Triopals

POTLS - Chapter 10: Talent

When Paul woke up, Michael had already left for work despite being completely drunk the night before.

As he passed by the refrigerator to get some water, Paul noticed a message his friend had left.

"Daily Reminder: Do Not Die."

Paul laughed out loud before downing his water in one gulp. He tried to clean up a bit before giving up; there were simply too many things scattered around the apartment. People often say there's a system in chaos, and he worried he might disrupt the ...

POTLS - Chapter 9: Death Wish

Paul stepped into the cramped one-bedroom apartment, cluttered with unwashed clothes and file folders brought home by Michael.

"I can't believe Elaine could stand this mess," Paul teased the man still sitting at his desk with his back turned.

"We broke up," Michael replied indifferently, his tone neither high nor low, still focused on his laptop screen.

"Oh," Paul grimaced, realizing he'd touched on his friend's pain.

Hearing tapping on the bedroom window, Paul went in...

POTLS - Chapter 8: Life on The Run

If there was one skill Paul had mastered through his years growing up, it was running and hiding.

Raised by his aunt, he had grown up in poverty. He wasn't proud of his past, but he was glad it was behind him. Escaping after petty thefts had honed his awareness of his surroundings. Combined with dodging bullies, these experiences served him well as he left the football field.

Despite his efforts to throw off the hawks watching from the bleachers, Paul still felt uneasy after takin...

POTLS - Chapter 7: Spilling Out

The sensation of weightlessness, that floating drift, gradually faded away.

Paul closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, Earth's world greeted him.

The afternoon sunlight bathed his gaunt, sharp-featured cheeks. Before the Portals appeared, he never imagined he'd miss the polluted city air as much as he did now. Gone were the heavy metallic stench and foul odor of blood that had weighed on his spirit. In their absence, his mind found a strange clarity.

The bustlin...

POTLS - Chapter 6: Assessment

Death was never easy. It got worse every time. Even on the ninth time.

Paul's disintegrating gaze stared at the sky. Clouds drifted lazily, occasionally dissolving like his life, gradually disappearing.

The places that Portals led to seemed designed to remind Survivors that even with rebirth, they must first endure every kind of pain before returning.

The monsters didn't cleanly behead him, didn't stab his heart, didn't attack his aorta. Instead, they savored their meal like...

POTLS - Chapter 5: No Ending

A strange state came over Paul. He clearly felt the painful feedback from his wounds—which hadn't improved at all—yet he could endure them as if the places where blood gushed like springs were mere surface scratches. Not enough to knock him unconscious.

Paul roared, enduring his body's violent protest, and grabbed the Crimson Court Noble's forearm. The monster's smug smile instantly transformed into shock. It had expected the human to collapse, allowing it to toy with its prey befor...

Table of Contents - Navigation fiction index

USE THIS POST TO GO TO YOUR REWARDS AND LATEST CHAPTERS. UPDATE DAILY.

*Only advance chapters are listed to shorten the post, or else it will be too long.*

UPP Latest Chapter: <<Ch95>>

POTLS Latest Chapter: <<Ch59>>

UPP Collection: 2025-04-18 22:54:57 +0000 UTC View Post

POTLS - Chapter 4: Below Threshold

"Run faster, Paul!" Lina called out excitedly from behind a tree as she passed by.

"Keep your breathing steady, Paul," Kate reminded him, executing nimble jumps beside him.

"You look like shit," David chuckled, perched quietly on a boulder.

Low stamina was gradually taking its toll on Paul's mind. His breathing came in rapid bursts, sweat drenching his body. His thoughts—which needed no explanation—were spinning toward collapse.

The Nosferatu Hunters behind him had...

POTLS - Chapter 3: Crimson Shard

Though it wasn't his first encounter with a Crimson Court Noble, Paul couldn't help but feel his skin crawl when those malevolent eyes fixed upon him.

The creature wore aristocratic attire in black and white with intricate trimming. A gleaming gold rose emblem adorned its chest. It wore high boots, red gloves, and a cape that draped from its shoulders. White ornate jewelry dangled from its ears. These weren't made of silver, just designed to resemble it—a way for these high-ranking va...

POTLS - Chapter 2: Monster Wave

The Blood Courtier descended from above, its pale, unnaturally smooth hands with elongated claws slashing down toward Paul's head.

He activated [Warrior's Heart], simultaneously increasing his Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity by 20%, consuming 15 mana. Though the stat boost wasn't enormous, it would help his body react faster.

