Jer Patch

Writing Updates - 6/15/25

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 25/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Four: Rough Draft - 20/60

Life sometimes hits you with a hammer.

Family events killed my editing day before I even got started. So, I am now drastically behind in editing and must allocate writing time this week to it. Tuesday morning, I’ll be sta...

Bk 3 - Chapter 22: What did I get myself into?

“Where did the crystal go? The one from your collar?” I asked, feeling my pockets. All I had was the marble crystal in one, along with the knowledge crystal. The fountain crystal from my belt was gone, and I couldn’t sense it anywhere.

Something buzzed from Kabi, and he tossed something over the fire.

I caught it in my hands.

[Binding Crystal, freed from dark energy.]

Inside I felt touches of all four crystal types, merged together to restrain and control....

Bk 3 - Chapter 21: It’s time to wake

Buzzing filled my ears as a strange flavor filled my mouth. I swallowed again and again, taking as much as I could. Then the buzzing increased.

“Wake, Alex….” Noseens voice sounded far away. “Please wake, squishy one…”

I tried to speak, but it didn’t work. Instead, I drifted back into darkness and pain. So much pain. Everything inside me wanted to lash out, but I resisted. 

Control.

I was in control.

The next time I became aware, a stead...

Bk 3 - Chapter 20: Lenna’s Ranks Up

Everything felt heavy, like I lay in water unable to raise myself above the surface. My last memories were impossible. A forger, a monster from all my people's stories, marching out of the rift. Somehow, a myth appeared, brought to terrible life.

My arrows did nothing even as they hit. 

Dengu’s body on the ground.

Then it took me through the rift. A notification, an important one. I needed to view them. 

[Warning: you are traveling to a world ranked ...

Writing Updates - 6/8/25

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 25/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Four: Rough Draft - 14/60

The words are flowing.

I feel like a debuff has been listed and I’m back in the groove. I wrote 7 chapters this week in book 4 and it feels good. I already circled back and edited 2 of the chapters, then sent them off to ...

Bk 3 - Chapter 19: Reward?

“The tunnel to the Sanctuary?” I asked, trying to sound enthusiastic. “It’s good, it helped me level my territory.”

“Tunnel?” He shook back and forth for a moment, but then continued buzzing happily. “No, the rift. We can connect our worlds with a teleportation gate. My people are working on our side of it now.”

“Wait, that’s an amazing gift.” With a link to his world, I could keep growing and have an easy time checking on my family. It was the best ...

Bk 3 - Chapter 18: What's in a Beetle?

I froze, my mind searching for everything I’d learned about rifts while in the Hidden Crystal Dungeon. Tears in reality led somewhere else, to different worlds. And here was one that the beetles were coming from.

What would claiming it do? More importantly, what would leaving it unclaimed do?

I wished I could ask Noseen about it, but I didn’t have time to take a nap. Instead, I selected yes. My territory awareness increased, covering the open areas all the way to the ri...

Bk 3 - Chapter 17: The First

[Congratulations!, Alex the First, is the first human to reach level 50. Your race is now fully adopted into the System. Grow, prosper, and journey to greatness.]

The notification made me pause, my fingers poised above the tablet and the frustrating data.

“Alex,” I whispered to myself, wondering about the notification. Potential possibilities crossed my mind, but only one made the most sense, given the people who’d traveled on the colony ship in the beginning.  2025-06-02 14:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post

Writing Updates - 6/1/25

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 25/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Four: Rough Draft - 6/60

Book 3 first draft is complete, and all the chapters are up and scheduled. It feels so freaking good to be done with that book and fix the ending. The last chapter changed things a little which means I need to edit the 6 chapters ...

Bk 3 - Chapter 16: Go big or go home.

The two items appeared in my hands. The tooth of the devourer, and the black cloak that I had been wearing.

My fingers tingled as suddenly my stomach growled. Light covered both of the items as they slowly sunk into my skin. Pitch black shadows from the cloak, and a deep red from the tooth, flowed up my arms.

Then the pain hit, and I screamed. Everything inside me felt like it was being torn apart. My heart pounded and I couldn’t breathe. Then my heart stopped, and I couldn’t ...

