I despised those blasted creepers. Filthy little blighters! All they’d ever given me in this godforsaken dungeon was grief. Every time I crossed paths with them, it was an excruciating ordeal. Bah! Just you wait, you venomous sacks of misery! I pulled back, claws sinking into the stone beneath me.
Sure, I could try legging it past them, but let’s not be daft. Who knew what horrors were lurking further ahead? And while I had strength and stealth in my corner, sneaking past these cre...
2024-10-02 00:30:02 +0000 UTC
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The tunnel zigged and zagged, narrowing with every step, the air subtly shifting in ways only I could notice. I craned my neck, nostrils flaring as I honed in on the faintest puff of air. It wasn’t just a hunch—this was my Skill, something more refined. The airflow, ever so obedient, always told me its secrets. There were patterns, delicate changes in pressure and temperature. The way it brushed against the walls painted a mental map of the tunnels. Tight spaces sent the wind rus...
2024-10-01 00:30:02 +0000 UTC
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[After some thought and feedback, I’ve decided to add one last interlude before we get back to Jade. I had similar plans for later, but hey, sooner’s probably better.
Including Jade’s father’s POV just felt right, and it’ll clear up a few questions from the previous chapter. Back to dragon shenanigans tomorrow!]
By the time Reiner trudged back home, the sun had long bid its farewell. There was something off in his gait. A dull, dead weight in every step, as if his...
2024-09-30 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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[Ahh, finally finished it. I even had to rush the final parts because I didn’t want these interludes dragging the story down, but it’s really hard to do them justice with the amount I can write in a day. Honestly, it’s tough—I woke up at 4 AM before heading to work just to somehow get it done. Ended up with over 4k words.
There’s one part missing, though. Read the note at the end and let me know if you all want a short chapter on that.]
Cedric’s eyes nearly popp...
2024-09-28 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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[Welp, this went on far longer than expected. By the time I'm done, it'll probably hit nearly 6k words. Second part’s coming tomorrow. Sooo… looks like I’ll be pushing back Heralas' POV a bit—probably during the second arc.]
Randall had been a hive of activity for the past few days. Cedric glanced out of the window from where he was seated in Randall’s usually quiet local library. The place, typically abandoned, was now anything but. From the early morning, throngs upon...
2024-09-27 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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[Evolution complete! I'll be working on interludes next—they're a bit of a bugger to write since I need to go over my usual 2k word count to do them justice. So, if there's no chapter tomorrow, it means I couldn't quite manage to finish it in time.
The first one will be from Cedric’s POV—the mage from Randall—followed by Heralas' next day.
Also, Patreon doesn’t support table formatting, so the [Affinity Chart] might be a tad off. That’s all for now! Happy reading!]
...
2024-09-25 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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I dove back into the pile of books with renewed interest. And, of course, my doppelganger had been right—again. I did, in fact, want to sift through the lot of them. A pang of curiosity gnawed at me, urging me to figure out exactly what options lay before me.
The lower rarities? Well, they were much of a muchness. Essentially the same old framework with a few tweaks here and there. The organs? Identical. The only real difference was a slight boost in stats and, of course, the added bo...
2024-09-24 00:30:02 +0000 UTC
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[I made a small tweak in the earlier chapters. After thinking it over, hollow bones seemed like a better choice for the kind of build I’m planning for Jade, especially as a foundation for her wings upgrade. That’s all—nothing major.]
As much as I fancied a nibble of that Spectral Crunch, time simply wasn't on my side. So, with a hasty flick, I pulled up the available upgrades for the good ol' Macro-Trophic Sac.
Macro-Trophic Sac +...
2024-09-23 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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[Hmm, looks like most of you lot were just excited for the evolution, but plenty of votes came in for the interludes too. So here’s the plan: I’ll keep dropping normal chapters until Jade’s evolution is sorted, then I’ll hit you with the interludes. Win-win for everyone, lol.]
The trees towered around me, their bark rough and as jagged as an old sailor’s beard. I clung to one of the branches, claws sunk in like a cat that bit off more than it could chew. Landing after a...
2024-09-22 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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Heyo!!
Let me know what you'd be most keen to read as an interlude before the next arc kicks off. I’m thinking of taking tomorrow off to recuperate a bit—the last chapter really drained me. But that’s still up in the air. Might be a chapter tomorrow, might not.
In any case, tell me which option grabs your interest the most.
2024-09-20 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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[Hoo boy, a big beefy chapter to wrap up this arc. It’s finally done! Woo hoo! Time for me to hit the hay and give this weary head of mine a break. Burned through a lot today.
