Luke glared up at the helicopter circling overhead. "I’m not waving at the helicopter," he muttered.
Luke: "You have a division or department or whatever, trying to figure out what's happening with the integration and us Integrated, don’t you?"
Johan...
2025-10-31 19:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostAn ear-splitting cry rose from its throat, forcing Luke to bring his hands up to cover his ears, or risk losing his hearing. Glass windows shattered everywhere, in cars, in buildings. The cry kept going, louder than Luke thought possible, and in his effort to keep focus, he failed, losing the thr...
2025-10-30 19:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostA lot of people just stood there, staring at the monster in the distance as if dazed. Just because inspect worked on the Lizard King didn’t mean it worked on people. Luke couldn’t tell who was Integrated and who wasn’t as he hurried to catch up with Curtis. His shouting drew some attention,...
2025-10-29 19:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostHe felt danger coming from Relian, even at this distance. It wasn’t safe, but the Fallen Shepherd did not follow. Either he could not, or didn't care to. Once Luke realized Relian wasn't coming for him, he breathed a little easier and continued his search. This time, he quested outward for Hann...
2025-10-28 19:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostAfter reporting what they'd been talking about to Johanson, and what'd happened in the dungeon with the Integrated from another system, but leaving out the egg, Luke returned to his list of skills. He was a healer, yet the system had given him so many options that could cause harm. Again, he dism...
2025-10-27 19:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post"Why aren’t you helping him?" Luke asked, gesturing to the blue-banded goblin.
Around them, still more goblins fought for survival. The red-banded ones were outnumbered and wouldn’t be standing much longer.
"This one," Hiroki said, indicating the Goblin Leader wearing a blue armba...
2025-10-24 18:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostLuke stumbled forward, chest heaving, almost collapsing.
“Luke!” Curtis shouted from the ground. “Check the others! I’m fine!”
He wasn’t fine. Curtis's body was riddled with injuries, but none were fatal in the short term. Being able to stay alive for a few hours without h...
2025-10-23 10:00:11 +0000 UTC View PostHey everyone,
Just wanted to drop in to say I’ve just signed with Aethon Books for a three book deal with Lifeweaver. I’m beyond excited!
The story will continue here and on RR uninterrupted.
Take care,
Oskar
2025-10-22 19:14:28 +0000 UTC View PostHiroki, farther down the parapet, was flagging. Luke rushed to help, seeing Hannah holding her own again, though it was unclear if her consciousness had returned. A goblin appeared out of nowhere, blocking Luke's path in the chaos of the encampment, stabbing forward. Luke pulled back with a grunt...
2025-10-22 18:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostLuke studied the spellweave anchoring the barrier, but his threads couldn’t reach through. The spell was woven on the other side. Hannah’s shadows probed and slithered as well, even reaching around, but the barrier was a perfect circle.
Below, goblins clashed in brutal chaos. They weren...
2025-10-21 10:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post"I agree with Curtis," Hannah said, her voice low and monotone. "They need to pay."
Hiroki cleared his throat. "The revelation that there are other integrated systems on a similar course as ours leaves many questions to be answered," he said, weighing his words.
"Like?" Luke prompted,...
2025-10-20 18:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post"It is good to trust," Hiroki said. "But only a fool trusts without verifying."
"The quest literally says to trust this guy," Luke countered.
"To make a deal with it," Curtis said. "It doesn’t say how that has to end. Or that we have to honor it."
"So we should lie?" Luk...
2025-10-17 18:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostHe needn’t have worried.
Curtis was pissed, shouting obscenities and swinging his massive sword in wide arcs. Darkness splashed from the blade, killing every goblin touched by the substance. Daggers jutted from his shoulders, arms, and even his legs, and his health had dropped to around 7...
2025-10-16 18:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostLuke: "Fine, we'll help with the dungeon. Just let me know when you spot Relian again. Next time, I want to be there."
Luke: "And one more thing, have you set up a place and found people to heal?"
Johanson: "There are some legal issues on that...
2025-10-15 18:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostShe hesitated a little, then shook her head, cheeks reddening. "I... Not in pain. Well, was hoping to practice a little since we’re just driving."
"Practice?"
She mimicked slicing her arm up and then stitching it closed again.
"Oh," he said, taken aback. "Oh. That's a good ide...
2025-10-14 18:00:12 +0000 UTC View PostDot raised an eyebrow. "Scrubs Champion, you say?"
