“Hey Cleo!”
“You’re an idiot, Leroy,” Cleo shot back at the leaping idiot as he arrived.
Leroy looked like he’d grown up deep in hillbilly territory, the product of multiple generations of ‘keeping it in the family’. That said, he was at least a joyful idiot. “Ha ha,...
2025-06-12 10:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post“Cleo,” she declared her name as she climbed on top of Fred.
“Hector,” he shot back.
“Awesome big boss Rover Fred master sir. That’s how I prefer to be addressed.”
“It’s a joking Jinn,” Cleo observed.
“Ouch. That one hurt my funny bone. Hecto...
2025-06-11 10:00:09 +0000 UTC View PostIt took a count of three for the situation to register in Hector’s brain. “You’re obviously not a vehicle,” Hector observed.
“Philosophically, every human body is just a vehicle for us to experience the world,” the Jinn replied. “More practically, though, I’m Rover Fred. At ...
2025-06-10 10:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostThere were only two computer terminals in the communal area of Hector’s resident floor. A lot of people crowded around them, desperate to learn about the situation communicated by the System as a universal alert. The details proved disheartening.
Eden, home world of the Alfar, faced an im...
2025-06-09 10:00:09 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: I'd like to apologize for not posting exclusive content more frequently. The day job demands a lot of me and while I love my story, I have been a bit burnt out keeping up with the 5x a week schedule.
Also, for anyone who hasn't read the previous 5, there is a collection for Patreon e...
2025-06-07 10:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostMatthias stepped forward to offer his congratulations and then paused while staring at Darius.
That was no good. Hector knew exactly how little Darius wanted his identity as the son of Volithur to become spread around. It was hard not to know when Darius explicitly described his frustration...
2025-06-06 10:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostIt was a few days after that conversation they learned some of their neighbors were planning to use the cosmic chamber in the basement. Mick was close to reaching level five and was willing to pay for any advantage that would help get him over the line. That seemed premature to Hector because the...
2025-06-05 10:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostHis lecture proved popular enough that he had to do it two more times. Most of the other tenants couldn’t make it work in the end, but a handful were able to adopt his method of cable formation. They lacked his speed with it, so he didn’t think they would be able to use it in combat situation...
2025-06-04 10:00:18 +0000 UTC View PostThey didn’t have many possessions between the three of them, so it was easy to pack and transport everything by taxi. Riley chattered away on the ride, enthusiastic about her new career. The way she talked about manning a small cafe, one would think it was a prestigious appointment in a governm...
2025-06-03 10:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post“I’m not sure I understand the question,” Hector said.
“Surely you’ve noticed that Volithur was a bit of an idiot. With his insight, he could have rivaled the emperor of Zing. Instead he languished in the tower of the Lord Platinum before being sacrificed to the Dream Engine. So w...
2025-06-02 10:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostDarius was the first to respond. “The owner of the building?”
“Yes. I think you three might qualify for a special deal if you choose to live here.” Esther’s smile returned suddenly. “But let’s get on with the tour first!”
They went up one level to the first sub-floor, ...
2025-05-30 10:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post“You have to go to Tian Tower!”
Hector returned her infectious smile. “What’s going on, Riley?”
“Tian Tower! It’s a skyscraper just for Xian! I told Esther about you guys and she invited you to stop by any time. I told her I would bring you today.” The young woman shif...
2025-05-29 10:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostThey met Conrad outside the capsule hotel that Hector lived at before the tournament. His Jinn friend shook hands enthusiastically with Hector and then Darius. “It’s a real pleasure, Darius. I hear you’re even more of a menace to the monsters than Hector.”
The eunuch stood subtly st...
2025-05-28 10:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostGentle taps on his cheek. “Wake up, Hector. You need to go to bed.”
He peeled one of his eyelids open to find Darius peering at him from close distance. His brain half asleep still, Hector was astonished how much the man looked like his father. It was Volithur with chubby cheeks. Darius...
2025-05-27 10:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post“Hector told me you did really good in the tournament, Darius.” Riley was trying hard to make the dour eunuch like her. Hector thought it was a hopeless battle, but he saw no harm in her trying. Darius really wanted to soak up the extra cosmic energy in the air of the kitchen. It was...
