M.S. Davidson

65. Do You Know Who I Am?

AUTHORS NOTE: This chapter was voted on in the original release.

Some officials ushered us into a room that belonged in a palace, not a tournament waiting area. At least a hundred people clustered in expensive-looking groups, chatting on luxurious sofas or standing near runic compositors. Every few seconds, someone would drop a coin and retrieve gourmet food or exotic drinks.

Officials roamed between the groups with practiced ease, clearly accustomed to managing t...

64. The Bridge

"Onytax!" Malcolm shouted just before three monsters charged.

Cass wasted no time. She exploded forward to meet the creatures head-on while Malcolm and I bolted after her as fast as our legs could carry us.

Too fast. Cass was way too fast.

She met the lead Onytax with a sword slash so precise and lightning-quick that only Valor confirmed she'd actually connected. The moment her strike landed, searing heat surged through the cuff on my wrist, followed by a twisting m...

63. Make Some Magic Happen

It wasn't just Gary in the room. Chas sat casually on a couch against the far wall, taking a deep puff from a comically oversized pipe. He glanced up and met our eyes with his usual infuriating grin—like he hadn't completely abandoned us earlier.

"Gary!" I said, deliberately ignoring Chas as I approached the desk. "Didn't think we'd see you here."

"Ah yes," Gary replied, his smile warm as summer sunshine. "I'm on loan for the Tournament, in a manner of speaking. I'm here to offe...

62. Playing Both Sides

"Theadora."

Lana stood in the doorway like a predator sizing up prey, goggles firmly over her eyes. Several Gaian officials flanked her, their robes marking them as staff—or executioners.

"Lanavelle." Thea rose from her chair, Darla snorting beside her. "Thing wasn't supposed to start until tomorrow night. What gives?"

"Unfortunately, Archon Valerian proved all registered competitors had arrived at the Academy, so the Oathbound allowed it to start early."

Shit. They ...

61. One of Those Days

While the lobby of Sylvarus had been insane, the room we were staying in was downright criminal. It felt like the fantasy equivalent of a presidential suite—the kind of place where world leaders signed treaties or billionaires laundered money. Two plush couches faced each other in parlor-style luxury, and one entire wall was just... gone. An open-air balcony stretched so far it felt more like a private terrace, overlooking the back half of the island like we owned a small country.

As ...

60. The Godsdammed Problem

Henrik woke up not long after Cass had scooped him off the floor, blinking like he'd been hit by a truck. All of us loomed over him—a wall of concerned faces that probably looked terrifying from his angle.

"Ow," he said simply, pushing himself upright.

"The fuck are you doing here, Henrik?" Cass didn't waste a second. Her tone could have cut glass.

He winced. "I'm allowed to watch the Tournament too, you know!"

"There's no way Mom gave you the coins." Cass's eyes nar...

59. This Sounds Political

Darla, it turned out, was a pig. And honestly, I wasn't sure what else I'd expected—it tracked perfectly with everything else about this place.

She was pink with delicate floral tattoos scattered across her skin, wearing a gold necklace adorned with matching flowers and an actual pair of glasses. She was massive—easily bigger than Red—and would've been a prize pig anywhere on Earth. When we entered Thea's chaotic laboratory, Darla had her front legs propped on a table, examining p...

58. Sylvarus

It was a collaborative effort, but by the time we finished, everyone was sitting around with steaming cups of coffee. People used whatever they had on hand—mugs, flasks, even metal canteens—but nearly everyone had a cup and was chatting in good spirits.

Even Red was lying under our table snoring like he'd just conquered the world.

I'd considered not giving any to Maris's people, but in the end, most of them were decent and eager to help. Even Francis showed up for a cup, and I...

EXTRA: Foundations of Academic Brutality

AUTHORS NOTE: This has been unlocked on Royal Road in a few weeks, so it is posting as part of the regular posts.

The Uncatalogued Stacks of Sylvarus Academy's library carried that particular stillness found only in forgotten corners of the world. Here, the air hung thick with dust that had settled on arguments nobody remembered having, weighted with the accumulated silence of centuries. Sylvarus didn't maintain a traditional restricted section—knowledge, Diana always...

57. Just a Dog

The rest of the morning was pure chaos. The first wave of boats heading for Sylvarus was leaving at noon, and half the city seemed determined to be on them.

Elena pulled me aside with a serious expression, which meant bad news. She wouldn't be able to watch the tournament—she and the Hunters had a job to do. The competition was open to anyone who placed high enough, but eliminated Hunters had to return immediately.

