HideousGrain

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 16

If the impending sense of death hadn’t been enough to attract my attention, Aureus’ scream certainly would have been.

Our bond rippled as the little glutton pulled my attention to the shade of a tall oak tree, and my eyes landed on a set of piercing yellow eyes. I pulled ether from my core and pushed it through my lower body. Kicking the ground while releasing a burst of ether strained my muscles, but it was supposed to increase the distance between me and the threat beside me.

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 15

It felt great to know all the training had been worth it.

Killing beasts and ending the lives of other lifeforms was hard. It was far from easy, and I doubted it ever would be. I also highly doubted I’d ever feel great about killing others— even if we were talking about the very creatures that had forced us into hiding.

Knowing I had ended the lives of five beings, my earlier excitement diminished.

At least I’m no longer shaking, I thought, goosebumps spreadin...

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 14

It was close to noon when I woke up, and I immediately reached for my phone.

“No response.”

Daniel hadn’t responded. That could only mean one thing for a chatterbox like him: Daniel was busy. Maybe he pulled an all-nighter with his teacher and fell asleep without looking at our chat, or he was outside hunting beasts and plucking infused herbs. It could be anything, really.

One way or another, Daniel was busy.

My heart skipped a beat at that. What did that mean fo...

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 13

The silvernit sword arced cleanly through the air and carved through the shadow of a simulated Wagur. My arms ached, and I felt my muscles constrict as more ether than intended surged through them. Breathing heavily, I backtracked with swift strides as I moved through the combat simulation room, escaping the charge of another 1-Star Wagur.

Three more simulated beasts—nimble Tibera Wolves—closed in as I retreated, and they pounced when I failed to draw back the excess ether from my a...

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 12

POV – Adam

It was hard to believe that all Blessed had access to so much detailed information. Every document, whether it was a video, technique, or information file, was a treasure trove. To me, and probably to everyone in the ninth sector, they were invaluable.

“Is it really fine to accept that?” I wondered, looking out the window to welcome the first rays of sunlight.

Aureus emerged from my World with a yawn. He scrambled to his paws on my ...

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 11

POV – Daniel

I waved goodbye to Adam when the skytrain departed and returned to the main sector without delay. Teach was waiting for the data I had collected. A few corpses also waited to be dissected in my storage unit, but that could wait. All of that could wait. It had to.

Paving my way through the twinkling mist of ether permeating the border to the main sector, I hailed a cab and returned home in no time. Whether it took ten minutes or an hour, I w...

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 10

Aureus froze the Bloodbath Deer? No, that couldn’t be it. The Soilback was too weak and frail to manage something like that. As intelligent as the little glutton was, that kind of feat should’ve been impossible.
Right?

Pushing the confusion aside, I reached for our connection. Aureus had always been omnipresent within me, flooding me with his emotions, but that was no longer the case. I couldn’t sense my Soulkin’s presence anymore, and it took me a moment to grasp what was h...

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 9

The Wagur’s tusk nearly impaled me as the beast whistled past. It was too close for my frail heart to handle, yet it was exactly what I needed to ram the silvernit sword into the Wagur’s chest. I could have worn down the beast, exploiting my advantages until the Wagur didn’t have any strength left to fight, but that wouldn’t have helped me as much.

I desired efficient combat, and that was exactly what I delivered. The Wagur didn’t slow even as the blade’s tip pierced through...

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 8

“Do you really think I’m ready for this?” I fidgeted with my belt, tightened it, and then put it back into the same position when it didn’t feel quite right.

Daniel didn’t look back. He strode calmly along the sidewalk, his eyes diverting from the massive structures of the Bastion to the patches of grass and flowers separating them from the dome. The only structure carved into the surrounding land was a straight, several-kilometer-long street, connecting the Bastion’s main s...

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 7

The World inside me rumbled violently. It sloshed against the shell of my existence, pushing harder than ever, and I knew what that meant. It was on the verge of breaking apart.

My World was too small to inhabit the Soilback now that it had hatched. But where did that sudden change come from? A newborn was not supposed to require much more soul energy than the egg—especially not mere minutes after it was born.

As long as the ethernet was not full of liars and scammers, the Soilb...

