It is finally time. After a few weeks of sitting on the various ideas, ruminating and mixing them with my own, and re-reading comments on both Royal Road and Patreon...I've come up with four directions to take Book 3 of Ruinous Return.
I intend to have this poll run through December 15th so that Royal Road read...
2024-11-14 01:44:02 +0000 UTC View PostQuinn’s new eyes were coming in quite handy, as they could interface with the biotech computer and integrated flawlessly with brain. The result was ocular processing beyond anything she’d experienced previously with her old Cybermind and Cybereyes combination. These Nebula Alliance guys have some really ...
2024-11-13 14:49:27 +0000 UTC View PostBut Tristan grew tired. The spiral only filled halfway before he collapsed, exhausted, panting from the exertion as if he had been working out in full plate armor for five laps around the training yard. The spiral instantly vanished.
“Ah, unfortunate, but not unexpected. Your mana is not plentiful enough,” The Matri...
2024-11-13 07:00:24 +0000 UTC View PostThe Matriarch bowed her head, as did every single fairy dragon. “You do not know this,” she said solemnly, “But the Winterbloom are the Elvish ladies and lords of old who created our species from magic and the essence of this Realm itself. The strongest of the four bloodlines…technically, this place is yours. You migh...
2024-11-13 06:59:44 +0000 UTC View PostA few hours passed in relative silence. Tristan felt his stomach rumbling, and when he mentioned it, Felicity pointed out a series of what looked like berry bushes. Always cautious, Tristan fed one to her, gathered more, and waited thirty minutes. When no negative effects were evident, he tried one himself.
And it was <...
2024-11-13 06:59:04 +0000 UTC View PostThe world returned around Tristan. But it was not his world. The cornfield was gone. He wasn’t in a small clearing. And the sky was not blue. It was a shifting display of multiple hues. Purple, green, the familiar blue, a deeper blue - and it changed colors in various places. “The Fey Realm, nu...
2024-11-13 06:58:23 +0000 UTC View PostBlurb:
Tristan is the youngest child of a minor noble family renowned for one thing in the kingdom - slaying dragons. When you get a set of dragon killing gear, you get assigned to kill a dragon. And when you’re the youngest and least experienced, you get sent on the least respectable hunts.
In thi...
2024-11-13 06:57:59 +0000 UTC View PostJace sprinted at his top speed to the center of the still-standing region of Campinas. He felt the heat surging in his torso, up his neck – but it stopped there. His thoughts were clear, and his mind was made up. He would finish the job here, then move up to Rio de Janeiro and regroup with his allies. And, he had a plan to ...
2024-11-13 03:18:23 +0000 UTC View PostDeckard walked down the halls of the Nebula Alliance headquarters. Not in The Cosmic City, but instead on his home world of Teresii. An abnormal location to have a faction headquarters, as it was harder to access, but far more secure for his interests. He walked into the situation room and sat at his desk. The various Signers...
2024-11-12 14:56:28 +0000 UTC View Post“You mean like what the Black Hole Conclave has at the center of the universe?” Priam asked.
Idiot, Quinn thought as she shook her head. “No. It’s a term for when Artificial Intelligence like our Wayfinders get smarter than its creator’s intelligence and can improve itself faster than we could improve...
2024-11-11 15:43:01 +0000 UTC View PostQuinn felt relaxed as the world returned around her. She took in a deep breath followed by a hacking cough as she tried to sit up, but the straps holding her in place were still present.
The masked figure from before loomed over her, “You did great. I’m going to inject a stimulant to help you get your faculties back...
2024-11-11 07:13:21 +0000 UTC View PostJace heard the helos overhead and glanced down at his Dark Matter symbol that glowed through his armor. Damnit, they must’ve seen me on a camera, he thought. “Ollie, we’ve got a problem.” Jace ducked into an alleyway and began sprinting at top speed along the back of the buildings.
Ollie flew out from J...
2024-11-10 15:59:07 +0000 UTC View PostThe warning claxons went off as the whole facility grinded to a halt. Workers began shouting and in the overlapping tumult of voices, Jace drew his new sword which he had not had the opportunity to use yet and was eager to try out. Descending to the factory floor and dodging the workers who were trying to fix th...
2024-11-09 16:59:32 +0000 UTC View PostThe rest of the drive was quite tense. Jace made sure to stay in the back and he along with Priam stayed under a few towels that were in Quinn’s go-bags from her hideout. The reasoning was sound – Priam was not from Earth and would stand out immediately, even if he tucked his ears under his wide-brim hat. Being a...
2024-11-08 15:00:46 +0000 UTC View PostJace saw the vehicles coming closer – speeding up far faster than the APC could. He ducked his head inside as he heard the whiz and ping of bullets flying past and into the armored hull, respectively. “Greg? Any ideas?”
Greg nodded and pointed to the roof, “There’s a port I can pop ...
