Silver rained down. Gold poured up. They met in a single line of pure light.
For a second they held there. Soundless, shining.
Then the line started to move up. And up. And up.
The gold was only gaining; the silver stuttered. The Eagle felt baffled. Evan felt angry.
The Eagle was forced to break it off. It twisted midair, twirled, and winked out at lightning speed. There was a schism of air in its absence—then the gold swept by, hitting nothing. The Eagle was circlin...
2024-01-22 23:40:53 +0000 UTC
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A/N:
Added in that he takes Law Fruit last chapter before this encounter!
(1/2)
//
Zane was feeling quite pleased with this strategy.
Then the first Eaglet hit him like a speeding truck. CLANG-THUMP! And he went flying.
It blasted the wind out of him. It felt like it blasted everything out of him. He crumpled in, hacking and coughing. His whole front side stung head-to-toe.
Then his Chains caught him, yanked him bac...
2024-01-22 16:07:33 +0000 UTC
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(1/1)
He took a step closer. The Bark Sentinel took a step back. It eyed him just as he eyed it. He could tell just by how it moved—its little hops, the subtle ways it shifted its weight on its planks for feet—it knew what it was doing.
Zane threw a punch just to see.
He missed and ate a battering-ram arm to the face for his trouble. He heard a little gasp from behind.
Zane had two thoughts then.
First, Ow.
And then—oh, interesting.<...
2024-01-22 00:14:59 +0000 UTC
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(2/2)
"I finished it," Zane said. "And added it to a Skill." He stood, ready to get going.
Evan still looked baffled. "Heh?" He said again.
"What?"
"It's been like half an hour!”
Zane didn't understand. Then—oh. He could see the confusion. "No," he said. "I didn't learn the whole Major Law at once. I got the Minor Laws from the Beetle fights. I just put them together."
He could see why it would've been a little shocking. Thirty minutes was pretty ...
2024-01-20 22:41:23 +0000 UTC
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(1/2)
//
One revolution and a circle of Stormfire sparked up. Two and they started to rise, twisting in the beginnings of a cyclone.
Then the Beetles made contact.
His Axe struck one and cleaved right through. Caught it around the neck and wrenched its head from its body. There was a brilliant flash, a blinding blast of red and yellow. The Axes kept going, cleaving a second, a third— and both erupted in giant crackling balls of lightning and fire, limbs spasming, gri...
2024-01-20 15:08:06 +0000 UTC
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(1/1)
He might not have spotted the treasure chest if it wasn’t marked on the mini-map. It was made of Titansteel, the same stuff as the root wall it was buried in. Silver vines snaked over its surface, strapping it in. Thick Spirit Steel straps buffed its frame, latching it tight.
Zane studied it for a second. Then he grabbed the sides of it and heaved.
For a moment nothing happened.
Then the whole root wall began to shake. Inch by inch the chest came free. Vines sn...
2024-01-19 21:42:57 +0000 UTC
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(1/1)
Two unusually large dots were coming around the bend. They sounded like tanks—the earth groaned under them as they moved.
They moved like tanks too—slowly, steadily. Then they came into view.
Titansteel Beetle (Monster)
Essence Level 88
Key Laws
Major Law of Undying Might (Elemental Law of Steel)
Major Law of Steel Density (Elemental...
2024-01-18 20:52:32 +0000 UTC
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A/N:
Housekeeping: updated Savage Body's description to include the note: This Skill does not Level
(1/1)
//
There was a stunned silence. The crowd of World Rankers took in what just happened with slack faces.
Evan stared at him, eyes shining. "Woah... you're really strong!"
"Thanks." Zane turned to go.
"Wait!"
He looked back, frowning. "What?"
But Evan wasn't there anymore. Zane felt his soul behind him...
2024-01-18 00:34:06 +0000 UTC
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A/N:
Housekeeping notes!
For timeline reasons:
—adjusted Zane’s World Ranking from 23 to 16
—Also changed it so that at this point, Eze, World Rank #3 is still breaking through the bottleneck—ie he’s still at Lv. 99. As are most of the Top 10.
Also:
—edited last chap to include an Inferno Cyclone -> Stormfire Cyclone [Legendary] upgrade—though no true field test yet. That’s upcoming.
Also:
Setting official sch...
2024-01-17 02:57:20 +0000 UTC
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A/N:
Name of dungeon changed to Titanwood Tree
(2/2)
//
Reina got the updates. She heard it from Elias first, but within hours she'd verified the news.
The Tomb Kings had crushed the Cartel. They'd totally absorbed them and added another dozen World Rankers to their roster. By sheer firepower, they could be the strongest Faction in all of North America.
Reina paled a little when Zane told her about his run-in with the Marquis. He hadn't sen...
