Ezra had accepted a challenging task by volunteering to negotiate with the merfolk. His uncle had already failed to impress them, and one more wrong move from him was sure to put the Romanovs on their bad side. Unlike the dwarves, who always had close ties to the Romanovs and trusted Aurelia and Lord Sebastian, the merfolk had only settled in Aranor quite recently. While they were gradually adapting to the idea of living with humans, there were still many obstacles in their way. Before Ezra could even begin to negotiate with the merfolk, he had to get acquainted with their habits, traditions, and beliefs to avoid insulting their culture. This, however, was a lot easier said than done because only a handful of people in Aranor had close ties with the merfolk since most citizens preferred to stay away from these fishy hybrids. Ezra spent the whole morning searching his father’s private library for books on merfolk. And after a great deal of looking, he managed to find two books belo
There was a gradual shift in scenes as Ezra passed the last bakery on this side of town. The brick houses were gradually replaced by old, dilapidated huts and cottages made of wood and clay. This was the older part of town, which had been abandoned three decades ago when Soreta flooded its banks, causing tremendous destruction. The only ones who continued living here were the merfolk since they were amphibious creatures who could swim as efficiently as frogs and even breathe underwater. Most of the merfolk were fishermen and preferred to live close to freshwater rivers and lakes. However, the merfolk settled in Aranor had even dug up ponds within the walls to expand their territory. Ezra soon spotted the leafy shacks built by the merfolk around the two small ponds. Standing around the pond was a group of bipedal hybrids whose upper bodies were nearly fishlike and lower halves resembled the humans. Having rarely had the chance to see the merfolk from up close, Ezra stared at the cre
Ezra had seen his father fishing in Lake Onorio, but fishing in an open river was a lot more challenging. The water currents were strong, and the fish were quite agile and lively. As Glup led Ezra to his favorite fishing spot, the other merfolk watched with keen interest. It wasn’t normal for humans to catch fish alongside them, and most preferred to stay away due to their strange appearances and habits. Ezra knew he could not step out of line as his uncle had already made a mess of things, so he followed Glup quietly and listened to every word that came out of his mouth with extreme patience. “Fish clever and quick. But merfolk more clever and patient. To catch fish, you use lure and wait and wait more. When ripple on water, fish close. When crow feather move, fish trapped. You pull and pull. Bring fish out of water. Simple catch,” Glup explained, using his limited vocabulary. Though the instructions were simplistic and rudimentary, it was enough for Ezra to get started. He watc
Competing with a merman in a fishing contest was the last thing Ezra wanted. He knew the merfolk had specialized eyes which helped them see many feet under the surface of water on a clear day, and their reflexes were also much faster than that of an average human’s. Ezra wanted to avoid any kind of confrontation with the fishermen’s guild, but fate seemed to have decreed otherwise. He had already tried his best to dissuade Oshaka, but the chieftain was as adamant as they came. Left with no choice, Ezra was eventually compelled to accept Oshaka’s terms and enter the fishing competition. “I current chieftain. I go first!” Oshaka declared before marching off. One of his followers quickly joined him with an hourglass containing gray sand. Oshaka turned around and raised his harpoon, and cried in a croaking voice, “Libak Wupuk Oshaka! Wuzuk Bluwub Oshaka!” As soon as the hourglass was flipped, Oshaka descended into the river. Raising his arms, he pulled his harpoon back and narrowe
Ezra wanted to ask Marlin about the monocle and learn more about cursed relics, but since he was surrounded by merfolk, he decided to keep his queries to himself for now. Impressed by Ezra’s humility and compassion, Oshaka invited Ezra to join him for a feast, but he politely declined the offer. Handing his father’s letter to the chieftain, he relayed the message and took his leave after receiving a positive reply. “That was expertly handled. You not only managed to win the merfolk to your side but also obtained a cursed relic,” Marlin whispered as Ezra walked away from the merfolk settlement. It was rare for the Gunsmith to praise Ezra, and he relished the opportunity. But instead of getting carried away, he retained his focus. “I still need to acquire the basic crafting components,” Ezra replied, analyzing his enchanted six-shooter. Marlin’s mouth and eye disappeared once more as Ezra reached the bustling market. The local firearms merchant had a small stock consisting of simpl
The new firearm was ready now, but it was still in its basic form. Just like any other gun crafted by a level E Gunsmith, the Pepperbox revolver too had the potential to be imbued with an enchantment. And Ezra had already obtained the item required for enchanting the weapon. Selecting the weapon’s blueprint on his system panel, Ezra tapped on the enchantment option. A translucent yellow circle swung open, emitting a bright golden aura. It had an empty slot in the middle and was surrounded by three concentric rings. [Enchanting available.] [Please add a relic to enchant the weapon.] Ezra carefully reached out and gently inserted the pirate’s cursed monocle into the empty slot within the glowing disk. Almost immediately, the circle changed color, turning from dazzling yellow to tarry black. The three rings around it now displayed three different glyphs encircled by archaic letters. [Relic detected!] [Relic added: Pirate’s cursed monocle.] The ring of light suddenly started spinni
