Ike woke up with a sigh. He stretched, fully refreshed after a rare night’s sleep. Rising from the soft bed he slept in, he walked to the window. Below him, the town bustled, full of motion on a fresh morning.
He activated his self-cleaning skill and sighed. So nice. I’ve been waiting for so long, but I finally have it. If not for the weight on his shoulders, he would have felt even better.
“You back asleep again? Making me carry your weight?” Ike asked, peering o...
2024-09-16 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Levi grabbed the remnants of the men’s corpses. He drew his sword and cut the arms off both of their bodies. Setting them aside, he sliced the spines out of the bodies, including the severed spine. He arrayed the pieces together, connecting the spines directly to the shoulder joints. They laid next to each other. Nothing bound them in place. He added a few more shoulder and rib bones for extra support, then slapped his hand down on it. “Go go, necromancy!”
Green light shone from h...
2024-09-16 02:03:50 +0000 UTC
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“Do you have any skills that allow me to clean myself? A self-cleaning skill.”
Wisp rolled her eyes and mimed passing out. “Oh, for crying out loud…”
The proprietor pointed at Ike. “A wise man! A wise man indeed. A filthy man makes no sales, nor does he receive any attention from lovers. Self-cleaning skills are essential to the modern business market! What kind do you want? I have all sorts.”
“All sorts?” Ike asked, suddenly lost.
“Well, for the ba...
2024-09-15 14:00:02 +0000 UTC
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A line of people stood outside the city, waiting to enter. Black-robed mages hot on his heels, Ike sprinted toward the line. As he drew close, he slowed, then slipped in between two men leading carts. He worked his way between the carts, closing in on the gate.
“I think we’ve lost them,” Wisp said, a little disappointed.
Ike glanced over his shoulder. He caught sight of a tiny segment of Wisp’s face. “You wanted to eat them?”
“Yeah.”
He shook his head a...
2024-09-14 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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The thugs charged at Levi. Levi raised his sword in answer. One ran directly at Levi, while the other two looped around to flank him.
“Go, my minions!” Levi called. Green light glowed in the zombies’ eyes, and his mana ticked downward. The kobolds leaped toward the thugs, intercepting the two who meant to flank Levi. A one-on-three battle suddenly became two three-on-ones and one duel.
The center thug suddenly found himself in a one-on-one with a sword. His eyes widened. For...
2024-09-14 03:43:36 +0000 UTC
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A few days passed uneventfully. Occasionally, Ike hunted a deer and the three of them shared it. The things were rampant in the woods. They completely infested the forest. As he tore into the tough meat, Ike frowned. “Why was Clarina being so weird about the deer?”
“I dunno,” Wisp asked.
“She said we had to be from the New Republic because we were eating it… but it didn’t seem to be a symbol of her family,” Ike pointed out.
Wisp shrugged. She snapped the deer...
2024-09-13 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Claws skittered over the ground. Levi spun and found himself facing a hallway full of the lizards. Their jaws gaped. Their giant claws glittered in the torchlight. Uncountable black eyes stared at him with vicious hunger.
Levi’s eyes widened. He sprinted back around the corner. “Where the fuck are those dead lizards?”
Colin startled. He pointed at the floor.
Levi ran to each one, patting its shoulder. “Wake up, wake up, come to daddy, there’s a good boy… Colin! M...
2024-09-13 00:59:07 +0000 UTC
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The floor descended downward. A few of the little monsters like the ones that had swarmed Kai roamed around. They mostly ignored Levi and Colin.
Colin pointed at them.
Levi glanced over. He shook his head. “Nah. This high in the dungeon, it’s going to be well picked over. No loot. EXP is nice, but why not EXP and loot at once? We might as well head lower, rather than waste our energy fighting little gremlins that give almost no EXP and no loot.”
Colin thought about it ...
2024-09-13 00:57:47 +0000 UTC
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They spent the night in the cave. Levi slept. Colin stood near the entrance, gazing down the mountain. It was there that Levi found him in the morning, watching the sun rise. Far, far below, the red army swept through the remnants of the white army. Wagons worked backward, retreating into the white army’s territory. Soldiers in white streamed through the forest. Routed. Fleeing. The red soldiers chased after them, close on their heels.
“Serves them right,” Levi muttered.
Col...
2024-09-13 00:56:53 +0000 UTC
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Colin gasped. He spat blood. Pink-tinged bubbles burst at the corner of his mouth. Clutching his chest, he fell to the ground.
“Healer! Heal thyself!” Levi snapped, tense.
Captain Tash shook her head. “He can’t. The one person healers cannot heal is themselves.”
Levi wrinkled his nose. He scowled at Captain Tash. “What the hell? Why do you have to ruin my dreams? Colin’s dreams? He’s bleeding out!”
Soldiers stepped out of the woods around her. They cl...
