The festivities continued outside while the nobles from the four great families returned to their lodgings to rest for a while and change into traditional attire for the midnight celebrations.As soon as they returned home, Aurelia went up to Ramel’s room to check on his health. She knocked thrice and was about turn the knob when one of the maids opened the door, allowing her to step inside.Ramel was lying on his bed with nothing but a loose silk robe on his bare body. He was sweating profusely and an old man was applying a yellow herbal paste to his chest and frequently wiping Ramel’s forehead with a moist towel soaked in the icy cold water from the fountain of Erelor.“What happened at the shrine? Did you see any—”Aurelia stopped midway as the old man turned around and looked at her. It was none other than Arch Maester Zang Wu Ling.“What on earth are you doing here? Who called you?” Aurelia asked, fixing her questioning gaze upon his face.Zang Wu turned away while mumbling, “I a
Jasenki did not return to his lodgings but went straight to the merchant’s guild to meet with Yarpin Dale and request him to procure enchanted bullets and firearms from his secret supplies and contacts.Meanwhile, Lord Sebastian decided to spend the night beside his ailing elder son.This left Ezra and Aurelia alone to discuss the upcoming hunt and make the necessary arrangements for tomorrow.Aurelia was firmly against Ezra’s idea of fighting the griffin alone. And if it were in her hand, she would have never allowed him to embark on such a perilous quest. But, Ezra had already raised the stakes to challenge Jasenki and there was no way for him to back out of this mess.“I don’t know what you were thinking, brother, but hunting a griffin all alone is a terrible idea. Most E-level Gunners would crap their pants just at the sight of that thing,” Aurelia began in an anxious tone, but it quickly changed to inquisitive. “I still can’t believe you killed a Behemoth. Maybe I am worrying too
At half past two, Ezra fell asleep. But instead of being able to relax, his mind receded into a dark abyss. He found himself going back over a hundred years in the past.Ezra’s face grimaced in pain as he started shaking on his bed. He tried to get up but felt as if someone was holding him down. Despite his best efforts he could neither scream nor open his eyes.In his vision, Ezra was teleported two hundred years ago. It was 1450, and the place in front of his eyes was the great plain of Zaraya. Ezra found himself standing on top of a plateau and watching a bloody battle unfold between the humans and the elves. King Rudeus Gerlaine’s infantry forces were getting slaughtered by the elven archers.The armored swordsmen were dying like flies as the ranged elven formations standing on the other side of the battlefield were raining volley after volley of fire arrows upon them.Realizing that his infantry was no match for the elves, King Rudeus finally decided to send out his heavy cavalr
Ezra woke up covered in sweat, but his right hand had stopped aching now. Even though he heard the trumpet signaling the start of the hunt, he did not get out of bed. He was still thinking about the dream he had just seen and wondered if it was really just a dream or had something more to it.Holding up his right hand, Ezra addressed Marlin. “I had a dream last night. You were in it and there was a great battle going on between the elves and humans.”Hearing that, Marlin’s cursed eye reappeared followed by his mouth. “That was not just a dream, my Lord. It was a glimpse of my past life. King Rudeus Gerlaine was able to defeat the elves after a long and bloody battle, and it was all thanks to my inventions. I was his best Gunsmith.”“I saw those Gunners unleashing lightning strikes and meteorites upon the battlefield. And I am pretty sure not even the most elite Archmage can rival their power. Those enchanted bullets completely turned the tides of the battle,” Ezra said.Marlin smiled
Jasenki climbed to the top of the tree by using a rope ladder and then carefully positioned himself inside the gunner’s nest. From here, he had a clear view of his surroundings, and the pine cones and needles offered just enough shade to hide him from preying eyes.The two hunters hired by Lord Wilhelm climbed onto the two watchtowers and prepared their compound crossbows. Loading steel-tipped bolts into their weapons, they waited patiently for the griffin to show up.If Lord Wilhelm had tried to hire any member of the adventurer’s guild for such a task, they would have declined the offer without a second thought. It was because every adventurer worth his coin knew that hunting a Fork-tailed Griffin was a perilous task, and violating the rules of Ishani’s hunt could get them imprisoned or even exiled from town.However, these two hunters had agreed to do the dirty work since they were mercenaries from the distant city of Nilfaria. Hence, the common laws of Aranor would not apply to th
Seeing their prey standing there by his lonesome, the wolves slowly emerged from the bushes, baring their dirty white fangs at Ezra. These weren’t the common gray wolves one encountered on the road, but their larger brown-coated cousins. The pack consisted of two male leaders and comprised of twelve younger males.Ezra counted twelve in total and a few young females hiding inside the shrubbery. Without his Soul Drain ability, the odds were stacked against him, but he wasn’t bothered in the least because he was looking for a challenge, one that would help him test his skills with his weapons.As the growling wolves encircled Ezra, trapping him in the middle of their feral pack, he tossed his six-shot revolver in the air and spoke aloud, “Extended Hand: Stabilize!”The gun flicked around and became upright, before stabilizing mid-air. A runic circle of light appeared around it, keeping it at its center, and its barrel started glowing.“Why did you feel the need to do that?” Marlin aske
The wounded hunter clenched his teeth and pressed his lips as tightly as possible to muffle his pained cries. But Jasenki wasn’t ready to let him off the hook so easily. “I think you are pretty hard of hearing. Let me help with that!” Jasenki fired two shots which struck the ground, narrowly missing the hunter’s left ear. The hunter’s eyes widened as he trembled in fear. His heart was pounding inside his chest, but he tried his best not to cry for help because he knew his cries would attract a bigger monster than the armed noble standing before him. Frustrated by the man’s stubborness, Jasenki moved closer and stepped on his wounded knee. “We did not have to do this the hard way, but you left me no choice. I want you to squeal like a pig!” Jasenki kept applying pressure, crushing the man’s bleeding knee with his boot till he finally could not take it anymore and let out an anguished scream. “Arghh! My leg!” “Yes! Keep screaming for me, you filthy peasant!” Jasenki pressed his fo
Jasenki had managed to get a head start on Ezra by choosing to set off early and climb the steeper and more barren side of the mountain, but his advantage meant nothing now. The griffin had escaped with minor injuries while Jasenki lay unconscious with little hope of resuming the hunt anytime soon. Meanwhile, Ezra had taken a safer route cutting through the woods, and managed to avoid fighting the griffin. However, he was now approaching the griffin’s hunting territory. The long journey had brought Ezra out of the woods, and now he was ascending a winding trail littered with animal bones, tattered blood-soaked clothes, and rusty weapons. “It looks like our flying friend has been using this place to dispose of the leftovers after its lavish meals,” Marlin remarked as he scanned the path ahead with his cursed eye. Ezra’s horse started neighing and shaking its head as he continued ascending the trail. He tried to spur it forward, but the beast refused to move. Instead of trekking up
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