Confronted with his past, Ezra found himself conflicted. He had always wanted to hide his true identity and continue living like a Romanov. But Zala’s keen instincts had discerned Ezra’s dormant powers and seen right through his soul.“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Ezra sneered, turning away to avoid the conversation.But Zala wasn’t ready to let go. “I see the darkness clouding your mind. I can see it follow you like a living shadow,” he whispered ominously. “I know you can feel it too. Such a gift cannot be tossed away so easily. It connects you to the Lord of Decay.”Tanya’s expression gradually changed, her brow creased, and her eyes glimmered anxiously. “What is he talking about?”“I think my brother is unwell. As Zepheroth’s influence grows, so does Zala’s madness,” Glenn replied, trying to cover for his brother.But Zala chuckled in their faces. “I may be mad, but I am no liar. Lord Ezra was born of the same darkness that forged my chains. He is tied to the Lord of
Ezra had already shot his own brother outside the gates of the ruined city, but he found consolation in knowing that Ramel was no longer a Romanov and had sold his soul to the Lord of Decay. However, Zala was suggesting a different kind of killing. The dark mage spoke of sacrificing an innocent human still untouched by corruption. “The Lord of Decay demands sacrifice,” Zala whispered in his husky voice, inching closer to Ezra. “Only by spilling innocent blood can you awaken the dark powers slumbering within your veins.”“I am not a monster!” Ezra rebuked sharply. “I became a Gunner to protect the innocent, not sacrifice them to gain power. This is not who I am.”“He is right. By sacrificing an innocent human to Zepheroth, Ezra will commit a sin beyond redemption. And if he walks down that dark path, Ishani will never aid him again. The Goddess of Light cannot stand bloodshed,” Tanya replied, enforcing Ezra’s ideals.Even Glenn did not like what his brother was suggesting and tried to
Most new practitioners of dark magic needed to spend months worshipping Zepheroth and sacrifice several innocent lives to appease their lord. But since Ezra’s real father was a dark sorcerer, his blood already contained traces of dark magic. And all he needed was an initiation to awaken his dark talents.Now that Ezra had awakened his dormant talent, he could wield the power of darkness just like any other dark sorcerer or mage. However, having no knowledge of the forbidden arts, he still had plenty to learn about spell-casting and replenishing his dark energy.Zala, being the more experienced dark mage, readily offered his helping hand.Holding Ezra’s trembling right arm in his, Zala whispered in a husky voice, “Your blood has allowed you to learn the dark arts without rigorous training or worship. But you have managed to awaken the weakest form of dark magic by sacrificing your own blood.”“So I guess it won’t be enough to defeat the vampire. Is that what you’re trying to say?” Ezra
As the sun dipped below the horizon and the twilight faded into a starless night, Ezra took a teleportation scroll from Glenn and opened a portal straight to the grassy plains behind the royal palace.The Blackwater Lake lay abandoned on the other side of the shrubbery, shaded by aspens and figs. Although there were no Royal Guards patrolling the area, Ezra soon spotted a few enchanted treants roaming the heath.“I suspect it must be the work of the court mage,” Marlin whispered, staring at the giant oak trees walking across the field. “These mages and sorcerers are really clever tricksters. They know how to guard an area without even relying on men.”Ezra took a good look at his surroundings and decided it was too close to the palace to cause any commotion. He needed to keep things quiet and avoid drawing any attention.Instead of fighting the moving treants, Ezra rubbed Yolena’s enchanted ring and prayed to the Goddess. Moments later, he disappeared into thin air, turning completely
Opposed by the immovable stone, Ezra tried everything from full-fisted punches to heavy kicks. But the door neither creaked nor groaned, and only the sweat dripping from his forehead bore testament to his futile struggles.Things would have been a lot easier if Ezra had access to his Shadow Cannon or even his Power Fist. However, the situation was such that he could neither use his skills nor access his inventory to retrieve the weapons in his arsenal.When might failed, Ezra resorted to the power of the mind. Instead of trying to break the door, he tried to figure out a way to open it.“Someone must have sealed this door all those years ago, which means it's held together by magic,” he concluded, running his fingers across the inscriptions carved on its stony surface. Most of the archaic letters felt crooked and misshapen, their jagged curves and winding loops eroded by the sands of time.Ezra wondered if there was an ancient spell or incantation that could help him lift the magic spe
A putrid odor wafted through the damp air, making Ezra scrunch his nose. It was the pungent smell of urine mixed with rotting flesh. The monstrous hybrid was salivating at the thought of making a meal out of the puny human who had mistakenly bumbled into his territory without realizing the danger.“You are a right ugly bastard, aren’t you?” Ezra taunted, his eyes fixed on the hybrid while his fingers moved through the air to conjure a black orb. Soon, the orb transformed into a long spear with a pointy tip covered in spikes. It was the best weapon he could think of at the spur of the moment and drained only a fraction of his total dark energy.The hybrid spread its sinewy arms and lurched forward, an insatiable appetite flashing in its coral-red eyes. As far as Ezra could tell, the creature did not seem to possess any magic affinity. But he was still uncertain whether it had access to any special abilities.Ezra’s doubts were cleared in an instant as the hybrid lunged at him with it
Ezra breathed a sigh of relief and pulled himself off the floor. He could move his lower body now, but his legs remained shaky. It took Ezra a good few minutes to get his bearings straight and stand back up. The fight had left him exhausted and wounded.As Ezra slowly approached the pool of blood on the floor, he automatically absorbed the dark energy from the hybrid's decomposing corpse, and it miraculously healed his wounds and restored his strength.[Fledgling Varkin eliminated.][Dark Energy absorbed: 500.][Total Dark Energy available: 800.]Ezra was amazed by how little dark energy he had expended while conjuring the dark weapons. Even though he was a beginner, he had cast the Corrupted Conjuration spells thrice already and used three different weapons while fighting the Varkin.Yet, the energy spent was so little that he could continue switching weapons without a hassle. For a moment, Ezra wondered how strong he could become if he somehow managed to fuse this dark magic with h
The vampire’s eyes flashed like rubies in the dark as a cold wind swept through the entombment chamber, rattling the bones of the fallen. Ezra stood still with his eyes glued to the ancient bloodsucker, his warm finger on the cold trigger and his steady feet ready to engage in the dance of death.“I have lived for three hundred years, but never in all my life have I met a man foolish enough to face me all by himself,” the vampire chuckled, his fangs glistening in the pale light. “I am Elbanir Razavic, the last Elder Vampire to walk these lands, the one your people remember as the Red Death.”“I can’t say it rings any bells. All I know is that you have what I want; and I’ll need to kill you for it,” Ezra responded.Hearing Ezra’s bold claim, the vampire gawked at his audacity. “Do you really think a Gunner like you can match the powers of an Elder Vampire?” His voice boomed in the empty room as he stared fixedly at Ezra. “I am not just any Gunner,” Ezra retorted. “It’s nothing persona