The next contestant is one of the newer fighters. He's a dagger user with considerable skill, making it past stage 4 unscathed but losing in the 5th to a large snake creature with scales too hard for his weapons to penetrate.
This event was a nice palette cleanser for what's to come next, the announcer speaks as Max wal...
2023-12-10 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
The stadium fills up to its limit. The crowd that piles in is almost three times as large as the mid-day fights. From the projector screen below, I can see that every seat is filled and people are attentively waiting for the night show to begin.
With the dark star-filled sky above, and mana-imbued light sources illumina...
2023-12-09 00:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post
As I walk up to the seven other fighters, I can clearly see they're split into two groups.
One group of four, off to my right, is dressed in high-class gear, similar to what I’d expect an Elite to wear. The first to turn their head is a slim, womanly figure in armor that seems to be made of stone. She has sharp eyes, ...
2023-12-08 00:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post
The announcer calls for a 30-minute intermission as the next fighter gets ready in the ring.
In the meantime, I make my way toward the registration desk at the far side of the arena. There are two separate booths in the vicinity. One has [Bidders] in bold letters above it, and the other says [Fighters].
I wa...
2023-12-07 00:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
I let out a sigh.
My 5 gold in the credit system apparently needs to be 200 times greater in order to enter this Royal Coin Section of the city. Making the necessary total 1,000 gold coins. Just 100 gold is equal to a platinum coin, so this must mean a single Royal Coin is 10 platinum. I’ve never heard of this currenc...
2023-12-06 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
The merchant looks at me with a curious gaze.
"What did you even come here for? It's not often people make their way this far north into Sector 1 by accident."
I think to myself for a moment, but shrug and reach into my storage to pull out the silver card with an address from the guild leader on it. While showing ...
2023-12-05 00:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
The woman behind the counter takes my coins, then walks into a backroom before finally coming back with a small white concealment case. She opens it up for a moment just to show the white crystal inside, before closing it quickly and pressing a small button on her workstation beneath the counter.
A portion of the blue g...
2023-12-04 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
I walk out from the dungeon hub square, and the early morning sun shines down on Solara.
The guard outside gives me a nod, followed by a weird look as he doesn't recognize me. It's not unusual for hunters to stay overnight in dungeons. It’s easy to assume I entered when he wasn’t on his shift. He shrugs and continue...
2023-12-03 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
I finally open my eyes after a long rest and am greeted by Ember as I do.
"Good morning, you've gotten back into your habit of oversleeping lately."
The white clouds and crisp air of the dungeon’s sky brushes past my face at a calm speed.
I stretch to rub my face, but the feeling of pins and needles all ov...
2023-12-02 00:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
My eyes dart back and forth, watching both my body double and Ember on either side of the beast. The growing explosion of sparks and red aura from my last barrage of attacks is getting larger, and I feel an ominous pressure emerge from the Minotaur taking my hits head-on.
Gritting my teeth, and looking down at my MP bar...
2023-12-01 00:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
After being defeated a few more times, and even managing to land a few regular mana hits on the monster to gauge its strength further at the cost of valuable positioning that resulted in being defeated moments later, I’ve come to a conclusion.
I stand outside the rift with my hands on my hips in my true form, not both...
2023-11-30 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Thinking fast, I use up my remaining MP stores to combat the second incoming Demonic Energy blade.
There’s just enough time for me to use the propulsion of my strike to move myself out of the way, and a similar display of sparks erupts in the sky.
“Not good…”
My MP remaining is at less than 5%, and u...
2023-11-29 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
With only a few hundred MP remaining, I rush at my opponent with two wind daggers in my grasp. The remaining raw energy inside the monster I run toward is just over a third of what it started with.
If I continue using my mana at the same rate, with the same strategies, I’ll surely lose. I need to get up close and try ...
2023-11-28 00:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
I teleport back to the Minotaur Dungeon and recall the events inside the Demonic Realm to Ember, who replies with a sly grin and eyes full of interest.
“So it’s a trial realm. Once the three stages of tests are complete, the realm will collapse and bring you back here, I’m positive. I’ve seen these used before m...
2023-11-27 00:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
The silhouette of an enormous Minotaur draws closer on the horizon. Its skin and fur are jet black, and its horns glisten with their obsidian-like gloss, reflecting the crimson light from the demonic creature's eyes back at me.
My gaze is fixated on the glowing purple key around its neck. It’s most likely linked to on...
