The rats watched as Vernburg’s streets were drenched in blood.
Marianne and Bertrand had tried to make a break out of the cursed hamlet, only for the villagers to intercept them in the graveyard. The noblewoman felt somehow relieved that they still wore human clothes, for that was the only vestige of humanity they had left.
The vagrants near the church had grown white tentacles, the skin was torn apart to reveal the same monstrosity that had impersonated Mona. A sailor had melte...
2021-10-05 08:06:43 +0000 UTC
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In the end, Prince Hadad caught his white serpopard and returned to the capital in triumph. Vali’s royalty ordered a feast to celebrate their new fur carpet, though it turned out to be a cavalcade of debauchery.
Ugarit’s nobility had gathered in a great hall in the depths of the palace to gossip and party to their heart’s content. Extravagant merchant lords discussed with lightly clad courtesans while hordes of myrmidon servants delighted them with wine and fine food. Philosophers...
2021-10-05 08:06:32 +0000 UTC
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The carriage drove along a black sea’s coast, towards the Verney’s lost lands.
Also called the Lightless Ocean, this immense body of clear water flooded half of the Domain of Horaios and many caverns mankind had not yet explored. Its presence had made this particular region the most fertile in the empire, with farmers and fishermen making up almost all of its working population. Some even called Horaios humanity’s granary.
It was also the largest of the Dark Lords’ dominio...
2021-10-02 08:23:13 +0000 UTC
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The night was cold on the docks and dawn hours away.
Under the cover of darkness, Kairos and Nessus observed Teuta's flagship from afar. The Unconquered was a warship whose size rivaled that of the Foresight and the veteran of countless raids. Pirates had grown drunk on the tales of its daring attacks against Lycean slave ships, of its adventures across the Sunsea's uncharted waters, of its epic battles against abyssal monsters in the defense of Travian cities. It deep...
2021-10-02 08:22:59 +0000 UTC
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As some of you may know, I've been facing a lot of troubles with Amazon and internet piracy lately. I spent a whole month trying to get The Perfect Run's second volume on Kindle, only to be stonewalled again and again. I bit my nails in frustration and defeat.
But thankfully, it seems my prayers were answered and a kind amazon employee was able to unlock the situation! I truly shed tears of happiness when it happened!
Thus, I am proud to announce the release of The Perfect Run's s...
2021-10-02 08:22:46 +0000 UTC
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The sound of bubbling liquids filled Valdemar’s room as he painted his grandfather’s portrait on a canvas.
The Elixir of True Sight boiled in a flask, releasing colorful magenta fumes. The smell reminded the necromancer of formaldehyde, and it mixed terribly with the odors of fresh paints around him.
Hermann and Liliane shared Valdemar’s workshop, both of them reading books around his table. The former was utterly absorbed by his ‘Expert’s Guide to Magical Pigments
2021-09-28 07:58:56 +0000 UTC
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Andromache would kill for a true laboratory.
The Valians had given her a workshop adjacent to the bedroom she usually shared with Kairos, in the depths of their palace. An amateur alchemist would have found it adequate, but the equipment her hosts provided left much to be desired. Thales would have had a stroke at the sight of their outdated flasks and boilers.
In the end, Andromache had to send Nessus to fetch her ingredients in between his own missions. But the satyr was busy re...
2021-09-28 07:58:38 +0000 UTC
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In Marianne's opinion, the cities of Ariouth were all the same: old, dusty, and overflowing with wealth.
Also known as the red desert, the Domain of Ariouth was one of the most inhospitable caverns that mankind colonized over the centuries. Its high temperature, second only to the volcanoes of Sabaoth, made it difficult for vegetation to thrive; even though Marianne used magic to strengthen her body, her throat felt dry and thirsty. The landscape wasn't much better, with rocky hills and...
2021-09-25 08:08:56 +0000 UTC
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The temple of Histria had fallen silent, as Julia digested her husband’s message.
She gazed at his statue, his [Idol], and at the Stymphalian birds perched atop it. The night was cold, with only the pale moonlight going through the windows to provide her with some light.
Kairos’ [Idol] radiated waves of emotions, using the same system of communication he used to tell her of Prince Hadad’s proposal. It was a long and time-consuming process, and his message was short.
...
2021-09-25 08:08:50 +0000 UTC
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The world was painted in crimson when Valdemar reached the Institute’s ground floor.
The Potion of Insight he had drunk was meant to prepare his body for a genuine Elixir of True Sight by enhancing his sensitivity to magic. Valdemar had read that the effects could get stronger with some people, but he hadn’t expected this. He noticed vibrant crimson lines coursing through the Institute’s walls and floor, like the veins of a living body. He suspected that these lines repre...
