“Master, please… open your eyes.”The urgent whisper sliced through Ethan’s unconsciousness like a dagger. Before he could respond, a thunderous roar shattered the air.Boom!He jolted awake—heart racing, lungs burning—just as a blast of flame erupted meters from where he lay. Grass scorched to black beside him, and shards of glowing stone rained from the sky. His vision spun wildly.What the hell?! This isn’t my dorm…!Above him, the sky was a vibrant, impossible shade of blue. Clouds drifted lazily, utterly indifferent to the chaos below. A plume of smoke curled from a crumbled marble structure not far away. The smell of burned moss and blood mixed with the sweet scent of wildflowers.He blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Something warm and clawed suddenly grabbed his shoulders.“Master! Ethan—stay down!” a familiar voice commanded, urgent and melodic.His eyes focused. A woman’s silhouette knelt above him, haloed in sunlight. Curved ebony horns swept back fro

When tournament day arrived, Feya Town’s outskirts thrummed with excitement. The once-crumbling coliseum—an ancient relic from a forgotten war—now blazed with life. Banners depicting crossed swords, serpentine dragons, and arcane runes fluttered above the massive gate. Crowds surged through the entrances, packing into stone bleachers while vendors shouted over the din, hawking everything from flame-grilled meat skewers to frothy mana elixirs.Ethan adjusted the straps of his Arcane Godslayer armor and took in the scene. The amethyst gemstone set into his breastplate pulsed in time with his heartbeat. At his side, Celestia surveyed the gathering throng, her arms folded and silver-white hair braided neatly down her back. Even in the chaotic press of people, she stood out—elegant horns, scales glinting at her temples, and an expression that warned she was not to be trifled with.“You know,” she said in a low voice, casting a dubious glance at the roaring stadium, “this isn’t exactly a sub

After days of arduous travel and close calls, Ethan Lockwood and Celestia Draconyx emerged from the wilds to behold the sprawling wonder of Dasi. They stood atop a rise overlooking the city as the sun dipped low, painting the sky in hues of orange and violet. What lay before them was a metropolis of invention and magic that made Feya Town look like a roadside hamlet.Ethan felt a different kind of tension coiling in his gut as they descended toward the main gates of Dasi—a tension not born of immediate danger, but of anticipation. In this city lived the one person who might turn the tide in their favor.Their mission was clear: seek out the legendary forge-mage Eileen, the woman whose work blurred the boundary between enchantment and engineering. Rumors described marvels of her creation—living armor, self-repairing shields, even tales that she could reforge reality itself, given the right materials.“She really lives here?” Celestia asked under her breath as they walked down an avenue

Dasi’s arcane alarm bells wailed into the storm-colored skies, runes flickering crimson across towers and rooftops like a nervous system jolted to life. But the threat that loomed could wait—if only for a few hours more.Eileen had insisted they delay their departure.“If they’re coming for you,” she’d said with steel in her voice, “you’d better be at full strength when you meet them.”And so, while her forge sizzled with finishing touches, Ethan and Celestia took a final detour into Dasi’s heart.The Arcane Quarter was a kaleidoscope of magical innovation. Floating lanterns drifted through the air above stalls brimming with shimmering relics. Alchemists hawked potion grenades, rune-etched quivers, and scrolls that could call down lightning or open locked doors with a single word.Ethan marveled at the sheer volume of enchantments on display. “It’s like walking through a spellbook,” he muttered.Celestia, meanwhile, was drawn to a boutique nestled in a moonstone dome—the signage glimm

The mountain wind howled through the cave’s entrance as the first echoes rolled in—a low, guttural growl that made the very rock beneath Ethan’s boots tremble.Celestia had already unsheathed her claws.“They’re not just hunting,” she said, her voice cold. “They’re communicating.”Ethan tightened his grip on the Void-Cleaving Blade. “Multiple signatures. Five, maybe six. That’s not a rogue. That’s a pride.”They moved to higher ground, scaling the cliffs above the ravine. From there, they saw it—beneath the haze of a mist-covered moon, a pride of chimeras roamed the valley floor. Not just one, but at least four fully-grown beasts and two juveniles, each with lion heads, scaled tails, and deformed wings twitching with anticipation.Ethan let out a low whistle. “This isn’t a fight. It’s a siege.”“Then let’s win it with strategy,” Celestia replied.They began the ambush from the cliffs. Ethan launched a barrage of enchanted arrows from his pouch’s hidden quiver system, each one charged