awmaher

Chapter 355 - The First Step

Hope you like the chapter!

Hump stared at Gorvol’s body. Blood pooled around the fallen beast, its rotten stench filling the air. Its massive axe lay beside it, though its black steel was far less terrifying now that it lay still. It had been far too close.

The sound of shouts and cries came from above and Hump readied his staff on instinct. He looked up to see the demonic swarm backing away, hovering high overhead. It seemed the lesser demons had been warded o...

Chapter 354 - Hail the Mighty Gorvol

It is now 4am but I didn't want to be late on this one. I've not been able to edit this chapter fully, so if you'd like the more polished version I suggest waiting until tomorrow night. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out though so hope you like it :)

Hump raced to the edge of the battlements, peering over the wall to the scene down below. Anara had struck the ground with such force that she shattered the stone tiles and was partially buried in dust and de...

Chapter 353 - The Gatehouse

Appreciate the patience :) Hope you like the chapter!

The dungeon air was thick with essence, and it would only grow denser now that the army had arrived. Hump struggled to turn his eyes away from the grand scene. From where he stood at the top of the steps that led down to the courtyard, he could see over the courtyard gatehouse to the scene beyond.

Soldiers came through the gates of the Infernal Halls and into the killbox, pouring in steadily, their armour and s...

Chapter 352 - Golden Dragon

Hey guys. This is a first draft so some aspects may not be as polished as usual. I'm going to go over it again tomorrow for those of you that would rather wait for the next draft, but it's going to be late as I will be out most of the day.

Nisha turned her gaze on Hump, her purple eyes glittering with golden flakes. Blood coated her mouth and stained her teeth pale pink. He reached for her mind but she was closed from him. Still there, but distant.

Despite ...

Chapter 351 - Heart of the Keep

Back on track now. Hope you like the chapter!

Hump withdrew the essence in his staff and raised it to an upright position. Before him, Marshall Merrick appeared as a black knight in his plate armour. It was less bulky than Bud’s or Owen’s—built to be more agile. Merrick removed his helmet, revealing the handsome man beneath that Hump recognised from the briefing with Drexel. His dark hair was slicked back with sweat, and his face marred with dried blood. A...

Chapter 350 - The Gate Keep

Had loads of fun with what's effectively the next 2 chapters. I ended up needing to split them in two as it stretched to 5000 words. The good news is that Saturday's chapter is basically finished, so I'm back on track! I know I've said this before, but really appreciate the patience when it comes to my less than consistent release days....

Sounds rose in the keep: murmuring voices, heavy footsteps, the hammer of steel and the churning of grind wheels. Great boomi...

Chapter 349 - Spirit Plane

Another long chapter today. Sorry it's out on Sunday again but I'll get back to normal release days eventually. Hope you like it!

“I must admit, I’m not sure I’m particularly fond of this mission,” Bud whispered.

“You and me both,” Hump said.

The two of them were seated against two demonic trees, staring out across the ravine of bones and down at the fort below, mulling over the fate that awaited them. A few hours had passed since they’d...

Chapter 348 - A Grand Entrance

I had some trouble with the first draft of this chapter and did a full rewrite. Really like it now so hope you all enjoy!

“Here,” Anara said, tossing something to Hump.

He caught it with his left hand and his eyes widened as he realised what it was. “The imp lord’s heartstone.”

“I think you earned this one,” she said, smiling. “Good work, Wizard Humphrey.”

“I can’t take this,” Hump protested. “You’re the one that kill...

Chapter 347 - The Second Seal

Hope you enjoy!

Essence trailed behind Anara as she shot into the sky, leaving behind a sickening pink mist like the noxious fumes of a witch’s brew. Even outside of its range, the strength of it made Hump’s head spin. Such strength could only be from a major blessing.

The squad let their blessings fade as they all stood and watched. Dylan’s sanctuary was dismissed last, the ancient tree he had manifested dissipating back into essence. His tree form remained...

Chapter 346 - Imp Lord

I got there with this one eventually! So many new characters is taking me a while to get used to writing. I've made some good progress on Chapter 347 so I expect to be back on schedule for Saturday's release.

Bud gazed through the dissipated mist in awe, his eyes wide as the lava swept across the demon horde, turning the air red with heat. With a thought, Bud released Heart of Frostfire as the scorching air blasted him, manifesting his own aura of cold t...