Ezra could not believe what he was hearing. Soul gems were extremely rare gemstones that were often used by sorcerers and mages to trap Greater Souls from their fallen enemies. And a single Greater Soul was as valuable as five hundred Lesser Souls. If Ezra could get his hands on the Soul Gem, he could feed the trapped souls to his Spirit Companion and increase its level even further. However, one thing still confused Ezra. Goblins weren’t known to possess any magic, so it could only mean that they had either raided a mage’s quarters or some unfortunate magic caster had wandered into their midst by mistake. If it was Aurelia, Ezra would have trusted her blindly, but since it was Ramel asking him to join him for an adventuring quest, he felt hesitant to agree. Ramel too noticed the uncertainty in Ezra’s eyes, and he quickly changed his tone. “Come on, now. You know how difficult it is to get an apology out of me, but I’m trying really hard to make amends and become a better person,
As Ezra disappeared inside the smoke, the arch started vibrating and emitting a faint green light, indicating the dungeon had been invaded and was now off-limits for other adventurers. On the other side, Ezra found himself inside an old cave formation with damp, mossy walls and overhanging ledges which led to higher levels. Unlike the wolf dens and bear caves, this dungeon did not offer a straight path to the other side. The narrow tunnels and sloping trails created a complex network of paths, some leading to the center of the cave and others misguiding invaders to dead ends and chokepoints. It was dark inside the cave, but Ezra could faintly make out his surroundings from the light cast by the distant bonfires. Although Ezra hadn’t seen any goblins yet, the unmistakable stench of rotten eggs and fish made it amply clear who the denizens of this dark hollow were. “Clearly the goblins are not too conscious about personal hygiene or sanitation,” Marlin whispered as the cursed eye
Sir Galahar and Servius had been preparing for this day ever since they heard about the Flame Demon sighting outside Avondale. The city’s guard towers had been repaired, and the walls fortified with magic. But the threat marching toward the capital was much larger than they had anticipated.What made things worse was the appearance of the Eye of Doom over the city, which caused widespread panic among the masses. People scurried out of the Arcadium like insects, and those out on the streets rushed homeward to seek shelter within the safety of their houses.Ten squads of City Guards were immediately dispatched to man the walls, and the sirens were sounded from the garrison, spurring the snipers into action.The Mech Defenders were ordered to clear the streets and reinforce the gates while the adventurers were tasked with protecting the guild houses.Servius surveyed the undead army through the magic windows and quickly understood their strategy.“This is not a skirmish. They are going
Shocked gasps escaped from the people in the crowd as Ezra revealed who he actually was. The news of the brutal massacre in Aranor had made its way to the capital many weeks ago, and it was common knowledge that the Romanov family had been wiped out.But seeing Ezra standing there as the living proof of his bloodline subverted all past notions.This white-haired boy had once been hailed as a prodigy across Valaria, but his name had quickly faded from their memory after his tragic accident. But it seemed fate still had one last die to throw, and with the final toss, it had restored his fortunes.The only ones in the Arcadium who knew about the masked devil’s identity beforehand were Tanya and her father. Ezra had revealed his secret to them just last night, but it was a complete shocker for everyone else.Even Queen Guinevere and Princess Aleena had been completely clueless about Ezra’s identity up until now, and this unexpected revelation left him speechless.“So…the dragon still lives
The Duke’s shocking confession turned the whole narrative on its head, spreading further panic among the crowd. Not even Ezra had suspected him to be allied with the necromancers.“Is this another trick of yours?” Tanya questioned, still struggling to make sense of the whole situation. It seemed absurd that a high and mighty noble like Duke Carrington would willingly worship Zepheroth and kneel before the necromancers.But the Duke was quick to clear her confusion. “There is no trick in what I say. I do not worship any Gods, but I understand Zepheroth’s powers cannot be matched by mere mortals. We must kneel before him if we are to survive his reign,” he replied.“So you lied to all of us?” Marquis Desmond’s voice boomed from the distance as he marched into the arena, ready to confront the Duke. “We thought you wanted to protect the king and help the people of Magaravia fight this darkness.”“Fight? How can anyone fight a God?” Duke Carrington retorted in a mocking tone. “Are you even
