Chapter 70
Gift From Gods
"Do I really need to toss bodies at it until it croaks?" Sylas groaned in frustration, shooting himself back into the tree, sitting down. A year and a half—that's how much time he left at the Thrall. That was his estimate, anyway. Somewhere around that.
It was becoming… painful, to say the least. Reliving the very same week, over and over again, with virtually no deviation was… painful. Though he’d had long-lasting...
2021-11-04 00:22:47 +0000 UTC
View Post
been a while since I painted but I'm slowly getting back into it. Don't take these sketches as gospels on the appearance of a character as they're just rough orientations for me (eye/hair color, skin, etc.) Since I absolutely suck ass at drawing handsome & good looking people, I can never really do justice to some of the descriptions in the novel so, well, this is it. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed today's chapter :)
2021-11-02 23:28:59 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 69
A Year
Sylas sighed, staring into the chilly, ashen, nightly sky. They’d failed. Well, it was a certainty they’d fail—not even for a breath of time did he expect for them to succeed on the first try. However, he did have hopes in them lasting a tiny bit longer than they did. Shortly after Sylas attacked, or attempted to, at least, the Thrall used something that he hadn’t used up until that point—magic.
Within some twenty yards ...
2021-11-02 23:25:19 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 68
Battle of the Monsters (II)
The quaking grew only larger and more thunderous the closer the behemoth approached. Inevitably, Sylas began seeing the first signs of it—the toppling trees in the distance. One by one they fell, rolling to the sides, opening up a path. Even the Ghouls became sluggish, whatever few instincts they had remaining likely screaming at them incessantly.
Derrek and Sylas, however, remained standing on the wall. It was much ...
2021-11-01 22:26:09 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 67
Battle of the Monsters (I)
Preparations for the battle were in full swing. Tenner and Derrek managed to rally some twenty-five able-bodied men, some of them even servants and were doing their best to beat the people in shape. Though both knew that these twenty-something lads largely won't contribute to saving the castle, if they even managed to kill one Ghoul per person, it would be seen as a victory.
At the same time, they were fixing up ballist...
2021-10-31 21:30:50 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 66
Guardians of Humanity
Sylas’ rigorous work on his body paid off—he was actually capable of keeping up with Tenner and Derrek. Well, kind of. The two still routinely took breaks specifically for him, but he wasn’t dragging them down too much, at least. They were covering huge chunks of the road, likely in tens of miles a day by Sylas’ rough estimates. That kind of speed… was terrifying, at least to the little earthling baby that still...
2021-10-30 20:58:44 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 65
No Rest For the Wicked
Sylas was frustrated—so much so he wanted to stuff his head into a pillow and scream till he croaked. There wasn’t a loop within which something didn't go terribly wrong. Though he should have expected it, he didn't expect it. It took him by surprise, and, more importantly, it made his head hurt. Again. After all, numerous issues popped up abruptly that he didn't have means of dealing with.
Grunting, he went th...
2021-10-30 20:58:20 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 64
Another Time
Both Valen and Sylas rushed out of the palanquin, aghast, with even the latter feeling an abject level of horror for a moment. Quickly recovering, he immediately rushed to the front, leaving the mindless Prince behind. What mattered right now was not the fire itself—but when it started. If it started recently… there was a chance they could return in time if Sylas rushed them. However, if it started sometime soon after their de...
2021-10-29 22:55:30 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 63
Everfrost
Following a night of rest and another day and night of tallying and organizing everything, the entourage turned around and headed back toward the castle, nearly a hundred men and some twenty women stronger than when they departed. By Sylas’ calculations, they should make it back just in time before the first massive blizzard which will likely bury all the mountain roads underneath four-five feet of unthreadable snow.
After his convers...
2021-10-28 22:52:05 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 62
Secrets Beholden to the Deaf
Sylas and Derrek sat at the far edge of the encampment, between them a roaring campfire surrounded by emptied glasses of ale and mead and wine that were leftover from the camp’s natives. The two stared at each other in silence for a moment before Derrek took a deep breath and decided to plunge into the conversation. Though many uncertainties still plagued his mind, his instincts were telling him that he could at least see...
