My pursuit of a proper cybernetic suit of armor came from Mira. Or more accurately, her hoverbike. Until that point, I had no idea that external cybernetics even existed, but the moment she explained how it worked, my mind went wild with all the possibilities. But it wasn’t... 2023-09-09 13:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Zeke was freezing. His extremities were numb. And he felt more sluggish than he’d ever felt in the middle of battle. But still, he pushed on, even as the blizzard swirled around him. He was the biggest and most obvious target, and so, he was where the storm of ice mana had been concentrated. As...
2023-09-08 13:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostJasper was mortified.
When he was young, he’d always loved to sing. Wherever he went, the gentle melody of a child’s song would follow. However, as he’d grown older, his mother had made it clear that such activities were within the sole purview of women. He could still hear her voice ...
2023-09-07 13:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostApologies for this being a bit late. I scheduled it for 9AM (which is when the Royal Road chapters post) instead of 8AM (which is when I usually post the Patreon chapters). Better late than never, though!
I’ve always liked to t... 2023-09-06 13:41:30 +0000 UTC View Post
Zeke stepped through the gate, appearing a moment later before the tower. Wind and mana swirled, bearing with it jagged shards of ice that, if he hadn’t been in his armored form, would have easily cut through the natural defenses of his endurance.
“I think you’re overestimating that i...
2023-09-05 13:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostZeke paced back and forth, worried about Pudge. He’d been gone too long, and through the increasingly tenuous connection of their bond, he could tell that the former dire bear was in trouble. Normally, he couldn’t feel anything through the soul bond unless he focused on it with the entirety o...
2023-09-04 13:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostI don’t think anyone would ever call Mira a people person. She would describe herself as no-nonsense, but I think prickly is probably a better word for it. Whatever the case, she often rubs people the wrong way.
Patrick Ward
... 2023-09-03 13:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostPressure is a funny thing. For some people, it’s a prerequisite for greatness. They can’t thrive unless something is pushing them. But for others? That constant pressure is a detriment, preventing them from ever reaching their potential. And then there are people like Mir... 2023-09-02 13:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Once Pudge had recovered, he recentered himself and began his exploration of the castle. As he progressed throughout, he discovered that most of it was completely uninhabited. Though it could easily accommodate a thousand people – or more – it was almost entirely empty.
Or most of it wa...
2023-09-01 13:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostPudge crept closer to the ice palace, carefully placing one foot in front of the other as he traversed the frozen courtyard. Cloaked in [Concealed Steps] and within the embrace of his path of stealth, he was all but invisible. And it was a good thing, too, because the entire area was absolutely i...
2023-08-31 13:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostI’ve never seen someone work as hard or as long as Mira. Sometimes, I wonder how she does it, but then I remember who raised her. I remember the stories she’s told me about her training. And then, it becomes all too clear.
Patrick Ward
I ...
2023-08-30 13:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostZeke led a column of hardy warriors – both former slaves and kobolds alike – across the tundra, using his colossal form to break a trail for the group. He would have preferred if everyone had simply remained in the tower where they would be safe – or more importantly, so he wouldn’t have ...
2023-08-29 13:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostTucker adjusted his tricorn hat, which brought a hiss of derision from his companion. He glanced to his right to see that Athis was just as pale as he’d been when last he looked at the giant Kirran five minutes before. And considering that the big dragon-man was covered rigid scales, that was q...
2023-08-28 13:00:11 +0000 UTC View PostMira believes the world is doomed. I hope she’s wrong, but everywhere I turn, I see evidence that if the aliens don’t get us, we’ll just do the job ourselves.
Patrick Ward
I stepped through nothing, using Teleport to a...
2023-08-27 13:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostMira tries to be understanding. She wants to be a good person. She just doesn’t really know how. She grew up with a man who saw only the worst in people. Jeremiah had his reasons for being the way he was – and he loved her in his own way – but he was ill-equipped to be ... 2023-08-26 13:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Panic suffused Pudge’s heart as he saw Sasha collapse, and, suddenly, all he could think about was racing to her side. He tore across the battlefield, trampling struggling juvenile kobolds and shoving aside their larger seniors along the way. Someone shouted his name, but he paid the call no mi...
