Isaac cursed, “How did he get that Affinity?”
Liam shook his head, “You need to stop him. You know the danger of large-scale space spells more than anymore.”
Isaac nodded and opened a rift, appearing next to Echo. He had to cover himself in refracted space as a torrent of Quintessence blasted at him. The monster was curled in the fetal position, alternating between grunts of pain, cries of sorrow, and screams of anger.
I can’t have you ripping holes in space li...
2024-04-11 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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The enormous monster arose from the surf. It was the size of a military tank and covered in plates like a crustacean – a fusion of giant crab, octopus, and nautilus. The creature whipped out at Rose with one of its tentacles. She was flung sideways and tumbled on the sand several times – but suffered no damage. Instead, it was dealt to Echo.
And the pain was barely noticeable. He flew at the monster as it stabbed towards him with a massive pincer. Raising his blade, he parried the m...
2024-04-10 14:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Kalinor sat on his throne at Last Light Temple. Yet another day of tedium and being bored. But it was a job that he had to do. Not even the prayers of the faithful brought a reprieve from his day-to-day operations. A being of his power did not need worshippers. The Aether Shards within him and Eternal Flame fueled him and his Heat. It was easier if mortals didn’t know of him.
As such, he was confused when he heard a prayer. No one prayed to him. No one remembered him. The most thankle...
2024-04-09 14:00:01 +0000 UTC
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Fumi felt some degree of guilt. She knew that Rose was manipulating Echo. They could just use some spells, sink the ships, save the survivors, and put them on some island. But Rose enticed him with the idea that there was this righteous justification to his actions. Yet, Fumi went along with the idea.
You need to get stronger.
She had convinced him that they didn’t have to kill all the marauders and rebels on those ships. And those they did kill, well, there wouldn’t ...
2024-04-08 14:00:06 +0000 UTC
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Tiberius sat back watching his various sensors, grinning in delight as his creations continued to evolve – slowly – in their stasis.
I have many lairs left. Many more meals to feed them.
He knew the next step of Echo’s Evolution would be to feed him even more monsters. Evolve their Primal Consumption to the pinnacle of its possibility.
Create a God eater.
Someone who could feast on an Aether Shard. He had no clue what effects that would have, bu...
2024-04-07 14:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Aqua sat in her throne room, listening to the soft splashing and tides of The Deluge that gently surged around.
“Do you have time?” Umbra’s voice asked as she emerged from the shadows.
Aqua pushed aside the prayers she was paying attention to and diverted it to her sister. “Yes. We need to talk.”
Umbra walked over to her sister’s throne and stood patiently, her hands on her large hips as she glared with those red eyes. “You met the monsters?”
“Yes. Th...
2024-04-06 14:05:00 +0000 UTC
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The ice-avatar of Aqua regarded the three adventurers. Echo cleared his throat, “Ahem…Hi. I’m Echo Asheron, Monster of the Guild.” He introduced Fumi and Rose with their titles.
“Umbra said you two monsters were her minions. And that you would deal with a dragon situation.”
Fumi seemed quite withdrawn, but Rose spoke up, “We did deal with the dragon.”
“And we saw the giant explosion of smoke, so we came over,” Echo added.
“And how, prey t...
2024-04-06 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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As soon as the Aether Shard touched the surface, a wave of prismatic light pulsed from it and flooded the chamber. It persisted as the multi-colored starlight danced around them.
“Cudere activa. Designat petitionem.” (Forge active, designate request)!
The melodic female voice was filled with brightness and cheer, resonating all throughout the chamber. “Can you speak in Common?”
“Request confirmed.”
“Amazing,” Rose muttered. “What is your purp...
2024-04-05 14:00:01 +0000 UTC
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Echo grabbed Rose and flew backward towards the water. Fumi did the same.
“What is it?” Echo asked.
Rose shook her head, “I have no idea.” There was a glimmer of intrigue in her voice.
Fumi raised her blade and began channeling Quintessence. “We should kill it.”
Kill...
Consume...
Evolve...
The eye, looking at the trio, flashed through a series of colors before b...
2024-04-04 14:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Lux sat on her throne in the Conflux of Creation. The one place on Heimfold where the Artificial Gods were allowed to be physically due to their mutual agreements barring other visitation. Normally, they rotated on a seasonal basis. But meetings such as this were an exception. The doors were shut as her siblings arrived in flashes of energy, taking their designated thrones.
“We all are now here,” Lux began. “We must decide what to do with the problem of the New Gods.
Umbra c...
