Hiveling Behemoth. Level 17.
The ant was ten times the size of its brethren and towered over the small group of humans as it approached, surrounded by its smaller counterparts. Mateo rushed to face it, but even his impressive speed was no match for Penny's spells.
Hold the spark, maintain the flow!
Let the thunder ever-glow!
Fry this ant from head to toe!
Lightning crackled in her cupped hands, t...
2025-12-26 19:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe group turned to him.
"What do you mean, wrong?" Penny asked.
"The storms are coming from different directions. They might still be from the Queen, but she's not over there," he said, pointing in the direction they'd been going. "Or there," he continued, pointing left, "or there," pointing from where they'd come."
Lucy shifted her weight from left to right, shaking her head. "Where, then?"
Luke nodded to the ground. "From there."
Hannah groaned. "Yeah. They're...
2025-12-25 19:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post“The queen,” Lucy said after they had been walking for a short while.
“What about it?” Luke asked.
“Ant queen.”
Luke hadn’t made that connection. “Yeah. You’re probably right. That means a whole lot of those Hivelings between us and the boss.”
“A colony of ants can have millions of ants,” Penny said helpfully.
Mateo’s gaze shifted as he scanned the sand stretching out before them. “Millions?”
“I’ve heard billions,” ...
2025-12-24 19:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post"A desert?" Penny groaned. "I don't even like the beach."
"Not many shadows around," Hannah noted.
Luke took a step forward and shielded his eyes against the sun as he looked out across the vast expanse of sand around them. "Not much of anything."
New Quest: End the Queen's reign of terror.
Reward: Neverending water.
"Queen of the desert, huh?" Liza asked. "Do you think it's Priscilla?"
Mateo brought his spear out from his ...
2025-12-23 19:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostA shower and a meal, and Luke was all but restored from his long workout session, except. Perhaps, for a bit of soreness. Just as he was about to message Dot to see about finding a place to make a dinner reservation, she contacted him.
Dot: "Luke, I apologize, but I can't make it tonight. Reschedule our date? I'm really sorry."
Luke sat on the bed and tossed a monster core to Smudge as he read over the message again and again. From that brief collection of words, ...
2025-12-22 19:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post"Can't you sleep in?" Luke asked, stretching his arms toward the ceiling, still in bed as Dot dressed.
She gave him a mischievous grin before pulling yesterday's dress over her head. "Some of us have to work for a living." As she buttoned the few buttons on the front, she gave him a wink. "Maybe I'll let you take me out for that date tonight instead."
"I'll wine and dine you, treat you like a proper lady. Don't you worry." He got up to sit. "Breakfast before you go, at least? A co...
2025-12-19 19:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostA realization hit as he sat there, feeling good about his skill picks and the decision to keep two points in reserve, in case a situation arose where he might need a specific skill.
Luke: "Shit, guys. Sorry. I sort of rendered myself unconscious. Am I too late for that beer?"
Priyah: "I'm home now. Nash is passed out on my floor. He drank a lot."
Sam: "Long-haired music man bad at drinking."
Savannah: "Nothing ...
2025-12-18 19:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostEight unallocated skill points remained, with quite a few more interesting skills to choose from. Before picking more skills, he would have wanted to test the new ones he'd chosen, but now that he was alone, that would've been more than a little difficult. Guardian Weave, he'd tested. The other ones required other people. Well, another portal would open up soon, he figured. That'd be a good testing ground. For now, Luke would do what he could on his own.
No, wait. He did have anot...
2025-12-17 19:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostThe empty space made their words and even steps echo against the stone walls and the high stone ceiling above. Trevor explained he'd initiate the collection of machines and systems items the Architects had cobbled together to create the first working human-made portal-creator. Starting out simple, a number flashed on a small screen mounted to an oval steel frame. Five.
"It's the approximate level of the monsters who'll be coming through," Trevor explained as he flipped a switch, and the...
2025-12-16 19:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post"Oh?" Dot said, turning her head sideways to look at him, a smile creeping onto her face. "You didn't come to give me another kiss?" The seriousness in Luke's expression made her blink and sit up. "What is it?"
