I was a tree. A serene, unmoving being, swaying gently in the wind. I was not - hang on. A tree was a terrible thing to be near four phoenixes.
This was possibly the most important meeting of Auri’s life. Possibly? Maybe?
It was super important to her. There were stars shining in her eyes, even without a Celestial element, as she gazed adoringly upon the three phoenixes, ...
2024-01-12 03:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostQuick note! BTDEM Book 10 - Under Ashen Skies - is up on Audible! https://www.audible.com/pd/Under-Ashen-Skies-Audiobook/B0CP6T2DQP
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Life was good!
Life was great!
I was suspicious.
That meant life had an ambush waiting behind a bush somewhere...
2024-01-10 03:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostAN: I goofed my edit schedule a HAIR. I had a note to go back and edit the skill names and exact system notifications last chapter, and literally was doing it a few hours after it posted before going "wait shit I just posted this ughhhhhhhh".
Anyways, the changes are relatively minor, but important. I'll just list them here:
[*ding!*
My mind wavered, [Parallel Thoughts] coming to a screeching halt and merging back into one at Arachne’s question. I quickly fired it back up, splitting my mind into two. One to look at Iona, one to think about the question.
Iona’s face was going through a rapid metamorphosis. Shocked realization as she made the connection Arachne was implying, then unfocused eyes as s...
2024-01-05 03:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostI’d be the first to admit, I hadn’t exactly been the model of the perfect Sentinel since returning back to Exterreri and Sanguino. I’d basically shot right home, jumped into a bath, then tunneled under the covers of my bed and stayed there.
Three, almost four years deployed in the field, and I felt like I’d more than earned it. The Sixth wasn’t back yet, and I figured I...
2024-01-03 03:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post“Julius, you’re fair, what are the terms of the bet?” I asked him.
I shot Iona a quick look, wordlessly sending an essay to her.
I know you’re more fair than Julius is, but Artemis would listen to him more than you.
Bless Iona’s heart, she immediately understood me, replying with a raised eyebrow.
I completely understand, and would’ve suggested t...
2024-01-01 03:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey!
Short thing first: A big thank you to Tsuu and Ben for gifting me these Christmas sketches! Ben is trying a different style and did Elaine in it, and Tsuu sketched Iona getting Elaine the best Christmas present ever - an entire bookcase filled with books!!
Happy Holidays one and all! I hope the end of the year finds you all well, and here's to a great 2024!
Onto the lo...
Hey all!
First! The big one!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I hope this Christmas finds you all safe, warm, and happy with all of your loved ones, and may this Christmas be one for you to remember.
While we're at it, happy New Years, and the rest of the holidays!
Fanart by my wife! I was like "Uh oh I don't have any spare art to give people for Christmas" and she was lik...
2023-12-24 15:48:24 +0000 UTC View PostThe long drought is over! ... for those of you with no self-control and who binged a bunch of chapters all at once :P
Fuck, I hit 'publish' not 'Schedule' my bad... this is Friday's chapter >_<
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Several years ago, when Iona was leaving to take Nina on her first [Squire] adventure
Everything came down...
2023-12-20 09:01:29 +0000 UTC View PostHey all!
Admin week means I'm getting admin stuff done!
Okay, first!
Merry Christmas one and all! For a limited time (Basically, from now until when I remember to close it again), the Grandfathered Iona Tier is open again! As is tradition.
Current Elaine supporters - you can sidegrade now, pay the exact same amount, but get the spicy Iona-tier content goodie...
As usual, use discretion at work.
Elaine!
I've told the artist 'go nuts' and I just post what she makes. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/864504247530029117/1182728436091977818/SPOILER_SPOILER_popsicle_elaine2.png
Use discretion at work, as always.
Night + Arachne!
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/864504247530029117/1182728432782671942/SPOILER_SPOILER_vampsfix.png
2023-12-08 17:48:57 +0000 UTC
View Post
Hey all!
First!
Book 11 epub is attached for everyone! Come and get it!
There are some minor typos that I need to hammer out still.
Second! Book 11, Mandate of Heaven, is now up on Amazon!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CP4HYYD5
I have a favor to ask. Could you all go...
This is the chapter for December 18th.
==================
I decided to tackle the angel in the room first - [Angel of Mercy]. It represented such a large departure from everything else that it was worth evaluating first. If I was going to take it, great, that killed the rest of the discussion. If I wasn’t going to take it, that neatly eliminated a single class fro...
2023-11-25 18:52:02 +0000 UTC View PostThis is the chapter for December 20th.
NEW CHAPTER AT LAST FRIDAY!!
====================
The men and women of the Sixth Legion were just that - men and women. Predominantly human, at that. They were good. Well-trained, well-equipped, drilled and practiced.
But they were only human. And like all people, they made mistakes, little ones that skills didn’t always catch. There...
2023-11-25 18:51:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey all!
First!
Some people seem to be asking "wait, why did a bunch of chapters drop? What does this mean?"
