Luke glared up at the helicopter circling overhead. "I’m not waving at the helicopter," he muttered.
Luke: "You have a division or department or whatever, trying to figure out what's happening with the integration and us Integrated, don’t you?"
Johanson: "We do."
Luke: "Have you found anything about why portals open up? Why do things happen in the places they happen?"
Johanson: "The going theory is that they ...
2025-10-31 19:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostAn ear-splitting cry rose from its throat, forcing Luke to bring his hands up to cover his ears, or risk losing his hearing. Glass windows shattered everywhere, in cars, in buildings. The cry kept going, louder than Luke thought possible, and in his effort to keep focus, he failed, losing the threads of mana anchoring him to its leg.
Even with the monster crouched and half-lying on its side over a broken building, it was quite a fall. Before becoming Integrated and adding to his physica...
2025-10-30 19:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostA lot of people just stood there, staring at the monster in the distance as if dazed. Just because inspect worked on the Lizard King didn’t mean it worked on people. Luke couldn’t tell who was Integrated and who wasn’t as he hurried to catch up with Curtis. His shouting drew some attention, but most only gave him a fearful glance before fleeing in the opposite direction.
Thinking he couldn’t tell Integrated from non-Integrated was a mistake, he realized. It was simple enough for...
2025-10-29 19:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostHe felt danger coming from Relian, even at this distance. It wasn’t safe, but the Fallen Shepherd did not follow. Either he could not, or didn't care to. Once Luke realized Relian wasn't coming for him, he breathed a little easier and continued his search. This time, he quested outward for Hannah, startled when he found her right next to them.
Luke opened his eyes and looked right where he’d felt her presence, and saw a small shadow cast in the dirty corner of the mall food court. H...
2025-10-28 19:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostAfter reporting what they'd been talking about to Johanson, and what'd happened in the dungeon with the Integrated from another system, but leaving out the egg, Luke returned to his list of skills. He was a healer, yet the system had given him so many options that could cause harm. Again, he dismissed the harmful ones. If he wanted to hurt someone, Threads of Mana and Needle of Life were more than adequate.
That left Strengthen Thread, Heartthread, and Weaver's Boon. The first and last ...
2025-10-27 19:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post"Why aren’t you helping him?" Luke asked, gesturing to the blue-banded goblin.
Around them, still more goblins fought for survival. The red-banded ones were outnumbered and wouldn’t be standing much longer.
"This one," Hiroki said, indicating the Goblin Leader wearing a blue armband, "became agitated when we tried to help it."
The three of them watched the fight as the Goblin Leader, the one they’d made a deal with, came out on top, slashing a deep wound across the red...
2025-10-24 18:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostLuke stumbled forward, chest heaving, almost collapsing.
“Luke!” Curtis shouted from the ground. “Check the others! I’m fine!”
He wasn’t fine. Curtis's body was riddled with injuries, but none were fatal in the short term. Being able to stay alive for a few hours without help was enough.
Luke raced back to the others, ignoring the still-fighting goblins, and scaled another ladder. Hiroki sat slumped against the wall, eyes wide, staring at the platform ahead. Hann...
2025-10-23 10:00:11 +0000 UTC View PostHey everyone,
Just wanted to drop in to say I’ve just signed with Aethon Books for a three book deal with Lifeweaver. I’m beyond excited!
The story will continue here and on RR uninterrupted.
Take care,
Oskar
2025-10-22 19:14:28 +0000 UTC View PostHiroki, farther down the parapet, was flagging. Luke rushed to help, seeing Hannah holding her own again, though it was unclear if her consciousness had returned. A goblin appeared out of nowhere, blocking Luke's path in the chaos of the encampment, stabbing forward. Luke pulled back with a grunt of pain, pierced through the side of his leg. Not wasting any time, he killed the goblin with Needle of Life, healing himself and grimacing as his mana dipped low. More goblins approached in a tight ...
2025-10-22 18:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostLuke studied the spellweave anchoring the barrier, but his threads couldn’t reach through. The spell was woven on the other side. Hannah’s shadows probed and slithered as well, even reaching around, but the barrier was a perfect circle.
Below, goblins clashed in brutal chaos. They weren’t skilled. Every attack left them wide open, with no defense at all, and it turned the battlefield into a meat grinder. Luke’s attention snapped upward when a fresh shaft of light speared down fr...
2025-10-21 10:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post"I agree with Curtis," Hannah said, her voice low and monotone. "They need to pay."
