PenguinKills

Chapter 427 - First to Bleed

Anders

Ottawa

Anders strained in an effort to give his all in pushing the tower forward. Being opposite his Lord, the tower threatened to veer to the left under his vastly greater strength. Anders couldn't have countered on his own, but the work of dozens of people barely kept their path straight.

They could have asked Chris to slow down, to tone down how hard he was pushing, but none of them were willing to do so. They knew how he was, and...

Chapter 426 - Ever Forward

Chris

Ottawa

I sat upon a ledge of ice and watched the snow fall from the summer sky. Months now, we had been at this. Months this war had lasted, and I had long grown weary of the… weight that had to be bared.

Still, there were times, moments, that helped ease that weight, and now was one of those.

My Spirit, over the days and weeks, had slowly begun to knit itself back together. The tear that had nearly sheared it nearly in two ha...

Chapter 425 - You are Healed

Sorry for the delay!

~~

Ryan Clairmont

Ryan's life following what happened only processed in flashes. Brief moments of discorded memory that were nearly impossible to make sense of. Delirium was his one and only friend, while his body seemed to go through a circus ride of self-defense mechanisms.

He would wake in darkness, covered in sweat and feel so hot that a fire seemed chilly, and then others, he would wake in daylight to the chill...

Chapter 424 - Should Have Before

Max, Guard Captain of Smoothrock

Smoothrock

Death rained from the sky in the form of a giant hammer. It killed indiscriminately and utterly. Max could only watch as his men, some of whom were friends, exploded from an unseen force.

Some weren’t even hit by the swing, but they died all the same.

It was futile. All of it was futile.

What was the point of resisting if one swing ended your existence? What was the point if an erran...

Chapter 423 - Impact

Chris

My heart pounded as I commanded the charge forward with my shield raised. The city hadn't sat by and watched as we amassed our forces, and as soon as the section of wall fell, bells began to ring throughout the city.

Soldier after soldier appeared atop the wall in haphazard ranks, strapping on their armor as they hastened to their position. Some even had thick blankets wrapped around them to ward off the cold.

Their bowmen's hands shook as bows were passed out and arro...

Chapter 422 - Victory or Death

Chris

Siege of Smoothrock

My forging hammer slammed down, and lines of mana spread across the boulder's surface, completing the very temporary and ramshackle enchantment.

“Try this one,” I said after sweeping it with my Skills and mana sense. It wouldn’t last long, but then again, it didn’t need to.

“Loading!” Jacks shouted the notice for everyone to get out of the way. Moments later, the boulder lifted off the ground and slotted into the sling poc...

Chapter 421 - Doing Something

Chris

The siege began just as the three-hour timer finished. The trebuchets were wheeled into range, and when the time was up, all thirty of them were fired in unison. The boulders soared through the air toward the walls as shields and spells rose to meet them.

Three stones were broken by large spells sent to meet them, two more by arrows launched by powerful bows, and twelve broke upon impact with a layer of [Mana Shields].

Thirteen rained down upo...

Chapter 420 - Plan for Smoothrock

--AN--

Sorry for the lateness, I spent most of the day dealing with over a foot of snow. Oh how I wish I had Christopher's powers at times.

Chris

The days that followed weren’t the most enjoyable, but they passed nonetheless. The search of Fort Hope amounted to nothing but wasted time and effort. No one on Killian’s team found any sign that Ryan had been there at all, nor had any of the wolves found his scent.

Ashton was thrilled wh...

Chapter 419 - Logistical Problems

Chris

Fort Hope

I was put on the spot and wasn't sure how to respond, so I did the first thing that came to mind. I delayed. Instead of answering right then and there, I told Ashton that I would think about it. It was neither acceptance nor refusal, and I honestly wasn't sure which answer I was leaning towards.

Sure, he'd pissed me off a few times, but he never actually did anything that bad. Nothing irredeemable, or close for that...

Chapter 418 - Unexpected Development

Chris

Outside Fort Hope

I pulled Remi to a stop just as Fort Hope came into view and stared out at the thick stone walls. The city had come a long way since the first time I’d seen it. Back then, it was a hodge-podge of wooden stakes and mounds of dirt.

Now, it looked like a proper city, with the defenses and fortifications to defend it.