2025-05-26 10:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostDarius didn’t speak of it until they were on the train into the dungeon. Hector let the issue fester, not sure how to tell his… whatever Darius was to him… that he was being an asshole. He’d taken Riley around to do some food deliveries around noon. While a friend couldn’t escort the de...
2025-05-23 10:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostA locust the size of a van flew at them as they jogged free of the ravine. Darius hit it with a chaos bolt, blasting its head apart. Hector grimaced while he guided their group to the exit. His mood improved only slightly when the System increased his funds by twenty thousand credits.
He’...
2025-05-22 10:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostThe few minutes between Tian and Union Central felt longer than they were. He’d left Jasmine behind. There had never been any real promises between them. Just her offer to talk about their future when the tournament ended. He finally understood why he felt so drawn to her, too late for it to ma...
2025-05-21 10:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostThree more fights passed before Hector could stop shaking. He didn’t even catch the match directly after his own. The one after that featured Walt, who summoned a spear and threw it expertly to pierce the heart of his opponent. Then two other men went at each other with glowing swords.
Th...
2025-05-20 10:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostWith the arrival of the day of the single elimination bracket, there was a lot of speculation about what type of externality each person had. Some had openly shared their secret long since. Others wisely kept quiet. And though he didn’t have expansive notes on who was believed to have what, Hec...
2025-05-19 10:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostHector was on the verge of peak level five in his entire body. There were places he’d not done as good of a job as he thought. Those stood out quite clear as blemishes compared to the perfection around them. His energy reserves were empty again.
They’d all skipped breakfast. Everyone el...
2025-05-16 10:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostHector blocked the first punch. Walt stepped in with it and collapsed his arm to turn it into an elbow that clipped Hector’s cheek. When he flinched back, Walt brought up a knee to his gut before snapping Hector down into a headlock. Walt fell to his back holding onto his grip, launching Hector...
2025-05-15 10:00:09 +0000 UTC View PostBack at the barracks, Hector claimed his bunk amid the intense scrutiny directed at him. He’d upset the status quo in a big way. He defeated the person widely considered the second best among them. He did it in such a way that Evan might be rendered impotent going forward. Now people were tryin...
2025-05-14 10:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostAfter returning to his bunk, Hector debated the direction for his body enhancement. Digestion, nerves, and flesh were all that remained – other than muscles, of course. Flesh was by far the lowest priority, so he didn’t truly consider it.
He instead chose nerves because he’d already g...
2025-05-13 10:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostMorning found him stiff and achy. He’d recovered far more than a normal man could with a single night. His bruises were no longer raised welts of the deepest purple. Now they were a jaundiced yellow with notes of sickly green where deeper damage yet lingered. It was like a week of recovery pass...
2025-05-12 10:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostLord Andrew huffed as they went to one side of the circular arena. “This is terrible luck. You have to win the match after this one, Hector. Absolutely have to. How did you so anger this man?”
Hector suspected this unexpected curve ball to his hands came about as a conflict over a woman...
2025-05-10 10:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostMaster Percival woke them early and took them to a small breakfast of rice porridge and fruit. “For the next ten days, the only resources you will be given are those you earn in the arena. Every victory grants you a fish plasma elixir. You all personally know the benefits of such a resource. Im...
2025-05-09 10:00:11 +0000 UTC View Post“Why are you acting like this? Whatever you think you know, you are wrong, I assure you.”
“You can’t go after the Lord General,” Hector said, finally able to force words out.
Panic. Darius looked about to ensure no one was near enough to overhear, then stepped closer with a ...
2025-05-08 10:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post“The word from Percival is that we get to pick our first matches,” Sam whispered to Hector. “The lords draw a number from a hat that corresponds to the order we arrived. Then that person issues a challenge. They take the numbers for both gladiators out of the hat and draw next. So you need ...
2025-05-07 10:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostTheir training schedule over the next two weeks left much to be desired. Calisthenics between breakfast and lunch. Self-directed sparring between lunch and dinner. Low level resources with the meals. Otherwise it was confinement to the barracks with the expectation that they would be cultivating ...
2025-05-06 10:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post