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World Sphere - 201 - The Seventh Floor

Chapter 201: The Seventh Dungeon Floor

The unihorn goat was not as difficult as its imposing size made it appear. The dungeon had only upscaled the creature, making it stronger. Relik shattered its skull with a lazy swing of his mace as he dodged it. Hyperion flinched at the powerful strike, causing the head to cave in and crack loudly. I knelt over the goat and noticed the horn had not been damaged from the attack. “Bone steel or something similar,” Relik said, standin...

A Soldier's Life - 275 - Final Preparations (final edit 6-13-25)

Chapter 275: Final Preparations

With her new bronze adventurer’s medallion in hand, Raelia offered to buy everyone an ale with an impish smile. “All the ale you can drink, on me,” she said, placing a worn gold piece on the table.

I took her to the side for a moment to remind her not to tell them that she had been in the Shimmering Labyrinth with Maveith and me. “It is fine you are trying to ingratiate yourself to my companions, but you cannot tell them you fought with us i...

A Soldier's Life - 274 - Party Crasher

Chapter 274: Party Crasher

Raelia got defensive in her posture. “I can make my own decisions. And if Maveith needs help, I am helping him,” Raelia said haughtily to me. Baldo hissed at me as if it reinforced her assertion.

I put my foot down as I wouldn’t let the elf dictate to me. “I am in charge of my adventurer team.” I looked to Maveith, who nodded in support. “I choose who we take on. Besides, you can’t take the griffin.” I pointed at Baldo, and he made a lung...

Town Builder - 76 - Incursion

Chapter 76: Incursion

Incursions were a major part of the end game. There were twenty-three completely different planar realms in the game with their own themes; most were much more dangerous than our current one, if the forums were to be believed. In testing, we faced an incursion from the insectoid realm, and one of the cities fell. This was not planned during the test and occurred because some player testers decided to assist the invaders. The programmers took a lot of w...

A Soldier's Life - 273 - Dinner Discourse

Chapter 273: Dinner Discourse

As I stepped outside, my companions followed, and I was relieved to observe that none of them seemed overly intoxicated. Mateo began sharing intriguing details about our guide, Enyara.

He emphasized that she was a skilled tracker and had a long affiliation with the Guild. She often operated independently and was currently available for hire. Her skill set bore a resemblance to that of a Hound of Empire, but her expertise lay in tracking monsters rathe...

A Soldier's Life - 272 - Caravan Guard Duty

Chapter 272: Caravan Duty

I absent-mindedly poured myself a drink, taking an empty but probably used mug. Benito was excited at the mention of food. “So, what is for dinner? I bet the elves have some amazing cooks! These sandwiches were pretty good. I bet they spent thousands of years learning how to cook well, right?”

Maveith rumbled a laugh, “Elves can live to a thousand, yes. But few ever complete a second millennium.” Our conversation caught the unwanted looks of the e...

World Sphere - 200 - Dungeon Reborn

Chapter 200: Dungeon Reborn

We watched the lightning elementals chase the shifter up and out of the shaft onto the island’s surface. I felt my connection to the elementals end after they exhausted their aether investment. The shifter hadn’t killed them, so I was confused. “Do we go up or back?” Hyperion asked from behind me.

I ignored him momentarily, sending a warning message through the ring to Sana. No one was to go near the dungeon entrance as the shifter ...

A Soldier's Life - 271 - Dinner Plans

Chapter 271: Dinner Plans

I found my way to Maveith’s side, leaning into him. In a harsh whisper to get over the ambient noise, I warned him. “Raelia might be in Artiria. If you can talk to her privately, try to convince her not to tell the others that she was with us in the dungeon.”

Maveith’s eyes were lively, a grin spreading on his face. He had befriended the griffin rider in the dungeon and missed her. At first, I thought he had an interest in her as a lover, but I be...

Town Builder - 75 - Game Launch!

Chapter 75: Game Launch!

Grey Weasel remained smiling as he waited for my response. “Your player map?” I questioned the legitimacy of his claim of being lost.

The realization came to him, and he laughed cheerfully, “Oh! I just came from the Endless Dark. I started in the Necropolis down there and popped up about twenty miles north of here in the mountains. Since I was on the surface, I decided to link several portals before returning. This weird little town isn�...

A Soldier's Life - 270 - Konstantin POV (Complete - 6300 words!)

