DakotaKrout

Libriohexer ~ 17!

Two days later, Sam and company decided to try their hand against the toughest Guardian Junction the Irondown Burrows had to offer. Yesterday, with Finn and Sphinx back in the fold, they’d taken a run at the Training Hall, presided over by a mechanical, faceless training dummy clad in heavy steel armor. The training automaton had fought with a blunted sword in one hand and a flanged mace in the other, but he hadn’t stood a chance against the Wolf Pack’s combined might and magic. They’...

February ~ 29!

Footsteps echoed along the corridor, but Grant was ready to put his plan into action. The fingertips of his right hand lightly brushed the metal bars of his cell. To any onlooker, he appeared to be sleeping. “Get up, Monday. You are to be taken to the inquisitor for questioning. Move away from the bars.”

“I know you’re awake!” Grant continued to feign sleep, which infuriated the man. “I think you need some sense beaten into you.”

Grant listened to the guard ...

Libriohexer ~ 16!

By the time Sam and Finn had put enough distance between them and the Library, they were halfway across the city and wheezing from the run. Neither were heavily invested in constitution, so tearing around city streets and back alleyways at a full-on sprint wasn’t inside their typical wheelhouse. Full dark had come long before and the city gates were closed and locked to the night. If they had pushed, it was possible they could’ve convinced the guards to open up for them. If your party got...

February ~ 28!!

The journey from the camp to Valentine was swift, but far from comfortable. Grant's mind was spinning, trying to picture the lengths House Saturday would go to in order to extract the information. Waylon didn’t have anything to worry about; the death of the son of Heavyweight Wednesday would cause a House war, and he doubted that anyone wanted that. “What are they gonna do to me?”

<They will need to break you quickly. I expect they will go straight for your fingernails. Works f...

February ~ 27!

Grant’s frustration smoldered like the fire he was sullenly staring into. Waylon had just finished preparing dinner, and was now sitting cross-legged writing in his journal. They had found a secluded spot off the main road, and Grant had attempted to burn off his anger by hauling rocks and building the fire pit. He was still in a bad mood, and Waylon’s cheerfulness at getting away from the Vassals was wearing on his nerves.

Just as Grant opened his mouth to give the Wielder a piece ...

Libriohexer ~ 15!

For the next two hours, Finn gave Sam and Bill a guided tour of the dumpsters of Ardania. They hit up ten different waste bins scattered around North Waterside—the Painted Stranger, the Thundering Crow, Papaya Bear, the Willow Harbor, and half a dozen more. The food was as varied as the names; some focused on seafood that provided water-oriented buffs and debuffs, while others offered extremely spicy takes on Thai that did wonders for fire resistance and cultivating flame essence. ...

February ~ 26!

<That’s what I like to see> Sarge screeched in pleasure as Grant threw himself off a thick branch. <You’re receiving serious training here! Mind for the thought you put into every action, physical is obvious, armor for the falling and scraping, and… oh, you need to start cutting things. Watch for orange birds! Keep it up.>

“How are you doing that?” Waylon shouted from well under him

“Literally just practice!” Grant tried to keep...

Libriohexer ~ 14!

The eastern city gates rose up like towering sentinels, standing guard over the shining jewel of humanity, Ardania. The gates were enormous things, easily large enough to accommodate a swarm of T-rexes, and the connecting walls loomed forty-feet tall with wide ramparts. Guards wearing conical helmets carrying hooked halberds and oversized long bows, patrolled the upper walks. It was an intimidating display and a reminder of exactly how much work the Wolfman had to do if they were goi...

February ~ 25!

“What’s wrong with him? Is he okay?” Waylon’s concerned voice seemed to come from far, far away.

“When we found him, he had passed out and was almost dead. We… can’t explain what happened to him. He didn’t appear to pick up any injuries during the completion of the course.” The healer checked Grant’s vitals with a burst of mana, then shrugged. “He should be fine. His body has been mended, but it's too early to tell if his mind will recover. We had to strap...

February ~ 24!

“Hey, Grant.” Waylon called out to Grant as the young man scanned the mass of competitors lining the tables of the food tent. Fatigue overwhelmed him as he made his way over to Waylon to the point that he almost considered asking Sarge to zap him to keep his legs moving. “I didn’t think you were going to make it.”

“Almost didn’t.” Grant admitted as he flopped onto the seat. “My cultivation was enough to sustain me, but… I just don’t have any experience in doing tha...