2024-04-03 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Rose finished casting her Siphon Strength spell and the mist vanished from the whole of the Forbidden Coast as every corpse – those of the angels, and those of the encased combatants from millennia ago – turned to dust and the surge of energy suffused her being.
She walked over to Fumi who held Echo gently. He was breathing, and had stopped convulsing, but lay still.
Fumi looked up, “Something’s wrong.” Her face was panicked.
Rose knelt and studied him. “That spe...
2024-04-02 14:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Morning came and Rose went back into the pocket dimension as Echo and Fumi began their ascent. The War Mountains were constantly shrouded in storms and thunderclouds. The two monsters were constantly jolted by arcs of lightning that would have obliterated the average person – but thanks to their Damage Immunity, they ignored both the electricity and the violent vibrations. Communication was impossible, however, and so the ascent was silent save for the thunder.
They crested the mounta...
2024-04-01 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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The two monsters continued their travel, making their way above the Peace and War Woods. Fumi pointed over the nearby mountain range. “Beyond the War Mountains is the Forbidden Coast. We should go there after The Choosing.”
“Why?” Echo asked, staring over to the dark, stormy skies that stuck above those mountains and surely shrouded the valley below.
“Rumor has it that there are ancient weapons and armored stored there. The remains of an ancient battle. The Dairan Clan p...
2024-03-31 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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The Undying made their way down from Soju following the main road. They did not go at speed, simply walking as they enjoyed the scenery. It would take twenty days of decent-paced travel to reach War Camp, where The Choosing would take place. The temporary Capital of the region, which would then default to whichever Clan Overlord won the title of War Chief.
“There’s no point in hurrying,” Fumi said bluntly. “The Choosing won’t happen until the Season’s end.” And thus, she h...
2024-03-30 14:00:02 +0000 UTC
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The trio slowly made their way through the once-lush green fields of The Eternal Battlefield. Millennia of bodies being left underground for new growth to feed on had been raised and torn up the place.
Fumi had them all stop as she focused her Quintessence into her Aether Shard. “Reseed this land with life,” she said softly as her green energy exploded outwards. Within seconds of the energy wave passing over the land, new, green growth sprouted up – grass, trees, foliage.
Sh...
2024-03-29 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Echo had to deactivate his speed amplifying Abilities as his Quintessence ran out and he began drawing on the reserves in the Brightsteel.
Tiberius chuckled and pointed the bone blade at him as he flapped backward, “It looks like we are evenly matched. A welcome surprise!”
“You’ll pay for what you did!” Echo shouted as he resumed his assault, slashing furiously at Tiberius who parried the blows.
But this was not like in the tunnels those years ago. This was...
2024-03-28 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Echo finished sparring with Fumi in the large town square at the center of the Xulatar Clan stronghold. The two had been testing their improved weaponry, and to their satisfaction – and Echo’s pain – they learned that the Blightsteel only temporarily stopped regeneration. Two seconds of deactivation.
More than enough time.
Fumi walked over with a grimace on her face, “You held back that time.”
Echo smirked, “I mean, I don’t want to accidentally kill yo...
2024-03-27 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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The looming Starfall Hall far above was always out of reach for lowborn, lowlife scum. Even in Umbra’s holiest city, the capital of the Siltar Republic, unless one had money, they would always be scum. This is the lot Tiberius was born into. The child of a prostitute and some unknown noble, he was a sewer-rat from the outset.
But fate smiled upon him. He was in a capital city. And, as per Holy Empire dictate, he was to be provided schooling for basic numbers and letters. This also mea...
2024-03-26 14:05:00 +0000 UTC
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Fumi cried through the night, and Echo kept her close to his chest. Petting her hair, whispering sweet nothings, and assuring her that it would be okay.
But deep down, Echo knew she would need a long, long time to recover. She had lost so much. More than he could ever imagine losing. Not just a family, but a lifetime of work and achievement.
He provided her with the only comfort he could. The comfort of his love.
“I’ll be with you forever. I’ll always ...
2024-03-26 14:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Echo and Fumi reached the Great Clan stronghold of Xulatar by nightfall. The forest had been grown into the city walls – the only way to assault the city would be from above, or through the Northern and Southern gates.
Buildings were seemingly woven from and created from the trees surrounding them – albeit more spaced out than most of the forest. Fumi explained that the Krekyo Dominion’s two forest Clans – the Xulatar and the Kumawara – had many shamans (their name for druids)...
