"Do you think luck is on your side just because you managed to avoid my strike earlier, you damn brat?" Captain Vane snarled, the veins in his neck bulging from the rage burning through him.The contemptuous laughter of the senior soldiers, which had briefly died down, now thundered around the training arena once more. They considered what had just happened nothing more than an embarrassing stroke of bad luck for the captain, a cheap joke played by a foolish recruit who had no idea how to respect the military hierarchy. Kael, standing at the back of the formation, clenched both fists so tightly that his palms bled where his fingernails dug into them, while his eyes remained fixed on Gerry with deep concern.Gerry did not move. He stood upright with the rusty dagger in his right hand, allowing the cold night wind of the barracks to whip against his dirty gray robe. Within his consciousness, Vesper once again delivered a rapid and emotionless tactical analysis.[Warning: The enemy's att

The air around the worktable suddenly felt unbearably heavy, as though the cramped room had been filled with a thick liquid pressing down on his chest. Reddish-purple light began to seep from the tips of Gerry's fingers, forming intricate webs of microscopic light that slowly spread through the blue seal's defenses on the cylindrical box. Gerry could feel cold sweat beginning to dampen his forehead, trickling down his temples and dripping silently onto the black oak table.Every passing second felt like an hour under the pressure of the fear of being caught. Every pulse of his spiritual energy was channeled with extreme precision. Even the slightest deviation would immediately burn away the information stored inside, while simultaneously turning this entire room into ash.[Maintain frequency stability, Gerry. The third magic circuit is beginning to show resistance,] Vesper warned. The mechanical voice now sounded like a sharp whisper crawling through his central nervous system.Outsid

"This rain is falling at exactly the right time to mask our trail, but the thunder could interfere with the guards’ auditory frequencies,” Kael whispered sharply, his nimble fingers tightening the black cloak that covered half his face as he stood before the stone wall of the Sky Tower.Gerry looked up, staring at the ten-meter-high magical ventilation steel plate above them, which trembled beneath the assault of the storm’s raindrops. “Vesper, make sure the electrical current in that area is completely disabled within one second,” Gerry ordered silently.[Command received. Reversing the frequency to disable the high-voltage trap. Execution time: zero point eight seconds,] the system responded in a cold, mechanical voice within Gerry’s consciousness.At that very moment, faint flashes of purple sparks flickered behind the iron grating of the ventilation shaft before going out completely. Kael leaped lightly, gripping the wet wall with small steel claws before pulling himself upward at

From behind the thick sulfurous mist, a massive creature standing three meters tall slowly emerged, its presence menacing. Its body was a horrifying combination of crudely stitched human flesh and black runic steel plates. Three glass tanks filled with glowing green liquid churned continuously on its back, pumping the corrosive fluid through copper tubes embedded directly into the muscles of its massive, metal-fibered arms. The creature’s face was covered by an iron metal mask with no eye holes, leaving only a brass air funnel that emitted the dry, mechanical sound of labored breathing.“Intruder... detected... extermination... protocol... active...” a heavily distorted, hoarse voice emerged from the metal funnel on the alchemical guardian’s face, echoing through the narrow corridor.“What other disgusting royal creation is that?” Kael hissed, immediately taking a fighting stance beside Gerry as his silver dagger began to be envelope

Gerry stepped forward through the threshold of the iron door that had slid open, his breathing ragged and his heartbeat pounding violently in his chest. The stench of blood mixed with the dampness of the earth and traces of toxic chemicals filled the air, burning his nostrils and making his eyes sting. In the dim blue light faintly emanating from the remnants of the seals, a frail figure sat slumped against a wet stone wall."Mother?" Gerry called, his voice trembling violently as he reached out a hand, as though afraid that what he was seeing was merely a false image conjured by his own exhaustion.The old woman inside the cell slowly raised her head. Her tangled white hair covered most of her face, which was riddled with burns and scars left by alchemical experiments. Pitch-black energy chains were wrapped tightly around her entire body, piercing through flesh and bone and continuously crackling with the sound of ele