Nick Showalter

Crazines

There is a lot going on in my life, unfortunately. 14 hour work nights with overtime days. Kids. Family. I won't go into the details. I am not able to live up to my obligations for the story and Patreon at this moment. I have paused October billing. I'm truly going to try and get back on the horse and make this work. In the meantime I will not be charging for October because it would be dishonest at best. If you choose to stick around I appreciate it and if you don't I understand completely.&...

Ch. 42 - Mage Training

"Damn it!"

Joe felt he was getting better at reading Diana's mood, so he was pretty sure she wasn't happy with the skill offerings in the pillar. At least she didn't try to kick the thing. When Joe touched them, they felt as immovable as a mountain.

"What were you hoping to find?"

Diana stared at him for a moment with anger making her eyes flash before she visibly took hold of her emotions. She took a deep breath and seemed to deflate as she sat down on the grass.

"I f...

POV - 2

"Joe's a fucking idiot," Nik thought to himself as he sat around the kitchen table. 

The man had done well for himself and the group he'd adopted. Nik wryly included himself as an adoptee though it hurt his pride a bit. He'd rolled the dice on the odd group of people fleeing the town, and it had paid off as far as Nik was concerned. 

That had been his second day in Plain City. He'd left his small community after everyone had barricaded themselves in...

Cover Concept Art

someone else used part of their midjourney trial to make this cover concept. It looks good so I thought I'd show it off. 

I will pick back up writing. This won't suddenly turn into an art blog, I promise. 

Joeish

I used up most of my midjourney trial on Diana. This isn't that close and the neck is all wonky but it was worth posting. 

Once again a patreon only thing. 

I will work on the alternate POV's chapter as medicine and brain allow. 

Diana

I'm sick again. Hooray for children going back to school. I find it difficult to write while taking cold medicine. Instead, I used some of the time to get on Midjourneys trial. I'm out of trial points and this wasn't exactly what I was picturing but it isn't bad. 

Gonna keep this as a patreon exclusive.

CH.41 - Working it out

The early afternoon sunlight blinded Joe slightly, but he was used to it. A faint breeze tickled his nose, bringing with it the scents of fresh grass tinged with a whiff of hot asphalt. Of course, none of that registered to Joe's mind as he was preoccupied with the roar that sounded out a city block to the northwest of the portal.

"Let's go!" Joe didn't yell, but the urgency in his voice was clear. He tried not to let the panic he felt color his voice, but Joe was sure Deena ...

CH.40 - Theory Testing

The fox was the same old same old. Joe knew that he could win the fight in seconds if he chose. He wasn't playing around, knowing that a poisoned bite would take more resources than he could afford to give, but he didn't end the fight in the first swing. The strike in question still carved a deep gouge down the fox's flank, but it didn't sever the limb. Joe had to dodge a second time to get out of the range of the fox's retaliatory bite.

Deena watched nearby but stayed silent, not wanti...

Ch.39 - New Partner, New Dance

Joe had entered the rift early in the day. It had been a long run, but four hours left their exit around noon. Both men blinked at the brighter light and tensed themselves for sudden movement. There was no bellowing roar or shouting from angry guards. Joe looked suspiciously over the quiet area, but Nik was already moving away and motioning for him to follow.

They ran back through Joe's temporary neighborhood of condos, and when they reached one of the main streets, Nik turne...

Character Poll

What character do we need to see more of?

CH.38 - Three Darts is Too Much

Poison sucked. It's not like Joe hadn't been very aware of that before today. Over the last week, Joe had taken a crash course in just how awful it was to be poisoned. He was hard-pressed to decide which aspect of poisoning was his least favorite.

The slowly dying while being aware of his life fading probably deserved first place, but that hadn't happened since Diana discovered the berries had healing properties. Even during his worst cases since then, there was always hope the magic wo...

