Haylock

60 - Acidic

Within the dark confines of a wooden hovel, a lone man toiled.

Though Solomon had practiced his profession for tens of thousands of hours over his decades-long life, he had never undertaken a task so grand. It was the last concoction that the mortal known as Solomon would ever create. After he consumed it, he would become Solomon, the ascendant. Solomon, the Alchemist.

The coveted title of the prophesied alchemist... it was his to claim. All he had to do was grasp it.

59 - Downhill

As I sailed through the late afternoon air, a frigid wind raced over me, biting deep into my skin. Before becoming a cultivator, it would have chilled me to the bone. Now, it just made me smile. I held my arms wide, enjoying the potent sensations that washed over my body.

Still skybound, I glanced back, spotting everyone else between the trees at the base of the mountain. I’d not been able to contain my excitement, so I raced ahead and leaped up into the air the moment we reached the ...

58 - Frozen

Light slowly bled from the sky as the sun set further to the west. It shone its orange rays over us, the trees on the other side of the lake casting long shadows that made the water appear almost black. Despite how beautiful a sight it was, all three of the people present were staring at me.

Teddy and Borks, perhaps sensing the danger through our connection, watched the lake’s outwardly calm waters, their hackles raised.

“A monster?” Deklan asked, his eyes flicking to the wa...

57 - Monster

“I trusted you!” Deklan yelled, his arms outstretched so the jungle mudminnow was as far from his body as possible. He pinched the crime-against-nature of a fish between his thumb and forefinger, all four of its legs undulating as they tried to find purchase.

Beside him, Dom stared down at his cupped hands. Not wasting the opportunity, the creature within stood upright and tried to run back to the water. Dom’s face went pale.

“You right, mate?” I asked.

He...

56 - Mischief

Unlike the last time we made our way from Tropica to Gormona, we didn’t travel along the road for long. After less than a half hour, we approached the first village. Veering off the road and into the forest, the temperature immediately dropped by a few degrees, some of the frosty night air remaining trapped beneath the canopy.

Without needing to talk, we unanimously decided to remain between the trees. It would take us longer to find our destination, but that was fine. 

Tho...

55 - Adventure

When I woke the following morning, I could feel one of my animal pals nuzzling up against my chest. I smiled, taking a deep breath and stretching my arms.

“Good morning,” I said, not particularly worried about which of them it was. Whoever they were, I was glad they were here.

There was no response, and when I opened my eyes a moment later, my smile froze.

Claws’s face was only centimeters from mine, her ears pressed back in alarm. Blinking, I looked where I’d felt s...

54 - Bear Hug

High in the mountains to the northwest, a lone alchemist was trapped in his thoughts. If he had a friend present, perhaps they could have helped him challenge his internal narrative and break out of the downward spiral he was currently engaged in.

Alas, Solomon was alone.

The echo of a long-departed god had destroyed his place of power, obliterating the means with which he was going to achieve ascension. Worse, the lightning-covered boulder had clearly been sent by a remnant fragm...

53 - Expansion

When I opened my eyes, I found our spiritual forms still high above the clouds. Though the susurration had disappeared all at once, our connection to one another remained. I peered around the circle, and as my thoughts ran through my companions’ minds, they felt as if they were my own. There was a moment where we instinctively raised our mental walls, seeking to keep ourselves hidden. But then we threw the gates wide, inviting each other in.

Maria was right beside me, and her soul was...

52 - Becoming One

It was a beautiful afternoon in the forest surrounding Tropica. The sun shone down from above, the celestial body on its inexorable path toward the western mountains. I was surrounded by my animal pals, including Teddy, a bear who’d only awakened just minutes ago. Maria was at my side, her happiness as infectious as always. 

And, almost completely unexpected, two more pals had just exploded up from beneath us.

I’d felt them coming at the last moment, and as Lieutenant Col...

51 - Names

“Gods above,” Maria said from beside me, shaking her head and rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Save us.”

I barked a laugh. “Come on—you can’t dread my names that much.”

Maria looked up at the bear. “Sorry in advance.”

As he glanced between us, our newest pal’s brow furrowed.

“She’s just being dramatic,” I said. “All of my animal pals have names, and I’m pretty sure they love them.”

A wave of agreement came from ever...

50 - Misconceptions

My core radiated joy as I stared down at Kallis’s newest spirit beast.

“Is...” Maria trailed off, searching for the right words. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah. Why?”

She smirked, raising an eyebrow at me. “Because he looks like he’s having an existential crisis.”

“It does look that way... Pretty adorable, though.”

When the meal’s chi had started running through the bear’s body and forming a core, he’d sat down, entirely overwhelmed by the proc...

49 - Loyalty

I felt myself falling to the floor, but couldn’t do anything to stop it. My entire body was numb, and I only barely registered my back striking the floor. Claws reached me first, clasping my arm. Snips and Maria were there a moment later, fussing over me.

“I’m fine,” I tried to say, but I had no idea if the words actually made it out.

