Author Frank Morin

Ch 83 - I Make Lots of New Friends

The interior of Ruby’s Bast Camp tent was probably twice as big as the exterior. My castle had to be pushing the limits of the spatial-twisting magic. It felt several times larger than her tent, but it had to still be fitting on the same-sized lot. That was some fun Hermione tent magic.

I now had an entryway with a vaulted ceiling and a chandelier with soft lights slowly morphing into different colors. The kitchen had been moved to the left of the main entrance, while I had a new trop...

Ch 82 - The Best Things Are Called Ruby

Laughing, I checked my next message.

“Congratulations, Lucas! For surviving the death bite of the Voidmaw Devourer, you receive an emerald Lucky Stiff loot box.”

“Yeah, that was lucky,” I admitted as I willed the glittering emerald loot box open. I was getting so many platinum and higher loot boxes, seeing even a gold box felt like a waste. I hadn’t seen a silver or copper in ages.

That loot box contained another upgrade scroll for Energy Ward, increasing the inten...

Ch 81 - Christmas: Aliens Edition

A surge of power rolled through me, rocking me back in my seat as my new class settled over my soul like a power suit. I immediately felt fundamentally stronger.

“Are those secondary stat calculations retroactive for earlier levels?”

“Ha! Nice try. Now that you’ve unlocked your class, you can redistribute base stat points any way you like, but must keep a minimum of 1 point per your level in each base stat slot.”

“Thanks.” I’d deal with that later. I didn’t...

Ch 80 - A Question of Class

“Classes?” I whooped and literally jumped with joy.

I forgot my new Scaled Wam of the Skies shirt added 20% to my already impressive jump height and slammed my head into an exposed wooden beam on the ceiling. I barely felt the hit that would have given me a concussion for sure back on Earth. Instead of my head cracking, the beam did.

Honestly, that was a super cool illustration of just how strong I’d grown.

“Of course,” Cyrus responded, his chuckles floating around...

Ch 79 - Rewards

All right! Without further ado, jumping into book 2!

My bare feet padded quietly along the hard-packed dirt streets of Midmount Vale. I was looking for the residential neighborhood where Ruby had indicated she and the others had all set up their tents.

The cool of early evening felt good against my skin, and I could feel a lot more air than usual. My clothing hung in tatters from the insane running battle across the skies of stage 1 I’d barely endured. I was down to one ...

Ch 78 - Checking in

So, what do you think? Insane final escape from stage 1, right?

This is the point I figure I'll probably cut the story for book 1.

Please take a moment and share your thoughts.

• Thumbs Up? Thumbs Down?

• What are you loving most about Nexus Runner?

• Favorite battle, monster, spell?

• Anything not working for you?

• What are you most hoping to see moving forward?

  As we move forward into book ...

  2024-11-01 16:05:01 +0000 UTC View Post

Ch 77 - Stats Check

Yeah, we need a stats check after that insanity. Check out the amazing growth over the past days.

Name: Lucas Altan

Race: Tier-1 Human

Level: 12

Life Points: 277 (25,583 tier-zero baby human equivalent)

Mana: 48

Base Stats:

Constitution: 16.9

Intelligence: 13

Strength: 21.9

Dexterity: 13.6

Wisdom: 12.7

Secondary Stats:

Endurance: 41

CHA: 40

Agility: ...

Ch 76 - A Glimpse Behind the Curtain

"Enter," Queen Marisara ordered.

The enormous, bronze doors at the end of her spacious throne room opened noiselessly and Thalorian, head of her security forces, marched inside with his implacable, powerful stride. The winged warrior, which the human captives always seemed to call an angel, had served her faithfully for many years.

When he neared her throne, he dropped into a low bow, fist over his heart, before beginning his report.

"We ran into a complication."

"You ...

Ch 75 - Homecoming

As Ruby stepped over the boundary to the Stage 2 plateau, Cyrus spoke into my ear.

“Welcome to the Watery Grave.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, low enough that not even Ruby could hear through the cheering of the crowds as everyone crossed the boundary. I was exhausted and battered as my body’s natural regeneration, aided by my Tesla Coil bracelet continued to heal my many injuries. I still managed to smile. At least my split lips had healed.

They’d come to help. So many...

Ch 74 - Grand Entrances

The image of Cyrus as a scrawny young man in a dirty t-shirt and greasy hair sitting in front of a TV in his mother’s basement, munching popcorn while he watched my death battle popped into my head. I wished it was true so I could reach out through that TV and throttle him for setting me up to have to do this.

Pushing the image aside, I cast Soul Feed and Loot. The giant raptor dissolved into stinking mist around me and I shot free of its corpse into a cloud of blessed white mist. Eve...