Ch.37 - Out of Time

It was Joe's shift on the night watch when it happened. In the northwest, towards the rift and the carwash, a roar echoed over the suddenly still night air. It was deep and gravelly, like the T-Rex from Jurassic Park was a two-pack-a-day smoker named Laverne. There were bass notes of squashed skulls and slowly shutting tomb doors that threaded through the howl. Everyone in the house was probably awake, but no one moved or made noise. It felt like forever but was only ten seconds of a nightmar...

Ch.36 - Restraint

"What?"

Joe's manic grin and sudden request had caught her completely flat-footed. Joe didn't try to grab the crystal away, though he was sorely tempted. Instead, Joe took a deep breath and repeated his previous request. Though the manic grin would not leave his face no matter how hard he tried.

"You should have plenty of essence to level up and get a skill. Why do you need this?"

Diana's fingers had closed over the crystal, and Joe realized he wasn't getting it without a fi...

CH.35 - New Monsters, Same Rift

Gnolls are just gnolls, Joe thought to himself while shaking the acrid blood from his glaive. The monsters had fought with a speed and intensity surpassing the others they'd faced so far, but in the end, Joe and Diana's superior stats and weaponry made it a foregone conclusion. They pocketed the loot and moved forward down the path. Neither one said anything as they crept towards the new open meadow. They moved cautiously, being careful not to trip in the dim light. 

Ins...

Ch.34 - Physical Therapy

Joe woke early to a rainy day. Ohio wasn't a desert, so that was perfectly normal, but it had been sunny every day since the System was forced into their lives. Joe drank some of the remaining clean water and thought about his day. His ribs felt much better. They weren't perfectly healed, but the blood mana seemed to have helped. That was great news as Joe was sure that the group wouldn't let him into a rift if he couldn't lift his weapon without grimacing. 

The rain fel...

Small break

I'm going to the beach on an extended family vacation next week. I tried to post on the short trip to see family earlier in the summer and it did not go well. I'm going to try and write during this trip but it is unlikely I'll post. I will be announcing the same thing on Royal Road so the Patrons will still maintain their chapter lead. This is my last planned break until Christmas except for two days for Thanksgiving. I will check in a couple of times if anyone has any questions or comments.&...

Ch.33 - Heart Break

After Carl and Mike woke up, things got into full swing. Carl and Diana worked in the garden. Carl made things grow while Diana did most of the grunt work and stared at him intently while he used his skill. Mike went off to scavenge for an hour. He came back with odds and ends, but anything had the potential to be helpful in the right hands. Nik continued to sleep while Joe rested on the deck. The remaining adults supervised the children and showed them how to dig up cattail roots. They were ...

CH.32 - R&R

When the triumphant party returned, it was to a big bag of mixed emotions. Everyone with Joe was happy to be back, and everyone who stayed behind was thrilled that five people had returned. The people at the house were significantly less enthused about the state of the combatants. After everyone was inside, Travis took Deena upstairs so he could help with her arm, and the kids could see their mom was ok. Nik and Joe were each given a downstairs mattress with Diana watching over both men. Mike...

The State of Joe Address - very minor long term spoilers

This chapter was the end of arc 1. Arc as in the rough third of a standard book, not arc as in the whole book the way the prolific authors do. Man do some of those guys churn out the chapters. That's enough writer's envy from me.

Looking back at the beginning of the story, well, to call it rough would probably be pretty kind. So for everyone who chose to keep reading anyway, thank you. As I think everyone here knows I am a first-time author and I'm still trying to find a voice and style...

Ch.31 - Heartburn (Finished) (mostly)

In high school biology, Joe had read that some vultures can digest bone. When it comes to digestion, almost nothing is better than a scavenger. Their bodies are designed to get every scrap of energy possible from whatever refuse the animal could find. Joe knew that the hound wasn't a vulture, but it sure as hell looked like one, and maybe in magical monster land, that amounted to the same thing. That was his hope anyway. 

Joe wanted the monster to ingest the berries and ...

