Azure crystal lamps flickered in the distance, hovering overhead like curious fireflies, as a throng of impatient onlookers watched on. In the middle of a circular training arena, a young boy with a frown on his face tightened his trembling grip on a smoking revolver. He looked lean and weak, and his cheeks were flushed like dying roses. Despite wearing a furry red cloak over his jacket, he could feel the biting cold wind chilling his bones as it swept the arena from the east. A spectral white wolf flickered behind him like an enormous shadow. It loomed over his head for a few seconds before dissipating into thin air. “Get lost, you pathetic cripple!” “Enough of this shit show!” “He’s just a useless loser!” The disappointed booing from the flock of eager onlookers pierced his chest amidst shouts of mockery. And it was all due to his failure to hit the floating targets. "Magic talent level E, magic power: 29%!" a loud voice sounded as if taunting him. "Shooting score 2/1

The appearance of a human eye on someone’s hand was a shocking phenomenon even in this magical world. Ezra looked shell-shocked by the incident. “What the hell is this?” he gasped, grabbing his trembling right hand with his left. The eye that had suddenly popped open had a pale blue iris and coral-red blood vessels, which darkened as it throbbed spasmodically. Ezra could feel a sharp pain in his hand, but he gritted his teeth to suppress his urge to scream. People around him already treated him like a freak, and he did not want to attract any more attention to himself. Keeping his calm, Ezra walked up to his study table and got hold of a compass. Curling his fingers around its cold, steely legs, he prepared to pierce the eye.But just as he was about to stab his hand, the eye disappeared. Beads of cold sweat rolled down Ezra’s neck as he looked at his hand. Dropping the compass, he brought his right hand close to his face. The eye was no longer there, and his hand had stopp

Ezra felt a tingling sensation in his right hand, and his thoughts immediately went back to that peculiar incident in his room. He quickly hid his right hand behind his back and then turned to Aurelia.Normally, whenever a system panel flickered into life, it would be visible to all in the nearby area. But strangely enough, no one seemed to be bothered by Ezra’s Gunsmithing screen.After staring at those present around him for a while, Ezra realized that they could not see his Gunsmithing system display, and the information floating in front of his eyes was only visible to him.Suddenly, Ezra felt an unbearable pain shooting up his right arm, and he could tell something was squirming under his skin. “Not again,” Ezra mumbled under his breath, his hands turning cold and his face rapidly losing color.Aurelia wanted to talk to Ezra and comfort him, but he hurried back to his room without a single word.Although Ezra was quite used to being ridiculed by those around him, things had gone

A year sounded like a long time, but Ezra knew he would not be the only one training for the duel. If what Cecilia had said was true and Jasenki had indeed reached level E, Ezra would have a tall task before him.Even though Ezra himself was at level E, he hadn’t been able to awaken two of his most powerful skills due to his crippled hands. And he desperately needed them to survive a duel with another shooter of his level.“I will do my best to improve. I promise I won’t let you all down,” Ezra whispered to himself as his recent humiliation flashed before his eyes, strengthening his resolve to prove his worth to all those who doubted him.Ezra had read about training dungeons. But he had never been inside one. These were secret magical locations infested with different kinds of magical beasts and monsters and some of them were even filled with myriads of traps.Most would have expected a crippled boy to turn back when asked to train in such a dangerous place, but Ezra was excited to fi

Ezra backed away with unsteady steps as he heard the sloshing sounds getting closer. He tried to open his eyes, but the sticky slime coating his face obscured his vision. Everything in front of Ezra was a blurry mess, and while the slime wasn’t toxic, it had a rotten stench which made almost made him throw up. “I should have been more careful,” Ezra mumbled as he tried to clean the greasy mess smothering his eyes and nose. One of the Bloated Gloops stayed back and prepared to regurgitate another slimy bolus while the other one bounced across the stony ground and headed toward Ezra.After struggling for a while, Ezra finally managed to wipe away the slime covering his upper face. As he reopened his eyes, he saw the Bloated Gloop’s mouth stretched wide open, ready to pounce on him.“Magic Burst!” Ezra pointed his left palm at the Gloop and shouted.A blast of magic energy shot out from the middle of his palm and pushed the Gloop back, creating some much needed distance. Before the Gl