2021-10-27 23:38:38 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 61
Altar of Sacrifice
The world became still for a moment, as though the whole of the battlefield witnessed what just happened. At least, in Sylas’ eyes, it seemed so. The time slowed down to a crawl as his mind began to reject his action. But he held it. He wrapped his arms around it and pushed it down.
“Y-y-you…” Dyn choked on his blood for a moment as his eyes rolled back and his body went limp. Sylas pulled back the blade and let the bod...
2021-10-26 22:47:49 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 60
Red For Blood, White For Snow
Unlike the previous time, this go-around Sylas elected not to be a moron and came to travel directly with the Prince. In fact, the two shared a palanquin and were being carried forth proper. It was a strange sensation, part shame and part bliss, Sylas mused. Mostly bliss, however, whenever he’d glance out into the cold, barren wilderness and the steep path up the mountain.
The plan of the attack was set in stone an...
2021-10-26 20:27:56 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 59
Bonds
Sylas sat in yet another meeting, this one determining the final preparations for their trek toward the east and the camp. They got the exact location from Tebek, and even the rough estimates on the number of men there—some eighty able-bodied men and some twenty-thirty cripples, women, and even a few children.
As always, Sylas took no part in preparations—merely minding his own business on the side. By now, he'd calmed down considerably...
2021-10-25 23:56:36 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 58
Heart’s Ripple
Your reward, Ripple Stance, will begin its transference momentarily.
You may experience mild discomfort and pain. Please endure.
Beginning… 0.1%... 0.2%...
Though asleep, Sylas was conscious—it was a strange sensation, one he hadn't previously experienced. It was close to one of those extremely lucid dreams but somehow felt even more real, if it made any sense. He floated inside...
2021-10-24 21:46:44 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 57
Fury
Sylas woke up back in the forest, surrounded by the chattering trio. For a moment, he was calm. Collected. Proper. But… just for a moment. Before the trio even knew what was happening, Sylas roared at the top of his lungs and heaved to his feet, stealing a sword from Tenner and swinging it crazily into the tree.
“FUCK YOU! FUCKING FUCK, YOU FUCKING CUNT-ASS BITCH-ASS, TOE-SUCKING, EYE-FUCKING, ASS-TAKING FUCKING PIECE OF FUCKING SHIT!!...
2021-10-24 21:46:14 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 56
Thrall of the Frost
Sylas’ world remained still and calm for a moment—he had done it. Ten stabs… in five seconds. He’d pulled it off—the impossible. His fingers were twitchy, excitement getting to them. He’d done it. Something that seemed beyond reach… he’d done it. All the pain, all the struggle, all the nights and days spent in the frigid cold, this one act had validated them all. At least to himself.
“W-WHAT WAS THAT?!!” Ry...
2021-10-23 22:16:51 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 55
Ten Strikes
Sylas was bent over, heaving, feeling as though his entire body would collapse at any moment. His lungs were on fire, his legs were made out of the lead, and his brain was incapable of stringing together a comprehensive thought. This was all a result of him having run, jumped, and swung a blade for over twelve hours without a stop. It had completely broken his body down, and he'd hit his limit. Not even the knowledge that he had limited tim...
2021-10-23 20:19:44 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 54
Soldier On
Sylas returned to the castle without much fanfare. Even if there were some major signs of the battle—which undoubtedly there were—he was unable to notice them due to the still-blowing blizzard. There were at least two or three feet of snow on the unthreaded parts of the castle, and the winds only seemed to be picking up in speed rather than decreasing. Luckily, from his quick inspection, it didn’t seem as though anything exploded.
<...
2021-10-22 22:37:00 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 53
Secrets of the Stone
Sylas stared queerly at the empty air in front of him—well, it was empty to everyone else, to him, it was not. There was a window floating about, not unlike others he’d seen before, informing him of a quest. The quest itself notwithstanding, the reward for it was… beyond tempting.
You have discovered a new quest: A Kingdom’s Fate
Content: uncover the secret behind the Shadows and their goals.