"Three times national champion," Luke countered.
Curtis gave him a look that conveyed just what he thought of Luke's theatrics, but he didn't have time to say anything before the woman who owned the place, who'd been standing by the k...
2025-10-13 18:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostINTEGRATED ACROSS COUNTRY REFUSE TO ENTER PORTALS - COWARDICE OR PRUDENCE?
DUNGEON BREAK PREVENTED IN MAJOR US CITY
MONSTER CORE POWERED CAR IN NEAR FUTURE?
Curtis eased up on the gas. "Fine. I'll try not crashing your car."
... 2025-10-10 18:00:11 +0000 UTC View PostHannah's talk of the Deep Dweller singing to her in her sleep was a terrifying thought, and with questions about Mia surfacing that very same day, Luke didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. If something was wrong, it was better to have more people with you.
Curtis slid down in his seat...
2025-10-09 18:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostIt was the first time he'd gained wisdom through his boon, and Luke couldn't help but think Dot had something to do with that. Teaching her made him wise, maybe? Something to consider.
Lilly checked in a few times and interviewed them once they were done for the day. From the look on her fa...
2025-10-08 18:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post"We can do that?" Dot asked, her eyes widening. "Deal with the pain? It was really bad when I tried fixing myself."
"You'll need a few more ranks in Weaver's Eye and Threads of Mana, but yeah, we can. See if you can follow this."
With Dot closing her eyes in concentration, Luke follow...
2025-10-07 18:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostLilly looked at Luke and Dot, as if weighing this new information. "So, there are two of you now? Or are there more?"
Luke glanced to Dot, then back, and shook his head. "It's just the two of us."
"You dating or something?" Lilly asked, a small, calculating grin on her face.
"Ee...
2025-10-06 18:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostLuke kept running for a while, thinking Hannah would elaborate. When she didn't, he did his best to coax more information out of her.
Luke: "Are you saying you dream of what happened down there?"
After a long moment of silence, she gave a reply.
Hannah: ...
2025-10-03 18:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostWith the decision to go after Relian himself and bringing people with him, as well as not having Mateo come, Luke considered other options as they drove, the car having settled into a comfortable silence. A few names sprang to mind right away. Curtis the grump was high on that list, as was Hannah...
2025-10-02 18:00:21 +0000 UTC View PostAs all Integrated hurried to get out of the dungeon before it closed, Luke reached out to Johanson using the communication gem in his inventory.
Luke: “Johanson! You found Relian? Since when do you have a gem?”
Johanson: “Restructuring in DIA after a lot...
2025-10-01 18:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostThe wounded mages would be fine after Luke tended to them, but Curtis and Blanchett were having trouble with the Patriarch. From the start, they were supposed to be a stalling measure until the damage-dealers were done with their task of killing the Beebler support creatures. Darkness dripped fro...
2025-09-30 18:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostRay and Luke walked side-by-side, falling behind a little as the group of perhaps fifteen Integrated made their way back toward the boss area.
"I didn't want to ask in front of the others, but what's up with that patch?" Ray asked, pointing to Luke's chest. "You a spook now?"
Luke tri...
2025-09-29 18:00:10 +0000 UTC View PostThe Beebler's thrust showed what this fight was, one to the death. It shot straight for Luke's heart, and the suddenness of it was a surprise. If not for the bo training still fresh in his limbs and hips, things might've taken a turn for the worse. Bringing the staff out of his inventory, Luke ma...
2025-09-26 18:00:10 +0000 UTC View PostLuke's fears of always arriving in places covered in sweat weren't improving as he ran from bojutsu training toward the portal. It was quite far, so after a good twenty minutes of running, a long line of e-scooters looked enticing. Rushing down the street with the wind in his hair without having ...
2025-09-25 18:00:11 +0000 UTC View PostHiroki's staff blurred, and pain shot up Luke's hands and arms. His quarterstaff thudded to the mat, and Luke worked his fingers. "Ow."
"Again," Hiroki said, raising his staff.
They went again. And again. And again.
"So," Luke began. "I'm not very good."
He'd lost the staf...
2025-09-24 18:00:12 +0000 UTC View PostRather than head to the hospital straight away, Luke went home first to shower and change clothes. He'd shown up at different places a few too many times covered in sweat at this point, and didn't want to become known as the stinky healer. With Ray back, the risk of running into new nicknames was...
2025-09-23 18:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post