The Conciege

ANNOUNCEMENT

My deepest apologies for the lack of ROTLE chapters recently. The chapters will be caught up this week. Thank you for putting up with me.

August Intruder- Chapter 74- War of Ideas

Saxi’s feet almost faltered beneath him as he came to an almost stumbling stop. Melmarc spared him a backwards look, but only a brief one. In that shot time, Saxi gave him an assuring smile to let the boy know that he was alright.

Are you sure? He asked in his mind. He was sure to make sure he used his inside voice. Apparently, telepathic communication was easier for people who had active inside voices.

Although some of them had overactive inside voices and had to learn...

August Intruder- Chapter 73- Forward

It had been a significantly long time since Melmarc had been well and truly confused on what exactly his emotional state was.

Staring at the notification in front of him, he could confidently say that he didn’t know. Naymond was a Player. And as much as he would’ve loved to say it made sense, he couldn’t. None of it made sense.

In fact, of all the impossible things in life this one had not been one of them. It wasn’t even close.

Around him, everyone just stared as if...

August Intruder- Chapter 72- Naymondeel Art Hitchcock

Melmarc squinted, peering at the door. There was a part of him that knew [World of Insight] didn’t work that way. Still, it was simply a human response.

Why can’t I see past it?

It was a little disconcerting to him. His eyes told him that there was a door right in front of him. It was dark, very dark, and made of wood with a gold knob stained green with verdigris. But every other part of him told him that he was just imagining it. To be more precise, every other part ...

August Intruder- Chapter 71- Are We Lost?

Melmarc watched Claire, a little surprised.

“Sorry?” he said. It came out as an apology instead of what it was meant to be. An actual question.

“No,” Claire said, careful, as if picking her words. “There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

Melmarc paused, then shook his head.

“Sorry,” he tried again, “but what did you say?”

“Bipolar.” Claire was more than happy to repeat it. “Are you Bipolar? Have you been to the hospital about it? Have you ...

August Intruder- Chapter 70- Question

Clinton went flying into the bone white wall. Blood trailed the path he left. When he smacked into the wall, the sound was loud. Melmarc could picture the man breaking a few ribs. That was if he wasn’t already dead. Although there was a part of him that doubted death would come for Clinton so soon.

Still, his mind had eliminated the Delver. He was no longer a part of their survival. So Melmarc acted on his own. With the leader of the other team down, someone had to take charge. There ...

ROTLE- Chapter 43- A Dedicated Nanny

Pain was always an old friend. It was an old friend but never one of the good ones. A friend that grew on you even when you knew they shouldn’t. They were never there from the beginning, merely popping up out of nowhere without warning like pimples on a new teenager. Then they stayed, refusing to go until you made your peace with accepting them.

Pain was a terrible friend. But a friend, regardless.

The room was a little colder than most. Its walls lined with some decorative art ...

ROTLE- Chapter 42- Social Life

Aiden was just outside the area they’d fought Gangnar the starter in when he was washed by a strong feeling of forgetfulness. It was like leaving your house for a trip and being plagued with that very worrying feeling.

He frowned but didn’t stop moving. At best, his steps slowed a little as he gave the feeling some attention.

It was impossible that he was forgetting anything. Was it because of the absence of any weight against his hip?

It happened sometimes when you walk...

August Intruder- Chapter 69- A Long Line Of Vengeance

Melmarc followed quickly. Smoke obstructed his view but he kept his eyes on the indicators around him, all of them a sharp red. This was going to be a problem. The Delving team had no idea that their enemies were not C-rank.

“They’re B-rank!” he shouted into the smoke, only aware of where Jed was as the Delver led him by a hand on his shoulder. “They’re B-ranks!”

The wall had been thicker than Melmarc had expected. Even after four steps in the smoke he knew he was stil...

August Intruder- Chapter 68- Fire Centipede

Naymond’s skill had turned out to be [Shades of Perception]. Melmarc couldn’t say he had been surprised when the [Sage] had told him. It had sounded like something complicated. When he’d chosen it and discovered what it did, he was more certain that it belonged to Naymond.

It had also given him a bit of insight into some of the things Naymond did. Like why he was currently riding around on Nelson’s back.

As its description suggested, [Shades of Perception] granted benefits...

ROTLE- Chapter 41- New Plan

Dodging wasn’t really a problem. But with the headache slowly growing in his head, Aiden was having a hard time of it. When was the last time he’d gotten a headache?

