Michael Clark

Non-Story: Thank you for being sane.

I just had to deal with a reader on Royal Road again and finally blocked them from messaging me. Wanted to thank you all for being sane and enjoyable to talk to. It's nice to have a place to retreat to.

It's rare, but I get some readers who really, really want to tell me all the things they don't like about a story. I tried explaining things to this person and telling them to have some patience. He wanted 'more character' development in chapters I wrote two years ago and eventually to...

Butcher of Gadobhra Chapter 377

Ozzy had two things he was trying to do: Hold onto his bag and hold onto the rope connecting him to the balloon. Nothing else mattered as he tumbled through the sky, half deaf from the explosion and stunned from the force of it.

He still had a hold on each, but that was the only bright spot in this predicament. The balloon lost most of its hot air and buoyancy when they opened the rear valve and used it like a rocket to move them away from the Ice Drake and the tower. It was a limp col...

Tunnel Rat Chapter 293

Milo was working on one of the pods in the med lab, tearing it apart and rebuilding it. Mama was watching him work, fascinated by how quickly he moved with no wasted effort as if he'd rehearsed what he was doing a dozen times. In a way, he had. Not only did he have two decades of experience tearing apart and repairing machinery, but his brain ran far ahead of his movements, thinking about each action several times and coming up with the most efficient way to do it. He had too many jobs to get...

Tunnel Rat Chapter 292

Tunnel Rat Chapter 292

A short chapter, I'll be back later today with another.  Getting the character sheets done for BoG took a lot of hours. This weekend I want to spend some time with Milo before heading back to Gadobhra.

=========================================
Milo was apprehensive as he made his way to Downtown. Things were moving too fast and too crazy. Part of him missed the days when all he had to worry about was a leaky pipe or broken air handler. As soon as th...

Butcher of Gadobhra Chapter 376

A short one, but pivotal. I may have another chapter up tomorrow.
All four character sheet PDFs are now up.
=================================================
Baron Ordo Fallowstone, High Mage of the College of Arcane Runecasters, could only cringe in horror as the disaster unfurled. It began with the roar of a dragon so powerful that every mage in the Collegium quaked in fear and hid. The High Mage and other high-level professors fought through the fear and staggered to windows, need...

Patreon is being difficult...

Whatever they are doing is driving anyone with a story to upload insane. The page times out any time you try to past or edit anything. Hopefully fixed soon. I managed to get the latest chapter up after it timed out on several tries. Don't worry about reporting errors, I'll edit offline and reload the chapter, hopefully when they get this fixed.

Butcher of Gadobhra Chapter 375

I need to do one more editing pass on this chapter, apologies for some grammar and spelling errors you might see. The urge to keep writing is stronger than the urge to edit.  And getting anything done today is a miracle. It started with my dog chewing through the internet cable, where it comes into my room. I heard the noise, but I'd just given him a new chew toy. Obviously, the cable tasted better.

=====================================================
Ozzy looked up at the nea...

Butcher of Gadobhra Chapter 374

"OK, team, let's go over the mission again. And please remember that we are using code names for the rest of this operation." Ben was dressed in a red/black checkered suit and a Guy Fawkes mask. He was using the codename Jester. At some point, when going over the plan, he insisted on picking codenames for everyone.

"Meatloaf?"

"I drop first with my bag and aim for the tower. Why the codenames?"

Ben glared at Ozzy. "Because I like codenames, and it will screw up some divin...

Butcher of Gadobhra Chapter 373

If you need a refresher for some of the people in this chapter, revisit Chapter 282.
=========================================================

The snow was coming down faster and faster. Ordo wondered what set of events had brought about an unexpected winter season. Winter had been rare these last hundred years. Part of this was the reverence that the Maple Priests had for the season and all of the creatures who made their home in the north. Spirits of Wind and ...

Tunnel Rat got pirated !!!

Amazon.com: The Artifact Hunter : A Litrpg Progression Adventure Fantasy eBook : The Walrus King: Kindle Store

I'm already in the process of taking it down and it's been reported.

Tunnel Rat Chapter 291

Milo was exhausted and resting in a small crawl space above Belinda's rooms. He'd pushed himself hard in that fight and still hadn't recovered from the earlier battle. After the fight, he'd retreated to her room, grabbed some snacks, and found a place to rest. Someone had conveniently left a half-dozen Snickers bars on a table. Belinda had introduced the gang to them, and Milo was a big fan of them.

