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Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 82 - The Final Stretch

Elijah returned to the courtyard expecting to find that Sadie and Dat had already wrapped things up.  But to his surprise, the Corrupted remained among the living.  The demonic woman was standing in the center of the plaza, surrounded by an ethereal shield.  Sadie aimed one blow after another at the barrier, eliciting ripples of dense energy, but her efforts fell short of the obvious goal – which was to shatter the shield and slay the demon within. 

The Corrupted H...

Chapter 636 - Embracing Instincts

Zeke fell upon his foes with ruthless violence in his heart.  The creatures moved with boneless agility, like terrestrial octopi able to contort their bodies in all the wrong ways.  Still, Zeke managed to grab hold of one, and when he did, he nearly recoiled.  Its skin was slimy and rubbery, like a garden hose that had been slathered in grease, and it defied his grip. 

He clamped down even as it latched onto his shoulder, digging its shark-like teeth into his flesh.&...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 81 - The Whole Kit

More than half the horde chased Elijah away from the courtyard, but the bulk of his attention remained on the ascended, blade-wielding demon Dat had referred to as the Bladesinger.  The demon was absolutely covered in weapons, ranging from large daggers hanging from his belt to smaller dirks secreted up his sleeves.  There was even a brace of throwing knives hanging from a shoulder holster.  It was so over-the-top that Elijah almost laughed.

Until one of those throwing kn...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 80 - A Demon's Lament

Once, she had a name.  A history.  A family and some degree of happiness.  She could remember none of it, though.  Now, there was only the Corrupted. 

By virtue of her archetype, she was a Healer. 

It disgusted her.

The notion of helping anyone twisted her stomach into knots and if she thought too long on it, bile rose in her throat.  No one else deserved her help because she knew the truth.  She saw the world as it was, unclouded by i...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 79 - Emptiness

“You know,” Elijah said, running his hand over his smooth scalp.  “I think being cooked is way worse than being digested.”

“I’m glad I don’t know enough to offer an opinion,” Sadie admitted. 

“Right.  Did I tell you about the time I was –”

“Yes,” she interrupted. 

“Or what about when –”

“That too.  We know all your stories, bro,” Dat said. 

“Well, you two are just no fun at all,” he said,...

Chapter 635 - All Wrong

The moment Zeke took a bite of the turkey, he was transported back to his childhood.  His life hadn’t always been devoid of familial joy, and he had plenty of pleasant memories from before Tommy had gotten really sick.  A few of those came from family meals not unlike the one he now experienced. 

Sure, everything was wrong about it.  His mother was unrecognizably happy, his father lacked the bitterness he’d always worn like a mantle, and his brother showed no sig...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 78 - The Nature of Healing

Sadie barely got out of the way before the door went flying off its hinges and smashed into the wall on the other side of the hall.  The bricks cracked, but thankfully, the structural integrity of the wall remained intact.  An intense wave of heat billowed from the opening, mushrooming out and enveloping Sadie and any of the former captives who were within fifteen feet of the door. 

It only lasted a moment before Sadie used Blessed Bulwark, and the plane of ethera managed...

Chapter 634 - Homecoming

Zeke focused inward, funneling the tiny trickle of divine energy into something approaching a pattern.  It resisted his efforts at control, but that was to be expected.  It was a thing of gods, after all, and he was only a mortal.

“For now,” Eveline reminded him.

He ignored her, preferring instead to concentrate on moving that energy.  It shifted a little, but despite his constant effort, it soon spun out of his control, flooding throughout his body and doing a ...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 77 - The Slow Death

Elijah used Flicker Step, instantly appearing on the demonic Chainspeaker’s back.  But when he bit down, his fangs were nearly deflected by rustling chains that had somehow superimposed themselves in front of his mouth.  He adjusted, and his right fang managed to nick the demon’s shoulder.  It wasn’t more than a scratch, but that was enough to deliver his Predator Strike-enhanced Envenom. 

An instant later, a chain looped around his middle and hoisted him into ...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 76 - The Chainspeaker

The clink of chains rustling reached Elijah well before he sensed the dungeon.  His companions were still back in the storeroom where they’d exited the tunnel, but both he and Dat had insisted on slipping into stealth and scouting the way.  Neither of the others objected, but not for the reasons Elijah would have expected.  They weren’t overly tired.  With the map, they already knew the way.  Instead, Elijah suspected that Sadie wanted to confront her brother abou...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 75 - The Legend of Zhang Yue

“Survivors?” asked Dat, suddenly appearing nearby. 