He went over and sat opposite her in the chair the patients used. "Remember Leslie?"
Alan wasn't going to hold that over his head. With the authorities, sure, but not with Dot. Not with her. Luke told her. Rather than choose his words with care, he just came out with it. Th...
2025-12-15 19:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostThe apartment was silent, dark, and empty. Those biker-people hadn't been invisible. No wonder he hadn't been able to detect their presence, because they hadn't been there at all. They had teleported in and now they'd teleported out, dragging him with them.
It was a big place with a separate bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom with a tub, but it didn't look lived in. In leaving, he realized why it'd felt familiar. Two doors down was Dot's place. So, this was Luke's new apa...
2025-12-12 19:00:13 +0000 UTC View Post"Luke! Come in!" Alan said, his voice booming from behind his desk as he gestured to the people sitting in plush chairs in front of him. "This is the young man I told you about. I'm sure he'll be able to help you."
Luke approached and shook their hands, introducing himself before turning to Alan. "You wanted to see me?"
"Oh?" Alan said, with a confounded look on his face. "Oh, yes. Of course. Perhaps you could help my friends first? They'll make it worth your while."
Taking ...
2025-12-11 19:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostHey all!
Just wrote the final words for book two. At 94 chapters and 156k words, it is about as long as book one. Can't wait for you to find out how it ends. I'll be taking a break for the next couple of days now but the chapters are scheduled, so you won't miss out on any reading.
Happy Holidays in advance and I'll see you later!
// Oskar
2025-12-11 14:03:13 +0000 UTC View PostAfter saying goodbye to Liza and Monica, having parted on good terms, Luke entered the DIA headquarters. It wasn't just Monica's headaches and tattoos that were gone, but her scars as well. The women had mixed feelings about that, but they were grateful for the healing, at least.
Johanson waited right inside the door, and he ushered Luke to what amounted to a clean room, where they'd prepared a host of instruments, tests, and machines. Once cleared of any lasting radiation damage or act...
2025-12-10 19:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostThe ISG man stood and brushed off his suit and adjusted his tie. "Thank you for having your pet unhand me. Viola informed you of the marauding criminal element who found your apartment earlier, did she not?"
"She did."
"We did not expect a second attempt, and so we had a momentary lapse in our surveillance."
"Same group?" Luke asked.
The man scoffed at this. "Hardly."
Luke frowned.
"There are numerous entities after you, Mr. Quinn. With your antics being in...
2025-12-09 22:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostLuke had to sit down. "95 attribute points? 19 skill points? Holy shit."
Then he frowned. Did the math check out? Counting, he didn't think it did. He must've looked... Interesting sitting there on that bench, slack-jawed with his fingers in the air, as if writing on an invisible whiteboard.
"No, wait."
In checking the many messages, he found the one he was looking for.
Quest complete: You have defended against the undead scourge.
R...
2025-12-09 12:43:53 +0000 UTC View PostMessed up a bit with the chapters, sorry. I've gone through them and made sure its the right text to the right number now. Went ahead and released a chapter or two extra for you inconvenience!
// Oskar
2025-12-06 07:50:27 +0000 UTC View PostBefore entering the hotel, Luke made sure every speck of radiation in his body was taken care of. The front of the building was inviting, with large windows at the bottom and pillars rising along the front wall, pink and white lights shining from below to provide an ambiance.
Cars drove by behind him, and judging by the number of people out, it had to be quite late. Remembering he'd stashed his phone in his inventory before entering the dungeon, Luke brought it out. 2 AM. No wonde...
2025-12-06 07:49:04 +0000 UTC View PostRecovery was a grueling process. Despite the influx of mana from all those people willing to help, stopping the inner Chernobyl that was his body from degenerating into mush and cancer soup made Luke long for sweet release. Having come this far, there was no way he'd take that step, of course. After this, what could make him lose heart? Nothing, that's what.
There were things to do, a lot of things, but first, they needed to get the hell out.
Dungeon closing in 18 minutes....
2025-12-06 07:48:28 +0000 UTC View PostLuke slammed the Tempered Staff straight into Leslie's fucking face. It caved in with a horrific crunch and a shower of blood.
Leslie fell.
