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
Cooled by the water blasts, the Flame Demon lost its ability to cast fireballs and other ranged elemental attacks. As its core temperature dropped, the magma flowing through its body hardened, causing it to become heavier and more sluggish than before.By nullifying its long-ranged fire attacks, Ezra had temporarily saved Avondale from going up in flames. However, the demon still posed a tremendous threat, even without its special abilities.The necromancers had bound the demon to Zepheroth’s staff, compelling it to obey their will, and their orders were clear: the Flame Demon’s goal was to cause as much destruction as possible and obliterate every living settlement standing in its way.Although Ezra and Count Gressil had attacked the Flame Demon, it chose to ignore them and continued walking toward the village.“Get the hell back!” Ezra pulled out his legendary sniper rifle and loaded it with a Doom Strike bullet. He aimed for its head and took his first shot.The bullet shot out of t
Ezra quickly flew up and fired a charged magic bullet at the Flame Demon, but the blue flash disappeared inside its flaming body, leaving it completely unscathed.Instead of going after Ezra, the Flame Demon turned around and set its blazing eyes on the village. As the villagers trembled in terror, the demon spread its claw-like fingers and conjured three fireballs at once.“Get away from the damn village, you damn bastard!” Count Gressil shouted and flew up. Switching to his Blunderbuss rifle, he fired a volley of Frost Bite rounds at the demon, but the icy globules melted in seconds as they flew toward the demon.Ignoring its attackers, the Flame Demon pointed at the village on the ground, causing all three fireballs to rain down from the sky like burning meteors.“The light is my shield!” Tanya’s voice rang out from below as she stood in the middle of the village, holding an ancient silver scepter with both hands.The fireballs screeched and exploded overhead, but instead of strikin
The villagers burst into tears as the Flame Demon’s body was blown to bits. They had mentally prepared themselves to meet a burning end, but Ezra and Tanya had swooped in like guardian angels and saved Avondale from destruction.Though much of the village had been charred by the flames and several shacks and cottages lay in ruins, the children were safe, and only a few men had sustained minor injuries. As Ezra landed on the ground and set foot inside the village, the village chief, an old man with a shabby gray beard, hobbled forward to greet him.“Who are you, kind stranger? Did His Majesty send you to save us?” the old chief asked before turning to Tanya. “You must be Ishani’s priestess…but you look far too young to be a part of her flock. Are you also from Magaravia?”It was clear from his words that the villagers had never heard of them before. Despite living so close to the capital, it seemed they were cut off from the rest of Valaria and had no clue about what was happening beyo