Alek Aundra

Author's Note

I had cleaned up Ch 165, Ch 166, and 2024-02-24 04:20:28 +0000 UTC View Post

Author's Note

Hmm, I feel the pacing has been a little off these last two chapters.

I'm lacking in sleep a bit, and I can't quite put a finger on it, but it's like there's a fold in the rug, and I'm placing furniture over it, but the fold is still there, and it's bugging me.

Anyway, I plan to smooth out this metaphorical rug over this weekend and then release today's original chapter (which might also be adjusted once the rug is fixed).

Thanks for your understanding and support!

CH 167 - There's Another Player (Part 3)

// Author's Note:

Thank you for your patience! Longer chapter than usual. :)

Hitting one's head against a wall is rarely conducive. The wall will remain in place, and you'll be left with a bloodied forehead. And hitting the wall harder and in larger quantities only results in an eventual concussion.

However, using one's head against a wall, when taken in the less literal sense, c...

Author's Note

Quick heads up: the next chapter will be posted on Sunday instead of Saturday. 

Thank you for understanding and your continued support! :)

CH 166 - There's Another Player (Part 2)

Jasper stirred from his sleep, the creak of the bedroom door having awakened him.

With bleary eyes, he sat up from the sofa, coming out of his hangover-induced slumber. Morning light filtered through the sheer pink and green silk drapes, billowing with the gentle, salty breeze that entered through the large open balcony windows. Faraway sounds of Evercrest coming to life sounded, but they were muted by the rhythmic crashing of ocean waves against the shore, rustling palm trees just outs...

CH 165 - There's Another Player (Part 1)

“Let’s make a bet,” Luca said.

Jasper raised a brow. “Are you sure that’s a wise idea?”

Luca knows better than to gamble against me.

Jasper had heard Luca’s memory of the explosion a few hours ago had been wiped clean, but had he perhaps forgotten more than that?

He eyed the various pieces of junk collecting dust in this remote corner of the cellar that Luca had summoned him to. It was a rather unusual meeting place, and he was curious just what ...

CH 164 - Heads or Tails (Part 15)

Tsing.

The two coins rang out against each other as I juggled them with one hand, tossing the charred black one, then the glistening golden one. It wasn't a true juggling act, as I never had both up simultaneously, so the coins collided in my palm before returning to midair.

My eyes wandered across the large mural depicting the world in Micah's office. The ambient light stones suspended above cast a warm glow, illuminating the map. Outside, rain poured, but the sound barely came t...

CH 163 - Heads or Tails (Part 14)

I knew there was something suspicious about the Freys.

Claude observed Luca Frey as the black-haired teenager walked forward after him, careful not to get too close to the red orb.

Chase Daylan

Delphine Arvandus

Elrik Thornshroud

Elizabeth North

Sedna Ozeryn

Seraphina Viper

…

The list went on, chronicling the Awakened individuals whose names and details had been prov...

CH 162 - Heads or Tails (Part 13)

"Is there no other way—?" I stammered, glancing between Micah and Claude's headless body in the brightly lit hallway.

The cat was obviously Chase Daylan, and the favor was to die early.

Is Micah suggesting there's no way out of this but death?

He had told me to be ready at a moment's notice, but this was too soon. It had been but a handful of days.

"Luca, Leo is dead," Micah declared, his expression shifting to one of grave seriousness.

"No." I blinked my eyes....

CH 161 - Heads or Tails (Part 12)

Item: The Coin of Misfortune.

Micah rubbed the charred black coin between his right hand's fingers. The coin's two faces were unrecognizable; it mattered not which side the coin landed on when tossed.

This thing is far too powerful for its own good. It's fortuitous to have fallen into my possession.

The handwritten note attached to the coin explained the artifact's effects and repercussions.

Description: This charred black coin, seemingly forged in the depths ...

Author's Note

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and a happy upcoming new year!

Just as a heads-up, I will have this chapter out a bit later today.

CH 160 - Heads or Tails (Part 11)

“Have you decided if you also wish to become a warlock?” Lisa asked, pouring me a new cup of tea. The dark red liquid filled my cup, with whisps of steam floating up.