He'd already been heading towards Belinda's area to investigate the recent break-in of t...

Butcher of Gadobhra: Character Sheets Tier 4

Patreon is horrible to use for charts and Character Sheets that I can use on Royal Road. The sheets for the main characters will be appearing one at a time, as some of the next chapters appear on RR. I will be converting them to PDFs and attaching them to this chapter as I get them done.  They've grown quite large. I'll be getting the rest of them finished over the next few days when I burn out from writing.

Butcher of Gadobhra Chapter 372

Jenny was in the middle of flossing and sharpening her teeth when she felt the feeling. When your teeth are made of iron and razor-sharp, they need a lot of care. Jenny held a lot of disdain for Green Hags, who let their teeth get rusty. She finished quickly and then went around the house, peering out windows to see who was nearby because she could feel someone looking for her, and they were getting close.

"Granny! Vivian! Somethings up. Someone is looking for me, and they have a good ...

Tunnel Rat Chapter 290

Eric collapsed to the floor, gasping. Roger stood over him. "That's some good equipment you have there, boss. I thought it was standard issue crap, but I don't see exit wounds in your back and no pool of blood. I'm guessing hard plates and a layer of wound-sealing medical bandages. Let's take a look." He reached down, tearing off Eric's body armor with enough force that he tore through the straps and buckles. The bullets had penetrated the armor, shattering the hard plastic plates and Kevlar ...

Tunnel Rat Chapter 289

Eric wondered how he had ever gotten anything done before without an executive assistant, more specifically, without Marisa. Since their initial meeting during the scrimmage at the front door, she had been with him non-stop each day as he scrambled to keep things under control. She'd immediately begun keeping the 'time-wasters' away from him, the people who wanted to talk to the boss but had nothing urgent. She asked questions, organized his tasks, and kept him on track throughout the day. 2024-01-18 23:58:17 +0000 UTC View Post

Butcher of Gadobhra Chapter 371 RAW

I just finished this and am heading to bed. It will be edited tomorrow with some better phrasing if you'd like to wait, or with all my glorious typos right now.

====================================================================

From the top of Rowan Keep, a lookout called down an alarm. "Something just left Sedgewick and is coming up the road fast. It'll be here in a few minutes." That brought a quick visit from the decurion on duty, who watched through the telescope. From Sedg...

Butcher of Gadobhra Chapter 370

My quest for an X-ray is successful! It only took an hour of running around this time as three people on the same computer tried to find my info. They finally realized the person who made the appointment put all the info on the last appointment, not today since they did nothing last time. Then 1 minute in the X-ray lab. Silly, but now I can go to my doctor, and get more meds and kick this crap.

This next bit is short, and a bit of a sequel to the earlier chapter.

==============...

Butcher of Gadobha Chapter 369

This is a little raw; need to run through and fix typos, etc. But I just finished it off and have to go squeeze in an X-ray at the hospital. The first attempt failed due to crazy bureaucracy between the hospital, the doctor, and the insurance company. They lost the paperwork the doctor faxed over, claimed my insurance was out of system (even though their website says they take it) and wanted me to pay for it all, but couldn't say how much. Two hours of work by my lovely wife today set everyth...

Tunnel Rat Chapter 288

Wally observed as Milo's unconscious brain dealt with the stress of the last few days. The AI had similarly studied millions of humans as they slept in their pods, but Milo was unique in many ways. Wally understood what was happening in a strange way. As an AI, his personality was wrapped around his kernel and heavily influenced by it. Humans had created that kernel of commands and restrictions that would always influence him. Similarly, Milo (And probably the rest of his family.) had deeply-...

Butcher of Gadobhra Chapter 368

After much inner debate, Billy decided it would be more fun to show off his new toy to Layla, getting in some early morning gloating and allowing her to share in the fun of watching Vern rant. As an added bonus, he could use it as an excuse to wake her up early. She was noticeably upset when he knocked loudly and strode into the room, grinning at her. It was easy to tell that she was upset. When fully awake, she rarely missed him with a thrown dagger, but her aim was off when grumpy and just ...