2024-01-15 23:15:12 +0000 UTC
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(1/2)
A/N: Happy Monday! First chap of the day.
//
The message was choppy, going in bits and pieces. Reina thought it was written by someone delirious. Maybe on the brink of death or poisoned.
If you have received this Title, that means I, Jia Luyue, High Priestess of the Temple of the World Tree, am dead. My Title now passes to you. The Mistress Maker is the most sacred of the Temple's…
"The rest I couldn't make out," said Rei...
2024-01-15 16:26:55 +0000 UTC
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She sat there, mouth slightly open, in silence.
It was getting awkward. She looked so stunned he wasn't sure she was still in there.
Then she started to tremble. He r face was reddening fast.
"Did—did you think I was trying to kiss you?!" She spluttered. She choked out a laugh. "Idiot. You wish!"
She was very red as she crossed her arms. "Hmph!"
"…Sure?"
"Now, if you'll excuse me," she said haughtily. Then, head held high, she turned on he...
2024-01-14 22:43:32 +0000 UTC
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(1/1)
//
Vanessa strode into the Boss Lair with her head held high.
It was a throne room made entirely of ice. The ceiling arched so high it seemed like a second sky. Little crystals studded the dome, twinkling like stars in the deep dark blue. It sloped down in icy pillars, pillars dense with Law. Frost smoke drifted off of them, making little wispy clouds that hung low in the chilling air.
She was begrudgingly impressed.
We...
2024-01-14 01:03:49 +0000 UTC
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(2/2)
//
That man.
How dare he?!
The moment he grabbed her, she should've kicked him between the legs! What had come over her? Just… the way he growled at her, deep and raspy, the way he looked at her… it was like all her thoughts went out the window.
"Arrgh!" She took her anger out on a flock of passing Frost Seraphs. Blasted them to dust with a flick of her staff.
The worst part was, she owed him now. He must be feeling proud of hims...
2024-01-12 23:08:14 +0000 UTC
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(1/2)
A/N: to be clear, the system is not messing with Zane’s mind! Edited prev chaps to make this more clear
//It felt like Zane stood before a blizzard so massive it blotted out his world. This was no ordinary ice. It was woven through with Major Laws. This ice had a chilling deathly touch, and it felt dense as stone.
He raised his Chains and slashed. The Axes carved a shining red cross through the white.
And slashed it clean open.
The white ...
2024-01-12 16:57:58 +0000 UTC
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(2/2)
He was exhausted and excited all at once. It was hard to explain—like he was running on fumes, but very hot fumes, the kind that got you all tingly and buzzy in the head.
He sank back into the recording and watched the vision over again. By the time he got out of it, his brain felt wrung dry. He wasn't sure he had another watch in him—but he had the feeling now. That he was sure of.
All he had to do was reproduce it.
He stretched out a giddy hand. And Scorche...
2024-01-11 23:30:24 +0000 UTC
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(1/2)
"Elders of Mount Thundercrest! Elders of the Azure Flame Faction! It is my honor to host you today at this Joint Lecture on the Law."
Azure Flame Faction? Wasn't that the same Faction that made the Rising Sun Slash?
Elder Lucian clasped his hands behind his back.
"I have gathered you here today on Mount Taiji, under arrays of absolute secrecy, to reveal a secret that—without exaggeration—shall upend the foundations of our Factions. A breakthrough I believe wi...
2024-01-11 15:11:18 +0000 UTC
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A/N:
Sorry for missed chapter yesterday, y'all. Was traveling all day and hit some snags. >.>
Changed Vanessa's Faction to 'North Star' Faction
(1/1)
Will still be trying to hit 2 chapters/day most days for the next few months!
//
Zane had a theory.
…Maybe "theory" was giving himself a little too much credit. Really it was more of a hope.
If he poured in enough power, he could throw all logic out the window.
He had...
2024-01-10 19:52:56 +0000 UTC
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(2/2)
He considered the Egg. Then he found a quiet spot in the woods, sat down, and started drawing out its essence.
Its essence was laced with Ice Law. If Vials of Essence felt like warm broth for the soul, this felt like a cold shake. It took a while to go down. He was a little overeager with it at first, and he got a strange shivering shock. Brain freeze? Soul freeze?
So he took it slow and just kept sipping.
Soon enough—
Level Up!
2024-01-09 03:12:11 +0000 UTC
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Javier scrambled up. His face was pretty badly broken. He was a lean man, quite angular, without a lot of fat in his cheeks. So you could see very clearly one side of his face was quite different from the other. A lot more droopy and bent.
He was pretty angry about it, too. Zane felt anger pouring off him like heat. Rogues like him were very fast, but their Vitality—usually not great. They weren't the strongest.
