AuthorShawnWilson

Loopbreaker - Book 2 - Chapter 10

Francis had been expecting a little bit of a cheer or some kind of celebration at him bringing back three Frostfang Lynxkin corpses back, yet all he received were a few grunts and nods.

“You look… disappointed,” Kerhi said as they handed the bodies off to a pair of barbarians. “Like you were expecting something.”

“Was it that obvious?” Francis asked. “The last time I waded into the enemy territory and returned bloody and naked, I got a lot of cheers.”

“We...

BTtNR - Book 3 - Chapter 042

Three days passed in a blur of activity and recovery.

Einar spent the first day ensuring his warriors were properly healed and rested. Thorve worked tirelessly with the dwarven healers, sharing techniques and learning from each other in a cultural exchange that seemed to benefit both races. The wounded improved rapidly under their combined care, and by the second day, most had returned to their feet.

The five who'd returned from death took longer to recover. Not physically, but me...

Loopbreaker - Book 2 - Chapter 9

Francis noticed that the sky had one color and it was a dull grey. The breakfast he had been offered was sweetened grains, similar in texture but with something he couldn’t figure out that made it thicker. Less than an hour after the sun had appeared, Glitvall had arrived with four guards and three other barbarians that Francis recognized from inside the Warchief’s tent.  

With barely any words, they had set out, and the differences between the sections of the camp were ju...

UL1 - Book 11 - Chapter 085 -

Pain came in a way Max hadn’t imagined.  As his own flesh began to dissolve on his right hand, the room ignited into a light so bright it was as if he was standing inside the sun.

A howl of some kind came from the shape before him.  It writhed in pain as the Wildfire raced upward, not leaving a single section of what had been coiling around the table untouched.

The darkness that had surrounded him was also ignited; the white flame consumed everything in the room, the e...

Chapter 23 - The Creation of Arin

Arin flowed through the forest like a liquid shadow, his form compressed to minimize visibility as Stealth wrapped around him. The skill drained essence steadily, but he had plenty to spare after weeks of hunting and the recent battles.

[-3 Essence per minute]

Ten minutes. That's what Captain Helda had given him. Ten minutes to eliminate as many goblins as possible without alerting the main group. It wasn't much time, but Arin had learned patience during his hunts...

Loopbreaker - Book 2 - Chapter 8

“But you carry the seal of your King and his General,” Kerhi stated. “Our Warchief granted you a rank not given to those outside of someone of your King’s or General’s position. How can a man, your age or any age, be alone?”

Her question bothered Francis more than he had expected. She had somehow, in mere moments, pricked at a wound that was always raw.

He sighed, unsure if he wanted to spend the night sharing his feelings and position with a woman that he would most l...

UL1 - Book 11 - Chapter 084 -

Max flew through the air, laughing slightly to himself as he occasionally stopped, opening his dimensional space and letting the pair of centaurs poke their head out again.

You know that would be a real punishment for someone back home. Making them clean out that place after Aeacilles did what he did.

I’m certain he feels bad enough. And besides, I’m not sure there’s anyone back home I dislike that much.

Max chuckled, the wind carrying his amu...

BTtNR - Book 3 - Chapter 041

*****

[ V.A.L.H.A.L.L.A ]

Magnus / Einar Sibbison

Age: 32/19

Strength - 37+49

Endurance - 36+26

Agility - 37+21

Perception - 31+12

Wisdom - 29+4

Mysticism - 31+13

Runes:

Gungnir’s Strength (Chest) Legendary (Hidden) 

Max Training Stat for Strength, Endurance and Agility is racial limit plus 50. 2.5 x Growth Rate

25% Bonus to Perception - No Stat Limit

Max Training Stat for Wisdom and My...

UL1 - Book 11 - Chapter 083 -

Max sat, watching and waiting as the centaurs gathered, ate the food, and drank the drink he had provided.

“We are honored to have been given from your hearth,” Aeacilles. “Many will be jealous to hear they missed out on such a treat.”

“It is the least I can offer,” Max replied. “Tell me, what has happened here? It wasn’t like this when I last visited about… ninety years or so ago.”

The older centaur nodded while Talanos scoffed.

“For the last for...

Loopbreaker - Book 2 - Chapter 7

Glitvall played with the brown braid of hair that he had pulled from behind his back.  “I… had not expected so much. And those creatures you describe, which are that strong… we’ve faced one, but to know there are more… that is disheartening.”

“And I still don’t know what killed Baxter and me the one time we basically defeated the army,” Francis said. “I wanted to try and do it again, but Stenson was adamant that I forget that for now. The knowledge we could make...