I'd assumed the number would be high, but only about forty Hunte...

56. Dainty Hands

The next two tests—Perception and Grace—were a total buzzkill.

Perception trapped me in a pitch-black tent that felt like sensory deprivation hell. Dense rings of lantern orbs surrounded me, and when one flashed red, I had maybe a heartbeat to touch it. Points for speed. Points for accuracy. Points for not looking like a complete idiot fumbling in the dark.

After ten seconds of embarrassing myself, the pattern clicked—a sadistic Simon game.

I hate Simon.

55. Registration

I woke up in my bed, in my house—on another world.

For the first time in a while, everything felt surreal as I stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling. Red had sprawled across the other side of the admittedly massive bed, completely uninterested in consciousness and making little dog-dream noises.

Swinging my legs over the edge, I made my way into the kitchen. Narrin had given me a brief rundown of the house, mentioning that the Sentarians would keep the kitchen stocked on request. 2025-09-17 16:01:22 +0000 UTC View Post

Interlude 2 - Marco

Marco Graves prided himself on making the right decisions when faced with uncertainty. When Archon Aldertree vanished into the Empire, he did what any self-respecting man would do.

He seized power.

But when she returned—dragging a dangerous Terran along for the ride—everything snapped back to the way it was with surgical precision. Not that he minded much. Running Sylvarus had been a far bigger headache than he'd ever imagined, especially with Dara looming over every decision ...

54. Housewarming Gifts

Two days blurred together like a fever dream of progress and pain.

Mornings belonged to Jeremy, who'd transformed into a completely different person after our courtyard match. Gone was the hesitant instructor—replaced by someone who pushed me to my absolute limits. He had me practicing short, deliberate mana burns right before specific movements, timing them to the split second for maximum impact.

It sounded simple, but it was brutal.

The concentration required was like tr...

53. Hit em With That End

Valor burned inside me like liquid fire as I stepped into the circle with the golem. I narrowed my aura, focusing solely on the stone construct until everything else faded away. I'd never properly tested this level of focus with my Seal before—the difference was immediate and intoxicating.

My awareness sharpened beyond anything I'd experienced, extending into the fight itself until I could feel the very air between us. The most noticeable change was that my Seal started draining a ste...

52. Something More Deliberate

The armor was impossibly light—nothing like the suffocating black leather I'd been trapped in. This was liquid silk with steel bones, flexing with every breath while mana trickled back into my reserves. Not the flood I would feel after removing the armor, but with the Emberseed around my neck, I at least had some passive regeneration.

Much better than feeling like a mummified corpse covered in trapped sweat.

We'd barely cleared the stairs into the lobby when curiosity got the be...

51. Proper Mentoring

Diana led me through winding streets I'd never seen before, well away from the familiar parts of La-Roc I'd been exploring all week. The building she stopped at looked like nothing special from the outside—weathered stone, modest windows, a place you'd walk past without a second glance.

"This is my favorite tavern in La-Roc," she announced, pushing open a heavy wooden door.

"It's the only tavern left in La-Roc," came a booming laugh from behind a massive bar that dominated the f...

50. The Morning After

I jolted awake on the floor of Doreen's, hazy memories of last night's celebration already dissolving like smoke. Morning light stabbed through the window like an accusation, and my mouth tasted like I'd been gargling with boot leather.

The curtain draped over me as a makeshift blanket reeked of spilled beer and poor life choices. Above me, Katie was curled up in the actual bed, still dead to the world. I vaguely remembered insisting on taking the floor when everyone stumbled off to bed...

49. Stronger Together

I felt the stone steps as I sat overlooking the chaos below—sticky residue from the morning's adventure still clinging to my clothes despite my best efforts. The citadel loomed behind me as the clouds cast a shadow over the Courtyard, but the real show was down at the harbor, where Maris's behemoth of a boat had turned the street into a war zone.

Dozens of Hunters swarmed the vessel like ants on a dropped sandwich, their frustrated shouts echoing off the surrounding buildings as they ...

48. Have you Met Ted?

My eyes shot open as I jolted upright in the tub, heart hammering against my ribs like a caged animal. Arryava stood silhouetted against the balcony, her eyes wide with shock. The air rippled around me like heat waves, though I felt no warmth—just raw, overwhelming power.

For the first time, I had crystal-clear memories of being inside my soul. Not the usual dreamlike fragments, but something tangible and real. Ted, my spirit guide, had shown me my soul space—and unlike those hazy p...