And Zane was one of the strongest people in the world. His fist, Ja...
2024-01-08 17:18:33 +0000 UTC
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Zane identified Javier.
Javier Mendes
Essence Level 90
Signature Title: Sage of the Crescent Moon
Class: Deathstalker
Faction: Tomb Kings
Laws:
Major of Shadow Weaving
Major of Absolute Sharpness
Key Skills:
Crescent Moon Slash (Active) [Signature]: An ethereal slash with the...
2024-01-07 18:52:47 +0000 UTC
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A/N: Changed LA Crypts to Tomb Kings to avoid confusion—Crypts was cute as a pun but the vibe of this gang is too diff from the real life one lol
(2/2)
//
Zane saw her Level.
86?
She wasn't just a World Ranker. She was ranked higher than him.
He was surprised. What were the odds of that? There must've been less than thirty people like her in the world.
She saw him staring at her and frowned. She threw a derisive glance at him like s...
2024-01-07 02:57:31 +0000 UTC
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(1/2)
After trekking through the forest for a while, Zane realized he was a pretty shit hunter.
He wasn't sure what he should look for. Tracks? He saw some but he couldn't tell if they were wolves, men, moose, or something else. 'Hunting' for him amounted to blundering around in the forest, hoping a really big red dot showed up.
That didn't happen. But eventually, a big cluster of red dots popped up at the edge of his mini-map. He drew closer and found they were hugging a sm...
2024-01-06 17:30:37 +0000 UTC
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(2/2)
"All we know about what's inside comes from a few NorCal folk," Walter continued. "They were rich or lucky enough to have C-ranked escape portals on them. They got out. Well, the Faction Leaders, anyway. Those things only let one man through. They say the Bosses were so strong their whole teams got wiped."
The old man shrugged. "Who knows? Could be they just saved their own hides. Could be their people are still in there."
Zane took a sip of the tea. "How many teams we...
2024-01-06 02:52:36 +0000 UTC
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(1/2)
Before Zane left for the Abyssal Crater the next morning, Reina gave him a hug, buried her head in his chest, and sighed.
For a while she'd tried to be neutral toward him in public. She felt it was important to keep up appearances. But she'd come to the embarrassing realization recently that pretty much everyone already knew. People noticed her sneaking off to his rooms every night—including last night. And she was less discreet than she'd thought even in public. She'd ask...
2024-01-05 18:44:33 +0000 UTC
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It wasn't an intellectual thing. It was all feeling. And as the feeling left him, he lost the magic. He couldn't find it anymore—it wasn't a matter of trying. Like grasping at water running between his fingers.
He was relieved when one last notification popped up as his dream faded out.
Major Law comprehended!
Major Law of Pure Forging (Elemental Law of Steel)
***
Zane woke up breathless. He felt exhausted. He didn't even want ...
2024-01-05 01:14:30 +0000 UTC
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(2/2)
He drifted away almost instantly.
It was like he was in one room and stepped into another—a hazier room, less defined, more felt. But his mind still felt just as sharp. He felt awake. Unnaturally so, for a dream.
He was hoping to get through at least two Major Laws this session, one of Fire and one of Steel. Maybe a third Electric Law, if he could manage it. He'd give it his all.
First up, Fire. He could feel the three Law treasures out there, hovering near his...
2024-01-04 02:38:28 +0000 UTC
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(1/2)
The other Stormtalons fled, squawking loudly.
Zane licked his lips and bounded after them.
The neat thing was, he was kind of a tank. And not just because his body was woven with steel—which meant it was pretty useful when he hit stuff at high speed.
He was also a tank because he had a huge amount of essence. Enough essence for every single bird here.
He picked out his next target. It saw him coming and started up in shock. He leaped for it. It flickered ...
2024-01-03 18:02:45 +0000 UTC
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(2/2)
The instant Zane stepped out of the stairwell, they were on him.
Stormtalon (Monster)
Essence Level 52
Laws:
Minor Law of Spark (Elemental Law of Electricity)
Key Skills:
Wing of Lightning (Active) [Uncommon]
Each beat of the wings spawns a lightning bolt, wounding and stunning the enemy.
They swooped in low, cawing,...
2024-01-03 01:55:53 +0000 UTC
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Eggs were most of it. Giant eggs speckled with black dots, glowing with a creamy inner light. He inspected them.
Galefeather Raven Eggs (C)
These eggs contain the Natal essence of the Galefeather Raven, King of the gale-crows. Exceptionally rich. If left untouched, this egg will spawn a new Boss.
That was one of the least pleasant Boss fights Zane could remember having. He was definitely leaving these touched.
He'd been hurt far worse ...
2024-01-02 17:42:23 +0000 UTC
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