The spectators who had once eagerly supported Ezra now seemed to regard him as the greatest enemy of the kingdom. The sudden change in their behavior shocked him.“How did they believe him so easily?” Ezra asked, unable to believe what had just happened. “Something is not right.”While it was common for the gullible commoners to be duped by the cunning words of the influential nobles, the change seemed to be too drastic this time. The same crowd that had been cheering for Ezra had suddenly changed sides, almost on a whim, and even the other nobles seemed to be siding with the Duke.Marlin was also surprised by this twist. It was as if Duke Carrington had bought their allegiance with a snap of his fingers.Queen Guinevere stood up to reason with the spectators. “Listen to me, good people of Magaravia. Your beloved Duke is lying to you. King Reginald never intended to sell you to the Lord of Decay. While I agree he may not be the bravest, he is certainly not a traitor.”The Queen though
The Spectral Phoenix let out a piercing shriek that carried its voice across the city, dispersing the gray clouds and illuminating the sky with a brilliant golden radiance.Ezra channeled his magic energy outward and boosted his flying speed, breaking away from the phoenix as it surged toward him.“I have never seen a Spectral Phoenix before. These spirits are primal manifestations of the fire element and are regarded as the most challenging ones to tame. Their flames are undying, and if you get touched by its feathers, it will burn you to ash in the blink of an eye,” Marlin cautioned.Ezra continued flying backward, keeping the phoenix in his sights. But he was so focused on the spectral bird that he forgot all about its owner.Duke Carrington took advantage of this distraction and replenished his magic power with a couple of Superior Magic Restoration Potions before warming himself with the phoenix’s Thermal Radiance ability.Finally free from the numbing effects of the frost, Duke C
Duke Carrington fired a round into the sky to celebrate his victory and turned to the crowd expecting a thunderous applause. But instead of being greeted with cheers and shouts of joy, he was met with a stern silence.“What’s wrong with you all? Are you not happy I vanquished that rookie and offered you a glimpse of my true powers?” he yelled at the top of his voice, staring at the mute spectators. “I am the Champion of Valaria, and I promise Magaravia will be safe in my care.”“So, what are we celebrating?” A voice questioned from behind, wiping the smile from Duke Carrington’s face.“Over there!”“He is alive!”The crowd went berserk with shouts and howls as they spied their favorite Gunner flying near the clouds, holding a sniper in his hand.Duke Carrington clenched his fist, digging his nails into his palms, and turned around to face his opponent.“How did you survive that?” He muttered, trying his best to restrain his rage.“I have been stabbed in the back plenty of times before
Duke Carrington’s eyes widened as he heard the accusation. He could already tell his plans had been leaked, but he could not understand how a stranger could know about his ambitions.“Who are you?” he demanded, staring daggers at Ezra. “The dragon of Aranor,” Ezra replied, staring right back.Before either could speak again, a set of stone slabs and pillars shot up from the ground, redecorating the arena with obstacles and separating the two contestants.The crowd erupted with wild cheers as the brass bell was hammered in the commentary tower, declaring the start of the round.“I don’t care who you are, but that mask is coming off today!” Duke Carrington shouted with full-throated fury, unleashing a devastating volley of Disintegration Rounds from his Rapid-Firing Six-shooter.Ezra ran across the arena, moving from cover to cover as the stone slabs in front of him were punched full of holes. “There is no point running from me. You can’t survive!”Duke Carrington reloaded his second g
The next day, Ezra put on his new attire: a fiery red coat with golden yellow stripes and two split tails. His old demonic mask was replaced with a new one sporting two large black horns and blazing red eyes. To complete the look, Ezra added a black bowtie over a clean white shirt and a pair of red trousers trimmed at the bottom, hanging taut over his jet-black boots.Although Ezra hadn’t cared much about his appearance during the other rounds, this time, he combed his hair back, put on a pair of spotless white gloves, and pinned the dragon brooch to his pocket.Holstering his single-shot flintlock on his right hip, Ezra walked up to the mirror and gazed at his reflection.Ezra still remembered staring at his trembling hands in the mirror in the Romanov Mansion. He was treated like a cripple back then and could not even shoot a target lying straight in front of him. But a lot had changed since then.Magaravia knew Ezra as the Red Devil: a formidable sharpshooter who had defeated the b
Back at the Blackwell Mansion, Ezra was busy at his workbench, trying to craft a new kind of enchanted ammunition for his sniper rifle.So far, Ezra had experimented with all the common metal ingots and alloys and even tried infusing magic crystal shards and dragon scales into them, but to no avail.Each time Ezra tried to craft a new enchanted bullet for his weapon, he would end up with something so brittle and volatile that it would disintegrate as soon as he loaded it into the sniper rifle.“The Celestial Avenger is a Legendary weapon. You cannot load such low-quality ammunition in it and expect it to work just fine,” Marlin barked once more, grinding his teeth in frustration. “I already told you that you need rare metals to craft your round. Try titanium or refined zirconium.”Ezra loaded another newly crafted round into his weapon and watched it explode with a loud bang before finally relenting.“Damn it! I don’t have any rare metals at hand!”“Then perhaps you can ask your careta