The map was rolled out and people crowded around for a good look. It showed the area well and I was curious who and how the sections would be divided.
Some Factions were objectively stronger than others. The Admiral had thousands behind him while some of the lesser pylon Owners had a few hundred and nowhere near high enough level to make up the difference.
Giving everyone the same a...
2025-03-21 20:00:09 +0000 UTC View PostChris
"We need to put all our manpower towards defenses. We have less than 72 hours to build as strong a Wall as possible to help us hold our ground."
"Why should I have my men help you? Pooling manpower just because you didn't bring enough people is hardly our fault. Why should we take the hit to help you?"
"We should focus on building a trench over ...
2025-03-20 20:20:19 +0000 UTC View PostAustin
Austin and Hal stood and watched as Chris and Abigail made their way back toward the obelisk. After giving everyone a few hours to discuss the new information, there was another gathering of the top dogs to plan.
"It's some bullshit." Austin muttered, "That's what that is."
"Bullshit?" Hal glanced at him, "Did you even want to go?...
2025-03-19 20:50:06 +0000 UTC View Post~~
E-Rank Planetary Protections Assessment
Category: Introduction to the Blight
Description: Beginning when the timer hits zero, all obelisks placed around the world will open up and hordes of Blight-touched denizens will burst from the obelisk on all sides. This horde of infected will ve...
2025-03-18 20:32:54 +0000 UTC View PostDisplaying a portion of your status screen was easily done after knowing it was possible. During the tutorial, my family would show the whole thing but it didn't take long to figure out that omitting sections or only showing a partial version was possible.
It took longer to realize showing other people was possible than it was to find out that you could show portions.
To display you...
2025-03-17 20:47:36 +0000 UTC View PostChris
Normally, when discussing or deciding on a course of action back home, I involved the Council. They held different viewpoints and had insights I wouldn't come up with on my own.
I couldn't do that now.
Being the only Noble of our group, I had to walk in alone into... whatever this turned out to be. Marcus would be there, as he was ...
2025-03-14 20:50:04 +0000 UTC View PostChris
"Well, that was close." Austin whistled as our boats ran ashore. The last three days had people plugging holes, shoveling water, or otherwise spreading themselves thin trying to keep the things afloat.
The ease of the first day of travel lulled us into a false sense of security.
What followed was the harrowing task of trying to defend the boats ...
2025-03-13 20:34:14 +0000 UTC View PostHendricks (cont.)
It wasn't long before people flocked in. His team set up camp a distance away from everyone else and mostly kept to themselves, but as more and more people came pouring in, it began to become untenable.
Word had spread and it had spread fast.
Which wasn't something Hendricks thought he'd say after telephone lines and satelli...
2025-03-12 20:29:44 +0000 UTC View Post~~AN~~
I apologize for the now chapter yesterday. My weekend did not go to plan and left me scrambling Monday. That being said, I'll make it up with an extra chapter sometime this week but I'm not sure when. I'm still a bit behind the ball as it is.
Going forward, I'll try to put out an announcement if this ever happens again but I can't mak...
2025-03-11 19:55:01 +0000 UTC View Post"You don't have to manhandle it, it's a part of you, not some tool you have to wield, treat it like it is."
"You're being too forceful again."
"Gentler! Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?"
Frustration was building up inside me but I pushed it down and focused once more on the task at hand. The first day had gone remarkably easy. The River denizens wer...
2025-03-07 21:54:54 +0000 UTC View PostEven though we boarded early and most things were already strapped down, it still took us a good chunk of time to finally shove off and begin moving.
It wasn't long, barely an hour or so, but it gave everyone time to grow accustomed to the boat and walking around. Looking at Abigail and her ability to instantly be fine, those who needed it.
Jonathan was still visibly uncomf...
2025-03-06 21:51:30 +0000 UTC View PostChris
The waves of pressure felt suffocating. The thickness of the air and pressure boring down made it hard to breathe, like sucking syrup through a straw. The sheer density of the mana was like nothing I'd ever seen before except for once. My trip up North. The purity was another that stood out, but not nearly as much as how much there was.
Standing near ...
2025-03-05 21:26:11 +0000 UTC View PostMarcus Shieldwell
The meeting he'd been nervously preparing for was going surprisingly easily. When the annoying light-thrower was here, he told enough stories to get a picture, but that wasn't enough to base anything on.
Being around family and a stranger were completely different.
Going into it, Marcus wanted to make sure this partnership did well. ...
2025-03-04 21:25:58 +0000 UTC View PostThe City passed us by quickly, but there was still enough time for me to pick up a few more things. My Perception stat wasn't that great for my level, but it was enough.
It was funny how much this place reminded me of home. It was lively, worry-free, and jovial. Taverns held laughter and smiles could be seen on the people we passed.
From the way Austin described the world, it made i...
2025-03-03 20:58:23 +0000 UTC View Post"This wagon's done! Get ready for the next!"
"I'm missing a strap over here."
"Go! Go! Move it! These supplies won't load themselves."
The staging grounds that we had set up were working people into a flurry. Anyone with a Profession even tangentially related to logistics was recruited to ensure everything flowed efficiently and effectively.
We weren't going to force the...
2025-02-28 21:35:48 +0000 UTC View Post"Whooo," breath escaped me in a giant plum that frosted up the air and for once, it wasn't because of the outside temperature.
