Nicolai returned to the prison. He found it to be a scene of chaos.
The undead he encountered were few in number, and seemed especially listless, standing in random spots and doing nothing unless bothered.
There were bug corpses everywhere, and not only corpses. In small groups and si...
2025-01-03 17:03:00 +0000 UTC View PostWith his gains from the Tree, even after spending what he had to on necessities such as more ammo, Nicolai was very near to 70,000 points. He had 63,000, and had also gained back many of the weapons he’d sold them previously. One more trade should be enough for him to get the required funds for...
2025-01-01 17:03:01 +0000 UTC View PostWithin the AA-12’s reaction chamber the firing pin impacted the back of the loaded 12-gauge round, penetrating the plastic covering and igniting the powder within. The explosion, contained and trapped in the barrel, had nowhere to go but forwards. The hot gasses of the explosion expanded rapidl...
2024-12-30 17:03:00 +0000 UTC View Post‘How have you all been?’ he asked, opting to begin prying into the man before he made any serious moves. Jo and Beth were making questioning faces at him, Jo mouthed: What’s up?
He shrugged, because he wasn’t sure, and made a face and gesture that said somethin...
2024-12-27 17:03:01 +0000 UTC View Post[Author note: Merry Christmas my dudes ^_^.
Also thanks for the feedback the other day, mostly people seem fine with events as they were except that it was a little abrupt. I don't wanna make any huge changes but I figured something small to setup Jo's motivations going into chapter 180 sho...
2024-12-25 17:03:00 +0000 UTC View PostNicolai left the others discussing the formation of the Coalition, taking Kleos and Maric into his room. He had questions and he needed answers.
‘My whole Soul is covered in Soul rot. Everything. The entire surface. What can I do?’ he asked the heads, looking into himself. He could see ...
2024-12-23 17:03:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe Mask and Jo found the others interrogating the two heads.
‘If this place is falling down, then what can we do? Is anywhere safe?’ Old Ben was asking.
‘The jungle,’ said Kleos, ‘that’s where I’d be heading, if I were you lot. But, although the jungle isn’t going to ...
2024-12-20 17:03:00 +0000 UTC View PostPaxolnaz was seething. It tore at the Interior around it as it travelled, spikes of it launching out and impaling weaker entities, shredding them and sending them fleeing before it. How much had the Denizen told the human? It would have liked to go and interrogate the creature, but knew there was...
2024-12-18 17:03:01 +0000 UTC View PostNicolai felt the Demon’s surprise, its fury, as his Soul Sense penetrated into the midst of its effort and reached the Symbiote. Then the Demon’s Soul Sense tightened around the Symbiote, blocking him.
You… hissed Paxolnaz, and Nicolai felt a pulse of power, felt and saw its ...
2024-12-16 17:03:00 +0000 UTC View PostThe route back to the safe-place was difficult. The latest earthquake had been the worse yet, and it had had significant effect on the castle.
Hallways were blocked by collapses. Bridges had crumbled and fallen. Some areas were entirely missing, towers and walkways having slipped off and fa...
2024-12-13 17:03:00 +0000 UTC View PostNicolai streaked over the ground, and he was Nicolai again. The Zero-Twelve state had faded from its peak as he escaped their field of fire, and he’d been unable to cling onto it. However, he was still merged with the others, almost one mind, but not quite on the same perfect level. 2024-12-11 17:03:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Move the arm, the shield!
Within Nicolai’s unconscious form, where even the thrill and the dark and the mask were all put to sleep, two remained functional.
In an odd reversal of the moment the long ago EMP had hit Zero-Twelve, and shut everything except Nicolai down, now, ...
2024-12-09 17:03:01 +0000 UTC View PostNicolai stood atop the Radio Tower. The wind whispered around him, picking at his poncho and flaring it, a black banner. He stood alone, ready and waiting.
In the clear space around the towers below, he saw bugs and undead tearing at one another. Even below the trees he saw them.
But ...
2024-12-06 17:03:02 +0000 UTC View Post‘Go keep an eye on things from up there,’ Nicolai told Jo.
‘Trouble?’ she asked him over Local.
‘Most likely.’
She nodded and headed up the stairs, and he turned to his next target.
‘Greetings,’ he said to Maxine, who was talking with Perr...
2024-12-04 17:03:02 +0000 UTC View PostAt the bottom of the tower, Nicolai moved to the entrance of the room where the others hid. He contacted them over Link before showing himself, wary of being shot by an overly primed finger-on-a-trigger, then he entered.
The room was small and mostly choked with vines. There was a stairway ...
2024-12-02 17:03:00 +0000 UTC View PostNicolai kept firing, but as he fired he retreated backwards.
