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
Dodging the attack was impossible since Ezra had his legs stuck inside the magical puddles of blood. But he could still move his arms and waist.Elbanir lifted his blood-spear high above his head and hurled it with all his strength. It sliced through the air like a blinding arrow and struck Ezra.“Die, you lowly human!” The Elder Vampire exclaimed, reveling in his might.But the celebrations were quickly cut short as he saw the spear stuck inside a tangled mass of slimy black filaments that covered Ezra’s whole body from head to toe.“I guess you weren’t expecting that. What can I say? I am full of surprises,” Ezra retorted, chuckling inwardly. He had cast the Tainted Tendrils spell at the very last moment to encase himself in dark tendrils and form an exoskeleton to absorb the blow.Elbanir’s blood spear only managed to pierce Ezra’s dark armor, leaving him completely unscathed. Ezra bolstered his strength by concentrating the dark energy into his core and eventually managed to step
The catacombs turned silent again as the vampire’s cold, lifeless body slumped to the floor. Ezra had struck the fatal blow by driving the stake through Elbanir’s heart. Though most Elder Vampires were invulnerable to ordinary weapons and could heal their wounds with just a thought, Elbanir had made the fatal mistake of biting the wrong prey. Ezra's dark blood was seething with corruption, so instead of quenching Elbanir’s thirst, it had poisoned him.This foolish mistake had weakened Elbanir and diminished his powers, rendering him weak and vulnerable. Ultimately, Ezra’s dark spells proved to be too much for the Elder Vampire to handle.Having killed the vampire, Ezra pulled out the dark stake from his chest and tossed it away. Using the power of dark magic, he shaped his fingers into claws and dug into the vampire’s corpse. Reaching deep into Elbanir’s chest, he grabbed his still-beating heart and ripped it out in one go.The crimson sack of muscles throbbed inside Ezra’s palm, its
It was an hour past midnight, and the waning moon had disappeared behind a veil of soft white clouds, plunging the land in darkness. Only the stars twinkled upon the celestial velvet, saving the night from blindness.Ezra swam across the lake, keeping his head below the surface until he reached the shore. The treants had dispersed by now, and the only ones keeping watch were the Wood Nymphs flitting across the treetops and swinging on the prickly vines.Since the Royal Guards had strict orders to stay within the borders of the palace, Servius had used his magic to secure the area adjoining the Blackwater Lake. However, Ezra was nimble on his feet and knew the lay of the land well enough to move between the shadows without setting off any alarms. Emerging from the lake, Ezra used the trees for cover and ducked behind the bushes and shrubbery whenever there was movement nearby. The shadows of the moonless night aided his journey, helping him avoid detection.Beyond the grassy wastelan
Tanya quickly set to work, measuring the ingredients and preparing the cauldrons and beakers for the task ahead. Brewing a rare potion like the Crimson Purge involved several steps and required both precision and patience. One little mistake could spoil the brew and produce something completely different.To enhance the potion’s potency and maintain its purity it was extremely important to follow the steps in a perfect sequence and ensure every measurement was as accurate as possible.Ezra stood watch near the window while Zala guarded the door and Glenn arranged the equipment. Tanya had learned the art of brewing potions from her mother, but she was yet to master the techniques. What made her task even more difficult was the complexity of the brewing process.She started with the condensed sap of the Elder Elm and slowly added it to a beaker of boiling water to distill its essence and dilute its toxins. Once the water turned milky white, she transferred the mixture to an earthen bo