While it didn't take long for a fleshy lump roughly in the shape of a head to regenerate, it took considerably longer for the man to come to his senses. I checked my notifications while I was at it.
Congratulations!
Your class, Scholar of Forbidden Knowledge, has advanced to level 28!
It had been some time since my last level-up, so this was a...
2023-09-22 15:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostAfter a very welcome return home, I realized there was little time to waste and much work to be done. I set up the teleportation pad that Cyra had given me in one corner of the house out of the weather, following the instructions that were included in the small box. It wasn't that dissimilar to a modern furniture kit. I switched the nails out for screws to hold the whole thing together, though,...
2023-09-20 15:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post“Grab him!” I heard a familiar voice yell. It was Sakura.
“Hey Sakura, Bridget! I’m back!” I yelled in reply. The two of them came rushing out of the house. “What’s got the two of you all -- oof!”
I yelped as Sakura tackled me. Soon, Bridget was on top of me, too. I felt a tingle run up my spine as someone used Examine on me.
“I know what you’ve been up to,...
2023-09-18 15:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostWith the assaulting army through the gates, finishing the quest was easy. Myrina and Cyra even tied the prisoners we’d rescued to a poll for safekeeping while they joined in on the looting and pillaging of the conquered city.
“Look, try this on, Carter! It would look perfect on you!” Myrina said as we stood in the smashed-in front door of a former jewelry shop.
Myrina held up ...
2023-09-16 15:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostSoon, our goal was in sight. The western tower up ahead was well-manned and well-guarded. So far, we’d managed to avoid any major fights, but I suspected that wouldn’t be true for the final leg of this quest. I voiced my concerns to my companions.
“Don’t worry. Big sis has this,” Myrina said. “Besides, clever as you’ve been, the dungeon rewards conflict. If we want to leave ...
2023-09-15 15:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Last notice if you want to read King of the Satyrs on Patreon!
I'm doing final formatting this weekend and will hopefully publish it sometime later next week.
If you want to read it before it moves to kindle, this will be your last chance!
I've attached the 5'th draft, complete with the new additions that will be in the final version of the book (but not the final formatting),...
2023-09-14 14:38:19 +0000 UTC View PostThe dungeon dive was nothing like what I expected. I’d thought we’d be clearing room after room of monsters, and apparently, that was what some dungeons were. But those that developed around great historical events were more akin to storylines, where adventurers could join in on a quest of days gone by, feeling like they were part of a grand conquest or tragic defeat.
In a way, it fel...
2023-09-13 15:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostAfter returning to the castle, I had a few hours to spare before our dungeon dive began. This would be a perfect opportunity to practice my abilities, and thanks to Kyrina, I had a skill book I’d been hoping for ever since my session with the Theory Crafter the previous day.
“Arcane Blade…” I whispered aloud as I seated myself in the castle’s study.
Nobody else was in the ...
2023-09-11 15:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostWe turned out to be just where I feared we were—the Samhain Matriarch’s dungeon. And not the one for torturing prisoners. Based on her cheery mood, this seemed to be her happy place. She acted like a kid in her playroom.
Apparently, Myrina’s mother was into exactly the things one might expect of the powerful matriarch of an Amazonian Clan. I suppose now I knew why she'd stayed behin...
2023-09-09 15:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Today's chapter got posted yesterday, so I worked on some character images. The tall and muscular one is how I imagine Cyra looking like. Number 2 Cyra and Myrina's mother, Kyrina.
FAQ:
Q: Marvin, why are they half naked?
A: I do not posses any AI models capable of drawing fully clothed women. #sorrynotsorry
Thanks for reading!
Let me know if there are a...
2023-09-08 15:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostI couldn’t tell if Kyrina was holding me so firmly as a show of her personal strength, her wariness around spellcasters, or just because she was every bit as handsy as her daughter. It was probably a combination of all three. Whatever the explanation was, I felt very much like a mouse caught in the grasp of a cat.
Did she want to eat me or play with me? Thinking about it, I realized tho...
2023-09-07 15:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostOver the next several hours, I helped Myrina and her family’s forces take down ghost after ghost. More than once, I cursed the System for barring me from gaining experience from killing monsters. I likely would have gained several levels with the great level differential between us, given how much stronger these things were than me.
As it was, the guard we were with leveled up several t...
2023-09-06 15:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post“Carter!” Myrina screamed the moment she saw me collapse to her knees. She shot a glance at the vanishing figure running off into the distance, then shouted at the top of our lungs.
“Enemies! Enemies in the city!” Myrina yelled, touching a device she had around her neck at the same time. “We need a healer right away!” The device looked a bit like a pendant, and I sensed a flic...
2023-09-05 15:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostThe attendant, now the auctioneer, brought her gavel down with a bang. The dull roar of chatter running through the room went quiet.
“First up, a collection of items specifically tailored for those looking to add stealth to their arsenal of abilities! Introducing the Shadow Guise skill book! It allows users to cloak themselves in shadows, remaining hidden from all prying eyes. It’s Un...
2023-09-04 15:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostMy visit to Marol’s Theory Crafting office proved more fruitful than I’d hoped. I had a lot to think about going forward, and it was comforting knowing someone with generations of System knowledge had identified no major blunders I’d made by accident.
“Hopefully that shores up any weaknesses you were developing.” Myrina patted a hand on my shoulder. “If I had the full support ...
2023-09-02 15:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostBreakfast took far longer than it should have thanks to our talk, but eventually we finished. Myrina recovered from it a lot faster than I would have thought.
