elra

December Bonus Chapter Poll

Hello everyone, Elra here!

Here's the community poll for December's exclusive chapter! The poll will be closed on Friday 22.

You can leave a suggestion for next month's bonus story in the comments, and your idea might be featured in the next poll.

As always, thanks for your support!

Elra out!

An Otherworldly Scholar - 81

I curled up deep under the blankets, counting the seconds the glowing paper’s light took to fade away. The correlation between mana used and the duration of the enchantment didn’t come as a surprise. However, I was yet to achieve a permanent enchantment. Using my whole mana pool and without resorting to Fountain mana, I made the paper shine for a few minutes before the enchantment ultimately faced away.

The amount of mana required for a permanent enchant must’ve been tremendous, w...

Soldier Class

Hey everyone!

I made (I commissioned) a few cards with Class information, and I'll be posting them with each chapter. I hope you like the graphics as much as I do!

Today's chapter will be a little late; my whole family decided to fall sick at the same time, so I have been a little short on time. I'll be posting this month's bonus chapter poll this week.

Thank you for your support!

An Otherworldly Scholar - 80

Firana left the Aias Sword on my dresser and headed to the kitchen for breakfast without asking questions. Despite her betrayal by Holst and abandonment by her extended family, Firana was quick to trust people. It was up to me to work diligently to repay her trust. Thankfully, the energy from Elincia’s potion surged through my veins, dispelling the fog of sleep at bay and allowing me to remain laser-focused even after a sleepless night.

It was finally time to put my new class to work....

An Otherworldly Scholar - 79

Elincia and I had stayed up all night talking about my past life on Earth. Even if my rational mind told me Elincia would accept everything, a part of me still feared rejection. In the end, she just shrugged and said, ‘You are still you’. Maybe Elincia was right, and I was getting old. I found her maturity very attractive.

My biggest desire was to return to bed and sleep beside Elincia until noon. However, time was pressing. Preparing the final details for the tournament was only th...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 78

I stealthily moved the brazier to Elincia’s bedroom without scalding my hands. A wicked wind howled outside, but I rested assured no orphan would come to disturb us. Firana had convinced Zaon and Wolf to do a sleepover in the communal bedroom the youngest kids shared. After looking over the kids for two hours, Ginz seemed so tired that I doubted he could remain awake long enough.

Elincia and I were finally alone, and I had big news to tell her.

A lonely light stone cast a dim li...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 77

Ginz haphazardly threw his few clothes into a coarse burlap bag. Then, with the utmost care, he organized his tools into a special backpack with dozens of small pockets: scissors, knives, branding irons, sets of needles, bronze awls, and shears–all fitting into their designated places. Ginz's face remained emotionless. For someone who had fought tooth and nail to scratch up the little he had, he displayed no attachment to the workshop whatsoever.

Ginz gave me a small box containing le...

November Bonus Chapter

The sack of sugar was heavy on my shoulder.

Ilya’s birthday was soon, and Elincia had deemed shopping for cake ingredients a suitable activity for me. I smiled. The sooner she realized Corruption wasn’t a crippling ailment, the better it would be for all of us. I looked at the sky and noticed it was well past lunchtime. Winter had already settled over Farcrest, and finding fresh food at the market was increasingly difficult.

I wanted to know if I could put a ton of ice in a ce...

Artwork - Virdian

"To potate or not to potate." - Virdian, probably.

An Otherworldly Scholar - 76

“Darius!” Abei yelled over the noise of the parade.

Firana hid behind me before Holst turned his head. I felt her pressing her face against my back, and anger simmered inside me. Holst’s keen eyes scanned the crowd until his sight fell upon Abei. For a fleeting moment, Holst’s facial expression softened upon finding Abei's face among the guardsmen and nobles. The moment passed, though, and his stern and rapacious expression returned to his face.