2023-08-25 13:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostZeke’s steps thundered against the frozen ground, his increased size rendering the deep snow into a trivial inconvenience. Each stride covered almost a dozen feet, so he quickly outpaced his allies. He summoned his hammer, its immense weight comforting in his earthen grip.
“Most p...
2023-08-24 13:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostI only met Caden a few times, but it was clear from the very beginning that he didn’t like me much. I think he was jealous of me, of his sister’s affection. Or maybe he just didn’t like the idea of seeing someone his own age actually succeeding. With me around, he had e... 2023-08-23 13:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post
With Pudge and Silik flanking him on either side, Zeke watched the defectors stride across the tundra. In all, nearly half of the former slaves had chosen to depart, though most had gone on good terms. There were a few malcontents, like Mika and her lackeys, among the group, but that was unavoida...
2023-08-22 13:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostSasha tried to ignore the powerful currents of mana all around her. She even told herself that it was good practice, meditating in such an environment. However, she was only mildly successful in convincing herself that she really believed it. The fact was that Pudge had guided her into a nest of ...
2023-08-21 13:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostCyrilla begged me to stay. She said a hundred horrible things about Mira, some of which were objectively true. But I knew she just couldn’t see past the person who’d brought Nova City to its knees. All she saw was the woman who was responsible for the deaths of thousands.... 2023-08-20 13:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post
Mira and I don’t always agree on everything, but I think we understand one another. We’ve both lost so much, and I don’t know how I would function without her. I tried it, and, looking back, I know I wasn’t happy. So, as much as she sometimes frustrates me, I can’...
2023-08-19 13:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostAfter hearing Jasper’s report on the dissidents, Zeke decided to confront the would-be rebels. In truth, he didn’t really blame them for wanting to take the Crimson Tower for their own. It was a remarkable treasure, and as far as he could tell, he’d only barely scratched the surface of its ...
2023-08-18 13:00:10 +0000 UTC View Post“Wait – I can change the names of the floors?” Zeke asked aloud, his hand still on the control crystal that allowed him access to the administrative functions of the Crimson Tower.
“It appears so,” said Eveline. Zeke had released [Bulwark of the Triumvirate], letting her free. So,...
2023-08-17 13:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostI’ve never had a normal life. Not really. Even when I was with Cy – brief though our relationship was – I know now that I was just looking for a way out. So, when Mira came back, I was more than ready to believe that she had turned a corner. Now, I wonder if I was just ... 2023-08-16 13:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post
Zeke took great pleasure in seeing Pudge’s reaction to the changes the Crimson Tower had undergone. Curiously, though, the former dire bear wasn’t terribly interested in the massive city contained within the tower. Nor was he terribly enthusiastic about the healing pools or the Artisan’s Te...
2023-08-15 13:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post“Far enough?” asked Pudge, looking around at the gathered refugees. Most bore injuries, though the severity of their wounds varied significantly. Some were missing limbs, others had mere abrasions, but none of the former slaves or kobolds had escaped the Battle of Min Ferilik unscathed.
I want to see the stars. Right after my mom died, I would spend hours just lying atop the Jitterbug and looking up at the night sky. If I could have, I would’ve gone right then. No looking back. No regrets. Just me and the heavens.
Patri...
2023-08-13 13:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostShoot first, ask questions later. That’s Mira’s motto. I don’t know if she got it from her uncle or if it’s the result of a mountain of experience, but I sometimes wish she’d just stop and think things through. Of course, her general policy has saved my life more ti... 2023-08-12 13:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Zeke was on the verge of being overwhelmed.
Dozens of dwarves clung to his metallic body, using the ridges and crystalline spikes to hold on as they aimed one skill after another at point-blank range. And there were more all around, pouring through out of the tunnels to do their part in the...
2023-08-11 13:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post