The rest of the school day went by quickly.
Melmarc ran into Ark on two uneventful occasions. The first was on his way back to class from the cafeteria. Being a year older than him and a class above, their circles rarely clashed.
They exchanged a few words when they met, and that was it.
Ark asked what he was doing after school and he said he wasn’t sure, which was true. He was torn between waiting behind to use the basketball court after the basketball team was done with ...
2024-01-16 04:42:57 +0000 UTC
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“You could’ve killed me!” Seth roared in Nosam’s face.
“But I didn’t. And we won,” Nosam replied with a calm visage.
We saw him, one of Seth’s minds ranted. He was aiming for us. He wanted to take us out with the beast.
Behind them the beast laid dead. Its body was almost unrecognizable. One of its legs hung limply from a cut deep enough to score the bone. But its bone had proven too sturdy and had held so that the leg remained attached. The...
2024-01-16 04:40:58 +0000 UTC
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Shade brought Ezril to Heldrag in two days. He’d been lucky enough to be set upon by bandits who had been too careless to spot the massive wolf sleeping a few trees away while he settled elsewhere for a piss. Four of them, all men with knives. He’d given them a beating and taken the one thing he needed and was in short supply of: coins.
In his haste to leave his brothers he had taken what he needed but hadn’t accounted for money. In truth, he’d thought this wouldn’t last long,...
2024-01-16 04:34:06 +0000 UTC
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Andker frowned down at the carnage in front of him.
This was another path in stress. He’d told his superiors that they couldn’t send him after Olympians with people who hadn’t experienced what happened when they rune shields weren’t working.
These men had spent most of their time hunting down mages in groups. Their shields were their protectors, their world. One blast from a mage that could kill a man was distorted the moment they brought their shield to bear.
It had...
2024-01-16 04:31:37 +0000 UTC
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Classes today were not necessarily interesting to Melmarc.
There was a high chance it wasn’t the fault of the classes in and of themselves but his inability to concentrate. He kept his head on his desk during recess and stared at Gilian, a classmate of his that sat by the window.
Their classroom was upstairs, so the window seats gave good buffs of fresh air.
Must be good sitting by the window, he thought, then turned his head downward and stared at the ground. It ...
2024-01-15 04:28:35 +0000 UTC
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Zed hunkered down behind his shield.
He channeled as much mana as he could into it until it shone a bright purple. The last thing he wanted to do was get blown sky high.
The gun bucked in Andker’s arms, struck his shoulder with enough force to push it back. The explosive boom of a gunshot filled the air.
When the bullet hit, Zed felt it just as much as he heard it.
· Basic rune [Force shield] has applied effect [Deflect] on [Deviant bullet].
· [Deflect] does ...
2024-01-15 04:26:15 +0000 UTC
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Ezril dropped ten feet and landed quietly on his feet on the other side of the stone fence. But somehow, it still managed to feel as if he disturbed the serenity of the night. He turned his head both sides before moving on and unto the vast expanse of manila grass between him and the mansion he sought to invade. Certain no one was watching, he crossed it in three steps.
At the site of the door, he changed his plan. Initially, his intent was to pick its lock. Not all the skills learned i...
2024-01-15 04:16:11 +0000 UTC
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From behind the group Fray screamed like a broken banshee. The sound was useless in the heat of battle but did much to draw the attention of the Nooman.
Its head snapped in her direction with the same equal efficiency it had used to kill Natsuki. Then it charged the rest of the team.
With a resolved expression, Pride stood in its path, arm crossed before his head. He peeked at the creature through them and activated a skill.
“[World Bound]”
The gro...
2024-01-15 04:08:21 +0000 UTC
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It was not a drake.
Melmarc had returned his mind to the task of sorting through mythical creatures. The plan was to go through all of them. Once he was done with what the west had to offer, he would scrape through what the east had to offer.
Ark had guess a chupacabra for reasons unknown to Melmarc. If his brother had seen a picture of a chupacabra, he wouldn’t have guess it. The creature was more ugly-cat than wingless dragon.
But uncle Dorthna had been contemplatively q...
2024-01-12 05:11:46 +0000 UTC
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Seth read the notification once more then looked at Nosam.
Hidden Objective: [Secret of The Silver Mage]
You have found an interest worthy of wagering dots of your supremacy on. Discover how the silver mage navigates the active nest and settle the score.