2024-09-13 00:56:05 +0000 UTC
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One of the ‘heroes’ lifted a greatsword. She let out a ragged cry and charged. The other ‘heroes’ charged with her. Levi pushed himself to a jog, using the chance to put a little distance between him and the spearmen in the front line. He gestured for Colin to fall in behind him. The blond boy obeyed. He crossed over to the edge of his company and ran a little slower. Levi ran toward him, so the two of them ended up stacked, Levi in front of Colin.
Levi drew his sword. He shoute...
2024-09-13 00:55:06 +0000 UTC
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Letting out a hideous roar, the minotaur charged. Kai led the charge, with Levi and Jake close behind. Brooke pummeled it with fire from the rear. It charged through the flames. They caught in its fur and flickered around its body, but it didn’t let the heat or the pain stop it. With all the power of a linebacker on steroids, it charged for Kai.
Kai met its charge headlong. Planting his feet, he raised his sword to meet its horns. The minotaur twisted its head as it closed in. Its low...
2024-09-13 00:54:15 +0000 UTC
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A/N: One last note! If anyone wants to give serious feedback or beta read, reach out! I would love to hear your thoughts.
At the mouth of the alley, the soldier nodded at Levi and gestured with his spear. Levi beamed at him. “You’re the no questions type. I like that about you.”
“Shut up and walk.”
Levi mimed zipping his lips and moved his feet.
“What was down there?”
“What happened to no questions?”
The soldier angl...
2024-09-13 00:53:21 +0000 UTC
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A/N: What am I thinking? I totally forgot the synopsis! Here it is:
When he's isekai'd into another world, Levi takes it in stride. When he's forced to level up so he can fight in the new world's wars, he grins and hatches with an escape plan. When it turns out he's nothing but cannon fodder to the army, marked for death, he cuts and runs, and damn the consequences.
And so he winds up dead.
But the Goddess of Death has other plans for our hero. She allows his fellow isekai'd...
2024-09-13 00:52:06 +0000 UTC
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A/N: Hey all! I've been working on a new book again. This one's comedy! And if anyone remembers him, it stars Levi! No idea who it is? Don't worry. It's a standalone.
I'm going to put the first six chapters in all the tiers, then relegate it to the two books/Apocalypse Me/Superhero Tiers from then on. If you decide you want it, consider upgrading your membership!
I can't promise a release schedule, since I'm still writing Skill Hunter ...
2024-09-13 00:50:12 +0000 UTC
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Ike woke with the dawn. Wisp laid on the ground beside him, snoozing happily away. He stretched and yawned, then startled. His brows furrowed. “I slept?”
“Yeah. The wine was drugged. Tasty, though.” Shawn patted his shoulder. “Luckily I’m a mountain, and my body doesn’t function the same as a human’s. Or rather, you can’t poison dirt the same way you can a man. I carried you and Wisp after you collapsed last night.”
“Poisoned?” Ike whipped around. He stared...
2024-09-12 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Gold plates and cups sat atop a red silk runner. Lavish dishes that emanated powerful mana sat in the center of the table. Only a few well-dressed mages sat at the table, but how gorgeous, how beautiful they were. A few servants scuttled around, carrying dishes and refilling cups. A gentle wind blew, carrying a perfume with it. Rose petals floated on the air, as if they naturally lived there. The king and queen smiled at Ike and Wisp as they arrived.
Three seats had been reserved for th...
2024-09-11 14:00:05 +0000 UTC
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“I think she wants to mate!”
Ike blushed. Across from him, Clarina startled, her eyes wide. Her blush grew deeper, and she quickly averted her eyes.
“Wisp! You can’t just say that,” Ike admonished her at a hiss.
“Why not? Isn’t it friendly to share the news?” Wisp asked.
Ike put his head in his hands. “Is that how it works with spiders?”
Wisp shrugged. “I dunno. I don’t have a lot of spiders to talk to.”
“Well, it’s not how it ...
2024-09-10 14:08:00 +0000 UTC
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Ike jolted awake. He stood, looking around. What… where…
A cavern spread around him. Vaulted ceilings sported long stalactites that dripped into a bright blue sulfur spring. Some of the stalactites had directly formed into columns, supporting the vast, open space. In the distance, Shawn paddled around, occasionally ducking under the surface of the water. He waved when he saw Ike staring. “Good morning. Have a good nap?”
“I… yeah,” Ike muttered. He rubbed the...
2024-09-09 14:00:06 +0000 UTC
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Without the puppets to deal with, and with the executioner and Roderick already taken out of the picture, the king and his freshly-freed supporters quickly cleaned up the remnants of the New Republic. The queen and Clarina caught up, while Wisp crawled around in the trees and Ike investigated the Unique skill.
He couldn’t get much information on it, even when he drew it out of the storage ring. Heat. Not fire, but heat. He couldn’t tell what part of the body it applied to, or if it ...
