ericdontigney

Notifications, Part 2

Okay, so I think that I’m going to take a pass on sending out multiple notifications every time I move chapters between tiers. it’ll overwhelm people’s inboxes. Instead, I’ll send out a notification that I’ve updated the welcome/chapters post. That will limit the notifications to one or two per day, but also let people know when to go look for new chapters. 

Unintended Cultivator: Chapter 78 – Transition

The walk back to Grandmother Lu’s house was done mostly in silence. Sen had expected that he’d feel different when everything was done, changed somehow by bringing the conflict to a close. Instead, he just felt a vague sense of emptiness and fatigue. It made a certain kind of sense to him, though. The situation had changed, but whatever changes he might have gone through weren’t especially wrapped up in that situation. The conflict had driven some advancement, but almo...

Notifications

Several of you have indicated that you aren't getting notifications when I publish new chapters or make chapters available for your tier. Sadly, I don't have any real control over notifications. I have alerted Patreon that people aren't getting notifications. Hopefully, they can sort out the problem on the back end.

The only advice I can provide at this time is the old tried-and-true method for dealing with any computer problem. Have you tried turning it (notifications) off and back on ...

Behold! Brownies!

Rinn's Run: Chapter 18 - Mercies

Kalan stormed onto his bridge and ordered, “Get me someone on the comms!”

“Right away, captain,” said Em, unperturbed by Kalan’s tone of voice.

Kalan paced back and forth in barely controlled fury as Fresia and Petronan stepped onto the bridge and stood there in silence. He shot them a look that made Fresia flinch and Petronan stiffen his spine. Kalan looked away. He wasn’t angry with them. They were just in his proximity at the wrong moment. The pacing continued for a...

Unintended Cultivator: Chapter 77 - What Goes by Night, Part 4

The guards who were there that night would talk about it later. They only spoke of it to each other, in hushed tones, fearing that others would think them mad. Yet, they knew what had happened. For whatever reason, whether it was the heavens sending a rebuke, demons acting out their inscrutable plans, or simply the whims of angry spirits, the shadows came alive that night. All of their stories were different, yet they were also the same. There was no warning or telltale sign, just a moment wh...

Unintended Updates

Okay, let's start with the artwork. I reached out to an artist who does work that I really like, and they didn't bother to get back to me. I don't know why. Maybe they don't like money? So, I will be reaching out to one of the alternative artists I'd considered and see if they'd like money from me to make some art. Anyway, the takeaway here is that I'm going to try to have a Master Feng image of some kind for you by either the end of the week or early next week.

As for the results of th...

Unintended Cultivator: Chapter 76 - What Goes by Night, Part 3

After taking a moment to ensure that Grandmother Lu was simply tired, rather than injured, and giving her a brief hug, Sen turned to face the last being he’d expected to see. Falling Leaf was still hovering near the injured Zhang Muchen, but no longer crouched directly over his body. Sen walked over to where she stood. He rested a hand on her warm back as he crouched down to examine the old servant who remained still. Sen briefly worried that he might be dead, but he saw the man take a brea...

Unintended Cultivator: Chapter 75 - What Goes by Night, Part 2

The woman was staring at Sen like he’d stepped out of some particularly horrible legend or nightmare. Even in the relative darkness, she looked pale. Sen did his best to distance himself from the idea that these were human beings. Some part of him simply loathed this aspect of being a cultivator, while another part was simply resigned to the idea. He’d been back in Orchard’s Reach for all of three of four days. In that time, he’d handed out serious injuries to seven cultivators and ki...

Unintended Cultivator: Chapter 74 - What Goes by Night, Part 1

After a discussion about where it would be best to have the fight, should it come to a fight, Grandmother Lu decided that she’d rather it happened at the shop. When Sen asked her why, she shrugged and said it would put fewer people in danger. Nobody lived in the shop, while she had servants at the house. The argument came when Sen insisted that he stay at the shop, while Grandmother Lu returned to her home.

“Why in the world would I agree to something like that?”

“Two reas...

Unintended Cultivator: POV Poll

Volume One of Unintended Cultivator is told from Sen's general point of view. That has/had a lot of utility value for the first book, largely because Sen was transitioning from a state of near-total ignorance to one of knowledge. As Volume Two draws ever closer, though, I've been thinking that excluding other POVs will become more of a needless limitation than a benefit. 

Still, I'd like to get a read on what you guys think about me introducing other POV characters. As a general ru...