There was a decent chance she was just feigning a cheery attitude and would let it hit her in full later.
But whatever the case, I intended to be the best friend as I could be. I owed her that much at the very least considerin...
2023-09-01 15:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostI spent most of the night stiff as a board. I sat bolt upright several times as I lay in bed when I thought I felt Myrina’s arms around me. Each time I looked around and realized I was alone.
The door to my little side room in Myrina’s chambers had just been blown open by the wind. I wasn’t surprised to discover an old castle had drafts though, so each time I closed the door and set...
2023-08-30 15:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post“I’m back!” Myrina called as she ran to the arena at full speed. She launched herself at me like a missile and wrapped me up in her arms. She pressed her cheek against mine, pulling me off my feet. “So sorry I took so long, Carter. My mom was mad at me.”
“About that. Sorry, Myrina. I didn’t think my presence here would--“
Myrina set me down, poking me in the nose. ...
2023-08-28 15:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostMyrina got up from me in a hurry the moment her sister appeared. She wore a blush as red as her hair and kept her eyes on the ground. At her side, her hands balled into fists.
“Big sis! Uh... what are you doing here? Were you going to spar with someone? Carter and I were just leaving...” Myrina grabbed me by the shoulder, hauled me to my feet, and then put herself between me and her o...
2023-08-26 15:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostThe instant I used Blood Sacrifice, a quarter of my health pool vanished. Myrina stumbled as she coughed up blood. I ignored the pain surging through me. Iron Will made it a moot point. I grinned through bloody lips. I’d made Myrina stumble.
She wanted a real fight, so she was going to get one. I didn’t hesitate to press my advantage.
Myrina was strong, fast, and very well-train...
2023-08-24 15:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostIt was nighttime back in the Hearthwood. A perfect time to watch shooting stars. We were in for quite a show tonight.
The real stars sparkled with an ethereal beauty, but the objects of my interest were harder to see, especially past the glowing matrix of the Planetary Defense Array overhead.
“You did it!” I congratulated Jade Sava. “A job well done.”
Dean nodded in ap...
2023-08-23 15:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostMyrina led me to her clan’s sparring ring. It was an impressive arena filled with sand, with wooden stands surrounding it. Unlit torches and posts for a tarp overhead covered the area.
If the castle we were in hadn’t made it clear that Myrina was from a warrior clan, this did. The arena was big enough that even if the relatively empty castle Myrina had just walked me through had been ...
2023-08-23 02:35:17 +0000 UTC View PostI wandered the palace, hitting the banquet halls and then the rest of the rooms one by one. There were many servants here, but I suppose that was to be expected of a palace. There were also a lot of trinkets to take.
While I didn’t like the look of the palace overall, the furniture was well made and looked very impressive. Far better than what I’d furnished my own castle with. There w...
2023-08-21 15:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostA pair of tough-looking women standing two full heads taller than me manned the gates. Myrina waved to each of them.
“I’m back!” Myrina said.
Both guards eyed me from their positions up on the walls, and I felt my spine tingle as I felt them use Examine on me. Apparently, when Examine was used officially, it wasn’t considered rude.
“Welcome, guest. Lady Myrina, you w...
2023-08-20 14:50:50 +0000 UTC View PostThe moment the planet’s core shattered, it was as if time itself came to a standstill. The rumbling ceased, replaced by an eerie, profound silence. Then the planet exploded with a deafening roar that echoed through the void.
Magma flew up and out in all directions as the crust splintered and cracked, then splintered and cracked some more. Hopefully, the Matriarchs of the Hearthwood made...
2023-08-19 15:57:48 +0000 UTC View PostI didn’t dig the whole way down. About a kilometer beneath the surface, the effects of the Sacred Grove on the surface diminished, and the earth ley lines returned to more like what I was used to. Eventually, I found one headed straight down.
I should have felt more claustrophobic than I was, buried so far beneath the earth. But my doppelganger had lived like this long enough that any f...
2023-08-18 15:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostWith Jade Sava at my side, I returned to the Hearthwood. Mac informed me that Sam and Dean were already there waiting for me, so the time had come to go. My matriarchs had also gotten ready and were lined up by the Teleportation Array.
I thought it would be strange to be on the offensive again after so long playing the diplomat and the defender.
But nothing could be further from the...
2023-08-16 15:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostI spent a few minutes packing my things while Bridget talked with Myrina. Sakura busied herself with a futile attempt to repair the chair and bed she’d accidentally destroyed in her rage, pointedly ignoring Myrina as she did so.
I listed out the things I’d need in my head. A change of clothes, toothbrush, deodorant, snack, and a few odds and ends. I stuffed it all in my gym bag and re...
2023-08-16 14:09:34 +0000 UTC View PostI wasn’t able to boost any of the existing Sorcerers all the way to Demigod, but I was able to give them years of improvements in a single night. Tivana would catch up to her mother soon, and the others weren’t far behind her.
Before last night, the Hearthwood was a continental power with the strength to reshape the fate of nations. But now, we were well on our way to becoming a plane...
2023-08-14 15:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post“Our man...” Bridget purred, arm thrown over my chest.
“That’s right!” Sakura said, toying with Myrina’s token around my neck. It had just started glowing a moment ago and caught everyone’s attention. “Carter’s our man! Just the two of us! And we’re not sharing. I’ll lay the smackdown on any hussy trying to worm her way in.”
“And I’ll help you.” Bridget...
2023-08-12 16:34:37 +0000 UTC View Post