There was an abrupt sense of motion as he took off at a staggering speed. He could feel his consciousness expanding and diffusing as it was pulled away from the tower and across an infinite horizon. A sensation that he now recognized as teleportation initiated by the System.
Planets and sta...
2024-10-30 17:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostThe cancerous blightling jumped for Edge’s throat, both bladed claws and segmented tail aiming for the gap in his armor. Even if the creature’s weapons missed on the first pass, it was ready to clamp on with its barbed legs and start carving into his flesh.
If he had hesitated for a sec...
2024-10-29 17:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostThe hunters started sprinting before the last word passed Sasha’s lips, dodging dark shapes emerging from the banded earth. There were dozens of pale bodies scampering out from what had to be an extensive network of tunnels, and more monsters were joining the chase with every beat of his heart....
2024-10-28 17:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostNick braced himself to experience another major teleportation sequence. Thus, he was surprised when the world reappeared only a few seconds later. When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in what appeared to be a modest hotel room—the same kind that you would have found almost anywher...
2024-10-28 17:00:11 +0000 UTC View PostThe lone construct came to a stop fifteen feet in front of the party, still displaying no signs of aggression. While Nick was deciding how to respond, a floating screen appeared above the solitary machine. It looked like the displays that the System used, but with a different layout and color sch...
2024-10-25 17:01:04 +0000 UTC View PostEarly the next day, the crew left the riverway behind them and crossed into a sub-biome known as the Painted Lands. After passing through the borderlands, they parked the wagon at the base of a hill where they could get a better view of the surrounding terrain.
As they started scaling the m...
2024-10-25 17:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostTraveling after such a heavy rain wound up being something of a mixed bag. On the bright side, the retreating storm brought a breeze in its wake, cooling the air quite a bit. Riller and Violet were able to hike comfortably throughout the day without having to shelter inside the wagon.
On th...
2024-10-24 17:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostEdge was woken sometime later by Sasha’s hand on his shoulder.
“The rain is softer now, so we need to stand watch,” she whispered, so as not to wake the others. He nodded and stepped out of his tent. They walked over to the front of the cave, switched places with Jumo and Riller, and ...
2024-10-23 17:01:30 +0000 UTC View PostAfter Nick let everyone know that he was going to be ok, Team Earth stood there in stunned silence—taking in the massive windfall they had received for defeating the roach queen, a few dozen of her minions, and the colossal monster known as the Janitor.
He wasn’t sure how long the gear-...
2024-10-23 17:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostSince there was still another hour or so before sunset, no one was ready to call it day. While Violet stepped into the wagon to grab the cookpot and tonight’s ingredients, Trapper went to place some kill traps in front of the cavern’s entrance to supplement her earlier efforts.
He hadn...
2024-10-22 17:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostEveryone backed up while Veronica went to work. She was flinging Molotovs at the frozen mutant in a flurry of motion, but she hadn’t ignited them yet. Instead, she was spreading the flammable fluid across the monster’s body—concentrated on the spot where its core was visible.
When the...
2024-10-21 17:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostEdge soon learned that another advantage of traveling with an experienced hunting team was that their knowledge of the Ivory Plains far exceeded his own.
They knew this terrain inside and out, minus the changes that the anomaly had wrought, including the best spots to take shelter along the...
2024-10-21 17:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostA few miles later, the trade road began to narrow, and its surface grew rougher by the minute. They had already passed major forks branching to the east and west. Before long, the trail was just a rough swath of cleared ground that was barely wide enough for the wagon to pass through—a backroad...
2024-10-18 17:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostNick was certain that if Team Earth continued fighting the Janitor using conventional tactics, they were all going to die. While their attacks were dealing damage, especially V’s acid and Devin’s axe-plosions, the mutant was still able to regenerate to some extent.
Although they had dra...
2024-10-18 17:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostEdge woke up before dawn, eager to resume his adventure.