Chapter 345 - Reputation for Destruction

Sorry for the delay. This chapter's a big one and ended up being very complex to write and it took me a while to turn it into something that made sense lol. I expect that Tuesday's chapter will be delayed as I've not started it yet, but I'll try my best to finish it in one day. Hope you all enjoy the chapter!

Hump’s heart pounded as he watched Bud race for the lake in a frenzy, the knight’s blade sweeping out and unleashing streaks of Frostfire at so...

Chapter 344 - Domain of the Imp Lord

Feels like every chapter is a big one lately! Not quite as long as the previous one, but it was getting there.

One minor edit for previous chapters: I forgot about Teff (the hunter from previous books) in Marcela's party when introducing all the parties on the ship. I've yet to add him in to previous chapters, but Marcela's party will now consist of 6 members including him.

A chill ran down Hump’s spine as he gazed across the craggy outc...

Chapter 343 - Crossing the Threshold

This chapter ended up even longer than I thought it would. Took me all day so my beta reader hasn't had a chance to give it a look, so apologies if it's a little unpolished in places.

The tunnel twisted downward, the air becoming thicker with dungeon essence. Even though this was only a node of the Infernal Halls, Hump sensed its strength; a deep well of chaotic power that made him nervous of what he’d find in the real dungeon. Drexel had spoken of an entire ec...

Chapter 342 - World of Glass

Starting to feel back on top of writing lately which is nice! Progress has been good this week. Just needed some time to figure out all the kinks I think.

Nishari galloped over the sandy beach, her feet leaving a trail behind her. Her tail cast long lines in the sand wherever she went. At one point, she started digging, then shoved her head into the ground. She pulled it back, a flailing crab in her mouth that she crunched down on, eating whole.

When she ca...

Chapter 341 - Voyage North

We're on time! It may be 2.30am, but I refused to let another one be later. Another long one today. I found this one particularly fun to write so hope you like it!

The ship shifted underfoot and Hump heaved up what little of his lunch remained over the rail. He peered meekly at the bobbing waves below, his stomach churning to the slosh of the sea. Dylan was at his side, equally green. Neither of them were coping well with the voyage to the dungeon node. It was Hu...

Chapter 340 - Silver Rain

Appreciate the patience with the late chapters. Long one today so hope that makes up for it a bit.

It was just coming up to noon when Hump left High Command with Wizard Aldric, the two of them making their way to the grounds of the Wizard’s Society. Once Hump was done there, the rest of the day would be spent preparing for the quest to the dungeon node in the morning. Walking along the streets at Aldric’s side, it was difficult to hide his anxiety, but focusing on h...

Chapter 339 - Mission

Sorry this wasn't up yesterday, but loads to figure out in this one. I'm still not quite 100% on everything but I think this chapter is pretty much where I need it to be. It's one of those where I'd prefer to give it another day just to mull things over but at the same time I don't want to delay your guys chapter any further. Hope you enjoy!

Drexel was a man of average height and build. Draped in black leather and a hooded cloak that wrapped him in shadow, Hump...

Chapter 338 - High Command

Got my outline finished and I'm really liking where the book is heading! This one hasn't been proofread yet, so apologies in advance for typos.

“So, do you recognise the language?” Hump asked.

Walt stood on the ends of his toes to look over the edge of the table, staring down at the copy of the tattoo in Hump’s spellbook with wide yellow eyes.

He was in the phylactery library. Walt had tidied it up so that what had once been old, dry wood shelve...

Chapter 337 - Mysterious Magic

Appreciate the patience. Needed some time to plan and figure out everything that comes next.

Hump rushed back into the apartment and fell to his knees next to Celaine’s bed. She was still unconscious. Her breathing was shallow but steady, with any luck, that meant that her life wasn’t in danger. He placed a hand on her head, it was cold to the touch. Far too cold.

“Celaine,” he called. “Celaine! Can you hear me, Celaine? You need to wake up!” 2024-04-28 22:38:54 +0000 UTC View Post

Chapter 336 - Uninvited Guest

Took until 3.30am but I'm counting this as on time! This one may be a bit rough as I haven't been able to give it a proper proof read yet and my alpha reader hasn't been over it, but I felt like this one came out quite clean. If you would rather wait for a bit of extra polish, I'll have this fully edited by the end of tomorrow.

There was little chatter as they surveyed the remaining tunnels for warlocks. They broke off into three groups: Bud and Emil...

