PenguinKills

Chapter 339 - Breach

Chris

It felt like I had been under attack for hours, even though it had only been a few minutes. I may, just may, have overestimated my ability to shrug off attacks. When I first approached the city, there weren't that many people I felt with [Aura Detection] that gave me pause.

There was one I assumed was the city Leader, a barely contained fire that burnt away at my aura when it got close to the man. Another that felt... bloody, but not in a s...

Chapter 338 - Battering Ram

Chris

Lakeshore

The message was delivered, and I ensured that everyone heard it. It was the best I could do, and I had to be content with that, even if it felt like it wasn't enough. Three hours wasn't a long time, but it was a convenient time. A convenient time for me, at least.

I was surprised no one shot at me, but I was left to walk back towards our camp unmolested. I had eyed the weapons and soldiers atop the wall, and wondered if I co...

Chapter 337 - Three Hours

Victor

Lakeshore

"They failed, boss," Dez reported, even though it was information Victor had assumed from the outset.

"Did they get any?" Victor responded dispassionately. He wasn't holding out hope. The Assassins were good, but they weren't great. There wasn't exactly a lot of opportunity or need to employ their services.

The few times Victor had used them, they were one-off deals that rarely resulted in a return tr...

Chapter 336 - Justification and Reticence

Chris

Camp outside Lakeshore

"The Walls look strongest here, here, and here. If we are to break through any spot, it would be here, on the back side facing the Lake. The other three sides facing land have recently been reinforced, yet they neglected the side facing the water." Hal detailed the information he had gotten from the Scouts.

Some of them even had Skills dedicated to identifying weak points, but they were low-rarity. There hadn't ...

Chapter 335 - They're Coming

Victor

Lakeshore

They were coming. Deep down, he knew they would, but there was a small part of him that thought they might posture and demand recompense, but those stages were skipped over completely.

Nope. Straight to war.

They didn't even send a declaration or anything. They probably assume it's already been declared after the mine.

Victor was given a month to prepare, and he did everything he could feasibly do. Ther...

Chapter 334 - Two Hours

Gavin

Frostheim

Hal was nowhere to be found, and Gavin wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Younger, lower-level members were looking at him as if he were in charge, and Gavin most certainly was not!

He didn't know anything more than they did! Why were they looking at him like he did?!

Still, he did the only thing that made any sense and sent everyone towards the courtyard inside the Inner Wall. When they'd drilled for three horns,...

Chapter 333 - Four, Muster for War

Chris

Frostheim

The urge to do many things hit me all at the same time as the messenger relayed what he knew. A large force suddenly attacked the mine under the cover of night. The guards and miners fought back, but they were slaughtered. Fleeing miners were chased into the woods as they escaped.

Only a few made it out, and the one in front of me had run with everything he had to make it back here as quickly as possible.

Every further...

Chapter 332 - Not Even Settled

Chris

Frostheim

I separated from Lucille and walked to meet Ashley away from our testing area. I wasn't sure why our Healer was running at me, and just in case it was something sensitive, I stepped aside.

Ashley easily closed the distance and was in front of me swiftly, and her face made it clear she wasn't bringing good news.

Bad news and a running Doctor...

"Chris..." She wa...

Chapter 331 - Dungeon Curator

Victor

Lakeshore

"Do it." Victor sent the message and sighed.

It was now or never. The crystal mine was at an all-time low in the number of defenders, and Victor didn't think another chance would come like this. They were supposedly having a grand Festival, and many were miles away drinking into the night.

Too bad they never thought they would be attacked. Too arrogant or too blind, it didn't matter which. Victor would take advantage ...

Chapter 330 - Festivities

Chris

Frostheim

As much fun as it would have been to stay with the Seed, I had to come home eventually. We had already lined up a few trustworthy guards to watch it while I was gone.

After handing it off to them, I then made my return trip.

A lot had changed in such a short time. I was having a good ole time relaxing as everyone else continued on. I knew Abigail and Jon were both close to evolving, but I hadn't thought they would do i...

