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 glimmering with delicate lettering: Lunessence Jewels – For The Enchanted Soul.
“You’re kidding,” Ethan said as Celestia glided toward it.
“I’m not,” she replied simply, disappearing into the entrance.
The shop was quieter than the streets, lit by softly glowing crystals suspended midair. Rows of rings, earrings, and circlets gleamed from glass displays. A stately elf woman behind the counter gave a serene nod.
“I seek something moon-aligned,” Celestia said, her gaze flicking to a velvet tray of silver rings.
“Combat or ceremonial?” the elf asked.
“Both,” Celestia replied. “But mostly... beautiful.”
Ethan stood awkwardly near the door as Celestia tried several rings, slipping them on and off with slow, deliberate motions. She settled on one—black opal set in a crescent of white gold, runes around the band pulsing faintly with lunar attunement.
“It enhances her lunar fire,” the shopkeeper noted. “And may react to draconic physiology.”
Celestia caught Ethan’s reflection watching her in a mirrored shard.
“Well?” she asked.
“You look... devastating,” he said.
She smirked. “Good. I plan to be.”
They stepped out with the purchase wrapped in starlight-infused silk. Celestia slipped the ring onto her index finger, flexing her hand as if testing its weight.
“It fits,” she said, a touch quieter. “Perfectly.”
Next, Ethan led the way into the Tinkers’ Hall—a cavernous marketplace of mechanized wonders. He secured new modular slots for the storage pouch: a magnetic scroll chamber, a rotating trap node, and a collapsible shield launcher.
Celestia studied a booth of miniature golems. One, shaped like a tiny armored lizard, perched on her shoulder and chirped softly.
“No,” she said, removing it.
“But it likes you,” Ethan teased.
“I already have a partner,” she replied.
He blinked. Then grinned.
By nightfall, they returned to Eileen’s forge, their bags heavy with artifacts and oddities.
“Just in time,” Eileen said, rolling up her sleeves. Her braid was soaked with sweat and mana ash.
“Let’s see it,” Ethan said.
Eileen gestured toward the central table. There, resting on a velvet cloth etched with containment runes, was the new gear.
The Voidborne Pouch was no longer just a sack of enchanted canvas. Its surface gleamed with fine-thread runes sewn in amethyst wire, pulsing with an internal heartbeat of magic.
Eileen explained, “It responds to intent. If you think of an item and move to draw it, the pouch will manifest it instantly—sometimes even mid-motion.”
She tapped the side, revealing a hex pattern that flared blue.
“Defensive reflex mode,” she said. “If it detects sudden aggression—arrows, spells, physical contact—it will deploy the appropriate response. A shield, a counterburst, or even a decoy.”
Ethan touched it reverently. “It’s alive.”
“Close enough.”
Then she turned to Celestia.
Her Darkmoon Armor was now complete. Sleek as ever, the cuirass shimmered with new lunar sigils. The runes flowed like ink across her back, forming protective wings of shadow in times of duress. An integrated rune lattice beneath the breastplate allowed her to channel her fire breath into blade-like projections from her forearms.
Celestia’s eyes widened as she stepped into the armor. The fabric clung to her skin like silk, yet moved with the weight of destiny.
“Don’t forget the ring,” Eileen added with a wink.
The moment the opal touched the armor’s matrix, a ripple of moonlight passed across Celestia’s form. Her eyes glowed faintly, and her breath formed a haze in the air.
“It’s syncing with her,” Eileen said in awe.
Celestia exhaled, shadowfire dancing across her fingertips.
“I feel invincible.”
“Not quite,” Eileen said. “But close enough.”
They stood together on the forge balcony that night, wind sweeping through their cloaks.
Dasi’s towers burned with warning lights, and in the distance, the outline of Syndicate assassins loomed like storm clouds creeping over the city skyline.
Ethan looked down at his pouch. Celestia adjusted her vambraces, the moonlight catching on her ring.
“We fight at dawn,” Ethan said.
Celestia gave a savage smile. “Then let them bring the night.”