Chapter 335 - Infernal Gateway

Sorry again for the delay. My nan moved house this week so I've been busy helping out with that. Things are finished up now so I should be on track for Tuesday's chapter. For those that haven't seen, I'm posting updates in the Community Chat that patreon introduced recently, so keep an eye out there.

Hump climbed the slope from the dock up to the stone platform, Bud and Emilia with him. Warlock bodies lay in heaps on the ground and the walkway, blood pooling arou...

Chapter 334 - Greater Demon

Sorry it's a day late but this chapter needed a bit of extra work. Hope you enjoy!

Shadow came over the far side of the cavern as the light of essence stone lanterns dimmed, obscured by the thick veil of stone and earth. The cloud hung over the platform, just above the heads of the warlocks. Some were on the ground, trying to protect themselves with their arms or shield spells, others stood on their feet, staring up at the suspended rock. The warlock spell had ceased no...

Chapter 333 - It All Comes Crashing Down

I made some slight tweaks to the end of last chapter, adding a bit more description to the layout of the cavern and the warlocks just after Hump reaches the end of the tunnel. I suggest you read that section again before this chapter, though there were no major changes.

The artifact at the centre of the warlock formation flickered with crimson light, staining the cavern like blood. Above, stalagmites lingered, spears carving long shadows over the roof.

The ...

Chapter 332 - Beneath Fort Nordric

Hope the community message I sent reached you, but for those that didn't see I wasn't pleased with the first version of this chapter so scrapped half of it and rewrote it today. It's now an additional 500 words on top of that too, so a long chapter.

Another blast came Hump’s way, but this time he was ready for it, curving his Shield spell into a half sphere to redirect much of the force away from him. This time, he held his ground. The warlock backed a...

Chapter 331 - Warlocks at the Docks

Another pretty long chapter today. Hope you enjoy!

Before they could leave the walls, Hump contacted Overseer Oswald with Distant Whisper to inform him of the new information from Wizard Aldric and get permission to leave. It hadn’t taken any convincing. News had already reached the command tent and they were scrambling to send forces to deal with the infiltration. A few silver rankers like Hump were just what they needed.

Bud left Henrietta in command ...

Chapter 330 - Monster Wave

Apologies in advance if this chapter is a bit messy in places. I've been over it 4 times and like it so I don't think it will be, but it's a long chapter and very action heavy and my alpha reader hasn't had a chance to look at it yet. I've been rewriting for so many hours the words have all just merged into a single block in my brain and I can no longer tell if I'm doing anything useful by working more on it.

Hump held his breath as the red fog rolled in like a m...

Chapter 329 - High Magic

Happy Easter! Sorry this one's a day late but family stuff ended up delaying my writing a bit.

Hump’s eyes roamed the many spellbooks in the room, marvelling at the fine covers, marked with symbols, runes, or depictions of the magic within. A few of the oldest spells were in scroll format, a practice that was uncommon now due to how difficult it was to protect the information within. In total, the collection had to number almost a hundred. Each one of them only...

Chapter 328 - The Iron Hand

I was very pleased with this chapter.

Wizard Aldric led Hump through the gardens of the estate, following winding paths between rows of blossoming flowers and sculpted fountains. The late morning sun glowed through the leaves of fruit trees above, casting long shadows upon the cobblestone path.

People looked up from where they sat on benches or grassland and looked at them nervously as they passed by. Nisha ran ahead excitedly, sniffing at anything that in...

Chapter 327 - House of the Inquisition

Apologies that this chapter is out a day late but the Book 4 launch and bonus chapter were a bit more work than I could manage. I think I'm caught up enough to be on time for Tuesday so should see you then.

What stood out most about the buildings in Fort Nordric was the age of the grand buildings. It was easy to tell which were remnants from before the War of the Firmament. The stone had a yellow hue to it, and they were usually circular in shape. The Wizard’s ...

Chapter 326 - Uncanny Resemblance (Bonus)

Sorry this chapter took an extra day than planned. Ended up being a really difficult one.

Thanks for all the support with the launch this week. The early reviews were especially helpful. It often takes a while for new reviews to load on Amazon but I think HW4 had a bunch by Wednesday evening.

Hump inspected the fungi-pedastal where the dungeon node had previously been housed, studying the various vessels and fleshy parts that formed it. The...