B.F.HUUPS

Chapter 38. Attack

Spinning the cylinder of his revolver, Abe holstered the pistol and focused on the cloud of purple dots swooping across the horizon. They would soon pass through from the Vale and into the shardworld.

He glanced back over his shoulder, spotting Viara’s energy signal in the air above the hill. 

On the other hand, the tower and the hill itself shone as an indistinguishable blur of energy; and had done so ever since the acolytes began their channeling ritual.

Targa had b...

Discord

I've just created a Discord if anyone is interested. I'll also add this to the Royal Road release this week. I'll have a Patreon channel as well. If you want access to this, DM me on Discord and let me know who you are.

https://discord.gg/k7QU67FK

Chapter 37. Shardworld

Relief flooded through him as he felt his boots touch the ground. Grinding his feet into the dirt, Abe smiled. “Yeah, that feels better.” Taking a step forward, he released his grip on the rope and stretched. 

Okay, that wasn’t so bad. 

Several zombies stood by the secured robes, their mindless glares pointed up toward the reaver ship. 

“Don’t mind them,” came a deep, guttural voice at his back. 

Abe turned to see a bulbous head...

Chapter 36.3

A beaten, bloodied and still groaning body tumbled down the stairs as Abe climbed to the upper deck. He turned his blade to it, but its energy was quickly fading, and he could hear the final thumps of the man’s heart as it stopped.

“Seen better days, huh,” Abe murmured as he stepped over the body and passed through the archway onto the deck.

In the center of the deck, a couple of dozen skeletons had formed a shield wall around a giant skeleton wearing an overcoat, a feathere...

Chapter 36.2

Sorting through the pockets, Abe found pouches of ducats, a few vials of various liquids he couldn’t identify, and a small gemstone that shone either red or gold, depending on how he looked at it. 

Pocketing his loot, Abe rose. He paused a moment to eye the large hammers. Their ends were solid metal; overall, they looked relatively well crafted, but where would he put them?

Sighing, he turned away from the weapons. It wasn’t a huge deal, but he wanted power, and even thou...

Chapter 36.1

The armored skeletons below began untying the ropes, and chains pulled by mechanical levers pulled away the ramps as the ironclad prepared for departure. 

The echoes of groaning metal filled the cabins, followed by loud clunking and hollow booms. And a moment later, the giant ship was pulling away from the floating island.

“From here on out,” Viara said as she peered through the window. “Be on guard. You might be no weakling for a ghoul, but you’re still a baby. And f...

Chapter 36. Ferry

Stone tunnels connected everything beneath Lantern. They ran hundreds of meters in every direction, turning the Necropolis into a maze of cold stone. And those same tunnels ran through the reaver compound and led to the departure lounge and pier.

The pier was essentially a giant hole cut from the floating rock, with timber bridges running the length of it at several levels. Three massive ironclads floated in the air, tied down to the timber piers as countless skeletons worked.

The...

Chapter 35. Mission

Abe watched as the ropes were thrown away from the submarine and it began to pull away from the pier.

His chest tugged as it climbed into the busy sky above, its black hull quickly disappearing against the dark, staring sky. His growing dependence on her bothered him, but he couldn’t deny it. Not that he necessarily wanted to completely break free from her, he desired her after all. But he did want to gain the strength to find his independence.

“I swear it, I’ll become stron...

Chapter 34. Treasures

Rolling back into the center of the stage as the curtains rose, Grand Sigy blew kisses as he greeted the crowd.

“I cannot wait to show you all the treasures we have brought you here today. And I think it is time to say thank you to one of our greatest sponsors, the Slayer Organisation. Slayers are well known throughout Lantern, the Dreamscape, and the Mortal Plane. It is thanks to these brave souls that we have as many rare and wonderful items to auction. Over eighty percent of our in...

Chapter 33. Bid

“Come now, my dashing assistants,” Grand Sigy clapped and turned to the right, staring behind the curtains. A stream of women danced out a moment later in white burlesque outfits—all of them with goldfish heads. Three led the group, carrying a chest, whilst three more carried from behind, and another four on either side. The group placed the gold-encrusted chest at the center of the stage. The ones at the front lay down, holding their heads up atop their palms—whilst the rest smiled a...