Hiroki cleared his throat. "The revelation that there are other integrated systems on a similar course as ours leaves many questions to be answered," he said, weighing his words.
"Like?" Luke prompted, glancing at the approaching army moving at a worrying speed.
"Will it create some kind of incident if we kill them? Will our systems meet in the future? Will it set a bad precedent if we kill t...
2025-10-20 18:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post"It is good to trust," Hiroki said. "But only a fool trusts without verifying."
"The quest literally says to trust this guy," Luke countered.
"To make a deal with it," Curtis said. "It doesn’t say how that has to end. Or that we have to honor it."
"So we should lie?" Luke asked, not liking the sound of it.
"The dungeon’s too low-level," Curtis said. "I don’t care what we do. Just pick an option and let’s move."
Hiroki shrugged. "I’m fine with eith...
2025-10-17 18:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostHe needn’t have worried.
Curtis was pissed, shouting obscenities and swinging his massive sword in wide arcs. Darkness splashed from the blade, killing every goblin touched by the substance. Daggers jutted from his shoulders, arms, and even his legs, and his health had dropped to around 76%. None of it seemed to bother the Reaver.
Lashing out with spears of shadows, Hannah moved through the monsters on light feet, jumping away from attacks and killing without taking a single hit...
2025-10-16 18:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostLuke: "Fine, we'll help with the dungeon. Just let me know when you spot Relian again. Next time, I want to be there."
Luke: "And one more thing, have you set up a place and found people to heal?"
Johanson: "There are some legal issues on that front, I'm afraid. Will you even have time for that?"
Luke: "I might not, but my friend will."
Johanson: "You have made contact with Dr. Marlene? We have...
2025-10-15 18:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostShe hesitated a little, then shook her head, cheeks reddening. "I... Not in pain. Well, was hoping to practice a little since we’re just driving."
"Practice?"
She mimicked slicing her arm up and then stitching it closed again.
"Oh," he said, taken aback. "Oh. That's a good idea, actually. I should've thought of that."
Dot beamed. "Really?"
"Hell yeah," he said.
"Please do not get blood on the seats," Hiroki pleaded from the passenger's seat. "This was my ...
2025-10-14 18:00:12 +0000 UTC View PostDot raised an eyebrow. "Scrubs Champion, you say?"
"Three times national champion," Luke countered.
Curtis gave him a look that conveyed just what he thought of Luke's theatrics, but he didn't have time to say anything before the woman who owned the place, who'd been standing by the kitchen counter, let out a loud, demonstrative sigh and spoke in a life-weary voice. "Check out is in 30 minutes."
That got them going, and all five shoveled oatmeal into their mouths, cleaning o...
2025-10-13 18:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostINTEGRATED ACROSS COUNTRY REFUSE TO ENTER PORTALS - COWARDICE OR PRUDENCE?
DUNGEON BREAK PREVENTED IN MAJOR US CITY
MONSTER CORE POWERED CAR IN NEAR FUTURE?
Curtis eased up on the gas. "Fine. I'll try not crashing your car."
"Relian has probably left Fort Wayne already," Luke said. "We’ll see what's what when we get there."
They drove in silence for an hour or so. During this time, Luke pushed himself, focusing...
2025-10-10 18:00:11 +0000 UTC View PostHannah's talk of the Deep Dweller singing to her in her sleep was a terrifying thought, and with questions about Mia surfacing that very same day, Luke didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. If something was wrong, it was better to have more people with you.
Curtis slid down in his seat and closed his eyes once they'd parked the car. "Call me if there's fighting."
Hiroki gave him a long look, but Luke just shook his head. "Leave him."
They rounded the building after resi...
2025-10-09 18:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostIt was the first time he'd gained wisdom through his boon, and Luke couldn't help but think Dot had something to do with that. Teaching her made him wise, maybe? Something to consider.
Lilly checked in a few times and interviewed them once they were done for the day. From the look on her face, she wasn't too happy about their brief answers, but judging by the numbers she showed them, detailing her views over the course of the time they'd spent healing, that woman shouldn't have been com...
2025-10-08 18:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post"We can do that?" Dot asked, her eyes widening. "Deal with the pain? It was really bad when I tried fixing myself."
"You'll need a few more ranks in Weaver's Eye and Threads of Mana, but yeah, we can. See if you can follow this."
With Dot closing her eyes in concentration, Luke followed her example and began. Moving at a slow, deliberate pace, he dealt with the nerve bundles. One by one, they went dark, and when he opened his eyes a crack to peek at Dot, he caught her shaking her ...