Elijah glanced his friend’s way, answering, “I don’t know how many there are, but the old guy in the test –”

“You need to answer for Gideon’s death!” Nico shouted.  “He wouldn’t have failed the test!”

Elijah set his mouth in a firm line before turning to face the nearly hysterical Healer.  Then, he asked, “Are you accusing me of something?”

Nico took a step back at Elijah�...

Chapter 633 - Making a Plan

Zeke descended the steps, and for the first time in what felt like years – it might’ve even been that long, for all he knew – he heard a familiar voice.  

“That certainly was unpleasant,” Eveline said.  “Wait – are you crying?”

He was.  In fact, he’d stopped in his tracks and sunk to his knees, practically hyperventilating as he wept.  The simple release of hearing her voice was enough to send him into a tailspin of relief and grief and every ...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 74 - The Fall

Power surged through Sadie, practically burning her ethereal channels with its potency.  She ignored it, flapping her wings of light as she rocketed toward her enemy.  The demonic woman was grotesque, with emaciated limbs and more scars than Sadie could quickly count. 

But it was also clear that, at one point, she had been quite beautiful, like a fashion model who’d fallen prey to drugs and an eating disorder.  Her eyes were the most striking, though, and when she ...

Chapter 632 - Endless

Zeke wavered.

He’d lost count of the number of Tempest Lords he’d slain, but he knew the figure had to have reached four digits.  Maybe five.  Along the way, he’d discovered a couple of important facts.  First, he didn’t really need to breathe, as he’d found after spending hours beneath the waves.  Like going without food or water, it certainly wasn’t a comfortable experience, but it was something he could endure.

After all, he was well...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 73 - Playing the Hero

Happy New Year, everyone! Your support over this past year has been amazing, and it's very much appreciated. Hopefully, 2025 will prove to be just as successful! Thank you!

As he stepped through the portal, Elijah was feeling pretty good about himself.  That lasted about half a second before the sound of battle echoed in his ears.  That came only a moment before his vision returned, and he saw the source of the noise. 

Sadie held her s...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 72 - A Heavy Burden

Camen kneeled on the floor, her face only inches from the tile as she inspected the inlay.  It was subtle, intended to only be visible in direct light.  However, just because it wasn’t meant to be seen wasn’t an excuse for shoddy work. 

“This tile needs to be replaced,” she announced.

“Miss –”

She shot a glare at the assistant loaned to her by the city.  The goblin girl was positively tiny, with enormous, bat-like ears and eyes the size of s...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 71 - A Father's Sacrifice

“Your daughter?” asked Elijah, hoping he’d misunderstood.

“Regrettably, yes,” the old man said, looking away,  The twinkle in his blue eyes remained, though it was undermined by a sheen of moisture.  A tear dripped down his weathered cheek, disappearing into his beard.  “I should have been stronger.  I could have prevented a good deal of suffering.”

“She’s more powerful than you?” Elijah asked.  If that was the case, there was no way he...

Chapter 631 - Tempest Lord

Zeke stumbled through the black sands, driven to dizziness by a lack of water and the sweltering heat emanating with the white sun blazing in the sky.  It cast the whole desert in monochrome, further disorienting him.  But the worst part was the crystals.  Each one emitted an incessant and rhythmic bass strong enough to turn his insides to water.  With each thumping beat, his stomach twisted into knots, protesting their ill treatment. 

None of it made sense.

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 70 - Tested

“Magic is weird,” Elijah mumbled to himself, looking around.  He’d expected the next challenge to take place in a room similar to what he’d seen in the tests of might and cunning.  However, what he saw before him couldn’t have been more different.  Three sides of the room were almost identical to what had come before, but the fourth wall was missing, revealing a bridge spanning a vast chasm. 

“This is the test of stealth,” came a voice that made Elijah ...

Chapter 630 - Grief, Guilt, and Excuses

Zeke slew tens of thousands of harpies.  Every time he left the plaza, he would walk in a straight line only to somehow end up back in the same place.  Each return was met by a repeat of the same situation he’d already overcome.  He killed the monster pretending to be Julio and his thuggish henchmen, then overcame the Abby-monster – or rather, his lust for her – and destroyed the harpy queen. 