As some of you noticed, the gap between Elaine getting to her class up and when she actually started was a little large, with an arc in the middle. This would've ...
This is the chapter for December 15th.
Classup with the colors here!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14i2sCGCJC7_ANCwJajJUUHICL0ZGlFtM8Org44IZYUg/edit
For fun, there's a form you can fill out to rank your thoughts! I'm curious how it'll shake out.
2023-11-24 15:19:18 +0000 UTC
View Post
This is the post for December 13th. This is a classing up chapter, but the colors are minimal.
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“I think I’m going to need a minute, a chair, and an explanation.” I said to Librarian, sitting down heavily on the balcony.
Within the pure magic that was the world of my soul, with the manipulations Librarian could pull off, the deep, comfortable chair appear...
2023-11-24 15:17:47 +0000 UTC View PostAN: The first full week of December is admin week, so this is the post for December 11th.
Edit is simply for the people who want to read the chapter 'on the normal schedule'
=========================
After the [Diplomat] politely told me to get lost, I wasted no time at all getting back home to Exterreri.
It was a little frightening how easy it...
2023-11-24 15:17:31 +0000 UTC View PostAN: This is the post for December 1st
The only edit is 'reposting' this for those who want to read at the 'normal' rate
===============
A crippled body fell into the chapel, his spine broken. He looked young, a fresh recruit from the farm off to join the glorious Zhao armies.
He had a home. Friends, family, a fiancee waiting with bitten nails for him to come back home. To s...
2023-11-24 15:17:21 +0000 UTC View PostAN: This was supposed to be November 29th's chapter
===========
Nina was familiar with Iona’s eyes unfocusing as the [Paladin] talked with her moon goddesses. Even in the middle of dinner the two were always dropping in on her! It was like they were a merry band of five, not three. With [Grandmaster] Sigrun visiting and her supersized spinosaurus,...
2023-11-24 15:17:10 +0000 UTC View PostAN: The big chapter dump!
This was supposed to be November 27ths chapter. This will be 'edited' on that day and a second reminder going out.
The only edit to this chapter is letting people know it was supposed to be out today.
=========================
Swish swish swish.
Qing Jie’s bones ached. Qing Jie’s joints ached. Qing Jie’s knees told him when a stor...
2023-11-24 15:16:59 +0000 UTC View PostHey all!
Just a status update on the chapter drop I mentioned might be happening now.
4 out of 8 chapters are edited. I need to finish editing them all, then they’ll come out in two waves. A reminder that this is an “advance” on future chapters, and they’ll be re released as usual on the normal schedule.
thank You all for understanding!...
2023-11-24 10:22:14 +0000 UTC View PostI loved Auri, but waiting around while she classed up was torture. I had so many things I was far too excited about. We were done with the war! We were going home! I’d be able to hug Julius and Artemis again. I’d be able to see Night and Arachne! I wouldn’t be constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for the next ambush, the next attack. I wouldn’t be running doomsday scena...
2023-11-24 03:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostThe Sixth Legion was the only intact fighting force after Teruo’s judgment had descended upon us all. Katerina’s quick thinking, combined with us having not released any lanterns, meant ‘only’ two spears had gone for the Legion. The combined Han forces had it much rougher.
Basically every single officer of theirs had been taken out, and each explosion of caustic Acid in the middle...
2023-11-22 03:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostI continued my madcap dash back and forth across the city, trying to heal as many people as I could, my mana cratering. Tens of thousands, if not more, people burning to death in front of my eyes, and there was only so much I could do.
Then I got the notification. We all got the notification.
[*ding!* You are in the presence of Guar...
2023-11-20 03:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostI’d been enjoying a carefree day with Auri, playing with the lanterns while privately thankful that we’d avoided another siege when the call came from Katerina.
“Sixth Legion! To arms!” She roared, the blast echoing off our walls. “Full assembly! Every last one of you, get out there, now!”
Auri and I sprang into action. I used [Rapid Reshelving]...
2023-11-10 03:00:01 +0000 UTC View PostI'll start with the poll!
Latest chapter had two versions. I rarely ask for feedback, but to my mind, both are as good as each other, and I'm torn which one to use. So I'm asking all of you for feedback!
On another note, I try hard to write BTDEM mostly chronologically. There is some REALLY AWKWARD timing coming up, which, combined with the serial nature of the story, would ...
Something was wrong.
Katerina’s [Legata’s Imperial Intuition] was hounding her. Telling her something was not right, and if she didn’t figure it out, they’d die.
That simple.
Water levels of Shuixi higher than usual for the time of year.
Annual festival next week. Likely to be held with additional vigor, due to surrendering ...
2023-11-08 03:00:01 +0000 UTC View PostTime went by, and while my eidetic memory let me perfectly memorize everything that was going on, when one day was just like the days around them, they all got lumped into the same book in [Astral Archives] and mostly forgotten about.
Three years. Three years we campaigned in the Han Empire, occasionally changing who we were contracted with, occasionally moving back to ol...
2023-11-06 03:00:01 +0000 UTC View Post