2025-10-07 18:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostLilly looked at Luke and Dot, as if weighing this new information. "So, there are two of you now? Or are there more?"
Luke glanced to Dot, then back, and shook his head. "It's just the two of us."
"You dating or something?" Lilly asked, a small, calculating grin on her face.
"Eep!" Dot squeaked, bringing up her hands to cover her mouth as her pale, freckled cheeks grew red.
"No, we're not," Luke said. "She's my student. Sort of."
"Professor Quinn," Lilly said, wr...
2025-10-06 18:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostLuke kept running for a while, thinking Hannah would elaborate. When she didn't, he did his best to coax more information out of her.
Luke: "Are you saying you dream of what happened down there?"
After a long moment of silence, she gave a reply.
Hannah: "That is not what I'm saying."
Luke: "What then?"
Hannah: "That dungeon is still there. It wasn't created for us to explore. It was a real place with real...
2025-10-03 18:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostWith the decision to go after Relian himself and bringing people with him, as well as not having Mateo come, Luke considered other options as they drove, the car having settled into a comfortable silence. A few names sprang to mind right away. Curtis the grump was high on that list, as was Hannah if he could get a hold of her. Penny was out of the question, as he wasn't going to take a high schooler out of school and over state lines. While he didn't think it was illegal, it wouldn't be a goo...
2025-10-02 18:00:21 +0000 UTC View PostAs all Integrated hurried to get out of the dungeon before it closed, Luke reached out to Johanson using the communication gem in his inventory.
Luke: “Johanson! You found Relian? Since when do you have a gem?”
Johanson: “Restructuring in DIA after a lot of people weren’t comfortable continuing their employment after recent events. And yes, we have located him.”
Luke: “How?”
Johanson: “Your tip ...
2025-10-01 18:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostThe wounded mages would be fine after Luke tended to them, but Curtis and Blanchett were having trouble with the Patriarch. From the start, they were supposed to be a stalling measure until the damage-dealers were done with their task of killing the Beebler support creatures. Darkness dripped from Curtis and his blade, and was forming a cloak that had now reached the middle of his back.
While the Patriarch hadn't showcased many skills so far, the boss made up for it with sheer speed and...
2025-09-30 18:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostRay and Luke walked side-by-side, falling behind a little as the group of perhaps fifteen Integrated made their way back toward the boss area.
"I didn't want to ask in front of the others, but what's up with that patch?" Ray asked, pointing to Luke's chest. "You a spook now?"
Luke tried to remember what Johanson had called it. "Temporary representative, or something."
"What's that?"
"I'm not sure," Luke said with a shrug, trying to concentrate on Weaver's Eye in case a...
2025-09-29 18:00:10 +0000 UTC View PostThe Beebler's thrust showed what this fight was, one to the death. It shot straight for Luke's heart, and the suddenness of it was a surprise. If not for the bo training still fresh in his limbs and hips, things might've taken a turn for the worse. Bringing the staff out of his inventory, Luke managed to get it between him and the monster before it was too late, then shifted his legs and pushed. With one smooth movement, the Beebler's thrust continued past him. If the monster had been on legs...
2025-09-26 18:00:10 +0000 UTC View PostLuke's fears of always arriving in places covered in sweat weren't improving as he ran from bojutsu training toward the portal. It was quite far, so after a good twenty minutes of running, a long line of e-scooters looked enticing. Rushing down the street with the wind in his hair without having to exert himself was a marked improvement, even if it meant not getting closer to the +1 Endurance Boon of Potential would eventually grant him. A little cheating was fine sometimes, as a treat.
Hiroki's staff blurred, and pain shot up Luke's hands and arms. His quarterstaff thudded to the mat, and Luke worked his fingers. "Ow."
"Again," Hiroki said, raising his staff.
They went again. And again. And again.
"So," Luke began. "I'm not very good."
He'd lost the staff on the first strike each time. Not a good showing.
"Humility is an excellent quality in all martial arts," Hiroki said, bending over to grab Luke's staff off the floor, before handing it over....
2025-09-24 18:00:12 +0000 UTC View PostRather than head to the hospital straight away, Luke went home first to shower and change clothes. He'd shown up at different places a few too many times covered in sweat at this point, and didn't want to become known as the stinky healer. With Ray back, the risk of running into new nicknames was on the rise.
Heading into the hospital near his apartment, where he'd met Tim again, years after not completing medical school, was an experience. Not a good experience. Every doctor and ...
2025-09-23 18:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post