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Chapter 215 - TFF

Alan looked around the third floor of the Tower.

It was quite large and it took only a moment of thought for the outer wall to split and form a window. Nothing fancy, but it was a nice thing overlooking the Sanctuary. He couldn’t make it do many other things, but creating walls, windows, and doors just like that was a nice option to have.

The last two floors would remain for him and Xil.

Perhaps Ashlyn too.

“It’s nice… a bit bare,” Emerson said.

Alan co...

Chapter 107 - Closet Talks, SC

“Fancy seeing you here,” Sunday said with a smile.

Elora just stared. Her blonde hair was messy, and she was dressed only in simple almost sheer nightgown that was probably more expensive than all of Sunday’s clothes combined. His eyes strayed a bit, but he did his best to be very interested in a painting handing nearby the bed.

“What do you mean ‘fancy seeing you here’?! This is my home! If my mom finds out—”

Voices came from the outside and Elora paled.

Chapter 214 - TFF

“I demand you stop laughing!” Xil screamed.

“But… I thought you’d be bigger! This is ridiculous!” Alan said between bouts of laughter. He couldn’t even use the mental connection they shared.

The tiny demon seemed ready to blow up, but other than posturing and cursing, he didn’t seem able to do much more. His form was like a very realistic illusion or a hologram. Alan wondered if others could see him, or if this was still somehow all in his head.

Chapter 106 - Another Step, SC

Stealing was a pretty relaxing activity. Especially alone in a room full of scrolls older than the room itself, holding the secrets of a higher power.

Sunday knew the outside world would’ve killed for most of the arts he was going through. And yet, to him, they were not that impressive. He had spent more than a few hours reading and trying to understand most of the soul-forging arts – the most important and numerous arts – and he had been left disappointed.

Ishiren’s Black...

Chapter 213 - TFF

Turtle shifted his body with a groan. He moved slowly, like an old person or someone who had just been beaten up. There were no wounds on him, but the pattern shifted slightly. Alan noticed cracked mana stones of all sizes and shapes littering the place. Had Turtle performed a ritual or something?

“Not good,” Turtle said. “Glad… to see you.”

Alan gestured for the man to settle down and made a chair of shadows, earning himself a look of what he chose to believe was admira...

Chapter 105 - Arts, SC

The words made Sunday tense. Guests? His first thought was his ‘Missing’ status and those searching for him. There was no way for Trust to know that though. It was impossible, wasn’t it? So what guests was he talking about?

“I find it quite peculiar,” Sunday said, “how all of you try to create this image of yourselves. Knowing, powerful, benevolent. Advertising yourselves like whores, showering me with benefits, and showing me glimpses of riches and status to make me like yo...

Chapter 212 - TFF

Alan sighed. Trying to convert some of his points into currency only led to being offered mana stones. Either the currency of the region they were in was mana stones, or New Earth was still not considered part of it due to the recent integration.

Since there was no access to any better trades than what was offered by the multitude of anonymous users of the World Temples, Alan decided it was the second.

However, the list of buildings he could contribute to the Sanctuary wa...

Chapter 104 - Trust, SC

Sunday’s rest was spent in attempts to force Chaotic Step to work. He had done so once, and he fully believed it was time for him to take back his agency. A future savior of mankind, undead kind, and all other kinds out there could now allow himself to be bound by uncontrollable talents.

Mastering oneself was the basis upon which any path to greatness was built.

It didn’t work.

He tried it all which mostly involved trying to exit his room through the closet door. The tal...

Chapter 211 - TFF

Mr. Muge’s shop had changed yet again, adding a few additional wings and making the whole building stand out even more. Now that he was not far away from the center. Alan had decided it was the first place to stop since it was on the way to the World Temple.

The Enchanter was a great guy, and his attitude was refreshing. Plus, last time Alan had been in a hurry to leave, but he had left some of the void cores he had gathered in the fractal. It was not much, but he hoped they would be ...

Chapter 103 - Kallus, SC

They continued through the night, even Vyn although his human constitution kept him from being too happy about it. The boy loved his sleep. Another lesson his sister had instilled in him with loving beatings.

Sunday was on edge the whole time but it became clear that the Voice, Prophet, or whatever that annoying bastard was called wouldn’t be making a return. Those last words had certainly sounded like a threat. Going for his friends? That was low, but not too low for a corrupted madm...

Chapter 210 - TFF

Humans were expected to threaten and try to conquer other humans. It went well with tradition. After all, what was the human experience but a constant deflection of invasions? There were always troublemakers, be it protecting your personal space, sanity, or country.

Alan still found it a bit strange though. He was not an example of altruism or a hero who would lead the human race to unity and mutual understanding, but he had resolved to try and help his home Sanctuary, no matter how str...

Chapter 102 - Helping, SC

Sunday was nervous. Not in the way a man stalking through an otherworldly city full of vampires, strange magic, and mad gods would be nervous – he was used to that. Well, the latter was a part of it perhaps. He was wary of running into any believers, worshippers, or annoying members of the Arcanum popping up and derailing everything yet again. Being holed up for a few weeks in the yard of the new brewery had made him a bit more sensitive when it came to the state of his peace of mind and pl...

Chapter 209 - TFF

The Sanctuary had changed on the inside as well. Alan wondered whether moving buildings around was as simple as spending some points in the World Temple.  He had to check what those would do for him. Perhaps he needed more mana stones for the ritual, although his reserves had grown quite a lot. Perhaps he could trade for something more.

A thin invisible barrier covered most of the inner parts, starting with the second wall that the new one now dwarfed. He could sense it like a mute...