2024-03-25 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Rose smiled as she approached the two monsters who were akin to the flesh-eating ghouls she used to spend fine evenings alongside. They were covered in viscera and dripping gore as they ripped hearts apart and shared the grisly feast.
“I was not expecting to face an army of Tiberius’ monsters. I thought he would spread them out.”
Echo and Fumi either didn’t notice or didn’t care as they continued to gorge themselves on the hearts of the fallen.
She turned to the pi...
2024-03-24 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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I’ve never killed anything or anyone that didn't deserve it.
What was worse though, in Echo’s mind, is that he didn’t care much. About the violence. About death in general. About Fumi killing a man who had clearly been beaten.
In his past life, he would have been appalled. Even before being taken and tortured by Tiberius in this life, he would have tried to find peaceful resolutions to a situation.
But now? Now he didn't care about using violence to solve his ...
2024-03-23 14:00:02 +0000 UTC
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The two monsters finished their amorous activities and dried off, getting dressed in more relaxed wear before exiting. Rose was nose-deep in a book, and Narya flitted back and forth in the kitchen.
“Hey Narya! How are things?” Echo asked jovially, reinvigorated after cleaning up, among other things.
“Hmph!” The pixie zipped over to the two monsters. “If you must know, I had a date.” She proceeded to describe this other pixie – similar to herself, but...
2024-03-22 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Echo felt a chill run down his spine as a sickly, purplish-black goop emanated from the Void Gate and snaked its way across the span until a doorway appeared.
It’s like a Stargate.
He glanced back at Rose, who had sunk to her rear, sitting against the elevator door, holding her head.
Echo ran over to her and slapped her – hard, “Pull yourself together! We can’t get out, so we have to fight it!”
Rose looked up with tears streaking down her face. She s...
2024-03-21 14:00:08 +0000 UTC
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The trio made their way to the mountain range known as Reachview. So called because from the peaks one could see over The Holy Wall and to the main port that serviced the region, Empire’s Reach.
The mountain range was large – but not as large as the Duskfall Range which the two monsters had easily conquered a few weeks prior.
Rose turned to the two, “Detect Life won’t help us at all here. Any ideas so we aren’t going all over this mountain?”
Echo nodded, “Yes....
2024-03-20 14:00:05 +0000 UTC
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Echo slid a few meters before reaching over and planting his hand into the ground, grabbing Fumi as she slipped into him. “It’s rolling!” He shouted as they went vertical and saw the ground rising to meet them.
Echo activated his teleportation bracelet in quick succession, ensuring that they stayed at an angle where they could run against the roll, and stay on top of the creature. They sprinted against the odd angle, and just like a hamster on a wheel, kept ahead of the rotation u...
2024-03-19 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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As the trees collapsed, a huge entity advanced towards them.
Easily the size of a small house, with twenty enormous heads on lengthy necks. A snake-behemoth creature from the depths of Greek mythology. It rumbled across the fallen trees and advanced upon them.
The two monsters’ gazes met, and they shared a thought.
That’s not one of Tiberius’ creations.
It did not have pure black eyes, and they didn’t feel Evolution Instinct urging them onwards.
...
2024-03-18 14:00:06 +0000 UTC
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The two monsters glanced at each other quizzically before looking back up at the obvious Goddess above them.
“What I mean is…I’m not the original Umbra. I was once a demon – a servant of the original Dark Lady. I usurped her with the help of a group of New Gods. The Destined Pantheon, whom I count as allies.”
She quickly tallied off their names: Vythin, Isaac, Slate, Kalinor, Selena, Meir.
“So that’s how you know him,” Fumi commented quietly....
2024-03-17 14:00:05 +0000 UTC
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Tiberius frowned as several of his spells faded.
He had been keeping tabs on both of his wayward monsters.
But suddenly, they vanished.
That would only happen if they weren’t on Heimfold.
He racked his brain, trying to figure out where they could have gone.
I can’t lose them.
Echo was lying on a black lake. The water underneath him rippled – but there was nothing in any direction. He felt his usual strength and stood up as...
2024-03-16 14:00:05 +0000 UTC
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The vision of Umbra continued, “You will need to prove yourselves. Lightbringers patrol the streets on this, my most holy of nights. Do not get caught, do not shed their blood, and arrive through the roof. Do this, and I will speak of an alliance.”
The shadow vanished and the room brightened once more.
Rose smirked, “Well, look at that. It appears someone got the attention of an Artificial Goddess.”
Echo and Fumi shared worried glances. They were war...
2024-03-15 14:00:07 +0000 UTC
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