Aurelia struggled to break free as the blood vines tightened their coils around her legs, reaching all the way up to her waist and securing her in their deadly embrace.No matter how hard she squirmed, she could not move an inch from her spot, and every time she twisted her arms, the vines constricted harder and harder until she could barely lift a finger.“It’s futile to struggle. You should have knelt before Zepheroth while you still had the chance,” Lorelai whispered as she snapped her fingers, killing off a third victim. “If only you had repented for your sins, I would have eased your sufferings. But alas…you were too blind to the glory of our God. It is sad, but your death shall be cruel and painful.”Lorelai was a heartless sadist who enjoyed torturing her victims, and the mere thought of hearing Aurelia’s screams filled her with joy. Her lips curved into a grin as she looked into Aurelia’s eyes.But instead of fear, Aurelia’s face reflected an inexplicable confidence. It was as

Ever since Tanya’s abduction, Count Gressil had blamed himself for all that had happened, and now this shocking revelation about her cleansing shook him to the core, leaving him speechless.Everything seemed to be falling apart around him, and Count Gressil was slowly losing the will to carry on.Even Ezra looked distraught, but he wasn’t ready to give up so easily despite the dire circumstances.“We are going to find Tanya. I will never let them hurt her,” he spoke with an unshakeable resolve in his voice, his eyes blazing with unyielding determination. “The fight isn’t over yet. And I won’t rest till I save her.”Count Gressil wanted to believe Ezra, but his fatherly heart failed him. Overwhelmed by emotions he had never felt in years, he stooped to the dusty ground and picked up his daughter’s tarred white gown. “I should have been a better father. She always looked up to me, yet I couldn’t save her from those damn cultists,” his voice cracked as tears choked his throat. “I...don’t

The necromancer’s words were tempting, even for the most skeptical minds, and Lady Lillian too was swayed by the promise of immortality. Lord Lucius, however, chose to rely on his more rational judgment.“A world without death, you say. That sounds like a perfect utopia,” he began. “I suppose all Gods have power over mortality. But why would any deity want to share that blessing with us?”“Because Zepheroth isn’t just any deity. He is the dark one who holds power over the afterlife. Life and death are just two sides of the coin for the Lord of Decay,” Vorus replied with conviction.Lord Lucius nodded wistfully but hardly bought his words. “So, the Lord of Decay will free us from the mortal coils and grant us power over death. That sounds fascinating. But how exactly will that benefit him in the long run?”“Zepheroth is a kind and just God. This will be our reward for helping him reclaim his power and oust Ishani from her seat of power,” Vorus answered.“What about the other Gods? Are

Inside Ignar’s Grand Council Hall, Ezra and Aurelia were deliberating upon the plan for their next attack with Count Gressil and Sir Galahar. Although High Mage Ignacious was also present in the meeting chamber, he was preoccupied with his old magic scrolls.Ezra spread a white sheet of paper on the round wooden table and unfolded a newly drawn map of Valaria, highlighting the various highways, forest trails, and four major cities.“Stonewell is a three-hour march from Ignar if we take the highway down south. But it will leave our troops without any cover, leaving them vulnerable to ambushes.”Count Gressil looked at the map and placed his scarred brown finger on the chosen road. “We can let the Imperial Soldiers march down the highway while the Royal Guards keep watch from above. Sir Galahar is an expert marksman and an intelligent tactician. I am sure he can deal with ambushes and keep the road clear.”“I think there might be a problem with that,” High Mage Ignacious finally joined

A Gunsmith of Marlin’s repute was accustomed to modifying firearms according to the specifications of his patrons, but his customizations mostly comprised of engraving names on stocks and enchanting the guns with special magic runes.However, in all his years, Marlin had never even attempted to modify a legendary firearm. In his eyes, the Celestial Avenger was already the perfect sniper rifle, and when loaded with Doom Strike bullets it became a terrifying weapon in the hands of a trained Gunner.Ezra, on the other hand, knew he could improve the rifle by leaps and bounds by just infusing it with the technology from the future that only he had seen in action.As Marlin watched Ezra sketch furiously and label each part with perfect accuracy, he couldn't help but wonder about his previous life and the strange world he came from.“Your world must be hundreds of years ahead of ours,” he said, staring at the new components added to the weapon’s modified blueprint. “I cannot even begin to im