Ch 73 - Flight of Insanity

Flying Mouth was the only way to describe the monster. Its oblong body was about 2 feet long, split in half by an enormous mouth full of rows of short, squat teeth that reminded me of the maw of a chipper.

Tiny hummingbird wings buzzed at the creature’s sides, way too small for its mass, and several small yellow eyes glowed with soft light. It honestly reminded me of a nightmare cousin to the green slime monster in Ghostbusters.

Switchblade died and my graceful glide changed to ...

Ch 72 - Run Faster!

The monster’s long, serpentine neck, whiplike tail, and draconic head made it easy to identify.

“Stygian Wyvern, level 49 elite. These apex aerial predators are rare sights so close to the planet’s surface. They prefer soaring miles above the highest peak, diving onto prey with deadly precision. Immune to most magic, they are fierce fighters with an eternal hunger for flesh and shiny treasures.”

“Oh, fridge,” I muttered as I threw Switchblade into a dive. Avoiding the ...

Ch 71 - Run!

Other messages followed, but I waved them aside. I didn’t have time to deal with anything except survival. I lifted my hands high and roared in victory as I triggered Soul Feed.

A torrent of power thundered into me, restoring my pools. Finishing Bristleback had also supercharged my Tesla Coil bracelet, even though he had transformed into such a tiny monster. I kept 20% of the energy of Soul Feed set to fuel Energy Ward. I feared I was going to need it.

“Energy Ward power at 30...

Ch 70 - Death Really Bites Sometimes

I crouched and pressed myself against the vertical wall of the step as the giant boar-tar landed not 6 feet away. My Mirror cloak held and he never glanced in my direction. His entire focus was on the annoying voice sounding from the distant step. He lifted the bow again and fired another arrow, growling with annoyance as he did so.

I triggered Scroll of Binding. Magical chains, glowing with amber light, appeared around Bristleback’s forelegs. He roared in anger and reared back, kicki...

Ch 69 - I Tell Knock Knock Jokes

I yanked out 3 small tufts of grass, then stuck emoji sticker traps in each tiny bare patch of ground before covering them with the loose grass. Even I couldn’t see them concealed like that.

I was running low on the precious emoji stickers. The gag gift had ended up being one of my most important items of loot.

“You know, I wouldn’t mind another page of emoji stickers,” I whispered.

For once, Cyrus did not respond, and I returned to my preparations. I next concealed ...

Ch 68 - If You're Going to Die Anyway, Do Something Crazy

I ran hard for Bristleback’s mountain. With Switchblade, I could have made the trip in an hour. Loaning it to Jane might have saved her life, but had it sealed my fate?

At minimum, it added one more element of danger to my one crazy chance at surviving that was already razor thin. I was confident I’d reach the mountain, but time would be tight.

No, I pushed my worries aside. I could do this. I had a tier-1 body with higher stats than anyone else, and it was time to push those ...

Ch 67 - Five . . . Gold . . . Rings!

“Hey, no level?”

Cyrus spoke up. “That was a great fight, Lucas. Every day we grow is a good day. Every day we do something new or overcome a previous failure is a day in which we can build our future.”

“This is not the time for meaningless platitudes, Cyrus,” I growled. “I just killed another of the secret bosses along with all its minions. The Maze Fiend alone was almost as strong as Bristleback and way stronger than those stupid mammoths. How can that not give me ...

Ch 66 - I Have a Successful Therapy Session

I spun Switchblade south and cranked the throttle wide, tearing across the grasslands, heading for the mountains I’d hunted all night. Tomas’s message had said they’d gone south.

Lucas: “Where are you exactly? Are you okay?”

Tomas: “We’re in trouble, but we’re surviving. We can’t escape without help.”

Lucas: “Where? What’s the monster?”

As I raced south, Tomas filled me in. He and Jane and their teams had been assigned to make another sweep of...

Ch 65 - I Teach a Painful Lesson With My Pants

I almost didn’t stop. I had too much to do and too little time already. Fighting back my impatience, I headed for the wall and the tiny cluster of log buildings and Base Camp tents behind.

We were nearly out of time. Surely the people in this little settlement understood that, especially after Cyrus’s last announcement. I would offer to tell them the way to the central valley, but I couldn’t waste a lot of time with them.

As I slowed, the makeshift gate swung open and people...

Ch 64 - Doctor Strange

Morning found me resting on the edge of a cliff, high on a mountain slope in the southeastern corner of the world, and still stuck at level 9. I had to be nearly 30,000 feet above the central valley, but bigger mountains farther south dwarfed the peak where I sat. In the distance to the north, I could just make out the grasslands of the central valley, so far below. It seemed impossible that I’d traveled from down there in one night.

I savored a chocolate-frosted donut from Paul the m...

