Mizar Caph

34: Evergale

The road to Evergale was way calmer than Chloe had hoped. She’d expected bandits, maybe a monster or two, but nope. Just boring, peaceful nothingness. Which also meant no fresh brains.

Things got so dull she briefly considered nibbling on Baron Willy's brain, until her imagination cursed her with the image of waking up one day talking exactly like him. But even if that wasn’t possible, probably, she still needed him. 

He was her only guide to Evergale, where she could fin...

Thank you! + Zombie Girl Evolution Updates

The response to Zombie Girl Evolution has been nothing short of amazing. So, as a small token of appreciation, I will be posting an extra chapter to both Royal Road and Patreon today! For Patrons, this means both chapter 34 and chapter 35 will be coming out today.

Next, I'd like to briefly talk about Zombie Girl Evolution itself, and where I want to take the story in the future. Without spoiling too much, I do plan on having Chloe gradually explore mor...

33: A Not so Small Favor

Chloe and Baron Willy sat across from each other. For some reason, the Baron looked even more nervous than usual. He cleared his throat, folding his hands. “I wonder if I might inquire as to your willingness to lend your considerable talents to a matter of both personal and professional significance. One which, I must confess, holds the potential to secure not only my own financial stability, but also the continued livelihood of my loyal staff.”

Chloe blinked at him. “Uh… what?�...

32: Odd Requests

Sabine took a step forward, lightning curling between her fingers. Chloe instantly took a step back. Sabine stepped forward again, and Chloe stepped back again. 

They kept going like that, step, step, step, until the air between them felt tighter with every move. By the fifth step, Chloe’s chest felt all knotted up. Not that she’d admit it out loud.

“Are you afraid, my dear?” Sabine asked. 

Chloe snorted, folding her arms like that would make her look brave...

31: The Instructor

Chloe left the bank pretty happy. Although, she did have to walk for quite a while to get there. 

Apparently, there were no banks anywhere near the Thieves Guild. Which didn’t make sense at all. There were loads of people with guild tags over there, so surely they’d need banks too, right?

She walked in the bank, and the lady at the front desk gave her one of those polite smiles. Then she hit her with the whole “How can I help you?” thing. 

Anyway, Chloe jus...

30: Thieves Guild

The carriage bearing the Royal Mage Academy’s insignia swayed in an unhurried rhythm, its wheels grumbling over the uneven road. A warm breeze drifted through the open window, carrying with it the scent of grass and distant rain.

Sabine reclined in her seat. A polished pipe rested between her fingers, its wood dark from years of use. She drew in a breath, letting the fragrant smoke fill her lungs before releasing it in a thin, curling stream toward the passing fields. 

The ...

29: Trial and Error

Chloe felt crazy good. Not just good, the kind of good where she could probably run around the cavern, climb a wall, and even punch through it. Every twitch of muscle felt sharper, smoother, like she’d been rebuilt out of something better than flesh.

She stretched her arms overhead, only to pause mid-movement. Huh… wait a second.

Her cloak, which had been its usual dusty brown, now hung in deep, inky folds that seemed to swallow the light. Pitch black, like i...

28: Next Evolution

Chloe drifted in that same familiar black void again. Well… mostly familiar.

The floating part was new. She twisted in midair just to check, then went for a full backflip because why not, giggling to herself the whole spin. The fun ended when a calm voice cut right through the emptiness.

"Welcome back, Chloe, And congratulations on reaching your second evolution."

Before Chloe could say anything, the floating sensation vanished. She gasped and dropped like a rock,...

27: Explosive Power

Chloe yelped and ducked behind a pillar, only for a searing line of fire to cut straight through it like it wasn’t even there. Bits of molten rock splattered onto her boots, hissing as they slid off, and she bolted again, zigzagging between boulders like her life depended on it, which, at the moment, it kind of did.

Every time she thought she’d lost him, another one of those burning death noodles sliced past, close enough to make her ears ring. She darted around another chunk of roc...

26: Burning Man

Luther froze as the pulse of his magic collapsed. Both of his fire elementals were gone, their flames snuffed out. He had invested considerable effort conjuring those constructs. They were not disposable. 

A slow grin crept across his face. It seemed that some capable individuals had finally arrived.

He stepped out from his tent, the cavern's heat pressing faintly against his skin. Something in the air had shifted. The balance of magic felt... disturbed, changed. 
<...

25: Double Whammy

Chloe licked the last smear of brain off her fingers, savoring the taste. Her new arms still felt a bit stiff, but they moved smooth enough. She gave her fingers a wiggle, then stretched both arms wide just to admire the fact that they were attached again.