He leapt to the side and used [Silver Strike] to slash at the monster's flank. Red blood sprayed everywhere accompanied by a piercing shriek.

The...

POTLS - Chapter 1: The Party

The crimson moon cast an eerie scarlet glow over the landscape.

Crack!

Paul broke a dry wooden stick and tossed it into the flickering campfire before him. Flames danced in his eyes, his skin alternating between a pale red and bright gold as firelight competed with the moon's glow.

"Is the meat ready yet, Paul?" Lina asked, her sleepy face propped up by both hands. "I'm starving."

"Almost there," Paul replied. "Just another minute."

"You're so rigid," Li...

Major Announcement

Don't worry! I'm still writing. XD

TL;DR Version: The Ultimate Passive Paradigm will continue until the end of book 2. A new novel called Path of the Last Survivor will be uploaded on Friday this week. Current members of any paid Tiers can read 10 advance chapters of the new novel for the upcoming month as a token of appreciation. I hope you can help me drop a follow, rating, comments, reviews, or anything once the story goes public on Royal Road. My Patreon will have a navigation ficti...

UPP Chapter 81

Silence blanketed the square. Even the most enthusiastic hecklers had fallen quiet. The projection screens had been removed by the Artificers.

The contestants who remained gazed upward with admiration and hope in their eyes, not understanding what was happening.

The prodigies of this generation—Zhanyu, Sigrid, Adrian—had all been taken back by their respective elders for protection.

Lachlan's military forces had also been dispatched to monitor the situation. Though they ...

UPP - Chapter 80

Nathan exhaled after feeling his body stabilize. For the first time, he attempted to use his spirit to observe his surroundings.

The sensation was somewhat unfamiliar to him as someone from Earth, making him wonder what emotions native inhabitants of this world experienced when facing such fundamental changes.

Spirit vision wasn't as he had initially imagined. It resembled ripples combining together, forming distinctive shapes that fed back to his mind, informing him of what surro...

UPP: Chapter 79

When contestants outside the top 64 had departed, a wave of blue energy descended from above, spreading outward.

Anyone touched by it felt their battle wounds lighten considerably. Though not completely healed, it was enough for them to move normally without major hindrance.

Team Zhanyu, who had sustained rather severe injuries, all regained their healthy complexions. Sigrid maintained a heavy mood due to the suppression she'd faced from Zeryn. Laurent fared better, simply feeling...

Chapter 78

(Around 3 more chapters and Volume 1 will be completed. Stay tuned, everyone! I will try my best to deliver the chapters as soon as possible. An announcement will be made soon. Don't worry, Nathan's journey will continue. The overall structure and outline for Volume 2 are about 80% complete. Have a nice time reading, my dear readers!)

The pain gradually subsided after the initial shock. For Nathan, this stab was nothing compared to Argentius' attack, let alone the Lava Drake.

He s...

Chapter 77

Laurent stood puzzled by the scene before him. His ultimate technique, with destructive power rivaling a Tier 3 cultivator's attack, had been blocked by a mere Tier 1 chef. If he had known his opponent had already withstood continuous attacks from an actual Tier 3, he wouldn't have felt so deflated.

Though Nathan had successfully blocked his opponent's attack, he wasn't in as good shape as he appeared. The beam's destructive power far exceeded anything he'd experienced before. Something...

Chapter 76

(So many revisions for this fight. XD. Final encounters are always hard to write. I hope you guys enjoy and have a great week ahead!)

Nathan and Zahra continued to be toys in Laurent and Zhanyu's game.

Whenever the two disciples from Verdant Spire Sect charged forward, they would be teleported elsewhere by the Space Aspect.

Despite this, Nathan refused to stop. He pressed forward relentlessly, giving Zhanyu no time to assist the other two. Furthermore, he grew increasingly f...

Chapter 75

"How do you know?" Nathan couldn't help but ask.

"Well, you don't think I just stayed in the volcanic area, do you?" Lachlan shook his head vigorously. "I don't know what appeared there, but the traces left behind were enormous and too obvious. You should thank me for covering them up for you."

Nathan unconsciously clenched his fist, his eyes trembling as this line of thought invaded his mind. Lachlan had pointed out a fatal flaw, that Nathan had left behind massive footprints. Ea...

Chapter 74

The battle platforms connected as before, and the space between them expanded to accommodate the coming clash.

Adrian sat directly on the floor, reclining to one side, hand propped under his chin with drowsy eyes. Outwardly, he looked no different than usual—still skeletal, his skin dry and devoid of any moisture. People instinctively feared him at first glance, avoiding him like someone diseased.

