Avyck3721

Ch 69 (Side story continued)

The next morning. Cassie woke up to a cold chill. 

She reached out and stretched her arms wide in a yawn. 

Andrew and Cassie had stayed up most the night talking. She loved those nights. She loved how much her husband cared. 

Speaking of her husband. She rolled over. Andrew's side of the bed was empty. 

Typical. He had probably already gone out and started his day. 

Cassie pulled the blankets tight around herself. She wasn’t ready to ge...

Ch 68 (Side story)

Cassie barely registered her own footsteps as she walked back home.

The air felt too heavy. The world too empty.

She had just given up everything. Hadn’t she?

Maybe it was for the best. Jordan was a good enough man. It wasn’t like she could lead on her own.

She was never supposed to lead. That was Andrew’s job. That was always Andrew’s job.

“Baby, I know it’s scary,” he had told her once, his grip firm in hers. “But since when have we run from sca...

Ch 67

While the others looted, I ran straight to Elise.

I grabbed her shoulders. “Tell me we didn’t lose anyone.”

She looked up at me with a sheepish smile. “We didn’t lose anyone.”

I let out a breath. “Thank Goodness.”

“How bad were the injuries?” I asked, steadying myself.

She tilted her head. “Not as bad as they looked. Everyone had barriers up, and I healed the worst wounds immediately.”

My stomach knotted. It was just like I thought i...

Ch 66

As the timer wound down, I stepped closer to the frontline. This fight had the potential to push some of the wolves over the threshold for their class evolution, and I knew that Sadie and Xander were on the cusp of evolving as well.

Since being freed, they were the only two from their group who had consistently joined our battles. The rest still struggled. According to Jared, many of them remained shell-shocked, lingering on the edges of our settlement, hesitant to pick up weapons or fa...

ch 65

Ellison believed raid portals would open in the nearest controlled territory, meaning the first wave would hit our village’s starting point—the clearing where it all began.

I don’t love it. The idea of battles happening this close to home made me uneasy. 

As Jared and I neared the clearing, we discussed strategy, brainstorming ways to mitigate the risks of fighting so close to the settlement. Most of our ideas revolved around massive walls, defensive wards, and layered ...

ch 64

After leaving Jessica’s shop Jared continues his tour of the faction. 

The village had grown far beyond what I’d expected. Infrastructure was developing, enchantments were making life easier, and our people were growing stronger.

But none of that mattered if we couldn’t defend it.

I glance at the countdown timer hovering in my vision. Five hours, thirty-two minutes until the first raid.

I wanted to stop by the armory and check in with Damon to see if he had ...

Ch 63

After a week of grinding levels, faction LM’s village had transformed again. Even from a distance, the changes were impossible to ignore. More houses stretched toward the mountain slopes, their log-and-stone structures blending into the terrain. The dirt roads were vanishing beneath carefully laid cobblestone, giving the place an actual sense of permanence.

It felt like a real settlement.

But I didn’t have time to admire it for long. We only had six hours until the first raid ...

ch 62

The next anomaly teaches us a few important lessons. Most importantly? Durkil was an absolute monster.

With his new armor, he tears through enemy ranks with reckless abandon, a walking force of nature. We actually have to hold him back so others can get kills and gain experience.

The same could be said of all our elites—they outclass the Level 19 anomaly completely.

It forces us to rethink our approach to tackling dungeons. Keeping all the elites in low-level fights is a w...

Ch 61

At our speed, it only takes an hour to reach the next anomaly.

Ellison is already there waiting.

He spots us immediately and waves us over.

“Layton! You made it.”

I jog over. “Yeah, dungeon cleared. No losses. We even had a perfect run.”

Ellison’s eyes flick over our group, landing on Xander and Sadie.

“I see that. Are these your rewards for a perfect run?” He gestures just as Alex dumps Xander off his shoulder.

Xander stumbles, catching...

Ch 60

It caught me off guard when the last three slavers turned and bolted. 

But in the end, it only made things easier for Durkil, Daevon, Nick, and Alex.

I’d been careful throughout the fight, tracking which of the lizards had used advanced spells. I left them alive just long enough for my friends to land the finishing blows—securing titles and experience. 

Morbid? Maybe. But if we hadn’t killed them, they would’ve enslaved us. No guilt there.

Which remin...

Ch 59 Ahhhh the dreaded perspective shift

Sadie had been driving when it happened.

