Henry ran for his life. He could sense the approach of more of those monstrous doctors and nurses, just steps behind. He knew he couldn’t outrun them, and the amount of times that he could use his skill was fast approaching the limit. Yet the exit was surrounded by those damn nightmare creatures. Henry gritted his teeth, he was so close to his destination and the chance to get out of those fu...
2024-03-04 14:50:06 +0000 UTC View PostMaking clothing for a doll was harder than I had initially thought, it kind of gave me a new appreciation for actual tailors who used to do all this by hand. Molly’s clothing that Alice and I made were… well, let’s just say that she put them on for a while before we all agreed that it was probably best that the doll wore what she had originally.
“I told you it was a waste of time ...
2024-03-03 18:19:12 +0000 UTC View PostJae-Hyun’s time in the third trial would be considered a living hell for anyone but the man who witnessed the end of everything, yet even he was filled with worry and stress. Not because of his own experiences in the hospital, they were horrific but Jae-Hyun could deal with pain, loneliness, and despair; those were only temporary. No, what he was worried about was the welfare of the others he...
2024-03-02 19:06:04 +0000 UTC View PostAfter seeing the poor patient being dragged away, I gathered my focus and approached the only strange figure in the room. Alright, let’s try to see who this strange girl is, and more importantly, why no one around here seems to care or mind her doing whatever she wants.
“Hello!” I said to the girl with that same practiced happy tone, “What are you doing here playing all by yoursel...
2024-03-01 14:07:40 +0000 UTC View Post“Notification, my Host,” Noe said as I finished up with the last of my observations for the day, “it is fast approaching noon, and Unit Noe suggests that Host Walter head to the cafeteria for lunch. It is imperative that you do not miss the meal, both for the Trial and for your health.”
Right, I had been so busy trying to memorize all the rules for the interns, doctors, and nurses...
2024-02-29 14:05:56 +0000 UTC View PostDr. William Walter walked into the medical with a relaxed smile on his superbly augmented face, and his casual strides down the hallway made all around him unconsciously glance to peek at his impressively modified physique. This was a man who had reached the pinnacle of their craft, but the other doctors and nurses still gave Walter a wide breadth. It was not because they were afraid of the doc...
2024-02-28 15:09:04 +0000 UTC View PostWith my list of priorities set, I had clear goals set before me that I had to finish. Normally I enjoy this systematic approach, it made things so much easier when you just had one task to focus all your attention on, but the consequences of failure, or worse yet, not finishing on time, were a little steeper than what I was used to. But there was no sense in worrying, that just wasted more time...
2024-02-27 14:10:17 +0000 UTC View PostThe Regressor and I approached the reception, he was all grim determination while I took a final breath and got into character. If I needed to skirt around the rules, then I knew what role I had to play. If this dull-looking nurse was the key, then I was going to make one hell of a first impression.
“Hey!” I greeted with my brightest tone, “Sarah babe! How’ve you been? Never did h...
2024-02-26 14:52:52 +0000 UTC View Post“Of course we’re in one of the worst ones,” I muttered mainly to myself, “So what do we need to know?”
Our five minutes were counting down fast. I hope Jae-Hyun’s concise with his explanations.
“We’re in a unique Trial,” he explained as he took out some pads of paper and began to scribble something on them fast, “I don’t have enough time to explain how to clear...
2024-02-25 18:23:35 +0000 UTC View Post“What’s going on?” Yoona asked in a panic, “What’s the schedule change about?”
The Regressor was silent for a moment, lost in thought, before finally answering, “Something’s changed. I… I’m not sure what’s going on, but panicking helps no one in this situation. We’re leaving Tartarus if we can.”
I’d be surprised if Jae-Hyun was somehow expecting this situ...
2024-02-24 21:19:27 +0000 UTC View PostWe joined the others once it was clear that the minotaur was fully and completely dead. Noel had melted its head off, so I really couldn’t see how it would be getting up after that particular wound. The other five all slumped down in exhaustion once it was clear that the threat was over, and sighed in relief that the fight was over.
“Good job everyone,” the Regressor said, “That w...
2024-02-23 14:24:47 +0000 UTC View Post“You want to hear my opinion?” I asked. I honestly didn’t think he would bother asking for anyone else’s input given his knowledge and experience; this was definitely a first.
Jae-Hyun sighed, “As much as everyone thinks that I know everything, I am still just one person. I can make mistakes, as you saw in the last Trial. I trust your opinion on these things, Walter, so yes, I w...
2024-02-22 17:43:37 +0000 UTC View PostWe went off, following the trails left behind from an ancient god who used to dwell here eons ago. These sorts of insane situations had become so mundane that I didn’t even question things any longer. I started to wonder when my mindset had become so warped. Well, I guess too much of anything and you’ll start becoming desensitized.
The guiding light of mana crossed over barren, dead l...
2024-02-21 19:29:47 +0000 UTC View Post“Wait, why would Hephestus have a forge all the way in Tartarus?” I asked, “I thought this place was a prison for the Olympian’s enemies, not for one of their gods.”
The Regressor laughed, “You should have paid more attention to your classes if you think the Smith god was treated the same way as the others. He was despised by most of his peers because of his deformities, espec...
2024-02-20 16:56:54 +0000 UTC View PostHello everyone, I thought this would be a good time to provide people with some updates on the project (this is my first one!).
But first I'd like to thank everyone who's checked out my work and donated over the past month and a half, it really does mean a lot, even if you choose not to renew the subscriptions. The fact that so many people were interested in my work to give me any m...