Libriohexer ~ 13!

Chapter Thirteen

A tsunami of unbridled energy came roaring out from Bill, screaming along Sam’s mana channels then tearing into his brain. It felt like magma was coursing through his veins while slivers of powdered glass had been injected directly into his skull. Sam tried to focus on his breath, but his lungs didn’t want to work properly. His eyes shot open as an involuntary scream was ripped from somewhere deep within his lungs. The glass shards inside his head m...

February ~ 23!

<Someone sliding down on your left, prepare to block a… gonna say punch?> Sarge commented idly as an utterly exhausted lady with her face pressed against the stone held onto the wall without being able to reach for the next handhold. Her eyes lit up as she saw Grant come in range, and took a feeble swing at his outstretched hand.

Grant ignored her and slapped the hand she still had clinging to the wall with the flat of his blade, causing her to release her grip and fall backward...

Libriohexer ~ 12!

Chapter Twelve

“But that doesn’t make any sense,” Dizzy repeated her protest weakly, speaking slowly as though explaining a simple concept to someone with a serious head injury. “Chicken Farming has nothing to do with books or paper or ink or magic.”

“Then why is it an option for my Specialization selection?” Sam shot back instantly. “All of those Professions are supposed to help with my Specialization, and Chicken Keeper is there for a re...

February ~ 22!

The gear was good, but the prices would beggar him in one fell swoop for sure. A vendor was staring him down, causing Grant to sweat even though he wasn’t doing anything wrong. Finally his eyes landed on a white robe in the Late Spring section that caught his eye and made his wallet complain… less. “Sir, this young one apologizes for taking your valuable time, but could you explain to me why this robe costs so much for a single article of clothing?”

Grunting at the appr...

It's time to Hunt!

Check your Patreon email for an ebook and/or audiobook copy of a brand new book in the Divine Dungeon expanded universe centered on the origins of the Lion Kingdom! Lion's Lineage: Hunt will be live on Amazon and Audible on July 28th, so let me know what you think here or in a review. As always, thank you for your support and I hope you enjoy this new sto...

February ~ 21!

“We could have spent the night at House Wednesday’s estate, you know.” Waylon pulled a warm wheatgrass shot out of his pack and downed it with a grimace. Wiping his mouth, he continued with, “The chefs would have cooked us up a tasty breakfast. As monster hunters, we usually have access to a wider range of food, including meat from all over the District.”

“You’re telling me this now, Waylon? Hours after we left?” Grant honestly considered turning back e...

Libriohexer ~ 11!

Chapter Eleven

“Everyone get to the stalls! Now!” Dizzy bellowed while barreling forward with her war maul raised high.

Sam didn’t think twice. He bolted right, running as fast as his legs would carry him and vaulting over the wooden gate that led to one of the holding pens. He dropped, breathing hard, then cautiously peaked over the top of the stone retaining wall. His eyebrows climbed in shock as he watched the Junction Guardian lunge forward, its...

February ~ 20!

CHAPTER 20

They walked in silence through the evening and into the night. Grant was starving but didn’t dare suggest they stop; just in case the bandits came back and he was forced to actually fight what had clearly been near-starved children. The next two days passed quickly as Grant practiced moving over rough and strange terrain. Sarge pushed him to try more and more daring feats, to the point Grant was starting to literally fear waking up in the morning.

...

Libriohexer ~ 10!

Chapter Ten

Sam woke up to the sound of gently lapping waves. A mixture of confusion and disorientation hit him in equal measures. For a lengthy moment he couldn’t remember what had happened, where he was, or how he gotten… well, wherever in the abyss here was.

It was dark and he felt the gentle warmth of water surrounding him, which was strange. Had he fallen asleep in the bathtub? No, that didn’t explain the sound of the water. Almost like surf…...

February ~ 19!

CHAPTER 19

Clean, well-fed, and rested, and with a tightly bound stack of Time in his pack, Grant took one last look at the boarded-up shops and faded signs before leaving the city behind. According to Waylon, the place used to be teeming with life, with craftsmen and shopkeepers hawking their wares to passers-by. He tried to imagine what it once was like, the rasping of saws and beating of metal. Physical cultivation and bettering yourself was important, but not if it led to this. 2021-07-19 11:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post

February ~ 18!

