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224. A Feast

Ike quickly grabbed Mag’s mouth before he could actually chirp. He pulled him backward. “Nuh uh.”

“Hey, Ike. Can I go nuts?” Wisp asked.

“Wait. Let me recover first, in case things get out of hand,” Ike requested.

“I think I can manage a few minutes,” she said,...

72. Giant Boss

Every piece of Levi wanted to charge in and do some damage while the boss was climbing out of the ground, but with the ground crashing in around it as it actively climbed out, he’d only fall underneath and end up caught in the landslide, dead for no gains. He sent a few of the weaker undead can...

223. A Place to Rest

They ran through the tunnels. Ike kept to the centipede’s crawl holes rather than the main tunnels. The main tunnels were full of centipedes, while the fresh holes crawled by the centipedes were abandoned after the centipede cut its way through. The centipedes were very familiar with the dungeo...

71. Manor of Death

Levi stepped inside. The darkness of leaving the sun for the interior fell over him, and he rapidly blinked to adjust his eyes.

Mutilated bodies draped over the kitchen. Two men sat on the counter, their arms crossed. One wore all black. The other looked edgy as hell.

“Oh fuck. Abor...

222. Lots of Bugs

Centipedes rushed at them from all direction, so many that Ike couldn’t tell whether there were any directions without the creepy crawlies. Powerful auras emanated from every direction, surging toward him. His stomach clenched. That many Rank 4s? We’re dead.

Beside him, Wisp gl...

70. Serial Killing

The first house they came to had no lock on the back door. Levi pushed the door, and it swung open. A female cannibal wandered inside, working in the kitchen as she stewed down a leg. At the sound of the door creaking, she turned, snatching up a soup ladle.

Levi closed the gap in a flash. S...

221. Bugs

The centipede pushed them back. Ike dug his heels in, and still skidded across the floor. Hissing ferociously, it gnashed its mandibles, trying to slam them shut on Ike. Ike pressed his sword forward, holding it at a diagonal to block the centipede’s mandibles open. It fought against him. The s...

69. Filthy

Colin stared. “What?”

Even Isa blinked rapidly, her usually unruffled expression decidedly ruffled. “You… immortal?”

“Yep. Wouldn’t have had to waste your Miracle on me,” he said, nodding at Colin.

“Gods. I can only imagine,” Isa muttered to herself.

Le...

220. Den of Beasts

Ike plunged into darkness. The light winked out the second he fell, and the chair vanished from beneath him. In midair, Ike adjusted his stance and activated Storm Clad, preparing for a bumpy landing. He struck the ground with a thump, bending his knees to disperse the blow.

An even louder ...

68. Up and At 'Em!

The next morning, Levi hopped to his feet. He dusted off his hands and looked around. “Up and at ‘em! We’ve got a fresh set of cannibals to kill!”

Isa yawned and stretched, catlike in her indolence. “No rush. They aren’t going anywhere.”

“They might be! Kai and Vox are...

219. Victory Dinner

After the young man faded away, the servants stepped forward. At last, they delivered food and drink to Ike’s plate. He glanced around, then shrugged to himself. As long as he followed Shawn's rules, he should be allowed to eat the dinner, right? It wasn’t like he needed food, but fo...

67. Cannibal on Cannibal Action!

Levi and Isa rushed toward the heart of the town, where the majority of the third village’s cannibal inhabitants scrapped. They didn’t directly join the fight, but turned toward the edges. The cannibals on the edge watched the fight, not quite sure where to join in. Before they could decide, ...

218. Politics at the Dinner Party

The young man smiled at him, waiting for his response.

Across the table, Ike finally made eye contact with Shawn. Shawn gestured at Ike’s partner. Talk!

But what do I say? Ike mouthed back.

Just don’t be stupid!

“It’s not very polite to b...

66. So I Started Blastin'

The three of them returned to the place they’d been attacked. Levi whistled, and the large axe-wielding cannibal emerged from the undergrowth.

“Holy fuck—” Colin whirled, raising his staff.

“Hey, calm down. He’s on our side now,” Levi said, patting Colin’s shoulder. 2024-11-13 17:00:11 +0000 UTC View Post

217. No Confidence

Before them, a long banquet table stretched, set with the most complex, delicate set of plates and cutlery Ike had ever seen. Servants bustled around, preparing to deliver the first course. A line of impeccably dressed nobles sat opposite the contestants, smiling blandly and waiting for them to t...

