The Base Camp disappeared in a flash when Ruby triggered the pack option.
“Which way?” she asked.
“Do you sense anything?”
“Not really.”
“How does the tracking ability work?”
She shrugged. “This is the first time I’m trying to use it.”
I considered that for a moment. “Trackers usually have to look for clues, right? Tracks, broken twigs, and stuff like that.”
“Probably, but the person we’re hunting hasn’t been here.” 2024-10-10 18:35:07 +0000 UTC View Post
I slept like the dead until Ruby shook me awake.
“What time is it?” I asked groggily as I sat up, rubbing at my eyes. I might have a tier-1 body, but yesterday had been insane.
“It’s early morning,” Ruby whispered, her gaze locked on the door. “The sun hasn’t risen over the mountains yet, but I hear something.”
That woke me up. I lunged to my feet. “What?”
“Snorting sounds.” She looked nervous.
“Do you have any weapons?” I should have ...
2024-10-10 18:34:09 +0000 UTC View Post“Don’t forget, the walls are just fabric,” I reminded her. Any of the monsters we’d faced that day could rip through the tent without slowing. It could turn into a death trap in a second.
“Actually,” she said with another grin. “I got a menu showing me all of the Base Camp’s features. I can turn on the fire and even regulate temperature. It’s also got something called a Fortress Defense ability. It’s some kind of protective ward.”
“Thats way more than the d...
2024-10-10 18:20:22 +0000 UTC View PostIn minutes, we piled a huge mound of wood, even though we lacked an ax or chainsaw. Ruby had decent stats already, and I was even stronger. I could fling entire tree lengths easily. It was actually a lot of fun.
I had understood conceptually that I was far stronger than before, even stronger than power lifters on Earth. I didn’t really get it, though, not at a visceral level until I did the work of a tractor and barely broke a sweat.
“How are you so strong?” Ruby asked at on...
2024-10-10 18:12:39 +0000 UTC View PostShe was beautiful, with a strong face, high cheekbones, and features that suggested Mediterranean heritage. Her skin was bronzed in a way that suggested it was her natural color, not the result of tanning, while her long, red hair rippled like a thick cape hanging halfway down her back.
With those kind of looks, she had to be an actress in the movie, but I didn’t recognize her. Not surprising, really. The ad that called for more extras had highlighted the fact that the movie featured ...
2024-10-10 18:11:16 +0000 UTC View PostI continued northeast, hoping the quest helper had been signaling the locations of more than one teammate. Or at least a teammate who still lived.
I was glad I found Andy and avenged him. My quest updated to 1 of 4 teammates found, but I didn’t feel like I’d actually made progress.
The forest remained sparse, with enormous trees and spiky underbrush. This entire valley seemed to be pretty uniform. I heard howls and roars in the distance, but spotted no monsters.
The afte...
2024-10-10 18:08:22 +0000 UTC View PostThe need to find my team was like a physical pressure, so I extracted my Quest Helper scroll and read it.
My mini-map pinged with a flash of light on the northeast corner. I expanded the map to full screen. It showed me at the dungeon, with the twisting path I’d taken from my starting glade in great detail.
Everything else was covered in a gray haze. The glow lingered in the northeast sector, well beyond anywhere I’d already traveled. Hopefully it was pointing me toward ...
2024-10-10 18:07:24 +0000 UTC View PostThe transition back to the cave was as simple as walking between two rooms. The dim cavern was still empty. As soon as I returned, Eva spoke up.
“Congratulations, Lucas. You have received an emerald Infiltrator loot box.” Her voice trailed off, as if she planned to say more but ran out of words too soon.
I wondered if she was trying to figure out why I had gotten the new loot box. I guess Cyrus really had kept our little meeting even from her.
Luckily she did not make a ...
2024-10-10 18:06:10 +0000 UTC View Post“You are not authorized to approach the rift any closer,” Cyrus warned in a voice that made it sound like he really wanted me to push forward.
“That’s the weakest attempt at discouragement I’ve ever heard.”
“Now they can’t say I didn’t try.”
