I stepped outside where a massive crowd had gathered. I made my way to the elevated podium that had been set up. Soldiers making sure my path was clear. There were was some shouting, but for the most part people were quiet and watching me.
I saw people on top of buildings around the plaza and looking out every window. The entire place was packed. It was standing room only. There were no vendors selling anything either. Everyone was here to listen to what I had to say.
Reaching the...
2023-11-08 23:56:22 +0000 UTC
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“Are you okay?” Clarissa asked me.
“I should be asking you that,” I replied as I sat in her office. She gave me a grim smile.
“I am hanging in there. This has been a complete and utter disaster. At least you are alive. If you had died, then this would be over,” she said, and I frowned at that.
“Don’t say that,” I said and she gave me a surprised look. “Don’t say that it will be all over if I die. This entire situation doesn’t add up. The sphere is jus...
2023-11-07 23:59:15 +0000 UTC
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“There, that should do it. Only minor curse damage. It doesn’t appear the attacks were cursed,” Doctor Katz said as he looked me over.
“My eye still seems out of focus,” I replied.
“Covering both of them for a couple of days should help. Then gradual light. That should let them both readjust,” he said. I took the offered piece of cloth and tied it around my head and eyes. I wanted to do nothing more than sleep, but we needed to talk and go over everything that had ha...
2023-11-06 23:55:59 +0000 UTC
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I was a thousand years old. It was kind of funny that no one cared but me. I had outlasted countless people, enemies, family, and friends. Time did not fly by. Each day was another exhausting day of planning out thefts and moving about the Forever City.
“You ever get tired?” I asked Bones as I sat at a table in our room drinking some pure water.
“You are more melancholy than normal since we are so close. Problem?” Bones asked me.
“Just thinking about how l...
2023-11-06 23:55:30 +0000 UTC
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“I am just getting started.” I was completely lying, but hopefully it would buy me some time to get away.
“AND YOU ARE BUT A MEWLING BABE. REDIRECT. PULSE.” I quickly leapt into the tunnel as gravity was redirected towards the sphere. It took a moment to make sure I didn’t fall back down into the boss chamber. A massive pulse of white energy covered the entire chamber. “HOW ANNOYING. BEAM.
2023-11-06 00:12:29 +0000 UTC
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Entering the chamber, even with giving my eyes time to adjust, I was forced to squint. The light was blinding, and all the surfaces were reflective. Hanging in the air in the center of the large spherical chamber was a glowing white sphere. Focusing and squinting some more, showed that wasn’t correct. The shards had just reformed and gotten close to each other, but there were still cracks.
“Hello?” I called out. I would try diplomacy first. My voice echoed in the chamber. I noted ...
2023-11-04 22:53:46 +0000 UTC
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I dodged behind some blocks as a massive white beam cut through the space, I had just been standing in. It several of the building blocks and melted right through them. I kept moving and dived into a roll as a second beam cut through the air in front of me.
The only saving grace about the large white block golems was that they took a moment to charge and couldn’t adjust their aim during the charging and firing period of their attack. That was the only good news. Their attack and defen...
2023-11-04 22:53:17 +0000 UTC
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“The pain is getting worse,” I mumbled as I sipped some more energy potion. I had been constantly taking them for the last 100 years or cycles as they called time around this place. I had accumulated 106,800 drops, divided equally between all 9 sub-divisions of cores, which meant 11,866.6 drops per core.
Each of my cores had quickly progressed through the stages of gas, liquid, and solid. Now they were putting out immense amounts of pressure on my cultivation system and body, while ...
2023-11-03 23:01:26 +0000 UTC
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Young Michael
I disliked the city shield, it hurt my head, but it was better than dying. There had been no arrival either while the city shield was up. Which was useful, since there was strict rationing going on. Most people had gathered or were staying near the center of the city, where there was light coming down from above.
While the shield gave off some light, it wasn’t enough to light up the entire city like the light source did. The kids who weren’t life...
2023-11-03 23:00:26 +0000 UTC
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Blocks of various sizes and colors were moving about and building outwards, coming out from the center of the terrain. Like a hive of ants. I saw blocks as small as the tip of my finger to blocks as large as one of the buildings in the cities moving about.
Their speed was fairly slow by my standards and it was very hard to tell what they were constructing. There seemed to be some color coordination going on as well, as certain colors were predominantly next to other colors. Or certain s...
2023-11-02 22:25:10 +0000 UTC
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I paid 1 credit to get a temporary pass for one cycle through the tower at the checkpoint on the main staircase. I had also noticed traffic was picking up. Despite being large the Forever City had always seemed quite empty for a super massive city. Several of the people weren’t wearing cloaks hiding their identities either.
