Seth stirred awake in the swaying night caravan. Sitting up carefully, he made sure not to disturb the two other passengers who were still curled up asleep under threadbare blankets. His eyes adjusted quickly to the dim light filtering through the narrow gaps in the window curtains. Judging by the bumps in the road, they hadn’t arrived at Arthuri yet.
Quietly, he fished a folded parchment from his bag: the beast-hunting contract he’d picked up from the Adventurers Guild’s o...
2025-07-21 04:05:00 +0000 UTC
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Seth sighed. "I didn't expect to find you all here."
"Why not?" Jenna retorted, folding her arms. "Aren’t friends supposed to worry about each other—and tell each other important things? Like, I don’t know, maybe mentioning when they have a contract with an arcane beast?"
Elena glanced at the young Warrior. "Everyone’s got their secrets, Jenna."
"Can we see him?" Devus asked, grinning from ear to ear.
Seth hesitated. 'That's up to up.<...
2025-07-18 04:05:01 +0000 UTC
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"Seth, call back your direwolf," Director Ryehill said, glancing at Nightmare. "Contracted beasts aren’t allowed out without a teacher's permission."
Seth moved the direwolf back into his necklace and bowed. "Sorry, sir. I wasn't aware of that rule."
The director turned to Quill, who was scrambling to his feet. "Mister Seralp, you're expelled."
The noble's expression shifted, and all colors left his face. "Because I attacked that… commoner?"
"...
2025-07-16 04:05:01 +0000 UTC
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The story now has an official Discord!
A few of you had asked for one, so I finally sat down and watched several hours of YouTube videos to get everything set up properly. Hopefully, those of you who wanted a place to chat, ask questions, or just hang out will enjoy it!
Also… just as I finished setting it all up, I got my very first 0.5★ review. Not going to lie, having someone dislike the story enough to take the time to write a scathing review hit harder...
2025-07-14 04:07:01 +0000 UTC
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Seth arrived at the academy feeling both excited and nervous—Professor Reat had agreed to let him skip school for two whole weeks. That time away would certainly put Seth even further behind in classes in terms of knowledge, but hopefully with a lot of hard work and late-night studying, it wouldn't be too disastrous. That gamble could allow him to catch up to the top students—he couldn't miss out on this opportunity.
A loud cacophony filled the courtyard as students poured ou...
2025-07-14 04:05:02 +0000 UTC
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Still lying on the cold floor of the cave, Seth closed his eyes and pushed his consciousness inward, examining his core. Nestled in his chest next to his Well, the thing was gradually returning to a dormant state, reabsorbing all the mysterious energy it had unleashed earlier. It felt like a long-lost part of him—something he’d always possessed even before using Kreytorus’ Legacy to learn Link but had never tapped into. It was an inner beast he'd inadvertently awakened, which was...
2025-07-11 04:05:01 +0000 UTC
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The air in the cave was frigid, a stark contrast to the forest’s warmth outside. Each of Seth's steps echoed softly, reverberating off the walls and into the deeper darkness ahead. Beside him, Nightmare moved with silent grace, every muscle coiled, ready to disappear into Illusionary Emptiness at any given moment. The duo slowly advanced while the tingling of Nightmare’s Danger Sense gradually intensified. Seth drew his bow and nocked an arrow.
The soft glow from the ca...
2025-07-09 04:05:01 +0000 UTC
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These past 2–3 days, you guys have really stepped up. I’ve received a wave of kind comments, awesome reviews, great ratings on Royal Road, and a surprising number of new Patreon subscribers. The story has now passed 2,000 followers, 400 favorites, 200 ratings, 85 patreons and… 19 reviews! (Can’t know for sure which of you it was because of the name, except for you Jumure—thank you for your awesome review!)
I was originally going to wait for that 20th review to drop an extra ch...
2025-07-07 04:09:01 +0000 UTC
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"Who’s your teacher this afternoon?" Professor Reat asked, slinging his leather bag over his shoulder.
"Captain Michaelson," Seth answered, still thrown by the professor's words. Were the rewards from the Rising Stars Tournament really that valuable? It wasn't just the Seralp House they were talking about but also the Crestors and Faertis—both of them were among the Twenty Great Houses.
Professor Reat nodded, seemingly in thought. "I'll let him know you’ll miss ...
2025-07-07 04:07:01 +0000 UTC
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"So, let's start with breakthroughs." Professor Reat stood in front of the large board, his long black ponytail falling down his back. "Can anyone tell me the requirements to break through into the Iron Tier? We've covered this a few times." In the first row, a young woman student in the gray uniform raised her hand, and the professor turned toward her. "Yes, Oliveira?"