Chapter 329 - Touch of Wrath

Abigail

The woods surrounding Frostheim

It was only fitting that her return home was marred by snow. Well, marred wasn't the right word, as it wasn't much of an impediment anymore. It may not be the same as Water, but it was still made up of it. She could manipulate it if she tried.

Not as easily, mind you, but that didn't mean it was barred from her powers. An Epic manipulation skill could do a lot more than first assumed. It was somewhat ...

Chapter 328 - Tale of Three Rivers

Chris

Hudson Bay

There was a certain amount of clarity that came with being alone. Being alone and surrounded by blessed silence led to the most relaxed I had felt in a long while. Planting the seed and experiencing my little slice of Winter had a lot to do with it.

I felt stupid for worrying about the decision to wait or not. At some point, I had started thinking about leveling up as a race, and it was never a race. Or if it was, it was a ...

Chapter 327 - Bidding Farewell

Austin

Frostheim

Of course it's right as I plan to leave that things get interesting. For nearly a year, nothing of note had happened. No monster attacks, no Demons found, no nothing.

Then, just as Austin was preparing and packing to leave, something big happened. Well, not big big, but still something that stood out.

Christopher issuing ultimatums and such. The diplomatic equivalent of telling Lakeshore 'fuck around and find...

Chapter 326 - Transgressed

Hal

Slightly North of Lake Superior

Hal didn't mind the woods. Most days, he found them rather peaceful and relaxing.

One would think that now that they held actual monsters and beasts that could kill a normal human with a sneeze, that peacefulness would go away, but Hal didn't think so. The spice of danger kept it from becoming something it wasn't.

Not that there were beasts nearby that could put him in danger. Only D-ranks could threaten him...

Chapter 325 - Classes and Professions

Chris

Hudson Bay

I had reached the cap. With the final level, I was now level 100 in both my Class and Profession.

It felt... satisfying.

Instead of rushing to take a peek at what my options were, I instead sat down and took a breath. I watched the Formation get to work and just took everything in.

The waves splashed against the ice, snow fell from the sky, and the cold gradually got colder. I even threw a handful of crystals in...

Chapter 324 - Meaning Made into Structure

~~AN~~
This one is entirely new.

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Chris

Hudson Bay

'Runes are meaning made into structure.'

That was the line I kept repeating in my head. It was said many times in the books, and I was still trying to wrap my head around it all. I knew all this magic and mana was mind-blowing, but meaning made into something tangible didn't make any sense.

Mana, sure, I could get that over time. I co...

Chapter 323 - The Society

~~AN~~
This has pieces of the old Chapter 325, but enough of it is new I recommend reading the entire thing.

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Edward Halstead

St. Louis

Headquarters of the Historian's Society

The usual sounds of scribes writing down information or shuffling parchment were absent on this day. The scruff of pen on parchment had been absent many days as of late. Most of the Society had been sent out and they weren't so large t...

Chapter 322 - Austin's Plans

~~AN~~
This one is entirely new.

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Austin

Frostheim

Austin marveled at the work of art resting in his hands. The leather-wrapped shaft provided a comfortable weight that he had sorely missed in recent times.

He hadn't expected the devastation that came with his weapon breaking. He'd never been one for over-the-top sentiment, but it was a blow to have the weapon he had been using for years break on him.

Chapter 321 - One and Only Warning

~~AN~~

This one is entirely new.

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Hal

Frostheim

Today was not his day. Of all the things to have happened while Abigail was gone, why did it have to be this?

"And you're sure of this?" Hal asked, hoping that his Scout was messing with him.

"Yes sir, three separate scouts have reported the same thing," Gavin replied directly. It spoke well that the man wasn't nervous, but that didn't diminish the imp...

Chapter 320 - Glacial Formation (New)

~~AN~~
The beginning of this chapter is new, but it has parts from old chapters 317 & 319.

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Runes and Spells are sometimes thought to be the same thing in different forms, and that assumption is widely held in the Universe. Even if it is wrong.

Spells are an expression of mana. A spell circle or matrix is an inherently magical language, created to connect with and influence mana and only mana.

Runes are far...