Chapter 22 - The Creation of Arin

The next three days passed in a whirlwind of activity.

Arin had never seen the camp so busy. Everyone had a task, from the youngest children sorting through belongings to determine what could be taken, to the adults repairing the cart and organizing supplies. The sense of purpose was palpable, driven by both excitement for safety in Greengate and sadness at leaving the home they'd built.

Arin helped where he could, using his unique abilities to assist with tasks that would have be...

UL1 - Book 11 - Chapter 082 -

“This… arena is probably one of the greatest treasures you have ever given us,” Edward said as he stood next to Max watching a pair of adventurers fight. “Everyone who has had a chance to train cannot wait for the next opportunity that comes.”

“I’m glad,” Max replied, his eyes already reading the flow of the battle and knowing how it was going to end. “Trust me, in the year we’ve had this myself and the others have gotten just as much as you have from it.”

Ed...

Loopbreaker - Book 2 - Chapter 6

Francis stared at the warchief, who looked disheartened after having cursed. “I’m sorry, why is my request such a bad thing?”

Glitvall crossed his two arms and leaned back in his oversized wooden chair. “The skill you are desiring isn’t one that most talk about or even know. It has three different names or variations, and each one is almost impossible to acquire.  The one you’re seeking is often referred to by names such as regeneration or a lesser version. Life Well is...

BTtNR - Book 3 - Chapter 040

The final hour felt like it crawled by.

Einar stood at the edge of the defensive circle, his eyes never leaving the tunnel entrances. The goblins hadn't returned, but he could feel them out there. Watching and waiting.

Behind him, the steady rhythm of picks continued. Each strike brought them closer to the goal and closer to escaping this cursed mine.

Thorve moved among the wounded, her experienced hands checking bandages and administering what aid she could. The older heale...

UL1 - Book 11 - Chapter 081 -

Every part of her wanted to shout that this fight wasn’t fair and everyone knew how it was going to end.  Yet Cordellia didn’t complain at all. Watching Batrire as she faced down Rakonath, not flinching as the silver dragon’s mouth had bit into her, ending their match immediately.

“Quit yer dancing and come fight me!” Fowl shouted, banging his hammer on his shield. “I don’t want to play chase the elf around the arena for another day!”

She ignored the dwarf’s...

Loopbreaker - Book 2 - Chapter 5

Francis felt the gazes of everyone on him as Glitvall read the letter from Stenson. To his credit the warchief didn’t react at all, simply rolling the paper up, tucking both into his clothes.

“It would appear that the General has sent us someone to assist in our war,” Glitvall said. “He will be given all respect and honor as if he were a fourth rank.”

A couple of those gathered around the fire coughed.

“Are you certain?” the Jarl asked. “To give an untested�...

Amazon Review Update

I got a few questions from some via PM asking why UL1 book 10 ranking was so bad (if it was the change of story or what).

For whatever reason right now, Amazon isn't showing reviews that don't have actual reviews. All across our genre books are struggling because if someone just gives a rating without a review, it doesn't appear to be getting weighted.

So if you do leave reviews on amazon, if you could take a few seconds and just add a few words, that would help a ton bec...

UL1 - Book 11 - Chapter 080a -

Sog stared at the pages before him. Seven slips of paper, each with notes from the others as well as one from Jazzjak.  He had read them each multiple times, and the fact that they all basically had the same point frustrated him.

*****

You played around and didn’t take it seriously. Had you pressed your advantage from the start, I would have most likely lost.

*****

Tanila’s point hit home as he had held back far more than most of them even realized. 2025-11-13 14:30:02 +0000 UTC View Post

Chapter 21 - The Creation of Arin

Arin woke up to the sound of children's laughter.

For a moment, he was disoriented, his mind still processing the events of the previous two days. His desperate hunt, driven by a desire for a skill. The bandits and Mira. Everything felt like it might have been a fever dream brought on by exhaustion.

Then he flowed to the opening of his hollow and saw her.

Mira was sitting near the fire pit with Elara and Tam, the three of them playing some kind of game with small stones. The...

Loopbreaker - Book 2 - Chapter 4

“It appears we have a visitor,” Kerhi’s voice said as Francis appeared in the building of ice. “Tell me, what are you here for?

Francis studied the woman, ignoring the temptation to laugh as he recalled the words Michael had spoken a day ago.

She is attractive… especially if you like them able to crush you.

Pulling the two sealed letters out, Francis smiled. “I have come to offer aid and help with the fight your people are currently caught in.” She beg...

