Nothingness was all there was to it. Not blackness or infinite void, no white light. Just… non-existence.
And Alan was in the middle of it, unable to perceive his body or feel his mana. Try as he could, there was nothing to latch on but the thoughts of his mind which still somehow worked.
He felt oddly empty, yet free. Many System messages had flashed in his mind before he was whisked away by whatever that fucking rope had been.
The single message remaining in the back of ...
2023-12-19 13:38:46 +0000 UTC
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In the vastness of space, beyond the rumbling border of void and destruction that separated the self-proclaimed ‘Living Realm’ from the rest of the infinite existences in an endless universe, existed the domain of Szirsaxal.
It was a separate space belonging only to her. If she was no more, it would be no more. If she grew stronger, it would grow too.
A domain unique to the one who had created it.
She had many names, given to her by the beings she reached out to give a s...
2023-12-18 12:07:00 +0000 UTC
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The situation looked hopeless.
The rain of skills was growing weaker as people once again ran out of mana and stronger skills to use. Wuros had his permanent grin pointed at Emerson, making a lot of the others feel insignificant.
Not Alan.
While he had grown much more confident, the pressure was too much when he had no adequate response at hand. The good thing was that Wuros didn’t seem to have an idea about the quest given by the System. If Emerson had told him before hav...
2023-12-17 12:13:28 +0000 UTC
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Emerson watched the carnage with a cold heart. He had doomed so many people to cruel death in the already cruel world. Why had he believed the lies whispered in his dreams and mind? Was he so stupid to trust random voices?
Or had the Hierophant of the Goddess used a trick to control him, to change him? No. Even if that was the case it was no excuse.
He had needed a direction. He needed a goal to strive toward in this new world where he had no one but himself. It had quickly become...
2023-12-16 12:43:16 +0000 UTC
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Today's chapter is brought to you a bit late by the Christmas Dao of Traffic Jams. Also, there will be a small announcement/update in the next hour or so. Enjoy!
Alan’s dagger struck only air as the white mass that used to be the throne quickly pulled back the three-eyed man like a safety rope.
The alien stood in place, looking almost confused as he reached for the arrow sticking in his middle eye and wrapped his fingers around the shaft.
Hi...
2023-12-15 13:22:49 +0000 UTC
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The battle began without much fanfare. The human side was disorganized and chaotic, and Alan felt the turbulence of mana everywhere around as if millions of strands of energy were intertwining and passing by each other without interference.
For a moment he lost himself imagining what it would look like to see the flow of all the skills and all the lives that were present here. All the power.
Then the chaos took over and he joined the fray, preparing to use his last cast o...
2023-12-12 11:36:49 +0000 UTC
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Alan let himself get dragged to a fairly empty place near one of the ruins. It was dangerous, but he trusted [Mortal Peril] and the last cast of [Monochrome Armor] he had left.
The woman’s [Class Trainer] class had certainly sounded interesting and he wanted to hear what she had to say. He was stumped where his path had led him, and it would be great if she gave him any ideas.
The first thing she said, though, was quite surprising.
“You need to get your head out of your ...
2023-12-11 10:54:12 +0000 UTC
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I might be posting at different times in the coming weeks, as I will move around a lot. I will try to do it earlier than usual, though, not later.
Mr. Muge wasn’t opposed to assisting them in the slightest. He even tried to recruit them, as losing his base of operation seemed to terrify the man. He relented quickly and gave them a few cleansing charms, to the joy of Ashlyn.
“These are crushing arrows,” Mr. Muge said, giving Ashlyn a bundle of the sa...
2023-12-10 12:13:56 +0000 UTC
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This spawn was big. As big as a pickup truck, and as mean as its stereotypical driver.
Alan got close fast. Ashlyn was behind him, while the best Turtle could achieve was a slow jog through the debris.
The huge spawn was already fighting a group of unfortunate people. Alan saw one crushed, and another sliced in two. Horror could still be seen in the wide-open but lifeless eyes of the man.
Those alive tried to fight back and all sorts of projectiles rained in futilit...
2023-12-09 12:52:52 +0000 UTC
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The System messages came in rapid succession.
WARNING! Unauthorized invasion detected.
Emergency integration protocols initiated.
Sanctuary-wide Quest: Chose a Leader has been abolished.
The World Temple will provide safety to the classless and non-combatants.
Every combatant is required to fight and is barred from entry.
All energy from the slain invaders and their...
2023-12-08 13:13:30 +0000 UTC
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Tim opened his mouth to answer when Cole raised his hand.
