CosmicQuill

Chapter 10: Bothersome Encounter

What is this? After entering the Shelter's dimly lit streets, there was this strange, warm feeling slowly spreading through my chest.

As I cautiously walked along the familiar corridors, the pleasant hum of the Generator filled my ears, and I couldn't help but smile. I made it!

The simple notion that I could ever miss this unseemly pile of reinforced concrete would have seemed beyond preposterous to me just a few short days ago, but here I was, grinni...

Chapter 165: A Lonely Traveler

'Ah, so annoying...' I sighed as the sandstorm rearranged the dunes... again.

I trudged on through the scorching heat, only my determination allowing me to endure these vicious sandstorms in this godforsaken wasteland.

Each step was a battle against the biting winds and annoying sand. The wind, relentless in its assault, whipped against my cloak, stinging my skin.

No matter how hard I tried to maintain a straight path, the dunes seemed to mock me, shifting with every ...

Chapter 164: Plains of Ruin

The next morning, I decided to skip breakfast and leave the small town just as the drowsy-looking guards began opening the gates.

I knew I was being a bit too paranoid here, especially since I had already left the Kingdom, but after everything I had gone through in the last few months, I figured there was never too much precaution when it came to personal safety.

So, to further confuse any would-be pursuers, I chose to leave through the north gates—the exact opposite dire...

Chapter 163: Borderlands

As I hurriedly approached the counter, I could finally take a proper look at the lady standing behind it.

The clerk had a kind face accompanied by soft brown hair pulled back in a small ponytail. She wore a neat apron over a simple white dress, and behind her, I could see shelves upon shelves of scrolls and books neatly lining the walls of the Guild's lobby.

"What can I do for you? Ah, it seems you came here all the way from Wittenwald. Are you perhaps looking to become an ...

Chapter 162: A Foreign Land

Hearing that ear-shattering roar made the blood freeze in my veins. 'Is that a... Dragon?' I narrowed my eyes, carefully observing the peak of the mountain.

'Right there...' At the very top, there seemed to be an opening to what could only be a spacious cave, and before it stood a massive silhouette, its large scaly wings spread menacingly.

However, as soon as I spotted it, I couldn't help but exhale in relief.

Although it was undoubtedly a massive and dangerous creature...

Chapter 161: A Letter of Recommendation

As Malaric began his report, recounting our harrowing tale of battling the Tainted monster and inadvertently awakening the mountain's wrath, the previously stern faces of the esteemed councilors started to pale, quickly adopting a shocked expression.

"...Tainted, you say?" one of them said incredulously as if struggling to believe what he was hearing.

"Impossible! There was no mention of any such encounter for 500 years!" An elderly man in long white robes exclaimed angrily...

Chapter 160: Hasty Retreat

'Alright! Let's see what we have here...'

With the monster gone and everyone else dead, I could finally partake in some sweet looting time.

I still had to come up with some sort of explanation for the massive explosion, as I'm sure Malaric must have heard it even from the other side of the mountain, but that could wait for later.

Looking ahead, the small valley, now without the cover of fog, opened itself before me in all its glory. Yet the sight that welcomed me coul...

Chapter 159: My Way of Doing Things

'There you are...' I smiled mischievously, carefully observing a tiny black speck in the far distance.

I stood at the narrow edge of a protruding rocky outcrop overlooking the valley below.

By now, the midday sun had burned away most of the annoying fog, giving me a clear view over the site of the recent massacre and, more importantly, of the Tainted monster that stood motionlessly in the middle of it.

'After all the bullshit you made me go through, I will definitely ...

Chapter 158: Revelation

It did not take long after the first scream before the whole valley was filled with an entire cacophony of them.

"Argh! N-Noooo! H-Help meee!"

They came accompanied by very unpleasant sounds of what were probably bones being broken and bodies getting torn apart, which made me recoil in shock even though I knew about what was coming in advance.

Malaric, thanks to his lifetime of battle experience, was the first of us to recover. Without wasting a breath, he sprung fort...

Chapter 157: Misty Forest

As we arrived at our selected camping ground - a spacious clearing surrounded by tall trees and lush greenery, the sun was already slowly sinking towards the horizon, coloring the sky in various hues of pink.

Since this time around, I wasn't projecting out my aura; our small host was constantly being besieged by various packs of wandering monsters and beasts, which in turn left most of the beast hunters deadly tired by the time we finally made camp.

Being new and among the ...

Chapter 156: The Hunt

'This is going to go so poorly...' I thought while watching the hunters prepare for the monster hunt.

Although the sight of dozens of battle-hardened warriors busily sharpening their weapons and fastening their armor was undoubtedly a formidable one, I remained skeptical about their chances of obtaining victory in the upcoming battle.

If there truly was some horrid abomination that made its nest in the mountains along the border—one that could push every other monster...

Chapter 155: Call to Arms

Seeing the chaos in the Guild's lobby made me a bit apprehensive, yet then a subtle smile played on my lips as I noticed that in the far corner, there was a sizeable piece of paper hung on the wall. 'They have a map!'

I immediately decided to ignore the commotion, as it probably had something to do with the monster-infested roads along the border, and instead went to explore the map to find the best way south.

But as I began eagerly striding across the hall, a grizzled ...

Quick Update

Hi everyone! I'm here with a quick update regarding the next chapter... As I was writing, I got a sudden bout of inspiration and decided to expand upon the story surrounding the town of Neufeld.