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 6

The tender slice of meat didn’t last long. I poked it with my fork and carved through it with a sharp knife. Juices spilled out as I cut into the meat, and I couldn’t hide the smile that spread across my face as I devoured it.

This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten! I shouted in my mind, barely holding myself back from voicing my joy aloud.

Even though nobody knew me here, I had to maintain some etiquette—somewhat, at least.

“You look like a starving beast...

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 5

Leaving the safety of the Bastion was scary. Fighting beasts outside was even worse. It scared the living hell out of me. Just thinking about it made me sweat and tighten my throat. My stomach lurched, but the idea of fighting beasts didn’t sound entirely bad.

At least, the part about earning a fortune for my parents. To give them back everything they had sacrificed for me.

And, of course, the thought of being able to do something for myself, to grow stronger, and to have the me...

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 4

“Do you really think it’s okay for us to use your teacher’s ether devices?”

Against my expectations, nobody paid much attention to me when I stepped off the skytrain. A few uninterested glances followed me out of the station, but that was normal. Some people were always curious about the frail-looking, sweaty guy who seemed like he might collapse after taking a few dozen steps.

My clothes, drenched in sweat from all the running around, didn’t help my appearance either. N...

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 3

It took Daniel only a few seconds to accept the call.

“Adam! Please tell me you called because you’re finally going to accept my offer,” he half-shouted through the phone, his voice laced with the usual hope and excitement.

I grimaced and shook my head—not that Daniel could see it.

“My dad was outside,” I said aloud, not bothering to beat around the bush.

When Daniel didn’t say anything, I continued. “A Blessed found him severely wounded and brought him...

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 2

“Your father may have to stay in the hospital for a few days, and I want to stay by his side. Can you go home and bring us some clothes, darling?” Mom asked. She inclined her head as she added, “Do you think you can manage without me?”

I nodded slowly, though I barely remembered what my mother had just said. My fingers were still stiffly curled around the tiny beast egg while my eyes lingered on my father.

“Maybe I should send you a list of things we may need,” she add...

Beastforged World - B1 Chapter 1

My muscles screamed in agony as I pressed my palms firmly against the ground.

Beads of sweat trickled down my temples, and I failed to suppress the pained groan stuck in my throat as I pushed my body upward, finishing the push-up. It was only my second push-up before the strength in my arms faded.

Face-first, I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. A distant voice reached my ears, trembling—filled with concern—and someone grasped my shoulders to turn me onto my back. The v...

Apocalypse Healer - B3 Chapter 35

Many things had changed recently, and a multitude of thoughts filled his head. William and his actions were among them.

The Champions have gathered to talk about him, haven’t they? How many people had been killed by William since the start of the integration, and… how many more would fall victim to him? David wondered, stretching his limbs on the bed.

Nothing was as simple as it had been before the integration, yet it was easy to tell that William was the best guy. Th...

Apocalypse Healer - B3 Chapter 34

Three people shrouded in a brilliant shimmer—reminiscent of holy power—caught David’s eye as he brushed the piece of cloth aside to enter the infirmary.

The first thing he noticed was the intricate golden lines that had been carved into the ground. They were precise and emitted more power than most people in the Sanctuary could control. However, what was truly interesting was where the power within the engravings led. They pooled toward the three outlines of people—humans, to be...

Apocalypse Healer - B3 Chapter 33

She was still alive. They all were. But the nightmares of that day still clung to them—they still shackled her.

She was the Saintess of the Heavens. A brilliant role model with Heaven’s Blessing, meant to cast a radiant light upon a world shrouded in darkness. Yet when the all-consuming darkness came, she was powerless. Too weak to dispel it.

A failure.

Memories of the fight against the Tiny Devil were etched deep into her mind. She recalled every moment as they struggle...

Apocalypse Healer - B3 Chapter 32

His heart thrashed against his chest like a war drum at the thought of a serious fight.

David considered cutting his stop at the Dwarven Sanctuary short and rushing straight to the most dangerous Rift, but he decided against it when Maja teleported them back to the Sanctuary. He caught the life signals of Melach, Torb, and other higher authorities gathered in the town hall.

The council meeting is still on. Maybe they’re talking about the Rifts and how to leverage them to the...