2024-09-08 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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As Ike punched, he layered ice on his fist and wrist. He reinforced them with each activation. It wouldn’t be enough to avoid damaging his hand, but it would minimize the damage.
His fist smashed into the executioner’s back. Bones broke, snapping under his fist. The executioner’s ribs snapped. The ice broke, and his fist shattered, but he kept pushing. He threw all Shawn’s weight into the executioner.
The executioner dropped under Ike. Ike fell with him. He pinned the exec...
2024-09-07 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Ike swung toward the guard. The guard raised his sword to block.
The split second before their blades met, Ike activated Lightning Grasp and spread its effect over the length of the blade. Lightning jumped from his sword to the guard’s. The guard jolted. His whole body shook with fierce tremors. He dropped his sword and succumbed entirely, falling to the ground.
Ike raised his brows. He finished off the man with a smooth strike and ran on, but replayed the image in his mind.
2024-09-06 14:00:06 +0000 UTC
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The axe hurtled through the air. Spinning blade-over-butt, it closed in on Ike and Wisp.
“Wisp!” Ike tossed an invisible bundle to her. He spun around and punched upward, aiming at the broadside of the blade. Green waves slammed into the blade’s flat. The axe bounced upward, away from Ike and Wisp alike. Ike leaned backward as the axe barely skimmed past his nose. Behind him, Wisp yelped and dropped to the ground. The axe slammed into the wall with a shimmering clang. Ike glanced ...
2024-09-05 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Wisp ran ahead of Ike. She deliberately let her footsteps resound so Ike could follow her without being able to see her. When they drew near people, she walked softly again, only to run off once more when the people passed. They swiftly left the dungeon behind, racing up toward the surface of the castle.
Ravens circled in the sky. The stench of iron swirled on the air, mingling with a heavy, damp rot.
Ike grimaced. “Oh.”
“Yeah? Do you see what I was smelling, now?” W...
2024-09-04 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Ike looked the wall up and down. He nodded. “Yep.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s a wall, that’s for sure.”
Wisp rolled her eyes. She drew back her fist and punched.
The stone fragmented. Shards of stone flew into the void behind the wall. A shallow chamber appeared behind it. A metal ring was set into the floor. Arcane symbols and mysterious markings ringed the circle’s edge, while hundreds of footsteps marched into the circle’s center, then vanished.
“Ooh,...
2024-09-03 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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“Hello, Roderick.”
Ike tore the metal pod out of the wall. The lights dimmed, and the puppet stilled. He leaped up. At the corner of the throat, he grabbed the puppet’s tongue and crawled out of its now-gaping, motionless mouth. He hopped to the ground.
“What’s that?” Wisp dropped from the sky, descending on a spider’s thread.
“Roderick,” Ike explained. He turned the pod around, searching for a way in. At last, he found a seam on its side. Sinking his finge...
2024-09-02 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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“He’s cooked! Let him go!” Wisp shouted from the forge.
Ike nodded. Without looking, he dashed off. Lightning crackled behind him. Roderick’s hands slammed down, but to no avail. Ike was long gone, nothing left but his afterimage.
At top speed, he closed in on Roderick’s ankle. He unsheathed his sword and held it tight, preparing a horizontal slash as he raced in.
Roderick’s foot glowed red-hot. All the way to his ankle, it glowed, hot and soft. The metal deforme...
2024-09-01 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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The largest puppet Ike had ever seen stomped inside, its eyes blazing. Three times as tall as the other puppets, it perfectly captured a familiar set of features. The shiny metal version of Roderick stomped inside, bright red eyes burning. He looked left, then right. The wreckage of the meat grinder stood to the left. The hammer tilted further and further to his left. Abruptly, it fell, clattering onto the ground. Ruined.
Roderick’s big glowing eyes narrowed. He charged in, grabbing t...
2024-08-31 14:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Ike’s fist never struck the hammer. It was made of metal, doubtlessly some kind of super tough magical alloy. Instead, he punched the air and let the shockwaves strike the auto-hammer. They slammed into it with the force of a thousand punches. The whole structure screeched, metal squealing, and it tilted slightly against its bearings.
Across the room, another BAM! sounded out as Wisp struck the meat grinder.
Latching onto the hammer, he drew back his arm, readying anoth...
2024-08-30 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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A huge room spread before them. A forge spat out hot ingots. Black machinery riddled with bright lines of magic churned away, stamping metal into shape. Water splashed and hissed as the metal dropped into it to cool. Bare puppets without any clothes or decorations snatched up the pieces and assembled them. The puppets burned and singed as they put the hot metal together, but they didn’t react. They felt no pain. One of them toppled over, overcome by the heat. Its fellows trampled it. In a f...
2024-08-29 14:00:05 +0000 UTC
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