“Who can’t? I thought you said you were the administrator of the game.”
“I am. That doesn’t mean no one is watching.”
“Like who?”
“No offense, Lucas, but when you’re checking out ...
2024-10-10 18:04:24 +0000 UTC View PostThis is a stats chapter. These will pop up periodically throughout the book as a way to share Lucas’s full stat sheet.
If you’re a reader who loves studying the stats, enjoy. If you don’t really care about stats, skip to the next chapter. You won’t miss out on anything.
Name: Lucas Altan
Level: 11
Life Points: &n...
2024-10-10 18:03:26 +0000 UTC View PostDeathly cold speared into me like steel blades frozen to absolute zero. I tried to scream, but my entire body seized up, every muscle locking in place. Pain and cold and withering weakness tore through me.
My heartbeat slowed as icy death gripped it on every side. My vision darkened, and my thoughts turned sluggish. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think. I tried triggering a healing potion from my hotlist, but only then realized I had forgotten to move another one into position. Idiot. 2024-10-10 18:02:08 +0000 UTC View Post
I expected a dungeon to be a complex labyrinth of creepy tunnels I could get lost in for days. Maybe some were, but the entrance tunnel of Forest Glade Dungeon was not.
I crept slowly forward, senses alert, but I didn’t see anything. The tunnel meandered a bit as it steadily descended deeper into the ground. Luckily I didn’t need to use one my torches since there were weird little glowing stalactites hanging from the ceiling.
Most were barely longer than a pencil, but they fil...
2024-10-10 18:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostAs darkness swallowed me, I activated Energy Ward. The initial dip in my mana was instantly followed by a much larger dip as 10 additional points drained away.
This time, I was the projectile deflected. It felt like a smooth wall materialized against my side, set at an angle to my path. I slid along it, deflecting to the right.
Massive jaws clamped shut with a snap like a thunderclap so close beside my left arm that spittle sprayed across my face.
I swept past, catching a gl...
2024-10-10 17:59:55 +0000 UTC View PostCyrus’s voice boomed far louder than normal, echoing across the entire valley.
“Congratulations, my fine contestants! You have completed your orientations and are ready to take the muzzles off.”
“Blinders,” I muttered.
Cyrus’s voice sounded close beside me. “But muzzles sound so much better.”
His booming announcement continued without interruption.
“It is my great pleasure to introduce you to the game you now compete in. You have all awakened so...
2024-10-10 17:58:20 +0000 UTC View Post“What’s left with the orientation?”
I already felt comfortable with the menu structure and dealing with loot boxes. I had learned that I didn’t need to open loot boxes immediately, but could mentally dump them into a folder on my menu to open later when I felt safer.
“Now that you have the basics down, you can unlock the remainder of your starting menu. That will advance you to a fully fledged and trained participant in the game.”
“Can you tell me more about th...
2024-10-10 17:55:48 +0000 UTC View PostNo monsters attacked.
Of course they’d wait until I got distracted. I glanced into the sky. “Promise you won’t keep my menus open when I get attacked again.”
“Fine.” Cyrus sounded like he was pouting. I could deal with that, as long as he kept his word.
I risked peeking at my stats page Sure enough, it now showed me at level 2. I noticed I had received 1 more stat point in each of 4 of my 5 base stats, which resulted in some changes to my other stats too.
...
2024-10-10 17:54:45 +0000 UTC View PostI wasn’t about to wait for the next monster to rush me like the acorn had. I hadn’t missed the fact that the quest said defeat 10 monsters. It had not said they would all be level-1 acorns.
So I sprinted to the nearest trees, opposite from the rustling bushes, and scanned the area. I saw no rabid acorns, or anything living, thankfully.
I did notice that some of the trees behind the initial row encircling the clearing looked a lot less like Earth trees. I had thought the forest...
2024-10-10 17:53:46 +0000 UTC View Post“Wait,” I protested, but my menu suddenly minimized on its own.
Nearby bushes shook and I spun, my heartbeat quickening as I crouched in a fighting stance. I still had the potion bottles in my hands, so I tossed them to the grass behind me. I tried to settle my breathing as I focused on the bush. It was barely fifteen feet away and something was definitely rattling it.
