Enjoy!
--------------
He knew he didn’t stand in the plains of memory. He knew it was a memory.
“You aren’t an ordinary wraith.” Serenity couldn’t be entirely certain what it was without his Death senses, but no ordinary wraith could have sent him into memory after memory - or perhaps nightmare after nightmare? In each one, he’d been Serenity, not Vengeance or the ...
2021-10-19 23:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostWarning: Nightmares Ahead
I lost a family member recently. That may have influenced this chapter.
-----------------
Serenity opened the door next to the pedestal and felt a warm, dry wind blow at him from the doorway. Beyond the door was a plain that looked like an ancient battlefield; he could see skeletons still covered in tattered armor scattered along the field.
He h...
2021-10-18 23:04:52 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy!
------------
As they continued on, the hallways and rooms continued to be plain until they got to the last room, and the enemies continued to be stupid and easy to handle. The final hallway was more than twice as wide as any of the others, and it ended in a pair of doors that swung into the hall. The hallway was plain but Serenity could see the texture where different layers ...
2021-10-17 23:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy!
---------------
They explored the room, but the only rewards they could find were the ones in the bowls. It felt like an offering room to the gods.
“Should we take these?” Raz looked at the shoes doubtfully. “They’re magical, but only barely. And I’m not sure if the dungeon would like it. The display…”
As he spoke, Katya was reaching into the bowl th...
2021-10-16 23:00:59 +0000 UTC View PostLancaster HATES the UERT acronym.
At the time the show airs that evening, approximately 2.3% of Earth’s population will have been through the Tutorial. Almost everyone has heard of it, but it’s still not common to have been through it.
Enjoy!
---------------
Television Ad, USA, Earth
Tonight, we have a special guest: Eric Lancaster, the head of NYPD’...
2021-10-15 23:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy!
-------------------
Serenity sat down and pulled up the notification he’d ignored.
[Path Choice Quest (Branching) Step 3: The Dungeon of Death]
[You have entered a Death and Undead-aligned dungeon while bearing the Heart of the Deathless. This has angered the Heart; it wishes to destroy or take over the dungeon. You must choose how to de...
2021-10-14 23:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostThis is not one of Katya's better days ... actually, it's not a particularly good day for anyone. Possible exceptions: Raz and Aki.
Serenity was missing a lot more in the three Rising Phoenix mercenaries' group dynamics than he knew - but then, he hasn't exactly known them for long.
---------
“So what should we call you? Glows-in-ley-lines?” Katya hopped off her flying cha...
2021-10-13 23:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy!
-----------------
Back on Tzintkra, it was finally morning. The group split up to look for more stone buildings like the one Serenity had teleported into. Hale asked them not to enter any; they’d meet at lunchtime and decide where to go from there.
Serenity and Raz surveyed the jungle area from high in the sky, looking for breaks in the canopy. When they found one, th...
2021-10-12 23:04:07 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy!
------------------
Serenity was overjoyed when he finally finished Steadfast. It had certainly lived up to its name; he’d had to persevere to get through it. He’d spent 13 Tutorials practicing with other instructors as much as he could to train it, which meant he’d spent more than a year on it, even though the time had passed in seconds outside the Tutorial. That certai...
2021-10-11 23:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostSerenity has every reason to take advantage of the Tutorials to try to improve as quickly as possible.
Even if he isn't entirely happy about how long it takes.
Enjoy!
------------------
Serenity’s appearance made integrating with the students more difficult than it had been in past Tutorials; then, he’d been different but interesting because he was a teacher. This ti...
2021-10-10 23:08:25 +0000 UTC View PostYes, this is back in the Tutorial. No, we won't be here long.
Enjoy!
-----------
That night, for some reason, the trio split up watch duty into three watches. Serenity would be on watch with Hale first, then Katya would be alone, then Zan and Raz. Serenity smiled to himself; it was clear that they still weren’t trusted. That made sense; it wasn’t like walking out of a dung...
2021-10-09 23:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy!
----------------
The trio had Raz lead them to where Garrett’s group left the two floating discs. Only one was there, which told them that Greyvine had almost certainly escaped. They’d expected that, and it didn’t seem to bother the trio; they hadn’t ever met Greyvine, so even though he’d worked with Garrett, they didn’t have a particular problem with him.
...
2021-10-08 23:28:06 +0000 UTC View PostThere was no reason to be worried about working outside the sector they were supposed to be in.
None. Really.
There was no reason this sector would be assigned, and no possible reason anyone would be following Garrett.
Is there?
Well, okay, there is one little reason...
---------------
The armored man leaned over and whispered something to the woman sitting n...
2021-10-07 23:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy!
Long chapter today; there wasn't a good earlier breakpoint.
-----------------
10 Downing Street
London, Earth
Sunday evening
Miranda Elliott straightened her jacket and tried to settle her nerves. She hadn’t been Prime Minister long, and this was the moment she would be remembered for. She’d better handle it we...
2021-10-06 22:56:13 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy!
---------------
Raz stared at Serenity. He had to know more than he was saying. Why had he emphasized “dungeon” in that sentence?
Any ideas, Aki?
:None. There has to be a primary core somewhere, and anyone who can conquer a dungeon should know what dungeon they’re bonded to. He doesn’t seem to know anything. Play along for now.:
Yes oh g...
