The town outside the dungeon wasn’t quite what I expected.
Given its location on Sira, the sole Tier Ten world accessible by the Atlantis Alliance, I expected something more… futuristic. Instead, I found myself in a quaint town that could have been located on any ‘integrated’ planet in the Alliance.
The town had a relaxed, almost resort-like feel, which I found deeply incong...
2024-09-20 00:06:19 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: I hope the ending is somewhat satisfying. I feel like there's so much left unsaid... I really struggled with the decision to forego describing Emie's experiences on the eighth floor.
What do you think? Would it have been more satisfying to have read several chapters covering it? If a lot of readers feel that way, I may add a few chapters before eventually se...
2024-09-16 21:01:27 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: This is the last actual chapter of the third book. There will be an Epilogue from Master Kairos's perspective next, then we'll be heading straight into the fourth book!
When I eventually do pre-publication edits, I'll probably try to break this chapter up so that the end of the first section marks the end of a chapter. It's such a good stopping point, but I w...
2024-09-12 21:08:36 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: Just a reminder - if you pay for subscriptions through iOS, Apple plans to start charging a 30% fee in November. You can avoid the additional charges by processing your subscription through the website. I don't think this applies to current patrons, but it's something to be aware of.
My mana was draining far faster than I was used to as I layered the enchantme...
2024-09-10 02:18:33 +0000 UTC View PostHad our opponents not been so numerous, I felt confident that Zavira and I could have lasted a lot longer. As it was, we managed to make it to the sixty-ninth wave.
Or rather, I did.
Zavira fell during the sixty-eighth wave when the flying mobs broke through her barriers and slipped past her defenses. She fought well. But after more than a day of almost non-stop fighting, mistakes w...
2024-09-05 21:03:37 +0000 UTC View Post“It’s a little serendipitous that our first and last Trial together are wave trials,” I commented as we headed toward the Trial portal.
“It is,” Zavira agreed. “I only wish we encountered a Trial on the fourth floor, too. It’s disappointing to have missed out on an opportunity to gain a new skill or growth item.”
“Maybe this will make up for it.” I handed Zavira ...
2024-09-02 20:57:01 +0000 UTC View PostI watched impassively as the Compressed Space Bolt detonated from within the formerly time-paused challenger. I’d modified the spell to be more volatile than normal, and the resultant explosion was a bit gorier than I expected.
Still, aside from mild disgust and annoyance, I felt little for the recently deceased individual.
“That was a bit more dramatic tha...
2024-08-29 20:12:14 +0000 UTC View PostSpatial Sense alerted me to the presence of three individuals in the back of the small Alchemist’s shop when I arrived.
A sign hanging from the door declared the Alchemist had entered the labyrinth, though I doubted that was truly the case unless he allowed others to use his shop.
Regardless, the front door was closed and locked – not that such things mattered much...
2024-08-26 19:57:22 +0000 UTC View PostAfter watching the sentinels for another day, I realized that I did have a way to interact directly with the people watching the portal. There would only be a little bit of risk involved if everything worked out right, but a little risk was nothing new.
However, before I could make the attempt, I needed to prepare a few things. Namely, a new [Disguise] amulet.
I hadn’t used one of...
2024-08-22 18:18:05 +0000 UTC View PostI struggled to imagine how difficult making it through one of the labyrinths might have been without an updated interface.
It wasn’t because the creatures were all that difficult to defeat – aside from the added intelligence and the sudden addition of traps. Both of those made the labyrinth harder, but it didn’t necessarily make it difficult.
No. The real difficulty w...
2024-08-19 18:25:04 +0000 UTC View PostIt took a little while to get through all of the loot I’d obtained from the duel.
While Spatial Sense was significantly hampered by the dungeon within the residential building, I was still able to sense what was happening outside as long as I left a window open. Consequently, I realized that a few individuals were casually loitering nearby, though none of the individuals s...
2024-08-16 02:43:47 +0000 UTC View PostJustin smiled softly as he watched his twin toddlers playing in the enchanted park near their home. Amie was due to pass by on her way home from school any minute, and he was keeping an eye out for her.
She usually checked the park as she passed since he often brought the twins there after their afternoon nap. More often than not, Amie would show up accompanied by a few friends. None of t...
2024-08-13 03:40:04 +0000 UTC View PostZavira and I spent the next several hours inventorying and categorizing the loot collected from my fallen opponent.
As I suspected, the elf had been wearing a variety of high-quality items, including talismans made with runes I’d never encountered before.
Remarkably, the enchantments were not obscured, which I interpreted as meaning they were the Sovereignty Sect’s disciple’s ...
2024-08-08 22:49:35 +0000 UTC View PostThough I felt certain that I knew what the elf’s answer would be, I still asked, “What restrictions and win conditions do you propose? No kill shots? First blood?”
The elf’s disdain for me – for Time Mages, really – was so apparent that it was almost tangible. His hostility and contempt radiated in a way that I’d never quite encountered before.
I’d interacted with pe...
2024-08-05 22:58:00 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: The seventh floor only has one city. I edited Ch. 5 and Ch. 47 to reflect that. The changes were super minor, but I just wanted to point out the change since it was recently brought up in-story.
Welcome to the 7th Floor of the Realm Dungeon!
There are changes to the rules on this floor:
There is no longer a central villag...
2024-08-02 00:33:15 +0000 UTC View Post
“Where are Riley and Marra?” I asked Ava when she and Jacob showed up for dinner without the other couple.