Also, I’ll be posting a poll soon to see what kind of interlude you lot want.]
The grating noise persisted. Constant, unnerving. Rusty hinges—laughter. I knew it. No, I understood it. Twisted, unmistakable.
Her head locked on me, but the sound—that sound—was hers.
Then she spoke....
2024-09-20 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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[Welp, the chapter ended up being so damn long that I had to split it. I know I said the arc would end with this chapter, but looks like there’ll be one more now.]
The dungeon was just as it always had been—an endless tunnel unfurling before me, branching off into countless more as one delved deeper. A maze, truly. Perhaps Stephan had been right to dub it a Labyrinth. After all, wasn’t that the very heart of a dungeon? Even as one descended further, the ground could open up...
2024-09-19 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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[Beefier chappie! Tried a different style at the start! There are five major parts, each referring to a different organ mutating.
Also, the first arc will wrap up with tomorrow's chapter when Barn leaves. I was thinking of posting a poll to see if you all want an interlude, and if so, which one? Should it be Back from Randall (from Cedric, that mage from chapter 5, with more info on NetherBeasts and what happened after Jade’s kidnapping), or Heralas' POV again (I’ve got something fu...
2024-09-18 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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[Damn, had a headache today after work, but daily updates must go on! Made it! Woo hoo! Feel free to point out any errors if you spot them.
Also, for this chapter, I did some research on flight, but I mainly focused on birds since I couldn’t find much about dragons. So if anything feels a bit off in her description of flying, that’s probably why.]
Haha! There I was, hovering with my wings beating steadily, holding me aloft. This time, I’d got it right. Truly!
Th...
2024-09-16 16:30:00 +0000 UTC
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So, what now, eh?
Hah... Even Barn was sticking around for a few more hours, and then, well, I’d be left all on my own, wouldn’t I? Ha! I really needed to calm my nerves. Alone. What a notion! I’d spent my entire life chasing this elusive solitude, and now, here it was, staring me square in the face. Trouble was, I didn’t fancy it anymore. Not one bit. Funny, that.
Perhaps it was Yaroslav’s influence. There was ...something about talking to another...
2024-09-16 00:30:02 +0000 UTC
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(I'm in the middle of reworking chapter 37, might've fumbled it a bit, haha. Enjoy the chap, had fun writing this one!)
Well, I wasn't exactly parading around with my usual mug now, was I? Couldn’t help but wish for a mirror—or a puddle, at the very least—to catch a glimpse of my current visage. Perhaps there was a lake nearby where I could have a cheeky peek... but skulking off for a gander in these woods? Absolute tomfoolery, that. Yet, the urge to know was gnawing...
2024-09-15 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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I scurried about, nabbing another swirling marble of inky darkness, leaping over bits of rubble to snatch up two more. These little beastly baubles were hardly difficult to spot—my vision's vibrant hues practically shouted their whereabouts. Monster cores!
Before long, I’d gathered most of them. Twenty-six out of thirty-one, give or take. The rest? Well, either I’d lost them during all that chaos or... erm, possibly swallowed them in that ravenous frenzy. But no matter! This haul ...
2024-09-14 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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Stephan sat there, looking utterly bewildered, but—true to form—not a word passed his lips about my rather peculiar line of questioning. Perhaps he suspected I was onto something. I could almost hear the rusty old cogs grinding away in his head—well, probably. The man had this infuriating habit of keeping whatever harebrained thoughts were bouncing around in that skull of his to himself. Always hesitating, for reasons only he knew.
Not today though. Oh no, today I wa...
2024-09-12 21:40:02 +0000 UTC
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The hues were having a bit of a dance. Reds murmuring sweet nothings as they twirled with the greens, while yellows bounced about like overly enthusiastic crickets. It was all a grand, misty wave of colour draping itself all around me, painting this world of mine in every shade under the sun.
The bone tree, though, it had scarpered. Gone, poof, like it had never been there. Maybe Barn had waved his bony tail and dismissed it. Who knows? Time was a bit wibbly-wobbly again, and I’d lost...
2024-09-12 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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The moment I knocked back that potion, my world blinked out—black as a crow in a coal mine. Time? Not a clue. Felt like ages. Then, I had this peculiar sense of being enclosed, all snug but with something pressing down on me. Naturally, I started flailing about, trying to get a sense of what was around me. The surface I touched was soft, like an eggshell but not quite. When I finally pried open my eyes, everything was dark, not a hint of those lovely hues I so was used to.