2023-11-26 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
As far as I can see on both my left and right is the cliffside of other mountains, all sloping downward into the same deep valley.
Although the air is less dense with Demonic Energy up here, I can sense there are large pockets of close to zero energy down below in the shadows of the ravine. Above me, dark clouds fill th...
2023-11-25 00:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
The closer I get to the rift, the more Demonic Energy fills the air nearby. It's all coming from a single area near the furthest point in the dungeon where the guard previously warned me not to enter.
Even the minotaurs steer clear of this area, and the lush green grass doesn't glow as bright. The closer we get to the s...
2023-11-24 00:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
The next 3 hours of training pass, bringing this session deep into the middle of the night. My real body has just finished up the Steel Tortoise and Giant Rat quests, and has moved onto some of the lower-level dungeons with easier tasks for lower rewards.
There aren’t many left now, so I might as well try to speed-run...
2023-11-23 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
I stand back with Ember to watch my body double attempt to complete the 30 Demonic Energy attacks and 30 Mana-based attacks in just 60 seconds.
With a minute on the clock, I watch the small streams of dark black Demonic Energy as well as pure pink mana both collide to erupt into sparks against a nearby tree. Just fracti...
2023-11-22 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
“As you know, there's a large difference between raw Demonic Energy and refined Demonic Energy. Raw Demonic Energy is similar to the ambient mana around us in the air. It has the potential to be used as an attack but won’t react or be easily manipulated unless compacted and filtered by the caster.”
I nod slowly as...
2023-11-21 00:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
We make it to a clearing in the dungeon where the grass covered, rocky ground flattens out, and a small source of Demonic Energy can be sensed nearby.
It’s releasing 1 or 2 units every few minutes, and the raw energy is floating high into the dungeon’s sky. Some are dissolving into the open air, and other portions a...
2023-11-20 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Although a ton of possible negative possibilities cross my mind at first, the fact that my own poster with the bounty marked out as collected still stands on the wall makes me question the validity of the posters.
I doubt they’d put up a false collection notice; it wouldn’t make any sense.
The odd string of lo...
2023-11-19 00:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
The sound of shattering metal fills the room, and my gaze turns to watch the figure of a man dressed in all black disappear from my sight and out of the open door behind me.
"Not so fast…"
I activate my All-Seeing Eye along with all of my stat-boosting skills to feel a surge of power greater than anything I’ve...
2023-11-18 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
With my white Spatial magic portal slowly spinning next to the light blue humming exit portal of the dungeon, I answer Ember’s question.
“I… guess I have.”
Thinking about it further, the process wasn't the same, and the rewards were different too; but this soul bond does feel very similar to the one Ember ...
2023-11-17 00:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
____________________
[Level Up] x48
[Addition New Stat Points] +377 Mental Strength
[New Skill] Craftsmanship [Mythic Grade]
[Red Hydra’s Aura Detected: Bond Success]
[Accelerated Hibernation: 56%]
[Accelerated Hibernation: 89%]
[Accelerated Hibernation: Success]
_____________...
2023-11-16 00:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
The dust settles, and Abby restores everyone including herself back to her best ability. It’s clear there is still some leftover mental and physical fatigue; all four team members are moving slowly with sore muscles and aching bones.
Lydia, approaching, previously restored by Abby after being freed from the cuffs, has...
2023-11-15 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
“If all of you were easily pushed back by my gauntlet attacks, do you seriously think you have any chance of defeating me? You should have run while you still had the chance!”
Another laugh comes from the silver-coated man as his fists continue to charge up, glowing brighter and brighter white.
“I’m the st...
2023-11-14 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Red wisps of energy float up in the air as a briefcase, black dagger, silver card, and some gold coins along with small numbered pins, demonic stones, and miscellaneous items fall to the desert floor.
Beside this pile of loot, the shattered armor of the Sector 2 leader sits in a pile. It's inactive, and there's no sign ...
2023-11-13 00:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
The only clear path to victory in my mind is taking advantage of the destructive properties of Demonic Energy and the raw power of my mana-imbued strikes, buffed by the Red Hydra's aura, to obliterate the grey energy-filled defenses and land a clean attack right on the main body of the Sector 2 leader.
From what I’ve ...
2023-11-12 00:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
As fast as the blade enters my stomach, it leaves in the same manner, making me cough up blood and my vision go blurry while the outline of an armored man slowly steps away from me, pulling out his sword.
In the same moment, a tingling sensation starts to make waves over my body, all coming from the stab wound's source....
2023-11-11 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
