Traxler

B2 - Ch 14 - The Trial of Confidence

When I woke up, I found Thea curled up on my chest. “She must have fallen asleep listening to my heart,” I whispered. “She looks wiped from mana deprivation.”

The nameless beast (the one I'll forever call That Fucking Beast, to shame it) stopped howling, creating a still atmosphere in the forest. It was a perfect environment, and I wanted to let Thea rest. Unfortunately, my internal body was raging out of control with the poison waging war with my soul mana.

“Thea, we ne...

B2 - Ch 13 - [Both] Grinding

[A/N: “My writing relies too heavily on action beats,” I typed, hoping to get through to readers. “So I’m finding new ways to keep it fresh and expressive.” Therefore, I’m adding (Parenthetical Information); “Interior monologue.” Narration between dialogue. “For variation.”; and “Implied dialogue.” “When an exchange doesn’t say to say who's talking.”; and some other stuff. 

My voice remains the same, but it's different enough to be worth mentioning. H...

B2 - Ch 12 - Railroad System

The auction was an unparalleled success, netting me 184,819,784 gold. Technically, I sold 183,695,120 after the 2% auction fee, but one-third of that tasty fee came back to me in the form of taxes and my partial ownership of the Ellington Auction House.

It goes without saying, but—I don't pay taxes.

It's good to be king.

Half the money evaporated, funding my radicalized economic reforms. We were constructing hundreds of buildings, renting them out to prospective businesses...

B2 - Ch 11 - Railroads

Dozens of accusations of theft, espionage, and unethical practices exploded from the crowd, with pockets of hidden designers and their patrons standing up. It was a mess.

I smiled and looked into the box where Maximilian was, cloaked in his gaudy 18th-century French attire. The man just stared at me with a humorless expression.

‘You set this up to seed doubt, didn’t you?’ I silen...

B2 - Ch 10 - Earthian Auction [Part 2]

We were halfway to Sundell when a raider attack sprung up around us.

Fifty men and women riding terrifying and elegant avians, each with claws that could rip open a Humvee like a can opener.

Aggressive and decisive, the raiders immediately shot fire arrow spells, targeting our skywhale’s wings.

“Young master,” Zenith said, turning to me, “should I dispose of these foolish people?”

Thea looked at me and pouted. She had four griffins above us in the clouds,...

B2 - Ch 9 - Earthian Auction [Part 1]

While I never thought I’d say this: fashion actually solves problems.

Beyond clothing, well, keeping people alive, it was also a lucrative enterprise that could validate my legitimacy. Therefore, being able to mass-produce clothing was of critical importance.

To put that into practice, I started with designs I gave to Lily.

“I apologize for making you tailor such gaudy garb,” I frowned, looking at drawings of 18th-century tailcoats in French, British, and Prussian desi...

B2 - Ch8 - The Cotton Gin and Spinning Jenny

My strategy for proving I wasn’t spying on Cyrvena was simple: I would present attire and products from multiple European countries. That way, I could prove my legitimacy without mass-producing French goods.

To do that, I’d need multiple machines. The first was the cotton gin, a simple invention that spurred a textile revolution.

"Is it necessary for me to be here?" Carter complained, dismounting from a griffin. We were on a cotton farm, sweating in the sweltering sun. "This p...

B2 - Ch7 - Time

The problem with modernization is time.

Just building a modern house takes six to twelve months to complete, let alone modern factories that require years.

Then there’s building the heavy manufacturing equipment that builds other manufacturing equipment and all the intricacies of its parts.

Motors.

Sensors.

Hydraulics.

Circuit boards.

Controllers.

Actuators.

Valves.

So much of what’s required for modern machinery doesn’t exist,...

Cyrvena, Desiderata, Junto, and Forge

It'll take a while to conquer... I mean, explore... this world. However, for now, Cyrvena is the country that will start with commerce. Desiderata is the country where Garfield Redfield is located and contains oil seeps that Ryker can exploit before heavy fracking and oil drilling equipment are made. 

First 4k Map of Antigua with Zoom Capabilities

This is just the starting of the map of Antigua. If you double tap or click multiple times it will keep zooming. Enjoy. 

B2 - Ch6 - Priest Cole's Downfall

Two days later, I awoke to Rema knocking on my door, right on schedule.

