Patrick Laplante

PU Book 2 - Chapter 26: Secrets of the Divine Medical Codex

One week later, Sorin returned to the Kepler Clan to meet with Elder Nolan in his capacity as an elder of the Abberjay Clan. The thin and tired-looking man was exceptionally spry despite his gauntness. Like the other presiding elders, he was a flesh-sanctification cultivator and not a run-of-the-mill flesh-sanctification cultivator at that.

"I know you're likely bitter about how things transpired in that meeting," said Elder Nolan as they walked through the Ancestral Manor. "...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 25: Bloody Oath

The hall of elders was a simple room. It consisted of an elevated table, which could comfortably seat six people on one side but was often used more like a conference table by the elders whenever they met on a semi-annual basis.

The presiding elders had a straightforward but difficult role: to administer the Kepler Medical Institute, the Kepler Public Hospital, and the various Kepler Clinics spread throughout Delphi.

Running a medical school was an expensive endeavor an...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 24: Posturing

The house Percival purchased in New Castle was roughly fifty years old. It had a solid brick structure and thick walls, which ensured maximum insulation during winter months.

It had two wood fireplaces, but none of them were required to heat the home. Instead, the house was connected to the city's geothermal mana system and delivered a continuous supply of heat via rune-covered tiles present on every floor, including the basement.

The house was large—4,500 square feet...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 23: Stephan's Torment

The Hero Association was just as impressive on the inside as it was on the outside. While the outer décor was meant to imbue a healthy respect for heroes among mortals and ordinary cultivators, the inside was clearly built to foster a luxurious and welcoming atmosphere for the heroes of Pandora.

Gilded square pillars lined an ornate inner dome at the center of the lobby that depicted the wretched hero who begged Hope for help on behalf of humanity. The floor of the lobby was...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 22: A Hero's Welcome

I tried doing strikethrough font for some things in this chapter, but Patreon hates that. Sadness.
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As a coastal city, Delphi's food culture revolved around fish and seafood. New dishes appeared every day, and the mark of a good restaurant was a constantly evolving menu that kept its clientele coming back for the latest innovation at least every two weeks.

Their group stopped at the harbor for a brief lunch, which included clam chowder, bread, and a roast demonic fis...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 21: Homecoming

Four months after the first snowfall of the season, a warm wind blew across the continent, melting away corruption-filled snow and evaporating the accumulated madness lingering in the air. The warmth roused hungry demons from their winter burrows. It thawed trees that had lain dormant and spurred the growth of new flowers, grass, and crops sewn in the final months of fall.

The seasons were relatively uniform in all twelve provinces, from the outposts near the Great Western Fo...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 20: Sorin's Decision

With the mayor on board, it was an easy task to convince the villagers. The villagers were already panicking and mounting defenses at the village's perimeter. Howls could be heard in the distance as the demons, having escaped from the gorgon's influence, reverted to their natural behavior.

Luckily for the inhabitants of Chelsea, it snowed that night and for three whole days after that. The demons were largely creatures of violence and restricted their movements lest madness a...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 19: Poison VS Poison

Cliff Resolution ^^.

Also, a confession: since I'm writing a web serial now, I'm trying to intentionally make it more cliffy. Hate me if you will.
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Acidic blood filled Sorin's mouth and burnt his flesh, revealing sharp, inhuman teeth that refused to let go. But he held on despite the pain and bit harder into the gorgon's collarbone, injecting a painful dose of acitoxins into her flesh to counter her poisonous blood.

The gorgon's acitoxins proved weaker than Sorin's—n...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 18: The Dark Lady

The air in the abandoned mine was stale and smelled of rotten eggs, rusty iron, and dusty wood. Despite the prevalence of demonic insects and rats in dark tunnels, the most populous demons were yellow lizards with sharp teeth and white eyes that shut tight if exposed to even a dim light spell.

Fortunately, they didn't need to deal with any of the lesser demons, as Lorimer took it upon himself to organize the rats into a personal army that then cleared out mines and brought ba...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 17: Divergence

It took Sorin a few minutes to control the Violence in his body. Gareth eyed him with concern, but thanks to the fox head medallion on his chest, the archer couldn't detect anything amiss.

When they returned to town, they received a less-than-warm reception, as predicted. "I'm sorry, but I simply can't house people who are here to cause trouble for this village," said Wendy, the innkeeper. "I gathered all your things and kept an eye on them, so I'm sure no one touched them."<...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 16: Soul Channeling

The air smelled of blood and smoke, not a surprise given that Sorin and his companions were currently digging through the smoking remains of the Chester Family farm. Black ashes and splintered wood were scattered across a snow-covered field trampled by tens of thousands of heavy footprints that same morning.

