Vir approached the edge of his domain—and stopped. He knew what he was getting into—yet another fight for his life. He’d struggle, he’d risk it all, and hopefully, he’d prevail. For there were no easy fights in this realm.
To cross the boundary was to challenge the vicious bladed beast, which he’d learned from Cirayus was called a Blader. Considering how the beast was covered in lethal metal, it seemed like a fitting monicker.
How does an anim...
2023-07-25 19:09:10 +0000 UTC
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NOTE: Now that the $10 tier is at 40 chapters ahead, all lower tiers get +1 chapter, bringing the $3 tier to 10 chaps ahead, and the $5 tier to 20. Enjoy!
Also, if you've been waiting for Vir to get strong, this is where the fun begins :-D
- -
He can’t be right, Vir thought. Strength isn’t everything.
The mighty Mahakurma took a step, shaking the ground under him.
Okay, maybe it can help, Vir relented. Ugh. Why is h...
2023-07-24 19:36:19 +0000 UTC
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“I’ve led him astray,” Cirayus muttered, watching Vir run around collecting firewood and brush. What is that lad up to this time?
When Cirayus had first met Sarvaak, he’d found in him a hardworking, earnest warrior—if somewhat inexperienced. He’d been one to use his wits to overcome problems, and now he relied on it more than ever, favoring complex strategies to bring down his foes.
Strategizing was fine and well, and Cirayus had enough battlefield command exp...
2023-07-21 19:40:33 +0000 UTC
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She swept her eyes over the dead city. Little had changed since her last hibernation cycle. The city of spires stood as it always had. Dead and abandoned, its Prana Swarm clinging as it always did to the central spire, while wyrms swum through the sky around it.
This time was different, though. It had known what she craved. Long ago, it had promised her a future. That when her cores ran dry, the end would not be the end. It would be a beginning. I...
2023-07-20 18:39:11 +0000 UTC
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NOTE: No chapter on Monday in observance of Labor Day. See you all on Tuesday. Have a safe, enjoyable weekend!
Vir sailed toward the Shredder with Haste already active. He knew from experience that this wasn’t an enemy he could hope to match without his full arsenal of magic. The world slowed around him as both body and mind accelerated. The swaying of the short grass stilled, and the pitch of all sounds lowered.
While an odd sensation, it was quickly growi...
2023-07-19 19:16:23 +0000 UTC
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“Your highness,” the Head Handmaiden said, bowing her head as she poured Princess Ira a cup of tea. The princess wore an elegant gown in the crimson-and-black colors of Kin’jal, which contrasted beautifully with her platinum blonde hair that sat proudly behind her head, raised into a bun.
“Excellent as always, Nee,” the princess said, sipping her tea. “Your preparation brings out the woody undertones, while maintaining the smooth profile of this tea. Well done....
2023-07-18 20:01:42 +0000 UTC
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Hi all, we've still got a LOT to come in arc 5, both in terms of plot and progression, but what are your thoughts thus far?
Drop a comment if you have feedback!
2023-07-17 22:12:43 +0000 UTC
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Cirayus regarded the sleeping Ekavir with a concerned frown. He’d assumed many roles over the centuries. Of them all, he considered himself a capable teacher. More than capable—there was no end to the number of demons who sought apprenticeship with him. He’d even run his own school for a few decades, long ago.
These days, he turned down all but the most talented, though there was a time when he’d mentored dozens. He’d seen all types of students. The ones ...
2023-07-17 20:57:51 +0000 UTC
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NOTE: How's this arc so far, btw? Enjoying it thus far? We're still somewhat early in the arc, lots of cool stuff to come, both progression and plot-wise :D
- -
Vir started to ruminate about Haste, but his mind soon wandered. Several paths were open to him now, which was a luxury he’d never had before. He could, of course, choose to pursue new Talents. Or he could learn how to fix Prana Vision. If that didn’t fancy him, he could always work on ex...
2023-07-14 18:21:59 +0000 UTC
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“You weren’t ready,” Cirayus said, healing Vir with A-Grade Restore Bone, Heal Wound, and Greater Numb Wound orbs.
Vir couldn’t say a word against that. Well, no, he could. “At least I didn’t run back to you.”
“I’d have kicked you right back if ye had!”
He lay still on a bench Cirayus had carved out of the rock. It turned out tremendous strength and Balancer of Scales was useful not only in combat, but for excavatio...
2023-07-13 17:35:33 +0000 UTC
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The world shook again, but this time, Vir expected it. He flexed his knees and kept his balance as the oversized turtle took another gargantuan step.
“So that’s my goal, then?” Vir asked. “The center of this little valley?”
