DefianceNovels

Chapter 1,241.

The cultist captain had conjured an enormous domain resembling a gladiatorial ring made from flesh. It emitted the unmistakable weight of an Inner World, giving it a weight and power no Hegemon could emulate. It wasn't at the level of the real thing, not even a frontier Monarch's, but it was far beyond what Zac had personally experienced when sparring with Pavina.

Countless beasts poured from a dozen portals lining the coliseum. Zac initially thought them part of a skill because of thei...

Chapter 1,240.

The unforgiving divinity of Arcadia shone with golden splendor, creating a pocket of light in the darkness of [Eye of Desolation]. The axe of [Judgment of Arcadia] could barely be called a blade since being upgraded to D-grade, nor were there any signs of the wooden hand from before. Instead, the huge gash in the sky had become the actual attack. When the light descended, so did the judgment.

The large suppressive magic circle was also gone, though...

Chapter 1,239.

Seeing his companion die in seconds did nothing to make the Black Heart Cultist back down, though his expression indicated his fighting spirit was fueled by more than bloodlust or survival. The pugilist seemed aware of Zac having a seal. Possibly even his Flamebearer status by the almost deranged hunger in his eyes.

His desire was perhaps the most shocking part of the situation, even if it worked in Zac's favor. The spatial cage was gradually crumbling with its creator dead, and the wor...

Chapter 1,238.

Evo Ponson inwardly cursed at his bastard of commander as another crack appeared on his soul. He'd been forced to toil like a dog for weeks because these haughty tyrants wouldn't heed his warnings. They thought themselves above the dangers of the graveyard because of the creature they'd brought and the grandeur of their background. Foolish. He was the one who'd spent over eight in this treacherous environment.

No one was above it, not even the Pope.

Had they just listened when he ...

Schedule Update Notice.

First thing's first. I have to cancel today's chapter. There has been too much IRL stuff taking away time from writing lately, and getting sick last week made a bad situation impossible. I'm also moving next week and literally need to get my house in order.

I realize there have been an increasing number of these posts these last couple of months. Part of the reason is health related. Some of it comes from the story having grown more complex and thus harder to write, and there's the upco...

Chapter 1,237.

A powerful, opalescent beam painted the bridge in hues of deadly beauty. The blast carried tremendous force, blowing away the isolating shroud as it rushed toward its distant target. The engines needed another 40 minutes before they could be deployed, so Zac had opted to creep closer to their target while hidden by the Yphelion's shroud, hoping it would catch their prey unaware.

They'd even found a dense pocket of ambient energy to add to their disguise. Everything was perfect except th...

Chapter 1,236.

The Yphelion hurtled forward at full speed, only narrowly outpacing the explosion triggered by their forceful seal on space. Zac looked at the monitor displaying the position they'd just left.

Two streams of supercondensed energy poured in opposite directions like a miniature quasar. Even if the scales were smaller, the torrential streams already stretched thousands of miles and kept going. Thankfully, neither pointed in their direction. The billowing shockwave of unfettered energy was ...

Chapter 1,235.

Zac looked at the growing brood of larvae. By appearance alone, they were qualified to be called a beast tide. There were already hundreds the size of Beast Kings. Zac didn't see any signs of trouble, but Ibtep wouldn't be wrong. If he couldn't see it, then it was brewing beneath the surface.

"You should only cull the possessed ones who have fed to their limits or are lashing out," Ibtep added. "If they keep eating, ignore them. It takes time and effort to breed the small ones. I barely...

Chapter 1,234.

An exhausted group rushed through the crumbling spatial channel, ignoring the lacerations opening up across their body. Even Zac could feel the sting from the rotten viscera and swirls of resentment digging into the wounds, not to mention the others. The gate collapsed only moments after they emerged.

They were ready this time after a painful lesson from a few excursions. A standby crew erected a sturdy barrier that redirected the final burst of matter and energy that squeezed out of th...