2024-11-08 14:58:55 +0000 UTC View PostThe four Aspirants exited the portal, and Jace had to cover his ears. The enormous vroom of engines being revved in place was deafening, and the continuous pop-pop of exhaust. Gusts of grey-black exhaust were billowing up into the grey skies above, and the moon far up in the night sky was barely a ...
2024-11-07 15:07:39 +0000 UTC View PostQuinn ushered the group through the door and then sealed it back up. They were in what appeared to be some ancient maintenance facility – possibly for the sewer and reclamation System, or maybe an ancient internet node before it was replaced by the Webnet. Jace saw pipes and wires in neat rows all along the roof and walls. ...
2024-11-06 13:54:11 +0000 UTC View PostThe replica of the Starlit Sea that was Jace’s bedroom was a welcome sight to wake up to. The deep, black space with sparkling glimmers of prismatic light, interrupted only by slowly streaking comets was the most awe-inspiring sight he could hope to see.
The deep inhale of Shhiv-zal, his girlfriend – a shark-person ...
2024-11-05 14:53:16 +0000 UTC View PostJace sat down at the table in his apartment. Shhiv was seated next to him, and the rest of his friends and allies – minus Quinn, who was there but he did not consider a friend or ally – were just finishing their meal. “Alright. Shhiv, Missy…I’m pretty sure that you shouldn’t hear what we are going to...
2024-11-05 00:55:36 +0000 UTC View PostThere is implied sexual activity towards the middle of the chapter. This is your heads up if that’s not your cup of tea!
This chapter can be skipped without losing much in terms of plot. Please click the Spoiler below for insight as to what plot-wise happens here.
Here is a simple run-...
2024-11-05 00:53:48 +0000 UTC View PostJace walked over to the elevator and entered. Several buttons greeted him.
· Jace + Shhiv
· Priam + Quinn
· Greg + Missy
· &nb...
2024-11-04 14:57:15 +0000 UTC View PostJace dove for Priam and knocked the smaller rabbit-man off to side. But the beam of grey, sickly-green light shot off to the side and impacted the Pulsar Priest’s golden, glimmering barrier. It cracked almost instantly. The beam hit the bunny-boy, slamming into his arm. He screamed in pain and Jace rushed over.
The ar...
2024-11-03 16:45:45 +0000 UTC View PostYholl was sweating buckets. The capital was the only place he could be safe, as the rest of the world was undergoing its terraforming process after having all the dungeon cores drained away. It would be another 10 years before he could leave the city’s safety behind.
He knew he could hide out in the city...
2024-11-03 16:43:35 +0000 UTC View PostIn front of the two were hundreds of Aspirants. They were all in various states of ‘ready to guard’ or ‘on watch’. Eyes were piercing the environment, and Jace could see over a thousand distinct sparkles of Skills that were active thanks to his All-Seeing Dragon’s Eyes.
They were also in a state ...
2024-11-02 16:03:33 +0000 UTC View PostHeyo folks. Here are a few updates so you know what you're getting for your money.
Membership Information:
I will be changing the membership descriptions to reflect the fact that the 10 chapters 'in advance' is only for my currently 'active' story which will always be at the to...
2024-11-02 04:27:03 +0000 UTC View PostLiadrin was intrigued by the servant of the gods they had just encountered. She was never particularly invested in the religions of the world, only having gone to festival days in the past for some type of prayer that a fancy man in a fancier robe would say. I never knew that they could actually do magic.
She g...
2024-11-02 03:07:07 +0000 UTC View PostThe dream started the same the past few weeks, ever since first manifesting his magic.
He was falling as the ground rushed up towards him. The first night he awoke in a cold sweat when he would have hit the ground. But eventually, over the next evening’s rest, he grew used to the falling sensation and was able to stay...
2024-11-02 03:06:47 +0000 UTC View PostLiadrin woke and sat upright. She wasn't in the carriage, but rather in a very decent room. She was wearing freshly laundered clothing that had been tailored to stop at her scales - suitable attire for being out in a city.
Who undressed me? she thought as she pushed her legs over the bed. Crap! My legs...
2024-11-02 03:06:16 +0000 UTC View PostCobalt gently lifted Liadrin and carried her back to the carriage. Her limbs began to grow warm. And this is why I didn't want her to exhaust herself. One of the first things he had trained Liadrin in was using her control of flames to keep her body from heating up the environment around it.
He focused his...
2024-11-02 03:05:41 +0000 UTC View PostCobalt gripped her tightly as he ran towards the road a short distance away. Liadrin was hesitant towards seeing people since leaving Ghelard, but knew unless she was a hermit somewhere eking out a meager living in the wilds, she would have to take that step eventually.
She unwittingly clenched her hand in anxiety, and ...
2024-11-02 03:05:19 +0000 UTC View Post