It was my fourth day in a row of sitting and reading at Lisa’s strange shop. The past couple of days had been filled with nothing more than reading and studying, be it under Professor Whistle’s guidance, having the System walk me through the play styles of the other Players, or reading over the System’s blue text...

CH 159 - Heads or Tails (Part 10)

Micah had outlined three areas of study for me for this and future rounds.

The first was a directive to study under the System and have it run me through the most impressive Players that had attempted to beat Adovoria's Fall, what they had done well, and where they failed so I could learn from them.

"With 40,007 Players and many, many more attempted Games spanning years, it would be impossible to learn all the details," Micah had stated. "However, this System of yours isn't merely...

CH 158 - Heads or Tails (Part 9)

[ Luca, must I explain this every time? I cannot read your mind. ]

[ Thereby, I do not know what it is that you are trying to remember. ]

Tch.

<< You were able to provide an account of the information that I forgot regarding Charles and the Guardians of Luminal. >> I countered.

[ Yes, because you specifically asked about it. I knew what information you were looking for. ]

[ Think of me as a library. For me to provide you with information, you...

CH 157 - Heads or Tails (Part 8)

"Are you familiar with Player Summonings?" I asked Freida.

She arched a magenta-colored brow, her gaze fixed on me. "Is that your question?"

"No," I quickly corrected myself. "But we are in a summoning at the moment," I added for context.

If Freida had any opinions or insight on the matter, she didn't show it. She continued to sit back simply, one neon-green pant leg resting over the other, the vibrant color standing out against the dullness of the dust and incense-filled ro...

CH 156 - Heads or Tails (Part 7)

Author's Note: 

Thank you for waiting! ◝(ᵔᵕᵔ)◜

I leaned against the swaying carriage wall and observed raindrops tracing intricate patterns down the glass window. As Remlend had foreseen, the once-sunny day had surrendered to a relentless downpour.

A long sigh escaped my lips.

"Peep!"

It's a good plan, you know.

Leona chirped.

The carriage navigated the battered cobblest...

3 Chapters Updated

Alright, so with enough time to think through the upcoming arc, I concluded that I had no other choice but to rewrite Ch 151, Ch 154, and Ch 155 to focus on elements closer in relevance to move the story in the direction needed.

As for some of the additional aspects/characters that were removed.... let's just say you got a sneak preview. ｄ(*￣o￣)

These 3 chapters (with links to them) are updated:

2023-11-25 20:27:16 +0000 UTC View Post

Author note

Hello! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

Thank you for reading and supporting Player 0.4!

Hmm. I've given it some thought (Edwin Kravcenka's comment certainly swayed my decision), and I will adjust my posting schedule to 1x weekly on Saturdays.

This change aims to ensure that each chapter receives the attention it deserves in terms of polish before being released to you. Additionally, it will afford me the time needed to marinate and craft the upcoming arc, a crucial phase whe...

CH 155 - Heads or Tails (Part 6)

// Author's Note:

Massive update 11/25/2023.

Luca remains with Micah in this chapter.

"The Kobar Empire?" Luca guessed.

Micah sighed. "Yes and no."

While the knowledge of the future that Luca had lived through was in and of itself intriguing, several alarming peculiarities came up from his conversation. The first was the Kobar Empire's attacks and the start of the Game.<...

CH 154 - Heads or Tails (Part 5)

// Author's Note:

Chapter rewritten in the second half. Updated 11/25/2023.

Luca remains with Micah to discuss, instead of going off to the casino.

Silence filled the dining room after my confession, but it was quickly cut short.

"I believe you," Micah replied and smiled. But then his expression shifted to one of concern. "But we should have this discussion elsewhere. In private."

He rose...

CH 153 - Heads or Tails (Part 4)

I gazed out my window. A warm cup of jasmine-infused white tea was in my right hand. I took a slow sip and placed the cup back on its saucer, held by my left hand.

The sky was a bright light blue, with the sun cheerfully lighting the city in a soft glow. Only a few clouds dotted the perimeter.

"What unfortunate weather," I grumbled.

