Sun Meta

Occultist 295

Nick hadn’t expected to meet many people on his way to the dueling rooms. It was still early morning on a rest day, which meant few would be out and about, and even fewer people would be interested in physical exercises.

He hadn’t expected they wouldn’t encounter anyone at all. The hallways were completely empty, ...

Occultist 294

Getting a blank check from someone as wealthy and powerful as the Duke of Alluria, guaranteed to be cashed by an influential Archmage like Tholm, was a heady thing.

For a moment, Nick wondered how far he could push it. Could he ask for a Prestige-tier treasure? He was sure the castle’s vaults would contain something h...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 113

Esmeralda’s intervention was enough to prevent the evening from turning into disaster, and as Cordelia moved away, thoroughly chastised, Orion had to face the annoying truth that he was quite vulnerable to a vampire’s unnatural charm and that his hopes of finding more allies among the younger generation beyond Esmeralda m...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 112

The city of Valderun rolled by as the carriage sped through the nearly empty streets.

It was just past twilight, and most businesses had closed for the night, with only a few people still out and about. Every day that no solution was found for the political crisis caused by Mallon’s retirement, which had plunged the M...

Occultist 293

The memory mist dispersed, and the image of Nick swinging his dagger down into the ritual circle was the last thing it could show before the magical backlash overwhelmed Anthony.

Since Nausicaa’s method depended on the vessel being conscious enough to perceive something, and the burst of mana released by the broken ri...

Occultist 292

Watching his brother fight multiple warriors at once, turning what should have been a one-sided beatdown into a fair fight, and then starting to push them back, was quite something.

Nick had known Devon had grown, as he’d sparred with him quite a bit since coming to Alluria, but it seemed that in the weeks he’d been...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 111

The fight with the orc shaman had gone under the radar, given everything that happened afterward, but Orion still remembered the feeling of his only layer of protection crumbling under its relentless red mist.

As far as he could tell, shielding was considered essential in magical combat, mainly because most mages hunted...

Occultist 291

Learning the name of the shadowy organization he’d encountered multiple times should have made Nick feel more at ease, especially since it turned out to be a known entity, at least among the upper echelons of society.

Unfortunately, the small amount of information Tholm provided only made things more confusing.

...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 110

Orion didn’t forget things. His memory had always been excellent, and the improvement it experienced with every level-up only enhanced it further.

His mind was his strongest weapon, and he took pride in it.

It was, however, prone to focusing on those things that intrigued him—great mysteries he would have to d...

Occultist 290.5 - Interlude Alexander 3/Devon 4

Staring at the full moon, Alexander took a drag from his pipe, feeling the fortifying smoke fill his lungs and burn as it went down, letting it linger a little longer than he should have, until it felt uncomfortably hot even for him, before exhaling in a long breath.

It wasn’t something he’d ever seen himself doing,...

Occultist 290

“How high did you reach on your Tower Exam?” Nick asked, warily watching the tear in space.

[Empyrean Intuition] was telling him this was the Tower’s magic, and since the presence on the other side was muffled in the same way Tholm’s usually was, he was tempted to believe the man was who he seemed to be. However...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 109

Staring up at the stone ceiling of his room, Orion realized that it was painted with the different phases of the moon, and that he’d never noticed before.

Have I become so accustomed to this kind of thing that I no longer notice it?

It was a small detail, and he could be forgiven for not noticing it, co...

Occultist 289

Though Changer had generally appeared interested in maintaining politeness and civility, even with a human sacrifice awaiting death behind him, he was very quick to become aggressive once the situation escalated.

Nick found himself darting around the ritual chamber, constantly moving to dodge the wickedly sharp blade ai...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 108

Awe and fear blended for a moment until the cold wash of rationality swept them away, leaving Orion with the startling realization that he wouldn’t have many better chances to study a high-level rank up.

The System wasn’t often described using theological terms — in fact, it wasn’t discussed that much at all— ...

Occultist 288

Multiple options emerged in Nick’s mind after understanding the ritual’s purpose. He was fairly confident in his preparations to beat the man, but it would be risky, and that was only if he was a pure mage. Considering the complex ritual he had arranged, it didn’t seem like he was.

That is, assuming he’s the...