Drewells976

Baquaire Archipelago Map - Elydes

Here it is. Surprised? If you were wondering about the archipelago geography and the seven major islands, I hope this answers your questions. 

Keep in mind that the distance between the islands is not on scale, and I pulled them closer together to make a clearer map. I might also make some minor changes as I contin...

Chapter 89 - Closing Deals

Kai followed Reishi inside the warehouse with Flynn. Large crates and chests were orderly piled and moved by half a dozen busy workers.

“My apologies, I didn’t recognize your guest, master Reishi.” Merchant Revhani continued fawning over the merfolk till they reached an office. A lavish meeting room with two sofas...

Chapter 88 – The Greatest Haggler

Outside the Sage Tree, a morning breeze greeted them.

“Come, mister. This way.” Flynn started walking without missing a beat.

“Do you even know where to go?” Kai questioned.

“Sure do. Merchants Terla and Revhani, looked them up already.” The boy tapped the side of his head. “I thought ...

Chapter 87 - Choices

The glare Kai threw at her teasing almost made her laugh out loud. Each time she tried to take control of the situation, the boy behaved in unpredictable ways. It was refreshing to see him react as she expected.

She would need to confirm his story to be thorough. Many mysteries hung around him and she didn’t trust his...

Chapter 86 - Truth and Lies

Author's notes: I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for the support. An especially big thank you to all my lurkers who decided to leave the shadows and experience the stinging touch of light for my sake. I appreciate all your comments. :)

For those who were worried, no, I'm not cutting short...

Author’s Thoughts (special edition)

Hey everyone, Drew here. I’ve decided to make a post to address the latest comments. It’s likely many of you won’t know what I’m talking about, so let’s start from the beginning.

Lately, I feel like no matter what I do, some people would like for the opposite thing to happen in the story. There is always someo...

Chapter 85 - Keeping a Low Profile

“Seems like you’re lost.”

Of course, he just appears as if it was a coincidence.

Captain Zerith stood towering over him, amused.

“Seems like your organization is lacking,” Kai said.

"Touche.” The man didn’t lose his grin. “Do you need help to get to the next examination?”

Chapter 84 - First Impressions

Author's notes: Hi there! I just wanted to let you all know that I've changed the name of Kai's childhood friend Vel to Lou. So that his name isn't too similar to Valela, aka Val.

Drew out.

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The boy—Kai Tylenn, according to the little information she had time to gather—didn’t ...

Chapter 83 - Paranoid?

Kai recognized the same woman in a gray uniform as she stepped back on stage.

“Silence.”

The word resounded through the square. The crowd of kids and young teenagers immediately fell quiet. All eyes moved to the speaker.

“Now we’ll proceed with the selection. The first test will be mandatory for all ...

Chapter 82 - Politics

Author's notes: Hi, there! Sorry if I was a bit late.

As I've anticipated, I planned to take a week off to recharge, edit and plan the novel. I've finally decided I'll be taking the week from the 14th to the 18th off. And post again on the 21st of August. Just wanted to give a quick heads-up :)

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Chapter 81 - The Selection

Stirring in his bed, Kai had a moment of confusion looking at the unfamiliar wooden boards of the ceiling. Then he remembered where he was.

It’s almost as comfortable as my bed at the estate.

Long shadows stretched on the ground. The first rays of dawn were blocked by the surrounding buildings. The chat...

Chapter 80 - Old Acquaintances

Kai and Flynn sat at the table. Other patrons merrily chatted around them. The hostess of the Sage Tree soon appeared with two steaming plates. Steak with a sweet mango sauce, grilled vegetables on the side, bread and water.

“I hope this is to your liking.”

“It’s perfect, thanks.” Kai gave her a reassuri...

Drew’s AMA

Here it is, my first AMA. Thank you for all the questions.

I put all the general, random and funny questions at the beginning and the ‘spoilery’ ones in the second part. I ordered them so the further you read, the more spoilery the question. It’s mostly details about general world-building that have not been revea...

Drew's Q&A

Hi, there. It's been a while since I wanted to do an AMA (Ask Me Anything), but I never got the time until now. I thought it would be a nice thing to do. Depending on your interest, I could turn this into a monthly or seasonal thing.

If you want to ask me any kind of question, write in the comments and I'll do my best t...

Chapter 79 - Flynn

Shaking hands with Flynn, Kai returned the smile. Then he tightened his grip. Not all at once, that would be rude. He waited for the other boy to accept his challenge, slowly increasing his strength.

Flynn seemed overly eager to accept his challenge, immediately giving his all. Perhaps hoping to take him by surprise. He...

