Imagine a world. Any world will do. Think of all the various factions, nations, tribes, ethnicities, and every other factor that can contribute to its political landscape. Everyone has their own perspective, and on a scale of billions, the only result is barely restrained cha... 2023-11-25 14:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Rain fell in heavy drops that reminded Elijah that spring would soon overtake winter. But it had yet to arrive, as evidenced by the biting cold that refused to relinquish its grip. Elijah ignored it as he pushed the small boat out into the sea. He had endured worse, and he knew his suffering had ...
2023-11-24 17:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostThough it took almost three weeks to fully harden, the soap turned out exactly as Elijah had hoped, which was to say that, while it was a little harsh, it did the job. So it was that, after spending almost two years on his island, he was finally able to reach a reasonable level of cleanliness. Af...
2023-11-24 16:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostOver the next few days, Zeke spent an inordinate amount of time testing his skills. He’d only had a few opportunities to familiarize himself with [Hell Geyser] back in the dungeon, and so, it wasn’t as ingrained in his fighting style as it probably should have been. So, during those few days,...
2023-11-24 14:00:09 +0000 UTC View PostSaraalinisa looked around with wide eyes, her every footfall accompanied by fresh awe. The trees were so green, the local fauna so varied – it was so distinctly wild that she could not help but wonder if the curated forests of her homeland even qualified for the label. The Empire of Scale was o...
2023-11-23 17:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostElijah chipped the last bit of wood away, then ran his thumb over the pawn’s head before holding it out to inspect. It wasn’t perfect, but his whittling skills had improved since he’d first washed ashore. And using the knife he’d taken from the gnomish invader was much better than using t...
2023-11-23 16:00:01 +0000 UTC View PostJust wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I'm incredibly grateful for all of your support! Now, onto the chapter:
Zeke took a deep breath, centering his mind as he sought the tranquility necessary to really work on what he hoped would eventua...
2023-11-23 14:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostElijah burst through the surface and took a deep breath of freedom. Bobbing up and down with the waves, he lay back and stared at the winter sun for a few seconds before the frigid water began to affect him. Once numbness started to set in, he swam toward his island. When he got within a few doze...
2023-11-22 17:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostThe alpha never showed up, much to Elijah’s chagrin. He was keyed up and ready to fight, and the moment he regained enough Ethera, he resumed his predator form before retracing his steps. It wasn’t easy, finding his way back to the site of the original ambush, but the marks he’d previously ...
2023-11-22 16:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostRifts are dangerous things. No one disputes this. However, there are a multitude of ways to mitigate the danger. From thorough scouting to Mist diffusion, the universe has farming them down to a science. But on an unintegrated world, for a native species, none of this is avai... 2023-11-22 14:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post
“Are you certain?” asked Cabbot, using the same imperious tone he’d heard from his father on so many occasions. The effect, in his opinion, was ruined by a lack of a throne room. Or perhaps by the presence of his disgustingly common office, with its mismatched, oversized furniture, bare wal...
2023-11-21 17:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostAs Elijah padded down the corridor, a chill ran up his spine, raising his hackles. Cloaked in Guise of the Unseen, he was safe from observation, but he still felt like something was watching him. Over the past few days, an eerie ambiance had blanketed the labyrinth, setting him on edge even if no...
2023-11-21 16:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostI know this is a touch late, but in my defense, I've been really busy this past week. So, please forgive me for forgetting about the check-in.
Anyway, as I said, I've been super busy, what with the launch of Path of Dragons and keeping up with the normal workload. So, without fu...
2023-11-21 15:39:32 +0000 UTC View PostFor the first time in what felt like an eternity, Zeke relaxed. Not fully – he didn’t think he would ever accomplish that feat – but it was enough that he didn’t feel like some deadly threat was poised to pounce on him the moment he let down his guard. However, he only allowed himself to ...
2023-11-21 14:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostAlyssa sagged to one knee, propping herself up with the Spear of the Dragon Lancer. Looking around, she saw that the rest of her party looked just as exhausted as she felt. No one seemed nearly as drained as Bryce, though. But that wasn’t surprising, considering that, as they cleared their way ...