Over and over until he lost track of time. 

Or anything e...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 69 - Riddles and Stones

Elijah appeared in a simple, square room.  It was made of the same material as the wall outside, so the surface glimmered dully in the light of a single torch set into the wall.  A few wet spatters of blood glistened on the floor, evidence of Gideon’s failure. 

However, Elijah’s attention was solely on the figure at the center of the room.  It was tall and slim, wearing a hooded black robe that obscured its features.  Except for a pair of withered, black han...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 68 - Whittled Down

Four portals appeared behind the skeletal guardian, each one framed by twisted bones.  Above each floated an ethereal symbol that Elijah couldn’t interpret.  However, he didn’t need them to know what each portal represented.  The left-most was dedicated to cunning, the next to might, and the third was meant to denote stealth.  The final was devoted to magic. 

The Gate of Screams loomed over everything, casting them all in dense shadow. 

“Choose,...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 67 - The Gatekeeper

“Are you okay?” asked Sadie, sitting next to Elijah.  They’d spent the previous day-and-a-half pulling progressively larger groups of undead to the fortifications they’d built.  Without the demons or the leader, and with most of the more powerful creatures having died as a result of Elijah’s efforts, they zombies were markedly weaker than they had been when the group had first arrived in the Primal Realm.  They were still strong enough to cause problems if the group w...

Chapter 629 - Ravaged

Zeke stepped forward, only one thing on his mind.  Abby waited, her cheeks flushed with obvious desire.  She was practically shaking with it.  As she gazed upon him, she bit her lip and took a tentative step in his direction.  The dead bodies of all the assailants were quickly forgotten as they embraced. 

Her body felt so perfect – so right – as it pressed against him, and her hand quivered as she fingered the bulging muscles of his torso.  Then, they k...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 66 - Swarm

After leaving the remnants of the army behind, Elijah returned to the group.  Seeing them, still set up to defend, left him with mixed feelings.  Sadie and Dat were certainly powerful, and he expected that if either of them went all-out, they could have carved away a good portion of the army.  However, they would have certainly died in the attempt.  Due to his versatility, Elijah was uniquely suited to fight alone.  Not only were his forms powerful in their own right,...

Chapter 628 - My Hero

Zeke crouched at the edge of the plaza, unsure of what he was looking at.  On the surface, it was Abby fighting – and losing – against the men who’d attacked her so long ago.  Yet, it didn’t take him long to surmise that things were not what they seemed.  For one, Abby herself seemed far more beautiful than she ever had back then.  And that was saying something, considering that even back then, Zeke had considered her one of the most enticing women he’d ever seen...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 65 - Weighty Decisions

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to everyone. Hope you're having a great holiday!

The muffled clash of wrapped swords echoed across the training grounds as Miguel and Colt struggled for supremacy.  For Miguel’s part, he had to keep reminding himself that he wasn’t there to win.  Not primarily, at least.  The training session was instead intended to help him work on some nagging bad habits.  However, his every instinct screamed at him to fini...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 64 - The Head of the Snake

A carpet of charred bodies stretched out before Elijah’s eyes, extending more than fifty yards from his position.  He didn’t know how many zombies and other undead he’d killed with Lightning Domain, but he suspected the number was close to five digits.  Perhaps it had even exceeded that, given how eager the monsters had been to pile onto him.  That he could inflict so much damage with a single spell was both humbling and awe-inspiring.  He wasn’t even a caster, and...

Path of Dragons 7 - Chapter 63 - Letting Loose

Everyone told Elijah he was crazy, but he felt confident in his plan.  Still, he knew he couldn’t implement it until Unchecked Growth came off of cooldown, which took close to an entire day.  So, they continued as they were, with Dat taking care not to alert any more of the exploding hulks.  Doing so required him to take some chances that ended with him pulling groups containing more powerful or numerous undead. 

But they were ready for them, and though things got ...

Chapter 627 - The Eye of the Tempest

Zeke dropped to his haunches, studying the scene below.  It looked familiar, though it took him a few moments to understand what he beheld.  Once he did, it all clicked into place. 

“It’s the elven ruins from the mortal realm,” he muttered, mostly to himself, though he wouldn’t have objected to Eveline’s input.  She remained frustratingly silent, sequestered in the back of his mind as if she was trying to protect herself from something.  Perhaps she fe...