I'd only managed to get a few hours of sleep before I was awoken by the mental tug from my watch. Glancing at myself in the mirror as I stood, I could scarcely believe the lack of dark circles beneath my eyes. To be young and healthy again after so many years of being old and feeble... It was remarkable.
After getting dressed and looking at the old uniform, I frowned while smoothing out the many wrinkles. If it weren't for graduation being just a few days away, I would purchase a comple...
2022-10-24 04:26:05 +0000 UTC
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"David!"
A worried Abel called from the other side of the clearing, "David! Are you alright?"
From the peripheral of David's vision, I could make out Cain and Abel running toward him, both wearing concerned expressions. In the same instant, Mathias and Luna burst into the clearing. The pair quickly took in the scene before also running in David's direction.
David sat still, ignoring the adults approaching him while gaping at the stairs in the tree. He was taking it well. The...
2022-10-19 02:57:51 +0000 UTC
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My mind raced when my vision fled, trying its best to recall anything from the Network's database that could help me piece together what happened. One moment I was talking with David, and the next, I found myself drifting along in this inky blackness. I couldn't see, I couldn't move... I couldn't even feel my own body.
Though my mind started as a flurry of activity, an unnatural calm seeped into me, soothing my thoughts and inducing my current state of being. The moment my mind calmed a...
2022-10-12 21:16:56 +0000 UTC
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It had only been a few hours between my departure and arrival at the dormitory. I made my way to the second floor amongst the bustle of students who'd finally been released from their exam rooms. Many spoke loudly about their experience, asking questions and trying to best determine their results. Some were excited, others were nervous, and a few simply cried behind closed doors.
While I weaved my way through the crowd, I noticed something peculiar. Many students carried suitcases, thei...
2022-10-07 04:23:24 +0000 UTC
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I stepped calmly out onto the bottom floor of the Academy. Since the students from every year were taking their final or advancement exams, I'd only passed a handful of staff along the way. There was only one more person between me and the exit, and I could hear water sloshing when he dumped a bucket on the floor.
My nose wrinkled slightly when I saw the muddy puddle that was formed. Sure, I hadn't forgotten to bring a vial of Infernal Wash with me, but that didn't mean I cared to stain...
2022-10-05 07:36:48 +0000 UTC
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Zachary Gray...
I stared at the young man, looking for the darkness he was so openly known for in the future. There was... nothing. The youth's eyes were empty. We regarded each other for a moment before he blinked. There was a flash of curiosity, but it was brief.
How strange. Perhaps... whatever made him that way hasn't happened yet?
There was no way of knowing. In the future, he would become a very powerful Wielder. The reports told how rapidly his power grew onc...
2022-10-02 11:54:49 +0000 UTC
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My cane tapped lightly against the cobblestone as I walked across Main Street toward the Academy. Lights filtered from open windows, bathing the street in a pale light. The sun had vanished, and there was hardly any light offered by the canopy of the First Floor above.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I listened to the familiar sound of the cane, admiring the town's silence after the shopkeepers had returned to their homes on the Origin Floor. Many stuck around, having turned the upper floors of th...
2022-09-28 10:20:14 +0000 UTC
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It only took a few minutes to jog to the base of the Bear Peak Mountains. I could feel the Effects of the Stamina Enhancement and was pleased I'd commandeered it from the mercenaries. Though, I couldn't wholly credit my comfort to my current physique.
The base of the gorge had a nice, smooth surface, so travelling through the canyons of the Howling Hills was much more agreeable than traversing the thick growth in the forest. The Howling Hills above the gorge were just as bad. If I'd bee...
2022-09-26 17:43:27 +0000 UTC
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https://inkarnate.com/m/MA8Zmv-first-floor/
Here is a rough map of the First Floor for those who think it will help them follow along!
2022-09-23 18:42:26 +0000 UTC
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"Hmm..?" The ground trembled beneath me. I opened my eyes, wincing at the onslaught of bright light that intruded upon my vision. Another tremor followed, more pronounced than the last, and I blinked my eyes rapidly, forcing myself to acclimate to the brightness.
My eyes fluttered open... just in time to see a crimson boulder flying toward me. I leapt to the side, my back aching and my lungs exploding from the effort. The boulder crashed to the ground, rolling harmlessly along the... co...
2022-09-23 08:37:53 +0000 UTC
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The forest was silent... as if it could feel the tension between the youth and the three mercenaries. The wind remained dormant, the leaves above held perfectly still, and even the distant boars had ceased their clamour. Only the young man dared to interrupt this tranquil moment, his grin never fading.
"You boys didn't waste any time, did ya?" I chuckled and leaned lazily upon my staff. The centre mercenary's face scrunched when he heard my words, but he didn't respond. I sighed and ges...
2022-09-19 21:17:00 +0000 UTC
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"Is everything alright?" Crook asked anxiously. He watched the three men who had just entered his store as they looked over the items. One of the gentlemen held a pad in his hand. He'd stopped writing and frowned at an empty space on one of the shelves.
The other two men removed their hoods, revealing stern looks on their scarred faces. Each of them had dark hair, and they all held very similar features. The biggest of the brutes scratched at the collar of his dark robe, revealing a sku...
2022-09-16 17:10:11 +0000 UTC
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"That unscrupulous merchant," I chuckled, adjusting my pack to sit more comfortably on my back. He really tried to shaft me... again.
If I weren't able to make use of him, I would oust him to the authorities regardless of our agreement. Would probably save a few poor souls from wasting their Essence. He's so blatant with his price gouging. It's a wonder it took him so many years to show up on the criminal registry.
After putting some distance between myself and that corru...
2022-09-14 04:57:33 +0000 UTC
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"You haven't even gotten your blade wet," I chuckled and ran my finger slowly across the sword's edge. This, like Rosie, was another family heirloom, and I had no clue where it came from. I'd had it appraised once, and the smith said the materials used to craft the Relic had come from a higher Floor. That's all I knew.
The weapon had played a significant role in my previous life, and walking from the Academy to the dorms without it made me realise how much a part of me the Relic had bec...
2022-09-12 03:47:20 +0000 UTC
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My eyes opened, and I raised my head, staring uncomprehendingly toward the woman who'd shouted. She was a tall, middle-aged woman with brown hair and a long nose. My mind was still clouded, and I had trouble recognising her. Memories seeped through the thinning fog, and I found what I was looking for.
Is that really... Cecilia Warren?
She was the bane of my existence back when I was young, always giving me a hard time because she knew I could do better. She was correct, b...
2022-09-09 03:56:06 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 1 [The Clock Strikes Zero]
[02:17:36]
The luminous red numbers drifting above the great Origin City were as conspicuous as ever, the flash of the seconds ticking down hard to miss for anyone who didn't frequent the Origin Floor. It would usually elicit feelings of awe and inspiration, yet tonight… Every time my gaze crossed over it, my stomach would churn. I wasn't sure why.
People stepped out of the way while I ambled down the street, my cane tapp...
2022-09-07 08:46:58 +0000 UTC
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