Rinn's Run: Chapter 17 - Ariadne Base

Kalan woke up the next day with a profound feeling of relief. He understood the necessity of what he’d put Fresia through, but he’d despised it. It had never once occurred to him that it was nearly as much of a psychological trial to inflict such an experience as it was to endure it. He checked in with the ship. The AI told him that Fresia was still in her quarters and still in a deep, deep sleep. Kalan took the time to fix a tray of food for the girl and left it in her quarters. She’d ...

Unintended Cultivator: Chapter 73 – Spoils, Part 3

Sen started by pulling out the small, enchanted box that Master Feng had given him. “With compliments of Master Feng and Auntie Caihong.”

Grandmother Lu took the box and, with more nervousness than Sen thought was wholly appropriate, she opened it. The room was almost immediately overwhelmed with a potent medicinal smell and a burst of qi. Grandmother Lu quickly snatched a piece of paper out of the box and closed it. She read over the note. Then, she read it over again. Sen watched ...

Unintended Update

Okay. So, the poll remains open for the next Unintended Cultivator image, but Master Feng has been the front runner almost since word go. Unless something dramatically changes overnight, there's a good chance that his picture is next up in the commission queue.

I also noticed that several people signed up for the Food Porn Edition of the $15 level. You guys make me smile. Also know that I have seen you, and the food images will commence very soon. Possibly later tonight. Maybe ...

Unintended Cultivator: Chapter 72 – Spoils, Part 2

Grandmother Lu and all of her workers were waiting inside the shop. When he stepped back inside, all of them bowed to Sen. He knew they meant it to convey their respect, but it mostly just made him uncomfortable. No wonder Master Feng tried to keep a low profile when he went away all those times, thought Sen. Sen supposed that some people might crave that kind of attention all the time, but he could do without it. Still, there was no getting around the people in the shop. He gave the...

Unintended Cultivator: Chapter 71 – Spoils, Part 1

Sen stared down at the corpse that used to be Chen Aiguo. It took Sen a moment to realize that he was waiting for something to happen. Heavenly rebuke? Overwhelming emotions? Neither happened. If the heavens were troubled by what he had done, they were keeping it to themselves. As for emotions, Sen did feel some regret. It had been a pointless and avoidable death that served no one’s ends. Chen Aiguo had not accomplished his goals and never would again. The mayor hadn’t accomplished his g...

Unintended Artwork Poll

I’m still trying out artists. So, for my next test run, which character would you like to see artwork for?

Unintended Cultivator: Chapter 70 – The Absence of Choice

Sen felt a sliver of cold dread as he made his way back through the shop under the frightened, watchful gazes of the workers. It wasn’t a worry that he might get hurt. He’d been hurt before. He wasn’t even truly concerned that he might die. It was a possibility, but he’d faced that possibility before as well. Besides, if it really was his time to die, somehow fated to be, then worry wouldn’t help. Sen’s dread came from words the man had shouted. Come out and face your death. The m...

Unintended Cultivator: Chapter 69 – Yesterday’s Sins

After a brief discussion and a quick meal, Sen accompanied Grandmother Lu back to her shop. She wasn’t comfortable simply carrying around anything as valuable as beast cores. It turned out that she didn’t have a storage ring of her own, which Sen found odd at first.

“I don’t deal with many things that would call for them. Oh, they’re terribly useful things, but a well-guarded caravan gets the job done just as well. Plus, if you look around the shop, I deal with mortal luxury i...

Unintended Cultivator: Chapter 68 – Making Good

Sen wasn’t sure if it was some kind of bad luck or weird karma, but he managed to scare the same maid. He’d found the kitchen and made tea. Then, he’d sat down at the small table in the kitchen to enjoy his tea. Not too long after, the maid came into the kitchen and saw him sitting there. She let out a brief shriek before clamping a hand over her own mouth. Given that he’d just been sitting there with a cup of tea in his hand, Sen couldn’t quite find it in himself to feel bad about ...

Updates and (unrelated) Destiny 2

Okay, so, first things first. The first of the $15 tier chapters will post this afternoon. Hurray! 

Second, my habit of late has been to publish 2 chapters per day both here and on Royal Road. But after the 30th or 50th or 100th comment on RR expressing some concern that I MUST be heading straight into burnout territory, I'm changing that policy...at least temporarily. I'll be moving to a one chapter per day, M-F schedule on RR for the next week or two to see how that works for me....

Unintended Cultivator: Chapter 67 – Quick Fix

When Sen came to, he was still sprawled out on the floor. He tried to gauge what time it was, or even what day it was, but it was a hopeless task beyond a general assessment that it was dark out. He pushed himself up and was happy to discover that, once again, his breakthrough did not involve his body expelling vast amounts of impurities. Master Feng had assured him that those were over unless something drastic changed in Sen’s body cultivation. Still, it was always a relief to come out of ...