“Is that what this is about? You kill one of our own by catching him unprepared, and you think that will help you save a murderer?” Cole spat.
When you put it that way…
“Yes?” Alan smiled innocently, which only made Close grow redder in the face.
“You are just a fool. And you will die like one, no matter how high your level is!” Cole’s eyes roamed around the crowd, stopping on Ashlyn, th...
2023-12-05 12:40:54 +0000 UTC
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The largest square directly in front of the World Temple was currently bustling with activity. The children were particularly rowdy, playing and laughing as if the fate of the whole society didn’t depend on the whims of whoever was strongest, or hardest to kill. Which was hardly the same thing.
There was already a crowd there when they arrived along with a very large group led by Rosalyn. The Elven Trunk people looked like what one would expect a bunch of adventurers to look, and Alan...
2023-12-04 12:42:36 +0000 UTC
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Alan had a good sleep after he returned to his room.
It was dreamless and relaxing and when he woke up, he felt as if his body and mind had been rebuilt from the ground up.
Without a clock or a window to see the position of the sun from, he had no idea how long he had slept.
However, he still had the quest timer for choosing a leader, which showed that there was a little more than a day. Now, if he had looked at it before going to bed too…
He dressed and stretched. T...
2023-12-03 13:00:16 +0000 UTC
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He jumped down from the ruin and rolled, ending on his feet. His shadow merged with his body and he felt the world slow down. The darkness parted before his eyes. A weird sense of satisfaction washed over him as [Monochrome Armor] manifested.
His daggers were in his hands, covered in writhing shadows.
But there was no enemy in sight. The pain in his shoulder was thumping, and there was a bit of a smell of seared flesh. An enchanted weapon?
“Where are they?”<...
2023-12-02 13:17:25 +0000 UTC
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“Did you orchestrate our meeting?” Alan asked. Ashlyn seemed to sense the tension in him and she gently grabbed his hand.
Rosalyn didn’t react at first. She seemed thoughtful.
Is that how one skirts around such a trait? Thinking everything through to bend the truth?
“Ask your question better,” she finally said making Alan frown further. “I had my people prepare the moment you came into the vicinity of this place. We know who you two are and how long you ...
2023-12-01 13:11:33 +0000 UTC
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The back room was larger than anticipated. Deeper in there was a kitchen area where multiple fires burned simultaneously, making steam rise over pots and pans. All the smoke from the slowly burning wood was sucked into a carved stone in the middle of the room, upon which was somehow sat a small table. The smoke billowed out from the fireplaces and crawled on the floor like snakes, before disappearing into the holes littering the stone.
It reminded Alan of the first time he had met Mr. M...
2023-11-28 12:20:48 +0000 UTC
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I will be posting at strange times during the work week. Free time is never guaranteed. Most days I will try to do it earlier, rather than later.
There are a few chapters of world building and some character introductions until things pick up again. Hope you enjoyed the Dungeon arc!
***
The walk wasn’t long or eventful.
Alan was managing to act fine in front of Ashlyn and the people they interacted with. He suspected Ash knew he was faking. Howev...
2023-11-27 11:52:57 +0000 UTC
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It was only natural that the first stop would be Mr. Muge’s place. The strange construction that was the Enchanter’s Bane had become even stranger. The tower had grown into a monstrosity of wood and ropes that swayed in the wind but somehow managed not to fall. It was the first thing anyone would notice about it.
And it was a miracle of magic anything so janky managed to stay up the way it did. Alan wondered what was the point of it since anyone going up the tower would need a reall...
2023-11-26 14:07:04 +0000 UTC
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Alan stood still, blood dripping from his daggers. The world was spinning as his vision returned to normal. As normal as it could be while [Monochrome Armor] was active.
He didn’t know what had happened.
Someone had cast a fire skill toward Ashlyn and he had lost it. The skill probably wouldn’t have hit at all.
There were moans and crying behind him. Somehow some of the men and women were still alive. Alan didn’t know if it was due to their skills, his inadequacy, or h...
2023-11-25 14:02:03 +0000 UTC
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Walter scowled in frustration. A Sanctuary had been destroyed and the news didn’t lead to anything good for the finicky balance achieved in theirs. Alan and the girls were still gone, probably dead or fighting God knows what.
He was both grateful he was not in their place and worried he might be dead before they returned if they returned at all.
The gangs were moving and clashes had become a normal occurrence. Even some of the classless children were recruited, like some sort of...