The prana grew denser the closer one neared the center of the dip in the turtle’s shell, which in turn strengthened the beasts more than those at the periphery. It wasn’t a slight change, either. The prana in the outermost domain was ...
2023-07-12 19:53:52 +0000 UTC
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This was a horrible idea, Vir thought as he soared into the air, waiting for that tiny sliver of an instant where his speed slowed enough to let him grab onto the soaring rock cliff that comprised the Colossus’ flank. That was, of course, only if he got lucky.
If he wasn’t, well, it was a long fall back to the ground. Light Step might save him, but he was more worried about the falling boulders. Nowhere was safe, not as long as flora continued dislodging itself fro...
2023-07-11 15:08:18 +0000 UTC
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NOTE: Now that the $10 tier is at 40 chapters ahead, all lower tiers get +1 chapter, bringing the $3 tier to 10 chaps ahead, and the $5 tier to 20. Enjoy!
- -
“You must listen to me, Ekavir. The lands we’ve crossed are incomparable to where we are headed. Stay close by my side. Promise to follow my every command, for I fear my skills may not be enough. Not in this realm. Not against the beasts we’ll face. For this is where your training truly begins.”
That was...
2023-07-10 15:22:53 +0000 UTC
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“Any injuries?” Cirayus asked, gliding down next to Vir. “My healing tattoos only function for myself, but your crimson-haired friend gave me a couple of Life orbs after she learned I can use magic. Good catch, that one. Be sure you don’t let her slip away. Hard to find people with mettle like her these days.”
“Oh believe me, I don’t intend to,” Vir said wistfully, his chest growing warm at the thought of Maiya.
“Aye. The demons won’t take well to ...
2023-07-07 18:33:31 +0000 UTC
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“Is this really necessary?” Vir asked, Leaping alongside Cirayus as he cautiously approached a Garga Ash Beast that had separated from its herd.
He did not intend to kill, but to lure.
“One does not survive long in this realm being reckless, lad. The degree of confidence you show to your enemy should be proportional to how well you understand them. I’ve never before laid eyes on those gangly creatures,” Cirayus replied, referring to the horde or hum...
2023-07-06 19:06:16 +0000 UTC
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NOTE: Thanks everyone for your feedback re: the arc 4 tia scene rewrites! Consensus so far is that people are liking it better than the original :-)
Wanted to extend a HUGE thank you to patron Doogolas for his contribution, spending hours theorycrafting with me, and then several more hours editing the prose literally as I wrote it. He must've put in at least a dozen hours of his own time working on this with me, and it's no exaggeration to say it couldn't have happened wi...
2023-07-05 14:36:53 +0000 UTC
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“No luck?” Vir asked as Cirayus approached. His eyes remained closed, his mind focused on the never-ending task of expanding his body’s prana carrying capacity.
“Nay. The Ash has shifted considerably since I was here last. Landmarks are missing, and strange new ones have taken their place. I know generally where we are, but pinpointing a location is another matter entirely,” the giant replied, setting down two full waterskins and a sack full ...
2023-07-04 18:04:43 +0000 UTC
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“You will report to me directly now.” Princess Ira sipped her tea, regarding Maiya with a contemplative gaze.
“I’m… honored, your highness,” Maiya said in a fluster, “but I’m unsure how I can help you achieve your goal. Though I’m alright fighting Ash Beasts, I’m sure you must have plenty of strong warriors already?”
“It is not your current skillset, but rather your mindset I’m interested in.”
My mindset? Not the way I’ve shot up in power?
2023-07-03 17:12:29 +0000 UTC
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Hi all, wanted to let you know that my arc 4 edits are now complete. Firstly, I apologize profusely for any confusion and inconvenience. Believe me, these edits weren't easy, but I felt that these scenes needed work. I believe the story is far stronger now, but I'll let you be the judge of that.
Here is the change list:
Chapter 126 & 127, the sections after the - - near the end are new content.
Chapter 133 has had minor edits throughout.
Chapters 135 through 140...
2023-06-30 05:34:33 +0000 UTC
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“The first thing you did right was to attack the enemies you knew you could defeat,” Cirayus spoke slowly, stroking his beard. “Your first mistake was assuming the other beasts would let you.”
Vir grimaced. The giant had a point.
“I had a time limit.”
“No, lad, you succumbed to artificial pressure. Tell me, would you have died, had you taken longer than ten minutes?”
“N-no.”
“Would you have been crippled, or otherwise severely injur...
2023-06-29 18:08:16 +0000 UTC
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With an explosion of ash, Vir darted to the nearest Ash Wolf, his katar extended. Even in the Ash, Vir doubted many beasts could move as quickly as he could.