That came strictly from me.
My Bloodline drove my body temperature down and while it wasn't enough for ice crystals to form on my body anymore, it was enough to fog up my breath.
My hammer swam through the air in vicious arcs as I trained gett...
2025-02-27 22:13:57 +0000 UTC View PostChris
10 days.
10 days of utter agony.
10 days filled with nothing but pain and suffering.
10 days-
"Alright, I get it. You got a boo boo." Austin remarked annoyed.
Austin was right to be annoyed. I had complained about it since I woke up, which probably didn't sound the best. Even though it was-
No, don't dwell on the past...
2025-02-26 21:15:50 +0000 UTC View PostIt was hard not to feel good looking at the change to my status sheet. It was small, but powerful.
Law Upgraded:
Least Law of Wind -> Lesser Law of Wind
Having both of my Laws at Tier 2 was just another thing to check off the list. All that was left before I evolved was Upgrading my Body, which I was about to do, and cap off my Blo...
2025-02-25 21:25:00 +0000 UTC View PostChris
I wasn't sure whether to call it progress or not that my Mother didn't ask any questions about my request.
I'd spent a month training, sparring, and fighting with the Guard Orders while also doing my daily trips into the Dungeons and now that the time was coming to depart, there were a few last things to do.
One was to upgrade my Body, as the ch...
2025-02-24 21:21:13 +0000 UTC View PostHendricks
The trip to St. Louis was entirely too long and arduous, but he and his team were finally here. Not that the endpoint had anything flashy enough to be excited about. Most of the Pylon Cities they passed through on the way here were... sparse with their accommodations.
Not that he would complain, as most had much bigger problems than an appropriate...
2025-02-21 22:17:10 +0000 UTC View PostChris
"You need to trust your armor!" I shouted as I watched the two fighters go at it. "I put a Rune of Protection on that chest piece myself, I know it can take that hit!"
The man's great sword came around for another blow and instead of jumping away, the woman allowed it to land on her plate armor which deflected it easily.
The two weren't going al...
2025-02-20 21:55:02 +0000 UTC View Post"Is there one that you like?" Abigail asked after all the interviews were over.
There was one, but I felt like ignoring it strictly on principle. Based strictly on performance and how well they would be at the job right off the bat, the best candidate was Sophia.
Although both could do the job, Assistant was a better fit for what I was looking for than Secretary.
With that in ...
2025-02-19 23:07:08 +0000 UTC View PostChris
Letters and information continued to roll in from various outlets and all of them told of the same picture. Marcus and Ashton both sent messages that I had to respond to.
Ashton and his faction were doing their best to mend our relationship and I couldn't fault them for trying. Their letters were welcome and it was nice to have Marcus to cross-check t...
2025-02-18 22:54:46 +0000 UTC View Post"Was this all you were worried about or was there something else?" I asked.
"No, that was it. It's nothing against you, but I needed to make sure we were on the same page. I saw enough infighting during my trip and I'm worried that... whatever this turns into won't go over well." he said.
"How do you think it will go? I didn't think it would be a problem," I ask...
2025-02-17 22:09:50 +0000 UTC View PostTiredness, fatigue, and exhaustion were feelings that rarely showed themselves nowadays. Endurance was a wonderful thing, pushing the waking hours further with every point, but there were still times it felt like my mind had been wrung dry of all its energy.
Our Council Meetings had a way of doing that.
Tedium, the very definition of the word, was the only way to describe it. I wish...
2025-02-14 22:08:23 +0000 UTC View PostName: Christopher Zalenski
Race: (E) Human*
Class: (E) Hammer of the Jotnar(Legendary) – Level 91
Profession: (E) Runesmith(Rare) – Level 84
Affinity: Arctic
Faction: Frostheim (Leader)
Title: Baron
Streng...
2025-02-13 21:42:35 +0000 UTC View PostChris
A sharp groan escaped my lips as the Boss hammered down on me for what felt like the millionth time. With me playing the tank, all of its attacks were generally aimed toward me.
Austin got to flit around stabbing out when the opportunity arose with nothing to hinder him.
The Boss would occasionally turn to face him instead of me, but a well-plac...
2025-02-12 21:53:30 +0000 UTC View PostAustin
Austin stood and eyed the hunk of Ice next to him. The nip in the air forced him to circulate more mana through his body to ward it away but it wasn't anything he hadn't done before.
After so long, the frigid air and chilly, tingling sensation were normal conditions rather than hazardous.
There was a change, however, in something else and it wa...
2025-02-11 22:11:48 +0000 UTC View PostChris
Oops, a bit too much.
Sending the same amount of mana into [Permafrost] and [Desolate Blizzard] as before caused the two skills to blossom out much further than anticipated. While it encompassed more enemies inside its radius, it also neared too closely to the wall.
My new Heart made funneling mana into the skills much easier. Before, i...
2025-02-10 21:43:43 +0000 UTC View PostChris
"Are you sure about this, Christopher?" Abigail asked.
"It's perfectly safe, Abigail, everything will be fine," I answered.
She had been antsy about the fact I was allowing so many people to participate in what could potentially be a bloodbath. There was a discussion about not letting extras fight, but I shot that down quickly.
We knew thi...
2025-02-07 22:51:35 +0000 UTC View Post