UL1 - Book 11 - Chapter 080 -

“One.”

Tanila let out the breath she had been holding for the last three seconds. She lowered herself slightly, her center of gravity just how it needed to be for her feet to stay light. Sog came at her the moment Max had spoken that last word.

The demon crossed about a quarter mile in what felt like an instant.

[ Air Wall ]

Her mind acted on instinct, casting spells with barely a thought. All those fights in the tower and the moments in Dagon’s training area had...

Chapter 20 - The Creation of Arin

Arin moved through the forest with his new Stealth skill active, his form barely visible even in the morning light. The skill felt different from his other abilities. It wasn't just about being quiet or hiding. It was about becoming part of the shadows themselves, about existing in the spaces between notice and attention.

[Stealth Activated - 3 Essence per minute]

The essence drain was manageable, especially now that his maximum capacity had increased to 160. He c...

Chapter 19 - The Creation of Arin

Dawn was still hours away when Arin entered deeper into the forest, moving east toward territories he'd only scouted from a distance. The notification blinked at the edge of his awareness, persistent and demanding.

[Stealth (Tier 1) - Temporary Storage: 22 hours remaining]

Twenty-two hours. Less than a day to gain enough essence to level up, earn that fifth skill point, and unlock the third slot he desperately needed. Every minute that passed was a minute closer t...

Chapter 18 - The Creation of Arin

Two nights later, the shadow cat struck again.

Arin woke to the sound of panicked squawking from the chicken coop, followed by abrupt silence. He flowed from his hollow instantly, arriving at the coop in seconds to find three more chickens dead, their bodies shredded with surgical precision.

But it was the message that made his core pulse with cold understanding.

Claw marks, deep and deliberate, carved into the wooden support beam. Not random damage from a feeding frenzy. Th...

BTtNR - Book 3 - Chapter 039

The sound of picks against stone had become a constant, almost soothing rhythm in its repetition. Einar watched the pile of ore grow, each chunk adding to what would eventually fill three mine carts. The dwarves worked with an efficiency born of lifetimes of practice, their movements precise and economical.

Around them, the Vikings maintained their defensive positions. Eyes scanned the tunnel entrances. Hands gripped weapons that had already tasted goblin blood. The tension was so thick...

Chapter 17 - The Creation of Arin

Three days had passed since the kobold fight, and Arin found himself settling into a routine he'd never imagined possible.

His hollow in the old oak tree had become home, a concept that still felt strange to contemplate. Each morning, he'd wake to the sounds of the camp stirring below. It followed a routine of axes being sharpened, children laughing, and the crackle of the cooking fire being stoked. The rhythms of human life had become as familiar as the forest's own patterns.

Thi...

UL1 - Book 11 - Chapter 079 -

The steps the group descended upon under Sunreach’s castle were new. They weren’t the usual stones that Max had pulled from the same veins he used for the vault room under the castle, either. Everyone’s pace changed when the passageway narrowed and the old air turned cool and still.

“Keep coming,” Max said, the ball of light he had summoned casting shadows all around. “It’s just ahead.”

Fowl snorted. “You’ve said that like five corners ago. Just where in the go...

Loopbreaker - Book 2 - Chapter 3

“I’m sorry, you what? Got your ass handed to you by a girl?” Michael teased. “Seriously?”

Giving his brother the finger, Francis nodded, glad to see he had finally found a path to convince Michael that he was different. Sometimes it was hard to tell his brother the full truth, but every time he came back to life, it was impossible to hide the physical changes. 

“She wasn’t a girl… this woman… Kerhi… she is a monster,” Francis said. “She uses magic of s...

Loopbreaker - Book 2 - Chapter 2

Less than ten minutes passed before Francis found himself in a section of the camp where a circle of frozen dirt was. Unlike the rest of the camp, there wasn’t any snow here. Just dark, black dirt, with the frozen areas of red. 

“What kind of fool are you?” Dravik asked, handing Francis a cup of steaming liquid. “Challenging Kerhi? No one challenges her?”

“And why is that?” Francis asked, taking the offered drink and sniffing it. He could smell a hint of some ki...

Chapter 16 - The Creation of Arin

Morning came with the sound of axes striking wood.

Arin woke in his hollow, his awareness immediately drawn to the rhythmic thunk-thunk-thunk echoing through the forest. The woodcutters were already at work, felling trees somewhere beyond the camp's perimeter.

He flowed to the opening of his hollow and observed the camp below. The fire had been built up, smoke rising steadily into the morning air. Several people moved about their morning routines, hauling water from a nearby strea...