CHAPTER 18

It took well over an hour to get used to the changes that had swept through his body, and he ‘died’ a few times, but finally Grant was ready to re-enter society. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t accidentally smash anything.

As he walked down the hallway, the whistle of wind drew his attention as it blew through boarded up windows. Through the gaps in the wood, he could see out into the city that he was in, and was shocked at the state of the place. Previo...

Libriohexer ~ 9!

Chapter Nine

It was full dark when they finished dressing and left the Irondown Burrows behind, trading heated water and comfy beds for biting mosquitoes and the gloomy shadows engulfing the Forest of Chlorophyll Chaos. Arrow was disgruntled and Dizzy seemed to be on the hangry side since Velkan insisted that they forgo eating. The Wolfman was as stoic as ever, but Kai and Bill both seemed to be in good moods and Sam was actually feeling pretty happy with the choice to ventur...

February ~ 17!

CHAPTER 17

As it turned out, Grant did not need to make it the entire way to the city. A subjugation team met them only a mile further down the road, hurrying back toward the initial site of the reports. Grant was seriously concerned to be surrounded by nearly fifty Vassals and Wielders so suddenly, but to his great relief they were all only concerned for his and Waylons’ well-being.

While he was unsure if another random civilian would have gotten the immediate treatment that ...

Libriohexer ~ 8!

Chapter Eight

Sam dismissed the sword with a thought and an effort of will, then took a quick moment to survey the battlefield.

Dizzy was busy bludgeoning one of poor unfortunate droids into the ground with her war maul, though she looked decidedly worse for the wear. She was limping badly, and one arm hung mostly useless at her sideburned thanks to the arc welder attached to one of the automaton’s hands. But the droid had also suffered its fair share of damage. Its body was l...

February ~ 16!

CHAPTER 16

As it turned out, the new-growth trees the crows had attacked from had been the herald of a deeper and more ancient forest that apparently encircled the city. The setting sun had long since been blotted out by the knot of twisted branches overhead, and the wagon creaked as it moved deeper into the woods. Grant was carrying a torch that had been packed into the wagon, but even so struggled to keep the darkness at bay.

*Grant.*

“What was that?” Grant ...

February ~ 15!

CHAPTER 15

Thirty-one hours into their forced march, Grant’s stomach began to metaphorically scream and weep as they power-walked through the grasslands. The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, and dark clouds roiled in the distance as the afternoon shifted toward evening.

“I don’t like the look of those clouds,” Grant mumbled to himself as he stared at the strange patterns appearing in the heavens.

“Did you say something?” Waylon’s tired voice gave Gra...

Libriohexer ~ 7!

Chapter Seven

“Well, is it warded?” Dizzy was getting too impatient, which Sam explained with a single annoyed glance. The team crouched at the top of a short descending staircase which ended at a set of impressively large bronze double doors, studded with rivets. A simple lever protruding from the wall on the left appeared to be the activation mechanism, but no one wanted to pull it until they were sure the door was the only thing it activated.

“Looks clean to me...

February ~ 14!

CHAPTER 14

Grant had a smile on his face as he set off at a brisk pace. He was ‘fresh’ thanks to leveling up, so pulling the cart was his responsibility. Waylon kept throwing him strange looks as he jogged alongside Grant. “Okay, I gotta know… how are you smiling? I literally see little lightning bolts jumping between your teeth.”

“Face. Isth. Stick like this.” Grant slurred out as his face constantly twitched. “I’ll practith more.”

“Okay then, listen...

Libriohexer ~ 6!

Chapter Six

The sun was hanging high overhead and sweat was streaking down Sam’s face when they finally pushed through a swatch of bushy ferns and hanging moss. The trek through the Forest of Chlorophyll Chaos had been exactly as difficult as Sam had envisioned. The second they crossed over some mystic barrier, they disappeared in the span of an eyeblink, their whole party materializing deep in a boggy section of forest with sucking mud pits, a tangle of creeping vines, and swarms o...

February ~ 13!

CHAPTER 13

“Ha!” Grant stood victorious over a slain rabbit as he waved his sword at the hawk that had killed the oversized rabbit and been too weak to carry it off. “Get! Shoo! This is mine now!”

The bird flew away, leaving Grant his rabbit. The human took the creature to his wagon and chopped it up with his rusty skinning knife, then held his sword over a pile of tinder. He angled the blade so that it was reflecting the sun as much as possible, then magnified ...