Outside Silver Springs, the Elite Guards were engaged in a losing battle against an endless horde of Corrupted Ghouls and Skeletal Warriors. Although the mechanical sentries were doing their best to fight off the cavalry units, they were slowly beginning to get swarmed.Meanwhile, Count Gressil had managed to shoot down the Undead Cavaliers and break through their defensive formation. However, the Elder Lich still had plenty of tricks up his sleeves.Spurring his horse forward, Count Gressil headed straight toward the Elder Lich, and as soon as he was within range, he unleashed a volley of Flameshot rounds from his nock gun. The ammunition scattered into nine flaming pellets, but before they could hit the Lich, they were stopped by a magic shield.The Elder Lich had cast the Dark Barrier spell to protect himself, and it had absorbed the impact from the bullets, rendering them harmless.“That won’t keep you safe forever,” Count Gressil muttered as he charged forward on horseback, his no
The town guards standing near the gate looked up at the sky and shuddered as the Undead Chimera flew over them, its massive gray wings casting a great shadow on the disorganized troops. Milton recalibrated the magic cannon and positioned it at an upward angle to target the Chimera. But just as he was about to fire, the hybrid flew up.Zwip!The magic beam missed its mark and disappeared amidst the smoky black clouds. Milton repositioned the cannon by changing the angle of elevation and fired again.Zwip!This time, the magic beam nicked the Chimera’s head, burning its manes and leaving a dark scar on the left side of its head. It growled and dived straight at the watchtower. Before Milton could adjust the settings and fire again, the undead hybrid clawed at the cannon and tore off its power tubes.As the cannon powered down, Milton’s face turned pale in horror. His heart thumped like a caged animal as he stared at the Chimera’s hungry eyes.Outside the town, Count Gressil’s Elite Guar
The Elder Lich had expended most of his magic energy by unleashing that last fireball. However, its dark powers and mastery over necromancy allowed it to continue summoning the undead at will.Count Gressil had hoped his powerful Spectral Companion would help him turn the tides of battle, but the Elder Lich had cast a banishing spell to dismiss the Archeopteryx. Without his Spectral Companion, the Count was at a severe disadvantage now since the Lich had taken the battle to the skies.Weaving his bony fingers through the air, the Elder Lich summoned a set of flaming blue skulls to orbit behind him. He had already broken through Count Gressil’s defenses once by unleashing a skull barrage and was looking to end the duel with another similar attack.Count Gressil empowered his Bulletproof Armor by overcharging his Magic Power with the help of a Magic Boost potion. But he knew his shield was still not powerful enough to block dark spells. “You are not entering Silver Springs as long as I
The death of the Elder Lich dealt the final blow to the undead forces, putting an end to the attack. The clouds gathered over Silver Springs disappeared and the evening sun brightened the clear blue sky with its gentle rays.As Ezra returned to Silver Springs, the governor bowed to him and expressed his heartfelt gratitude. “I still do not know who you are, but I am in your debt.”“I am just an ordinary Gunner, and it was my duty to help your people. After all, you were kind enough to allow us inside your family’s crypt,” Ezra replied.The governor slowly raised his head and smiled. “I am sorry, but I refuse to believe you are an ordinary Gunner. I am not a magic user myself, but I have never seen someone so young fighting with such mastery. Your skills can easily put even the most powerful Elementalists to shame. And I am sure even His Excellency would acknowledge you as an equal.”“That I would.” Count Gressil’s voice rang out from behind. He was accompanied by Tanya and Milton.Tany
A three-hour car ride brought Ezra and his companions back to Magaravia. Despite the challenges, their outing had been fruitful. The Atlas of Altamir was now in Tanya’s possession, and Ezra had managed to acquire two futuristic weapons.Once they returned to their mansion in Verdant Gardens, the Count ordered his men to set out for Silver Springs the following morning to fetch the remains of his fallen Elite Guards. Although they deserved to have their last rites performed in Ignar under the watchful gaze of their family members, he knew it was impossible now since the city had been conquered by a necromancer. All he could do now was give them a proper burial close to the mansion.While Count Gressil was busy conversing with his guards, Tanya summoned two priestesses from the shrine of Ishani in Bolter Street. Since Tanya was still in two minds about trusting the people of Magaravia she chose not to reveal anything about the map. Instead, she requested the priestesses to accompany h
The next day, Tanya returned from Ishani’s shrine at the break of dawn and immediately sent for Ezra and her father.Count Gressil and Ezra met up in the guest room on the third floor of the mansion, where Tanya was waiting along with Count Gressil’s two most trusted Elite Guards.“The map has revealed its secrets, and you won’t believe how expansive and detailed it is,” Tanya said, motioning the guards to leave.As the Elite Guards stepped outside the room, Tanya unfurled the Atlas of Altamir on the table, revealing a detailed map of the Ruined City of the Ancients. It covered everything, starting from the roads leading to the city to the traps and treasures hidden inside.Forever a treasure-seeker, the thought of setting off on a treasure-hunting expedition excited Ezra. Even in his past life, he had always been fond of reading about lost artifacts and venturing into abandoned shops and run-down buildings to seek items of value.Although his misadventures had often landed him in trou
Right from the moment Ezra had first laid his eyes upon Tanya, he was smitten with her beauty. And it wasn’t just because she had a pretty face. She was the kindest and most caring girl he had ever met but was also brave and headstrong like her father.The only hurdle that stood between them was Tanya’s vow of celibacy since she had promised herself to Ishani. However, things were looking different now, or at least that was how Ezra perceived it.“The royal ball will be a good place to meet new people and learn more about the families who hold influence over the royal court,” Tanya spoke after a long spell of awkward silence.Ezra got his head out of the clouds and nodded. He realized that Tanya was trying to use the invitation to the royal ball as an excuse to get close to the king’s court and hopefully gather some allies. “I hope you do not mind going with a priestess-to-be,” Tanya chipped in, distracting Ezra from his thoughts.Although Ezra felt a little dejected after hearing Tan
Ezra broke off into a sprint and ran after the thief, his eyes following the frail figure of the kid as it disappeared into a shadowy alley.“Get back here, you damn thief!” Ezra shouted as he brushed past the pedestrians, nearly throwing a couple to the ground and causing two bikes to crash into the street lamps.The commotion soon created a blockage on the road, but Ezra had already crossed and was standing at the entrance of the alley. He had watched the kid dip inside, and there did not seem to be any other way out since it led to a blind end on the other side.Clenching his fist, Ezra stepped into the darkness and entered the alley. Almost immediately, a foul stench hit his nostrils. It was dark and damp inside the narrow space, and sunlight only illuminated the area in little patches where there were cracks in the banisters of the adjoining buildings.Only Ezra’s hurried footsteps echoed in the darkness, occasionally interspersed by the squeaking of mice and the soft tapping of