“The middle levels are always the most populated and have high traffic. Anything under 5,000 would be considered the middle. Above or below that up to around...
2023-11-01 22:57:46 +0000 UTC
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Now that I was looking for it, I could see it. The wave of non-System energy pushing away the energy that covered the Systemic Lands. I was crossing the level 3 zones that connected the former Dragon Empire portion and the original Purgatory portion of the Systemic Lands.
I slowed down and saw that the energy wave was advancing. It really was a natural disaster. Stopping at the edge, I stepped through slowly, bracing myself. There definitely was something off. Even the air had a slightl...
2023-11-01 22:56:53 +0000 UTC
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“Thanks,” I said to the cloaked figure as they pushed over a crystal shard that would go into the map pad. They also put down a black metal card with two large white X’s and then a smaller one between the two.
“You paid for it,” the cloaked figure said while getting up, ending our transaction. It had cost 11,000 credits in the end. The first 1,000 credits was to pay the bar tender for directions to a reputable information broker. Then the next 10,000 credits was to pay for dir...
2023-10-31 22:57:11 +0000 UTC
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I entered the conference room after being up on the roof for about an hour. There was no new information to present. The Avatar was still unconscious as well, with no sign of waking up. I sat back down and everyone became quiet with my arrival.
“I have decided on the course of action that I will be taking. Attempting to capture level 7 monsters is not possible. While I can fight at that level, turning them into crafting crystals, not so much. I haven’t reached the level of dominatin...
2023-10-31 22:56:17 +0000 UTC
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The Avatar finally stopped seizing. The fact she had such a reaction was a very bad sign. “What did you do?” Doctor Katz asked me.
“I pushed energy around her head. Whatever is spreading, could it be everywhere in minute quantities?” I turned to look at Jacob.
“Yes. Detection is incredibly difficult. Give me a moment to think,” he began to pace. I let go of the Avatar’s head and sat down. Doctor Katz had her moved to the side of the room and began checking her over.<...
2023-10-31 22:55:17 +0000 UTC
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“Clarissa.” I felt relieved at seeing her alive. Some of the tension left my body.
“Michael, it is bad. I am glad you are here,” she said, which I knew meant it was really bad. She wasn’t one to overhype things in the slightest.
“What are we looking at?” I asked, hoping she had more information to go on.
“That is best explained by Jacob. He has taken the lead on the research. I have been preparing evacuation plans,” she replied, and I frowned at that.
2023-10-31 22:54:45 +0000 UTC
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High Priest XLR8
That horrible bitch had left me behind. Of course, XLR8 was not important enough to get on the evacuation airship. I was a critical member of the government. I ran the Power Church! We dropped the shield for a moment to broadcast, to recall Emperor Michael in desperation, but were forced to raise it again in seconds to prevent mass casualties.
“We must pray!” I shouted to the teeming masses that had gathered in front of the Power Church. While...
2023-10-28 22:49:23 +0000 UTC
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It had been fifty years since I had first arrived in the Forever City and I was 256 years old and had 12,982 credits to my name and change. My equipment was upgraded quite heavily, so that upgrading further wasn’t worthwhile. I had been learning how the stuff worked as well to a minor degree. Lots of energy runes and imprinting in conjunction with different materials.
Anything better would require backing from a faction and attention I couldn’t afford. While I had multiple observati...
2023-10-27 20:30:40 +0000 UTC
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Jacob Copper
“Sir, the device, it is moving,” I looked up at one of my assistants.
“Which one?” I asked. I had set up several passive devices to monitor the situation as I continued my research into energy compression. The astrolabe technology was quite remarkable. The ancient United City States had made quite a bit of progress of interacting with energy on a physical level, and disrupting energy formations.
“Scanner three,” my assistant said. Wh...
2023-10-27 20:29:50 +0000 UTC
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“This morning’s broadcast is an emergency order. Code black, 789451. I repeat code black, 789451. This is not a drill. At the current time all forces are-“ the transmission from the stone cut out from XLR8s regular broadcast that I listened to in the morning. It took me a moment to process what had just happened.
I left my bedroom and went onto the bridge. “Maximum speed to Purgatory, immediately. Prepare for heavy combat. I will be putting on my armor,” I ordered.
“Cr...
2023-10-26 21:22:36 +0000 UTC
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I landed back on the airship just as it was getting dark. “Welcome back Emperor Michael,” one of my personnel guards said and saluted.
