin had rolled to set his murderous plan into motion was now coming back to haunt him, and all he could do was ball his fingers and curse his oversight. Ezra had outwitted him and given him a taste of his own medicine. Seeing his guest so eager to leave, Lord Sebastian stood up from the table to accompany him to the front door, but Ezra stopped him before he could take another step. “I’ll accompany our guest to his carriage. You can complete your meal, father,” Ezra said, urging Yarpin to follow him. Though Yarpin was a cultured man and was known for his refined courtesy, he forgot all about his manners as Ezra’s words kept ringing in his ear. Without even taking Lord Sebastian’s leave, he followed in his son’s footsteps like a frail shadow. As they reached the front door, the clouds gathered overhead burst at their seams, ushering in the first rains of the season. “You are playing a dangerous game, young Lord,” Yarpin spoke in a hushed voice. A crooked bolt of l

In an unknown location, three robed figures were standing in front of a statue, inside what seemed like a ruined shrine overgrown with thorny vines and moss. The man on the right was bald and stout with a missing ear and smoky gray eyes. His dusty black robes were in tatters, and he walked with the help of a crooked pinewood staff. The one on the left was a middle-aged woman with hazel brown eyes and dirty black hair which cascaded along her shoulders, reaching all the way to her waist. Though she had an innocent face, her eyes revealed the malice stirring within. Standing between them was an elderly man with matted brown locks and a lean face that bore a jagged scar on the left cheek. He was blind in the left eye and his skin was covered in scaly gray patches, which made it appear like he was suffering from some incurable disease. All of them were facing the same direction, their eyes glued to the statue in front. It was the statue of a robed deity with a cowl on his head. In his

There was a gradual shift in scenes as Ezra passed the last bakery on this side of town. The brick houses were gradually replaced by old, dilapidated huts and cottages made of wood and clay. This was the older part of town, which had been abandoned three decades ago when Soreta flooded its banks, causing tremendous destruction. The only ones who continued living here were the merfolk since they were amphibious creatures who could swim as efficiently as frogs and even breathe underwater. Most of the merfolk were fishermen and preferred to live close to freshwater rivers and lakes. However, the merfolk settled in Aranor had even dug up ponds within the walls to expand their territory. Ezra soon spotted the leafy shacks built by the merfolk around the two small ponds. Standing around the pond was a group of bipedal hybrids whose upper bodies were nearly fishlike and lower halves resembled the humans. Having rarely had the chance to see the merfolk from up close, Ezra stared at the cre

Competing with a merman in a fishing contest was the last thing Ezra wanted. He knew the merfolk had specialized eyes which helped them see many feet under the surface of water on a clear day, and their reflexes were also much faster than that of an average human’s. Ezra wanted to avoid any kind of confrontation with the fishermen’s guild, but fate seemed to have decreed otherwise. He had already tried his best to dissuade Oshaka, but the chieftain was as adamant as they came. Left with no choice, Ezra was eventually compelled to accept Oshaka’s terms and enter the fishing competition. “I current chieftain. I go first!” Oshaka declared before marching off. One of his followers quickly joined him with an hourglass containing gray sand. Oshaka turned around and raised his harpoon, and cried in a croaking voice, “Libak Wupuk Oshaka! Wuzuk Bluwub Oshaka!” As soon as the hourglass was flipped, Oshaka descended into the river. Raising his arms, he pulled his harpoon back and narrowe

The new firearm was ready now, but it was still in its basic form. Just like any other gun crafted by a level E Gunsmith, the Pepperbox revolver too had the potential to be imbued with an enchantment. And Ezra had already obtained the item required for enchanting the weapon. Selecting the weapon’s blueprint on his system panel, Ezra tapped on the enchantment option. A translucent yellow circle swung open, emitting a bright golden aura. It had an empty slot in the middle and was surrounded by three concentric rings. [Enchanting available.] [Please add a relic to enchant the weapon.] Ezra carefully reached out and gently inserted the pirate’s cursed monocle into the empty slot within the glowing disk. Almost immediately, the circle changed color, turning from dazzling yellow to tarry black. The three rings around it now displayed three different glyphs encircled by archaic letters. [Relic detected!] [Relic added: Pirate’s cursed monocle.] The ring of light suddenly started spinni