Caelus

Quick update

Hey everyone! Just a quick check-in — no new updates this week as I’m currently neck-deep in finishing my master’s thesis.

My defense is coming up this Friday (wish me luck 🤞), so all my energy’s going into that final push.

I’ll be back with a new chapter this weekend! Thanks for your patience and for sticking around. You’re all the best

Chapter 38 [Draft]

Fei began to descend as we neared the spot where I'd seen movement. I guided him to a small clearing just ahead of where Nox was tracking, wanting to get there first to assess the situation.

As I slid from Fei's back, Virel adapted to the movement, enhancing my agility so I landed silently despite the height with my feet barely disturbed the forest floor.

"Stay hidden," I instructed Fei through our bond. "Watch from above. If things go wrong, swoop me in.”

The eagle gave a...

Chapter 37 [Draft]

Chapter 37

I woke up to loud knocking on my door. It was noon, sunlight filling half the room. 

"Vera! Open up!" The voice sounded worried. 

Jorik? Why is he here? 

I quickly put on my clothes. 

My hands shook as I got dressed. 

I walked to the door, fixed my hair, and opened it.

"What's wrong?" I asked, noticing Jorik's pale face. 

"It's Emil," Jorik said. His voice was low. 

“What h...

Chapter 36

We pushed through the guild's doors. The familiar warmth and noise washed over me.

 A stark contrast to the sewers.

"Yo! Old man, we're back!" Aditya waved to Garrick as we got back to the guild.

Garrick looked up from the counter, his weathered face breaking into a grin. "Back already? That was quick." His eyes swept over us, taking in the blood and grime. "Looks like it got messy."

"Messier than expected," Aditya said, walking up to the counter. "Report said may...

1st Monster Design Submission

Hey everyone!
It’s finally time for the first-ever Monster Design Submission!

As part of the Harbinger Tier rewards, you can now submit your own original monster concept, and I’ll randomly select one to appear in a future chapter of the story.

Whether it’s terrifying, majestic, or downright bizarre, this is your chance to leave your mark in the world of the story. Be creative, but keep it reasonable and lore-fitting.
<...

Chapter 35

We stood at the entrance to the sewers, staring down into the dark opening.

The smell hit me immediately.

"Oh god," I said, covering my nose with my hand.

"Told you." Aditya's voice was muffled as she pulled a cloth over her face. "Sewers are the worst. And with goblins living down here? It's ten times worse."

She lit her torch, the flames casting flickering shadows across the damp stone walls leading down. "Stay close. The tunnels branch off in a few places, but the ...

Chapter 34

The next day.

I found Marcus and the rest of his party seemingly waiting for me outside the guild hall.

"Vera!" Marcus waved when he spotted me approaching with Nox. "Perfect timing."

I blinked, confused. "What's going on?"

Marcus shifted his pack on his shoulder. "We're heading out. Our business here is finished."

"Already?"

"Yeah. The basilisk was the main reason we came to Oakenford." He rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit awkward. "Actually, that...

Chapter 33

The conversation kept flowing, shifting from dungeons to local gossip to stories about their adventures. At some point, the ale started hitting Jorik harder than I think any of us expected.

"And then—and then Henrik said, 'Boy, if you're gonna climb that tree, at least have the decency not to fall on my vegetables,'" Jorik slurred, laughing so hard he nearly fell off his chair.

Marcus caught him with practiced ease. "Easy there, buddy."

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Jorik waved hi...

Chapter 32

The Copper Mug was packed when I arrived. 

I spotted Marcus and Jorik sitting at a corner table, away from the worst of the noise.

Jorik looked up when I approached, and something flickered across his face. 

"Vera." He stood up, awkward as hell, like he wasn't sure if he should hug me or shake my hand. "Thanks for coming."

"Of course." I slid into the seat across from them, trying to ignore how my stomach was twisting itself into knots.

Marcus was alrea...

Chapter 31

After a tense moment where everyone slowly relaxed their weapons, something unexpected happened.

Lydia and Rhys cautiously approached Nox. My massive wolf tilted his head curiously as they drew closer.

"Oh my god, he's so cute," Lydia said, her voice completely different from the serious mage who'd almost blasted me earlier. "Look at those eyes."

"Can I...?" Rhys asked, extending her hand slowly toward Nox.

I nodded, and my wolf sniffed her fingers before allowing her ...

Chapter 30

Unlike yesterday, where I'd spent hours finding a single moongazing flower, moonbell flowers were much easier to locate.

It only took me a few minutes before I found the first one growing in the shadow of a weathered boulder. Then the rest became a cakewalk with Nox's help, his nose led us from cluster to cluster with impressive speed.

By the end of the day, I had more than two dozen flowers in my pouch, each one carefully picked and wrapped to preserve their quality. The rocky ou...

Chapter 29

As an F-rank adventurer, my job options were pretty damn limited. The board was mostly filled with the usual beginner stuff; herb gathering, weed removal from farmers' fields, slime disposal in the town's outskirts, and... ugh, cleaning the sewers.

Speaking of which, thank god they had plumbing here. I'd been half-expecting to find chamber pots and open ditches everywhere, but Oakenford actually had a functioning sewer system. Crude compared to what I was used to back home, but...

Chapter 28

By the time I got back to the inn, it was already nighttime, and I had to say my shopping trip was pretty damn successful.

My arms were loaded down with packages wrapped in brown paper and tied with rough twine. 

All in all, I was pretty proud of myself. I'd nailed my first guild job, made good money, and bought everything I needed to start getting my life together in this world.

And hey, I still had a few silvers left in my pouch.

But even with all that success, ...

Chapter 27

"Oh, not bad, missy." Garrick said as he held the pouch full of moongazing flowers, examining each one with his eye. "Not bad at all."

In total, I'd managed to collect around a dozen of them.

"Normally even experienced gatherers only bring back seven or eight per session," Garrick continued, his scarred face showing what might have been approval. "You do good work."

I rubbed the back of my head, embarrassed. "I had help," I admitted. "Nox has a really good sense of smell. On...

Chapter 26

I reached out with trembling hands and gently caressed the basilisk's massive head. Its scales were warm beneath my palms, rougher than I'd expected but strangely comforting.

For a moment, the creature that had terrorized the town and my dreams showed a completely different side. 

Its remaining eye closed peacefully, and a soft rumble—almost like a purr—vibrated through its throat. The tension in its coils relaxed, and it nuzzled against my touch like Nox did when he want...

Chapter 25

It didn’t take long before we arrived at the meadows.

Rolling green fields dotted with patches of wildflowers and crossed by a meandering stream. It looked peaceful enough, but I kept Garrick's warning in mind.

We landed in what looked like the perfect spot, near the stream where the moongazing flowers were supposed to grow as per the description Garrick showed to me earlier.

I slid off Fei's back and started searching immediately.

Should be simple, right? Find some ...

Chapter 24

"You wanna join the guild, eh missy?" The gruff man behind the reception desk looked me up and down with skeptical eyes. His beard was streaked with gray, and a long scar ran from his left temple down to his jaw.

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Name's Garrick," he grunted, pulling out a thick ledger. "Guild receptionist. Been doing this job for years, so I've seen all types come through that door." He dipped his quill in ink. "Some make it, most don't."

His tone wasn't exactly encour...