2021-09-21 08:19:49 +0000 UTC
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It wasn’t the first time Kairos participated in a monster hunt on griffinback.
Thankfully, the target wasn’t a dangerous Nemean Lion but a pride of serpopards. Kairos had heard of these creatures, but never met one until today. These monsters, as per the name, looked like giant spotted cats with elongated necks and serpentine fangs. Kairos counted around fifteen of them stalking after zebras across the dry Valian northern savannah.
The Travian gave the signal by pointing his [...
2021-09-21 08:19:39 +0000 UTC
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He dreamed of the well again.
His hands scratched the stone wall, while he heard the rats crawling above his head. The hole above him shone with a soothing, crimson glow; the light of freedom. But it was so far away, and he was trapped at the bottom deep below the earth.
The rats tossed him a half-eaten bone, one that joined their pile of treasure at the bottom. The well overflowed with the remains of animals and humans unlucky enough to fall down, but he wouldn’t waste away lik...
2021-09-18 07:56:45 +0000 UTC
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Kairos waited for the audience to begin in thoughtful silence, Andromache holding her arm around his own. His companions digested the news, some more worried than others.
“To think he had a lover in Orichalcos…” Cassandra shook her head. “I can’t believe our bad luck. That’s not good at all.”
“There may be time to salvage this,” Tiberius stated, immediately trying to find a way out of this disaster. “He threatened one of his king’s guests inside their own cas...
2021-09-18 07:56:21 +0000 UTC
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The longsword lunged for Marianne’s head, and she unsheathed her rapier. The blades clashed, the song of their steel echoing through the room.
As befitting of her status, Marianne’s apartment included a small training hall, one that she had decorated with weapons and coats of arms belonging to Oldblood families. The Reynard family’s white fox banner stood next to wolves and other extinct surface creatures, while Will O’Wisps imprisoned inside lamps illuminated the chamber.
2021-09-14 08:09:17 +0000 UTC
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True to their word, Vali’s royal family afforded their guests every honor possible. Each member of the Foresight’s crew received quarters of their own, and the king of Vali would receive its captain for a private audience. Kairos barely had the time to leave his belongings in his comfortable chambers before being ushered into the king’s own private solar, with Andromache, Tiberius, Agron, and Cassandra as his only company. None were allowed to carry their weapons in th...
2021-09-14 08:09:02 +0000 UTC
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The ebony carriage rode through the tunnels, pulled by a giant cave beetle.
The coachman hadn’t spoken a word since they left the prison, and Lady Marianne had proven to be no chattier. She had spent hours looking through the window, and at the ghostly lanterns illuminating the road.
At least she gave me food and clothing, if not a conversation, Valdemar thought, his teeth sinking into a piece of fungi bread. The carriage was large enough to house a small table, allowin...
2021-09-11 07:57:27 +0000 UTC
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They reached Vali’s coast around midday.
Kairos had heard tales of the merchant kingdom and of its capital of Ugarit, but the reality still surprised him. Though nowhere near as splendid or awe-inspiring as Orichalcos before its destruction, the port-city before them was a sight to behold. Almost entirely made of bricks and red stone, the settlement appeared to rise out of an arid desert. Massive walls protected it from attack, while an extensive engineering system drew water from the...
2021-09-11 07:57:20 +0000 UTC
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First Underland Poll!
As detailed in the poll and trailer, Underland will be as much about exploring the titular setting as other worlds. Hence, you will decide which plane of existence our protagonist Valdemar will try to visit first in his quest to open a portal to the mythical world of Earth... and the skills he will pick up along the way.
1) The Nightmare Machine (Magitek Crafter Path)
Spellcasters of the Azlant Empire have long ma...
2021-09-09 09:43:43 +0000 UTC
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© 2021 Maxime Julien Durand / Void Herald
All rights reserved. Maxime J. Durand is the exclusive owner of this book 'Underland'. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. For permissions contact, send a mail at: maximej.durand@gmail.com
Any perceived slight to specific people or organizations are unintentional.
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Valdemar was raising the dead i...
2021-09-07 08:01:30 +0000 UTC
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Dawn rose on the Sunsea, as a colossal ship emerged from the ocean.
When the Foresight had descended into the depths, it had been no larger than a trireme galley. But the creature had fed on the dead of both sides of a conflict, and risen again stronger than ever.
