Chapter: Choose your fate“I never really thought the boy had it in him to keep going after he lost his home,” someone observed in a calm, benevolent voice. “I must admit his resilience is quite impressive for a mortal. Were it anyone else in his shoes, the ending would have been a lot different.”“I knew there was something about him right from the day he was born. Alas, his mother never got the chance to see him grow up,” a feminine voice stated wistfully. “The question remains, what must we do with him now?” the male voice questioned.“I think it is time to leave the choice in his hands,” a second feminine voice spoke aloud. “Wake up, my dear child. Your mortal troubles cannot touch you here. Wake up and choose.”Groggy and disoriented, Ezra slowly parted his eyelids and immediately squinted as the bright white light flooding the room smarted his eyes. Still dizzy and weak, he somehow rolled over and gasped.“Where am I? What happened?” “You are safe inside the Hall of Wandering Souls,” a measured feminine
Last Updated: 2025-03-23
Chapter: Sins of Thy Father“The hour of darkness descends upon this world like a shroud, and the bleeding moon beckons the Lord of Decay to reclaim his lost domain. Come forth and ascend the throne of darkness, my Lord!”Ezra’s heart pounded inside his chest like a caged animal, and his head throbbed in pain as he heard muffled words shouted in the distance. Lying in a bloody puddle on the black marble floor, he parted his droopy eyelids and saw Lord Wilhelm standing behind the altar and Lady Lillian facing him on the other side.Though Tanya’s face was hidden from view, Ezra could see her supple white fingers tingling as her delicate arm dangled from the stone altar. She was still alive, but Lord Wilhelm was already anointing the ceremonial dagger forged from infernal obsidian and preparing to plunge it into her heart.“You…cannot do it. You need the crimson moon to…summon Zepheroth,” Ezra said, fighting the pain.“The hour of our Lord is nigh. And all celestials shall obey his will,” Lord Wilhelm continued cha
Last Updated: 2025-03-22
Chapter: Heroes never winThe enchanted nock gun vibrated with elemental energy as Jasenki loaded it with enchanted rounds. The glyphs carved into its stock shimmered and dazzled as he aimed at Ezra.“Scream for me, Ezra!” Jasenki yelled, pulling the trigger.Bang! Fwoom!A fiery barrage lit up the dark pavilion as fifteen fireballs erupted from the silver-dusted barrels. The first hit burned Ezra’s left sleeve, setting his tattered leather jacket ablaze, and the rest of the fireballs charred his white shirt, burning his skin.“This gun was forged by the best Gunsmiths in Stonewell, and enchanted with the rarest of ancient glyphs. No one can withstand its power!”Jasenki reloaded his weapon and fired again, unleashing another flaming barrage.But this time, a barrier of flames erupted around Ezra, cocooning him within an elemental shell.All fifteen fireballs exploded into sparks as they collided with the flame barrier, leaving Ezra unharmed.“Damn you, Ezra. Keep trying your tricks and see how long you can su
Last Updated: 2025-03-21
Chapter: Lovers in CrimeEzra looked at the two Spectral Companions hovering behind Jasenki and Cecilia and realized these spirits weren’t obtained from their ancestral artifacts. “I see you have abandoned your family relics,” he said, carefully analyzing the two specters with his Dragon Eye skill. “These spectral entities are gifts from the Lord of Decay,” Jasenki replied, raising his head with arrogance. “I bet you have never encountered anything so powerful before.”“Go on, Ezra. Call your little Spectral Basilisk, and let us see if it can stand up to our companions,” Cecilia mocked, casting a disdainful glance at Ezra’s tattered brown jacket and muddy black boots. “You still look as beggarly as before. I suppose some things never change. I am so glad I rejected you when I did.”Suddenly, Ezra’s eyes glinted, and his pupils brightened with a bright blue flame that blazed with magic energy. The scar on his chest glowed through his shirt, revealing his true power.Reaching inside his jacket, Ezra pulled out
Last Updated: 2025-03-21
Chapter: Hour of JudgmentFollowing the glowing trail left behind by the Spectral Beholder, Ezra avoided the rot vines squirming in the mire, and the Medallion of Purity hanging over his chest shielded him from the swamp's corrupting influence.Dark geysers erupted around Ezra, spewing molten tar several feet in the air and filling the swamp with a sulfurous haze. The choking odor brought tears to his eyes, but he pushed on through the vaporous veil.The Spectral Beholder led Ezra to a small patch of dry land surrounded by rotting oak trees. As he stepped onto the elevated mound, he spotted a fiery blue orb floating in the distance.Ten more orbs appeared out of thin air, floating through the foggy darkness. At first glance, they looked like glowing power crystals, but as Ezra took a closer look, he realized these orbs weren’t floating crystals or fireflies, but Elven Wisps.The Elven Wisps were unique spectral entities only found in the Violet Everglades. Unlike Banshees and Spectral Wraiths, the Elven Wisps w
Last Updated: 2025-03-20
Chapter: Lady of the SwampA weary traveler lost inside the Violet Everglades was an easy prey for the creatures of the dark, and Ezra had just encountered one such nefarious entity. But instead of fear, his eyes lit up with a strange hopefulness.“You called out to me in Tanya’s voice, so you must have seen her passing through. Point me toward the Fountain of Chaos, and I won’t kill you,” he spoke in a cold, emotionless voice, without even turning to look at the creature creeping toward him.The creature laughed at his words and rushed through the darkness, moving like a shadow to play with his mind. Her voice echoed from different directions as she disappeared like smoke and danced around Ezra.“You are in my home, youngling. The dark ones told me you’d be coming,” she cackled. “But you won’t be walking out alive. So, forget about your friend and save yourself if you can!”As Ezra stood there motionless, a howling shadow rushed past him and gathered on a dry patch of grass overgrown with violet tulips that glo
Last Updated: 2025-03-19