"Do you not understand the meaning of the word 'relax'?" I groaned, rolling over. "It starts with sleeping until the sun's threatening to rise."

"Which one is it?" Rema asked from behind the door.

"Which one's what?" I asked, sitting up and running my fingers through my hair.

"The crisis? The fire in the foundry? The intimidation campaign in the manufacturer's district? The claims you're a heretic?...

B2 - Ch5 - [Both] Pocket Watch

Two weeks passed since the recital, and the city's atmosphere had changed dramatically. After winning, the city found a reason to accept me, and the thousands of workers learning trades did—enthusiastically.

As for Priest Code, he quickly recovered from his mysterious illness and was speaking within a week. However, he was weak, bedridden, and unable to fight my new gains.

Naturally, his mysterious sickness didn’t stop him or his people. They soon spread the word that he was i...

Leon Everwood

In the audience chambers of Verdanthall Castle, a man with a brown ponytail and golden eyes bowed before a monarch with flowing gold and red robes. Nobles of varying ranks and nationalities stood at his flanks, whispering.

“Margrave Everwood of the Everwood Empire, you stand before representatives of world leaders to give your account of King Everwood, your son, and testify to his claim that he’s a reincarnation from another world and also of his intentions,” King Redfield announ...

B2 - Ch4 - The Lightbulb [Both]

"Well, it works. Kind of? Maybe? I'll be honest, I have no clue what this thing does," Carter laughed. "Unless you tell me it's great at burnin’ people. Then I'd say it's damn successful."

“That’s what we want,” I smiled. “Right now, you have a magnet spinning around a coil, and that’s making it vibrate very quickly, and that motion makes it hot. Once this touches a piece of tungsten wire, it’ll get very hot and radiate light.”

How hot? So hot that it makes an oven...

B2 - Ch3 - Electricity

“What is this stuff?” Thea asked, wide-eyed as she scanned my office. There was a generator running on gasoline that I extracted from Black Water using Molecular Separation. Above it was a string of holiday lights that encircled the room.

“They’re called light bulbs,” I said, grabbing the cord and flipping a switch.

Her eyes sparkled when she saw hundreds of lights switch on. “They’re like stars!”

“Yes, they’re like stars,” I chuckled. “And with the r...

Personal Day

Hey everyone, I'm taking one day off today on Patreon and Wednesday off for Royal Road.

There's a nightmare situation in Royal Road where two writers' servers went to war with each other, and both their leaders got permanently banned. Not only that, but multiple lists from multiple writers' groups started pointing fingers at one another, blaming each other of manipulation, and people started getting temporary suspensions and bans in multiple groups.

I'm neither banned nor suspen...

Ch.40 - B2 - Economic Reforms

I turned to Graken and handed him Priest Aelius’ unconscious body. "Put this cretin into a holding cell. Treat him well; his execution is imminent, but we must retain decorum."

"Yes, sir!" Graken saluted, hauling the man away.

After giving a slight smile to Thea and scanning my troops, I gave the order.

“Spread out and start organizing!” I yelled. “Meet the right people and get this city functioning as it was before our arrival. And do it cleanly! If I hear so much a...

Ch.39 - B2 - The End to Darkness

I was worried that emotions would remove my rationality, make me weak, and slow me down. As things turned out, I just didn’t want to be separated from Thea. Once I solved that problem, well….

“Inspira will fall!” I declared. A soft green light from an amplification circle bounced off the gold-lined streets of Inspira, Goldenspire’s capital. It was a large city with towering Gothic architecture, with each building accented in gold and glimmering in the sun.

Above me, an a...

Ch.38 - An End to an Era and the Seeds of a New World

Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger, sending a 50-caliber bullet flying toward Edikus' skull. 

Unfortunately, he dodged and released a potent wave of bloodlust. Thea hadn’t endured it, so she dropped to the ground, heaving while my aim became erratic. I got a boost from the Rorsaka meat, but it wasn’t much of an upgrade in the face of my old teacher at full strength.

“I’m not killing you today, so sit down and shut up,” Edikus commanded.

I slowly sat on...

Ch.37 Wreaths

I stared at Alphonse with a twisted expression, conflicted emotions warping my features.

“I didn’t ask to be your student, Alphonse, nor did I ask to be part of this suitor’s tournament,” I seethed.

