The next morning, Alex woke feeling more refreshed than he had since his first night in Tianluo. Despite his body’s recovery, he woke to chaos in their bedroom.
Alex scrambled up in his bed, reaching for his jian as he noticed another mana signature in their room. He assessed and processed the situation quickly thanks to his high Willpower stat, noting that Sam was backed into the corner with his eyes wide while Val hovered in front of the teen with his many teeth bared.
Wai...
2024-11-26 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Spell Weaver
Hello, everyone, I hope you're having a great Monday!
As I mentioned last week, Berserker is completed, and I've fully switched my focus back to Spell Weaver!
This means we're moving to the promised 5 chapters per week (Monday - Friday). With the increased release schedule, we'll be finishing Book 1 in just a few weeks.
As a bit of a teaser, the cover art for Volume 2 is at the bottom of the post!
Discord Server
I finished setting...
2024-11-25 18:02:55 +0000 UTC
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The next three days passed in a blur for Alex. In part, this was due to his busy schedule, but largely due to his lack of sleep and the absence of stamina potions.
Master Shen moved on to a new form of sweeping strikes that used the Flowing Water stance to slash as he moved. It was mesmerizing for Alex to watch the forms demonstrated by the sword master. He had an entirely new appreciation for the detail that went into martial arts. The new form was called Dragonfly Touches the Water. S...
2024-11-25 14:00:16 +0000 UTC
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Final chapter in the Berserker Novella! I finished at just over 60k words in under four weeks of writing. I'd love your feedback on the ending.
I feel like it's so hard to write an ending and hint at themes of growth in a character without bashing the readers on the head with it! Was it too cringe? Too cheesy? Leave me a comment so I have feedback before this goes live on Royal Road!
--------------------------------------------...
2024-11-23 04:03:02 +0000 UTC
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Jonathan sat in the waiting room on the fifth floor of the Hunters Association building. The floor had been turned into an emergency treatment center for Awakened. He was doing his best not to fidget in the small chair. Two other Awakened waited nearby: a young woman with a bandaged hand and a man whose leg constantly bounced.
A door on the other side of the waiting room opened, and a woman stepped out. She looked younger than he expected for a doctor but a bit older than most of the ot...
2024-11-23 03:48:13 +0000 UTC
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Jonathan shifted in the uncomfortable chair that had been arranged before the long conference table in the Hunters Association hearing room. To his right, Jimmy sat in his wheelchair, still recovering from his recent injuries. Captain Hayes stood at parade rest behind them, waiting patiently for the small hearing to begin.
Director Matthews sat centered at the table, with Deputy Director Sullivan at his side. Their postures were as different as their personalities. Sullivan sat with per...
2024-11-23 03:43:43 +0000 UTC
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“Yates, get your ass over here and help me grab Bill!”
“He’s dead. You need to get what kids you can and move. Now!” Steam spilled from his own mouth as [Raging Breath] brought in new billows of refreshing energy.
The rage surged through Jonathan’s veins like liquid fire and he felt as if he could feel and hear each heartbeat in the base of his skull. He felt like he was teetering at the edge. It would be so easy to embrace the rage and kill the brainwashed children tu...
2024-11-23 03:27:00 +0000 UTC
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The base's interior was a stark contrast to the swamp outside. Smooth stone walls rose around them, supporting wooden platforms stretching between different levels and branching to surrounding trees.
Where did the stone come from? Were these made with a skill?
Jonathan led the way, his movements quick and deliberate as he cleared each corner. His axe was held at shoulder height, ready to block or swing if needed.
“Hear that?” Jimmy whispered.
They could he...
2024-11-23 03:26:20 +0000 UTC
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The rhythmic thwump-thwump-thwump of the helicopter blades cut through Montana’s December air, and each beat reminded Jonathan of an old life. While it had been hard for him to adjust to civilian life as a teacher, he felt a lot of satisfaction in helping teach and nurture a younger generation. Now, he found himself back in the thick of things.
It was mid afternoon and the helicopter ride had been a couple of hours long. Despite the cold weather outside, the heaters work...
2024-11-23 03:25:23 +0000 UTC
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Jonathan slid the dampening bracelet over his knuckles and felt the weight of his dampened emotions settle on him.
Time to play nice.
He used his shoulder to press into the briefing room, careful not to spill any of his precious coffee. Captain Hayes was already standing on the far side of the table, arranging various printouts and larger satellite photos on its surface.
“Morning, Hayes.” He said, pausing until she gestured which seat he should take. “Quite th...