Most of the crew was still asleep, so he rose from his bedroll, left the cave, and tiptoed over to where Trapper was standing watch on the hillcrest. She waved hello and he took a seat on a nearby boulder, stretching out his body whil...
2024-10-17 17:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe crew walked beside the wagon as they left the hunters’ district, heading for the north gate of town. Edge let his mind wander, listening to the rattle of the wheels rolling along the cobblestones, the creak of Blue’s harness, and the footsteps of the people walking beside him.
He fo...
2024-10-16 17:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostBefore Nick rejoined the epic showdown, there was one more thing that he needed to do along the way. Something that would come in handy when the conflict reached its climax over the next few minutes. While he ran, he slipped off his backpack and opened the flap, carrying bag with his left arm as ...
2024-10-16 17:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostHalf an hour later, Edge had worked up quite a sweat.
After securing a final crate, the wagon was fully loaded. He helped Violet stretch a waterproof tarp over the top and held it in place while she tied it down. He sat down at the bench to catch his breath while the crew’s quartermaster ...
2024-10-15 17:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostEdge’s day had been long and stressful. His body was bone-weary, but his mind was so overstimulated that it was racing with manic energy. He decided that his best chance of getting a full night’s sleep was to work it all out of his system by putting his body through its paces.
With that...
2024-10-14 17:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe party broke apart and started running for the far wall, spreading out to limit how many of them could be targeted by the powerful spell.
As they raced to open some distance, the Janitor’s turret sucked in more mana from its core, until the barrel was glowing brightly enough to see the...
2024-10-14 17:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostAfter entering town, Edge started walking along South Street.
He did his best to look frustrated and bored instead of euphoric. As if nothing more exciting than a poor day of hunting had occurred while he was out on the grasslands.
He kept expecting word of Warren’s death to catch u...
2024-10-11 17:01:06 +0000 UTC View PostThe Janitor stopped chasing Nick while he raced to rejoin his team. Instead, the wounded mutant darted over the far corner of the chamber, where it was beyond the gear-swarm’s reach and safe from the party for at least a few more seconds.
Nick came to a skidding stop—gasping for breath ...
2024-10-11 17:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostWhen Edge snapped back into his body, he realized that he was high in the branches of an enormous tree. Not so much hanging from them, as transfixed by them.
Apparently, plunging through the canopy had broken his fall and saved his life. It had also impaled him i...
2024-10-10 17:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostEdge woke up sometime later, surprised to discover that he was still alive.
When he groaned and opened his eyes, he saw that he was covered in burns from head to toe, along with generous amounts of his own blood. His whole body ached, and his head was pounding. He felt like he had been run ...
2024-10-09 17:01:03 +0000 UTC View PostFive breathless minutes later, Nick was coming to the conclusion that this strategy wasn’t going to be sufficient.
His party was inflicting some significant damage to the force-wielding monstrosity, but it wasn’t fast enough. He was going to run out of stamina again sooner rather than l...
2024-10-09 17:00:12 +0000 UTC View PostThat was one hell of a fight, manslayer. You better have some good skills after everything you put me through. A fraction of a heartbeat later, Edge’s consciousness followed the black chains, and he was drawn inside Warren’s core.
He found himself standing in front of a small, ...
2024-10-08 17:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostEdge had been saving his ultimate for the right moment, and now it had arrived.
Warren was running on the dregs of his mana. He thought Edge was dead and was standing within arm’s reach. It was a perfect time to take him by surprise and end the fight in a flash.
Sometimes, when life...
2024-10-07 17:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostNick broke into a broad grin, then assumed a battle stance with his sword raised in a two-handed grip.
Now that he could feel the connection, he sensed that he could feed his weapon pure mana at will. Just to make sure, he sent energy out from his core, through his arms, and into the blade....
2024-10-07 17:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostThe barrel of Warren’s revolver flashed, unleashing his third spellshot of the battle.
This time, he pointed the gun straight up, instead of trying to hit Edge directly. The move caught him by surprise, but the reason for it soon became as plain as day.
This skill wasn’t anything ...
2024-10-04 17:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post