Then, his eyes fell upon me...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 75

Firana waved at me and smiled, unaware of the fact I had spent the last hour talking with the System itself within my mana pool. I barely managed to smile back. A hundred thoughts piled up in my mind, but that wasn’t all. There were runes everywhere: on the table's surface, the shelves, the wooden beams, on Firana’s cape, and even on my skin. Most of the runes shone with washed-away colors and undefined edges that made it impossible to read them. On the other hand, the runes on Firana’s...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 74

“I’ll help you,” I said, but a powerful tremor drowned my words.

“I knew you would do it.” The man smiled, relieved. “Ready for a power-up?”

As soon as I pronounced the words, the slithering creature that roamed just outside my mana pool retreated. The quakes ceased, which was a relief because my mana pool was dilapidated enough as it was. The chubby man in the yellow polo shirt floated towards the wall and spied through a crack before sighing in relief. As much as I...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 73

I opened Byrne’s journal to the first page, and a surge of adrenaline coursed through my body. It was that old, familiar sensation I experienced whenever I stumbled upon something long lost. Something that should’ve remained hidden but, by the whims of destiny, had found its way back to my hands. Once again, I felt like an archeologist uncovering secret arcane knowledge. I just hoped Byrne’s diary would be more enlightening than the ones I had read before.

The diary started in the...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 72

The Corruption moving under my skin brought me to the brink of panic. I was used to the pain of the Corruption tentacles constricting under my skin. This sensation was new, and it felt wrong in a different way. The Corruption wasn’t growing. It was changing. The thought of the Lich and the Wendigo appeared in front of my eyes. I felt nauseous.

I entered the small changing room by the side of the courtyard, and as soon as Captain Kiln closed the door, I started unbuttoning my shirt. It...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 71

Firana jolted when the door opened. 

Since Captain Kiln had announced she was going to be Firana’s opponent, the girl had become skittish. A big man dressed in a leather apron entered the room, a small cubicle adorned solely with a bedframe and an empty desk, and put an iron brigandine on the table. Then, without saying a word, he left.

Firana knocked on the armor with her knuckles. It was solid.

“Isn’t this a bit too much for a sparring session?” The...

Artwork - Nokti

Hey everyone, Elra here!

It is my pleasure to introduce you to Nokti. The design of this little rascal was a bit harder than I expected because I wasn't satisfied with Nokti's initial color, it turns out that blue looked better in my imagination than on paper, so we settled with turquoise. I think she looks neat.

Virdian is coming before the end of the month (hopefully).

Let me know your thoughts.

Elra out!

An Otherworldly Scholar - 70

I pushed my way across the market. By the end of the main street, the inner wall rose like the menacing crest of a black wave adorned with red and golden banners. The Marquis's banner flung at half-mast, under the royal banner. Not only did the king’s army seek shelter in the city, but a member of the royal family was a guest at the Great Hall too. No matter how many merchants I asked, nobody knew who it was.

In front of the main gate, a squad of imposing stag soldiers stood guard nex...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 69

Staying in bed was more challenging than I initially expected. I agreed to remain put only after Elincia assured me Firana was faring better than she had expected considering the burden that had been put on her shoulders. As soon as Elincia went to prepare breakfast, I got out of bed and began rummaging through Mr. Byrne’s suitcase. I quickly grabbed the man’s old notebooks and returned to bed. After all, reading was considered a form of resting.

The more I put my head into the myst...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 68

I kept my eyes closed and dove into my mana pool. While the amounts of mana I used against Kellaren were not even close to the power I had unleashed against the Lich, I expected the damage to be catastrophic. After all, little effort was required to aggravate an already existing wound.

The interior of my mana pool was completely different from what I expected. Before, my mana pool was similar to an underwater lake, obscure, calm, silent. Now, it was the opposite. Hundreds of thousands o...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 67

Time stood still in the manor’s front yard.

The silver storm clouds suddenly tore open and radiant sunlight bathed the battle-worn armor of the king’s soldiers, casting warm golden gleams. A timid breeze stole a small wave on the green and yellow flag, making the embroidery stag appear as if it was ready to flee. Firana passed by my side, her fingers brushing my shoulder in a last attempt to hold on something familiar. She continued until she was face to face with the captain.

End of month announcements

Hey everyone, Elra here!