At my halt, everyone behind me sprang into motion without needing to be prompted. Wagons were un...

Chapter 417 - Beyond Mere Rage

Fitzwallace, (The Admiral)

New Norfolk

“What, exactly, did he say again?” Fitzwallace asked, assuming he’d heard his friend wrong the first time.

“ 'All trade, agreements, alliances, or deals made with the Faction New Canada be revoked. All materials, gold, skill shards, or the sale of dungeon access to its Faction members be denied. Any Merchant Company associated with his Faction and has its headquarters inside New Canada’s bord...

Chapter 416 - Happenings in the East

Three Months Later

Austin

West of the Mountains

His eyes cracked open just as the sun was beginning to crest the horizon. Waking at sunrise was becoming a more and more common occurrence. It was like his natural rhythm was stirred when dawn broke, and he awoke with the sun.

It didn’t happen every day, as there were times such a rousing wasn’t enough, like after tough fights or long nights in the tavern, but today wasn’t...

Chapter 415 - Gods of Man

Vasariametz

The Braveheart Kingdom

"Ha!" Prydwen exclaimed, laughing loudly at the scene in the Scrying Pool, "Serves that pompous asshole right!"

Vasaria's Projection had arrived not that long ago and only caught the tail end of what seemed to be a duel of some kind. One involving a terribly conspicuous sword, and a human he'd not thought about in a while.

"I see there's no love lost between you and the Father of Light," Vasaria teas...

Chapter 414 - Revalations

Two Weeks Ago

Ryan Clairemont

Pain consumed his existence. It was the only thing he could think about or feel. Any attempt to do otherwise was impossible. He couldn't even think about getting up and hobbling away, let alone set about doing it.

His arm was just gone. His leg was gone. He'd used up the last of his mana just to stop the bleeding. His Bloodline did what it could to put the pieces that were his body back togeth...

Chapter 413 - Conditional and Unconditional

Chris

As it turned out, my presence wasn’t that necessary back in the West. After getting healed up and making my way back, I received a message stating that a parley had been called, and peace talks were about to begin.

He’d invited me to join, but I wanted to get a better picture of what was happening before I delved too deeply into that. I still wasn’t certain of what The Reservation was doing after their retreat.

Based on the fact they had...

Chapter 412 - Parley

Chris

Standing there talking while in excruciating pain was wearing on my patience. My still lingering anger didn’t help matters, and what I was about to do next was something Abigail would say was… ill-advised, but I didn’t much care at this point.

I wanted to sleep, wanted to magically teleport home. I wanted to wake up tomorrow and have everything already solved and over with.

Yet when I woke tomorrow, none of that would be true.

“Y...

Chapter 411 - Bad to Worse

Robert

Outside East Fort

How did things go so, so wrong, Robert asked himself as he was once again watching the hammer of ice soar through the air. The first time was when it had been thrown high, to start a duel that was already a bad idea.

Now, for the second time, he asked himself that question while watching it shoot across the area with the intent to kill.

If Robert had thought the feat of strength from before was impres...

Chapter 410 - Immutable

Chris

There was a brief pause as everyone who had been fighting realized that both Zuri and Vanessa were still alive. Roughed up a bit, but still breathing. Ryan looked at the two of them curiously, while Bri’s expressions didn’t change.

Robert was relieved, and it seemed as though a weight had been lifted. Funny how he was doing the opposite to us right now.

That pause ended as I launched forward at Bri with my hammer raised. She was quick, agi...

Chapter 409 - Gravity of the Situation

Chris

Outside East Fort

I had known this was a possibility from the start, but I just hadn't thought they'd go through with it. Maybe it was my thinking that clouded my judgment? The fact that the actions I was witnessing were something I wouldn't even consider.

It didn't matter now.

Bri was hurtling forward far faster than I could match, and I wasn't sure what kind of condition Vanessa was in. Her shield could have held, and she coul...

Chapter 408 - Star Fall

Robert (cont.)

Outside East Fort

The hammer impacted the ground similar to a ballistic missile from Before. That much weight falling from so high up sent snow and dirt flying in every direction, along with a deep, drawn-out thud. Perfect for a starting gun, even if Robert didn’t agree with the duel.