One second, she was gripping the wheel, rehearsing how she’d break up with her boyfriend.

The next—poof.  The tutorial had ripped her away mid-thought, dropping her into a nightmare.

But that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was what came after.

Sadie wasn’t placed back in Basin City when the tutorial ended.

Nooo instead, she reappeared in the middle of a forest, surrounded by nearly a hundred strangers. ...

Ch 58

The plan per the usual–is simple. Nick, Daevon, Durkil, and Alex would engage while I provide support with barriers, buffs and heals if necessary.

Meanwhile, Mischief would stay hidden, ensuring no one escaped to alert the other camps. Surprisingly Mischief was very excited for his role, hoping that several would try and he could give them the ‘ol Mischief surprise. 

“This first camp has about twenty-five fighters,” I remind them. “Most are spellcasters. That means ...

Ch 57

The march toward power doesn’t slow. If anything, it accelerates.

The next anomaly? Disappointing.

A lake. Massive mutated fish with stumpy disgusting legs. That was weird.

At first, I thought we’d have to fight in the water—a logistical nightmare. But then the damn things scurried out on their grotesque limbs, gills flaring, spitting jets of water. Their attacks weren’t dangerous unless your Constitution was below 30, meaning our weakest fighters could...

Ch 56

Plowing through the crowd I join the rest of Faction LM and take my spot in a support role. Elise already has things well in hand before I even arrive. 

At level 15 she chose the exact same barrier spell I use. It doesn’t quite meet the same standards and she can’t cover quite so many at once but it’s a great boost to our defense.

Combine that with my new aura ability and our defense is set up very nicely. 

Offensively I’m also quite pleased. Especially wit...

Ch 55

I step through the portal and Everything changes. Like with dungeons, I can see the evidence we’re in the same place—but it’s not the same.

The once green trees full of life are dead rotting husks. The sky is gray and suffocating.

Instead of the thick underbrush of shrubs and grass the ground is barren. One by one, our fighters step through.

I inhale. The air is thick and foul. I turn to Ellison.

“Tell me something… Are there undead factions in the multiverse...

Ch 54

No one hesitates. Everyone can sense the urgency of preparing for six raids hitting our territory. 

The fighters gather–together we total well over 100. I empty my storage. First I start by laying out the weapons I’ve collected from the past fights. By the time we sort through it, everyone is equipped with something new—except for Durkil.

He eyes the pile of weapons but shakes his head. Then speaks briefly to Ellison who translates his words. 

“Durkil doesn...

Ch 53 (still needs more work but here is what I have let me know your thoughts Por Favor)

There is work to be done. But before we get to it there are still some questions that don’t make sense to me. 

“Okay, I’m with you so far,” I say, leaning forward, “but couldn’t a higher-level faction cheat the system?” I consider a few ways I might even try it.

“Like, get a lower-level guy to buy the raid and then just join their party?”

Ellison grins. “Great question. And the answer is no.”

“No one can join the raid if they’re higher le...

Ch 52

You have killed Level 29 Bandit Leader.
level up. level up.
Congratulations you have reached Level 25 in Healer and can choose a class evolution.

Congratulations! You have completed all objectives in the dungeon.
Calculating rewards…
Rewards calculated: 1,500 UBCs, Area Map Unlocked, Resource Upgrade Token.

I look down at the cooling corpse of the Bandit Leader. It had been the toughest fight yet.

Without my Barrier, I wouldn’t have walked a...

Ch 51 (I like this chapter and I hope you do too. Let me know if it sucks)

(Mischief)

For the past three days, Mischief had been gradually honing his new skills while Layton let him practice.

Could he have killed the bandits faster? Easily.

But that wasn’t the point.

He was learning. Refining. The more he used his abilities, the more he understood them—and more importantly, the more he understood his prey.

There was something else at play with his telepathy. Something deeper. He could sense it. Whispers of the Abyss wasn’t just a ...

Ch 50 Maridus the bandit faction leader.

(The bandit camp)

"How many did we lose?" Maridus asks, his voice rough, drained.

His hands press against his temples, his skull throbbing with frustration. He hadn’t slept in three days. None of them had.

His captain, grim-faced, answers without hesitation. "Six more today, sir."

Maridus hands reach up and tighten on his hair, he clenches his teeth, forcing himself to stay calm. 

Eighteen men. Gone. More than half of the time no one had even seen the demo...

Ch 49 (I cleaned it up, the first version was poopoo)

(Mischief)

Mischief slithers through the tall grass, each step a whisper against the earth.