I want to, once again, express my gratitude for your continuous support. To repay for your generosity and confidence on my project, this month I'll focus expanding the rewards of all tiers. I have yet to discuss the details with my creative team (a.k.a the two friends that put up with my unfiltered foolishness).

What to expect?

• More chapters in advance (at least 10 chapters ahead for Sage Tier).
• Extra content regarding...
  2023-11-01 01:12:54 +0000 UTC View Post

October Bonus Chapter

This month I prepared a Halloween special, hope you like it. Enjoy!

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A storm raged over Farcrest and thick clouds blocked the sunlight, leaving the city in a constant dusk. The thunder had chased the merchants out of the streets and the channels that fed the city with clear water threatened to overflow the banks. It wasn’t a normal storm but it wasn’t an area spell either. Elincia had warned me about the upcoming...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 66

After a week of constant rain, the storm moved north past the mountainous range and into the Farlands. Deep puddles mirrored the slate gray clouds and a wicked wind rocked the tree's naked branches. The backyard was a muddy mess, and the omnipresent smell of soaked earth slid even inside the manor. The outside world looked like the aftermath of a great battle between Elemental Spirits, however, where the clouds were thinner one could almost forebode the clear blue sky.

Crossi...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 65

Elincia’s hand trembled as the needle hovered over the open wound. Several empty potion vials were scattered over the kitchen table. Health Essence, Mana Essence, Minor and Medium Health Potions. Elincia had tried with every potion in her arsenal but none of them worked and the wound remained open.

At least there was a vial of concentrated rubbing alcohol and a ball of waxed thread inside the first aid kit. If I had to guess, Byrne’s time at the orphanage had a great influence in re...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 64

Getting stabbed sucked. The more I tried to move, the more it hurt. Despite Sir Janus repeatedly explaining that Shadow Fencers had a high ranking in strength growth, I refused to let him carry me back to the orphanage. In any other situation I might have chosen the more pragmatic approach, but I had to appear strong for the kids. I did accept his offer to lean on his shoulder to relieve some weight off my wounded leg.

“What do you think those men wanted?” Firana asked as we headed ...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 63

The cloaked figures blocked both exits of the alley. [Awareness] had returned to its dormant state, the sensation of being stabbed with an ice pick persisted. I ignored the pain and examined the dark alley. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, just plain stone walls on both sides.

Fending off two opponents was completely different from dueling. No matter how skillful a swordsman was, it was near impossible to fight two opponents simultaneously and come out unscathed. Even without [Awareness...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 62

The streets had transformed into small rivers. However, unlike the Monster Surge alert, that didn’t stop the city folk from going about their daily business. As the days passed and the Monster Surge never arrived, the city had reclaimed its normal routine. Merchants rolled their carts full of goods and street vendors set up long tents to protect their wares from the rain.

With Byrne’s dark cloak around my shoulders, and my sword hanging from the belt, I felt like Captain Alatriste w...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 61

Click.

The camera clicked and a burst of light filled the ballroom. No matter how much I warned them, the sudden brightness surprised the kids. A smile spread across my face. It worked. The instant camera, stored inside a wardrobe for over fourteen years came to life with a mechanical buzz and spat out a black picture.

“Did it work?” Firana couldn’t contain her excitement.

When I mentioned the ‘green artifact’ was a tool from my homeland, Firana had instan...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 60

Firana froze as the illusory Wendigo towered near the ceiling of the old ballroom. A man whose body had been tortured by evil spirits until rendering unrecognizable, with skin black as coal and arms that hung to the floor, finished in claws long as knives. A deer-like skull covered its face, with only its bloodshot eyes visible through the cracks. The sight made me shudder. Other than a faint transparency, it was a perfect copy of the original.

The sword fell from Firana’s hand. Unlik...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 59

Rain lashed against the manor but the new wooden shingles held in place. The wind howled and whistled through the gaps in the roofing. However, the orphanage remained dry and warm. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

On the flipside, for each solved problem, two more arose. The storm was predicted to last at least a week, which meant our already tight training schedule would be put to a complete stop until the storm passed. Only the winter separated us from the next Tax S...