Riley had started seeing the local dungeoneer a couple of years earlier, and Marra had occasionally joined their party on excursions, even though she had her own group.
Riley had started relationships with a few people over the years, but Marra was the first one he’d gott...
2024-07-30 03:51:30 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: Necronychus (pl. necronychi) = 'Death Claws' or maybe 'Clawed Death' using Greek roots.
“…and then I was back in the starting room,” Zavira said as she picked up her drink telekinetically. “My equipment was all torn up, but my body was fine.”
The Force Smith had an amazing amount of fine control over her mana before obtaining Force Magic M...
2024-07-26 01:24:20 +0000 UTC View PostHenlen Kairos sat next to his old friend Heph as they watched holographic screens depicting their respective disciples challenging the Sixth Floor Trial.
Between them was a masterwork table, heavily laden with foods and drinks from across the Alliance. The plates were enchanted to maintain everything perfectly, ensuring each bite was just as excellent as the previous one.
Both Patri...
2024-07-23 02:38:20 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: Edited 7/22/24
Zavira and I stood in front of the entry to the Trial twelve days later. We’d both prepared for the challenge with the understanding that the Trial could take weeks to complete, and our storage rings reflected that.
“I’ll message you when I’m done,” I said as I glanced at my companion.
“Same,” she replied with an excite...
2024-07-17 03:27:53 +0000 UTC View PostThe conversation with Ava had the opposite effect that I thought she was hoping for. Instead of potentially soothing the loneliness of two adrift Earthborns, her obvious attempts at matchmaking only served to push me further away from the idea.
After everything I’d experienced, I knew myself well enough to know that I would struggle to continue on my chosen path if I fell in love. Love ...
2024-07-11 22:37:41 +0000 UTC View Post“Hey! Welcome back,” I said brightly when I saw Ava, Riley, and Jacob heading toward the processing stations on the backside of the Crafting Hall.
I’d just dropped off a few items at the kiosk in the Trading Post and picked up some materials I needed for my next planned project.
There were some items and materials that could only be obtained by purchasing them through the dung...
2024-07-09 19:52:11 +0000 UTC View PostZavira’s new ranged attack was actually a semi-flexible metal crossbow she’d crafted out of a new alloy of Tier Six metal. She’d always talked about enchanted projectile weapons with a hint of disdain, so I was a little surprised when she displayed it proudly at the start of the beast wave a week later.
A few semi-aquatic creatures and flyers had already attacked the walls, but the ...
2024-07-05 03:06:30 +0000 UTC View PostI targeted the largest of the creatures from my hidden perch. My capabilities with Space magic had truly soared since obtaining Space Magic Mastery a few years earlier, and my understanding continued to grow the more I Meditated and practiced.
The creature – an Opisthonyx, according to Assess – looked remarkably similar to a kangaroo, ...
2024-07-02 02:48:36 +0000 UTC View Post“Do you care if I go ahead and register for housing while we’re here?” I asked carefully after we left Ava’s apartment.
Though she didn’t appear as upset anymore, I knew Zavira well enough to recognize that her disappointment and frustration at the added delay had not abated – it was simply hidden as a courtesy to me and the others.
“That’s fine,” Zavira said befor...
2024-06-28 00:04:19 +0000 UTC View Post“Where is the rest of the city?” Zavira asked once our feet were solidly connected to the arrival platform on the sixth floor.
After dismissing the dungeon’s sixth floor welcome notification, I glanced around, noting the familiar buildings of the central village surrounding the small village square. While the dungeon-made buildings were all in their normal positions, if a bit larger...
2024-06-24 21:28:45 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: There's a bit of a time skip in this chapter. I hope it flows alright.
Gaining Space Magic Mastery was like incorporating a custom augment, except the epiphanies and connections to other concepts were more encompassing.
The initial rush of understanding made casting even complex spatial magics nearly trivial. It was almost like I’d spent ...
2024-06-21 00:09:46 +0000 UTC View PostThe waves kept coming.
Ten minutes between waves was hardly anything, especially with my ability to expand that time being effectively countered. The dungeon had negated my ability to dilate time by automatically starting waves after ten subjective minutes had passed for at least one participant.
We learned that lesson the hard way when we tried to extend our break the...
2024-06-17 22:35:50 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: Remember that Alliance hours are 50 minutes long. I can count. I promise :)
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“Does it feel easier, somehow?” I asked after the giant venomous centipede collapsed. It was the third one we’d encountered since we entered the mid-tier area of the Wonderland zone.
Zavira winced slightly. “It does.”
“Is it because we aren’t allowing...
2024-06-13 20:03:46 +0000 UTC View PostI wasn’t sure if the official from the city and his followers had actually backed down or if they were simply biding their time and preparing. Either way, they left a short while later without conflict, making it feel like another win for the elites.
Somehow, I found it hard to believe the city would simply let things go. Doing nothing would invite more misbehavior on the part of high a...
2024-06-10 15:44:44 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: Edited 6/13/24 to reflect book 2 storyline changes.
After a bit of cajoling, Zavira convinced me and Niall to take a week off once we got settled into our new apartments. I was almost positive Niall spent most of that time crafting since he wasn’t very good at relaxing.
I was only a little better, but I did force myself not to actively gain experience during ...
2024-06-06 20:10:25 +0000 UTC View Post