Chapter 1,233.

"It'll be dangerous, and it might make powerful outsiders our enemies," Vilari said.

The entity seemed confident that the treasure could act like an imperial pardon, saving him from Heaven's pursuit. No ordinary treasure could accomplish that, so it was likely a supreme item like the one the Primo was forced to leave behind. And that wasn't even covering the dangers of the courts themselves. There was no way they would be empty palaces with the relics on open display.

There was no...

Chapter 1,232.

Zac first noticed that the Ypherlion's upgraded integration of Life and Death had gone much further than expected inside his cultivation chamber. It had triggered a hunch, but he didn't even get the chance to investigate before Galau approached him with the same idea. He'd been pouring over the Yphelion's schematics and blueprints when the eye appeared, and he'd seized successfully seized the final seal for himself.

Having the Yphelion in the back of his mind while awash with Ultom's cl...

Chapter 1,231.

An accelerated step to the side avoided Zac's slicing chop. His attack pursued without giving pause, but the much larger reaver was as slippery as an eel. He dodged again, disrupting Zac's tempo with a lightning-quick jab before resuming his oppressive siege. The heaviness of Kator's punches belied their speed, and their rhythmic thuds couldn't be fully absorbed by the reinforced steel walls.

Joanna followed every movement and every transformation of Dao from the sidelines, even if she ...

Chapter 1,230.

Zac didn't know what to think as he observed the Trove. Their lack of information was working against them. The Kan'Tanu had the graveyard on lockdown, and those they'd interrogated only knew surface information. Why an anomaly would look like this or how to deal with it was well outside that scope.

"It looks human," Ogras commented. "Big fella, too."

The eye did indeed look mostly human, except it was at least ten times larger than the Yphelion. It had seen better days. The white...

Delay notice.

It looks like I picked up a vacation bug. I should've known better than listening to the treacherous siren song of southern Spain. The Ibuprofen helps me write somewhat, but today's chapter will be delayed around 12-14 hours. Tomorrow's chapter will be posted Sat or Sunday depending how things look tomorrow.

I'm sorry about mucking about with the release schedule right after the easter break.

Chapter 1,229.

The intense friction between fire and ice generated a deep groan. It joined the gathering storm, and the clamor could be mistaken for the roars of the ancient masters who'd become part of the lamentable tapestry of the Imperial Graveyard. Iz paid it no heed as she observed the expanding spatial cracks and the frigid chill pouring out of them.

Kaltosa Lu had displayed a surprising ability to rally the forces of the ancient battlefield, infusing the resentment with purpose and Dao. The di...

Chapter 1,228.

"How is it?"

The bridge was full of activity, with a dozen people controlling the Yphelion's many systems. None among them emitted very strong auras, and most of his sealbearers stood to the side so as not to get in the way. Like himself, most of his direct subordinates specialized in battle. Unfortunately, few issues inside the Imperial Graveyard could be solved with a well-aimed cut.

"We're being squeezed between two major storm formations. The turbulence will only grow worse be...

Chapter 1,227.

A powerful jolt dragged Zac out of his deep slumber, followed by constant shakes and rumbles. Zac looked around for the threat with wild eyes, his groggy mind's initial reaction being a battle taking place inside the Yphelion. Activating his connection with the Yphelion confirmed neither Kator nor someone else was attacking the ship. It was simply turbulence so strong that the Yphelion's buffers couldn't fully absorb it.

Checking the time indicated he'd actually slept for the better par...

Chapter 1,226.

A/N: A small shoutout for my buddy Actus, one of the most prolific authors in the genre. Book one of biggest series, Return of the Runebound Professor, was released last week, and the audio dropped today!

After standing around in the afterlife for thousands of years, Noah is all out of patience. When the opportunity to steal a second chance at living arises, he doesn’t hesitate.

Reincarnated into the body of a dying magic school professor, Noah finds that h...