Despite their outward reluctance, the trio didn't object to my insistence any further and started to move.
"Wait," Tania suddenly cried. "Weren't you going to get new summons?"
Hm? My eyes widened slightly as I realized that, lost in our conversation, we had nearly forgotten the main task.
"Yes, thank you for reminding me, Tania," I said with a smile.
"Do we need to, though?" Pyra groused, staring at me. "I mean, we’re plenty enough as we are. Why do we even need...
"...But the dragon couldn't have been the only one responsible, could it?" Tania asked.
"No," Amara said, shaking her head. "I think the dragon was merely a delivery point—it had to be working for someone else."
"Now that you mention it," Pyra said thoughtfully, turning to look at me, "I remember Mark once said the dragon wanted him to relay a message."
We had finished basking in the moment, relishing the calm seconds spent in each other's embrace. But even then, it was im...
2025-03-21 14:30:04 +0000 UTC View PostThe guest room Aldrin had introduced us to was luxurious but could certainly not be called garish. If I had to describe it, it tried to balance splendor with efficiency. I found it to my liking.
As we shuffled into the room, I closed the doors behind us and waited for my companions to settle. Tania and Pyra chose to lounge on the bed, while Amara leaned against the sofa, her face set impassively. I remained standing until I had their attention.
"Before you speak, Mark," Pyra said,...
2025-03-19 14:30:03 +0000 UTC View PostNew Cover Art:
Lin Li poked at the ball of energy, expecting a reaction — any sort of reaction — and waited in vain, as none came. Of course, he hadn't literally poked at the ball of energy, for it resided within his body. Instead, he had used his senses, offering a metaphorical probe.
But still, nothing.
Now, he sat despondently on his bed, sighing...
The inside of the room was massive, though not on the same scale as the main hall. What it lacked in size, it made up for in grandeur.
In the center, against the far wall, stood a desk and a chair, with neatly organized papers and thick tomes atop it. To the right was a tall bookshelf, tightly packed with books of various natures, while a plush lounging area stood invitingly before it, complete with soft rugs and an even softer divan.
The left side was mostly empty, save for an ar...
2025-03-18 14:30:01 +0000 UTC View PostI realized the difference the moment I laid eyes on him. His posture was less stiff, his features more relaxed—unburdened, if I had to name it.
Captain Aldrin no longer looked like the battle-worn man shouldering a heavy weight; instead, he resembled someone who found joy in the simple act of teaching. Yet, I couldn't ignore the hardness beneath it all—this was a man who had seen death and fought to keep it at bay.
He saw us before we finished the last stretch leading...
2025-03-17 15:17:00 +0000 UTC View PostI saw a woman marching down the road, an angry scowl on her face, and took a step back. The scales on the back of my hand receded, my claw shifting back into human form.
"You!" the woman snarled, her eyes blazing with fury. "Who are you?! And why are you assaulting my men?"
I knew she was angry—rather, I could feel her anger. The subtle quaking of the aura around her might have been invisible to anyone else, but to me, it was as clear as a daylight sky. I smiled and shifted into...
2025-03-15 14:30:02 +0000 UTC View PostLin Li felt a void torn into his being as the effects of the pill settled in his abdomen.
'So,' he thought, 'it was poison after all.'
The thought passed through his mind, and then darkness welcomed him in its cold, dead embrace.
X
He could hear, in the distance, droplets falling from above. They hit the water’s surface with a resounding ding, sending ripples through his senses—his mind, his body, his very exist...
2025-03-15 14:25:00 +0000 UTC View PostLin Li knew there was no hiding—not from the Red Wolves. They were vicious, cruel, and, most importantly, they knew how to track their prey. They would find him.
So why was he even trying?
He took slow, measured breaths, circulating his Qi through his meridians to push back the exhaustion weighing on him. It was working. The fatigue was fading, bit by bit.
He had situated himself high in a tree, using the thick canopy as cover. His robes were dirt-laden, and his matted bro...
2025-03-14 14:30:04 +0000 UTC View PostLin Li came from the Verdant Peak Sect, situated in the Green River Valley. It held dominion over the entire Eastern Spirit Province, and he had been a trial disciple for over five years.