I could fee...
2024-09-10 00:30:02 +0000 UTC
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Perhaps it was the utterly baffled expression plastered across my face that prompted her to speak.
“The allure of the forbidden has a knack for making one’s desires even stronger, don’t you think?” she said, once again with that annoyingly confident tone. Wait, what on earth—hold on, what was she implying?
It took a moment for the penny to drop. Lotte’s words echoed back in my mind. Up until this point, not a single book had mentioned the sun or light...
2024-09-09 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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[Had to rework most of this chapter, might be a bit rough around the edges at the moment. Do point out if you spot any issues. Cheers!]
Alchemy.
What was it, really? A mere craft? Some dusty old formulas scribbled in battered tomes that Miss Hester kindly shoved my way? Or perhaps those violent, perilous concoctions that Lotte was always so keen to pelt me with?
No, it was none of that, was it?
Not just that,...
2024-09-08 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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By focusing intently on my level, it once again unveiled itself.
[Level Cap Reached: Maximum Level Attained. Evolution Process: Available and Ready for Initiation.]
I turned my attention to the message.
[Maximum Level Achieved for Current Evolution Stage. Evolution will result in form alteration and stat enhancement as a monster.]
[Caution: Evolution will reduce Experience Points and Morphogen acquisition ...
2024-09-07 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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Right, so, I knew they had this rather nifty trick where their bizarre little exoskeletons changed color to blend into the surroundings—quite efficient at that, especially in the dark. And this new upgrade seemed to offer just that. Still, I couldn’t just go picking willy-nilly, could I?
So, off I went, whizzing through the lot. Tempting as it was to grab the first shiny one, I couldn't risk missing something brilliant. After all, I was a dragon of impeccable intellect and far-reach...
2024-09-06 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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First up, Feathered Wings. A bit of a twist, eh? Adding feathers for that more aerodynamic pizzazz? Quite the clever idea, though a few of the terms sounded like they were plucked straight out of my... dreamland dictionary. But no time for wool-gathering, Jade, keep your noggin in the game! I just understood the terms, and that was all that mattered!
The gist of it? A quieter, more refined flight, like a proper bird of prey—swooping down all stealthy-like when the baddies least expect...
2024-09-05 00:30:00 +0000 UTC
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Name: Jade
Level: 5
Species: Dragon Hatchling (I)
Attributes:
Strength: 15
Durability: 12
Intelligence: 30
Will: 17
Mana Points: 0/0
Stamina Points: 14/14
S...
2024-09-04 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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My claws danced along the riverside, tracing out a peculiar little doodle that Lotte had shown me earlier—a doodle that, apparently, was my golden ticket to sprouting mana veins, even as a monster. Lotte, meanwhile, had wandered off for a chinwag with Barn. Poor snake looked like he was about to shed his skin—or, um, bones—from sheer terror when Lotte plucked him from the waking world and plopped him straight into dreamland.
I almost felt bad for him. It would’ve been nice to gi...
2024-09-03 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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The grassland stretched out before me like a never-ending quilt of green, with a neat row of trees standing guard beyond a river that flowed just a hop, skip, and a jump away. Ah, the breeze! Mmm, could you feel it? That gentle caress, so refreshing it could tickle one’s very soul. The water, too, flowed with the sort of serenity that made one want to sigh contentedly.
But, as always, there was one teensy-weensy detail missing from my dream: a single sign of life, other than me and Lo...
2024-09-02 00:30:02 +0000 UTC
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Barn had a rather peculiar quirk. Whenever he took down anything—or anyone, really—it was, well, a tad excessive. Bodies didn’t just fall; they were flattened, squashed right where they stood. Just this moment, for instance: his disintegration magic shield was floating around me, having just vapourised an entire chunk of the dungeon. Even that blasted tongue of the creeper that dared to attack me? Poof! Gone, without a trace.
Gold-rank magic was truly terrifying, leaving nothing b...
2024-09-01 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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Was that what I thought it was?!?
“Barn?”
I raised my paw to find a tiny, skeletal serpent peeking out, as though trying to blend into invisibility. Was he blushing with embarrassment over what had just transpired? I mean, he did leave me dangling in peril by falling into a nap—perhaps breaching some sort of clause Lotte had put in place. Spirits and AstralBeasts alike usually had a built-in instinct to follow their contracts, so what Barn did probably wasn’t entirely his ...
2024-08-31 00:30:01 +0000 UTC
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