Alphonse took a step forward. “You were deemed a high-noble at birth. Fate brought us together, but fate does not dictate your actions.”

I chuckled and panned the audience with a thin smile. My body was shaking, my knuckles were turning white from clenching my fists t...

Ch.36 The Suitor’s Tournament Pt. II

“King Everwood?”

My heart nearly stopped when I heard the person behind the room’s side door. I immediately grabbed my neck and cracked it, crushing Thea’s reeta on my shoulder.

"Come in."

A woman with flowing red hair wearing a gold and white dress opened the door and walked in. Her guards gritted their teeth and took positions in the adjacent hallway.

"What can I do for you, My Lady?" I asked, standing and bowing slightly.

"You can marry me," Rema answe...

Ch.34 The Suitor’s Tournament

Zenith opened the door to the meeting parlor of the guest wing of my castle King Veil sat on a red sofa, drinking rylnn tea from a cup adorned with plant vines and birds. "Good afternoon, King Everwood."

"Good afternoon," I replied, rubbing my index finger against my thumbs as I sat down.

"You seem nervous, King Everwood," he remarked.

"This is my first meeting of its kind, so I’m unsure how to conduct myself," I replied.

He lowered his cup and set it on the saucer s...

Ch.34 Allies and Friends(?)

"This is King Everwood of the Everwood Empire!" I shouted. "I'm about to blow up your ports and demolish Port Town. You have thirty minutes to evacuate your citizens and clear out. Anyone who remains or decides to attack—will die."

Sailors and merchants yelled at one another, rushing to find telescopes or communicate with the people on the wall to get more information. Most could only see the bright green glow of the massive amplification circle in the distance, not the ship.

On...

Full Map with Zoom Capabilities

Here's the full images so far covering everything that's been talked about and the shipping routes. ^_^

Ch.33 Rorsaska and the Green Sea

Biblical. That’s the only term describing the beast that slowly emerged from the water before us.

We didn't know how large it was, but we could tell from how far our steamship was sent backward by its emergence that it was massive.

"Heh, if we were searchin' for a hidden island in the midst, we'd probably think we hit paydirt, wouldn't we, boys?!" Eris hollered, looking at the island-like shadow shimmering in the fog like a mirage. While my people were frozen with terror, her ...

Ch.32 Steamships, Cranes, and Hydrolytic Systems

[Reminder: My brain goes numb just researching engineering, and I feel like I know that in the overwhelming majority. Therefore, as things get more complex, the descriptions will become increasingly high-level, focusing on how it works, not how it operates.

That said, if I misrepresent something or skip a massive step, please let me know.]

—

Assembling our steamship from scratch using magic, superhuman strength, gravity stone, pulleys, ropes, ladders, and...

Ch.32 [Unfiltered] Steamships, Cranes, and Hydrolytic Systems

[Reminder: My brain goes numb just researching engineering, and I feel like I know that in the overwhelming majority. Therefore, as things get more complex, the descriptions will become increasingly high-level, focusing on how it works, not how it operates.

That said, if I misrepresent something or skip a massive step, please let me know.]

—

Assembling our steamship from scratch using magic, superhuman strength, gravity stone, pulleys, ropes, ladders, and...

Ch.31 Playing With Acids

Thea woke up abruptly, sitting up in the darkness, looking around with a rapidly pounding heart. The icy tingling spreading through her body made her feel as if a poisonous spider was crawling on her, causing her muscles to tense up.

However, there wasn't a poisonous spider. There was something far worse.

"Ryker…." Thea looked to the side and found Lyssa sleeping beside her, groaning as she woke up. "Ryker! Tell me where Ryker is, Lyssa. TELL ME!"

Lyssa recoiled when Thea ...

Ch.30 King Redfield’s Game [Both]

It only took a week to get a response back from King Redfield.

—

King Everwood,

I invite you to a summit at the Emeric Palace in Ardenthal in two weeks' time. It can provide a safe, suitable environment for all parties as a mutual ally.

While you can bring Lady Lockheart, I request that you refrain from bringing her into official decorum.

King Redfield

—

I glanced at Thea, happily humming as she practiced her sewing. While she looked so carefree, ...

Updated Map with Capitals

This map the city names, the Solsa River, and mountain ranges. As the story expands, it'll become more helpful. ^_^