Chapter 101 - Peaceful, SC

“My sister told me that I shouldn’t think when wielding a sword. Thinking, she said, means you’ve slacked in practice,” Vyn exclaimed as he swatted off Sunday’s sword. “A swordsman must act. Build instincts. They should trust their body above all. Trust the practice and the muscle memory. That’s why—”

He ducked a swing that threatened to take off his head, then continued.

“That’s why she beat me up so much. Know what’s coming, she said. Feel the pain it bri...

Chapter 208 - TFF

Choose a reward:

Crushing Vambraces of Vitality (Rare)

Passive: Makes your fists hard as stone and adds weight to each of your punches.
Passive: You feel more alive: +30 to Vitality

Slart’s Invisible Platform (Rare)

Active: Create a mostly immovable, mostly unbreakable, invisible platform suspended in the air up to three times a day.

&...

Chapter 100 - Worries, SC

NOTE: 100 Chapters. It's a small milestone in what is hopefully going to be a long, and continuously improving story. I know there are highs and lows, but hopefully in time, the former will outshine the latter. Thank you all for being here, supporting what I do, and reading the words born in my mind.

*****

Sunday hadn’t noticed the patterns on the stone floor of the Arcanum’s halls before. It had lines like wood would, but it was certainly made of stone. Unless of course, ...

Chapter 207 - TFF

NOTE: So, I've made a mistake in the last few Statuses by applying 30% bonus to Mind when it was supposed to be 25%. It changes absolutely nothing, other than the amount of editing I'll have to do.

******

Alan opened his eyes in the darkness. He had long given up on keeping track of time. The mana was raging inside him, moving smoother than ever. Something had changed yet again. A minute change, but a change nonetheless.

The rings of awareness and focus probably played into ...

Chapter 99 - Bets, SC

The arena was nothing like the place Sunday had sparred with Elora. It was much more reminiscent of a small coliseum, with cushioned seats for the audience. It took about an hour after the mock hearing, which Sunday had decided had nothing to do with him and more with people trying to one-up each other, for everything to be organized.

It was a strange experience, and at some point, he realized that whatever remained of his artificial happiness had evaporated. He still felt good. Better ...

Chapter 206 - TFF

Swirling darkness. An ocean of it. And in the middle stood an island as if placed under spotlight. It was a lone jagged piece of existence cutting through the currents assaulting it. Shadows of beasts, of memories, and of wails that had traveled through eternity passed by in a constant storm. Raging, untamed, and dangerous.

Each took a bit of the island. Devouring or replacing, it was unknown. The island remained unchanged.

“Do you think killing is all there’s to it?” the ma...

Chapter 98 - Silly Politics, SC

Finding balance was a difficult thing. Desires, emotions, wants and joy. Sometimes they took hold of a person when a new day came, or perhaps at a random time in the afternoon. How much of the truth to show? How much to pretend? How many emotions to be worn on the sleeve and how many to be buried deep within, where no light would ever find them unless they became a storm and burst out?

Life was a masquerade. A constant game of showing people what they needed.

Sunday walked behind ...

Chapter 205 - TFF

The Sanctuary was bursting with life. Everyone had something to do—a role to play. Tensions were high, but not like before. Enemies were working together, children were helping in any way they could. What could unite different humans better, than a new threat?

Rosalyn stood on the newly erected wall. It was yet another circle of stone, broken wood, and old-earth remains that circled the Sanctuary, widening the grounds it covered. It was better crafted than the previous attempts. They ...

Chapter 97 - Employees, SC

Sunday watched Kloud leave and lamented the twists and turns of city life as a half-living corpse. The swamp had been simple. The swamp had been pure. He saw that now when he had already lost it. Here, just as one annoying event was over a different one popped up.

He didn’t care much about his standing in the Arcanum, or who he had offended. However, judging by the Essence Ward they had a lot of good stuff for him, and he wanted to dip his hand in that.

He still had some spells ...

Chapter 204 - TFF

NOTE: Might edit a bit tomorrow. I was careful with this one.
*****

Alan tried to emulate the monster, and as he dodged another spear, threw his own. It was a weak throw and fell very short of its target. His strength was quite high compared to before – definitely higher than any pre-system human’s.

But it was not high compared to the new standards in the system-ruled world. The spear flew for a while and then fell apart without achieving anything. It was a casual th...

Chapter 96 - Back at the Rat, SC

Discussion of details was left for later. At least until Sunday could find someone to put the work onto. He still felt tired, which was unlike him after sleep and dreaming of the yew tree. It felt human. Perhaps an after-effect of the buff, although the fatigue from the first time, when he had lost himself, hadn’t lasted nearly as long.

He eventually excused himself, after pointedly throwing suggestive glances at Mera similar to a child who wanted to go home. The spell-fused ...

Chapter 203 - TFF

The tunnels stretched further than Alan had thought. He returned to the valley after witnessing the jadari settlement in all its glory and tried to follow the path back to the spider’s cave. The damage from [Hateful Mist Cut] would have made returning through the original path difficult, but Alan was sure he could eventually figure it out.

He was done with this. Rushing off so soon after returning to the Sanctuary now felt like a hollow escape from facing humanity and its true nature....

Chapter 95 - Partners, SC

The Hunter forever stalks those he doubts. A keeper of the sacred. A guard against another Fall. His immortal hounds tear apart the unworthy, the corrupt, and the unwilling to carry the burdens beyond life and death.

He seeks out the madness buried deep within that stems from weakness and bleeds into reality to destroy. A protector, a beast, a hunter.

To fight against a hound, and to win, is to be a step closer to you...