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jmclarke

jmclarke

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Chapter 868: Trying to Reach the Ravener

Before I answer your questions, I must ask one of my own,” the Ravener started. “How did the Mark of the Fool become the Mark of the General once more? What did you do? The creator desired for that Hero to be eliminated. They were too arrogant. They did not know their role. Generals became Fools in Uldar’s divine plan, and so they were given a more appropriate name and role.”

Alex felt its attention crawling over him. 

To revert the Fool ba...

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Chapter 867: A Meeting a Long Time in the Making

The surprise attack had failed.

Even with what should have been the element of surprise and superior numbers, its mighty Ravener-spawn were dead, killed by traitors and outlanders.  Very quickly. It could detect no casualties among the mortals…and they were still coming at full speed.

They would reach it in minutes.

It turned its attention to the many tunnels leading to its chamber. 

Its army was on the way to the cavern…but not quickly enough. Most were ...

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Chapter 866: An Old Miracle

“What is it?” Thundar raised his weapon. “What’s coming?”

The party readied themselves for battle, all watching the ceiling.

Was it Alex’s imagination, or was there more stone dust falling all of a sudden?

“Hold on.” Prince Khalik went to the nearest wall, closing his eyes and pressing his hands to the stone. With a twitch of his muscles, he cast a spell. “I am sensing the earth shifting, and tremors around us…yes, Ravener-spawn are tunnelling from above!...

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Chapter 865: Bjorgrund's Simple Genius

The Ravener floated in its chamber, its power increasing.

The creator’s divine energy was flowing in faster. What had slowed to a trickle was now a stream, a rising unbroken stream.

Soon, reining in its power would no longer be necessary.

Soon.

But for now, its focus must be on the Usurpers, Heroes and other mortals that had breached its lair. It could feel the enemy in that tunnel. It could feel the violence they’d brought to its mighty petrifiers.

It could ...

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Chapter 864: Once More, Red Eyes in the Dark

Alexander Roth, General of Thameland, couldn’t help but feel a familiar unease creeping inside.

Walking through the earthen tunnels being carved by his earth elementals, he remembered the journey from Alric with Theresa, Selina and Brutus, when they’d first entered the Cave of the Traveller. 

Then, he was a lowly baker’s assistant with a single magical spell to his name, and the Mark of the Fool newly branded on his shoulder. One magical light from a crimson forceball h...

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Chapter 863: No One Wants Plan B

“I’ve used probably about half of my mana stores, but the regeneration technique is recovering them quickly,” Prince Khalik said. On his shoulder, Najyah’s neck swivelled, her eyes appraising their surroundings with their cold, predatory gaze.

“I’ve got over three quarters right now.” Thundar stretched his back and neck.

“And I have just about three quarters as well,” Isolde added, looking at the prince. “It makes sense for you to have used more power than we d...

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Chapter 862: One Rather Important Thing

With all haste, the Ravener had changed the confines of its dungeon.

At the farthest reaches of its tunnels, an ocean of water had poured into its lair, drowning Ravener-spawn as it surged. The construct was forced to give its full attention to sealing the passages before the bulk of its army drowned.

And at last, after many tense minutes—and more energy expended than it would have wanted—the last of the tunnels were altered, sealed in stone, and reinforced against the hungry ...

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Chapter 861: Combination Magic

There were ambushes.

And then there were ambushes.

This one was the latter.

The earth exploded below Alex, unleashing clouds of stone, soil and dust like a bomb. Massive tunnels gaped open in the wilderness, belching out hundreds of Ravener-spawn.

The creatures roared, snarling at the young archwizard…and his small army of summoned monsters.

Hive-queens, behemoths, hives-as-one, rampart-crushers, blood-hydras made up the bulk of their numbers, but thei...

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Chapter 860: A Land on Fire

Luthering was on fire. Thameish blood flowed between burning buildings as monsters stalked from structure to structure, feasting on soldiers caught by claws, flames, and fangs, preventing their escape.

“How did it come to this…” Sir Sean Swift whispered.

The battle had started without warning.

The evening had been like any other, at first. 

Soldiers were in the chapel, receiving blessings and hearing benedictions from their priests. Sup...

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Chapter 859: Maddening Shrieks

The power trickled in, helping…immensely.

Deep within the Ravener’s cavern, Uldar’s construct drank deeply of the energy that Lord Aenflynn had provided. Its flagging stores of strength began rising again, allowing it to make adjustments within itself.

Thank you,” the Ravener said. “Thank you for a taste of the creator’s power. Your aid will always be remembered.”

