Zarthos

021 - Unlikely Allies

“Mister Baxter may have accepted you, but you better not try anything, or you might come to regret it,” the squad leader said to Ning Shan, his rifle still firmly in his hand, yet wasn’t aimed at him anymore.

He motioned for Ning Shan and Sera to move forward while he and his subordinate fell behind them. Ning Shan could clearly see the resentment in the other man’s eyes. The man’s finger hovered over the trigger while the muzzle of his weapon was but a breath away from being ...

101 - A Timely Arrival

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Following his intervention, Qin Yun could feel instabilities in the barrier. It flickered slightly, weakening as another wave of sand crashed overhead. This prompted even more sandworms to...

020 - Unexpected Outcome

Despite her weariness, Sera jolted awake, shivering at the sight of the men she least wished to see. She hid behind Ning Shan, clearly knowing how little it would do. Her breath had yet to return, her blood pounded in her skull, yet fear froze her to her core.

Ning Shan remained calm, eyeing the men before him. Of the five he had seen before, only two remained. However, their weaponry had been upgraded substantially. The clothes they wore before had been replaced with metal-alloy armour...

019 - The Swords of Damocles

Ning Shan Leapt forward, swerving left and right as he tried to evade whatever was thrown at him. Even with his enhanced vision, he couldn't clearly see the projectiles, only the aftermath as plumes of dust rose into the air and loud noises crashed around them. If not for the wind rushing past his face, he would think the machine had placed explosives on the ground beforehand.

Ning Shan reached the drone in less than five seconds, barely escaping with his life. Sweat poured out of his p...

100 - Blood on the Sand

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The man stood over two metres tall. His shoulders were broad and bare, as was his upper body. His muscles were massive, almost at an inhuman level, making him look like a mountain in the form...

099 - Unprepared for the Battlefield

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Qin Yun's body was bathed in the blue flame, yet his clothes remained intact despite the heat. He only felt a slight tingling sensation as the flame clung to his flesh, while golden characte...

098 - The Forgotten One's End

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“Do not play games," the old man said, yet he couldn't stop his voice from growing hoarse. Despite the piercing pain, he added, "Who are you, and what do you hope to accomplish?"

097 - An Inescapable Plot

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“Senior! What’s the meaning of your actions?” the man said as he watched the old cultivator grasp his junior brother’s neck. His eyes narrowed slightly, yet there was no trace of...

096 - Venturing Through Forgotten Halls

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Deep below the flowing sand of the frontier, entombed into bedrock, were long and winding corridors forgotten by man and time alike. Only a few had been witness to their existence as i...

095 - Longing in the Face of Death

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A long distance away, deep in the desolate desert, standing next to an unending abyss, was a stone altar. The sun barely shone on this forsaken place, and the ground was devoid of all c...

RD - 018 - Terror From Above

After hours of trudging through complete darkness at a snail's pace, Ning Shan finally emerged from this forgotten tomb to a breath of fresh air. Only a singular rusted metal fence blocked his path, which quickly gave way with a single well-placed kick.

The metal bent then broke, flying away into the night as the impact shattered the silence. A single thud echoed in the distance as it finally hit the ground.

Once again, darkness reigned, with only the scarce light of the stars to ...

RD - 017 - A Hero or the Worst of Villains?

Ning Shan's gaze was locked on the creature within the glass coffin. While he might have chosen to call it human, the veracity of that statement remained to be proven. Still, he hadn't found any other way to truly describe it.

It was bipedal and hairless, unlike any primate he ever encountered, except for one. However, its skeletal structure was slightly different from his own, probably belonging to the same genus but to a different species. Maybe also a distant ancestor, but merely vis...

094 - The Other Side of the Coin

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Hidden behind the dunes, a distance away from the high frontier wall, was a large tent made of thick leather standing next to an oasis. Unlike the lush beauty that could be found on the...

RD - 016 - A Macabre Discovery

Ning cautiously trudged on through the darkness, a single hand carefully gliding over a nearby wall as he pressed forward toward the dim light in the distance. It flickered at an irregular pace, sometimes remaining extinguished for minutes at a time before suddenly springing back to life, each time with a little less strength as if poised to disappear at any moment.

Ning Shan accelerated his pace, unwilling to let it die before he could uncover its origin. Sera could barely keep up with...

093 - A Voice to Drown the World

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“Is this a common occurrence?" Qin Yun said, and the tranquillity of his voice seemed to prompt Yao Ruolan to calm down. She took a deep breath, regulating her heart rate as she gazed...

RD - 015 - A World Bathed in Eternal Darkness

Down in the depths of the earth, there was only dimmest of light. Ning Shan stood, bewildered, until his eyes finally adapted to his environment. He had no idea how far he had fallen, much less how he had survived the drop, yet he was completely unharmed but lost.

The ground was hard under his feet; walls surrounded him on all sides. They glowed slightly, just enough so that he could approximate their shapes. As for how they did so, he had no idea. Ever since he was thrown into this wor...

RD - 014 - A Plan Made in the Heat of the Moment

Ning Shan took the metal weapon into his arms, feeling its heft. In a smooth and practiced motion, he raised the rifle to eye level before kneeling down, resting the muzzle onto a nearby raised ledge, just as the man he had just taken out had done, imitating him almost perfectly.

A single eye looked through the long scope, enhancing his vision until he could see the woman's hair follicles. However, coupled with his already enhanced sight, this only gave him a headache. He looked away, d...

RD - 013 - Planned and Rehearsed

Sera felt a sharp pain in her core as if her stomach had ruptured, spilling its content, the acid burning through her flesh, but she knew this was just her mind filled with anxiety trying to tell her she was doomed. Still, the pain was real. She could still feel where the blow had landed as if it had just happened.

She could clearly imagine the man before her, showing a mocking expression hidden behind his mask. His eyes showed as much, and his tone was playful.

“No point in try...

092 - Performing Electroshock Therapy

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“Do you even know who you've messed with?" one of the men screamed, yet his voice had a slight quiver. Unlike his companion, who managed to remain calm, this one seemed on the verge o...

RD - 012 - An Unfortunate Reality

Ning Shan remained still for more than two hours, carefully watching for any signs of the beast he had felt. Fortunately, the creature seemed uninterested in a small prey like he was. Still, he remained vigilant. He knew full well how these creatures hunted in his previous world, and didn't think it would be any different in this new environment. The countless vultures flying overhead made it abundantly clear.

When calm returned, and peace remained, Ning Shan emerged from his shelter of...

091 - An Obvious Class Divide

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“What was it like?” Qin Yun asked, ignoring the stares that seemed to want to carve a canyon on his back.

The woman shook slightly as if reliving vivid memories that her min...

090 - A Clue Clad in Bronze and Silver

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He Zihao woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling, feeling dazed and confused. His heart thumped in his chest, creating an increased blood flow that pooled in his cranium, giving him a headac...

RD - 011 - A Quest for Hope in a Forsaken World

Stunned by what had just happened, Ning Shan remained quietly in place, watching the woman run away with all her might. The flock of vultures followed her with their heads as the sound of her hurried footsteps resonated against the massive structures of stone and steel that surrounded them.

How long has it been? Ning Shan chuckled, feeling more amused than outraged by that woman's actions. It may have been born out of ignorance, but to have the courage to stand ag...