nrsearcy

Weekly Check-In

Another week has come and gone, and the story's progressing well.  I'm very happy with how everything's going.  So, what are you all thinking?  Do you have any comments or questions?  I'll try to respond as quickly as possible.

Oh - and a quick P.S. - Given that almost everyone who's subscribed to this Patreon seems to like the story, it would be great if you all would leave a review on Royal Road.  I know it's a bit of a hassle, but it would help me out a ton (...

Chapter 81 - On the Road Again

“Do you want to talk about it?” asked Abby, sitting next to Zeke on one of the rocking chairs positioned on the cottage’s porch. She had just told him about her assassination of Callum Einar, and he hadn’t taken it very well. If Zeke was honest with himself, he would’ve admitted that he was only angry because he wanted to be the one to make the man pay for his crimes. He hadn’t liked the idea of going to the guild for help, and he’d been secretly relieved that it had come to nau...

Chapter 80 - Final Preparations

That night, Abby flitted from one shadow to the next, barely making a whisper as she infiltrated the residential area for the guild’s inner members. Once, she’d dreamed of owning one of the mansions in the luxurious neighborhood, but now, she saw it for what it was – the result of hypocrisy, greed, and corruption. The whole affair with Elder Einar had taught her that. If the guild could look the other way while one of its members murdered children in the pursuit of power, they were capa...

Chapter 79 - Training

Zeke tried to raise his shield in time to intercept the blow, but he was too slow. A split-second later, a weighted training sword crashed into his armored shoulder. His armor didn’t clang like metal; instead, it sounded more like plastic. However, it held up to the attack well. There were no dents. No scratches. It was entirely unmarred, despite the punishment it had received over the past few days.

“Too slow,” said Master Silas, standing nearby with his hands in his voluminous s...

Weekly Check-In

I'm really happy with the chapters that were published this week (I loved writing Friday's chapter), and I'm super excited about what's coming next.  So, what are your thoughts?  Any comments?  Questions?  Let me know, and I'll try to address everything!

Chapter 78 - The Twins

Talia clutched her ribs, trying to ignore the blood seeping between her fingers as her eyes darted around, obsessively scanning her surroundings. There were only a handful of them left – a couple of warriors whose names she’d never bothered to learn, Abdul, and herself. They were all injured to some degree or another, but Abdul was the worst off. Not only was he bleeding from a dozen wounds, but one of his hands was missing as well. He bore a jagged gash that ran diagonally across his fac...

Chapter 77 - Disappointment and Opportunities

“I’m sorry, but there doesn’t really seem to be enough evidence to accuse Elder Einar of any wrongdoing,” the man said. Dirk’s official title was Warden, and given what Abby had told Zeke about how things worked, he was responsible for guarding the Champions of the Light’s wealth. Eventually, he’d be replaced by someone else, but his post was seen as something of an honor within the guild.

“But, Dirk,” Abby said. “The bookseller –”

“Identified someone who...

Chapter 76 - The Smart Way

Still wearing his armor, Zeke made his way through the city, drawing more than a few curious glances along the way. He did note that, as he strode down the streets, the crowds of pedestrians parted before him. They’d been conditioned to make way for those more powerful, and his armor marked him as such. On top of that, he’d reached level fifteen, which wasn’t possible without a significant amount of time hunting monsters. Even the artisans weren’t free from that requirement, which mad...

Weekly Check-In

Another week is now in the books, and I'm really pleased with how the story's going.  I just wrote a really cool arc that I had a lot of fun with, and I'm eager to see what you'll all think of it (when I get it posted, though it's like chapters 110-120, so it's going to be a bit).  Anyway, what I think isn't really what's important.  I'd rather hear your thoughts about how the story has progressed.  Do you have any comments, criticisms, or questions?  Feel free to ask...

Chapter 75 - Armor

Zeke was still fuming as he stalked through the city, a mindset that must have been imminently readable in his expression because the other pedestrians were quick to get out of his way. Of course, that might have been aided by the pony-sized dire bear at his heels. More than one gasp of surprise or tremble of fear followed in his wake. Zeke ignored all of it. Pudge was harmless – at least until he wasn’t.

His conversation with Abby had served to both stoke the fire of anger within h...

Chapter 74 - Human Nature

Abby knew Zeke was on his way, if only because of how antsy and excited Pudge suddenly became. The bear was practically prancing around their inn room, which, for a beast his size, quickly became problematic. It wasn’t long before Abby had given up on resetting the toppled furniture, at least until Zeke returned and Pudge regained some semblance of calm.

Against all odds, the cub had grown even larger. Instead of being the size of a Saint Bernard, he was now pushing into the realm usu...

Chapter 73 - The First Threshold

Sitting in the cottage in the middle of the sewers, Zeke turned the slim book that he’d found near the altar over in his hands, inspecting the unadorned cover. It was made of some unnamed leather that, instinctively, he knew wasn’t bovine in origin. But at least it wasn’t human skin, which was something he wished he didn’t know for certain. Images of the trolls’ preferred leather flashed through his mind.

Opening it, one glance at the text told him that it hadn’t been writte...

Weekly Check-In

It's Saturday, so you all know what that means!  I'd love to hear what you all think of the overall story, this week's arc, or, really, anything else.  If you have any questions, those are fair game as well! 

Chapter 72 - Fecal Fiend

Zeke suppressed an urge to vomit as he watched the vaguely humanoid mass of sludge undulate in his direction. To call it grotesque would’ve been underselling just how disgusting the thing was. Twelve feet of writhing muck stepped forward, sending an impressive wave of sewage through the pool. The tainted liquid slopped over the edge and onto the stone floor, spreading its vileness in a wide circle.