Bk 3 - Chapter 15: Rank Up

A blast of energy drained from me, but the shadow didn’t move. It trembled ever so slightly, then the tugging stopped. I yanked my spear out of its tails and it took off, stumbling over its own feet. It knocked itself toward the water, and two of its feet touched the edges.

They dissolved like the smooth liquid was acid which traveled up its body. Still, it tried to get away from me even off balance, then crashed into the water.

[You have gained experience from combat.] 2025-05-28 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post

Bk 3 - Chapter 14: Hammy on patrol

The bushes rustled and I froze, aiming the rifle in my hands at the bush. The gun on my shoulder also pivoted in that direction.

I needed to figure out a display for my targeting system, and then find a way to coordinate with John. 

The bushes rustled again, and I used Insight instantly.

[Armored Lugger, Level 30.]

The level wasn’t that high, but compared to everyone else in the settlement, except for those already out of the dungeon, it might be hard. I ...

Writing Updates 5/25/25

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 25/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - 58/58

Book Four: Rough Draft - 6/60

Book 4 is moving right along, I make it to an important movement in the book and things can really start taking off now. Leveling up charters and character sheets can take forever so, that slowed me down this week with drafting c...

Bk 3 - Chapter 13: Dread

Everything inside me screamed to run, but I didn’t move an inch. I gritted my teeth and my fingers tightened around my spear as I trembled. My body lurched forward three inches, but I yanked myself back.

[You have earned a stat in Fortitude for resisting the Fearful Aura.]

My heart pounded as I struggled to take a deep breath, but once I took one, it became easier to take the next. If I could get control of wanting to eat all of the things, I could stand this. The intensi...

Bk 3 - Chapter 12: Defending my kill

[You have leveled your class.]

Gopher hair, blood, and guts covered me, but in front of me were seven small hearts that fit in the palm of my hand. I decided to rapidly eat them one after another, to see if it changed what I received. The single level I’d gotten from the fighting so far seemed disappointingly low.

[You have devoured an Aggressive Gopher and gained insight into Quickness.]

[You have devoured an Aggressive Gopher and gained insight into Quickness.] 2025-05-21 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post

Bk 3 - Chapter 11: Dungeon diving with Hellion

John and Benny worked together to take out the bats flying through the cavern. Both Denver and I hung back so the boys could gain more experience. Neither of them was big into fighting, though John at least used his class with the shuttle now. Benny preferred growing food to using his fighter class, though at least it had changed to rifleman once John gave him one to use. He seemed to be a little more willing to put work into it now.

“You think we can kill whatever boss is ahea...

Writing Update - 5/18/25

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 25/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - 58/58

Book Four: Rough draft - 4/60

I made gains this week.

Plotting of book 4 is as close as I’m going to get it until I finish the first part. Plus, I wrote 4 chapters. Getting back into the groove of drafting feels amazing. I’ve been in the editing tre...

Bk 3 - Chapter 10: Consequences 

“Are you okay?” I asked, reaching across the table with my hand, trying to figure out why she was crying and whatever I did to make her feel that way.

“You forced the crystals to combine even when they didn’t want to.” She blinked away more tears, and she wiped her face with a hand, her cheeks tinting red.

I pulled back my hand. That had made her cry? I carefully replied, “I asked them to work together, and the three of them joined to become something new.” 2025-05-16 14:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post

Bk 3 - Chapter 9: Crafting Time

I set the crystals down for the moment, wondering how to fix this. It didn’t seem to want to work, and the fire crystal had burned part of my finger. The skin stung. It didn’t really hurt, just highlighted that they didn’t want to work together. It healed quickly, since it wasn’t bad, but I decided to let them all cool down for the moment.

“Abby, do you know where Hammy is?” I asked. I wanted to see what I’d done with the fire and forest crystals again.

“He�...

Bk 3 - Chapter 8: Three’s a crowd

“I need to heal some of that, unless we’re following the mining settlement’s rules…” Sang said, glancing at Len.

Len frowned, staring at Jennifer. “When someone snaps and attacks another, we let them go free into the deep. The tunnel eventually reached the jungle floor. We left it up to fate.”

