"The towers," Richard began, his voice heavy with the weight of responsibility, "they'll require a vast quantity of gemstones to function. As you're well aware, our empire's gemstone reserves are currently depleted, leaving us vulnerable."A sly grin spread across my face. "Perhaps I can help with that," I purred, leaning back in my chair. "My Ice Demon City possesses a plentiful supply of the finest gemstones. We'd be more than willing to sell them to you, at a fair price, of course."Richard sighed a weary sound that spoke volumes of his predicament. He knew he had no leverage in this negotiation. The threat of the monstrous horde loomed large, a constant reminder of the dire consequences of inaction."Young people these days," he muttered, shaking his head. "So shrewd."The weight of Vermillion City's defence rested heavily on his shoulders. Lord Agnus, their esteemed leader, was indisposed, leaving Richard, the second in command, to navigate this perilous situation. He couldn't af
“This is a worthwhile investment,” I murmured, the weight of 200,000 essences settling comfortably in my mind.I had purchased the skill from the shop, a hefty price tag for a single ability, but the description promised unparalleled power. If it lived up to its claims, the next beastmen invasion wouldn't even be a blip on my radar.A dark chuckle escaped my lips.The thought of those monstrous invaders, their bodies riddled with the power of the battlefield, swarming Vermillion City once more, filled me with excitement. Their high-level corpses would be a treasure trove, a veritable army of undead soldiers at my command.\ Such a concentration of powerful beings wouldn't be found within the confines of any dungeon. The prospect of wielding their might, of turning their ferocity against them, sent a thrill coursing through me. I couldn't wait for the carnage to begin.…The Merchants Association, their coffers overflowing with newfound prosperity, threw their full weight behind my vis
“Put them on,” the Young Lord commanded, his voice echoing with an authority that left no room for argument.Emmanuel and Theo, their hearts pounding in their chests, obeyed. The moment the heavy shirt, a garment seemingly woven from lead, was pulled over their simple robes, a crushing weight descended upon them. They stumbled, their knees buckling beneath the unexpected burden, and collapsed onto the cold stone floor.A shiver ran down their spines as they remembered the Young Lord's chilling instructions: to run, clad in this cumbersome weight, throughout the sprawling city."Is this even possible?" Emmanuel whispered, his voice barely audible."Roland," the Young Lord called, his gaze fixed on the two trembling figures."Yes, young lord," Roland, their uncle, responded, his voice a deep rumble that seemed to vibrate through the very air."Watch over them," the Young Lord continued, his tone brooking no dissent. "Ensure they complete five laps around the city today. And if they falt
Seeing this desperate assault, I barked out a command, my voice laced with steel. "Load the larger gemstones!"The soldiers, their faces grim but resolute, scrambled to obey. They heaved massive blocks of gemstone into the towers, their movements fueled by a mixture of fear and determination. As the gemstones settled into place, strange humming sounds emanated from the towers, their intricate symbols glowing with an eerie light. The blue orb of energy at the heart of each tower pulsed, then shifted, transforming into a menacing crimson."Now watch the real power of the tower," I muttered, a hint of grim satisfaction in my voice.With a loud roar, the tower unleashed a torrent of red energy. The crimson orb shot skyward, then shattered, raining down a barrage of searing beams that seemed to target every monster scaling the walls.The soldiers, who had braced themselves for a brutal hand-to-hand encounter, were stunned into silence by this sudden display of power. The hundreds of monst
A bead of sweat trickled down Sia's temple, a cold shiver running down her spine as she relived that night of utter devastation. The memory of the Blue Tower branch in Wizard City, once a bastion of arcane knowledge and power, reduced to rubble by a single, seemingly unassuming individual, still sent a tremor of fear through her.The magic Ethan had wielded that night was unlike anything she had ever encountered. A Grand Domain, a feat of mastery that amplified his elemental spells to unimaginable levels. And woven into this tapestry of raw power was a subtle yet devastating thread of gravity magic. The sheer force of Ethan's gravity manipulation had crippled the mages of the Blue Tower, rendering them helpless, their magic choked and stifled.Even her brother, a powerful mage in his own right, who possessed his domain, had been utterly outclassed. The memory of his struggle, his desperate attempts to break free from Ethan's suffocating grip, was a painful one.Sia found herself lost
"Roland," I began, my voice carrying a hint of weariness from the long journey, "go find Richard and tell him I'll be meeting with the City Lord shortly. Also, remind him to load the first batch of ingots onto the caravan heading to Ice Demon City. It's time for us to return home."A flicker of something akin to excitement, a rare sight on Roland's usually stoic face, danced in his eyes at the mention of "home." It was understandable. He, too, must yearn for the warmth of family after a month spent on the road. And I, myself, ached for the familiar embrace of my mother and the laughter of my siblings, faces I hadn't seen in what felt like an eternity.The thought of my mother, her brow perpetually creased with worry, tugged at my heartstrings. I could almost picture her, pacing anxiously in our home, fretting over my supposed absence. When I had to feign Riel's absence, she would often seek me out, her eyes searching for reassurance in Ethan's form. I would have to offer her hollow c
"Sixty thousand soldiers, by our best estimates," Agnus replied, his voice heavy with the weight of the news. "Sixty thousand strong, they are entrenched within Grand Canyon City right now. And that number, I fear, will only swell."The implications of his words hung in the air, thick and suffocating. Grand Canyon City, the last bastion, the mighty dam holding back the tide of the Beast Kingdom, had fallen. It was a crushing blow, a gaping wound in the Brightwing Empire's defences. With the city captured, the Beast Kingdom's path to the other cities lay open, a terrifyingly clear highway paved with the potential for destruction."Sixty thousand," I murmured. I could now understand, with a clarity that stunned me, how Gislain and Osman were forced to retreat. They had been outmatched, hopelessly outnumbered. And their enemy commander, a being of equal strength, had wielded that advantage with ruthless efficiency. The Beast Kingdom's intentions were chillingly clear. This wasn't a
But now, looking at Agnus's eager face, his almost manic glee at the prospect of me building more towers, I saw the truth. The merchant wasn't exaggerating. There was disdain in my heart as the truth about Agnus settled in. This man wasn't incompetent, he was a coward. The injuries he'd claimed to have sustained from the monsters? Likely a fabrication, a convenient excuse to avoid the dangers that lurked beyond the city walls. While the people of Vermillion suffered, he'd been hiding, playing the role of the wounded victim.The old man was terrified, consumed by a primal fear of death, a fear that extended to the very monsters he claimed to have fought. Agnus, despite his sixth-circle power, was likely no match for those creatures. Age had eroded his strength, leaving him with the power of a fourth-circle mage at best.His offer, his desperate plea for me to stay and oversee the tower construction, suddenly made sense. He needed someone to protect him, someone to shield him from the