A monster.
I squashed a shiver of fear. This was just my first encounter. Surely it would something I c...
2024-10-10 17:52:39 +0000 UTC View PostMonsters sounded bad.
“Let’s do it, then.” Focusing on immediate danger helped me ground myself.
Another laugh. “I’m having variations of this conversation with all nine hundred ninety-eight of you. Most of the others just start screaming when they hear the word monster. Fascinating.”
“Hold on, I thought there were a thousand of us.”
“Two of the older candidates suffered heart attacks upon landing. That will not happen to any of the rest of you, thoug...
2024-10-10 17:48:03 +0000 UTC View PostWith a groan, I blinked my eyes open. I was lying on my back, staring up into brilliant blue sky stained with streaks of emerald.
“What a dream,” I muttered as I sat up, rubbing my head. My thoughts were still fuzzy. Had I fallen off my bike?
Then why wasn’t I wearing a helmet? And how’d I end up lying on a dense carpet of soft grass?
“Welcome to day one, Lucas.”
The friendly male voice made me jump and I looked around, but saw no one. The grass turned out ...
2024-10-10 17:46:44 +0000 UTC View PostIdiot. Canceling the shoot is the first thing I think of?
We needed to find shelter. Except we were out in the middle of nowhere. All around us, people were screaming. Pandemonium covered the valley. The ground shook harder and a second hillside, this time on the west side of the valley, exploded just like the first.
More thunder ripped the sky as tornado-strength wind screamed past, ripping tents out of the ground and flinging them away. I hit the ground, with Tomas and ...
2024-10-10 17:41:59 +0000 UTC View PostStarting Nexus Runner! Yes! I'm so thrilled to get this litRPG into your hands. It's so fun and chock full of adventure and magic and monsters.
PLEASE feel free to comment and make suggestions! As we progress in the story, I'm planning to poll your preferences for variations in upcoming scenes so you get to participate in the process of building up this awesome world.
First, here's the blurb:
Welcome to the Game! You’ve been chosen to fight for your planet’s place in th...
2024-10-10 17:37:54 +0000 UTC View Post
Thank you for joining my Patreon community! I am thrilled that you chose to visit.
I am eager to share with you a great deal of content, get to know you, and get your feedback on open projects.
I am new to Patreon, so please be patient as I work out the wrinkles. Please also share your comments, suggestions, and recommendations. Together we can build a really fun community here.
In the short term, I expect to mostly post about Nexus Runner, share chapters from the book, and ...
2024-10-01 22:52:00 +0000 UTC View Post
The petralist - Book One. Set in Stone kicks off this epic YA fantasy series. This is the full ebook version.
The Petralist - Book One
Set in Stone kicks off this epic YA fantasy series. This is the full ebook version. At your patron level, you have access to my full ebook library.
Enjoy!
Impossible choices. Explosive magic. Brilliant humor.
Connor is cursed . . .
And in Obrion, that means he must obtain patronage from a high lord prior to his sixteenth b...
2024-10-01 21:03:00 +0000 UTC View Post
I love these. Had these GIFs made of the five main characters:
Rasher Dilskin - Bacon Master
Bibble Widdershins - Spice Wizard
Kucheesa Beeshee - Meat mage
Noops Finsterwallie - Shovel Knight
Quarce Sjambok - Coffee Wizard
What do you think? I think they're super cool, but my wife finds them a bit freaky with the moving faces.
Here's the ebook version of the first book in the Bacon Master series.
As part of my library of other works, please enjoy Bacon Master of the Apocalypse, book 1 of my humorous fantasy series.
Join the feast of humor and epic adventure in a world where the gods of the Pantryon bestow mighty gifts of food magic...
2024-10-01 18:38:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the standard ebook cover art, which you can download as an 8.5x11 poster file from the attached file.
2024-10-01 17:23:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Book two of my epic YA fantasy series for your enjoyment
2023-05-17 21:52:38 +0000 UTC View Post