Five years spent cultivating, and all he had to show for it was the Meridian Opening Realm—the third minor realm of the Mortal Foundation Realm. He would have said that his aptitude was trash, but the truth was, he just wasn’t rich enough.
Once in a while, trial disciples like him would accep...
2025-03-14 14:30:03 +0000 UTC View PostFor the first time in a long while, I saw the sun shining in all its glory, unburdened by the gloomy clouds and smoky stretch.
We were traveling along the road, with grassy plains stretching on one side and a swathe of trees covering the other. It wasn’t corrupted or sickly—rather, it gave off a fresh, natural scent that filled my body with energy and vigor.
Pyra and Tania walked ahead, conversing in low voices and stifling their giggles. They seemed to have bonded over the co...
2025-03-14 14:30:03 +0000 UTC View PostHi, Drifting Embers here,
First of all, I want to thank you for all the support you have provided, without which I wouldn't have come this far—so, Thank You!
With the end of the volume 1 at 60 chapters and over 94k words, I'm left feeling rather conflicted. The numbers might not be something to be proud of, especially in our community, but it's something that represents a hurdle I have faced and overcome. On one hand I'm proud, on the other, not so...
2025-03-12 14:23:28 +0000 UTC View PostI woke to the sight of straw poking through the branches of the ceiling and blinked.
I felt different—different in a way I had never felt before. I was still me, yet there was something else, a part of me both familiar and entirely unrecognized until now. I blinked again.
My body felt heavy, but sensation was returning, filling me with vitality. Already, the effects were setting in. My bones felt sturdier, my muscles fuller, and my mana surged like an endless fountain. More than...
2025-03-11 14:31:00 +0000 UTC View PostI dreamed of ocean waves and a call from beyond. Then, I woke up.
My eyes fluttered open to the endless blue stretching into the horizon and the breeze blowing across the ocean. It took me a moment to realize I wasn’t in my house—and that I was alone. I sat up abruptly and looked around.
I was on a small island, strangely covered in lush greenery instead of sand. Tall trees—though slightly bent—rose overhead, their sparse canopies adorned with alien produce. I had never ...
Alex sat on the wooden stool, his legs tucked underneath him. He held the white card in his hand, turning it over and over as he watched in fascination, the text changing form with every turn. He blinked his eyes and swept an unenthusiastic glance around the bar—sighing.
An hour or so had passed since he had regained consciousness—as no clock existed to disprove his conjecture—and he had since managed to determine certain facts regarding the strange place he had woken up in.
<...
It was not my intention to write this novel—at least not yet. The reason behind that lies in the inception of its idea and how it came about.
I have been struck by ideas (inspirations), threads that have no begging and certainly no ending. And I get them all the time. So a little while (actually a few months ago) I had this idea—no, it would be more accurate to call them two ideas. One for a fan-fiction and one for an Original.
So, how exactly did that led to the crea...
2025-03-09 14:31:02 +0000 UTC View PostArianna looked up at the night sky, her eyes fixated on the moon, hidden behind clouds that sailed the cosmic currents like dark boats buffeted by the uniform wind.
She stood beneath the canopy, blinking as she reminisced about the events of the past few weeks. It still felt like a dream—one where everything had gone wrong for seemingly no reason. But Arianna knew she wasn’t waking up—not from this dream.
She sighed, tearing her gaze from the concealed celestial body, and tu...
2025-03-09 14:30:01 +0000 UTC View PostAmara didn't understand Souls, but she did understand what a Soul Bond entailed.
A Soul Bond wasn't just a magical contract—it was a promise of eternity. And a promise wasn't given lightly.
Markus had a special Origin, but she had long since suspected that it was more than just that. He claimed the dragon had bestowed it upon him, and while she believed his words, Amara couldn't shake the suspicion that something else was at play—something they had either missed or failed to...
Pyra stepped past the dead log, calmly assessing the half-wilted flower drooping toward the ground. Its petals were purple, with rings of yellow blooming outward. Despite its near-dead state, she knew the flower was anything but.
This wasn’t the first time she had come across a creature of such nature—near death, yet stubbornly clinging to its fragile existence. Sick, dying, yet tenuously holding onto the thread of life. More than inspiring, she found the display horrifying.
M...
