"This marks the end of the Combat Trial," he announced, his voice carrying over the quiet murmur of the crowd. "I will now call forward those who will proceed to the final phase."
Jamie stood before the diminished crowd, his gaze sweeping over the remaining contenders. Some choices were clear to him; others required deeper contemplation. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the arena, and a hush fell as everyone awaited his decision.
He had no intention of selecting any...
2025-03-12 23:48:48 +0000 UTC
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- Oliver -
"What the hell is this?" Oliver exclaimed, his voice reverberating through the immense chamber. He stood rooted at the threshold, his eyes wide as they scanned the vast expanse before him.
"Relax," Martin said with a chuckle, placing a reassuring hand on Oliver's shoulder. "Everyone is surprised by the size of the installation when they come here for the first time." He gazed upward, a hint of awe in his own eyes. "Hard to believe this was constructed e...
2025-03-12 23:33:34 +0000 UTC
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Thomas stepped forward this time, turning to address the gathered crowd with a confident gaze. "Next!" he called out, his voice clear and commanding atop the makeshift stage.
Watching from the sidelines, Jamie allowed himself a slight smile. Seeing Thomas brimming with confidence was a sight to behold. That simple summons was all it took for more of the hopefuls to reconsider their ambitions. One by one, they began to slip away from the line.
"I need to get back to work; I don't k...
2025-03-12 00:01:18 +0000 UTC
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As Jamie's keen gaze swept over the weary faces before him, he noted two familiar figures among the crowd—the boys from the Cutpurses. ‘They came. Who would have thought?’ Jamie mused, momentarily surprised. Despite his blessing, which sometimes granted him information about the future, it was always clear what would happen.
Seeing that no one else would be joining them, Jamie stepped up onto the wooden platform. "Congratulations to all who have made it this far," he announced, hi...
2025-03-11 23:59:18 +0000 UTC
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- Oliver -
As Oliver advanced toward the looming silhouette of the military base, the cacophony of warfare engulfed his senses. The sound of gunfire echoed across the barren landscape, punctuated by the thunderous detonations of missiles.
A flicker of doubt crossed his mind. Was his plan solid enough? Had they already discovered his infiltration? The thought spurred a quickened pace. His steps grew brisk as he approached the main gate, his eyes scanning the ...
2025-03-11 23:40:42 +0000 UTC
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Over the next few days, whispers of the new company's creation swept through the Lower Quarter like wildfire. The audacity of its founders—not even considering to post a single notice in the Commercial Quarter—was seen by some as bold, even courageous. But to the mercenaries dwelling in the Commercial Quarter, it felt like a bitter jest, as if someone had spat in their faces. Many swore they would have nothing to do with this upstart company, while others grew curious about the sort of ra...
2025-03-10 23:44:37 +0000 UTC
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Jamie's voice dropped to a lethal whisper, as cold and unforgiving as steel. "Now explain to me," he said, "why I shouldn't kill you?"
The boy gave a faint, bitter laugh before answering. "Kill me if you want," he said defiantly, "but I won't stoop to begging for my life." As he finished speaking, he spat on the ground before him, his eyes blazing with misplaced pride.
Jamie didn't relish the thought of harming someone whose motives he didn't fully understand. Yet, if this was the...
2025-03-10 23:21:40 +0000 UTC
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As Jamie concluded outlining the plan, Thomas and Elize appeared more at ease about the next steps. Elize returned her focus to the tavern while Jamie carefully stored the documents in his room.
He soon re-emerged with a stack of flyers in hand. "Thomas, let's go and post these," he said. The guard, who had been helping tidy the tavern, stood up promptly and followed his leader out the door.
Dividing the stack evenly—ten pamphlets each—Thomas and Jamie affixed the first one to...
2025-03-10 23:15:32 +0000 UTC
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- Oliver -
Confusion surged through Oliver as he stared up at the towering sign before him. The bold letters, though weathered by time, were unmistakable: ‘Wolmi Theme Park. ’
"Wolmi Theme Park?" he whispered, his voice barely audible over the distant hum of the city. "Isn't that in Incheon?"
The simple act of questioning triggered a sudden, searing pain that lanced through his skull like a razor-sharp blade. It felt as though metal had pierced from one ...
2025-03-10 23:11:42 +0000 UTC
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As you may have seen, I launched The Crime Lord Bard, which had an interesting success in Rising Stars. We reached 13th place, which was an unprecedented achievement for me.
[Update] I have already written all the chapters up to the end of the first book.
However, I’m starting to research for my next story, and this time, I’d really like you to decide which idea is the best.
What are the options?
"This is our plan," Jamie declared, his voice steady and resolute.