2024-11-23 03:24:27 +0000 UTC
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Hi everyone, happy Friday! Hope you're all doing well today!
I'm excited to share that I have completely finished Berserker! I'll be pre-uploading the last three chapters here for Paid Patrons, so you'll have them before anywhere else.
I followed my outline to a tee, and I'm happy it was close to the projected word count. The ending did end up feeling a little bit rushed to me. In an ideal world, I would have spent another 3-5 chapters in the last third of the boo...
2024-11-23 02:05:53 +0000 UTC
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The next several days passed the same as the previous few, with the only change being that Alex now had an easier time staying up into the late hours of the night, even with his exhausted body. The new [Sleep Resistance] passive allowed his mind to continue functioning through his sleep fatigue. Though he noticed that it didn’t actually reduce the amount of sleep that his body needed and his tired brain wanted, it just allowed him to function on less of it.
15 more days until we b...
2024-11-22 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Alex asked where they were going once, but after receiving a brief reply to be patient, he didn't ask again.
Sam and Alex followed behind the regal celestial for a while. When the younger boy grabbed Alex's robe sleeve, Alex glanced at him but let it be. He knew Sam had been through a lot and likely saw him as a lifeline. They continued to follow Eura out of the city gates and down a dirt path.
The winding dirt path led away from the dark side of the Rift, deeper into the celestia...
2024-11-20 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing well this morning/afternoon/evening!
Writing Update:
Spell Weaver & Berserker
I wrote 12 chapters last week! I slacked off a bit on Spell Weaver, only writing 3 chapters, but I crushed 9 for Berserker! I'm prioritizing Berserker because it's just a few chapters from being completed, and I'm really looking forward to getting back to devoting 100% of my limited bra...
2024-11-18 20:35:44 +0000 UTC
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Alex was pulled from his sleep by the sound of Sam’s rustling blankets. His eyes snapped open, and he looked around until he realized it was just the teen making the sheets on his cot look neat. Alex had noticed him doing it a very precise way each morning.
I wonder if that merchant made him do it like that every morning. Or maybe his parents?
Alex rubbed his eyes and stretched as he sat up. He wanted to get Sam’s attention and the boy looked over just at the sound of...
2024-11-18 14:00:11 +0000 UTC
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Jonathan stretched out his tired muscles and allowed his shoulders to rest against the row of bleachers behind him. The large training facility had a number of fans running and the mostly brick or cement building took him back to old memories of playing basketball in a gymnasium as kid. The walls glowed a gentle blue light at several points, indicating the enchantments that had been placed on them.
His greataxe lay across his knees, and the weapon’s weight felt familiar and comforting...
2024-11-17 15:25:15 +0000 UTC
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The alarm’s harsh tone filled Director Matthew’s office as the trio of screens flashed red. The far left screen changed as the director walked to his desk and hit a few keys on his keyboard. Data scrolled from top to bottom and Jonathan could barely make any sense of it, the code far beyond his understanding.
Deputy Director Sullivan stepped forward, getting within a few feet of the central monitor before speaking up. “Downtown,” he said. “7th and Madison.”
The screen ...
2024-11-17 15:22:34 +0000 UTC
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Elijah and Jonathan pulled into the parking garage beneath a glass and steel office building in Crystal City. Looking out of the passenger window, he noted several vehicle types that appeared frequently in the spots and noted a fair number of Teslas. The juxtaposition between the small, sleek, and eco-friendly being parked across the lot from a Humvee was not lost on him.
“This is it?” he asked Elijah. As the SUV was put into park, Elijah pulled out his phone to check his messages.<...
2024-11-15 21:03:12 +0000 UTC
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Alex woke with a start. He looked around his small room and only saw Sam’s sleeping form on the cot in the corner. His heart was beating as if he’d just gone for a run or been in a fight. Val, who had also been curled up on his chest while sleeping, made an alarmed sound in his mind.
“Danger!? Where?”
Taking a few deep breaths, he put a hand to his head and closed his eyes.
Nightmare? Damn, even if we kill that big black bastard, is it going to be slithe...
2024-11-15 14:00:08 +0000 UTC
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The automatic doors at Flint Bishop International Airport hissed open, the warm indoor air a welcome reprieve from the Michigan winter. Jonathan could smell commercial cleaner and coffee in the air. He followed Elijah inside, catching his reflection in the glass.
After Jonathan received a particularly bad scar on his chin from one of the harpies, Elijah mentioned that he might want to shave. The scar disrupted the beard's appearance and made it look patchy. When they got back to the hot...