Although this resulted in a much better story, I had to rewrite a portion of the chapter, which means I'll have to postpone its release until tomorrow.

However, on the bright side, this also inspired several of the following chapters, which means the release rate in the next week should be...

Chapter 154: The Town of Neufeld

'At least I got a free ride out of it...' I sighed as I helped the man with the wagon's repairs before we embarked on the journey toward the nearest town.

Originally, I only wanted to squeeze a few coins out of him as compensation for saving his life in order to keep up appearances, but in the end, I agreed with his proposal to accompany him to the town, feeling sorry for the poor man after listening to his story.

He told me that he was a chief of a newly established fa...

Chapter 153: New Insights

As I made my way down the steep cliff slope from where I had previously watched the man's desperate struggle against the pack of wolves, I wondered how I should go about this.

I wasn't in the mood for a sword fight, yet I also couldn't openly showcase my magic.

But then I got a certain idea. 'What if I could simply scare them off?'

I still vividly remember the trance-like state I entered during my battle with Dominic in Weisberg.

As my body was overflowing w...

Chapter 152: Spring Stroll

'Ah, It's nice to be on the road again!' I wondered, basking in the bright sunshine of the early spring morning as I strolled through the familiar countryside of the Frontier toward the unknown.

I knew that I still had over half a year before I would turn fifteen and could enroll in the Grand Tower, so there was no reason to hurry. That's why I walked rather slowly, enjoying the beautiful sights all around me.

The fresh scent of blooming wildflowers filled the air, and ...

Chapter 151: My Fourteenth Birthday

When I woke up the following morning, I was still wondering about what Father had told me the night before.

To think that he had actually never finished his blacksmith's apprenticeship was quite a shocking piece of information, as by the quality of his craft, I thought he was one of the very best blacksmiths in all of Ereneth.

'At least I finally learned why he settled at the Frontier...' I thought as I went to grab something for breakfast.

I also understood his p...

Chapter 150: My Father's Story

As per Old Sven's advice, I then headed north, following a narrow path leading to the neighboring village.

Since this road was rarely ever used, it was overgrown in places or almost disappearing in others.

So, in some instances, I had to resort to orienting myself solely by the position of the sun, which occasionally peaked through the heavy clouds above to keep the right direction.

Ultimately, it took me almost half a day to get there, but I didn't mind much.

Chapter 9: The Shelter

I was right… I thought as I watched several rats sniffing around some distance away, seemingly paying me no attention.

So they were attracted by the light! I exhaled in relief after seeing for the umpteenth time as the rat at the edge of my vision briefly turned its head my way a few times before scurrying away without bothering me.

Well, maybe the fact I was covered from head to toe with dust from the cave-in had something to do with it as wel...

Chapter 149: A Long Journey

The flames in the inn's hearth danced erratically, casting a warm, flickering glow across the dimly lit interior. It was a welcoming sight, especially compared to the howling winds and the fierce rain raging outside the cramped establishment.

"More ale!" One of the local patrons shouted, raising his empty mug. "Here ya go!" the stout innkeeper merrily answered, promptly refiling his mug with a fresh ale from a pitcher.

At that moment, the inn's doors flew open, and thre...

Chapter 148: Parting Ways

With a quiet rumble, a small portion of the mighty city's wall in front of me crumbled. My lips curled into a smile as I turned over and whispered to Theo. "Bring everyone here. We're leaving."

He simply nodded and jogged over to where Vixen and the others were anxiously waiting.

Meanwhile, I hardened the surface of the new passage so that it wouldn't collapse on us and then carefully listened until I heard the sound of multiple pairs of subtle steps making their way to...

Chapter 8: Boring Effort

Scowling at the seemingly insurmountable pile of rubble blocking my way, I ordered Rocky to use [Shatter] again and again. As if I’d let something like this stop me!

I didn’t shy away from the challenge before me—on the contrary, I welcomed it. I chuckled, remembering how the nuns often told me that I never knew when to stop. I couldn’t have guessed this quirk of mine would come in handy here, of all places.

With bitter determina...

Chapter 147: Skipping Town

"This place is like a damn maze!" I exclaimed frustratingly, struggling to navigate the multiple winding tunnels that ran through the mountain in all directions.

Even worse, my magic sense was almost useless in helping me locate Hans and Greta because I was surrounded by nothing but solid rock.

But I wouldn't let myself be dissuaded that easily, so I soldiered on, carefully traversing the dark corridors while dutifully marking my path to avoid getting lost.

After ...

Chapter 146: Resolve

In that fleeting moment, before the enormous earth spike hit that bastard Dominic square in the face, everything became still, as if the whole world held its breath in severe anticipation.

"BOOOM!"

Then, the entire cavern shook violently as an earth-shattering explosion rocked everyone to their core.

I could see Dominic's look of bewilderment as his magic shield shone brightly, groaning under the enormous pressure while desperately trying to annul the tremendous p...

Chapter 7: A Long Way Home

"Ah, I'm back!" I exclaimed, breaking the unnerving silence as I was once again greeted by the pleasant sight of decay and destruction all around.

I then quickly scanned the ruins, happily noting that everything looked exactly the same as before. However, there was one notable difference from my previous visit—my surroundings were now bathed in a pale blue light emanating from Rocky's glowing mana crystal. 

“Hahaha! It worked!”

If anyone had told me a w...