For a week after we moved, I tagged along with Al on his picking operations, acting as his pacifier. Every day, I put on a concert for the swamp’s inhabitants. The haunting notes of my music, infused with the Arcane Lullaby, echoed through the misty air, blending with the natural sounds of the ...
2024-08-12 20:19:16 +0000 UTC View PostHi boys and girls,
I have a favor to ask of you.
I changed the story blurb on Royal Road based on some pushback I received in the comments and reviews. Can you look at the new blurb and tell me what you think?
2024-08-11 20:09:03 +0000 UTC View PostFor the next three days, I served as Al’s pacifier. While he meticulously picked plants, I kept myself busy playing and singing. The first day, I stayed on the jet ski, but after a few hours, I floated above him. It was much more comfortable up there, with the cool breeze on my face and a bette...
2024-08-11 18:38:59 +0000 UTC View PostIn the morning, we took off in the balloon to find a good spot for the house. We flew high above, the balloon swaying gently in the wind, and used binoculars to scan the vast area below. Now and then, there were slight rises in the terrain, but most of the swamp was a maze of twisted trees and mu...
2024-08-10 19:46:51 +0000 UTC View Post
Amidst the whispering leaves,
Where sun-kissed branches sway,
The wild creatures find their solace,
As twilight fades the day.
Chorus:
All is well, all is calm,
In the cradle of the night,
Every soul finds gentle peace,
Be...
Name: John Rue
Age: 20
Familiar: Rue Level 13
Display Class: Healer Level 12
Healer Spells:
Heal Muscle - 22
Diagnose - 15
Stop Bleeding - 6
Heal Bone - 13
Contr...
2024-08-09 11:15:12 +0000 UTC View PostIn the morning, before we took off, I decided to empty the house’s water reservoir and refill it with fresh water from the lake. I trusted Lis and was confident that the purification system he built was top-notch, especially since I knew the Purify spell and its power. Still, it felt like a goo...
2024-08-09 11:12:31 +0000 UTC View PostAfter three days, I flew to the gorge again to check on our barbarians. They were still there, and they seemed less frozen. They had set up camp fifty meters from the dungeon, where the gorge was narrower, and lit a fire across the passage. I couldn’t understand what they were still doing there...
2024-08-07 15:05:34 +0000 UTC View PostI kept at my flight training, and I’ve got to say, I got a lot better pretty fast. I played it smart this time and used a motorcycle helmet and an orthopedic neck brace to protect myself. The first day, I was still crashing into things and ended up bruised all over, needing some serious healing...
2024-08-06 20:00:57 +0000 UTC View PostWe spent the next five to seven weeks in the valley, and nothing particularly noteworthy happened. It was difficult to determine the exact time that had passed because, without monitoring a calendar, the days blurred together, melding into an indistinct flow of time. Bottom line, it had been quit...
2024-08-05 15:24:04 +0000 UTC View PostAs I lay in bed before sleeping, I repeated the same action as last time before we went down to the gorge. Between the rats, the mushroom valley, and the gorge, I had a lot of practice in weapon fighting, mainly with my swords. To advance my wizard class, I needed to practice using my magic in co...
2024-08-04 13:38:03 +0000 UTC View Post
As we rose in the hot-air balloon in the morning, I asked Mahya, “Need a boost from the wind?”
“No, I prefer to fly slowly to find a place to put the house.”
We flew leisurely over the cliffs, scouting for a good spot. A few options looked decent, but nothing stood out. The ro...
2024-08-03 12:40:56 +0000 UTC View PostAt breakfast, Mahya said, “I think Al is right, and the gorge has a dungeon.” She stirred her porridge thoughtfully.
“How? It’s so close to settlements. Surely they would have discovered it long ago,” I questioned, frowning as I set my cup down.
“In the guild, they told me...
2024-08-02 14:11:22 +0000 UTC View PostAfter returning to the starting point and opening the house, the three of us collapsed onto the couch, utterly exhausted. Rue sprawled out on his beanbag. Every muscle in my body ached. It wasn’t the kind of soreness a spell could fix, but a deep mental fatigue that seeped into my bones. Cookin...
2024-08-01 13:27:18 +0000 UTC View PostAfter a big meal, we got ready. I put on my new armor from the dungeon and jumped in place, startled. The armor was loose on me, but it shrunk to fit me perfectly. I didn’t remember a mention of self-adjustment or anything, so I identified it again:
Aegis ...
2024-07-31 12:52:15 +0000 UTC View Post
We headed for Pemisor early the following day. The road was very straight and passed through large stretches of forest. Tall, old trees twisted their crowns above us to create a green tunnel on both sides. Sunlight glancing through the leaves formed a pattern on the road. I could hear far-off sou...
2024-07-30 13:41:35 +0000 UTC View PostWe stopped at the first town after Ram-Son and went straight to the inn. Exhausted, we needed a few hours of sleep. In the morning, our plan was to continue driving, but Al found out that there was an alchemist in town and went to buy herbs. That boy focused too much on leveling. I couldn’t und...
2024-07-29 15:08:36 +0000 UTC View PostThe first week of the voyage went by smoothly, with no significant events. There wasn’t much wind, so we mostly relied on the engine, but with the boat’s speed, it wasn’t an issue. The sea was calm, smooth as glass, with no waves. We were still in vacation mode, so we did little. I got star...
2024-07-28 17:05:42 +0000 UTC View PostDriving the ATV on the road was much nicer than in the valley; there, I had to navigate around mushrooms, ponds, and rocks, and the ground was uneven. Whereas here, it was a smooth ride. Rue, still pumped from the fight, wouldn’t stop exclaiming.
“Rue did it! Rue made all crabs run away...
2024-07-26 22:42:18 +0000 UTC View Post
Pictures by John from the Balloon.
2024-07-26 08:14:24 +0000 UTC View PostAs Al occupied himself with harvesting the mushrooms in the valley, Mahya and I continued our experiments with the house.
Mahya turned to me. “I have another idea,” she said, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What’s on your mind?”
...
2024-07-25 15:33:54 +0000 UTC View PostAfter breakfast, we went outside, and I planned to store my house. I looked at the monstrosity and didn’t want to store it as-is. It was so BIG. I had left enough height, but it was still imposing.
“You told me the core could shrink the house. If it does that and absorbs the materials, ...
2024-07-24 14:03:00 +0000 UTC View PostWe were working on the ATV when I had a thought. I turned to Mahya and asked, “By the way, what happened to my clothes?”
Mahya looked up, puzzled. “Your clothes?”
“Yes, I woke up naked.”
“Oh, that. They disintegrated from the lightning. Some burned fragments were o...
2024-07-23 17:38:48 +0000 UTC View Post
Mahya and I continued to work on Al’s motorcycle. Since we worked together from the beginning, the disassembly, engraving, and assembly went much faster. I left all the copper wire to her; I had no intention of engraving tiny runes. The project took four days, and another motorcycle ran on mana...
2024-07-22 14:19:50 +0000 UTC View Post
Verse 1:
Among the constellations, seek release,
Where comet trails trace paths of cosmic grace.
The Milky Way, a bridge to inner peace,
As stardust mends the fabric of your space.
Chorus:
Beneath celestial tapestries,
Shed the weight of yesteryears.
In cosmic da...