“At ease, any incidents?” I asked.
“All is calm sir,” he replied.
“Keep doing your duty,” I said as the soldier saluted me again. I gave him a salute back and went down into the kitchen. The chef had prepared bread bowls today with clam chowder. It was quickly becoming my favorite comfort food and after the freezing of a level...
2023-10-25 20:37:04 +0000 UTC
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The tower shook again as the various forces fought each other. Thankfully no one came into the small room we were hiding in next to the main staircase. “Clear, three down, five up,” I repeated what Bones told me. I really wish I had my own cutter and illusion projector. This was a great opportunity in my mind to get stuff, but Rhiza wanted a wider margin of error.
She insisted on having ten floors in the direction we were moving and 5 floors in the other direction. Normally she woul...
2023-10-25 20:36:13 +0000 UTC
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I stood on the ground as burning ash swirled around me. I was breathing through my nose to keep the worst out. Acid Shot. Another Expanding Slime was killed, it was the level 6 monster of this zone, I was transversing. I walked over and tossed the crystal into my pack with the rest of them.
Right now, I was East of New Kochi. The entire area to the Southeast of the city was void, but my looping back up towards the connection to the East half of the Systemic Lands, there were se...
2023-10-24 22:54:25 +0000 UTC
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“General Abdullah,” I greeted the man with a smile. He was my Director of Defense and appointed commander of New Kochi.
“Emperor Michael,” he replied with a salute. I gave a salute in return.
“Managing?” I asked.
“Trying. Just need a lot more points. I have teams clearing the nearby zones and bringing in everything they can, there are shipments from The Abyss, but as you can see it is still a mess,” he gestured at the holographic map of the city. We were in t...
2023-10-23 23:33:50 +0000 UTC
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“Clear for the next ten levels then a checkpoint,” I said while checking the staircase, while it was really Bones telling me.
“Your sensory abilities are quite good,” Rhiza responded. I wished they were that good.
“Let’s get to it,” I said, and she nodded. Getting any closer than 10 levels was too risky. The levels above and below checkpoints often had teams waiting according to Bones and Rhiza had mentioned the same thing. We both left the staircase, Rhiza taking th...
2023-10-23 22:43:07 +0000 UTC
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“You know he is lying,” Michelle said as we lifted up from the Holy Kingdom of God.
“That is obvious. That Blessed Pope is more concerning that a box of snakes. But it still doesn’t make a difference,” I replied.
“It is about how much the other person offends you,” she said with a heavy sigh.
“You are absolutely correct. Queen Greystone, had her head up her ass. Blessed Pope Emeritus actually thought things threw and was polite. He could be another Divine Emp...
2023-10-22 14:14:46 +0000 UTC
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“Greetings Emperor Michael. I am Blessed Pope Emeritus the Third, but you can call me Emeritus,” the older man said with a smile as he poured me tea. The reception was much warmer in the supposedly fanatic kingdom.
Once I showed up at their capital, they were quick to arrange a tea service with their leader. I picked up the teacup. “Your hospitality is quite refreshing, your neighbors had unkind things to say,” I replied.
“We may be a theocracy, but we are practical and ...
2023-10-21 23:00:02 +0000 UTC
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I checked my locator on my wrist, floor 50,128. The display flickered slightly. I was pushing the range, but Bones assured me it could handle quite a bit but might lose a bit of accuracy before it completely failed. Even with my cultivation, my legs still felt a bit tired. I had to go above floor 50,000 in order to find a place to leave the interior of the tower through a public floor. This public floor was a loading and unloading dock.
Staying within the drawn white lines, I made my wa...
2023-10-20 23:00:03 +0000 UTC
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“Announcing Emperor Michael of the Empire of Purgatory. Champion of the Realm. Custodian of the Avatar. Slayer of the Divine Empress,” the herald called out before I entered the throne room. The palace was quaint, but the Divine Empress had a better aesthetic except for the screaming furniture.
“All kneel before her most august majesty, Queen Graystone the First of the Kingdom of Graystone,” the herald said. My knees didn’t shift a fraction and now I was annoyed.
“Knee...
2023-10-20 22:55:01 +0000 UTC
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I could see the shock on their faces that I had found out about their little scheme. Michelle was quite adept with her summons, including some smaller ones that could hide themselves. It wasn’t that hard to have one listen in on their conversation. It was a simple matter of having a soldier who knew the language listen in as the words were repeated back. That was Captain Francis thinking ahead and picking people who knew the remaining languages.
They didn’t have the stats needed to ...
2023-10-19 22:55:40 +0000 UTC
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