Good morning everyone,
Good news.
Book 3 of Alexa Thyme (eBook) is now live and ready to be read.
Book 2 of Alexa Thyme (Audible) is now available for pre-order (30 July 2024).
Note: With this publication, I will have to remove ...
2024-06-26 09:43:42 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 63
Cat And Mouse
(Three Weeks Later)
(Misha Tulley)
The signs were there from the start. Of someone more powerful and far more capable than Misha being at the helm of Surreal.
But the question came, why?
What was the point.
Everyday, Misha would easily make her way into the data storage areas for Surreal, by simply following the flow of data. Then she would rout...
2024-06-24 20:15:46 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 248
Full Karen (Part I)
You ever have one of those moments where, you go, you assemble a perfect fighting force to repel an overwhelmingly superior force. Then you realize that the force you assembled might be a too big enthusiastic about enacting your plans. So much so that you are tempted to leave a third of the force behind so they don’t compromise the integrity of the operation.
Then just before you give the command to do ...
2024-06-23 18:54:55 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 247
A Slight Disturbance
(Mallory)
Mallory came back to her tent in a daze.
Her head was reeling with the notion that the entire encounter that she had just experienced was too easy.
Though for her part Mallory couldn’t quite place her finger on why it had been so easy. Oh sure, Cass put up a token defense, but then when Mallory pointed out that course content might be one thing. But she did not feel a...
2024-06-23 12:55:27 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 246
Consequences
“Yeah, hopefully no one here is named John Connor.”
Chime.
Just as I say those words, I almost hear a ringing going off around me. I pause, using my heightened Perception to track the enemy movement.
Did an alert go off?
Have I somehow been spotted?
As far as I was able to understand my current situation, I was fine.
&...
2024-06-23 01:21:18 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 29
“Not so fast,” the Old Guru stated, as he all but forced my spell to not only maintain its consistency, but to also expand.
I honestly never knew something like this was possible.
The Old Guru, this Grand Master Sage Rikt, was taking control over my spell and forcing it to do things that I vehemently did not want it to do.
I tried cancelling the spell, but found that such an act just gave t...
2024-06-22 11:14:27 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 28
The day started as any other.
I had a great training session with Lady Von’Graysing in the morning. As for my afternoon classes with Magister Carthwright, I was still doing my own independent studies.
Studies that I used to continue improving my Spatial magic affinity.
I often kept one eye on Rydel, which was Magister Carthwright’s instructions, constantly trying to mask and c...
2024-06-21 09:38:48 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 47
Marching Orders
“Shit,” was all Captain Paul Camello could say before a wall of large insects came to life and began surging towards him.
What they had been doing moments before that was unknown. As far as Paul could understand, they were just mindlessly staring off into the distance.
It wasn’t until he inadvertently spoke out loud, a testament to just how tired he was at being down here for so long t...
2024-06-20 02:58:43 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 46
The Army
Captain Paul Camello was already on his fourth pillar, and he was prepared to stay down here in the dark hole for as long as possible to get all seven pillars, just as his grandfather had.
General Camello, the first and greatest of the still active generals was one of the first to find and conquer all seven pillars.
Chitter, chitter.
Just hearing the echoing sound of the monsters sto...
2024-06-19 16:35:08 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 245
Unsupervised Visitations And Creations
I don’t know what goes into people’s minds sometimes.
Honestly, I don’t know if it is the idea that some people are able to mentally separate themselves from the atrocities that are being presented before them. If people are somehow able to rationalize cruelty to children, to people, just because they somehow don’t appear to be real. That there is no quote unquote l...
2024-06-18 19:51:29 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 244
Silent Whispers
You ever have one of those days.
The ones where you go and clear off parts of your morning, cancel your morning joint workout sessions so you can get so quiet personal time to reflect.
Reflect on what, I don’t really know.
I had intended to work, to push my mind and body in the ultimate of all leg days.
Unfortunately, there was just one problem to leg...
2024-06-17 19:57:15 +0000 UTC View PostInterlude V
Stalker In The Weeds
(Inquisition)
Huff, huff.
The suddenly vulnerable elemental users wheezed out in pain. Their lungs burning as they were not used to the intense pressure of needing to be physically capable of escaping.
Unfortunately, the elemental user, or the self-reported ruler class of the Bakshee was not used to such strenuous activity.
Misdirection.
Looking ...
2024-06-16 17:48:26 +0000 UTC View PostInterlude IV
The Sad Life of Grand Master Sage Rikt
In the beginning, the lands were bare, or so the legends go.
In order to use the lands man drew upon powers of the voids and beyond to alter the state of the world. Those first mortals who could interact and wield the powers of the voids were granted power to change the world.
The Void was power, and that was where the gods obviously resided. As such it soon became assumed that a...
2024-06-16 03:25:47 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 243
Principal Complaints
(Mallory)
“Hi, how are you doing?” Penelope asked, a satchel holding multiple magical garments clearly present on her side.
“So far, so good I guess.” Mallory answered with a slightly measured tone. “Though, as you have no doubt guessed, the reason why you have been called here is as a witness to the Enchanter +’s midterm exam that you just partook in.”
Penelope jus...
2024-06-15 14:28:08 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 27
I think the one thing this world gets right exceptionally well is the awkwardness of school interactions. The whole trying to avoid people who are all but thrust in your face every moment of the day.
Even when you distance yourself from within the same classroom environment you can always see, feel, and know they are there.
Worst of all is the fact that just as you can see and feel their feigned glances your way,...
2024-06-13 19:23:13 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 242
An Aviary?
With my first official mid-term semester test completed for our school year, I decided to take the evening off. By that of course I meant I didn’t want to play around with my wildly fast ship, the Prankenstein.
