“Master Lagerlof, is someone there with you?” a voice asked from outside before another round of loud knocks rapped the wooden door. “You know, participants are not allowed to bring their friends here. This establishment has been booked exclusively for the Gunners who are taking part in the tournament.”Ezra picked up the white paper and flipped it over. Scribbled on its smooth side were the following words:Meet me under the Blue Apricot tree in the Royal Garden tomorrow at sundown if you decide to reconsider.You are free to refuse, but the consequences will be severe.Ezra crumbled the paper into his fist and shoved it inside his pocket before picking up the scroll.[Lesser Teleportation Scroll added to inventory!]“Master Loris, please try to abide by the rules. The organizers will be fur—”Ezra hurriedly opened the door and glared at the caretaker standing outside. “Can I have two moments of privacy, please? Or is it too much to ask?”The caretaker looked into Ezra’s room and was
The following evening, Marquis Desmond’s motor wagon arrived at Verdant Gardens right as the sun was about to dip below the horizon. Marquis Desmond and his wife, Eliza Desmond alighted from the car accompanied by their son, Rasher Desmond.“Remember, what you were taught,” the chief knight advised his subordinates before sending them to receive the nobles.Two guards dressed in black robes and armed with silver-hilted katanas walked up to the Marquis and his family and bowed. “Welcome to the Maximus residence. Lord Nazarus and Lady Nixia are waiting for you inside,” the older guard greeted.Lady Eliza was left spellbound by the magnificent display of exotic lilies and carefully pruned bonsai bushes. It looked like she had been whisked away by a genie and teleported to another country.Verdant Gardens no longer looked like an abandoned garden overgrown with weeds and tall grass. It had been transformed into an Eastern paradise with brightly colored butterflies fluttering over sweet-sc
As Ezra locked eyes with the Marquis, his heartbeat quickened. Despite taking every precaution, Marquis Desmond’s keen gaze had discerned that one little slip. “What happened to your hand?” Marquis Desmond enquired, feigning concern. “That looks painful.”Before Tanya could see the blisters, Ezra pulled his left hand back. “It’s nothing. I just had an accident while experimenting with magic potions.”“I think you should always keep a healing tincture at hand while performing such dangerous experiments,” Marquis Desmond replied in a taut voice, never taking his eyes off Ezra’s hand. “If you wish, I can send my physician to treat you.”Tanya became concerned by the discussion and turned to Ezra. “What happened? Did you hurt yourself? Why didn’t you tell me?”Ezra realized he could not get out of this situation so easily, so he decided to surprise the Marquis with a bold move.Instead of hiding his hand, he put his left arm on the table and pulled his sleeve back. “I was trying to brew a
Later that evening, Count Gressil returned, and Ezra and Tanya joined him in the guest room upstairs. All the guards and attendants were instructed to wait outside, and Glenn was the only other person allowed to join them.Marquis Desmond’s plan had taken Ezra and Tanya by surprise. They knew it was nothing short of madness to ally with the Orcs even though they had offered to help against the undead.“You look perturbed,” Count Gressil began. “How did things go with Lord Desmond? Did you learn anything useful?”“He has gone utterly mad. Marquis Desmond and the Duke plan to enlist the help of the orcish tribes to fight the undead. In exchange, their war chiefs have demanded a steady supply of arms and rations, and when the war is over, Valaria will need to cede a part of its territory to them.”Count Gressil’s eyes widened in disbelief as he heard that preposterous idea. “Has that high-nosed prick finally lost his marbles?” he thundered, slamming the table. “How could anyone accept the
Everyone in the room realized the people of Avondale were in grave danger. And if things were not handled properly, Magaravia would be the next target.“What else did the scouts report? What kind of demon is it?” Count Gressil asked.The knight handed him a crumpled piece of paper with burn marks around its edges. In it, the scouts had hastily scribbled whatever they had seen.“The demon towers over the tallest windmills, and its fiery breath warms the air like a volcano. Scalding magma flows inside the cracks and crevasses on its hard, rocky body, and its eyes blaze like infernal pits. As it stomps across the road, the trees and bushes burst into flames, and the muddy puddles vaporize in seconds, leaving behind baked craters devoid of all life,” the Count's face darkened as he read those lines.“It is a Flame Demon,” Zala concluded from the description. “That is bad news for us all,” Glenn added. “Flame Demons are infernal beings whose core temperature is as high as the temperature i
The five Elite Knights riding alongside Count Gressil reached into their inventories and grabbed three different potions each. They first downed a Flame Resist potion, followed by a Rapid-Fire potion and a Far Sight potion.Count Gressil popped the cork of a Fortification Potion and drank it down in one gulp before taking a sip of the Agility Booster.Drinking so many potions in one go was always risky for Gunners since the after-effects often proved to be dangerous. But since they were about to face a demon, the Count deemed it necessary to take the added precautions.The Flame Demon had taken the elves by surprise and obliterated their camp without giving them any chance to flee. Some brave ones had tried to retaliate instead of trying to run away, but the demon had wiped them all out.“Remember, these demons are often accompanied by minions. So, whatever happens, we will be outnumbered!” Count Gressil cautioned his men before spurring his horse into motion. “Let’s show that demon wh
Count Gressil’s heart thundered inside his wheezing chest as he pushed his horse harder and harder. A fireball whooshed over his head, barely missing him by a few inches.The woods were burning around him and the Flame Demon had its eyes locked on its new target. All Count Gressil could do was keep his head down and spur his horse at full tilt.Although sluggish and cumbersome, the Flame Demon’s elemental attacks allowed it to easily take down fleeing targets. Thus, even when it was lumbering through the burning foliage like an oversized troll, its fireballs were shrieking past the Count, making him change directions ever so often to avoid being roasted alive.Following the snaking path threading through the woods, Count Gressil did his best to steer his horse through the bushes and shrubs to block the Flame Demon’s vision and throw it off target. It worked for a while, but the Flame Demon suddenly slammed its fists into the ground, unleashing a wave of flames that obliterated the lea
The guilt of not being able to save his people as Ignar was raided by the undead hung heavily on his drooping shoulders. It was as if he could feel those dying souls breathing down his neck, asking questions to which he had no answers.As another fireball took out the last watch tower, Count Gressil was shaken up from his dreadful nightmare. He could see the wooden gates of Avondale in the distance and the village seemed completely defenseless.King Reginald had ordered his patrolling guards to withdraw to the city and even the few sorcerers protecting the village had vanished after the attack on Cekunia. Only a makeshift militia watched over the village, protecting it from wild animals and bandits. But the threat marching toward the small settlement was far greater than a band of plundering barbarians.The Flame Demon continued its steady march up the road, occasionally stopping to destroy the windmills and abandoned cottages strewn across the plains.As the night grew darker, the mo