Chapter 32. Auction

Returning to the tavern, Miss Nia purchased drinks from the mechanical tubes. Abe pressed his lips against the cold metal and felt a rush of strength as deathly energy poured into him. The effect was greater on Nia, who was weakened in this place. She shuddered and moaned as energy flowed into her veins, immediately remedying her cough.

The effects were enjoyable for Abe, but they seemed intoxicating for Miss Nia. After inhaling several more times, she rented a private room for them to ...

Chapter 31. Enrollment

Spectral forms and dark knights covered in black armor shuffled through the alley, while zombies and skeletons swayed aimlessly along the nooks at its side. But they all parted for Miss Nia as she strode through the busy unground passage. Keeping close behind, Abe followed, catching glances as they passed.

The underground city was known as Lantern’s Necropolis. The air here felt thinner as if he were walking up a mountain, and Nia occasionally coughed, causing Abe to raise a brow.

Chapter 30. Lantern

The live feeds displaying on the commander’s screen from around the submarine were blinded as a white light enveloped it. 

She twisted her hand above the orb slightly, and the sub turned to her will.
“It has been too long,” she mouthed as they began to travel along the light.

The submarine began to shake, but then anticlimactically stopped. A moment later, they had passed through the barrier that surrounded the valley and were flying through space.

Abe’s jaw ...

Chapter 29. Preparations.

Abe suited up in fresh clothing and cleaned his boots before returning to the foyer carrying a backpack filled with spares.

“Got something for you,” Ricky called from the armory doorway as Abe reached the final step.

“Oh?”

“Just get over here,” Ricky waited for Abe to arrive before continuing. “Middle stand. See it?”

Abe peered into the room. A simple timber cross stand held a sheet of woven metal atop it.

“Chainmail. Light, flexible and you can...

Chapter 28. Mistress

Kearn waited at the top of the stairs for Abe—retreating to his room once he arrived.

For the first time, he saw Miss Nia’s door left open and unguarded, sending a shiver tracing his spine as he approached.

He paused in the doorway, body stiffening as he spotted her silhouette within.

“In,” she commanded, back turned to him at the far end of the room.

“Yes,” he whispered as he entered the warmly lit room, turning as the door creaked close at his back.

Chapter 27. Return

Channeling his energy through the orb, Abe had steered it through the mountains. Between the astral vision provided by the orb and his own array of senses, he could pilot the windowless vessel without the need for any instruments.

The finer elements of piloting the vessel were lost to him, and bringing it down safely was no easy task.

Flying the rusted heap that looked like it had fallen straight out of a Second World War battle, Abe had found a sheltered spot behind the mountain ...

Chapter 26. Winner

Metal rang out as they clashed again, both warriors skidding backward against the pressure of their collision.

Grunting, Elissa stomped against the ground and shook her head.

Abe touched his side, relieved to find his wounds patched up by the worms, and then narrowed his gaze on her.

“I don’t care what parasites you sell your festering body to, you won’t win!” Elissa roared as she charged back into battle.

Their blades slammed against one another, sending both ...

Chapter 25. Ghouls

Metal echoed as Abe landed in the narrow, musky corridor. Her purple dot of energy remained unmoving.

You’re probably waiting for me, aren’t you?

Groaning, Abe continued down the creaking metal.

“Elissa, it’s me… Don’t suppose you’re down for a chat?”

No reply came.

“We did it by the way, or rather I did. The anomalies have been dealt with. I’m sure Mistress Nia is going to be happy.”

Silence followed as Abe passed through the...

Chapter 25. Crystals

Squirming free from his nails, the worms descended upon the shard, devouring it in seconds. 

Even though Abe wasn’t the one consuming the energy, he could feel that the shard had paled in comparison to the meat rot. But it had awoken something else.

He wasn’t sure how he knew, but he was sure they hadn’t evolved just yet. At least not to an entirely new stage. But they had made a step, and he felt that it was similar to his own awakening.

They hungered for more, a...

Chapter 24. Home

Standing on the frozen bank, Abe watched Bazaarbus’s boat fade back into the fog. And whilst the river seemed to cling to a blanket of mist at all times, the thicker cloud of white that followed Bazaarbus dissipated as he left.

Abe glanced down at the piece of blackened meat in his hand. The worms cried in hunger throughout his veins, itching for the chance to devour the meat. But they waited for Abe.

He wasn’t certain if they had been tamed, or if it was an act that they woul...

Chapter 23. Return

The echoes of power coursed through his veins as he eyed the shadowy figures creeping through the corridor toward him.