‘My pleasure,’ Lord Aenflynn answered. ‘Just hurry, this conflict I am ...

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Chapter 858: Meteor

Alex had no idea how long they’d been travelling across Och Fir Nog. 

Many minutes, but probably less than an hour.

They passed marching and spawning Ravener-spawn, new births slowed by his magic starving the Ravener of fear. For now. At least, for now. 

As they flew onward, the fleshy dungeons fell away, leaving only remote fae villages, the land growing wilder. The trees were taller. The meadows were filled with thorny bushes.

The light seemed dimmer, som...

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Chapter 857: A Path that Ages You

And the wind rose when he called upon it.” Merzhin’s voice echoed through the sky.

Uldar’s divine power flowed through his soul.

Ahead of him, the other Heroes fought Ravener-spawn in a sky filled with the monsters.

Blood-draks and blood-hydras.

Spear-flies and hives-as-one.

All swarmed around them.

All screaming for the Heroes’ blood.

But the Heroes weren’t about to oblige them.

On Merzhin’s left, Hart Redfletcher b...

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Chapter 856: Clash

“What is it?” Alex hissed, watching the two mighty beings in the sky, staring each other down.

“Patience, I am making sure, archwizard,” the engeli said. “There is so much divinity in the air that I could err if I am not careful.”

“Alright, but—” Alex started.

The Fae lord’s words interrupted him.

 “Think of it. You seem to have power and wisdom,” Aenflynn said.  “The young mortals spurned my offer, but I am a generous ...

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Chapter 855: Courage

The Ravener rippled with power.

Dungeon cores, by the number, swarmed from its black surface and into the waiting claws of its Ravener-spawn. The creatures darted away, taking the orbs from the lair and through the tunnels, transporting them so new dungeons could be built near their ally’s gates, or carried to the material world where they could make dungeons in Thameland.

The feeling it was having was invigorating. How many thousands of years had passed since it had revelled in...

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Chapter 854: 'Walk Away'

“How can you wield Uldar’s power?” Merzhin demanded. “It’s…not yours! And you’re no priest!”

“Many energies can be manipulated if you know the right tricks and know the energy well enough.” Aenflynn’s earthen projection smiled at the Saint. “And I know the tricks, and became acquainted with Uldar’s energy during the thousands of years he stood at my side, ruling Thameland as I ruled Och Fir Nog. It did not take me long to truly become acquainted with t...

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Chapter 853: What Being Did I Annoy?

Gwyllain, the asrai, sincerely wondered what great and powerful being he had managed to annoy.

He couldn’t remember angering any fae lord, ancient dragon, mighty witch or irritable godling, but he must have, at some point.

Otherwise, there was no way his luck could be this bad.

No way.

In a time span that was a mere blink of an eye to a fae, he’d been captured and nearly eaten by a blue annis hag, almost killed by three of those hags and a horde of Ra...

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Chapter 852: The Enemies of Och Fir Nog

“I swear, I’s gonna rip Aenflynn in half m’self.” Cedric threatened beneath his breath. He was standing in the laboratory with the rest of the team, watching as the anti-dungeon warping device was loaded onto a floating platform. “I’ll choke th’life from ‘im.”

“You can’t,” Alex warned, finishing up the loading of the anti-Ravener venom and injection devices onto the platform. “You’re bound by your pact with him: same as Drestra and Hart. Leave the strangling ...

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Webtoon Preview 1

Hehehehehe, I'm so excited. These are four random images from the upcoming webtoon.

Just a little taste :)

Can't wait until y'all can see the rest!

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Chapter 851: "That's What Progress Looks Like"

“Acid!” Watcher Hill shouted, raising her staff. “Get those walls of force up!”

Ahead, a devastating river of death spread across the land with full force, crossing thousands of feet in seconds.

“Activate defensive glyphs!” Professor Jules shouted.

Watchers chanted, levelling their staves toward the wall.

Glyphs flared to life on the rampart.

A wall of prismatic force sprang up around the Castle, stretching hundreds of feet through the air.

“S...

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Chapter 850: Fighting for Home

Alex had not laid eyes on Alric in three years.

Three years, since he’d last seen his childhood home. Now, he was finally back, and it was under siege. Thameish soldiers stood on the town’s walls, desperately firing arrows and crossbow bolts. 

Endless enemies swarmed around them.

From the west, came a sea of bone-chargers and behemoths.

From the east, an ocean of chitterers and gibbering legions.

They all wanted mortal blood.

Alex wou...

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Chapter 849: The General's Wrath

Where there was once an unassuming hole in the side of a hill in the Coille Forest, a small fortress of wood, earth and stone, now stood. 