The other three—Emrys Merinor, Ruby Voss, and the young master of House Partheon...

Chapter 73

(Volume 1 is almost complete. We have come so far on this journey. I just want to express my gratitude to you all once in a while. So thank you for supporting me! Enjoy the chapter and have a great weekend. I'll try to complete Chapter 74 as soon as possible. XD)

"Holy shit!"

Exclamations like this erupted across the viewing stands and livestream feeds of The Shifting Trials. Comments flooded in as a golem appeared in Nathan's match.

The audience had chosen to watch this bat...

Chapter 72

The platforms beneath the contestants expanded, widening to provide ample space for everyone standing upon them.

Then they detached from their positions, drifting forward and arranging themselves into four corners beneath the crack in the center.

Nathan swept his gaze around, confirming that all formidable opponents were present.

Zhanyu's team included Laurent Nyralith, Sigrid Bergström from The Resonating Blade School, and the one locking eyes with Evelyn, Reza Karimi from...

Chapter 71

(This chapter made my heart race while writing it. Every setup, even the worldbuilding bits, pays off in this chapter. That's why I need time to plan the details and lay the groundwork here and there throughout Nathan's journey. The overall plotline for the story is there, but the details always require extra work. Enjoy the chapters, my beloved readers! More heart-racing chapters are to come! XD)

Vigilant and wary gazes were exchanged constantly across the square arena. This was yet an...

Chapter 70

(It took me quite some time to integrate all the aspects. Enjoy the chapter, my beloved Patrons!)

Chaos began to seep into the individuals gathered at the central area.

The cube had obscured most of the people on the other sides, so Nathan couldn't see what was happening. On this side, however, the first moves had already been made.

Several teams leaped together into the cranyon, flying up to the moving platforms. Strike first, gain the advantage—that was their strategy. B...

Chapter 69

Nathan seemed to slip into an autopilot state under the influence of [Improved Recognition Pattern].

Within his mind, a separate space formed, where seemingly random small points appeared in succession. After observing them for a while, patterns gradually emerged. The solution wasn't difficult, but it required a general direction.

As his mind prepared to solve it, another Octahedron materialized in his hand. He began drawing lines to connect the appearing points.

The trial p...

Chapter 68

Zahra devoured Nathan's cooking with natural delight. She slurped the soup noisily, savoring every drop. The essence of the meal manifested through the expressions dancing across her face.

Nathan didn't hesitate to serve her another portion, the short-haired girl's enthusiasm infectious.

There was only one issue with this meal—Zahra seemed to harbor some aversion toward Evelyn. He couldn't understand why. He could only guess it stemmed from Zahra's predatory instincts. Evelyn ra...

Chapter 67

(I'm planning and outlining Volume 2, which is why it took me more time to release the chapters. All I can say is that the next volume will be huge enough to be worth the investment. XD)

Evelyn never completely lost consciousness during her blackout. Through her spirit, she caught glimpses of her surroundings, each moment of awareness coinciding with shifts in sensation.

It had been a long time since she'd endured such a profound, crushing cold. A cold that penetrated to the bone,...

Chapter 66

Not even a day had passed, yet Nathan felt it had already stretched longer than Argentius had warned him.

He bitterly realized he couldn't leave Evelyn's side. His tiger companion seemed to have predicted this all along.

Evelyn suffered in the cold, which seemed counter-intuitive to Nathan's reasoning. He hadn't expected a girl who wielded ice to struggle absorbing power of a similar nature. Yet, as Argentius pointed out, everyone was still human at their core.

Understanding...

Chapter 65

Each passing moment was pure agony for Nathan.

Streams of lava scorched his cheeks, neck, chest, and thighs. The restrained Lava Drake grew frenzied, willing to expend its remaining energy just to burn the human holding it tight.

Nathan felt himself going limp, the torment spreading until his body went numb. Though his Berserker state dulled his pain receptors, it didn't eliminate the sensation entirely. Once the damage crossed a certain threshold, he still had to endure.

Hi...

Chapter 64

The Lava Drake lay in its cave beneath an endless flow of fire. This was the perfect environment for it to thrive. Rather than requiring food, it sustained itself by drinking the magma and lava spewing from the mountain to nurture its growth. As a Tier 3 monster, it needed to enhance the quality of its aspect—in this case, lava, a branch of fire. Whoever had placed it here clearly understood this, designing this space specifically for it.

The creature was intelligent enough to know th...