Objective: [Secret Discovered] 0/1
Reward: Increased Mental fortitude.
Consequence: Main Quest [Guard the Seeker] cannot be completed wi...
2024-01-12 05:05:24 +0000 UTC
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With a new focus, Ezril rose and marched away, headed for his room.
He stood in mild annoyance beside the stables sometime later, his Sunders sheathed behind him, his bow strapped securely in place, and a quiver of arrows in dwindling supply hanging from his waist. After Ellenel had left him, he made his way to his room, retrieving a war vest and a cassock. On his way out of the room he’d run into Salem who’d asked him where he was going. His response had been simple.
“Out....
2024-01-12 05:03:28 +0000 UTC
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Daniel and Ronda and Kid and Eitri looked just as confused as Zed.
But we don’t have it. Zed was peeking around from behind the tree. Or did someone lie to me? Can’t be. Right?
Why didn’t Festus just tell them that they didn’t have it.
“You heard me.” There no sign of concern in Festus’ voice. “If you want it, you’ll have to kill us for it.”
“Is it really worth dying for?” Andker asked.
Festus shrugged. “I should be the...
2024-01-12 04:58:18 +0000 UTC
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Melmarc was staring at the orange creature and just couldn’t see a dragon.
“What do you mean it’s not a dragon?” Ark looked between him and the creature. “That’s got to be a dragon.”
The creature unfurled itself from its cooped up position, and Melmarc saw its head clearly.
“Well, for starters, it’s got horns.”
Ark looked down at the creature. “Well, it could be a different breed of dragons. Who said dragons can’t have horns?”
For someth...
2024-01-10 05:02:24 +0000 UTC
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Five minutes later, Melmarc arrived at his neighborhood. It was an interconnecting area of tarred roads and currently empty sidewalks. Houses stood side by side, demarcated from each other by white picket fences.
Each home had its own front yard with each individual designs. Some kept clean lawns and others let theirs grow out in odd ways, leaving only a clear path from the front porch to the picket fence.
In the entire neighborhood, there were two known Gifted, none of which were...
2024-01-09 06:12:24 +0000 UTC
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“I think Mr. Trald and Ms. Pentint are dating,” Delano North said, rubbing his left eye furiously with one hand as they walked down the sidewalk. “He keeps looking at her the way Eroms looks at milkshake, and she keeps making jokes about him eating her plate clean when they think we can’t hear them.”
His left eye was red as an apple with orange streaks, and was beginning to swell. It was also tearing up.
“I thought you said you were getting that checked.” Melmarc, he...
2024-01-08 04:32:59 +0000 UTC
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Melmarc remained in the hospital for another few weeks before he was discharged. According to the doctors, he was fine, healthy. They had only kept him for further observation.
“Just a precaution,” one of the doctors had said to his father. “We just want to be a hundred percent certain that he’s good to go.”
His father had nodded and said nothing more.
A week before his discharge they had brought a gifted to his room. She had been one of the many gifted who was not...
2024-01-08 04:27:52 +0000 UTC
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The car pulled to a stop. As smooth as the ride had been, the stop came with a jarring halt. At its back three adventurers staggered, then caught themselves in a sway. Seth was not one of them. Instead, he placed a hand on his rifle case to keep it from falling.
They exited the car, Seth and his companions dismounting like vagabonds scaling a particularly short fence.
There was nothing but rocks and mountain range around them as far as the eyes could see. What little of the forest...
2024-01-08 04:25:07 +0000 UTC
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Nosam’s teammates were a generic group of adventurers. They wore the acceptable light armor. Nothing too flashy; just right for mages of their authority.
In number they totaled at three girls and five boys.
Introductions went around quickly and easily, and while he paid no attention to their names, Seth knew his minds kept them like seeds in the dirt.
“So what’s with the scarf?” one of the girls asked. There was nothing spectacular about her except her pointy hat and...
2024-01-08 04:23:54 +0000 UTC
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The guild hall wasn’t far from where Seth and the team had their meeting, so Seth walked its spacious halls thirty minutes after.
He perused the contract boards with a middling disinterest. Glances and half noted turns gave him no newer information than he already had. The requests pinned to each board were filled with half-truths and unintended lies. At best they held only possibilities and potentials. Considering it was the way with adventure requests, he didn’t hold it against an...