Ash Wolves didn’t match his speed, they exceeded it handily. The wolf calmly moved to the side, easily dodging his thrust.
Worse, Vir shot past, giving his back to the enemy. He’d put so much power into his attack, it became extremely difficult to stop, let alone redirect his attacks. Vir flew for another fif...
2023-06-28 17:01:28 +0000 UTC
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“Uh, Cirayus? Mind telling me why we allowed ourselves to be surrounded by Ash Beasts?”
Not just one or two, either. Over a dozen beasts circled warily around the two, eyeing them, sizing them up. Among their number were Ash Biters—the same beast Vir fought in the depths of the mine near Avi—along with a pack of Raptors and some Greater Zards. Ash wolves loped some distance away, wary of the newcomers to their domain.
Though he’d fought some of these beasts ...
2023-06-27 17:31:00 +0000 UTC
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“Chakra… Is that related to my disks?” Vir asked.
“Similar, yet different. But first, eat. A warrior cannot survive on an empty stomach, after all,” Cirayus rummaged through his rucksack and tossed over a blackened melon.
Vir was about to protest, but one look at Cirayus told him the giant wasn’t about to say another word until he’d eaten.
This has no right being edible! he thought, gingerly hefting the oversized fruit in his hands.
Everythin...
2023-06-26 17:30:43 +0000 UTC
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“I’m good, trust me! No pain at all,” Vir said, throwing a few punches to prove it.
“Very well. Then don your armor.”
Vir did as he was told. “So, now what?”
“Since you are so eager to get going, you can join me for a bit.”
The demon moved so fast, Vir didn’t realize he was falling until his stomach dropped from under him. Falling… all the way to the bottom of the mountain.
Vir screamed until he noticed they were falling much too slowly.
...
2023-06-23 17:25:38 +0000 UTC
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Vir awoke to aches and pains. Not anywhere specific—his whole body just seemed to throb, though when compared to the torture he’d endured, it was hardly anything comparable.
“How do you feel?” Cirayus asked, handing Vir a waterskin.
“Like a grakking fool who just entered the Ash with a death wish,” he said, relishing the sensation of the cool water on his parched throat.
The demon laughed heartily. “Indeed. Those who brave the Ash can only be calle...
2023-06-22 17:50:04 +0000 UTC
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By the time Cirayus arrived at the base of the jagged black mountains whose peaks endured endless lightning strikes, Vir had nearly blacked out. And that was with being carried by the giant on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
If he had to walk? He’d have collapsed long ago.
“There’s no shame in it, lad,” the giant said. “The Ash is not to be taken lightly.“
“Thought… it’d be easier… here,” Vir said through gritted teeth. The w...
2023-06-21 17:14:11 +0000 UTC
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NOTE: This arc is gonna dive much deeper into the mechanics of prana. How've I done explaining it thus far? Do you understand what I'm talking about when the story talks about all the various prana-isms? (Like equilibrium, prana densities, cycling, etc) Or is it confusing? Wondering how much I ought to recap & summarize how the system works.
--
Vir crossed the Ash Boundary not really knowing what to expect. On the one hand, the Ashen Realm was a place full of mythological bea...
2023-06-20 18:07:47 +0000 UTC
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Edit: Meant 10% discount, not $10, sorry! Apologies for the inbox spam.
Quick announcement that annual subscriptions are now available for a 10% discount. If you're planning on remaining subbed for the long haul, this is a good way to save some money :-)
I also plan to use RoyalRoad's monetization feature when it comes online soon. The reading experience is vastly superior on RR, so I'll make another announcement once it's live, in case you wish to switch. Tiers and prices would ...
2023-06-16 17:42:46 +0000 UTC
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Filler words so there aren't any spoilers for non-patrons who come upon this blurb. Scroll down to the bottom.
Filler words Filler words Filler words Filler words Filler words Filler wordsFiller words Filler words Filler wordsFiller words Filler words Filler wordsFiller words Filler words Filler wordsFiller words Filler words Filler wordsFiller words Filler words Filler wordsFiller words Filler words Filler wordsFiller words Filler words Filler wordsFiller words Filler words ...
2023-06-16 17:28:44 +0000 UTC
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“There she is!” Maiya shouted, pointing at the ground far below.
After searching for a moment, Vir spotted the black, winged beast that was roaming around on the ground, looking lost and insecure.
“Hold on!” Cirayus said as he reached the apex of his jump and began to fall.
The warning was hardly necessary. The giant’s mastery of Balancer of Scales was so great that their descent was idyllic, and their landing soft.
Once again, Vir wondered at the ab...
2023-06-16 17:25:21 +0000 UTC
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