On the other hand, the vision she got from the Terror Wing’s brain had been a total letdown. Mostly just the thing lurking around, waiting for prey. Boring stuff. 

Shaking it off, she turned her attention to the glowing s...

24: Cave Terror

Chloe narrowed her eyes and turned in a slow circle. The monster was gone.

She conjured another cursed stone, pulsing with violet energy as it hovered in her palm. Dark magic thrummed against her skin. 

Then the ground trembled. A faint, quick shiver, sliding up through her boots. Chloe spun towards the source of the tremors and launched the stone, the cursed energy crackling as it tore through the air, only to burst into mist against nothing. 

Her lips curled into...

23: Predator & Prey

The creature curled its lip again, flashing another row of jagged teeth as it sniffed the air near her hiding spot. It stepped forward, then again, tapping against the stone repeatedly.

Chloe stayed perfectly still, her back pressed flat against the cold pillar. I'm a rock. I'm a rock. I'm a rock. 

The creature stopped right in front of her. Its nostrils flared wide. One sniff. Then another, louder this time. The sound made her want to scream, or cackle. Maybe both. ...

22: Mountain Monsters

Chloe had been climbing the Splitrock Mountains for a couple of days now. The sky had gone dark and bright and dark again more times than she cared to count. If nothing else, whoever named this place had nailed it.

The whole mountain looked like someone had blown it up and then walked off without cleaning the mess. Massive stone slabs jutted out of the ground at all the wrong angles, and every step crunched on loose gravel that tried to kill her a little.

And the wind? Total menac...

21: Well Armed

There was only one man Ray trusted. And the funny thing was, he was always easy to find.

Ray walked the slums alone. The main streets stank of smoke and sweat, but the alleys carried something fouler. Damp stone, rotting timber, and that faint whisper of old blood. Didn’t bother him none of course. He’d walked darker roads than this.

His steps slowed at an unassuming alleyway. This was the spot. 

Ray tipped his hat low against the anemic sunlight and slid inside. At...

20: Bounties

The moment the man in the big hat stepped further in, the buzz in the room died down. A few folks straightened in their seats, nodding his way with a respect that didn’t need words.

The man tipped his wide hat before strolling toward the bar. “Roxy.”

Roxy smirked as she reached for another bottle. “Well, look what the wind dragged in. Evenin’, old man.”

That earned her a low chuckle. But his gaze slid past Roxy, landing square on Chloe. “Now, I ain’t seen you...

19: The Guild

Chloe had been circling the same street for what felt like forever. It shouldn’t have been this hard to find a bunch of adventurers gathered up in some building, yet here she was, wandering in circles like an idiot. 

Eventually, she decided enough was enough. Time to ask someone who looked like they knew something. Her gaze settled on a man slouched in the shadows of an alley. Thick beard, wide grin, and a bottle dangling from his fingers like it belonged there. His cheeks were r...

18: A Slight Delay

As they made their way deeper into the city, Chloe couldn’t stop pointing at things, half in awe, half in confusion. She jabbed a finger at carts stacked with strange fruits, at glowing crystals hung from what she now knew were street lamps, at a man yelling on a box about “civic duty,” and even at a funny bird with a weird limp. Each time, she turned to William with wide eyes. 

“What’s that?” Chloe asked as they passed a stone building with a weird metal pipe belching ...

17: Changes

An angel’s first and foremost duty was to serve the gods. That was the foundation etched into their being from the moment they first earned their wings. Some found solace in it, others sought glory in the endless work, and a rare few, like Z, made the mistake of being very good at it. 

Z had been Employee of the Month for a thousand years running. The gods rewarded her the only way they knew how. With more work, piled higher and higher until even she struggled to keep pace.

16: Time of Peace

Baron William couldn't sleep just yet. The hour was late. Yet, his bed, despite being the finest the village could offer, was far too humble to cradle a mind as overburdened as his. 

The Baron stared at the ceiling. He’d never actually slept in a village before, not properly. 

Oh, he’d visited, certainly. But to live among the common folk, however briefly? That was quite new. A whimsical attempt to "connect with the people," as one of his more progressive co...

15: Village Hero

Zarruk was a mess, but his head was still in okay condition, and that’s what mattered. Chloe popped it open, warm squishy goodness spilling out, and happily scooped up the tasty bits.

The first bite sent a shiver racing through her, sharp and electric. Salty at first, then sweet, with a faint edge of spice and just a hint of bitterness curling at the end. This brain wasn’t simple, it had layers, and Chloe savored every one of them.

[Brain Consumed: Zarruk the Usurper (...