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
Ezra’s heart raced inside his chest as he realized the grave implications of being apprehended in this situation. If the guards found him standing there with four dead thugs around him, they would get the wrong impression and identify him as the criminal responsible for the killings.“I need to get out of here!”As Ezra tried to look for a way out, the sound of footsteps splashing on the water reached his ears. The guards were coming in hot, and they were soon going to block off his only exit. Without wasting another second, Ezra pulled out an elemental grenade and tossed it into the dark alleyway. It exploded with a white flash, releasing an icy blast that froze the water on the ground, causing the guards to slip on the ice and come crashing down.“God damn it!”“How the hell did this happen?”“Captain…I think we are dealing with a spellcaster!”“Or maybe a Gunner.”Before the guards could break the ice and clamber back on their feet, Ezra jumped on top of a dumpster and used his ma
The only scrolls Ezra had used in his life were low-level summoning scrolls and teleportation scrolls. But the scrolls decorating the shelves inside the glass cabinets were far superior to the ones he was used to seeing.“What kind of scrolls are these?” Ezra asked as he stared at the rolled parchments wrapped in golden and silver threads with different types of bows securing them in place.“These are not your ordinary scrolls, dear boy. The scrolls you see here are Legendary Scrolls! They were crafted by some of the most powerful mages and sorcerers on this continent and are more valuable than enchanted weapons,” Madam Moonfrey replied and slowly made her way to the cabinet in front. Unlatching its glass door, she let Ezra have a good look at the treasures on offer. “Choose any five scrolls of your liking, and we will call it a day.”“That sounds like a poor deal. I am selling ten different crafting components that can only be obtained by killing the undead. And don’t forget there ar
Ezra’s duel was going to be the last one in the opening round. And even though he had qualified for the next round by securing a victory in his first match, he wanted to keep the winning streak going.The crowd gathered in the Arcadium cheered for the rival Gunner as she entered the arena. She was hardly a few years older than Ezra, but her mischievous grin showed that she was confident of securing a victory.King Reginald and his Chief Gunner were watching the match unfold from the stands, but the Chief Court Mage was nowhere to be seen. The crowd, however, had suddenly become a lot more interesting. The proprietor of Silver Threads, Kaelan Agnerius, was sitting beside the owner of the largest apothecary in the city, and in the stands behind them were a group of veteran adventurers.Among the other notable personalities were Captain Legrand, the Captain of the Imperial guards, and a group of wine and textile merchants. Seeing such affluent people among the spectators, Ezra realized
Round two of the Grand Dueling Tournament was set to kick off a week later to give all participating Gunners a chance to take a quick breather and hone their skills. Additionally, this long break would also allow the Gunners to choose a partner for the next round since it was going to be fought in pairs.For now, Ezra had no partners in mind since he barely knew the other participants. In order to keep his identity a secret, he had avoided lingering in the Arcadium for too long, and this distanced him from all the other Gunners.However, after today’s flawless victory against Felicia, the other participants had finally taken note of him, and some were even eager to get acquainted with him and learn a trick or two.Although the veterans considered it below them to mingle with a newcomer who had just qualified for the second round, the other participants were excited to meet the masked stranger who had taken the tournament by storm, upsetting all calculations.As Ezra entered the specia