47. The First Step

White light exploded behind my eyes, then faded into the familiar stone and sky of my soul's courtyard. But something was wrong—or maybe finally right. The flagstones beneath my feet felt solid as bedrock. I couldn't sense my physical body at all, like the connection had been severed completely.

I scanned for Ted, but for the first time since I'd met him, he was nowhere to be found. My gaze landed on the massive doors carved into the mountainside—Valor's rune blazed across their sur...

46. Proving a Point

Red's snoring shattered the silence like a chainsaw through silk. I jerked awake, heart hammering, then glared at the furry culprit sprawled across half my bed. His paws twitched as he chased dream rabbits, completely oblivious to my suffering.

Of course.

A soft knock froze us both. Red's eyes snapped open, one ear shooting up like a periscope while the other flopped sideways, giving him the dignity of a wet mop. He scrambled upright, nearly tumbling off the bed in his pa...

45. Returning the Favor

My mana moved like it was thinking ahead of me. Like a reflex requiring only a whisper of intention. With a twitch of my fingers, the energy was already there, coiled and ready to strike.

Sitting in meditation, I could feel the changes from the tea settling into permanence. My pathways looked like river deltas now—complex, branching networks where before there had been simple threads barely wider than fishing line.

Opening my eyes, I focused on Bravery, burning bright in that li...

44. A Calculation of Hammers

The golem lumbered forward like a drunk bulldozer, each grinding step echoing through the chamber with the enthusiasm of wet concrete. My heart hammered against my ribs as it gripped its hammer in both hands, raising it for what had to be the most telegraphed horizontal swing I had ever seen.

The attack was so slow I could have taken a nap between the windup and follow-through. Bravery didn't even bother sending up warning flares. I took a casual step back, watching the massive weapon w...

43. First in Line

Stepping through the portal felt like being electrocuted by a curious cat.

Static electricity swarmed across my skin—tiny, vindictive needles that found every gap in my armor and threw a party there. My face burned like I'd stuck it in an impression board, uncomfortable but not quite crossing into actual pain. Something was definitely probing me, paying way too much attention to my gear.

Then my stomach decided it wanted to get to know my throat.

The drop hit like an eleva...

42. Breaking Some Rules

Chas strode ahead of me through the tower's endless hallways, pausing at each intersection to squint at wall markers like they were ancient hieroglyphics. Identical corridors stretched in every direction, and I'd lost sight of the atrium approximately three geological ages ago.

"Are you sure we're on the seventh floor?" The walls blurred together in mind-numbing repetition, each turn leading us deeper into this architectural nightmare.

"I've been to half a dozen worlds more compli...

Acolytes and Aspirants! Timelines and Other General Chaos Within

Fuck me, we’re about to start daily chapters for book 1, so time for some perks!

So, let's talk beta reading, because apparently, I'm about to become one of those authors who asks people to read unfinished drafts and then nervously hovers over their shoulder asking, "do you like it?" every thirty seconds.

First things first: all Aspirants can access beta reading opportunities whenever they become available. Just a heads up—this means spoilers, unpolished prose...

41. What's Next?

Chas shook out his hand like he'd just punched a brick wall, but his stance didn't shift an inch. "Damn, she's got a lot more mana than I expected," he muttered, then turned to me with that trademark grin. "Hey, kid! I hear you've had a busy week. Oh, hold on—"

The courtyard wall exploded.

Maris shot through the opening like a missile, a glowing red blade aimed straight at Chas's heart. Something invisible caught her mid-air, slowing her momentum until her feet hit the ground wi...

State of the Realms: August 2025

Holy crap, it's been a wild month.

I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to even start this update because honestly August has felt like someone compressed an entire year's worth of chaos into thirty days and then hit the fast-forward button. If you'd told me at the beginning of the month that we'd end up where we are now, I'd have probably laughed and asked what you were drinking. Then I'd have asked for some.

So let's start with the big news: we're back on Royal Road. You al...

40. The Queen of Pirates

The warm glow of a desk lamp carved battle-lines through the chaos—empty beer cans and crumpled chip bags scattered like casualties around the worn D&D grid map. I leaned back in my chair, smugness radiating from every pore as I tapped the laminated character sheet.

"Paladin." The word dropped like a gauntlet. "Best class. Fight me."

Dave didn't look up from his notebook, pencil scratching furiously. "Overpowered bullshit."

"Exactly!" I jabbed a finger at him like I'd ...