Weaver's Perception told Luke he'd lost consciousness.
With that mangled mess that could no longer be called a face, there was no way the Solarian could continue fighting. Even as he fell out of reach, tumbling away in the air, Luke let out a curse. The bastard still lived. His life was nothing more than a frayed thread. There was ...
2025-12-06 07:48:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe flashing brightness allowed the dragon to wrest control back for a moment while Luke struggled to hold on to consciousness. Once he'd found the way back to his own senses, though, he took control back again. It was far easier this time. With the monster's mana channels not having returned to their normal paths, perhaps the monster just wasn't as strong, Luke mused.
Something or someone shouted at him. He blinked and realized the dragon was in free fall, hurtling toward the ground. 2025-12-05 19:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Luke cut into Leslie without hesitation. He'd come this far, and if he let go now, he might never get the chance again. The thread in the Solarian's brain disintegrated, as did the ones in the heart and meta-heart, forced out by Leslie denying them despite Luke's best effort to keep the threads intact.
One thread stuck around long enough to do actual damage. The femoral artery spewed blood as fire lashed out at Luke, burning another hole in the beautiful cloak he'd looted off a Skeletal...
2025-12-04 19:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post"Someone burned me right up with a beam of fire almost as soon as I spawned into the dungeon."
Even in that moment of utter confusion and fear, Dot's words rang through Luke's skull when the flying Integrated appeared. Thin, pale, with a face full of acne scars, the Solarian was covered in sweat.
Integrated Leslie. Solarian. Level 26.
This was him. The bastard who'd hurt his friend and, judging by his level, had continued hurting others even outside the Tuto...
2025-12-03 19:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostWith a whole lot more willpower and focus than last time, Luke managed to force a little more time from the spell carrying him through the air. As he hurtled toward the dragon at incredible speed, but unable to make minor adjustments, the effect lessened, and what had been effortless before grew clumsy and forced, like he carried an impossible weight on his back. High up in the air, he didn't have much of a choice. Catch The Dread Dragon Naxaramus or fall to his death.
The gap between t...
2025-12-02 19:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe Archfiend did not run. Luke reached the monster and saw the dragon pulling away below them. Unsure how long the flying spell would hold, he needed to end this right away. In the distance, the smaller dragons approached as well, Integrated chasing after.
As soon as Luke reached it, he grabbed hold with Threads of Mana as he plunged a thread into the monster again. This time, he wouldn't let the bastard push him back. Rather than meet resistance inside, the Archfiend reached down and ...
2025-12-01 19:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostWaving his arms in the air, Luke struggled to right himself as his feet lifted off the ground. The wind still screamed in his ears, but something about the spell the mages had just wrapped around him and Hannah made it so they resisted being pulled away on that invisible, but powerful, current.
Hannah: "You're not a bird, Luke."
"What do you mean?" he shouted at the top of his lungs, then felt stupid.
Luke: "What do you mean?"
...
2025-11-28 19:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostHannah finding a robe for herself was a stroke of luck, because running through a horde of undead monsters to reach the breach in the wall would have been impossible without both of them being obscured. The magic cloth didn't work on all monsters, of course, but with enough speed and tenacity, the two of them made it through to the other side after climbing over rubble, dead monsters, unmentionable substances, and the odd human.
Emerging on the other side, they soon found themselves fac...
2025-11-27 19:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostYou want to travel to its shadow?" Hannah asked, with a look of amazement on her face. "Are you stupid? Sorry, that was harsh. Let me rephrase that. Are you really, really dumb?"
OK, maybe it wasn't amazement, but astonishment, and not the good kind.
"You don't think it'll work?" Luke asked.
"You know how shadows work, right?"
"Of course."
"And where would the dragon's shadow be?"
Luke narrowed his eyes and then sighed. "On the ground."
"There you go....
2025-11-26 19:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
I've been getting into drawing and animation lately as a fun hobby. Made this today. It's when Luke uses Threads of Mana to go into someone's physical body, then shifts to the metaphysical plane and severs the main mana channel, stealing the (in this case) meta-heart.
// Oskar
2025-11-26 14:23:20 +0000 UTC View Post