216. Verdict

“The team who scored highest was the team belonging to Rufus Estrade,” the voice boomed.

Overhead, the names reorganized into teams. Rufus’ name climbed to the top of the table.

“Alright, well, we don’t have to be first, we just have to survive,” Ike said.

Wisp nodde...

65. Approach the Village?

They retreated to a rise over the village, a little closer than the first place they’d stopped. From here, they could see into the village’s walls and watch the cannibals go about their daily lives. The trees clustered close, with undergrowth choking their roots, so the cannibals couldn’t s...

215. The Truth of The Trial

Ike emerged from the door he’d shattered, Mag in his arms. The second they left the trial, Mag startled awake. He looked around, grabbing at Ike’s shoulders, then kicked free. Flipping in midair, he landed on his feet, then stared around, wary. “What happened? Where’d you take me?”

64. Axe You

The giant axe swept toward Levi. Levi swung toward it. Not trying to deflect it, but to throw himself aside. His blade struck the broadside of the axe, and he twisted his body to the side. The axe cleaved through him, but not center of mass. His arm flew off, spewing blood. A cold blast of pain s...

214. Rescue Operation

“I think I need to rescue Mag.”

Shawn frowned. He looked at Ike. “Can you do that? Go into someone else’s trial, I mean. In the first place, do you even know where his trial is?”

“I don’t know, but it’s worth a try. As for where… all our doors are lined up, but only ...

63. Sneak Around and Find Out

Isa drew up to a cliff. Before them, the earth fell away, trees dropping far below them. Levi and Colin walked up alongside her, following her gaze. From this point, they had a clear view out into the hills below, where a quaint village nestled in the folds of the valley.

“It’s so small...

213. Scare Me

A silhouette formed in the darkness, then stepped forward. Light played over them from the floor, slowly panning up. Pale shoes, white robes, clean, soft hands, a chest decorated with gems and gold, broad shoulders, long black hair. Before the friendly, handsome face appeared, Ike had already rec...

62. Town Three

Isa led the way through the woods once more. Levi and Colin followed her single-file. The woods swayed around them. Simulated sunlight poured down, but failed to penetrate the depths of the canopy. Down here, only speckles of sunlight made it through. Colin yawned, and Levi glanced back at him. �...

212. Face Your Fears

Ike blinked. No matter whether his eyes were open or shut, the scene remained the same: pure, brutal black, not a scrap of light to be seen. “Anyone else here?”

“Yeah, right here,” Wisp replied.

Sean sleepily patted his shoulder.

“Mag?”

“Here,” the boy repl...

61. Guerilla Warfare

“So. How’s everyone doing?” Levi asked, looking around the camp.

Isa shrugged, leaning against the wall. “I’m fine. I didn’t even fight.”

“Why did we run?” Colin asked.

They stood in the same cave they’d hidden from the cannibals in earlier, except now there ...

211. Ranking of Riders

Wisp stared, then furrowed her brows and blinked. She tipped her head. “Huh?”

“Uh. Is horse racing usually this complicated?” Ike asked.

Rosed from his sleep by the loud voice, Shawn squinted up at the sky. He narrowed his eyes. “No, not usually. What’s all this about hors...

60. Danse Macabre

Kai charged again. On the far side of Vox, Levi threw his knife. Vox swayed back. Shadow tendrils darted out from his back and supported him as he pulled a neat backflip. Kai’s slash struck down behind Vox, beating a hole in the earth but failing to strike the man.

“He’s afraid of you...

210. A Race

It was simple math, in the end. He’d had to catch the nag to ride it. That meant he was faster than the horse, even at its fastest. He didn’t know what came next, so he’d been seeking to save his aether, but he had no more option. The nag couldn’t be enticed to run faster, so he had to ru...

209. I'm Here

A horse hurtled out of the pack, closing in on Ike. It rode alone, or so he thought. It turned to the side, and a small child appeared on its back.

“Shawn!” Ike shouted in joy. A second later, he furrowed his brows. What’s Shawn going to do here? I appreciate the help, but he’s�...