Chapter 78 - Suspicion

Graying hair in a tight chignon, a uniform of the same hue. The only dash of color was the green crest of a soaring hawk. From the look on her face, she wasn't any happier than him about the situation.

“I see… Well, boy, let’s take care of your registration first. Take a seat.” Kai complied, relying on Acting to...

Chapter 77 - Distressing Encounters

Kai jogged on the narrow dirt path along the coast, the sea on his right. His only baggage was a spatially expanded backpack, which made him feel only a fraction of the weight of his supplies. A trickle of mana channeled in Steady Runner eased his muscles and erased his exhaustion.

With a mild temperature and a nice bre...

Chapter 76 - Brush with Death

The shining mana signature was closing in at a speed that defied common sense. There was no time to organize or focus on his intentions.

All the flowing Water mana inside his being burst out. It wasn’t a spell, just a tide of energy with barely any direction.

A wall of water condensed around him, starting to fal...

Author's Notes + Poll

Hi, there, author here :)

First of all, I want to give a huge thank you to all my patreons, truly. I wouldn't be able to keep writing without your support. 

I have a few announcements to make:

- I've signed a publishing deal with Aethon Books. The same publisher of 'He Who Fights with Monsters', 'Primal...

Chapter 75 - Survival Lessons

Trekking through the Veeryd jungle, Kai began to wonder why he did this to himself. He was covered in sweat and dirt, tired and hungry. The scabbard of his sword hung over his shoulder. Not the most practical, but he was too short to carry it on his belt. This way it would not slam on every tree and bush he passed.

Of c...

Chapter 74 - Opportunities

His body was tired, but not as much as his mind. To squeeze Steady Runner for all it was worth had been more challenging than he thought. He had to split his focus on both how the skill affected his body and trying to avoid slamming his head into a tree.

Still, he had been looking forward to Blessed Swimmer the most. An...

Chapter 73 - The Joy of Testing

Groggily walking into his living room, Kai gathered Nature mana in his hand with used practice. He stopped by the windowsill in front of a delicate plant with jade leaves. It remained in the same ceramic pot it had been first planted two months ago. Its three silver flowers were slowly closing now that the moons left space to...

Chapter 72 - Consequences

A headache pulsed behind his eyes, his mind was foggy. Not exactly the best way to start a new day. Massaging his temples, he tried to stand up but stopped with a grimace. There was hardly a spot on his body that didn’t hurt.

He was used to a bit of pain, but this wasn’t the small scrapes and bruises he got from Eli...

Chapter 71 - Determination and Foolishness

Author's note: Sorry if I was a bit late, my brain is fried XD

I'll probably take a week off at the end of this month or in August. But I'll warn you in advance when I decide.

Have a good weekend, I'll spend mine re-editing the first chapters of Elydes :p

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Stepping outside th...

Chapter 70 - The Storm

Dark clouds covered the sky. The roaring sea did not add any reassuring note to the picture. The high tide and winds stirred the waters. Each time a wave crashed on shore it sent a drizzle of cold salty droplets against his skin. Kai didn’t move or showed any intention of going back inside.

Dawn had come and passed, b...

Chapter 69 - Difficult Choices

No, there were no shortcuts. To replenish his reserves, Kai had to absorb motes of elemental mana one by one.

He expelled about a tenth of his mana since he was topped off with neutral mana. Then he began patiently gathering Nature mana which was the most abundant in the garden. If he kept it close to his body, it would...

Chapter 68 - Elemental Magic

Kai stood rooted on the spot.

Did I hear wrong? Is it really happening?

“Come, we can sit in the garden,” Dora said, taking the lead.

He followed behind her bewildered. He had waited for so long, it didn’t feel real now that it was finally time. His heart started pumping in excitement. He was ...

Chapter 67 - Elusive Elements

Author's notes: Just one quick clarification. I noticed I wasn't very clear in the previous chapter - people can have a minor or major affinity for an element (depending if it's higher or lower than 30 in the Merian Republic), but there are no minor or major elements.

I'll edit the previous chapter to m...

Chapter 66 - Elemental Affinities

Author's Notes: Edited for clarity.

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After the ritual, Kai confirmed he had gained a level in Mana Sense reaching 51. It was the fastest level ever, but it didn’t come without consequences. He had never drunk more than a shot of tequila, but he had always imagined a hangover would feel ...

Chapter 65 - The Ritual

The rest of the day passed like a fever dream. Kai went through the motions, but his mind wasn’t really there. His thoughts returned to the impending ritual, making up scenarios where everything that could go wrong did.

He thought he had gotten over having these pointless spiraling episodes. The idea that something ou...