Upon impact, spells from the two fighters were cast instantly. Blazing fire mana coursed through Vanessa’s hand and into a spell structure ...

Chapter 407 - Agreed and Witnessed

--AN--

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and to inform you that like RR, there will be no chapter Christmas Eve. BUT, I will try to put one out Friday. I'm not sure if it will come on Friday or if it will come on Saturday, but I'll do my best to get an extra one out for you guys.

Thank you and Happy Holidays.

~~

Chris

Vanessa made no attempt to conceal or rein in her aura whatsoever. It blazed brightly and with an intensity impossible ...

Chapter 406 - A Matter of Wants

Chris

East Fort

I spent most of the first day resting. A Healer also finally closed the wound in my side, but by then, my Vitality had done a lot of the work. [Cold Meditation] helped, but it was too low a grade to do much.

My Body and Fortitude made me hard to heal.

The second day was spent… differently.

I walked the walls, exploring the Fort and its surroundings. The construction of it was solid, but Jonathan would know bett...

Chapter 405 - Sooner Than I Thought

Chris

East Fort

“Oh, what I wouldn’t give to have my Healing Bed with me,” I muttered to myself.

It had been a tiring few days, and my body was on the edge of exhaustion. The fighting, the running, the fighting again, the running, and then fighting some more. Even with my Spirit coursing through me, it was barely enough to keep me going.

After my discussion with Michal concluded, I was led to a well-furnished room in order to re...

Chapter 404 - Fire and Fuel

Chris

East Fort

After being interrupted on my way to the next Fort, I continued on but stopped after only one fight for the day. The numbers were growing the closer I got to where they were concentrating their attack, and things were turning into a slog.

Fights weren't the moments of intense battle that they'd been at the start. They were long, drawn-out chases most of the time, where, throughout it all, I was getting shot at, attacked, spe...

Chapter 403 - Six Barons

Vanessa

A small smile played at her lips for the first time in weeks. Somewhere in the back of her head, she knew that getting joy knowing people were dying was wrong, but she just couldn’t help it.

After watching her glorious red markers slowly get pushed back day after day, as their numbers were continuously, albeit slowly, cut down, she allowed herself a touch of joy.

Joy at watching white marker after white marker disappear.

Rapidly and ...

Chapter 402 - Then and Now

Chris

The maps were given freely, and I had my next few targets. Based on how quickly I had dealt with the first, I imagined I could handle two or three a day if they were of the same difficulty.

I doubted they would be, though. This one didn’t seem to be made up of any heavy hitters or Faction elites. Plus, Zuri was still out there, and I didn’t forget that there was still New Canada and Boston to consider.

Still, as I set out from one Fort to ...

Chapter 401 - The Price

Chris

Fort South

My body was an absolute wreck, and the brief respite from the two levels I'd just gained didn't last long. The essence coursing through me did more psychologically than physically to repair my condition.

I had just enough Spirit left to use it as a crutch to limp back toward Vanessa's Fort 'whatever'. Rachel had relayed the names of all of them, but I hadn't kept track. There were way too many for that.

For one of the...

Chapter 400 - A Whole Lot

Zach

Fort South

[Water Blade] after [Water Blade] launched from his hand, followed by a select few [Water Spears] where he targeted specific enemies to take down. The water was fighting him, threatening to freeze or ice over. His spells took more mana and effort to cast correctly and accurately.

In some cases, the freezing was actually better, but it threw off his aim when it happened unexpectedly. If it didn't freeze evenly, it wo...

Chapter 399 - Direction to Swing

Rachel

Flame Falls

The city looked identical to two months ago when she was here last, passing through. She had missed the fire mana in the air and the brisk air compared to the frigidness outside, but it was slightly annoying to be back so soon still.

She'd sent word ahead of her arrival, so Rachel wasn't surprised to see a messenger waiting for her at the city's gates. The man didn't say much besides urging her to follow, which she did after handi...

Chapter 398 - Pieces Moving

Rachel

Emberhold

One month. That was how long she had before being called away from home again. One month. First was the Assembly that she had spent most of the year traveling to, participating in, and traveling back from.

Now, she was off to fight in yet another war.

And there had only been one month of relaxation between the two. She hadn't even had any time to replace her Profession yet. Which, admittedly, was a good thing in the l...