Given how it can go from 245 to 300 in a matter of minutes, I figured giving it a night off would be for the best.
Also, that was far too much adrenaline to be healthy.
... 2024-06-12 03:52:31 +0000 UTC View Post
Chapter 241
Testing
“Hey Charlaine, are you feeling okay?” Jhonny asked the receptionist who was even glowing to my perception.
“Um, yeah,” Charlaine replied, a slight note of hesitation in her voice.
“Well, if you caught something you can let me know.” Jhonny stated, concern evident in his voice.
“Okay, thank you for that,” Charlaine responded, though it was clear that Charlaine did...
2024-06-10 19:20:27 +0000 UTC View PostInterlude IV
(Constance Evans)
Puppeted, that is how Constance would describe her mental state for the past few hours. Ever since her bonded partner both confirmed their undying link across space and time, Constance had found her mind and body being controlled by the Dark Queen.
The reason why her mind and body were being controlled in such a way was due to the fact that her partner was proving to be beyond exceptional.
... 2024-06-09 15:03:33 +0000 UTC View Post
Chapter 45
Counter Measures
Balance in all things is key for a cultivator.
Though with balance, the idea of strengths and weaknesses comes into play. This is why teams are assembled of cultivators of varying elements and styles. While a cultivator of Lightning might make a great matchup against conductive elements like Water and Metal, they match up poorly against non-conducted elements like Earth and Force.
The thing...
2024-06-09 12:08:38 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 62
Espionage
(Misha Tulley)
Over the course of the next week, things seemed to mostly settle down. Though there were talks of creating a quarantine, especially as people from Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas were noted as being under restricted movements.
While the media was mostly quiet about the whole ordeal of what happened at the Hasty concert, there were reports that Hasty herself had managed to lea...
2024-06-08 16:22:53 +0000 UTC View PostInterlude XV
(Cassidy)
“Have you ever wondered how someone like Dr. of Magic Cassiopeia Spiritlight views the world?” An advertiser begins to say, as a recording of Dr. Cassiopeia Spiritlight in her newly altered colossal pixie form standing in front of her students running, jumping, and otherwise pushing her body and mind to the max one second.
“Have you ever wondered what the world of magic and cultivation look like to someone l...
2024-06-08 03:23:53 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 26
“Come on, try it.” I state as I eat my own portion of the paste like multi plant paste like substance that oddly enough tastes like flavored chicken crackers. Despite the fact that I am almost certain that there are no chickens in this world.
It is my willingness to demonstrate the odd paste like substance that caused Rydel to be the first to try the new source of food.
Picking up a spork, he tentatively reached out, grim...
2024-06-08 02:32:20 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 25
Nothing beats accomplishing a seemingly impossible task and then getting a unique set of rewards for doing so.
Today was no different, as I could all but feel my teeth chattering at the excitement of what awaited me.
Here I was given a chance to partake in the newly enhanced magic system of this world and I was floored.
Congratulations on being recognized as a First Tier Master Caster, woul...
2024-06-06 21:41:11 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 240
The Good, The Bad, And The Cassie
(Mallory)
As a guild leader, you are privy to many things.
Most of the information doesn’t seem like it means much, like being able to see the experience growth rate of certain individuals.
When Mallory first began the guild of experts, she tried to encourage people to level up as quickly as possible. At the time such an event made sense, as they were struggling to...
2024-06-05 22:39:27 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 44
Initiation
Frank waited for death, but surprisingly death never came.
Silence.
The world around Frank was complete silence.
Drip.
Well, aside from the random dripping sounds that could be heard echoing around. Frank wondered exactly what was dripping. At least he did for a moment, until he realized that some of the exploding monster parts around him might have ende...
2024-06-03 23:44:51 +0000 UTC View Post
Chapter 43
Polarity
Now that he was here, all he had to do was place his hand upon the pillar, receive the blessing and be on his way.
There was of course just one problem.
It was a rather big problem, for once Frank drained the central pillar of its highly purified earth Qi, Frank would weaken the barrier around him that had thus far kept the surging worker insects at bay. 2024-06-02 13:38:56 +0000 UTC View Post
Chapter 239
Tell Me, Without Actually Telling Me
“You don’t think you did anything wrong?” Jhonny asked, a note of incredulity to his voice.
We are still just free floating aimlessly, letting the thrill of adrenaline get washed from our bodies as the cultivators are about to call it a night, while Penelope the lone Mage swears, she is going to take a quick nap before classes begin.
In a way, I am happy that she ...
2024-06-01 15:17:12 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 61
Noticing Discrepancies
(Misha Tulley)
To say that people reacted differently since the since Misha and the others left for the concert would be an understatement.
While it had only been two and a half days, the actual impact on society was far more than expected. Even out in far away places like Jackson West Virginia.
If Misha had to use one word to describe the change in people she noticed, it would have to be
Chapter 238
Clubbing With Prankenstein
The world was a blur, my skin was being peeled so far back by the number of G-forces we were subjected to that I didn’t know if I was smiling or if I looked like a rabid dog with their jowls flapping in the wind.
Either way, the experience of zipping through the air and through the floors at seemingly warp speed was both exhilarating and completely frightening.
Worse, our speed upwards in t...
2024-05-31 20:37:12 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 24
Tense.
If I had to put everything into one word, that word would be tense.
Everything felt tight and constricting.
First, we were still trying to outrun the blazing inferno that stopped our immediate return back to campus. If I was better at Spatial Magic, then I would just be able to Teleport us all home.
Then it hit me, for s...
2024-05-29 23:49:52 +0000 UTC View Post