2023-11-24 13:38:37 +0000 UTC
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Alan didn’t know how much time passed. He didn’t react when bronze constructs similar to the ones they had fought came in and started cleaning the mess under the direction of the Doctor. Bodies of experiments and werewolves were carried away, while the blood splatters were sprayed with a strange dust which removed them in seconds.
He also didn’t care when the Doctor healed his bleeding hands and asked what was to be done to his comrades' bodies. The boss seemed reluctant to take t...
2023-11-24 13:36:07 +0000 UTC
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No! No! No!
This couldn’t be happening. He had clearly attacked the Doctor! Why was Davis lying dead in front of him, killed by his hand? By his blade?
Alan turned in confusion. There was no trace of the Doctor. The white werewolf’s body was laid charred on the ground. The fireball seemed to have only singed some of Ashlyn’s hair, without doing much further damage.
Her body was motionless, a large pool of blood under her torso. Alan’s head spun and he rushed...
2023-11-24 13:26:18 +0000 UTC
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Alan turned and saw Florence standing wide-eyed with a smoking wand in front of her. She looked like she had just shot someone in a western.
The fires cleared up and revealed an angry werewolf covered in burns, with most of its fur singed off. The dark wrinkled flesh reminded Alan of the shaved cats he would see often popping up on his social media. The fur was doing most of the heavy lifting when it came to charm.
The monster roared and lunged at the new offender. Florence didn...
2023-11-24 13:20:04 +0000 UTC
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You have received a new Dungeon Quest: Defeat Doctor Pharom in the Lower Buried Blood Fields.
The Doctor is a menace that has committed many crimes against natural life. He has offended a God with his existence. Punish him for his offenses.
Reward: Class Guide or Item
A class guide? Greayheart had mentioned something like that.
It was more of a cave than a hall. Parts of it ...
2023-11-24 12:59:05 +0000 UTC
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After what felt like an eternity of annoying pain and strange sensations through his bones, Alan opened his eyes and breathed in. The dim mana crystals clattered to the floor and rolled before turning to fine dust.
+15 to the Magic attribute.
That was well within expectation. But the next part of the System messages came as a surprise.
A high concentration of vital energy was detected in the reagent.
Additional effect gained.
2023-11-24 12:37:03 +0000 UTC
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Florence was only a few meters away, piercing the boss with her eyes.
“What—?”
The man suddenly clutched at his chest.
“What… is this?!” he gasped.
Florence’s breathing seemed to be getting harder, but her trademark smile still played on her lips.
“This…”
He fell to the ground, gasping. Alan took a few steps towards him, green light alleviating the pain in his side. Florence’s skills came with a lot of limitations, but also a lot of po...
2023-11-24 12:27:28 +0000 UTC
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A golden barrier stronger than any so far enveloped Davis as he reached the boss and punched out. His fist was met with an open palm. The eyeless man’s arm looked mighty skinny compared to Davis’s fist. Skin and flesh flew as the black robe’s forearm exploded from the impact with the glowing fist.
The second fist found the boss’s stomach, making a hole in it. The eyeless man remained uncaring despite the damage, taking the pummeling Davis was giving him and falling apart bit by ...
2023-11-24 12:01:39 +0000 UTC
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Alan quickly activated [Monochrome Armor] and felt his shadow wrap around and join his flesh. The world became a tad bit slower, and the darkness friendlier.
His [Shadow Weapon] coated his two daggers. His left hand held the ritual dagger, while his right the flaming one. He didn’t know what the man in the robe was capable of, but if that’s what a blood corpse was, it couldn’t be anything simple.
In typical overconfident boss fashion, the blood corpse waited, but the minions...
2023-11-24 11:55:18 +0000 UTC
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Big, fat, mutated rats charged in waves, eliciting screams from a few of the elves and Florence, and curses from the rest. Alan felt only a surge of unimaginable anger.
His daggers covered in darkness whisked through the dark tunnel, one of them aflame. It was no time to pull punches as [Shadow Slashes] rained upon the horde of rats. Alan cast like a maniac sending them under all sorts of impossible angles.
The smell of charred flesh, blood, and guts permeated the tunnel and reach...
2023-11-24 11:42:43 +0000 UTC
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“Alan? Is that you?” Davis walked forward with hesitation and stopped a step away.
“In the flesh. How have you been Davis?”
Davis looked him over, then grinned wide, “I—we thought you were dead, man! Glad to see you are okay!”
“I am glad to see you are doing well too. Me and Ashlyn heard you might have died,” Alan replied. He hoped it was not too obvious that he was fishing for information.
Davis looked toward the terrace where Ashlyn still stood, lon...
2023-11-24 11:36:53 +0000 UTC
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