"This is too organized for a random attack," said Gareth as he pulled up a wooden board, revealing a smashed-up picture frame and a broken-down chair. "And far too intell...

Chapter 15: The Order of Phantasia

The inn was eerily quiet when they returned, making it clear that word of what had transpired that night had already begun to spread.

The innkeeper, Wendy, was nowhere to be seen, and the barkeep, who would usually pour drinks till the sun came up, had abandoned his station. The regulars were long gone, and half-empty cups littered the messy bar.

"We'll just help ourselves then and leave payment on the table," said Stephan, grabbing a bottle of whisky and glass from beh...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 14: Results

Being a small town of less than 500 people, there were only three places that served hot food in Chelsea: The Miner's Pick, the Drunkard's Mug, and, naturally, the only inn in town, the Skipping Horse.

The Skipping Horse was the only place that regularly served sober clients and, therefore, had the best food. The place was only half-full of diners due to the late hour, though every stool at the bar was occupied.

They met up in the common room at nine o'clock and picked ...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 13: A Hand Once Burnt

Sorin and Lawrence's first stop was Richardson's Potions, a small alchemy shop that mostly sold healing, mana, and stamina potions and whatever custom work the town's only physician, Dr. Morgan, ordered.

"How long have I been here?" asked Alchemist Richardson, fondling his graying beard. He was a skinny, middle-aged man who smelled of earth fire and strong ginger. "Maybe three decades, give or take? I've lost track.

"It's a quiet life out here. Not much happens, and not...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 12: Chelsea

Chelsea was a small mining town of five hundred people. Its land was infertile, but thanks to hard-working farmers and the occasional purification from a traveling Priest of Hope, it managed to produce enough to keep its people fed throughout the winter.

The village was roughly a hundred and fifty years old. Its buildings were primarily made of wood, and it was clear from their run-down exteriors that many of their building materials were salvaged, likely from the houses torn down after...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 11: Indecision

Jigolath Ridge was a small city by most standards, largely due to its high elevation and the sad excuse for a road connecting it to the nearest city.

The winds that blew through the mountain city were harsh, something only made worse by its lacking walls. Two cliffs loomed over either side of the city, funneling strong winds into a massive array of turbines that converted excess energy into mana.

There were more cultivators per capita in Jigolath Ridge than anywhere els...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 10: Abomination

So, I'm increasing Tier Rewards since I now have a respectable stockpile under my belt. New Tier Rewards are as follows:

Blood-Thickening Tier: 2 chapters ahead.

Bone-Forging Tier: 6 chapters ahead.

Flesh-Sanctification Tier: 15 chapters ahead.

Happy Reading ^^.

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Winter winds blew through the wilderness, blasting snow across the sparse tracks that littered the woods and onto Sorin's position. The winds were cold, but the snow was colder. But that coldne...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 9: Departure

Sorin did not read the book he obtained at the Wish Fire Festival. At the same time, he couldn't quite get himself to throw it away. Unsure of what to do with it and worried that others might discover its secrets, Sorin decided to tuck it away in his Hero Emblem. In case he had trouble sleeping or something. Yes, that was the reason.

There was much to prepare for their trip to Delphi, and a lot to adjust, given the rewards from the Wish Fire Festival. Their group dec...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 8: A Glimpse of the Past

Tiny droplets of white fire rained down from the sky. Each droplet contained a glimpse of possible futures and reflected the viewer's deepest desires.

The stars in the sky could not compare to the spectacle, and neither could the sun and moon. And where the droplets fell and answered these silent prayers, they reflected, the accumulated fear and worry and dread that had built up during the demon tide evaporated. It was catharsis on the deepest level.

"What did you wish for, Sorin?...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 7: Wish Fire Festival

Two weeks had come and gone since the end of the demon tide. Most of the critical repairs were done, and all emergencies had been addressed.

With the standard mourning period of eight days having reached completion, the Outpost's mood had turned festive. Cultivators and non-cultivators alike hung white lanterns and wrote prayers that would be burned at the temple on the first night of the lunar cycle.

The Wish Fire Festival—or Festivus, as it was often called—was a ...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 6: Explosive Increase

The next thing Sorin experimented with was Hand of the Medicine God. He circulated his mana in the usual pattern, but this time, the ability resonated with his bones. He suddenly became aware of all poisons and medicinal substances in his immediate surroundings, including his blood. Further, he was able to pull the blood toward his body without making direct contact. The speed at which he could absorb it through his skin was also greatly improved.