The dark elves have no idea.

He could feel their presence beyond the wall, the vibrations of their movement against the timber, their hushed voices whispering commands. They are on edge.

They should be.

When he reaches the palisade, he moves slowly. Methodically. Every claw digs into the wood with precision as he ascends the fifteen-foot wall in total silence.

Above ...

Ch 48

Two level-ups. Not bad.

I pull up my status screen, assigning my points to Wisdom, hoping to snag a title for breaking 100 in another stat.

Nothing.

Damn. Guess I wasn’t the first this time. Not surprising—there are billions of people in the world. The fact that I’d even gotten two titles already was insane.

Still, a win is a win.

I switch tabs to check my dungeon progress.

• Checkpoints Cleared: 1/3

• Camps Cleared: 0/4

2025-03-06 04:08:49 +0000 UTC View Post

Ch 47

(Back to Laytons Perspective)

I rip my sword from the bandits chest and turn to take in the chaos.

Mischief is doing his work too well. The camp is in total disarray—screams, blood, and bodies torn apart. 

Damn it, he’s getting all the kills. I cringe. I don’t want to have those thoughts. They creep in uninvited, still I’m glad that I’m facing them.

An arrow whistles past my ear. Another slams into my barrier, digging into the shield, the tip vibrating i...

Ch 46

(This chapter is STILL Layton and Mischief from the perspective of their Victims)

Dantu stands on the palisade, gripping the worn hilt of his sword. The night stretches before him. Peering into the darkness his nerves tense. The fires push back the dark for fifty yards, but beyond that—nothing.

Noises catch his attention. The sounds of a struggle in the dark—the telltale clash of steel, it was so faint he could almost brush it off. Should he raise the alarm?

His ears str...

Ch 45

You have entered a Level 24 Dungeon.
Objectives: Defeat the murderous bandits in each of their camps and checkpoints and defeat the faction leader.
Camps cleared: 0/6
Checkpoints cleared: 0/3

At first glance, this dungeon looks the same as the others—stepping through the portal, we find the familiar landscape waiting for us. Tall pine trees, a meadow dotted with short shrubs, and a variety of wildflowers. Their...

Ch 44

I arrive just as Ellison and Jared are wrapping up their conversation. 

“Ellison, I have to admit,” Jared said, extending a hand, “I had my reservations about this. But after our talk, I can truly say I look forward to building a future with your people.”

Ellison hesitated for a moment before clasping Jared’s hand in a firm shake. “I will have to grow accustomed to this. Thank you for teaching me.” He gave a small nod. “And yes—I, too, look forward to workin...

Ch 43

Five minutes and 2,000 UBCs later, we stepped into our newly acquired territory—through our very first portal.

It was seamless. Like walking from one room to another.

The portal itself was a double-wide stone doorway—unassuming until activated. Once the destination was chosen, one side shimmered like rippling water, allowing passage.

Stepping through felt warm, almost fluid.

A little weird, but not unpleasant.

We had some customization options, like setting p...

Ch 42

Jared sat in his small log cabin.the crackling fire casting flickering shadows across the log cabin’s rough-hewn walls. It wasn’t cold, but the scent of burning pine and the rhythmic pop of sap anchored him, grounding his thoughts.

On the table lay an intricate web of strings, each thread connected to small nails Damon had driven into the wood. Without paper, this was how Jared mapped out the village’s future—lines of progress stretched across the rough tabletop.

So far th...

ch 41

The boy kept his sword at Durkil’s throat for a beat longer, watching Ellison’s reaction.

His mouth was still slightly agape—his mind racing.

This was a newly inducted world, meaning he likely hadn’t evolved his class yet. Not even Level 25.

Yet, despite his healer’s robes, he had moved with the speed and precision of a Level 20 agility specialist.

And he had a Spirit Weapon, a beautiful blue blade that sang when he raised to Durkils throat. Ellison had quest...

ch 39

I stand there--frozen, jaw hanging open. My brain refuses to catch up. Words exist. I know they do. But right now? Blank.

Mischief nudged my arm. I have to shout in my head Layton snap out of it! 

“Oh—yeah! Uh—hi! Wait, no, I already said hi—uh…”

Mischief sighs and flicks his tail.

I clear my throat, pulling myself together.

“Yes. I’m the leader.” I exhale. Okay. Better. “Wow. I was not prepared for this. Usually things don’t get this f...