DAWN was approaching, and Jie shivered in the sudden gush of cold wind. There was a blackout in his mind again that he could not recall after chanting the Mizuagua Conjuration for the second time. He was perplexed as to why this was always happening to him.“Oh, please. Not now.” Jie blinked hard when his eyes slowly became blurred. He fought hard not to lose consciousness.Ryker ordered his men to disperse after ensuring all the survivors were retrieved.Liv was still silent, trying not to shed tears again. Magistrate Golvig was always beside her and always motivating her, even though the old man also needed urgent medical care.“Magistrate, the burn marks on your face must have hurt a lot,” Damien said. He used his earth magic to produce an herb and carefully rubbed it on the magistrate’s burned cheek. “This is just first aid. You’ll need a skilled healer since this wound might be infected if left untreated.”“This is nothing compared to the lives we lost here.” Golvig gazed down.W
RYKER was in the dining hall of the mansion in Vaughn Estate when Lucius came. “My lord, as expected, they’re here again.” Ryker wiped his mouth with a white table napkin. He was still trying to breathe normally since they had just arrived from Aolien. He predicted that Semme would do this again since they had an encounter during the Death Horde. He smirked because it was a near miss. Before he could even reply to Lucius, a familiar red-haired soldier barged in along with Commander Semme. Semme seemed shocked to see him there. “Didn’t I warn you last time? It’s so early, Commander. What is it again?” Ryker sounded irritated. “Where have you been last night?” Semme interrogated him. Ryker chuckled. “Are you my wife, Commander? Shall I update you on my daily activities? Of course, I’ve attended the Empress’ banquet at the rear palace.” The red-haired soldier whispered to the commander. “We have seen him at the banquet.” Commander Semme’s jaw hardened. “Soon you’ll regre
KAFLE had been listening in silence to the conversation among the three. He’d take advantage of the chance that they were here at Rigin Port.“May I suggest that we go to Amaris Island? That way, we’ll be closer to Hanum as we travel by sea,” Kafle said as he stood up. He had been thinking about this while they were still crossing the Gherja Mountains.The three looked at him with their questioning faces. They must be flustered since he asked it all of a sudden.“Will you risk it, Kafle? You and Izora are traveling alone to Amaris unguarded?" Damien expressed a little disapproval.Kafle nodded his head. “I’ve weighed the situations and ended up with this decision. There are a lot of factors to consider.” He paused for a moment, then he added, “I don’t mean to be rude, but what if you guys were stuck in the time loop in the Litus Forest? My daughter’s future will be bleak. I don’t want her to spend eternity in that dreadful place.”“Point taken. Elves live for thousands of years. Izora
WHEN the seven corpses in the sea resurfaced, Birsha, the guild master of the Black Destroyers was fuming in anger. He was at the Rigin Port searching as soon as his men did not return.“I knew this would happen.” Birsha hardly gripped the hilt of his sword as he checked if the culprit was still around.The sun was already up and there were fishermen around and some bystanders gossiping about the corpses found in the port. It was the first time for them to witness members of the Black Destroyers got murdered. As they were the strongest guild in Fernwick Province.“I can't believe we lost seven men in one night. They are the best in the field at that.” Birsha’s chest moved up and down. “Was I wrong to get the commission? We were told the targets were mere travelers. I should've double-checked.”Meanwhile, his other companion remained quiet as if contemplating how to calm his master whose hands still trembled in rage. He was Zimus, the guild’s second-in-command.The guild master breathe
“ETHROS, your stamina training will start now,” Damien said as he drew his long sword from its hilt. It was tied at the bottom of his rucksack bag.All of them wore a dark-hooded cloak carrying a full load since they had planned this expedition for fifteen days at most. If they failed to obtain the Orb of Oblivion, they'd return to Ankhe and formulate a new plan.“How can I do that?” Jie’s forehead crumpled. He was walking behind Damien, as everyone trekked using a torch light. “I want to be strong. I’m tired of passing out every time I use magic.”“For now, don't use magic unless it is needed. I'll use my sword to preserve my mana. Anything can happen; be ready.”“Understood.”Liv prepared her crossbow as she guided everyone. “Sheagan used to be lively twenty years ago. But when Taftani started dumping his failed experiments into the cape, it became uninhabitable for humans.”“What kinds of experiments?” Jie asked while still alert, anticipating if the beasts in hiding would attack t
JIE’S heartbeat became rapid as the flow of the acid river suddenly became turbulent. He started to concentrate, but he could not focus because he imagined himself falling into the purple water. “Hey, are you sure I’m safe? The acid level is rising!” he shouted. The three seemed to purposely ignore him as they enjoyed roasting meat on the fire. A protective invisible shield was put in for additional safety. “Are you saying something, Ethros? If I were you, I’d stay quiet. You’ll attract the night creatures here.” Damien gave him a furtive glance. Jie exhaled sharply to calm his nerves. Surely, they weren’t bullying him to make fun of him. He should believe that Damien was doing this for his own good. He’d show them he was up for the challenge. He sat still, breathing in and out. As he slowly closed his eyes, Jie tried his best not to get distracted. You need to stabilize your mana if you want to rescue Nyssa, he kept on reminding himself. As he finally reached tranquility in hi
JIE sat back on the stone amidst the acid river to rest. Constantly battling the Night Flutters made it difficult for him to regain his breath.“Is it safe for me to go there, right now? Can I rest?” Jie polled his companions.At that, Damien rose to his feet. “If you dare to cross the river on your way here, I guess you could rest.”Jie pursed his lips then he complained. “Oh, God! Damien, you are sick! You are trying to kill me, aren’t you? Weren’t those bats enough? I’m exhausted. My body needs a break.”“Aren’t you on a break now? Continue your meditation. You see? You didn’t faint this time after using a huge amount of mana.”Despite his extreme exhaustion, Jie was taken aback by the situation. Unlike before, he didn't feel lightheaded.“Your body is gradually adapting. Regardless, unless you cross the acid river going here, we’ll not leave.” Damien sat back.Liv seemed uncomfortable walking back and forth. “Captain, we have not discussed this delay. The Black Destroyers will cat
CRISTON breathed out in disbelief, watching Liv’s back. “Look at her, breaking the rule she just made.”“Strela!” Liv kept calling as if she were hypnotized.“Jesus Christ! Liv, don’t wander off!” Jie was horrified when Liv suddenly disappeared as the voices around them grew louder. He ran after her, but to his surprise, the wall behind him suddenly moved, blocking his way back to the group.Jie stepped on a brittle skeleton that made a crack. The lights emitting from the runes on the wall were enough for him to see his extensive enclosure full of human skulls!“Goodness gracious! That startled me,” Jie mumbled.In the other part of the passage, Damien called. “Where the hell did you go?”There was no response. Aside from the harrowing sound of screaming, the iron wall had no gap from top to bottom. Damien silently cursed, as he could not find traces of Ethros and Liv.“I’ll look for Liv, Captain,” Criston suggested.“Let’s split, I’ll find Ethros.” Damien strengthened his grip on his