Speaking of skin, a thin layer of trans...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 5: Trial of Divine Bone Rot

The few murals, paintings, and literary depictions of Asclepius Sorin remembered seeing in the Kepler Clan were surprisingly accurate, given how few documents pertaining to the gods had survived the Cataclysmic Emergence and the resurgence of humanity.

The god—Sorin assumed that the god was real and that he was not hallucinating—bore a serpentine staff. It was one of the few symbols of the gods that had survived their deaths, in this case, in the form of the symbol of the Medical As...

PU Book 1 - Chapter 4: Breakthrough

I've got a more respectable stockpile built up, so I've decided to increase tier rewards. The new tiers are as follows:

Blood-Thickening Tier: 2 chapters ahead.

Bone-Forging Tier: 6 chapters ahead.

Flesh-Sanctification Tier: 15 chapters ahead.

Happy Reading ^^.

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The jade-leafed corpse-eating lily Sorin obtained from the governor was very useful to Sorin. It was not a death-aligned poison as one might expect, but a potent acidic poison instead.

"I r...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 3: Parasite

Edwards Meridians took very little effort to open. But Sorin didn't want to devalue the process and exaggerated the amount it took. Three hours later, he walked out of Edward's bedroom and proceeded to Anabella's.

"I heard from your brother that you used to be quite the prodigy," Sorin said to Anabella as he pushed aside her long black hair to touch his hand to her clothed back. "That must have been stressful. I was born with an abnormally strong spirit and an eidetic memory. Expectatio...

PU Book 2 - Chapter 2: Undisclosed Favors

Soldiers welcomed Sorin at the front gate of the Governor's Manor, showing him no discourtesy or inconvenience despite his breaking two weeks prior. A butler led Sorin to the drawing room on the second floor, where the Governor and his children were, to his surprise, drawing. The two youngsters he recognized as the Governor's children, Anabella, and Edward Marsh.

"You'll have to excuse us for running late, Sorin," said Governor Marsh, applying some finishing touches to his drawing of th...

PU - Book 2 Chapter 1: Winter Winds

Surviving a Pandoran winter boiled down to three simple rules: first, dress warmly; second, spend a lot of time with friends; and third, don't listen to the whispers carried in by the chill winter winds.

That last one was the most important, to the point that the first two were just there to support it. The coldness of winter corrupted, and holing yourself up was considered a terrible move, as much as Madness was contagious.

Sorin had never paid too much attention to ru...

Pandora Unchained - B1C92: Redacted (Book 1 Finale)

Bit of a long chapter, but this is the last chapter of Book 1! I sincerely hope you're enjoying the story so far!

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Sorin was kept in a separate cell from his companions. A separate prison, actually, which made time flow by at an agonizing pace. Fortunately, Sorin wasn't overly restricted. He was allowed to perform mana manipulation exercises and familiarize himself with the hybrid energy inside his body.

During his stay, he felt only the occasional probe from the ...

Pandora Unchained - B1C91: Hand of the Medicine God

Outside the Governor's Manor and high above the Bloodwood Outpost, Guild Master Roy and Governor Marsh collaborated to severely punish the mythical invaders for underestimating their defenses. The seeds of deception sowed over decades finally paid off as the guild master pierced the dryad through her wooden heart with a burning spear, and Governor Marsh lopped off her head with his silver blade.

Just like many times before, the dryad reformed from her own sawdust, greatly wea...

Pandora Unchained - B1C90: Embracing Violence

The stones lining the basement floor cracked as Sorin pushed himself forward with no technique, no deception, only raw and unadulterated Violence. Marcus summoned his snake staff to intercept him, but Sorin used his own arm to catch its bite, taking a small injury to land a Viper Strike into Marcus's side and unleash three times as much poison as was normally possible.

Sorin's swift hands followed up to land another hit, forcing Marcus to use a spiritual attack to try and par...

Pandora Unchained - B1C89: Secrets of Life Mana

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Stephan asked Sorin as Marcus's body lit up with light green runes. The runes were complex and originated form his bones—a trait shared by all bone-forging cultivators. It was from these empowered bones that mana shields were generated, and mana circulation outside the body was facilitated. "I'm not going to lie, Sorin. The odds of us being able to beat him aren't great."

"Still better than Gabriella's," said Sorin. "If it were just the m...