"Young master Luca, don't worry," Remlend's voice sounded behind me as he picked out an outfit for me, "The rain will only come in the later sec...

CH 152 - Heads or Tails (Part 3)

A full moon hung high in the sky as our carriage raced south on the road leading into the capital city. There was a ghostly glow cast upon the flat land, making the whisps of tall grass and the city walls look an eerie white. A pair of flickering fires by the gates were the only specs suggesting we were not alone in this vast space.

I gazed out of the window, my mind awash with thoughts of everyone's well-being and the desert that we had left behind.

"Traveling documents," one of ...

CH 151 - Heads or Tails (Part 2)

Author's Note:

11/25/2023 chapter massively rewritten.

Claude leaned over the metal railing, looking down at the dimly lit scene below—muffled screams of young mages undergoing the enhancement treatment filled the underground area.

He was in the Spider's main mage enhancement facility, located within the depths of East Genise. The facility had soundproofing measures to prevent attracting attention, but it was...

CH 150 - Heads or Tails (Part 1)

Tick.

I realized I had made a terrible error.

Tock.

I ought to have invested in Strength or have acquired an artifact that improved Strength.

Tick.

The Time Dilation Watch was undoubtedly helpful in allowing me to perceive just how perilous our current situation was. Leo was right; we were too close to the explosion and were being hit by its effects with each passing moment. With a temporary boost of 500 to Perception, I could practically see little fuzzy specks ...

CH 149 - When Life Gives You a Wobbly Pebble (Part 9)

"Peanuts?" Julius offered.

Elda and Leo declined and resumed their conversation. Meanwhile, Leona lunged at the snack with enthusiasm.

<< How are you so hungry already? >>

"Peep!"

We've been on the road for nearly four hours already. Of course, I'm starving.

She failed to note that we had lunch but two hours ago. I watched with curiosity as she devoured the peanuts in Julius' hands. Based on his expression, I suspected that he meant to share,...

CH 148 - When Life Gives You a Wobbly Pebble (Part 8)

// Author's Note #1:

Pause! I had split Ch 147 out. This is technically part 2, so if you read the original "ch 147", go back and read the updated version here

Thank you for your support and patience!

"Ah, damn it," I muttered as the...

CH 147 - When Life Gives You a Wobbly Pebble (Part 7) - Updated

// Author's Note:

Thanks for waiting. Here's the updated chapter 147. 

Also a very warm welcome to Joshua and Ahppy!! Thank you for your support.

\(◦'⌣'◦)/

"You're not going to tell me what the coin does?" I asked.

Chase shook his head slowly, a sly smile appearing on his lips. "It's not that I don't trust you, but the last ...

Author Note

Hmmm. So I'm actually going to rewrite Ch 147 before releasing the next segment. I had essentially smooshed what ought to have been 2 chapters into one. And it made for a longer chapter that didn't quite cover everything satisfactorily.

What this means for you as my reader:

1. I'll have the updated CH 147 and CH 148 out a little later (today or tomorrow)

2. To make up for the lateness, I'll have an extra chapter out this week for you as well, meaning you'll be 5 chapters ahe...

CH 146 - When Life Gives You a Wobbly Pebble (Part 6)

The golden coin rolled through the man's heavily tattooed fingers while he listened patiently to the excuses being droned on from the sorry excuse of a subordinate kneeling before him.

The tattoos were new. Just sixteen days back, the only tattoo on the man's skin was a small and inconspicuous conjuring runic tattoo that his mother gave him when he was ten. Yet, as of fifteen days ago, the runic inscriptions covered both his arms and most of his chest and back—he required an aide to t...

CH 145 - When Life Gives You a Wobbly Pebble (Part 5)

// Author's Note #1:

Welcome Casimo Yap! Thank you for supporting Player 0.4. 

( /^ ▽ ^ )/

"Eh-excuse me?" I stammered out, searching for some hidden meaning in his words.

Perhaps I misheard him?

I squinted my eyes at Chase as if that would help my hearing. The Rose Room was dimly lit, and outside was even darker, with the evening having arrived....