2024-11-14 16:55:47 +0000 UTC
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Jonathan slumped against a blood-stained stone wall. His new tactical vest hung in tatters and the enchanted leather gloves on his hands were slick with harpy blood. Sweat mixed with spattered blood, threatening to drip into his eyes.
He wiped his forehead with the back of the gloves, which wasn’t very effective. Each of his breaths burned his lungs and came in gasps. He knew that his stamina had improved massively, especially with his [Raging Breath] skill, but if the sun in the sky ...
2024-11-14 16:52:06 +0000 UTC
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If you have the time, please leave a bit of feedback or at least vote on the poll!
If the only people answering this poll are those who have an issue with the chapter, and those who enjoyed it stay silent, to me it's going to look like this chapter should likely be changed before going live on Royal Road!
---
I was struggling to find some sort of balance between a straight up time skip and actually taking a ton of chapters to show all the things that Alex l...
2024-11-13 15:28:20 +0000 UTC
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Alex arrived at the training grounds at dawn. He yawned, causing Sam to do the same.
Even though the younger boy was told that he could stay in their small house for the afternoon, Sam just shook his head and got dressed along with Alex.
The training grounds were beginning to fill with disciples and other sect members as they stretched and talked. Alex took a deep breath of the misty and fresh air. While it was chilly, the sun was already beginning to crest the mountains, warming ...
2024-11-13 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Jonathan wiped sweat from his forehead as he moved through the old ruins. The warm breeze carried the scent of old stone and vegetation. He really disliked the heat and grumbled his complaints quietly under his breath.
Thick vines wrapped around crumbling pillars, their bright green deceptive at a first glance. He had learned that the leaves could change colors and during the day, they would change to green to entice the creatures of the Rift to eat the leaves.
He adjusted the tac...
2024-11-13 13:32:51 +0000 UTC
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Private First Class Tyler Roberts pressed his off-hand against a tree. By putting his palm and four fingers flat against the tree and sticking out his thumb, he could create a very stable surface for his rifle while still maintaining cover behind the tree. He tried to control his breathing as he covered the squad's retreat. The twin moons cast strange shadows through the branches, making it hard to track the massive wolves that circled their position. His hands were steady on his rifle, but h...
2024-11-13 03:00:09 +0000 UTC
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The odd sensation of stepping through the Rift washed over Jonathan. As soon as gravity returned to him and his borrowed winter clothes settled around his body, a frigid blast of air met his cheeks. His injuries throbbed from the sudden return of gravity, and Jonathan braced his feet to keep himself upright as they touched down on the snow.
A blue window materialized in front of his face, and he swatted it away with his right hand, grimacing.
Not now. Damn, pop-ups.
2024-11-13 02:59:11 +0000 UTC
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Jonathan got out of the car and resisted the urge to stretch.
He’d finished putting the most recent stat points into his screen and despite his frustration with easy growth, he found that he felt a sense of satisfaction in seeing the numbers on his Status go up.
***
Status
Name: Jonathan Reeves - Level 9
Class: None
HP: 98/110
MP: 100/100
Traits: (1/3)
{Rage}
Titles:
2024-11-13 02:57:10 +0000 UTC
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“Mr. Reeves, you should really check them out.”
Jonathan clicked the button on the side of his phone, locking it. There hadn’t been any notifications for him anyway. “You just want to hear more about my powers.”
Elijah rolled his eyes, “Now you’re just doing it on purpose. They’re called skills, not powers.”
Jonathan grunted.
“I’m serious. If you leveled up then you could probably put points into your Vitality and heal up faster. You...
2024-11-13 02:54:05 +0000 UTC
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Jonathan furrowed his eyebrows and clenched his jaw. As consciousness returned and he realized that his body was responding, he flinched in anticipation of hitting the ground. He heard, as much as he felt, the cold metal cuffs slide against a metal bar.
Squinting, he cracked his eyes open against the headache and bright white lights. As his vision returned and he could make out his surroundings, he saw the stark walls of a hospital room around him. The sterile smell of antiseptic mingle...
2024-11-13 02:49:14 +0000 UTC
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The molecular structures in David’s organic chemistry textbook had started to blur together. He blinked hard, trying to focus on the carbon chain structures that he needed to memorize for his midterm exam. His small desk lamp cast a weak circle of light across his spread-out notes, barely reaching the edges of his cramped desk in John Jay Hall.
An empty coffee cup teetered dangerously close to the edge, and three different colored highlighters rested in the crevasse of two different t...
2024-11-13 02:48:29 +0000 UTC
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