Latest Chapter
CHAPTER 93: Forging Bonds
That afternoon, the castle forge was alive with activity. Under the glow of roaring firelight, Solaine the blacksmith stood at his anvil, holding a long blade of heated mithril steel with sturdy tongs. The metal glowed orange-hot, ready to be imbued with power. At his side, Solaine’s daughter Nina hovered with a bowl of shimmering rune-ink and a fine inscription brush. Just a few steps back, Celestia and Eileen prepared to do their parts – Celestia to channel her dragonfire, and Eileen to bind the magic with her aura. Watching from the sidelines, Lyra Vespera and Lyssandra looked on with wide-eyed curiosity; even as bystanders they could feel the excitement crackling in the air.Solaine inspected the blade one last time and gave a satisfied nod. “The blade is hot and ready for runes,” he announced, his deep voice carrying over the crackle of coals. He glanced at Celestia. “Let
CHAPTER 92: Lyra Vespera
The next morning, Ethan led Celestia to a quiet corner of the palace library where a small ornate pouch lay on a marble table. Silver runes glinted on its fabric. Celestia knew at once what it was – the dimensional pouch containing Lyra Vespera, the vampire maiden Ethan had promised to protect for their enemy Zephario.Ethan took a steady breath. “It’s time I fulfill my promise to Zephario,” he said softly. Celestia nodded, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.With a careful tug, Ethan opened the pouch. A cool blue light flowed out and gently formed the outline of a young woman on the floor. As the magic faded, Lyra Vespera’s unconscious form remained. She looked deathly pale, her raven hair fanned around her and her dress torn and bloodstained from past horrors.Celestia knelt an
CHAPTER 91: Negotiation (2)
Before the night was over, Ethan and Garrick agreed that only the dwarves of Ironroot, ruled by King Havram, could build the Grand Arena. Ethan planned to entice them with generous trade from Carosso’s Mistveil Mine—the promise of mithril steel flowing into Ironroot’s forges. Garrick heartily concurred, thumping his tankard on the table. "Offer a dwarf a mountain of mithril, and he'll build you whatever you want," he laughed. They toasted to the new alliance and the bright future of Carosso.Not long after, the two men parted ways beneath the torchlit corridors of the palace. Garrick departed to spread the good news among his guild, while Ethan made his way toward his chambers, weary from the long day’s negotiations and triumphs.In Ethan’s private quarters, Celestia waited by the window. Moonlight outlined her graceful figure; her
CHAPTER 90: Negotiation (1)
In a dimly lit back room far from prying ears, Ethan sat across from Garrick, the grizzled Guildmaster of the Adventurers' Guild. A single oil lamp cast flickering shadows across the stone walls. Garrick leaned back in his chair with arms crossed over his scarred chest and a deep frown on his grey-stubbled face. He let out a long, tired sigh."I never thought I’d see the day I’d be complaining directly to the Emperor himself…" Garrick growled. "But here we are."Emperor Ethan of Carosso set down his wine goblet and gave a slight, wry smile. He had shed his crown and finery for a plain cloak and tunic—tonight he looked more like an adventurer than a king. "What troubles you, old friend? Speak freely."Garrick grunted, grateful for Ethan’s informal tone. "It’s that damned conscript
CHAPTER 89: Reunion
The forge fires burned hot and bright, casting dancing light across Ethan’s face as he stood over the anvil. Beside him, Eileen—a lithe, copper-haired, blue-eyed smith from the Town of Dasi—adjusted the clamps holding Ethan’s flameblade, Fireheart.“Steady, Your Lordship,” Eileen said, guiding Ethan’s hands on the hilt. “When I pour the molten mythril, channel your aura into the blade.”Ethan nodded, sweat beading on his brow from the heat. Watching a few paces away, Celestia told herself she was here only as a guard. Yet her keen eyes tracked every movement: the way Eileen’s fingers briefly rested over Ethan’s, the bright smile she gave him. Celestia’s tail flicked, unease coiling in her chest.With a whoosh, Eileen poured silvery metal along Fireheart’s blade. “Now, Lord Ethan!” she cried.Ethan closed his eyes, pushing his energy into the sword. Flames flared alon
CHAPTER 88: New Policies
The months following Carosso’s reunification were among the busiest of Ethan’s life. Victory on the battlefield was only the beginning—now he had to heal and modernize a broken kingdom. Settling in the capital as Prince Edwin’s Lord Regent, Ethan threw himself into rebuilding with relentless focus.He began with basic needs. Granaries filled with seized hoarded grain were opened to feed the starving. Royal work crews repaired war-torn roads and bridges, reconnecting towns so trade could resume. Slowly, markets buzzed back to life and the specter of famine lifted.Education became another pillar of renewal. Under Ethan’s guidance, community schools opened in every major town. Retired soldiers and scholars taught children of all classes their letters and numbers. Celestia even visited some classrooms incognito, gently guiding wide-eyed youngsters through the alphabet. The sight of the fearsome dragoness patiently helping a peasant child trace letters became a beloved leg
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