Thomas and Elize leaned in, their eyes scanning the scattered parchments and worn maps spread before them.
"The most important and fundamental step," Jamie continued, "is that we secure control over our territory." He pointed to a recently acquired weathered map from the Cutpurses, tracing a path with his finger. "This area here, between the avenue to the Noble Quarter all the way to the end of the Lower Quarter, r...
2025-03-09 01:50:21 +0000 UTC
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Jamie's eyes narrowed as he recognized the symbol ornamented on the wax seal. "Thank you, Elize," he said, accepting the letter with care. He didn't need a closer look to confirm it—it was unmistakably the sigil of the noble house of Hafenstadt.
For a moment, he stood contemplating the envelope in his hands. His mind raced with possibilities about its contents—none of them particularly reassuring. The air was thick with a tense silence, broken only by the distant muffled sounds of t...
2025-03-09 01:40:54 +0000 UTC
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| You destroyed the ‘Cutpurses.’
[The Pantheon blesses you with 1,000 Experience Points]
| James Frostwatch (Soul: James Murtagh)
| Experience: [2620 / 2000]
[You leveled up!]
Jamie stared in amazement as dozens of notifications cascaded before his eyes. The numbers and words seemed to dance and shift. His heart quickened. "I leveled up? Already?" he whispered to himself, scarcely believing it.
As the initial messages faded, new ones took their place, t...
2025-03-09 01:23:50 +0000 UTC
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- Oliver -
The man inclined his head, his gaze fixated on Oliver. His eyes glinted beneath the shadow of his hood, a subtle blend of curiosity and authority. "Welcome," he said, his voice resonating with a confident timbre that carried across the dimly lit chamber. "You're in the right place. Welcome to the Children of the Past."
Oliver chose not to respond verbally. Instead, he offered a slight nod. He preferred to keep a low profile, especially in unfamili...
2025-03-08 00:37:39 +0000 UTC
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| You have killed the Cutpurses' Leader.
| The God of [Thieves] has a gift for you.
| You got 500 Experience Points
Jamie lowered his gaze as the shimmering notification faded from his sight. He extended a hand to Thomas, who stood nearby with a vacant look, still processing the cold decisiveness with which his leader had dispatched the half-elf.
"He would have done the same to us," Jamie said, his voice steady but not unkind. Draping an arm over Thomas's shoulders. "Y...
2025-03-07 00:32:08 +0000 UTC
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- Oliver -
The grueling six months of relentless training had finally drawn to a close. Midnight was the appointed hour for them to embark on the final stage of their mission—the culmination of all their preparation and sacrifice.
Oliver stood at the base of the Silo, gazing upward at the spiraling staircase that wound its way up the towering structure. For the last time, he would make this ascent. Without the oppressive gravity amplifiers that had b...
2025-03-07 00:14:51 +0000 UTC
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Thomas wore a slight smile on his face, but Jamie seemed even more exhilarated. ‘Two hundred and fifty experience points—for both of us!’ he celebrated inwardly as the shimmering notifications faded from view.
“I'll have to be careful not to become a mass murderer…” Jamie muttered under his breath, a shiver running down his spine at the thought of how much experience he might gain if he killed the entire gang. Beside him, Jay nodded silently in agreement, his green eyes refl...
2025-03-06 00:40:05 +0000 UTC
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- Oliver -
"Who is that?" he whispered, lifting a hand to touch his face. The reflection mimicked him, confirming that this remarkable figure was indeed himself.
Oliver stared in disbelief at the mirror embedded in the wall of the washroom. He could hardly believe how much he had transformed with just a single evolution.
His hair was the most immediate and striking difference. While it had always been a deep shade of black, it now sported three distinct stre...
2025-03-06 00:38:46 +0000 UTC
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Thomas POV
"I was wondering what all the commotion outside was about," a voice dripped with disdain, echoing through the grand hall. "Who would have thought I'd find two rats scurrying around?"
Thomas lifted his gaze. At the top of the sweeping central staircase stood one of the Cutpurses' elite guards, his eyes fixed upon them like a predator sizing up its prey.
Despite Thomas's own considerable height and muscular build, the guard was somehow even more imp...
2025-03-05 00:27:03 +0000 UTC
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"A feast," Thomas murmured. "It's happening tonight."
"Yes," Jamie replied, his voice steady but laced with tension. "It's time we prepared." He gestured for Thomas to follow as they navigated the winding streets back toward the Golden Fiddle.
Over the past few days, the tavern had undergone a remarkable transformation. The old sign bearing the image of a fat pig had been replaced by a new one crafted from polished dark wood. It gleamed under the fading sunlight, the intricate des...
