Slowly but surely, the hours had ticked by one after another, and the day Ezra had been waiting for had finally arrived. He was tired of dabbling in politics and hiding in the shadows within the walls of this indolent city. And now that Tanya had entrusted him with such a great responsibility, he was ready to prove himself once again.Not even the bravest adventurer or the proudest Gunner would dare to set foot inside the ruined city since it was riddled with deadly traps and rumored to be haunted by evil spirits. But Ezra had grown so accustomed to looking death in the eye that he did not care about what lay within the crumbling walls of the ancient settlement.In Ezra’s mind, this was just going to be another treasure hunt, and if successful he would be able to return with lost items which could turn the tide of any battle and re-write the course of history.Only a few hours separated Ezra from his first solo expedition outside the walls of Magaravia. The last time he had left the c
The Wind Rider soared through the blanket of morose gray clouds, and the world below soon disappeared into a hazy blur. Ezra looked on to catch one last glimpse of the capital as it was swallowed by the morning fog.Flying over the walls of the great city, the airship picked up speed as Zala turned a knob to fuel its magic flames with crystal dust. Being so high above the clouds kept the airship out of harm’s way by preventing the guards and towers from detecting it. And its silent engine ensured that it was quieter than a bird in flight.With the wind on its back, the Wind Rider sailed the sky like a weightless ship, its bulbous frame drifting through the clouds and bobbing up and down as the pressure kept rising and falling with each little turn of the knob.As the Wind Rider soared over the barren peaks of the Marauder Mountains, Ezra caught a glimpse of the treacherous pass snaking across the rocky ridge. It was here the old kings of Valaria had held back the elves during the ear
Ezra narrowed his eyes on the Tower of Corruption as Zala turned the knob and dropped two sandbags to reduce the drag and take the airship higher.The tower erected on the ground roughly resembled an ancient watch tower with a wooden framework and black stakes jutting out of its sides to make it appear more formidable.A raised platform on top served as a shooting deck for the Skeletal Archers housed within, and a black gem glistened on its crown, hoisted by two severed human hands crossed at an angle.Each time the gem vibrated, it released a corrupting pulse that contaminated the surroundings, tainting the minds of living beings unfortunate enough to be caught within its sphere of influence.Ezra watched as the vultures circling above fell from the sky, struck by the corrupting pulse. But instead of staying dead, the birds underwent a terrifying change. Their bones burst out of their chests, and their beaks turned black and grew larger. Every feather on their body became coated with
The Vespid Swamps had always been notorious for their terrifying wildlife which included several kinds of deadly reptiles and amphibians. It was the reason why most people chose to avoid going anywhere near it.Glenn would have preferred to take the longer route and go around the swamp, but the two roads on each side were guarded by Towers of Corruption.Although the airship could fly above the clouds to avoid detection, the magic crystal powering it had expended most of its energy, and trying to boost its power and increase the altitude again would slow the airship down and prolong their journey.To shorten their travel time, Glenn and Zala had decided to take the quickest route by flying over the swamps. However, this treacherous path also brought them closer to the monster lurking in the depths of the tarry black bog.As the Wind Rider approached the Vespid Swamps, Ezra leaned over the railing and looked below. The wetland was festering with corruption, and every single tree was cho
A creature like the Ancient Garnock did not belong in the human world. It was a being tied to the abyssal realm, but the scourge spreading across the lands had destroyed the barrier between the planes, tearing open a dark rift that allowed the monstrosity to cross over to the other side.There were no books in Valaria that described the Garnock and no tales on the lips of the oldest adventurers that narrated an encounter with this abyssal being. Yet, Ezra found himself face-to-face with the monstrous abomination.With two of its tentacles holding onto the airship, it looked like the Garnock had its hands full, but as soon as it spotted Ezra flying away from the gondola, its other tentacles emerged from the slimy bog. Wriggling like gigantic worms, the tentacles prepared to catch another prey as the Garnock locked its eyes on Ezra.Thwip!The largest tentacles lashed out straight toward Ezra. But before it could jab him in the head, he blasted it with a hail of magic bullets. The Garno
Glenn lauded Ezra’s efforts as he returned to the airship while Zala looked on in disbelief. He was among the few dark mages who knew about the powers of the Ancient Garnock and the threat it posed to any magic user.“Not even the most powerful Elementalist could have survived that encounter. But you came out on top and even managed to kill the Garnock,” Zala spoke with a note of admiration in his voice. “I never believed Glenn when we told me about you, but now that I have witnessed your power with my own eyes, I cannot deny you are truly Ishani’s favored sword. Perhaps there is still hope left for humanity.”“I have to admit I have never seen a Gunner using such advanced skills in battle at such a young age. You are truly a prodigy, Lord Ezra,” Glenn added.Ezra brushed the praise aside and looked westward. “The Garnock was powerful, but it wasn’t too smart. I am more concerned about the three necromancers.”“You will need the help of Elementalists and sorcerers to deal with their da
No one knew how the ruined city came into existence or what had caused its destruction. But the people of Valaria regarded this desolate ruin as the cradle of human civilization.It was here the firstborns from the old world had gathered all their knowledge and resources to form the first city and lay the foundations of the ancient world.Over the years, several adventurers and mages had set their eyes on this ancient ruin. They came from all across Valaria, some seeking lost treasures and others searching for forbidden knowledge. However, most of the ambitious souls fell before the first wall, blown to smithereens by the magic cannons guarding the perimeter. And those clever ones who managed to breach the first ring fell prey to the numerous traps and curses protecting the city from intruders.Only the most unfortunate souls managed to breach the middle ring and meet the cruelest fate. Those who set foot inside the Blood Orchid ring were mercilessly slaughtered by the dark entities d
The Black Lotus was the first ring of the ruined city, designed to keep sneaky spies and intruders at bay. Being the city’s first line of defense, it was protected by twenty-nine watch towers and three barracks that housed the finest elite soldiers.According to old legends, even the elves and orcs had tried to invade the ancient city of the firstborns. But their armies were crushed by the elite warriors before they could breach the walls.Luckily for Ezra, the guards had perished centuries ago and the only ones still perched atop the towers and battlements were the skeletons of the dead warriors.It was strange to find such a great city in a state of ruin. No one knew what had caused the first civilization to collapse. But some legends claimed the ancient city wasn’t destroyed from outside; but consumed by a terrible curse that corrupted it from within.As Ezra took his first steps inside the Black Lotus, he could feel eyes staring at him from the darkness. Even though the watch tower