Chapter 270: Konstantin POV

Konstantin's journey to the capital took a grueling two weeks on foot, as he had to steer clear of the main roads teeming with soldiers and legionnaires. With the death of the Emperor, it was surprising that the Esenhem elves hadn't made a move towards the capital or the Atlantium ruins to the south. Konstantin speculated that their ultimate goal would be the Atlantium ruins, but their recent losses had made them exercise caution.

Under the...

Final Vote of Lirkin's Tavern/Inn Name

Thanks for the bevy of replies! Some exciting suggestions and some may appear late in the story when the MC stays at other inns. Narrowed it down to three finalists.

Like I said, this establishment may not play a huge part in the story (or it might). The city of Gramney is on the banks of a massive river and a distance from the ocean. Otherwise, I would have definitely gone with the Salty Kraken.

You can add another Fan Fiction story option - the time Castile's company killed the...

World Sphere - 199 - The Hunt

Chapter 199: The Hunt

The Prancing Eagle landing brought a number of city guards to the Dungeon Academy. While the Maelstrom had been essentially ignored for violating the skyship rules, the Prancing Eagle was not. Hyperion held up his hands like he was under arrest as the irate port guards issued him a fine of twenty gold and ordered the Prancing Eagle to the docks.

I eventually intervened, handing two large golds to cover the fine, “He is with me today. If he brea...

Inn/Tavern in Gramney

not sure how big a part this will play in the overall story but the name of Lirkin's Inn Tavern poll is below. Lirkin has "retired," in the Grand Duchy of Manch. Try to keep spoilers out of comments as the poll is open to everyone. World Sphere 199 is close....

A Soldier's Life - Book 5 Castile's Epilogue (1 of 2)

Chapter: Book 5 Epilogue (1 of 2)

Castile looked over the young mage on the bed. She was probably attractive under the gag and all the grime. She sighed as she pulled the short knife hidden on her hip and cut the cordage and leather straps binding her ankles but leaving the hands tied. Eryk had really gone overboard with securing her and didn’t want to waste time on unraveling the knots.

She wondered what he meant when he said he was rough with her but doubted he ha...

Soldier 193 & 194 moved to book 4

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A Soldier's Life - 269 - Burden of Leadership

Chapter 269: Burden of Leadership

When we returned to the suite, Lirkin and Castile brought me aside. Lirkin seemed eager to talk about his options in the city. “I found a few places. Some I thought were out of reach.” He looked at Castile, who nodded. “One is nestled between the trade district and the river dock district. An older proprietor had a lovely little inn that hadn’t seen much business since the new docks were built further upriver, with two new luxury inns opening th...

A Soldier's Life - 268 - Secret Depths Revealed

Chapter 268: Secret Depths Revealed

I let the men deal with their surprisingly mild hangovers in the morning. I had sampled the ambrosia on a few occasions while a sentry at Kraken Bay. It was a little sweet to my palate, but if you could get it cold, it was better than the best ale. It didn’t take much to get buzzed, and I had never experienced a hangover the following day. I would have to remember to refill the pair of canteens my companions had drained from the black chalice.

A Soldier's Life - 267 - Investment Opportunities

Chapter 267: Investment Opportunities

Benito, not waiting for the stunned Castile to move, stepped past her, gently pushing her aside, and entered the common room for the suite. “Nice place! I don’t see any food. Can you order some from the tavern below? The stew smelled good on the way through.” Benito dropped his pack and sat heavily on the sofa. His pungent scent from being on the road for so long filling the room.

Castile finally regained herself and asked, “How are yo...

World Sphere - 198 -

Chapter 198:

“No.” I stared down Loriel. “The Black Spire and everything on the estate is mine as per our arrangement.”

Loriel was relaxed. “Maybe you need reminding that the Heartstone was lost due to your negligence. Skyholme needs defenses, and reestablishing the anti-teleportation array could solidify our defenses.”

“Then purchase a new Heartstone. I have repaid for the Heartstone and the mithril ten times over.” You could feel the tension in...

A Soldier's Life - 266 - Greasing the Wheels of Justice

Chapter 266: Greasing the Wheels of Justice

“It was in the trade district. There is a jail along the west wall near there. That is probably where he is being held,” Ignis informed me of where she saw Mateo.