Despite losing the sensation of my, well, everything, I knew I was okay. I couldn’t verbalize how I knew, but that didn’t ...

48 - The World Itself

 “Okay, Snips,” I said. “When you’re ready.”

No response came, so I tore my eyes from the barbecue before me, casting a glance her way. “... Snips? You right?”

She shook her head, returning to the present and blowing apologetic bubbles.

“No need to apologize,” Maria said from my side. “No harm, no foul.”

I nodded my agreement as Snips scuttled toward me and leaped into my arms. I held her out between the herbs, spices and the fish, letting he...

47 - First Contact

When Rocky awoke in what must be the afterlife, he let out a content sigh. Though he was now in a different realm to his beloved mistress and the rest of Tropica, his body had a weightlessness he hadn’t experienced since being a regular crab.

Gone was the influence of the parasitic man, his poisonous guidance nowhere to be seen.

Rocky’s awareness was clear, leaving only his thoughts in his consciousness. He sent his attention down toward his core, wanting to see what it felt l...

46 - Birds on the Wind

“Well, good morning!” Sue called across the square. She had at least a dozen people waiting for coffees, yet she took a moment to give Maria and me a scandalous eyebrow wiggle. “Did you two have a pleasant evening?”

Heat rose to my face, and when I glanced Maria’s way for assistance, I saw a furious blush climbing to her cheeks.

Sue chortled, throwing her head high as she delighted in our awkwardness.

Letting out a sigh, I grabbed Maria’s hand and led her to the ...

45 - Pyre

From the very moment his body made contact with the molten rock, all Rocky knew was pain.

Though the volcano contained the same essence as his explosive chi, it showed him no mercy, doing its very best to burn him away. But if even the world itself thought Rocky would allow himself to be so easily snuffed, it had another thing coming.

The entire time he’d been beneath the surface of the volcano, something within him seemed... wrong. It was a part of him, though, so he forced the...

44 - Ambush Predators

Deep within the forest to the west of my property, light streamed down through the canopy. A pleasant breeze flowed past the trees, bringing with it the scents of wet grass, pollen, and something indescribably sweet. I had spent the waking hours with my girlfriend, and we were currently doing a little side quest before going to Tropica and getting Sue’s deadly coffee-and-croissant combo.

It was, by all measurable metrics, a pleasant morning. Well, if one was to ignore the one-tonne cr...

43 - Intoxication

I woke the next morning to a floral fragrance permeating the room.

It reminded me of Maria and the scents that always drifted up from her hair, never quite the same as the day before. I breathed deep, the thoughts of her making a smile come to my face.

Someone moved on the bed beside me, so I reached over, reaching to try find Borks and rub his belly. Instead of soft fur, I found warm and even softer skin. I opened my eyes, blinking at Maria’s sleeping form. She must have fallen...

42 - Echoes of the Past

With sweat peppering his brow, a lone alchemist trudged up a grassy hill. If not for the exhaustion lingering throughout his entire body, he would be fairly skipping up the slope. He had left his shack yesterday at the crack of dawn, heading deep into the mountains in search of his final ingredient. He glanced down at the thick roots held in his bloodied hand, a smile crossing his face despite the weariness. 

With its addition—after proper preparation, of course—his potion of a...

41 - Training

It had been almost two weeks since George, Geraldine, and the Church of Carcinization had joined our ranks.

After my repeated reassurance that I didn’t mind if they continued worshiping crabs as the Church of Carcinization—as long as it did not run in opposition to our goals, of course—Joel had taken to running their daily crab meditations on my shore.

As for George and Geraldine, they had spent most of the last fortnight fishing, and they’d caught a surprising amount of s...

40 - Return

The days bled into one another on the road to Theogonia, each just as bothersome as the rest.

After weeks and weeks of traveling, the surrounding forests had grown dull. The monotony of brown trunks, green leaves, and the overgrown road grated on Augustus, bothering him to no end. He was a king. His position earned him a life of opulence and luxury. Yet here he was, sprinting through the outside world like a peasant late for the market. At first the ability to use his chi had been a wel...

39 - Affinity

I was waiting for a fish to bite when two pulses of chi came from many newly awakened cultivators. Maria and I shared a grin. We dashed along the rockwall, over the sand, and through the open front door, our rods discarded.

George and Geraldine sat on the floor of my living room with their backs to the wall. They were staring at each other, their eyes filled with admiration, awe, and a healthy dose of affection.

I cleared my throat, getting their attention.

“We...” Georg...

38 - Redemption

I smiled up at the first rays of sunshine, enjoying the warmth it lent my skin.

“Should we rescue them soon?” Maria asked, also facing the blazing orb as it peeked over the distant horizon.

I glanced to the side, checking up on George and Geraldine. After they’d had a few hours’ rest, we finally let Ellis out of his metaphorical cage. The former archivist was currently peppering them with questions about the manual they’d been using to cultivate.

“I still can’t...