Ch.30 - Go Time

Joe's face felt so tight it would crack as he gazed upon the ruin in front of him. The front entrance of the typical suburban house had been completely demolished. The door was lying on the ground in multiple pieces, and the entrance to the living area was barely standing. The whole first floor had been torn up as if someone had driven a small car through the door and done doughnuts inside. The worst part was the blood. It was everywhere, and big black flies were buzzing about in the summer s...

Ch.29 - All Good Things...

Usually, Joe enjoyed being right about anything. It was a very human thing that's common in most people. But man, Joe hated being right about how much it sucked to pick those damn red berries. By the time he'd managed to grab a dozen berries, the pain had engulfed his whole forearm and had started traveling towards his shoulder. At that point, Joe backed his arm out and only dug a few new furrows in his skin. He couldn't imagine how bad it would be without the Tough Skin skill helping keep so...

Ch.28 - Chair of the Gods

The day was boring in the best possible way. Joe dug a boy scout standard latrine with lashed cross branches for a seat. He used the tops of the two small trees he dropped to make a privacy barrier. It wasn't perfect, but it would work. Mike managed to salvage some random tools and a small amount of wood and scrap metal. His eye skill was starting to pay off, and Joe was invested in getting him leveled up at some point soon. The kids were kept busy moving things and getting water. Joe risked ...

Ch.27 - Trust

It took about an hour to get everyone comfortable. It was warm outside, so no one needed blankets, just somewhere to sleep. The kids were the toughest to settle, bouncing off the walls after their confinement. Jennifer, Carl's daughter, took charge and had the four children set up in one room after minimal fussing. Jennifer and Deena took the one right next to them, and Diana was solo in the final one. Travis looked at his wife questioningly, but Deena shook her head.

"Boys a...

Ch.26 - Jail Break

Joe peeked around the corner in surprise. He wasn't the only one. There were sounds of movement in the barn near him, and he thought he heard the sound of the only door creaking open slightly. Whatever was going on, the guy at the gate had kicked a hornet's nest. Joe could relate. It seemed no matter what he did lately, it received an armed response. He realized the guy at the gate would probably have more luck if Joe didn't keep assaulting the people here. That thought led to a feeling of gu...

Ch. 25 - Friendly Visit

Everyone woke up before dawn without being prompted. The nervous energy was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Joe divvied up the berries evenly, and everyone ate one in preparation. Chatter was limited and died off quickly. No one was in the mood to talk. Joe felt nervous like everyone else, but he focused on what was important. Today they were going to rescue some families.

Also, he had new toys. Mike had outdone himself, considering that he had essentially no tools and workspac...

very slight delay

Hey everybody thanks for being here. I'm traveling with family. I'm using a tablet with a keyboard to keep writing during the trip. Unfortunately the tablet and patreon do not like each other currently. I've already lost one chapter trying to get it posted here. I've caught it back up and will have a minimum of two chapters posted when I get back in a couple of days. I'm sorry to do this, I did not anticipate two things I should have. Tablets are not laptops. Where I'm staying only has apple ...

Ch.24 - Christmas Morning

Joe had been checking the pillar just to look. It was the post System equivalent to spending twenty minutes flipping through shows on Netflix before giving up and doing something else. The thought stung as it brushed up against Joe's long-suppressed desire for instant vacuous entertainment. He shoved everything back into the corner of his mind holding onto Pokemon facts from childhood, before focusing on the task at hand. His new toy was glittering in the system menu, just waiting to be unwra...

Reworking the beginning

The first 5-10 chapters aren't great. I've got a friend who is an editor compiling some notes for me. I will redo them at some point but if you're reading this I want your feedback. What would you prefer AFTER I've fulfilled my promise of being five chapters ahead. 

Ch.23 - One for the Road

Joe didn't lose consciousness this time. The berries mana entered his system and drew towards the poison like a lodestone, the different forms of mana annihilating each other when they came into contact. A battleground raged through his core as Joe did his best to stay awake and direct the power.

"More," Joe managed to say through gritted teeth. Diana had three more in his mouth when he managed to pry it open, and he swallowed almost reflexively. He dove into his inner world and felt hi...