Chapter: Know Thy EnemyKwang’s message created a new problem for Zi Han. His fingers glided over the smooth LED screen, itching to type a confident reply, but he controlled his urges.Although Zi Han now had the Black Dragons at his side, he didn’t want the rest of the city to find out he was involved with a gang. Argos College of Commerce was one of the most prestigious colleges in this city and one step in the wrong direction could get Zi Han thrown out in no time.The first thought that crossed Zi Han’s mind was leaving his old life behind completely and severing all ties with people who knew him before. But he wasn’t selfish enough to do something like that.Besides, Zi Han knew he still wasn’t ready to be a permanent part of this criminal syndicate. Without his powers, he was nothing more than a weakling who had to depend on his henchmen for protection, and he had little experience in this criminal world.“If I only I could remember who I was in my past life!” he grumbled, staring at his bracelet. “I
Last Updated: 2025-04-29
Chapter: Blind obedienceThe driver obeyed at once and changed gears. Stepping on the accelerator, he switched lanes and took a sharp turn that veered the car straight into oncoming traffic.“What the hell are you doing? Watch it!” Zhen Lee thundered from behind as the SUV screeched across the road, narrowly missing the paint on a white sedan. “Keep your eyes on the road, you idiot!”The driver steered sharply to his right and took the exit lane on the west, disappearing on the other side of a large grey truck carrying bottled soda.Soon, the blaring sirens faded into distant whistles as the cop cruisers were left far behind.“We are sorry, boss. It was our mistake,” Suzuki apologized, bowing to Zi Han. “I should never have questioned your wisdom.”Zi Han shook his head and took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. “It’s alright. Just listen to me next time.”Even though Zi Han was trying his best to act tough on the outside, he had already imagined the worst-case scenarios. Luckily, for now, they had lost
Last Updated: 2025-04-13
Chapter: Too close for comfortZi Han looked around as he realized something was wrong, but he had no idea what was happening.“Who are the Sand Scorpions? And why are they following us?” he asked.Zhen Lee gave the driver a set of quick instructions before turning to Zi Han. “The Sand Scorpions are a gang of cutthroats and low-life thugs who can do anything for money. They weren’t a threat even a few months ago, but someone’s been feeding them weapons and cash. Now they are always trying to step on our tail and disrupt our businesses.”This was the first time Zi Han had heard of the Sand Scorpions, and he was surprised to see Zhen Lee so bothered by their presence. “I thought the Black Dragons were the most powerful gang in Argos. What are you afraid of?”Zhen Lee bowed his head in shame and replied in a muffled whisper, “Forgive us, Supreme Dragon, but we have fallen off the old ways. Our influence has weakened over the years, and without you to guide us, the vultures have started pecking at us.”“These bastards
Last Updated: 2025-04-03
Chapter: Family FeudIn the last fifteen years, Mrs. Clayton had never once agreed to any of Zi Han’s requests, and on any other occasion, she would have never even listened to his demands. But since their apartment was at stake, she tried to make herself agreeable for a change and put on a meek appearance. “What could you possibly want from us?” she asked, forcing a smile on her wrinkled face.“How about the spare keys to the apartment for starters?” Zi Han put his hand out and stared at her with a stony expression. “Since I am clearing off the mortgage payments, it would only be right that I have unrestricted access to this apartment whenever I wish. Don’t you agree?”Mrs. Clayton turned around and looked at her husband, her desperate eyes pleading for intervention. But Mr. Clayton felt boxed in from all sides.Instead of arguing with Zi Han, he reached into his pocket and took out a bunch of keys attached to a rusty keyring. “Here you go, son. This is your home as well. Don’t mind my harsh words. I wa
Last Updated: 2025-03-31
Chapter: Return of the Prodigal SonZi Han drove off with Zhen Lee in his personal Range Rover and headed down Qingcheng Boulevard, taking the underpass to save time. After a thirty-minute drive, they finally reached Majing Square, where Zi Han ordered Zhen Lee to stop the car.The car rolled to a smooth halt outside a small pizzeria with the words ‘Uncle Sam’s Pizza’ scribbled on its display board.Zi Han stepped out of the vehicle alone and ordered Zhen Lee and his men to stay put.As he entered the pizzeria, he was immediately greeted by its owner, Ryler Smith. “Oh, thank God you’re back. I was worried you might skip today, and we are already short on drivers,” he said, sighing with relief. “I already have three deliveries lined—”“I am not here to work,” Zi Han replied, cutting him off. “I am actually here to quit.”The words came as a shock to Ryler, who stood there gawking at Zi Han. For a moment he thought he had simply misheard him or it was some kind of a prank.“Nice joke, man. Listen, I’ll pay you two hundre
Last Updated: 2025-03-30
Chapter: A new life!Surrounded by his loyalists, Zi Han finally had a chance to experience the warmth of being with a loving and caring family. However, the problem was that he had never even committed the simplest of crimes and was utterly clueless about leading a gang of mobsters.To add to his surprise and confusion, he had just discovered that he could make the elements obey his will. A part of him was still skeptical about the tales woven around him, but after seeing and hearing everything, he knew there was no going back. That face on the painting was his, even though he had lost his regal air.Right now, Zi Han’s first goal was to mend his present condition before trying to figure out his past. Since he had just lost his job and been kicked out of his house, he needed a new place to stay and a fresh source of income.Although the Black Dragons had accepted Zi Han as their new leader, he knew it would take a lot more than an appeal to past allegiance to command them. In order to maintain his powe
Last Updated: 2025-03-27