2023-11-20 17:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostElijah was afraid he would once again lose himself if he shifted back into his predator form, so, as he headed through the maze’s entrance, he did so as a human. Holding his staff in front of him like a spear, and naked as the day he was born, he crept forward one tentative step at a time.
<... 2023-11-20 16:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostAs it turned out, the kobolds were just fine. In fact, they were more than okay, and their efforts to turn the tower into their home had certainly born fruit. The entry hall remained mostly unchanged, though there were a few legionnaires posted as guards. Why that would be necessary, Zeke had no ...
2023-11-20 14:00:10 +0000 UTC View PostUnlike when she’d entered the minor dimensional rift, Alyssa didn’t stumble.
Not physically, at least. But her mind certainly hit a speedbump as she beheld the landscape before her. At its most basic level, it looked like a city, not dissimilar from any of the dozen or so major populati...
2023-11-19 17:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostAlyssa said, “We don’t have a choice.”
“It’s almost fifty miles away,” Roman pointed out. “It’s not our problem.”
Alyssa looked around at the others. Carmen was there representing the noncombatants, but the rest of the council were Roman’s allies. He had handpicked...
2023-11-19 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe universe is supposed to have rules. It shouldn’t just be a capitalist dystopia where all that matters is how much money or influence you can snatch away from the weak and powerless. That’s why I do the things I do, fight the wars I fight. Anyone capable of making a di... 2023-11-19 14:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Once Elijah had gone a few hundred yards, he stopped and yanked the arrows out. There were three of them, but only one had penetrated more than an inch. Whether he could blame the ape creature’s poor equipment or his own enhanced Constitution, he had no idea, but whatever the reason for the pro...
2023-11-18 17:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostElijah dove, slicing through the water with ease. Then, when he’d gone a few hundred feet, gravity shifted, and he was suddenly falling in the other direction. Inexplicably panicked, he desperately treaded water as he searched for some landmark in the abyssal darkness. Looking down, he saw noth...
2023-11-18 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostFor most people, losing multiple limbs would be a devastating thing. Even with cybernetics, it’s just not the same – no matter what anyone tells you. But for me, it was a boon. It gave me insights into cybernetics I never knew were possible. Still, I would give anything j... 2023-11-18 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Elijah rolled his shoulders as he strode forward, but in the back of his mind, he realized that the effect was probably ruined by the curious, bouncing gait required to walk across the seafloor. He didn’t care, though. Instead, he only had eyes for the monster that had tried to eat him.
I...
2023-11-17 17:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostElijah was in mid-celebration when he felt something about the current change. No stranger to ambushes, he wheeled around, ready to defend himself. But when he did, he saw nothing but a gaping maw filled with jagged teeth. Panicked, he tried to dash away, but he only took a single step before the...
2023-11-17 16:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostZeke stumbled as he stepped free of the arch, then fell to one knee in gratitude. Until that moment, he hadn’t realized how different the dungeon had felt. How oppressive. It had been like claustrophobia for his spirit, though he could only see it clearly in the hindsight of freedom.
Soon...
2023-11-17 14:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostAlyssa swung her spear in a long arc, severing a series of saplings in one swing. As she did so, she let out a shout of anger and frustration.
“I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Carmen didn’t make that thing so you could use it to cut down trees,” said Bryce, the party...
2023-11-16 17:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostElijah was exhausted.
It wasn’t just the constant danger, though that was a big part of it. Nor was it the raw fish that had become his diet. He’d even grown accustomed to the taste of the water. No – what really got to him was the constant submersion. People just weren’t meant to l...
2023-11-16 16:00:12 +0000 UTC View PostZeke came in low, but the Mirror King swept its sword down to knock his hammer off course. Then, it aimed a kick at Zeke’s face, connecting with his chin with enough force to send him staggering backwards. Without missing a beat, the monster seized upon that small advantage and thrust its sword...
2023-11-16 14:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostElijah knelt behind a fallen chunk of coral. In one hand, he clutched his staff, while the other kept him from drifting with the current as he watched the scene laid out before him. It had been nearly a week since he’d first entered the second level of the tower, and in that time, he’d been f...
2023-11-15 17:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post