More than three hundred yards of vegetation had been cleared from the mouth of the Cave of the Traveller, and an intimidating log wall stretched around the hill. A trench—lined with rows of wooden stakes sharp enough to pierce Ravener-spawn lay in front of it. 

Two watchtowers soared above either side of the rampart’s solid gates,...

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Chapter 848: Mk. III

Alex Roth and his business partner materialised in Shale’s garden, and hit the ground running.

“They’re already at the capital?” Toraka asked, passing fruit trees and rose bushes swaying in the low, night wind. 

“They’re everywhere,” Alex ran by iron golems standing silently around the garden, their heads swivelling, scanning for intruders. Their gazes paused on the two crafters for a moment, but quickly returned to their vigil. “They’re all ov...

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Mark of the Fool 7 launches in ebook and paperback!

Hey hey everybody!



IT'S TIME TO DUEL-I MEAN BOOK 7! It’s time for book 7!


Book 7 launching on amazon! Thank you for sticking with me for this long.


So before I give the link for book 7, I want to say a couple of things. I’m STILL working on Oaths, Blood and Coin 2 and we’re prepping #1 for launch. Also book 6 of Fool is with Travis, and ready to be recorded when he has room in his schedule


Alrighty, then book 7! Now ready for Amazon! As always...

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Chapter 847: Army of Heroes

What remained of Errol’s corpse fell to the parapet.

His bottom half dropped.

The top half was gone.

But as horrified as King Athelstan was, he had no time to mourn.

He barely had time to throw himself to the ground as blasts of air ripped through stone all around them. Jagged rock, as sharp as spears, pierced defending soldiers and knights, stopping them where they stood. Fine armour soon resembled mesh. 

The ground shook.

Ravener-spawn roared.

<...

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Chapter 846: A City on Fire

King Athelstan startled awake.

The odour of burning wood and flesh assaulted his nose.

Light flickered through the bedchamber shutters and screams echoed outside.

Someone pounded on his door.

“My king! We are under attack!” a frantic voice called. “Ravener-spawn, of a sort we’ve never seen before! The city burns, monsters roam the streets!”

“By Uld—” The king began to swear, throwing off the bedcovers. “By the Traveller,” he corrected himself....

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Chapter 845: Wording and Pacts

The Ravener was in the fae wild.

It was a theory.

Only a theory.

But, if it was true? Much could now be explained. 

Weeks spent searching Thameland—every river, hill, mountain, forest and glen they could find—had turned up nothing. No Ravener. No sign of Uldar’s body. No sign of his throne.

 But what if the Ravener had never been in the Material World in Thameland?

They could have searched for a thousand years and never found i...

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Chapter 844: The Trail of Doom

Months.

Months spent priming its oldest inner pathways. 

Months spent in contemplation.

Months spent crafting not one, but three Skyfire Swarms.

…and all three had been defeated in mere minutes.

Impossible. Impossible. Impossible,” the Ravener whispered.

Its spawn looked up at their master, confused.

Go. Bring me a petrifier. One closest to that battle,” the Ravener said. “We must know w...

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Chapter 843: Skyfire

The west was growing brighter as trees swayed in the hot wind.

Screeching birds fled the woods; and below them, beasts scattered, rushing through the Fields of Cormac, crying out in fear.

The smell of smoke was stronger, and in the distance, clouds evaporated.

“By the Traveller,” Theresa whispered, turning and quickly kissing Alex. Desperately.

The huntress pulled away, taking his face in her hands, locking their eyes. “Be careful.”  

<...

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Chapter 842: The Unnatural Banishing of Night

Evening brightened.

And with each passing heartbeat, the war-spirit’s expression turned more vicious. 

Her words played through Alex’s mind.

‘Great violence is coming.’

“What do you mean?” he asked.

A crowd was gathering; Thameish soldiers, priests and knights, drawn by the strange light, emerged from nearby buildings, joining those in the square.

“Hey, hey, Alex!” the General of Thameland heard a familiar voice.

Tyris Go...

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Chapter 841: Streams

Night was falling.

Across the Fields of Cormac, pyres were dying. Flame had given way to embers, ash and the blackened remains of Ravener-spawn. The soldiers’ clean-up was done, but they had paused on their journey to Welling for the night, pointing at a gathering in the middle of the field.

They recognised many of the Thameish army’s most powerful allies—Theresa, Thundar, Khalik, Najyah, Isolde, Brutus, Bjorgrund, Birger, and Claygon—surrounding the ...

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