"Good manipulation and sensing," she began, lowering her hand. "Which means for Coppers to be able to double th...
2025-07-07 04:05:01 +0000 UTC
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(Yeah, I know, it's a long message, sorry!)
First off, thank you all for reading and for the support! You all have no idea how much I appreciate it!
Anyway, here are the updates :
1. End of the Launch Phase
This is the final chapter of the “launch” phase on patreon, as mentioned in the synopsis, the authors' note on Royal Roand, and the previous announcement. From now on, the release schedule will shift to 3 chapters per week (Mon-Wed-Fri at 0...
2025-07-04 04:07:01 +0000 UTC
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"He was… one of the captains?" Seth mouthed in disbelief.
"Yes," Sericar answered. "Your father was deeply involved in his nation’s war. Up until he left with your mother."
The merchant stopped for a moment to take a sip from his mug. "After about a year of meeting in secret, they both decided to flee together. They wanted to find a place to start over, away from the horrors of war… somewhere they could raise the child your mother was carrying."
Seth’s e...
2025-07-04 04:05:02 +0000 UTC
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Seth threaded his way through Trogan's bustling central market, a large leather bag he had just retrieved from his room slung over his back. Even though it was late in the evening, the place was as lively as ever.
'You should stop using that pocket watch,' Nightmare said from within the necklace. 'Two or three other ambushes and you'll be able to buy one of those belts you’ve been drooling over.'
'I doubt he'll send any Coppers again,' Set...
2025-07-03 04:05:01 +0000 UTC
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Crouched behind a large tree, Seth brought his bow up, hand on the fletching of the nocked arrow. In the distance, an antelope stood by the only water source among the tapestry of tall gold-and-green grass stretching endlessly around them. The beast’s sleek brown fur and dark horns slightly glinted as it dipped its head to drink from the shallow puddle.
Though it was the middle of the winter, the sun still beat down with fierce heat, a sharp contrast to the nations farther north, whic...
2025-07-02 04:05:01 +0000 UTC
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(Leonard’s stat sheet is subject to change depending on the final format I decide to use later on, but the important part for the storytelling is the spells. And sorry it's a bit shorter than a normal chapter!)
Leonard sat in his office, surrounded by towering bookshelves filled with leather-bound tomes on law, history, and aether. The afternoon sunlight poured through the window and cast long, dancing shadows on the wooden panels lining the walls while the earthy scent of the herbal ...
2025-07-01 04:05:02 +0000 UTC
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Seth stood in front of a wooden door with a small silver plaque reading 'Professor Reat.' After Devus had gotten out of the tower and heard the whole story regarding Marine, the Guardian had suggested talking to the professor to explain the situation, hoping he would help.
At first, Seth had despised the idea, but after hours of contemplation in their dorm room he… found himself admitting there were no better options. He didn't want to deliberately lose the Spring Tournament and...
2025-06-30 04:05:01 +0000 UTC
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Seth bolted toward the white cross while Nightmare slinked off to the side and vanished as he had done in the three previous fights. If the summon turned out to be a caster, the direwolf’s sneak attack could probably give them a chance. Just as Seth felt slightly more optimistic, a giant bear appeared: a massive frame of over six feet tall on all fours, fur as dark as coal, a single stripe of flame running down its back—an Inferno Bear.
Inferno ...
2025-06-27 04:05:01 +0000 UTC
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Seth stood alone in a dimly lit chamber, waiting for the tower's instructor to return and initiate his trial. His gaze wandered around, drawn first by the crystal-clear orb resting atop a four-legged stand at the center. Its faint glow was almost completely overpowered by the brilliance of the light-lamps hanging around the room. Inch-deep grooves dropped from each side of the stand, running across the floor and up the rune-covered walls to the ceiling.
Just as Seth was about to move, t...
2025-06-26 04:05:02 +0000 UTC
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Seth and Devus left the dormitory and headed toward the only tower that wasn't attached to the academy’s main castle. Trees lining the cobblestone path cast long shadows around them as they walked, leaves rustling in the mild breeze.
"Hey, sorry for being grumpy lately," Devus said, kicking a pebble. "Getting beaten that badly really got under my skin. I’ve been training like crazy these past months to catch up with everyone, and all it took was one class for it all to f...
2025-06-25 04:05:01 +0000 UTC
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Seth turned Celine's words over and over in his mind as he headed back to the academy. The beast-holder and the contract were things any commoners with a sponsor could easily obtain, but now he had to find a plausible explanation for how he’d contracted a Copper beast. According to the administrator, beasts of that Tier couldn't communicate with humans, so forming a contract with one was nearly impossible.