2024-02-19 22:44:45 +0000 UTC View PostYoona imbued her arrows with more mana and sent them flying towards the locations that the twins marked. Most of the hits didn’t seem to have any visible effect, but a few that landed on odd spots made an audible pop followed by some static discharge. Whatever Yoona’s arrows were doing was activating the traps, but didn’t cause them to set off.
“Ok, that’s all of them,” Yoona ...
2024-02-19 16:23:14 +0000 UTC View PostThe six of us followed Jae-Hyun closely behind, still a little shocked at his earlier display of power. Only his sister’s expression was different, she showed off a proud look, clearly happy for her brother’s abilities.
“What the hell did you do, boss?” Vadeem finally asked, “It looked like you nuked the damn birds from orbit.”
He smirked, “I stored all that potential ...
2024-02-18 18:22:02 +0000 UTC View Post“Remember,” the Regressor said calmly, “our ultimate goal is to improve our teamwork, but I want to see how we react naturally as a group first. The enemy’s weak, so limit your skill use. No transformations.”
“Aw, that’s no fun!”
Yoona nodded, “Understood, brother!”
Vadeem grunted an affirmation before taking out his massive maul, eager to meet the foe head...
2024-02-17 16:59:02 +0000 UTC View PostJae-Hyun led us into the ruins casually while the rest of us followed with anticipation, weapons out. Walking through the windswept alleys and disused buildings all alone was a surreal experience, especially coupled with the fact that we were all in the air. Our footsteps echoed between the huge monoliths and crumbled archways, giving the whole journey an eerie feel.
“You don’t have t...
2024-02-16 16:13:53 +0000 UTC View PostThe journey to our destination went by faster than I thought, although that was mainly due to the great company that kept us entertained. Between a few naps and some rounds of board games, it felt more like a cozy get-together than anything else. Even Vadeem seemed to grow accustomed to flying after a few hours in the sky, although he would still stay far away from any windows.
But the ca...
2024-02-15 15:49:24 +0000 UTC View PostThings calmed down, relatively speaking, once we were in the air and the horrible shaking of the dragon minimized. Things got bumpy when the massive creature took to the skies, lift off was not a smooth affair when our ride had to use wings to do so. Vadeem seemed like he would have a heart attack every time the cabin shook, and it took the concentrated efforts of the twins to ease the man’s ...
2024-02-14 16:21:35 +0000 UTC View PostWe all stared at the thing in awe although no one besides Jae-Hyun knew what it did. I couldn’t wait for him to explain it, so I took the time to see if I could glean some information with my Arbiter skill.
Omen Machine: A machine used for training purposes. It can recreate any foe that the user has encountered before, allowing up to 10 party members to practice their s...
2024-02-13 16:15:25 +0000 UTC View Post“Thank you for taking the time to see me,” Marcus said with his usual smile, “I know how busy you all must be.”
The Regressor nodded, “Thank you for being here. I assume you know why we wanted to meet you already?”
“Only the surface-level things,” he answered, “I can normally perceive much more, but your group is special, always hidden, but I can feel great potenti...
2024-02-12 17:38:14 +0000 UTC View PostI made my way of the ensuing fight as quickly as I could. Between the panicked Aspirants and the general chaos of the situation, it wasn’t hard to lose myself between the various winding streets and low walls. Yet even in the ensuing chaos, I noticed someone staring at me as I was running away.
Off in the side, up a small hill, gathered a group of a few hundred new arrivals. These Aspir...
2024-02-11 18:52:48 +0000 UTC View Post“What are you rabble doing all huddled together?” Noel said mockingly when she saw the gathered Aspirants.
“We’re tired of being treated like second-class citizens!” One of the B Group members shouted.
“You can’t treat us like this!” Another yelled.
I laughed, “Look, the idiots think they’re second-class citizens!”
Mocking laughter erupted behind me...
2024-02-10 18:51:03 +0000 UTC View PostI was about to start the final stage of my little plan when I heard a nostalgic beep. It had been so long since I got a notification from Noe that I had almost forgotten about it.
“Congratulations, my Host,” Noe’s soothing voice said, “You have earned your third legitimate secondary title.”
That was a pleasant surprise, but not wholly unexpected, given the amount ...
2024-02-09 19:28:11 +0000 UTC View Post“What rumor?” one of my new friends asked. I couldn’t for the life of me remember or care what they were called or even looked like, to be honest. They were just a faceless mass of bodies in my memories.
“Apparently we’re in the same city as Kim Jae-Hyun and Kim Yoona,” I whispered conspiratorially, my eyes darted around as if I was afraid someone would overhear what I was abo...
2024-02-08 18:54:54 +0000 UTC View PostJust as I had predicted, we were immediately at the center of attention when the three of us arrived at the market. Although you would have to be practically blind to miss us somehow considering how much light was being reflected off of Vadeem and I. My big friend was practically a walking disco ball with the amount of gems sewn into his suit, while I was a walking mirror.
But the real st...
2024-02-07 19:45:21 +0000 UTC View PostI stepped out of our new base of operations and took a breath of fresh air. Something I hadn’t noticed about Pandora was just how crisp and clean the air was. Growing up in the city, there was always the ever-present air pollution and the stench of unwashed bodies and garbage permeating every corner of the outdoors, and it was strange not having to deal with any of that here.
Even the s...
2024-02-06 17:52:36 +0000 UTC View PostMy mind was in a haze when I woke up, and my eyelids felt like lead. I stayed in my bed, eyes closed, trying to recall what had happened. I felt a strange, dull ache in my left side before my mind started to clear up a little. I was still too drowsy to remember what I was doing in this bed, but slow memories were resurfacing.
I frowned as I felt something tickle my nose. It was like a war...
2024-02-05 19:21:17 +0000 UTC View Post