They’re a little late, Abe smirked, looking down at the corpse by his feet.

They hunched forward curiously, heads twitching as they passed through the bulkheads.

Abe turned his attention to the orb of pure black slowly rotating atop a console at the center of the room—their eyes were glued to it.

Shaky whispers glided through the air as if...

Chapter 22. Hunting

Trees thinned as Abe pulled himself up and over ledges of snow—the terrain growing rougher with every step he took.

Of course, that asshole went up the fucking mountain, why wouldn’t he?

Grunting, he took hold of a snow-covered rock and pulled, his feet slipping out beneath him momentarily before he steadied and found his footing.

Between the Chairman and Miss Nia’s thinly veiled hints, it sounded like some kind of war was coming. 

It was hard to pl...

Chapter 21. Detective

She sat face lowered, one hand woven through her dark curls, the other swirling a spoon through black coffee—a chubby man sat opposite her in the booth.

“Anita, please, I know he meant a lot to you but this isn’t a conspiracy. It was a bad part of town, And as sad as it is, people go missing all the time.”

Anita shifted her gaze to the window, looking out across the dark, damp parking lot. “He didn’t just mean a lot to me, Harold.”

“Sorry, I know it’s head,...

Chapter 20. Confusion

Could Elissa handle the man in white alone? The thought played on Abe’s mind, but if he was just a distraction, shouldn’t he head back to the manor?

He remembered the trump cards Miss Nia supposedly had. Could it be related to whatever Ricky was doing? Did it matter?

Abe had considered killing the villagers for the ducats, but he wasn’t sure where they were and didn’t want to trudge around digging for them. The other option was killing the Man in White for them, a...

Chapter 19. Chairman

“Oh, the two of you are heading out?” Ricky said as Elissa led Abe toward the door.

“Shut up!”

Abe frowned and shrugged, closing the door behind them.

“You,” Elissa sniffed, her head jerking from side to side as she looked down at the town. “Find that worm Emil and get answers. Failing that, the chairman. One of those maggots will know what’s happening.”

Abe nodded, “And what about you?”

“That white bastard is mine,” she growled between ...

Chapter 18. Awaken

Abe’s black eyes shot open, greeted by the silvery glow of a full moon.

This isn’t the same day.

His body spasmed, tightening then releasing as cramps dug into every muscle.

Heaving, his chest thumped up, lurching toward the sky—raising his back off the ground.

Tendrils slid up through his veins, curling around the insides of his appendages, and working him like a puppet.

“What is this?” he roared. “Let go of me!” he tried to thrash his unr...

Chapter 17. Helper

The villagers explained that the white man didn’t live within Strigov, but seemed to emerge from the forest to the west—where Abe had seen the white figure when returning from the tunnels beneath Strigov.

He had decided to return to the manor and see if he could enlist Elissa’s aid, but she didn’t even answer his knocks.

Collecting both grenades, he then made his way back to the forest.

Wind whistled through the calm forest, which was empty, save for the occasional c...

Chapter 16. Fish

Lying within the lap of a skeleton resting atop a throne, lined by veins, arteries, and a pumping heart, Abe had found the scales.

The veins and arteries seemed to pump blood through the heart and down into the ground beneath its feet, weaving into the bony cartilage that had fused to create the skeletal room.

Abe had mused over whether the fish was actually been alive, or if it was a fish at all—but didn’t come to any concrete conclusion.

The scales themselves reminded ...

Chapter 15. Recovery

Clicking the release, Abe spun the revolver’s cylinder and laid the bullets out across his bed. 

He could smell the toxic, antiseptic odor that drenched the bullets. His senses filled him with discomfort as he eyed the bullets, telling him to keep clear of them.

Discomfort building, Abe threw his blanket over the bullets and took a step back.

“That’s right, they’re blessed and I’m a monster,” he mumbled, glancing down at his hands. 

He killed that...

Chapter 14. Barbarossa

Smoothing pulses ran through his body as he lay on the bed, the blood bag clenched tightly in his mouth, hands twisting and squeezing the last remnants out.

Finishing it, he threw it aside and took the second bag.

The sword wound still swung and bled, but he could see it healing.

A little overconfident. Seems like that blessed blade of yours isn’t so perfect after all.

Abe bit into the second bag, tearing it open, and gulped it down. His energy was returning...