The crowd erupted with roars as Ezra and Sam stepped out of the backroom and entered the arena. Some cheered for Ezra while others took jibes at the young boy beside him.“The Red Devil is back!”“No one can stand in the devil’s way!”“Look at that fledgling. I bet the Red Devil is going to use him like cannon fodder!”“We want to see blood today!”“The Red Devil will crush his foes!”Hearing the cries of the spectators, Sam felt both nervous and excited at the same time. Although a few people were booing him, it still felt good to know they had finally noticed him.To make the event more exciting, the organizers had deliberately decided to raise the stakes for this duel. Instead of randomly selecting an opposing pair through a lucky draw, they had made their own selection.“Ladies and gentlemen, the Grand Dueling Tournament has witnessed a soaring success this year, all thanks to His Majesty’s incredible vision and the efforts of our organizers. I welcome you to the second round of th
The obstacles and traps deployed inside the arena transformed it into a killing zone. It was a simple yet effective way to force the participants to strategize and come up with smart ideas instead of shooting each other in the face from point blank.Neither Rasher nor Lamier had any clue where their opponents were, but this wasn’t the first time they were fighting together. Since they had taken part in several tournaments and hunting expeditions as a team, this challenge hardly bothered them.While Lamier was reckless and impulsive, Rasher was calm and collected. This added a critical balance to their team, preventing any rash judgments.On one side of the arena, Rasher discussed things with Lamier and devised a plan to set up an ambush.Meanwhile, on the other end of the maze, Ezra continued scanning their surroundings. His Dragon Eye skill helped him detect the hidden traps and scan the path for hostiles. However, Sam being a poor E-level rookie, did not have access to any enhanced
The clever use of the Spectral Wraith’s Dark Possession ability shifted the scales in favor of Lamier and Rasher. Ezra had not only lost his dueling partner but was now forced to retaliate against Sam to prevent an early disaster.“Sam, I know you are still there. Fight the wraith!” Ezra yelled.But Sam did not bother replying. Instead, he fired his submachine gun, peppering him with magic bullets.Ezra’s Reflexive Armor flickered as it deflected the bullets, but he chose not to attack the rookie. Fortifying the magic shield around him, Ezra tried to talk some sense into his partner.“Get a grip on yourself. We are on the same team!” He said, straining hard to keep his shield active as it continuously drained his magic power to deflect the bullets. “Damn it, Sam. You leave me with no choice!"After emptying the whole magazine in one go, Sam tossed the submachine gun away and pulled out his dual five-shot revolvers. “Die! Die! Die!”Another flurry of rapid shots lit up Ezra’s magic shie
Ezra tossed a couple of Frost Grenades to conjure an icy wall between him and his opponent. It bought him just enough time to sneak through the maze and find cover behind an L-shaped stone wall protected with sandbags.The crowd which had gone silent a second ago, now started cheering and shouting again. Many of them had shifted their loyalties over the course of the match and decided to support the two highborn Gunners instead of the masked devil.“Looks like the Red Devil was really an amateur!”“Yeah, Lord Rasher and Lord Lamier truly cut him to size.”“Loris should have chosen a better partner for the duel.”“It’s going to be over soon. What a bust!”Seated among the crowd, Kaelan was starting to get worried for his favorite customer. He had never thought things would turn out like this all of a sudden after such a good start.“Come on, Master Loris. You can’t let those snobs win. We have a reputation to maintain,” the elf muttered, praying for some miracle. But from the way things
Everyone gathered at the Arcadium was stunned by Ezra’s surprise victory. At one point, it looked like his opponents had him completely cornered. But despite being outnumbered and outgunned, he had managed to come out on top and prove all his critics wrong.“Loris Lagerlof and his teammate Sam Wilrug have qualified for the third round, where they will be taking part in a dungeon raid,” the announcer informed. “For winning this match, Loris and Sam will be rewarded five hundred Sovereigns each. Once again, congratulations to the Red Devil and his partner in crime!”Marquis Desmond looked furious as he stared at the masked Gunner who had just defeated his son. He wanted to order his guards to have Ezra arrested that very moment, but somehow controlled his temper.“You will never qualify for the final round, Loris Lagerlof,” he mumbled to himself. “And I will find out who you really are behind that mask.”Once the match officially ended, the Chief Court Mage, Servius, cast a spell to thaw
The rowdy supporters tried to push the guards aside and break through the barricades as they spotted Ezra coming out of the Arcadium. Ezra almost felt like royalty as the people shouted his name and begged for his attention.“All hail, the Red Devil! He is here to crush the nobles and make the Gunners stoop before him!”“We want to see you. Take off your mask, champion!”“Is it true that you are a highborn from an exiled family?”“Are you a necromancer in disguise?”“Please let us shake your hand. I beg for a strand of your hair!”“Who are you really? Are you even a human?”Never in his life had Ezra faced something like this. It was as if the people thought he was some kind of fallen warrior who had returned to exact his revenge.Ezra wanted to avoid the crowd, but one of the men elbowed a guard and broke through. He ran straight toward Ezra and reached for his mask. But before he could pull it off, Ezra pushed him back with a magic blast.“Keep your hands to yourself.”The leader of
“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