2021-10-06 00:32:49 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy!
---------------
Raz stared at the floor as it changed. Aki? What is he doing? And how? He’s not even paying attention, he can’t be using the designer. It’s too fast.
Aki didn’t respond for several minutes, but when she did, her mindvoice seemed flustered. :It’s a ritual of some sort, but I don’t recognize it. I can’t even tell what it’s supposed...
2021-10-04 23:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy!
------------------
Serenity had seen a quest screen appear during Raz’s story, but he’d waved it away without paying much attention. Raz’s tale required too much attention; he could pay attention to the quest later. It wasn’t until he finished the first healing for Raz that he realized he’d found the Path Choice Quest he was looking for.
He made sure he wasn...
2021-10-03 23:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy!
-----------------
Raz woke to a soft clink of metal against stone as the winged man adjusted his armor. It wasn’t particularly comfortable to sleep in armor, so Raz wasn’t too surprised it needed to be adjusted after the man had passed out on the floor, even though Raz had customized the room to put a bed under him.
Raz tucked his hand inside the pouch that held Aki...
2021-10-02 23:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostWe have a partial Status after today's chapter - the Magical and Physical panels didn't change this time. I'll try to note what's changed, but I may miss something.
I also wrote up his ability list. It's with the Status.
Enjoy!
---------------------------
[Field Dungeon: Last Refuge of the Deathless (Corrupted) - Unrated Special (Death, Undead, Possessive) Conque...
2021-10-01 23:09:30 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy!
----------------
Serenity stood in a library, watching a dragon read from an oversized book. As he paged through it, the pages turned themselves. After a few minutes, the dragon glanced up and noticed Serenity. “Ah, you’re already here. Quick, I like that.”
The voice made Serenity recognize the dragon, even though he was crouched over a book instead of sitting at ...
2021-09-30 23:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostThis isn't the daily chapter; that should be out in about an hour.
I doubt I'll do this every month, but hey - it's the first month so why not.
First of all, thanks to everyone for signing up for the first month. I know it's a bit of a leap of faith to sign up for that first month and trust the chapters to keep coming.
When I started this Patreon a month ago, I was three chapt...
2021-09-30 22:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostThis is a fight that Serenity really shouldn't be in.
Therefore he obviously needs to do what anyone should do in an impossible fight: cheat.
He has a lot of tricks up his sleeve; I hope you enjoy the ones he's pulling out today!
-------------------
Serenity caught himself with a step backwards. He’d deflected the strike instead of trying to block it, but it was clear ...
2021-09-29 23:27:56 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy!
-----------------
Raz looked to his left and saw Iva emerge from a shadow. He couldn’t make her out well, but the fact that she was holding her giant sword with one hand while facing him wasn’t reassuring. “Iva?”
She grunted and the sword slashed through the air where Raz had been moments before.
Raz threw himself into a dive and rolled across the floor, n...
2021-09-28 23:07:55 +0000 UTC View PostIt's time for people to start meeting...
-----------------
Garrett pulled the door open and Iva walked up with her hand around the back of the neck of the man whose name Raz still didn’t know. His hands were still tied.
“No. No no no no no. No.” The man simply repeated the one word as he looked into the darkness beyond the door.
“Looks like a stairway going down....
2021-09-27 23:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy!
-------------------
Unknown Camp, Tzintkra
Raz woke up to an unfamiliar voice. “Rise and shine, fresh meat!”
Raz pulled himself out of the small tent. He wasn’t happy about being called fresh meat, but he was sure the man meant him. Aki was what mattered so he reminded himself of what the Quest said. Keep your head down and don’t volunteer. 2021-09-26 23:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Enjoy!
------------------
Two hours later, Rissa was watching the news about the Tutorial. It looked like every news station was talking about it. She caught a clip where an older woman talked about the Trials and a sign labeled “Serenity’s Trial Guide”, which apparently went through the methods they’d worked out on how to get as many people through the Trials safely as poss...
2021-09-25 23:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostSo, I didn't forget about Entherys. Getting kicked out of the Tutorial for attacking a student was not in his best interest... he has no idea of what's about to happen to him...
Enjoy!
-----------------
Entherys woke up lying in his mother’s meditation garden. He opened his eyes to see his mother sitting in a chair, watching him. As he started to get up, he realized he was o...
2021-09-24 23:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostSo, I forgot to ask yesterday.
Should I write a side chapter (or two or three, knowing the way my writing seems to expand) on Echo's Quest? My current plan is to have it happen in the background (along with several other side character events that are mentioned but not in detail), but that one is interesting enough I'd be willing to write it up if enough people want.
I'll be asking ...
2021-09-24 22:31:36 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy!
We'll be back with Serenity soon, but since everyone is split up ... let's take a look at some of the other things that are happening.
I'm not going to spend too much time on what's happening on the home front, since this is unknown to Serenity - but this should give you an idea of what's going on.
Note: Several different POVs in this chapter.
--------------------...
2021-09-23 23:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostThanks for the commentary on yesterday's post! I was curious what other people think would be the right choice.
It was split, which I'm glad for; I was trying to make it a legitimately difficult decision.
There are benefits and drawbacks to every evolution if I do it right; generally it should be a net benefit or it wouldn't be offered - but the Voice doesn't always choose ...
2021-09-22 23:28:40 +0000 UTC View Post