Apollos Thorne

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 22

The Training Center was a large expansive building closer to the center of the Staging Facility than the ring of merchant shops. Nathan arrived with Kyle early and rented the space six hours early. For basic rent, it would cost him 12,000 points a day. That didn’t include the extra equipment, pills, food, and toiletries. Pillows and blankets would also be provided, but rest would be rare and hard to come by. He’d even contacted Googee and she would send an attendant to set up shop for any...

Nether Feast - Chapter 12

After a few days, I left and headed to the closest seventh realm dungeon. Serena was contacting the academy she spoke of to get me a special admission. It wouldn’t take long, so I’d use the time I had wisely.

I traveled in the simple garb of a young adventurer. Even though my pants and tunic were high quality, I didn’t wear any armor or high-end gear, so I received little attention. Most of my time traveling wasn’t on the roads anyway. I couldn’t fly like some mages, but I did...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 21

After wrecking fifty of the things, Nathan began having problems finding them in good number, so he called it a day. Once he returned, he gave the system the parameters he wanted his videos edited with then watched them before letting it post them.

A part of him feared they might not gain any traction, but he hadn’t been gone more than two hours and already his highlight video had more than a million views. The video was updated with his after-training footage. Those that had already ...

Nether Feast - Chapter 11

“She thought I was a suitor, yes.” Serena asked as she led me by the arm down and out of the house, then through her backyard and into the next property which I quickly learned also belonged to them.

“I’m not entirely sure,” I replied.

“What of Arusha?”

“I don’t think I should see her again.”

She nodded, mostly to herself. “I think that’s wise… It sounds like you went to see her already.”

I responded with something between a smile and ...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 20

Nathan was able to return to his workouts as his body processed the last few poisons that attacked his cardiovascular system. Just as with his kidneys, liver, and digestive system, it had been tempered to the point that the poisons had lost much of their effectiveness.

Not to worry, the most dangerous poisons were coming up next. Working out would not be necessary. Poisons that attacked the nervous system often set the body quivering uncontrollably. His muscles would get plenty of stimu...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 19

He’d expected a nice bonus from the system, but what Nathan found waiting for him when he checked the terminal in Googee’s shop exceeded his expectations.

Achievements

Region Boss defeated.

Solo kill.

Within first week of initiation.

Congratulations!

Total Points Awarded: 200,000

~

Selling the region boss’s corpse had got him an extra 40,000. With what he’d been awarded when the communist had attacked him, he had over ...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 18

Making it to the west gate, Nathan found people quickly clearing the way for the bloody-faced guy in athletic shorts carrying a sheet-wrapped body. He began to gag on all the blood that had accumulated in his lungs. Finding a free spot on the wall just outside the city, he had a coughing fit. Blood splattered everywhere.

While still holding onto the boss monster’s corpse, the remaining poison qi in his lungs suddenly found itself being pulled from the source. The qi in the area was pu...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 17

As someone who had already spent ten years in the tower, Nathan had the perfect strategy prepared to face off with the Putrid Undead Cannibal. He knew exactly what he needed to do. As soon as it looked up at his approach, he charged.

The big-headed creature jumped off its perch and drew in a mighty breath as it stood. It had Nathan exactly where it wanted him. As he neared, gas burst toward him in a giant cone.

He needed to dodge to the side and come in at an angle. It was the rig...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 16

Nathan walked through the western gate into the ancient runes section of the first floor. The ginseng he found would eventually turn into a cash cow, but to earn some in the short term, there was no faster way than killing monsters. The common monsters in the ruins were the zombie-demons. They had different grades just like they had in his pre-initiation trial. That was not what he was here for. There was one specific region boss that he had come for. He was confident it would still be around...

Nether Feast - Chapter 10

I stepped through into another reception area. This one was surrounded by towering pillars that were square in shape and facing inward toward the income and outgoing portals node. I still hadn’t gotten used to how it worked, but before my time in the Netherplane, it had been a normal part of life for me. It would just take a little getting used to.

Walking out of the ring of pillars, I found this building was far larger than any I’d ever seen. The name of this place was Odysity. It ...

Nether Feast - Chapter 9

The queen escorted me to the throne room. The king’s body had already been removed with his scepter. There was no longer a procession of soldiers, but I sensed a couple squads at the entrance of the throne room likely acting as guards.

It was then I noticed Prince Wildist sitting as far back as he could on the throne. He was unable to lean back comfortably. It wasn’t that he was small in stature, but his father had been a small giant. The throne itself was made of dark stone with re...

Nether Feast - Chapter 8

The throne room might have reached from one side of the top floor to the other, but there was still a lot of room left for the thousands of demons living there. At the end of a long hall near the back corner of the floor, the Demon Queen led me to what I assumed were her chambers. There was a guard to either side of the door that bowed and covered their eyes as the woman approached. As she neared, the door seemingly opened by itself and she walked through.

I slowed as I arrived just out...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 15

As he ran as fast as his body could carry him, Nathan took far more pulls at his pipe than he had earlier. The running should keep his core temperature up and the smoke push it even higher. His body was processing the qi too quickly to be in the same dangerous state as before, but he still felt that same pull.

He was concerned the icy cavern would be full of more people than before, and perhaps even had a line of people waiting to get in. If that was the case, he’d head to the top of ...

Body Cutlivation Hurts - Chapter 14

The party of four decided to make the hot springs their staging area, lumbering into the woods to hunt a few zombie-demons, then returning to rest. After returning the seconds time, the women had warmed enough to him to approach and offer to heal him. Kenya was the elf lady’s name, and she was a holy mage that specialized in healing.

“Thank you, but no. If I overdo it, though, I’ll come running.”

With a wave, she returned to her orc, but Shandra lingered behind.

