117 - The Depths of Corruption
Zarthos activity
035 - The Whims of Fate
“Does this happen often?” Ning Shan said as they travelled further within a bleak corridor, only a dim light covering them from the level above.
The bustling mercantile street had been replaced with peace and quiet, almost as if they had entered another world entirely, despite the fact ...
2024-11-17 20:27:41 +0000 UTC View Post034 - To Step into the Abyss
Ning Shan's journey toward the nearest elevator was uneventful. Nathan regretted having to leave abruptly, yet he had no choice. Some matters required his attention, and he couldn't afford to stay any longer now that his location was known to the broader world.
There were no teary-eyed good...
2024-11-14 19:58:17 +0000 UTC View Post033 - Conspiracy Brewing In the Dark
High above the ninth level was a large room close to the outside world. On one wall was an array of monitors, showing countless video feeds of the various levels of the Cradle. Facing them was a single chair with a young woman seated upon it.
Her hair was as red as a flame reaching the crux...
2024-11-12 17:15:17 +0000 UTC View Post032 - Forced Resolution
The woman with a child in her arms clung to Nathan's sleeve. She expressed her gratitude with tears in her eyes, only for Nathan to do his best to clumsily try and calm her down. By his side, his wife looked at her man with a gentle smile, looking pleased at the crowd's reception.
Most were...
2024-11-08 13:42:59 +0000 UTC View Post031 - Revelation
The four drones buzzed slightly as they hovered midair. The crowd held their breaths; some even chose to look away. While most were rugged individuals, having spent most of their lives on the ninth level, they knew better than to pick a fight with the government. If given a choice, they would rat...
2024-11-05 19:47:30 +0000 UTC View Post030 - A Welcomed Intervention
“I can’t wait to get out of here,” the man Ning Shan was newly acquainted with said as his wife clung to his arm. He seemed much more relaxed than the other resident, almost as if he was intimately familiar with the hovering yellow drones—something that couldn’t help but draw Ning Shan...
2024-11-04 15:08:57 +0000 UTC View Post029 - The Price of Defiance
A silent uproar rose from the crowd, yet none dared to offer any objections—none except for a single fool. A rugged woman with a large tattoo spanning half her face tried to hold her companion back, yet the fool took a few steps toward the assembled drones, striking away her hold.
The man...
2024-11-02 17:20:35 +0000 UTC View Post028 - Concealed Stratagems
Looking out of a nearby window, Ning Shan saw small floating objects swiftly closing in. Not unlike birds, their approach was silent, cutting through the darkness without difficulty, yet he couldn't find any evidence of wings. If anything, they resembled the combat drone he encountered a day prio...
2024-10-29 16:46:27 +0000 UTC View Post027 - A Breakthrough's Aftermath
Sera was bewildered by the sight before her. Never had she seen the concentration of red dust so high as to be visible to the naked eye. The only instances she could remember were when strong Dustborns were slain, and the red dust within their bodies spilled into the atmosphere. It only lasted fo...
2024-10-27 15:26:02 +0000 UTC View Post026 - To Bathe in Dust
“Sir! I’ve done as you asked.”
Marquez sat within his team's compound on the tenth level. Before him was a large metallic table with many similar chairs spanning its circumference. In the centre was a dimly glowing orb that projected a small hologram onto the air itself. It was a rend...
2024-10-24 22:27:51 +0000 UTC View Post025 - Welcome to a New Home
The doors opened, revealing a mystical sight that Ning Shan had never once witnessed. At least, that was what he foolishly expected, yet he was sadly disappointed by the grim reality.
The streets of the ninth level weren’t unlike those of the cities of his previous world, except that the ...
2024-10-23 22:21:44 +0000 UTC View Post024 - A Goal to Strive For
“What the hell just happened?" Sera frantically said, still shaken from having countless muzzles pointed in her general direction. "Ever since I met you, it's been nothing but hazards on my life!"
She couldn't help but hold her arms, still shivering at the thought of what might have happe...
2024-10-21 22:18:44 +0000 UTC View Post023 - Where Everything Began
Armed soldiers spilled out of the entryway as if floodgates had opened, only to leave the group stunned. They all turned toward Ning Shan in unison, only to see him shrug. Of course, he had no idea why they would seek to arrest him, seeing as this was the first time he ever set foot in this place...
2024-10-20 19:47:08 +0000 UTC View Post022 - A Lighthouse in the Darkness
“Sir! Are you sure this is wise? We know next to nothing about him.”
Charles Baxter stood in his office. Before him was a large glass pane that provided an unobstructed view of the world outside. His office consisted of a spacious room with many different seating arrangements and a rare...
2024-10-18 13:34:55 +0000 UTC View Post