Ch 63 - Productive Pachyderms

Instead of heading south toward the ranks of ever-taller mountains blocking the sky in that direction, I spun Switchblade west and hit the throttle. Accelerating to at least 250 miles per hour, I rocketed across the grassy valley, aimed for the distant slope heading up to stage 2. At some point, I needed to get a speedometer to see exactly how fast I could push the hover bike.

“Lucas, you’re heading the wrong way,” Cyrus said, his voice carrying easily to my ears, despite the howl...

Ch 62 - Time For a Change

Ruby reached the prisoners before I did. Crouching down beside a black woman struggling against her shackles, she said, “Relax. We’re here to help.”

“Howzit, my girl,” the woman responded in a rich voice with a South African accent.

I showed Ruby how to accept ownership of the shackles, then will them off the woman.

“Leah Zuma, Baby human level 21. Team Star Wars.”

Leah let Ruby haul her to her feet, then lifted Ruby into the air in a gleeful bear hug. �...

Ch 61 - Stats Check

Another stats chapter. Aren’t they fun?

Name: Lucas Altan

Race: Tier-one Human

Level: 8

Life Points: 135 (12,059 tier-zero baby human equivalent)

Mana: 40

Base Stats:

Constitution: 11.9

Intelligence: 11

Strength: 16.9

Dexterity: 9.6

Wisdom: 10.7

Secondary Stats:

Endurance: 28

CHA: 40

Ch 60 - Ruby Gets a Prize

The zombie slavers were still a couple hundred yards away, but they’d had several seconds to get ready, and a barrage of laser beams ripped the air all around me.

“Jurgen’s Fist!” I shouted as I instinctively ducked.

They were better shots than I remembered. One laser shot right in front of my face, close enough to sparkle in my goggles. Without that eye protection, that shot might have temporarily blinded me.

Another one slammed into a rear thruster, leaving a scorc...

Ch 59 - Ruby Shows Off Her Barbecueing Skills

Ruby shook me awake. “Lucas, come on. It’s time to join the expedition.”

“Huh?” I sat up, rubbing sleep from my eyes, fuzzy thoughts barely moving. “But that’s not till morning.”

“It is morning.”

The words were like a jolt of caffeine straight into my brain. “I slept all night?”

“Imagine that,” Steve said from the other room. “Even you still need sleep. This world doesn’t make any sense at all.”

“Not funny.” I jumped up, figh...

Ch 58 - Beer and Sandwiches

“I heard you found a couple groups. Welcome back,” Paul said around his pastry.

“Thanks. Ran into a little trouble with the second group, but we sorted it out.”

“Excellent. Are you still interested in more donuts?”

“Is that a trick question?”

He smiled and produced a box filled with 2 dozen assorted donuts. “I added you to the list, as promised.”

“Thank you.” I dropped the boxes into my inventory, resisting the urge to eat a donut right aw...

Ch 57 - I Find An Easier Way to Carry a House

We looted what we could of the main cabin and shared potions with the mind-warped cult members as they awoke. Abbie’s control disappeared when she died, but her influence did not fade entirely.

Most of them still had fuzzy memories, and none of them could remember what happened to the women in their teams. Ruby surprised me by taking the lead in explaining that Abbie had murdered them all. She broke the horrible news with a gentle empathy that helped ease the shock.

I never coul...

Ch 56 - Drama Queen

The Persian hoarder suite was a mess, with pillows flung everywhere, and stuffing still floating lazily in the hot, still air. I paused to take in the scene and nearly dropped my facade of a brainless servant in the first second.

Ruby and Jane were both hanging suspended from silk streamers attached to the ceiling. They looked battered and only half conscious. Blood was dripping down a cut on Jane’s cheek, while one of Ruby’s eyes was swollen shut.

Michael and another bare-che...

Ch 55 - Fatal Attraction

Instead of opening the gate, the man tossed down a rope. “Can you climb?”

I could have just jumped the 10-foot wall, but I was getting a weird vibe from the guy. His eyes were a bit too wide, his gaze a bit too intense. I didn’t want to spook him.

“I think I can manage.” I climbed the wall using the rope and tried my best to make it look difficult. A moment later, I dropped onto an interior walkway beside the man.

“Fred Gallagher. Baby human level 16. Team Fatal ...

Ch 54 - Creative Tumbling

I pushed higher, still hoping my plan to find tougher monsters at higher elevations would work.

Half an hour later, I shot across a high saddle between steep mountains that had to top out at over 10000 feet. Beyond them, even taller mountains rose in tiered steps leading to the final peaks that speared up through the night sky like they were trying to scrape the stars.

Those ultimate peaks towered at least 50,000 feet above me to the east. On the top of the saddle where I rode, I�...