At least it doesn’t move very quickly, Zeke thought, noticing the thing’s ...

Chapter 71 - Ritual

Zeke’s mace slammed into the priest’s face, shattering its skull into a million bloody pieces. It dropped to the slime-coated stone floor, but it was soon replaced by two more of the robed lizardkin. He snapped a kick out, sending one careening into the wall. It hit with a satisfying crunch of broken bones, but Zeke hardly noticed. At only four-feet-tall, the creatures were small and light enough that sending them flying through the air had become trivial. It was a good thing, too, becaus...

Secondary Project

I'm about to start working a little more diligently on a new project (in addition to Death: Genesis), and I'd love to know what you all would prefer.  The choices are pretty simple: a science fiction, apocalypse LitRPG or a VRMMO LitRPG.  I keep going back and forth on which one I want to work on (eventually, I'll get to both), so I figured I'd ask the folks who are supporting my writing.  So - which would you prefer?  Any comments are also appreciated!

Chapter 70 - Spymaster

Abby trekked through the city, climbing the main ramp and barely noticing her surroundings. Once upon a time, before she’d begun to see the seedier side of Beacon, she’d been awestruck by the magical city, but the more details she’d discovered about her new home, the less impressed she’d become. As one of the few truly safe places in their new world, Beacon was a melting pot of humanity. All sorts of people made it their home. Good, bad, and everything in between – and it was afflic...

Weekly Check-In

It's Saturday, which means it's time for this week's check-in.  So, what do you think of the story so far?  Do you have any questions or comments?  We're coming up on one of my favorite sequences (that I've written so far), so I'm excited to see what you'll all think of it!  In any case, let me know what you're all thinking!

Chapter 69 - Lizards

The moment Zeke stepped past the sewer grate, he knew he was in for a miserable experience. It wasn’t surprising, considering the purpose of the tunnel before him. Zeke had never considered himself claustrophobic, but he couldn’t suppress a sense of unease as he traversed the narrow corridor. Crouching slightly, his wide shoulders brushed against the various copper pipes that lined the brick walls.

And then there was the smell. Human waste, small, rotting animal corpses, and fetid w...

Chapter 68 - Investigation

Heavy sheets of rain fell from the sky as Abby stood next to Zeke, who was staring at the sewer grate with obvious apprehension. Abby could sympathize with his feelings on the matter, given the mission Zeke was expected to complete.

“Sewers, though?” he muttered under his breath. “Why does it have to be sewers?”

“If it’s any consolation, those tunnels are more for drainage than for waste,” Abby said. “It shouldn’t be too bad.” He cut his eyes at her, and she sa...

Chapter 67 - The Champions of Light

“You didn’t say anything about a monster,” said the innkeeper, Bruce. With his arms crossed over his broad chest, he added, “Going to have to charge extra for that.”

Abby rolled her eyes, saying, “Come on, Bruce. We’re friends.”

“And that thing’s the size of a small pony,” the man stated, not backing down an inch. “I’m not feeding it, either.”

Zeke looked down at his companion. Indeed, Pudge had gotten quite a bit bigger since he’d found the cub...

Weekly Check-In

Another week gone, and it's time for this week's check-in!  We're steadily climbing toward the next goal, which will increase my publishing schedule to four days a week (from three), and I couldn't be happier with the response so far.  So, thank you all for your support.  It means the world to me to know that people like my work enough that they'll spend their own hard-earned money to enjoy it.  

I also wanted to take this opportunity to announce that I've selected m...

Chapter 66 - Tailors and Tacos

“This all feels so weird,” Zeke said, tugging at the shirt in the middle of the tailor’s shop. The top was loose-fitting and white, without any decorations aside from the laces down the front, but it suited him well. Coupled with the fitted breeches and the knee-high boots he wore, he cut a dashing, if simply dressed, figure. Or at least that was Abby’s impression, biased though it was.

“Because you haven’t worn proper clothes for a while?” she asked with a knowing smirk. ...

Chapter 65 - An Unnecessary Apology

After wandering around Beacon for another few hours and taking in the city’s sights, Zeke began to understand why Abby had wanted to show him around. To him, it was as if every turn showed him something wondrous. Whether it was an immaculate statue of some long-dead hero, a small park filled with softly glowing flowers, or the sheer variety of humanity within, the city of Beacon was an overwhelming place, and Zeke felt certain that it would take him years to take it all in. And he hadn’t ...

Chapter 64 - Equipment

Another long one today, but I had a lot of ground to cover with this chapter!  Hope you all enjoy it!

“Are you feeling up to this?” asked Hawthorne, who seemed much more composed than he had in the basement. The old man sipped something from a chunky, brown mug before adding, “You still seem a bit wobbly to me.”

Zeke insisted, “I’m fine.”

However, his words were betrayed by a sudden bout of vertigo that had him clutching a nearby counter f...

Weekly Check-In

It's Saturday, so that means it's time for this week's check-in, where you all can ask me questions or let me know what you think of how the story's going so far.  So, ask away - I'll do my best to be near my computer for most of the day, and I'll try to answer as quickly as possible!  

Chapter 63 - What Doesn't Kill You...

Zeke’s eyes fluttered open, and he was greeted by the sight of Abby leaning over him, an expression of concern painted across her face. More than that, there was a set of notifications flashing across his status.

Congratulations! You have endured a deadly poison, letting it infuse your entire body. By doing so, you have unlocked [Resistances]!

He blinked a couple of times before reading the next notification.

Poison and Arcane Resistances increased...