2025-03-05 00:18:02 +0000 UTC
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- Oliver -
As soon as his trembling hand grasped the ledge of the first floor, a notification flickered into existence before his eyes.
| You obtained 50 Experience Points.
Oliver collapsed onto the cold floor, his chest heaving with labored breaths. Beads of sweat dripped from his brow, mingling with the grime that clung to his skin. Nearly a month had passed since this relentless ordeal had begun. Each day blurred into the next, a monotonous cycle of ascen...
2025-03-05 00:16:40 +0000 UTC
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Jamie fixed Thomas with a steady gaze. "We have one last task for the day," he said quietly. "It's time to scope out our target."
That was all the explanation Thomas needed. Without another word, he fell into step beside Jamie as they slipped into the darkened streets of the Lower Quarter. The night enveloped them, the narrow alleys illuminated only by the silver sheen of the moon and the occasional glow of magical lampposts along the main roads.
"It's not far from here—just fou...
2025-03-04 00:15:01 +0000 UTC
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Jamie leaned over the cluttered workbench, using a piece of chalk to sketch crude diagrams on a scrap of parchment. He gestured as he explained his vision to Knall. Though not an expert, he conveyed the basics of brewing beer—the selection of grains, the fermentation process, and the importance of temperatures. Where his knowledge faltered, he trusted in Knall's alchemical expertise to fill the gaps.
"So, what do you think?" Jamie asked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Do you be...
2025-03-04 00:01:27 +0000 UTC
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- Lian Zhiyong -
Atop the skyscraper, Lian crouched low, his knees sinking slightly into the layer of dust that had settled over the years. With practiced precision, he eased his long-range rifle onto the rooftop's edge, the barrel extending just beyond the lip. His calloused fingers deftly adjusted the bipod's legs, securing his position with the effortless grace of someone who had performed this ritual countless times.
The wind whispered softly, carrying with it...
2025-03-03 23:59:09 +0000 UTC
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"His heart's still beating," Jamie announced, though his relief was tainted with urgency. "But it's weak. We need to act."
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Jamie realized that Thomas was too shaken to be of immediate help. The color had drained from Thomas's face, his eyes wide with fear and helplessness as he stared at Knall's unconscious form.
"Do you know anyone who can help?" Jamie asked, trying to anchor Thomas back to the present.
"N-not at this hour," Thomas st...
2025-03-01 01:05:12 +0000 UTC
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Over the next few hours, Jamie delved deeper into his plans with Thomas, the two of them huddled over the worn map spread out on the tavern table. The glow of candlelight cast dancing shadows around them as Jamie outlined what needed to be done and the strict code he lived by.
"These are the rules I operate under," Jamie said firmly, his gaze steady on Thomas. "No one under my command may break them, even if our opponents choose to ignore such principles."
Thomas listened intently...
2025-03-01 01:00:16 +0000 UTC
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- Oliver -
Each step was a monumental effort, more arduous and torturous than the last. Oliver's right foot dragged upward, heavy and trembling with exhaustion. His left foot tried to follow but failed, slipping and scraping against the cold, metallic surface of the stairway. His weary body could no longer withstand the relentless strain, and he collapsed onto the unforgiving steps.
Even his breathing was irregular—ragged gasps and shallow pants—as if each bre...
2025-03-01 00:00:11 +0000 UTC
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[Yes]
| Thomas Hartfield - Registered as Lieutenant
| EXP Boost applied to Thomas Hartfield
| The God of [Mystery] looks at you
| The God of [Mystery] smiles at you
Jamie wasn't sure what to make of another god taking an interest in his affairs—especially so soon after his impassioned monologue about destiny, deities, and his own ambitions. The divine attention was both unsettling and intriguing.
Thomas settled back onto the worn wooden floor, but something in ...
2025-02-28 00:45:53 +0000 UTC
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"I can't let this opportunity slip away," Jamie thought to himself, the weight of Thomas's Legend heavy on his mind. The words he'd seen—of untapped potential—urged him to act. Thomas could be the key to strengthening the Golden Fiddle and, in turn, improving his position in Hafenstadt's Lower Quarter.
Jamie deliberately avoided staring directly at Thomas, not wanting to make him uncomfortable under scrutiny. Instead, he observed him peripherally, noting the subtle lines of worry et...
2025-02-28 00:36:18 +0000 UTC
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- Dante -
"Shit. He's going to be pissed," Dante muttered under his breath as he skimmed over the initial operation report. The luminescent text scrolled across the translucent screen in his gauntlet, each line more troubling than the last. His brow furrowed, a knot tightening in his stomach.
Despite his apprehension, he continued his brisk pace toward the operations chamber within the Silo—one of the few important rooms not located on the first floor. Unlike th...
2025-02-28 00:00:06 +0000 UTC
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