Marlin watched as the sentry flew away and disappeared amidst the clouds.“Do you really think that flying junk even understands what a gravity-disrupting relic looks like?” he asked in an incredulous tone. “What made you think that a dumb golem can accomplish such a task?”“It’s not a golem. That thing is a magic-powered robot,” Ezra replied. “I can bet you a thousand sovereigns that a mechanical sentry is a lot smarter than any other elemental constructs.”While Ezra and Marlin were debating about the merits and demerits of relying on machines, the sentry flew over the holy lake and sped up using its support thruster. When it reached the last wall protecting the inner ring, it had a clear view of the whole city. This elevated position allowed it to easily scan the ruins below and search for the relic Ezra had mentioned.Since the Solar Defender was the most advanced mechanical sentry ever built, it was equipped with an echo scanner that could analyze objects behind walls and ascerta
The Vengeful Spirits crowded onto the shores of Loseth Arela like shadows from some lightless world. And as they closed in on Ezra, the sky overhead turned dark.Ezra and his sentry companion stood with their backs toward each other to eliminate any blind spots and keep the spirits in their sights at all times.“Threat detected! Preparing to eliminate hostiles...” The sentry flew up and launched a missile strike, targeting the shadows in the outer periphery of the ever-tightening ring.Schwoo! Boom!A cluster of explosions ripped through the plateau, leaving a massive crater in its wake. But the blasts did not kill a single spirit. The shadows remained completely unharmed.“Physical attacks do not work against spirits!” Ezra shouted to his sentry. “Only magic and holy spells can harm them!”Ezra equipped his Hodgson submachine gun and reloaded it with magic bullets. Stepping away from the advancing shadows, he fired upon them. The magic bullets punched holes into the shadows, causing
The magical properties of the waters of Loseth Arela helped Ezra regain his strength and overcome all fears. As he walked out of the lake, the water droplets glimmered on his face like silver dust. Miraculously, his soaked clothes dried off in seconds as he walked away from the lake. Ezra felt his magic energy surging inside his veins and empowering his body. He felt much stronger than before and the wounds inflicted by the Vengeful Spirits had healed completely by now.“I already feel more powerful than ever. Now, let’s see how much has changed.” Ezra opened his system profile and swiped to access his skill selection menu. He was immediately surprised by what he saw. All his skills had been enhanced to their maximum levels and even his affinity had been increased.[Level up!][Magic talent level: C.][Maximum Magic Power: 1000%.][1. Magic Surge (level 5) (max) (active): This skill unleashes a magic blast that pushes larger enemies back, disorienting them for a brief period. Smalle
The White Rose was the innermost and smallest subdivision of Galladrium. Despite occupying a small area, it was so well-guarded that no soul had ever managed to breach it. Ezra had a tall task before him, but with his shooting skills maxed out, he felt confident about achieving the impossible.“It is already past noon. You might want to hurry things up if you wish to return to Magaravia before nightfall,” Marlin reminded.“It’s better to plan ahead instead of rushing things.” For the first time, Ezra sounded cautious. It was clear from his tone that he was worried about the obstacles that lay ahead.Since no one had ever breached the city's inner ring, no one in Valaria knew anything about its defenses. Ezra’s best option was to consult the Atlas of Altamir to get somewhat of an idea about the traps on the other side.Accessing his system panel, Ezra tapped on the map and zoomed on the inner ring. The White Rose was surrounded by two walls with a small gap between them. But the most p
The frustrated look on Ezra’s face relayed his feelings like a spotless mirror. Ardryll had once again dropped just a few breadcrumbs before deserting them.“I suppose we will need to make a short stop at the mausoleum before heading for the inner wall,” Marlin spoke in an affected tone. “It's clear now that you are never going to make it out of Galladrium before dark.”Ezra ignored his remark and opened his map to locate the mausoleum. He did not take long to find it since it was marked as a point of interest. The Mausoleum of Forgotten Souls lay on the western side of the Blood Orchid, surrounded by an orchard and a wide garden bordered by a simple brick wall.Ezra whistled to his sentry before beginning the long walk. With the Solar Defender watching his back, he cut through the ruined buildings to shorten his journey.A fifteen-minute walk through the old rubble and tangled mess of vines and withered creepers brought him to his destination.The Mausoleum of Lost Souls was the city
The shadow of death loomed over the mausoleum as the Gravekeeper lurched ahead, its swollen joints creaking with every step. A disgusting yellow slime oozed out of the puss-filled warts on its grotesque face, and its dirty white teeth glinted in the dim sunlight filtering through the dusty gray clouds.Ezra grabbed the Bonecrusher with his right hand and conjured an elemental grenade in his left. Keeping his eyes fixed on the wobbly hunchback, he slowly backed away to put some distance between them.Meanwhile, the Solar Defender raised its lance high above its head and unleashed a grating war cry to warn the mummified corpses shambling across the chamber.As Ezra narrowed his eyes on the Gravekeeper, his passive skill automatically scanned the threat, analyzing its strengths and weaknesses.A bright red display flashed in front of his left eye, highlighting all the information on his enemy.[Dragon eye activated!][Target identified: Corrupted Gravekeeper.][Type: Corrupted undead gua
The odds were stacked firmly against Ezra as the Gravekeeper continuously kept raising its minions from death.“You must have a weakness.” Ezra shifted his gaze away from the Gravekeeper and focused on the mummified corpses. But his Dragon Eye skill was blocked by a magic cocoon that prevented him from analyzing the corpses.“That elf knew about this, and he still led us into a death trap!” Marlin grumbled, his hatred against the elves boiling over.But Ezra knew cursing Ardryll would not change his situation. Although he was alone now, he still had his Spectral Companion to count upon.Without a second thought, Ezra summoned his Spectral White Wolf.It leaped forward and bared its glistening white fangs at the mummified corpses. As they shambled toward Ezra, the wolf let out a terrifying howl. But to Ezra’s great surprise, the corpses kept lumbering onward without showing any signs of fear.“I think these ones no longer have any feelings. They look like soul-less beings controlled by
The Gravekeeper’s shoulders pulsed with dark energy as it raised its scythe high above its head, holding it like a great battle axe. Despite having a deformed back, it possessed unimaginable strength, allowing it to pull the weapon back and bring it down with such power that it cleaved through the air and unleashed a blade of dark energy.Ezra crossed his arms in front of his chest to conjure his Reflexive Armor as the arcing blade of darkness cut across the room and rushed toward him. It struck the protective barrier encasing him, releasing a burst of energy that crackled and exploded, pushing him back and slamming him into the door behind.Even though Ezra sustained a few minor burns on his arms and his back was bruised from the impact, his shield had absorbed most of the dark energy, protecting him from certain death.[Magic Power completely drained!][Current Magic Power: 0%!]Ezra felt exhausted and weak. He had expended all his magic power to fortify his shield, and the result w