2024-01-08 04:22:30 +0000 UTC
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Midday saw Ezril walking the cathedral. He started at the building that housed him and his brothers a few hours before high noon, covered a mile around the Bishop’s mansion, then past the stables, sparing Shade no attention, and through the chapel of his ordination. Now he walked towards the exit. Salem’s words from last night peeling at his thoughts with every step.
If killing a priest was punishable by death, didn’t that make killing multiple priests a matter of importance? If i...
2024-01-08 04:20:25 +0000 UTC
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Ezril lost his Tainted to his brother.
An acceptable sacrifice, he thought, taking Salem’s bishop.
He had sequestered it to a point at one end of the board, hoping Salem would be forced to claim it so he could in turn take the bishop that had caused him so much trouble in the past five minutes.
Although, the piece had troubled his brother as much as his brother’s had troubled him. Perhaps Salem had seen the loss of his bishop as an acceptable one as well. What i...
2024-01-08 04:17:51 +0000 UTC
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He didn’t know it. In fact, this was the first time he was hearing of it. He hadn’t even known it was possible to have it done at a city court, or that his name was in any official register. But if he did, what would he have done? Would he have gone to…?
The king wrapped an arm around Ezril’s shoulders, pulling him down to his height. “You must forgive me, Father. Age doesn’t allow me stand so tall for so long.” He grinned from ear to ear. “So how does it feel being the ...
2024-01-08 04:12:37 +0000 UTC
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Zed wasn’t sure if he liked or hated how things were going.
For one, Jennifer wasn’t dead. For another, anyone still alive inside the ship was at the mercy of Andker, third command to the rebellion. Sounded like a supervillain name if it was set in a militaristic world.
He couldn’t say he disliked it. It was suave. And the man carried himself well. Zed already believed that there would be no raping in his pillaging.
Regardless, he couldn’t let them have Festus.
2024-01-08 04:07:02 +0000 UTC
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If Zed was being honest, things weren’t looking very good.
He’d been hiding behind a tree for what amounted to a minute and a handful of seconds wondering if it would be too much to use his aura to seek out the others when he heard his first signs of life.
The massive ship currently sitting in a crater in the ground was smoking from at least three different positions. The smoke mingled in the air with the canopy of trees to blot out more of the sunlight. Now it looked as if ev...
2024-01-08 04:01:47 +0000 UTC
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Zed hit the ground. He stumbled, struggling to keep Shanine in a gentle hold, before righting himself.
That could’ve gone smoother, he thought, shaking his legs out.
He was surrounded by countless trees. They were so many that they were capable of holding up the crashed ship.
Oliver hit the ground with a loud thud and didn’t stagger.
There’s that Rukh rank strength.
Ash dropped next. Her knees bent forward completely and she was forced to ...
2024-01-08 03:55:47 +0000 UTC
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Chapter Four: Classes
Melmarc had heard the word before. Player. But it was a scarce word. If his memories were serving him well, he’d only heard it once before. Most of th...
2024-01-03 06:37:50 +0000 UTC
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Chapter Three: A Player
Three weeks later…
Melmarc walked down the hospital hallway, watching patients move about some of them assisted by one n...
2024-01-02 03:55:04 +0000 UTC
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Chapter Two: Rings of Saturn
Norman sat in the darkness of the room. He sat on a slab of concrete that could’ve easily been a fal...
2024-01-02 03:52:58 +0000 UTC
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Everyone wants to be Gifted, including Melmarc Lockwood.
Sadly, even if he's lucky enough to become a Gifted, it is one thing to be a Gifted, one of the select few to develop powers beyond the human limit, and another to be worthy of it.
his goal to become the strongest Gifted alive is too far in the distance to be seen, but he's determined to see it to the end.
With a strange uncle and a few tweaks here and there, who knows just what could hap...
2024-01-02 03:47:43 +0000 UTC
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No, we are not going on a short or long Hiatus. This is just as the name says. This is an apology. It hasn't been fair to everyone how short the chapters have been for a long time. And while there might be reasons, there are no excuses.
However, I intend to do something different. I will keep the posting of four chapters a week, but the schedule may suffer for it as for now, there will be no fixed date. Four chapters will always drop every week but they may come in a single day or scatt...
2024-01-02 03:37:10 +0000 UTC
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