'Tell the truth,' Nightmare said. 'You rescued me when I ...
2025-06-24 13:07:00 +0000 UTC
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So on Royalroad, the story is currently sitting on #11 of Rising Stars. As promised 5 days ago, if it hit #10 there will be an extra chapter today on RR and here!
So, if you haven't follow, favorite or rate, it would be great!
And once again, thank you so much for reading the story and supporting my writer's journey!
2025-06-24 10:34:37 +0000 UTC
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The next morning, Seth stepped into Aether Affinity class a few seconds late, his black hair tousled and his golden eyes bleary from lack of sleep. He had stayed up quite late, trying to practice with his Lighter while reading his encyclopedia after his Military and History class. To catch up to all those nobles, he knew he’d need to put in more than just a few extra hours here and there.
As he scanned the room, the short relief upon noticing the professor wasn’t there yet quickly g...
2025-06-24 04:05:02 +0000 UTC
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Seth woke up early the next day, feeling unexpectedly refreshed despite his late-night reading. After dressing quickly, he slung his messenger bag over his shoulder and made his way through the academy’s bustling halls, searching for his morning class: Wielder Class Theory for Primalists. Finding something in the vast maze-like building was never easy, but after several wrong turns and dead ends, he finally stumbled upon a small, fissured door in a desolate corridor. The number '5212' above...
2025-06-23 04:05:01 +0000 UTC
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1.
First, I’ve created a new tier for the audio version of the story, based on a suggestion from one of the subscribers. The reason is simple: I want to know if people are actually listening to the audio before continuing to invest money into it, especially when that money could instead go toward hiring an editor or commissioning a future cover.
If you didn’t respond to the poll but still wanted access to the audio, just let me know and I’ll upgrade you to the Adven...
2025-06-22 16:46:06 +0000 UTC
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Seth entered the locker room nearly a dozen minutes after everyone else, hoping to avoid running into Lucius. No instructor meant no protection, and he wouldn’t be surprised if that silver-spooned bastard would use the occasion to jump him.
'Watching you lose was more annoying than I expected,' Nightmare said as Seth peeled off his sweat-soaked training suit.
'Try getting squashed by a giant hand of dirt,' Seth retorted. 'Bet you’d find that wors...
2025-06-22 04:05:01 +0000 UTC
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The audio options cost money, even if it's AI, because it's a high-quality service. If no one ends up listening to them, I’ll just stop and wait until the book gets published in a few years—then I’ll look into hiring a voice actor to do the whole thing properly.
But if even one person is listening, I’ll keep paying and posting them.
2025-06-21 11:28:04 +0000 UTC
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Seth staggered out of the ring, his muscles throbbing from his first defeat of the day. He had won two matches in a row before facing Jenna, the Rank-18 Warrior who had just beaten him. His high Agility and Nightmare's bonus attributes had given him an edge against the other Warriors, but not against her. The young woman had a fighting style focused on swift strikes with her twin blades, putting to use her own terrifying Agility, which was the highest among the Warriors' group.
...
2025-06-21 04:25:01 +0000 UTC
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'You should wait here and ambush him,' Nightmare suggested from within his teardrop as Seth set his gray training uniform on a bench in the coliseum’s empty locker room.
Seth shook his head. 'I can’t beat him without your help—especially with all the leeches always around him.'
'Then let me out.'
'And expose Link to everyone? No thanks,' Seth answered, taking off his jacket, shirt, and pants. 'There’s certainly a reason ...
2025-06-20 11:00:11 +0000 UTC
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Professor Reat strolled to the center of the room, his gaze sweeping over the sea of faces looking at him. "Let me show you another reason why manipulation is so important," he said, pulling a scroll from his bag and crushing it into his hand. A head-sized ball of fire flickered to life in his palm. "Fireball. A popular spell for Copper Elementalists, but quite a weak one. Any idea how we can make it more powerful?"
A student in the front row quickly spoke up, "By upgrading its q...
2025-06-19 11:10:00 +0000 UTC
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Seth and Devus sat together in the coliseum, a massive open-air arena surrounded by towering seven-story-high stands. Around them, a sea of a thousand students filled the lowest rows, two thirds dressed in the scarlet uniform and a third in gray—which was absurd given that nobles barely made up only three percent of Kastal’s population. Three percent, and yet they outnumbered the commoners at the academy two for one. All equal in front of Gaia. Yeah, my ass.
Al...
2025-06-19 11:00:10 +0000 UTC
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