Three rows of organic oars pushed the living ship, helped by two, translucent dorsal fin sails and shark scales covering the hull. The hydra-shaped ram roared, the serpentine heads hissing above a colossal fange...
2021-09-07 08:00:59 +0000 UTC
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As promised in last month's poll, today is a double Kairos chapter day (to make up for the double Perfect Run post earlier). Underland will start publication on Tuesday 7th.
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A mist had risen over Travian waters, and a small boat soundlessly threaded its way down the current.
Her face hidden beneath a crimson hood and a traveling cloak, Julia sat at the back, a rapier around her belt. Though she had two bodyguards rowing the vessel, an...
2021-09-04 07:59:18 +0000 UTC
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As promised in last month's poll, today is a double Kairos chapter day (to make up for the double Perfect Run post earlier). Underland will start publication on Tuesday 7th.
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The battle was won, and it left a bittersweet taste in Kairos’ mouth.
One day ago, a great city had stood beneath the waves, a paragon of wealth and glory. Its history stretched back to before the Anthropomachia, and the greatest human empires of...
2021-09-04 07:59:05 +0000 UTC
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Livia had foreseen this moment, but never thought she would live to see it.
The Augusti villa's marble terrace was almost entirely silent, as Enrique Manada signed the fifty-page long treaty. Wyvern and Leo Hargaves sat on his side of the table, while Vulcan and Uncle Neptune assisted Livia. Len Sabino completed the council, looking quite graceful in a summer dress, while Luigi kindly served cocktails and coffee. Eugène-Henry, that spoiled cat, napped near the pool with his belly expos...
2021-08-31 08:07:39 +0000 UTC
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The Foresight chased after the giant dragon, and Agron’s fingers brushed against his fiery axe.
This was his moment.
He could feel it deep within his bones, like a searing flame burning inside him. After all these years of slaughtering his way across the world in search of a worthy [Legend] to steal, here was the creature that would kindle the furnace of his myth.
The Foresight leapt from destroyed house to house, while the monstrous Triton ravag...
2021-08-31 08:07:29 +0000 UTC
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When Ryan gazed into the violet abyss, the abyss looked back.
As he fell down into a tunnel of violet light, the time-traveler witnessed distant echoes form around him. Images flashed in his mind like pictures, followed by sound. He relieved memories, some of them his own, but not all.
Ryan remembered the fateful day he and Len found their Elixirs, and the moment when it all began.
For a moment, he was Len, drinking an Elixir in a desperate attempt to heal a sick father.
...
2021-08-28 07:52:51 +0000 UTC
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Official chapter music.
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A part of Ryan always knew it would end this way, ever since he first set foot in New Rome.
He had tried to get away from this battle, to run circles around it, to delay it, to out-think it, but he couldn't run away from it. In the end, all he could do was stand his ground and fight.
And that he did.
A mighty crimson...
2021-08-28 07:52:24 +0000 UTC
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By the time Ryan reached Ischia Island, the area had already turned into a warzone.
The Mechron submarine had made landfall before Ryan arrived, unleashing a motley crew of cured Meta-Gang members, Geniuses outfitted with advanced power armors, and berserk Pandas on Ischia Island’s shores. They were welcomed by inactive turrets, Augusti gunners on the walls, and a horde of zombies buried beneath the beach.
Ryan had never seen Mercury in the flesh, only through skulls he used as ...
2021-08-24 07:59:50 +0000 UTC
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This was a disaster.
Queen Pallas of Orichalcos could only seethe, as her palace trembled and her city burned. Her [Scrying Water Mirror] gave her a front view of the devastation, pictures reflecting on an aquatic sphere swirling before her.
She had only ever seen flames on paintings before, and yet fires had started all over her capital city. Her magnificent royal gardens were ablaze, as were some of the algae farms, but the destruction they caused was almost laughable compared t...
2021-08-24 07:59:38 +0000 UTC
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Hi everyone,
Here is the final book trailer for my new work Underland, animated by Ricardo Emig and voiced by Jack Voraces! The story will be available on Patreon in September, and make its way to Royal Road a few weeks later.
Best regards,
Voidy.
2021-08-21 07:47:30 +0000 UTC
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“—Dynamis’ stock price has steadily crumbled since the disturbing revelations about their Knockoff Elixirs, and public outcry from former clients who recently lost their expensively-purchased powers,” the newscaster said on the hospital room’s TV.
Ryan squinted, as a video of Alphonse Manada’s explosion appeared behind the anchorwoman. The quality was terrible, probably due to radiation interferences, though one could see Wyvern and Enrique flying towards the blast...
2021-08-21 07:47:14 +0000 UTC
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