2025-03-04 14:30:02 +0000 UTC View PostTania arched a brow, nearly squeezing the warm appendage in her hand, and stared ahead. It wouldn’t do to appear anxious or jealous in front of Markus—he had enough problems to deal with already.
The trees they passed were singed at best, flat-out scorched at worst. The further they moved from the center, the less apparent the destruction became. Yet the smell lingered.
The rancid stench of burnt meat and corrupted flora made her scrunch her nose in frustration—though, thank...
2025-03-02 14:00:23 +0000 UTC View PostSoul Partition
Summoner, as an Origin, represented a connection between the summon and its master. However, summoning itself was not a rigid art restricted by the existence of a connection. Amara was a fine example—able to summon creatures she could command without any definitive bond existing between them.
The truth of the matter was that Amara's summoning was an expression of her talent—an aspect of her domain. No actual creatures were being summoned; rath...
Hey everyone,
A quick update–i will be pausing billing for a couple of weeks. This means you won't be charged during this time, and your usual billing cycle will resume once I unpause.
I appreciate your patience and support. Thank you for everything.
Drifting Embers
[Please read this note in its entirety]
As you might have already noticed, there has been a drop in update rate these past two weeks. Considering the support I have received from you guys, without which this novel would not have been possible, I feel obliged to at least share my reasons with you.
I started this novel over a month (approximately month-and-half) ago and we are now 50+ chapters in with over 80k word count. We are so near the end of the first volume.<...
2025-02-19 14:18:16 +0000 UTC View PostBlurb -
"When the end draws near, you shall find yourself at the Crossroads."
Another night gone by. Another meaningless day. Alex collapses from exhaustion, expecting to wake up in his own place.
Instead, he finds himself in a tavern. Before him—a quest, a reward, and a choice.
But this is no ordinary bar. It is a gat... 2025-02-16 14:31:41 +0000 UTC View Post
Amara had once explained to me the mechanism of our Soul Bond, and though she remained largely oblivious to its foundations, there was one aspect she had managed to ascertain—and she had wasted no time in confiding it to me.
Soul Partition.
The concept was basically this: if a soul was formless and immutable, then what made the Soul Bond possible? Answer—Soul Partition.
Cut a sliver of one’s soul, fuse it into the other, and boom—Soul Bond. That w...
Magic is symbolic. Talents aren’t.
To expound on this problem, one must understand that talents are a manifestation of one's Origin extending toward a specific aspect. A hunter with a Swordsman Origin, for example, would develop a talent related to their swordsmanship—perhaps enhancing the sharpness or weight of their blade.
But magic was different. Magic was the manifestation of the world itself—a conformity to the user's wishes and desires. And it followed rules.
Mag...
2025-02-15 14:54:29 +0000 UTC View PostFirst of all, let me apologise for the disruption in update schedule. As it's a personal matter, I won't delve too deeply. All I can say is that things have been rough these past couple of weeks and haven't improved.
I expect it to last till 20th February, after which I intend to follow a more stable rate of 3-5 chapters/week. You must be wondering why I am reducing the quantity, the answer to that is:
One) I need some time inbetween to organise my thoughts and ideas.
Two) I will be ...
There's a strange harmony in the elements of nature—even those that cause chaos and destruction blend together to form a beautiful tapestry. That was exactly my thought as I gazed upon the crimson sparks that lit up my vision—a mesmerizing unity.
I felt the undulations in the mana surrounding me and the pull of its current as it was drawn toward the center—into the spiraling mass of flames.
Amara, Tania, and Pyra worked to compress the portal, doing something that would no d...
2025-02-13 16:42:00 +0000 UTC View PostI breathed in the clammy odor of the forest—a sprawl of ashen trees filled my vision. My companions trailed closely, their strides echoing through the silence. Though we maintained an experienced calm, Pyra bounced around with bubbling enthusiasm.
"So, you don't recall anything?" I asked, keeping my sight ahead.
"Nope," she said. "Nothing besides my name and general knowledge."
Her recounting of events—or lack thereof—was something she shared in experience with Tania. ...
2025-02-11 14:30:03 +0000 UTC View PostSummons (2/3)
[Amara - SSS]
[Titania—A]
Much like the last time, my heart thumped in an errati...
2025-02-09 14:30:02 +0000 UTC View Post