My father hadn’t spoken yet, and wore a weary face.

“Dad, what do you think?” I asked.

“She attacked you, my kid. As far as I’m concerned, I should...

Writing updates - 5/11

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 15/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - 45/58

I am that much closer to finishing up book 3. I got a bunch of chapters for the first draft down, along with progress on the outline of Book 4. My focus is shifting to morning editing book 3, with some outline work on book 4, and then second edits of book 1 in the ...

Bk 3 - Chapter 7: Unfortunate Acts

“We’ll figure it out,” I said, turning to head in to the fire. Everything on me was wet, and it all needed to dry, but at least the ooze was gone.

His hand wrapped around my wrist, stopping me in my place. “Promise me if you come across her, you won’t take anything at face value.”

I stared at him, then nodded.

“Good. She shouldn’t get to hurt you more than she already has…” He let go of my wrist and closed his eyes for a long moment. “Benny tried...

Bk 3 - Chapter 6: Loot

Screaming. It screamed so loud!

I removed another two tentacles that lashed out at me as it tried to retreat further down into the cracked rock. My feet landed on its side, close to one of its eyes. I stabbed down as tentacles flayed in the small space.

The eye popped as it screamed louder, suddenly jerking down. 

I leaned in, not letting it remove the burning tip, pushing down with all of my weight.

A smaller tentacle slammed into my side, but the armored ...

Bk 3 - Chapter 5: Reckless even more than me

The tunnel opened up to a cavern with a giant hole in the ceiling. Bright sunlight filtered in from it, and the cavern was filled with bushes, trees, and the sound of water. I stretched my senses out and found a few creatures within my reach, but not many.

…And the group of them just dove into the jungle, without even pausing to check if anything was there.

I just stood there with my mouth open, tracking them with my senses. Something attacked Mary and Cass as they st...

Writing updates - 5/4/25

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 15/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - 31/58

Five more chapters' revisions are done for book 1. I hit the area with stat sheets, and those need adjustments to fit where I’ve landed while writing book 3 to make things a little clearer based on feedback from ...

Bk 3 - Chapter 4: Making Friends

“Friendly incoming, do not freak out,” I growled, realizing who the beast was. I motioned for Matt to take the ends of the stretcher, which he did. 

“What now?” asked David, but I ignored him.

“Dad, you’ll get to meet Grizzle,” I said, putting myself between the group and the approaching predator.

He remained hidden for several seconds, but I just stared at his location, waiting.

“You can come out, no one here will attack,” I yelled ov...

Bk 3 - Chapter 3: Beetles all the Way

Nothing moved on my radar, and I couldn’t see any movement either. All of us remained on guard as I checked the area out. A large branch lay on the ground, which had clearly fallen from the tree above.

The muddy ground farther east caught my attention, and I stepped that way, trying to figure out what had happened. Jennifer said they got caught by the Spino coming out of the tunnel, but the Spino footsteps didn’t come this far.

“I think I’m going to check this o...

Bk 3 - Chapter 2: Two steps forward

The conversation had settled by the time I made my way back to the campfire. Several people had already relocated inside the cavern to sleep, including Jennifer. I nodded at Hawk and headed inside myself to get some rest.

I woke up earlier than I wanted, but my body didn’t need any more shut-eye. Instead, I headed outside to watch the sunrise. While I felt bad about not doing a watch, I figured if something crossed the mental barrier I had inside my head, I’d feel it.

H...

Writing Updates

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 10/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - 31/58

Well, putting book 1 edits on the back burner has finally bitten me.

I just realized that if I am going to have audio, I need to get a narrator figured out and get that draft over to them before that book lau...

BK 3 - Chapter 1: The truth will set you free

“Someone needs to explain what’s going on,” I demanded, trying to sound in control of myself. At least my voice didn’t tremble.

Abby’s arm was like a vice around my back as she led me away from the fire, where Jennifer sat with the others. Benny followed us as well. She directed me toward the fence that led to the lake.

“This is my fault.” My father's voice came from behind, low and deep in the darkness. 

Abby’s arm fell from my shoulders.

I...