In its fury, the bird’s eyes were fixed only on him.
He was floating above the tower when the bird came within range of his Soul Sense. It struck at him immediately, but Nicolai had prepared for this. His Soul Sense was as...
2024-11-29 17:03:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe Centipedes gazed at him with many eyes, exuding hunger and curiosity. A vine crept out and touched on the ground before him, where a small amount of his blood formed a pool. After soaking in his blood the vine rose high into the air between the Centipedes, and two long, black, forked tongues ...
2024-11-27 17:03:01 +0000 UTC View PostJo looked aside from the horde of bugs as she reloaded her rifle, looking over now she finally had time, to see what had become of Nicolai.
Her eyes widened. He was floating in the air, suspended there half a metre off from the ground, limned in yellow. He was a distant figure that seemed t...
2024-11-25 17:03:00 +0000 UTC View PostThe shakes ended quickly, everyone letting out faint sounds of relief.
‘Another one,’ murmured Daksh.
‘They happen so often, nowadays,’ muttered Beth, which received an unhappy murmur of agreement from the rest of them.
As the others spoke, Nicolai’s ears were perked a...
2024-11-22 17:03:00 +0000 UTC View Post
‘Who’s that?’ came a recognisable voice, with a long-dead accent of the American deep south.
‘Hey! Maxine? It’s me, Perro!’ said Perro, faster than any of them.
‘Perro? Hey! Good to hear from you. Where are you? Have you come to get me?...
2024-11-20 17:03:00 +0000 UTC View PostAfter returning from the Library with his gains, Nicolai had been accosted by Perro, who once more demanded they go to rescue Maxine.
Since healing the laser burn, he was in good health and there was plenty of time left in the day. Desiring to keep the momentum going and see what else could...
2024-11-18 17:03:00 +0000 UTC View PostWe arrived too late, said Cornwall as Vikrum dashed through the hallways. He spotted another destroyed drone and knew he was going in the right direction.
I want him dead, he told the AI simply.
He is gone and he leaves no signs. The odds of finding him are negli...
2024-11-15 17:03:01 +0000 UTC View Post‘High Rollers: I’ve checked on all my guys. Everyone’s fine. No problems.’
That was the third to report in. All groups had confirmed their status, except for one. Book Club.
Vikrum’s Mark flickered, and he tapped on it immediately.
The UI immediately opened to...
2024-11-13 17:03:01 +0000 UTC View PostHe activated the Pegasi ring and floated in a straight line towards a corner of room, at the bottom of one side of the library. He kept eyes on the Chosen guards via the hacked feeds. They were all keeping watch on the area and he moved through their line of sight, but they saw nothing. None had ...
2024-11-11 17:03:00 +0000 UTC View PostNicolai lurked in a quiet, shadowed hallway, peering up at the bulk of the Library with his Soul Sense tendril. Jo and Beth crouched behind him.
They had just got here, and immediately found a problem.
The Library was occupied.
His gaze moved up the stairs, to the flat area on t...
2024-11-08 17:03:01 +0000 UTC View PostNicolai strolled down a corridor, Jo and Beth in tow. He was feeling quite good. Since his… moment of release the other day, the internal tensions within him seemed reduced, and with his Mask relatively happy he felt stable and calm.
They emerged into an expansive room and stopped because...
2024-11-06 17:03:00 +0000 UTC View PostWhy was he with them? When he saw them being happy, being alive, it made him oddly happy, too. Not just because of his Mask, it was something deeper inside of him. Some hint of real humanity? He wasn’t sure, but it was there. He struggled to understand them or interact with them except for when...
2024-11-04 17:03:01 +0000 UTC View PostNicolai was sucked into a world of information. A great list of Symbiotes rolled out in front of him and dragged him inside. He saw dozens of them, all tiny little creatures, held out on hands.
They shone and activated and magic erupted, each one showcasing its ability. He was able to feel ...
2024-11-01 17:03:01 +0000 UTC View Post‘You’ll need to be careful with that,’ said Kleos. ‘If you are slightly too harsh, the Symbiote inside will die. Even if you do everything perfectly, it’s still likely to die.’
‘Is it a hibernating Symbiote?’ asked Maric, seeming curious.
‘That’s right,’ said Kle...
2024-10-30 17:03:01 +0000 UTC View Post‘Stories, legends,’ murmured Kleos.
‘I know more than most, but less than few,’ said Maric.
‘I have a story to tell you both,’ said Nicolai. ‘Of something I have seen. Of something within me. I wish you to advise me on this matter.’ His gaze settled on Maric. ‘You ma...
2024-10-28 17:03:01 +0000 UTC View Post