“Are there any others? How was he wearing legion armor in the city?” I asked anxiously as I prepared to leave. I wouldn’t wait for Maveith, but Ignis could tell him where I went.

“He just had legion vambraces and greaves, and they were stained black. I didn’...

A Soldier's Life - 265 - Forging Bonds

Chapter 265: Forging Bonds

Ignis cracked a smile, her front tooth was chipped. “So, the old fire witch made it then? Where is she? She better have another bottle of that Elven wine you gave her. I need to forget some things.”

I moved closer to keep our conversation private. “She didn’t make it. At least, I couldn’t locate her with my blood compass.” Ignis’s expression fell at my words. I was curious about how she was tied to the plot to kill the Emperor, so I decided...

A Soldier's Life - 264 - Hard Lesson

Chapter 264: Hard Lesson

When I woke, my suffering had not ended. My muscles would not work; having been seized for too long, the ligaments had been strained, and my muscles were brutalized. I still tried to move, but all I could do was shudder. I moved my head with great difficulty and couldn’t see Maveith. Had he abandoned me? No, he wouldn’t do that. Crusty, acidic salt caked my lips as I tried to speak. My vocal cords were sore and would not work—had I been screaming?

I ...

Town Builder - 74 - Eternal Legacy

Chapter 74: Eternal Legacy

I tasked Galana and her city guards to keep an eye on the players. I wished my Rouges Gallery had spawned a few agents by now, but I was out of luck. I sat at my drafting table working on the Large Guild Hall for Divine Deviants while I had a map overlay of Malcum and watched the player icons move. A fourth icon briefly flashed in the interface inside the town hall where Breda worked. Blue Moon (11) was the player’s name before it disappeared. I...

A Soldier's Life - 263 - Mistakes Are Made

Chapter 263: Mistakes Were Made

The city was less clean than the Elven cities. The fetid sewer under the streets was noticeable in the air near the grates in the streets, and the alleys were filled with vagrants and debris. Still, the city felt safe with cheerful pairs of guards walking the streets.

It took us half a day to find acceptable accommodations in wealthy district. The inn was called Crescent Crossroads. I think it was the most luxurious inn in all of Gramney. I rented a...

A Soldier's Life - 262 - Guildmaster Prejudice

Chapter 262: Guildmaster Prejudice

Our armored escort walked briskly through the city, not giving us much time to take in the sights. Just like Sanco, the Esenhem capital of Artiria was meticulously clean. There was a greater grandeur to the buildings as well, but the architecture still mirrored the other elven city, with a graceful curvature and no sharp angles on all the structures. Dark glossy wood panels adorned the roofs of most buildings.

A number of the buildings also exten...

A Soldier's Life - 261 - Bread, Bath and Beyond

Chapter 261: Bread, Bath and Beyond

As we wandered the streets in the daylight, we took in the fascinating sights. I saw something I never thought was possible: a fat elf. It was almost unfathomable to me to see. There were a number of slightly pudgy elves, but this merchant, selling an array of bread, had a gut that would make Santa proud. I couldn’t resist and stopped at his street stall.

The smell of his fresh bread was wonderful, and maybe he partook of his own wares too muc...

World Sphere - 197 - Not A Hero's Return

Chapter 197: Not A Hero's Return

The array came to life, and the smell of aetheric ozone hung in the control chamber. I wasn’t surprised the array worked, and a half dozen mages stood behind me as I checked the feedback. King Nirhaan had obtained powerful aether crystals, but my work on the array would still determine its effectiveness.

I frowned as I deciphered the readings, which showed the array at 62% effective power. The stress patterns I read showed that tower...

World Sphere POV Voting - September

I am working on chapter 197 at the moment but with book 4 having about 15 chapters left, I wanted to include one more POV vote.

A Soldiers Life 189 & 190 posted

I plan to be driving tomorrow so I am adding these chapters today

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A Soldier's Life - 260 - Guild Rewards

Chapter 260: Guild Rewards

Although my appearance remained calm, my heart raced. The guards waited expectantly as Maveith complied with their request, emptying everything in his pockets, which was not much. Did they find it odd that we were not carrying large packs—only entering the country with the clothes on our backs? Maveith’s pack was in my dimensional space as well as both our armors.

My biggest uncertainty was if they were aware I had a dimensional space. If they could ...