Tunnel Rat Chapter 287

Eight hours before a group of Volgard mercenaries made a bad decision, five ninjas began their stealthy trip through the ventilation ducts and service tunnels of a Section controlled by Rhebus Labs International and the area leased by the Manpower corporation. The areas recently leased by Rhebus were in dire need of maintenance and repair. The ductwork was filthy and rusted, with many leaks. It was making the ninjas twitch and shudder, and they stopped frequently to make notes and take pictur...

Butcher of Gadobhra Chapter 367

Four weary travelers stepped out of a gate to a hidden Fae Realm, completing their journey after a few detours. Rolly looked around smugly, "I told you it was a left turn at Albuquerque."

Ben glared at him, "I was doing fine until Route 66 crossed over itself. How can you stand at the corner of Route 66 and Route 66?"

Rolly shrugged, "Lucky I had my trusty stick with me."

=================================
Legendary Crook of the Pathfinder

2024-01-01 21:16:49 +0000 UTC View Post

Tunnel Rat Chapter 286

"You need to slow down for a bit, Milo, and catch your breath."

Milo was sure his breathing was in the normal range at the moment. "I'm fine, Mama. And I can rest in the elevator."

"I meant that you need to take a break and talk over some things."

He ran through his checklist quickly because, from her tone, he was missing something. He'd gotten everyone to safety, they'd met Rusty, and he'd checked on Belinda. Now, he needed to head back to the hab, check his systems, upl...

Butcher of Gadobhra Chapter 366

"I'm a simple man with simple desires." Ben paused to see if anyone laughed outright at him but saw only curiosity. "A small mansion with a hidden laboratory, something that reminds me of Franklin House. A wine cellar, of course. Sneaking in and raiding Billy is fun, but I'd like a larger collection—time off for travel and exploration. I have a fast horse, but I'd like to add a sleek ship to my transport option. A bonus if she sails the clouds and can go to other realms. And clothes. I want...

Butcher of Gadobhra Chapter 365

Still out of it, but getting better. Managing three hours of work at my stores then coming home for a long nap. Managed one chapter in the last four day, but writing is coming easier. Taking it very slow and not pushing it. I edited this chapter, but might change some wording as I reread it. Dialog heavy stuff is always the most difficult.

===============================================================================

No one seemed eager to be the first to talk, and the table wa...

Tunnel Rat Chapter 285

Getting lots of rest and it's starting to make a difference. I had a couple of hours before a large dinner (After which I plan to be in a food coma from Christmas cookies my girls are baking.), so I tried writing, and amazingly, it worked! Writing something made me feel better.

========================================================================

"Eighteen of our men have been arrested, most of them severely injured, and two are dead. The rest of the operation is in shambles...

Tunnel Rat Chapter 284 (Raw)

Head is hurting something fierce after writing. Still recovering. Will edit later.

================================================================

Bunnies?!"

The shout from Min was followed by a rush of feet as all of the children and teens rushed out the front door, followed by Brad and Butch walking slower as they tried not to gape at the houses and trees. Seeing pictures of trees was one thing, but this was like another world. Butch's gang had been on a field trip in ...

Tunnel Rat Chapter 283 Raw

Getting better, but the steroids killed me today. They gave me two pills, one for each day. Normally, when I've had to take them, it's several small pills a day. These were large. My wife told me later even the Pharmacist commented on it. They helped with the cough, but my head was buzzing and aching. 2nd pill was worse. But after 12 hours, I could concentrate and write. This is a little rough and unedited. Feels good to be able to put thoughts to paper again.

=========================...

Butcher of Gadobhra Chapter 364

Well, a doctor could see me today. Bronchitis, no Covid-19,  and I'm bad enough to need something but not bad enough that it's serious. Stuff is going around. Lots of stuff. So I have different pills for cough, aches, and throat and two days of steroids to perk me up, kick the stuff, and let me sleep. Eight hours of actual sleep followed the steroids, as they relaxed the cough and exhaustion caught up.  I feel much better. Not well, but able to to write...I think.  A small para...

Wanted: MK7 Pod

My kids passed along the nasty respiratory flu bug going around to me. For them, it was a weekend. I envy their resilience. Hit me a lot harder. Finally getting into the doctor tomorrow.  I have no energy to write, so I spend some of my time in bed thinking up plots and scenes.  My long weekend of writing was sacrificed to Nurgle in exchange for a box of tissues.

Apologies for the pause in stories