He couldn’t remember.

Again, he leaned to the side, bent at the waist to avoid a diagonal slash from a cleaver. Elaswit’s expression was empty as she attacked him. She moved with him, footsteps carrying her so that she kept track of him.

She’d attacked Aiden on top of Gangnar’s corpse and had forced ...

August Intruder- Chapter 67- Shades of Perception

It had been a while since Melmarc was confused. Worried. At least not by himself.

Internally, he was always confused. At the new way his mind worked. The way there were too many ideas yet he focused on a singular one. His recent insistence on punishing Jude for his actions. His observation of Naymond playing a role in the insistence on his punishment of Jude. His acceptance to negotiate on the punishment but only with Clinton.

Melmarc was constantly confused by his mind. But not b...

ROTLE- Chapter 40- Friend of Foe

Not for the first time, Aiden found himself missing healing enchantments.

But healing enchantments were not common. They were a rare kind of enchantment. To cast them—engrave them—took skill and level. A significant amount of both. And he only had one of the two right now.

Even thinking of the runes and sigils he would need to create one failed him each time. It was like trying to remember something he’d just forgotten. It was there but it wouldn’t come. It was an enchante...

August Intruder- Chapter 66- Canopus

With his punishment done, Melmarc returned to the room. Behind him, Jude groaned and winced and muttered incoherent words, still leaning against the wall. Melmarc didn’t know if the incoherent words were words of anger or words of pain.

What he knew, however, was that if the tables were turned and someone had just broken his ribs, he would definitely be angry. But only out of context.

If he’d done what Jude had done to him and had gotten his ribs broken for it, it would be a f...

ROTLE - Chapter 39 - Gangnar

Standing with such a great distance between them and Gangnar the starter was capable of lulling anyone who knew very little about gargoyles into a false sense of security. But Aiden wasn’t just anyone. There had been a time when he had been just anyone, but that time was long passed, gone like the first gargoyle he had killed after stepping beyond the natural array.

In the Order a lot of things had been taught and Aiden had learnt from them. Being weak, the most important thing he had...

August Intruder- Chapter 65- Law of Bloodline

There was a universal problem with specific portals, and it was the thing standing in front of them.

Deoti watched in silence as David stared it down, Fendor and Lisa standing right beside her. They flanked her on both sides. Axe and Saxi stood to the side, watching the encounter with a certain level of alertness. There was no one in the team who wasn’t alert.

Today just might be the day they attempted the impossible. With David in full blown Oath of Madness mode, there would be...

ROTLE- Chapter 38- Just Apologize

Not for the first time today a frown played with Valdan’s lips.

Where the hell are you, Aiden?

He had searched the entire cave, its worthless crisscrossing labyrinth and annoyingly dark parts. And he’d done it twice.

At this point, Nella and Ventel had already started playing devil’s advocate. And they were playing it well. It was like having two demons on your shoulders instead of an angel and a demon.

“I don’t think they came this way,” Ventel wa...

August Intruder- Chapter 64- The Mediator

Nelson was the first to move.

He took a few steps and interjected himself between Melmarc and the empty doorway Jude had been sent flying out of. Even with his large frame technically blocking the entire entrance, the Delver still held his arms out on both sides.

Melmarc paused. There was a part of his brain that wondered why the man had chosen to interfere. Did he not understand that all actions deserved their equal reactions? Jude clearly needed to be punished. Also, if the man ...

ROTLE- Chapter 37- Stupid

She’d messed up.

There were no mathematical calculations to it, not way to wiggle out of this one with some loop hole or debatable argument. Elaswit Brandis had messed up. Mom’s going to kill me.

Still, regardless of how certain of her mess up she was, she continued to believe she had done everything in her power. Her failure wasn’t as a result of some mistake or the other. At least she didn’t think so. Her failure was as a result of her skills. Skills her mother ...

August Intruder- Chapter 63- Skin Walker

Darkness was a bearable thing when the only things the light showed were beauties tainted with the underlying threat of monsters that walked with spindly limbs and critters that latched unto you and refused to let you go.

It was also a welcome experience when a man was dying in front of you.

Melmarc forced a trembling hand against Naymond’s lips. Between the both of them, his interface lit up, presenting him with information he already had.

You have used [Vitality of the D...

ROTLE- Chapter 36- The Right Thing

The air echoed with the chaotic sound of footfalls, each possessing of its own cadence. Aiden and Elaswit ran at full sprint in a desperate need to escape their pursuers.