“I...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 13

It was technically a someone. There were few enough orcs around with silver skin and a short fro for the average person to know if they were a person or a monster. The guy came crashing through the brush as he exited the treeline only to skid to a stop with a double-bladed battleaxe pulled back and a tiny buckler out in front of him.

It really shouldn’t have been as comical as it was, except for the fact that Nathan knew this was their first week in the tower. Few people had any idea ...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 12

It was time for heat tempering. There was more than one location Nathan had in mind. The southern gate was known as the Great Plains on the first floor, but if you went far enough south then you’d run into a desert. In some places it got more than 130 degrees F in the afternoon. The distance made it his second choice.

Instead, he once again headed to the northern gate after the sun had just begun rising. He had plenty of water, snacks, some minor healing pills, and most importantly fo...

Nether Feast - Chapter 7

After breakfast and getting more information about current affairs from the minister, I asked about the Grayson Tower. Even though it was a low-rank tower, the top floors had never been cleared. There had never been call by the Kingdom of Oren, so the adventurers with the strength to do so hadn’t visited.

The reason for this was because a tower provided a livelihood and resources for entire communities like Grayson City. To clear the dungeon completely would be the beginning of the en...

Confirmation - I'm Not Writing a New Series

Here's the above file list of one of the stories I've recently posted. This is the one I'm posting as Nether Feast.  As you can see, it was primarily written back in September of 2021 and I played around with it in September of 2022. The newest file has today's date because I've opened it and did some minor editing before posting.

I'm posting this just for your peace of mind's sake.

Note: I recommend saving anything your writing on a physical hard drive and the cloud. I've ...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 11

Here's a shorter one, so why not? :D

---

“You want racks?” Googee asked, squinting questionably.

“Yes. Like a shelf, except you can change the height of each shelf and there’s nothing covering the back.”

“I know what a rack is. But why?”

“Because I’m going to be growing some things at my place. That’s why I need the timers, grow lights, growbags, drip lines, automated fertilization system, and qi ventilator. Make it two ventilators. And noth...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 10

About halfway up one steep, grassy mountain side, he found the cavern he’d been looking for. There was no easy way to see it from the ground with a competing mountain face just across from it, but once you found the path it was clear enough.

Before he reached the entrance, he heard voices. He’d expected he’d have to face a stronger beast than normal, or some pack, but people had actually made it here before him. He regretted going to the valley first.

He walked slowly as he ...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 9

He arrived in a wide-open area like a town square. There were shrubs surrounding the cobblestone paved opening and many other people were porting in as he had just done. There were hundreds of people, but they were all spread out. He hadn’t even gotten his bearings when his eyes were drawn to a man wearing the starting t-shirt and shorts. He was orcish.

Not orcish exactly. He just had the brutish physique that Nathan pictured when one pictured fantasy orcs. The man was at least seven ...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 8

He didn’t remember firearms being worth so much, but he got 4,900 points for the 49 of them. With the other odds and ends, he ended up with 5,600. He’d returned to an old favorite shop of his called Googees. It was named after the alien elf-looking lady that owned it, and her name certainly wasn’t spelled like that. She hadn’t bothered to write it as it really was on the sign, so eventually people just went with it.

The merchant shops were more like multistoried department store...

Nether Feast - Chapter 6

Once the food got there, nothing else mattered. I picked at my food at the beginning until I better understood what I liked. Once I knew, I kept the waiter busy bringing me orders of every kind of meat they had. There was meat from farm fed beasts and also monsters from the tower available. Interesting enough, monster meat, with a few exceptions, went for a premium. As for the cost, I couldn’t have cared less. I didn’t fear the Grayson Tower and could make another trip there if my funds g...

Nether Feast - Chapter 5

At first, I didn’t recognize the cobblestone laden room in which I arrived. It was only when a couple of lesser Netherspawn raced toward me that I knew exactly where I was. Grayson Tower.

When my gaze fell upon the lesser demons, they stopped in their tracks as if they had no choice. My aura turned into an inferno of power. Their hearts literally exploded in their chests.

I ignored them and started to think something I hadn’t dared in an untold number of years. What should I d...

Nether Feast - Chapter 4

My perceptions grew to a level where I could sense all life within a couple kilometers in every direction. If something truly dangerous was coming my way, I’d feel it and could choose to run or fight. It saved my life on multiple occasions.

My strategy stayed the same for my next couple realms until I reached the pinnacle of what the monsters of the Nether Wilds could provide without facing their lords. At level 899, there were still ancient monsters in the wilds that could challenge ...

Nether Feast - Chapter 3

Reaching my maximum level 99, my growth stopped, but the demons I faced didn’t have the same limitation. Despite the continued evolution of my originally basic spells, I felt my end coming once again. greater and greater demons came in their place. In time, I concluded that they could sense my strength, and only those that would profit from killing me at my current level would bother to attack. Demons much stronger might come after me if I appeared before them but they didn’t seem interes...

Nether Feast - Chapter 2

I wasn’t out long. If it was any longer, I would’ve been dead before I’d known I’d survived the fight. I woke with a pain flowing through my gut, chest, and shoulders. The flesh of my shoulders had healed better than the rest of my body. Flesh always healed faster than cartilage and bone.

As much as I just wanted to lay there and fall into self-pity and hopelessness from losing my friends and being stuck in some unknown realm, I had no choice but to face off with another Nethers...

Nether Feast - Chapter 1

Author note: This is also a stand in title since one has not been decided on.

This book will follow the returner trope, He starts out young, but the majority of the series will be him much older. This one only has about 45k words, and has an alternative advancement system, but it will fit in with Heaven's Laws cultivation. I'll probably spend more time in the Netherplains once I return to it. You can consider what I have now the introductory section of the first book.

Ch...