Aiden couldn’t believe he’d been caught in such a situation, babysitting a princess, so to speak. He ran, knowing very well that he was fleeing. Beside him, Elaswit was a fast equal, her legs moving twice as fast as his yet keeping in touch with his speed.

“Left!” she called out.

Aiden’s eyes took...

ROTLE- Chapter 35- More Organic

This was not how Valdan had expected to spend his morning.

He turned to let a squire walk past him, at least he thought the man was a squire. He looked like a squire. If not by class, then by title.

They just tended to have some level of pompous subservience to the way they carried themselves. It was like they were fake knights that couldn’t forget that they were not knights.

Valdan was approaching the door that led out of the mansion when Nella came running down the stair...

August Intruder- Chapter 62- Pray To Him

“Why is he falling?” Lisa asked, confused.

A man, Gifted or not, did not casually fall while having a conversation. And the height he was falling from had to be significantly high considering how long he had been falling for.

Deoti was happy to say that she, too, was curious as to why he was falling.

“I will not say,” David answered simply.

“You know you can ask me, right, Lisa,” Dorthna said a little too kindly for Deoti’s comfort.

What was more an...

ROTLE- Chapter 34- Violence Is Not The Answer

It took almost all of Aiden to pull his attention away from his notification and stare down the gargoyle in front of him.

His interface had left him with a few questions and they came to play as he moved slowly to the side, sizing up his new single opponent.

For one, Aiden had gotten a unique skill as a new skill, which was unheard of. Second, he thought he’d lost [Unarmed Engrave], consumed in his bid to gain a class.

So why was it here, staring at him. Or at least trying...

August Intruder- Chapter 61- Nori

If there was one thing Deoti hated in life, it was stealing. And that was why it continued to irk her that she’d had to steal this car.

You’re a fucking S-rank Delver, she thought with scorn as she turned the steering wheel and headed down a new road. You shouldn’t be having to steal anything.

Unfortunately, she had to.

Her position and rank made her rich. Not as rich as any of the Oaths, but definitely rich enough that she could buy a car on the fly....

ROTLE- Chapter 33- Humor Me

I am so sorry for the mix up. This is the chapter we are supposed to have, for those who've already seen the previous one. Deepest apologies for the inconvenience...

It took a better part of five minutes even after his bold lie before Elaswit calmed down. While she promised him that she was good and ready to continue moving, Aiden opted for a rest of ten minutes.

Ten minutes stretched to fifteen as he gauged her. What he needed was a companion that was ready...

August Intruder- Chapter 60- Dissonant

Something was strange about this situation.

Melmarc wasn’t even sure the Delvers in front of him knew he was here. There was always the possibility that they did, but that was nothing more than a possibility. And the man in front of him was definitely looking at him as if he did not expect to see him here.

“My name is Clinton,” the man said after a while. “Leader of this party.”

Melmarc scratched the back of his head nervously. “Melmarc.”

Clinton looked h...

ROTLE- Chapter 32- Unnecessary

“So this is the infamous gargoyle the scripture talks about so graciously.” Elaswit kicked the corpse. “Personally, I think it’s overhyped.”

Aiden paused his task of retrieving his sword from the gargoyle’s mouth to look at her.

“A while ago you had no idea what a gargoyle was,” he said.

He grabbed the hilt of his sword and tugged. It didn’t budge.

Elaswit gave him a sheepish grin. “Would you believe me if I said I was only pretending not to know?�...

August Intruder- Chapter 59- All Good?

The soft breeze blew against his skin as he ran, ruffling his hair.

It was a strange sensation to feel the way he felt right now as Melmarc ran down the meadow. He’d been talking to Naymond one moment and the next moment Naymond was pointing out the sounds of gunshot which implied the existence of humans.

Then he’d just moved., gone through the window and was on his way.

Melmarc knew what had happened, it was just strange. He’d thought of saving the people that were ar...

ANNOUNCEMENT

I'll keep it simple for everyone's sake and mine, because I genuinely do not want to say much on this.

I sincerely apologize for the absence of a chapter for Rise of The Living Enchantment this week. I lost an important friend last week and it hit me a little harder than I thought it would. Sometimes you think you're strong and know how best you can handle somethings until you're not and you can't.

Chapters will resume next week on the 24th of June 2024.

Thank you all for yo...