2021-10-21 22:31:12 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 52
Answers at Last
Dyn and Sylas sat opposite of one another inside the cramped room, with the former shakily looking about and the latter processing Dyn’s answer still. What followed Sylas’ seemingly innocent question of ‘what were you planning to do with the Shard?' was a rather long and complex narrative that wound its way back to 'Shard was for imprisoning the Prince, for some ritual I think, I'm not too sure'.
In fact, Sylas wanted to go ...
2021-10-21 16:32:20 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 51
The Harrowing Terror
Sylas was currently observing Tebek as the man relayed the orders around the hole in the wall. It was there, Sylas noticed—the nervousness, the guilt. It was right in front of his eyes but he missed it. In fact, as his plans shifted around, Tebek fell on the wayside of things, with the sole purpose being just a strong body for the defense. But now that strong body would have to go.
Sighing, he looked up at the cloudy, bleak...
2021-10-19 16:51:19 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 50
Repeat Offenders
Sylas was humming. Perhaps for the first time since actually coming to this world, he was worry-free. He was happy. Content. One could even say he was magical. As it turned out, after all, the ability to use magic did stay through the loop. Granted, he had to ‘re-feel’ the energy all over again, but considering he knew how to do it, instead of taking hours, it took minutes. Technically speaking, he was a mage. A wizard. In...
2021-10-18 22:47:59 +0000 UTC
View Post
just a quick visual (slightly exaggarated) while I get back into form since I haven't painted in a while :')
2021-10-17 21:37:53 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 49
Invisible
Magic wasn’t hard, Sylas learned quickly. It was impossible. He was currently holding onto his head, vacant-eyed, while Derrek shouted wildly inside the shards. He’d broken the man, but couldn’t even care for it as he’d broken himself too. No matter how many times and in how many ways Derrek tried to explain and teach him, Sylas was unable to do, well, anything, really. Theoretically, it didn’t sound difficult—it was really just a...
2021-10-17 21:33:48 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 48
Headaches Upon Headaches
Sylas sat with a vacant look in his eyes, ‘staring’ at the faintly-greed shard sitting on his desk, and the extremely distorted, handsome face barely visible within. Nothing made sense, he concluded. The world was all manner of wrong. He didn’t belong here. He wanted to go home, that much was for certain. After all, there he was—a man trapped inside a thing. No, there’s no way he’s a man, Sylas knew—after all, it ...
2021-10-16 21:55:15 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 47
Shard of Ascindium
Sylas’ head hurt—and it wasn’t for any of the normal, everyday reasons for why a head would hurt, such as a lack of sleep(or too much of it), stressful day, or any other number of things that could cause one to grab his head and wonder why is the brain beating itself like a masochist. No, his head hurt for a very simple reason—he tried to stuff too much information into it too quickly. Though, before today, Sylas would have l...
2021-10-16 16:36:09 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 46
A Complex World
Sylas sat with a vacant look in his eyes, a cold wind belting against his cheeks, frosting them. And yet, he didn’t even notice. He was lost in thought, tightly holding onto a piece of parchment in his hand. It was his attempt at summarizing every last bit of knowledge he had to try and make the sense out of everything. As it turned out, however, even with everything cleanly laid out in front of him, he couldn’t make sense ...
2021-10-15 22:21:14 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 45
Children of the Condemned
Sylas reset the loop. In fact, he restarted it quite a few times since the day Valen, Tenner, and Ryne brought him in. Though it was a bonding ceremony, he didn’t want them to have that image of him in their heads. In part, it was due to his position as a 'Prophet', but mostly because… he didn't want them.
Since then, he mostly coped. Drinking, eating, swinging a sword in vain attempt to forget. It helped, s...
2021-10-14 20:49:51 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 44
Cold
Sylas snapped awake, back in the forest, a background to the conversation between Valen, Tenner, and Ryne. It took a moment for his mind to catch up to what had happened. One way or another, he died and was returned here. The last thing he recalled… was his body shutting down, top to bottom, after the indescribable feeling swelled inside his chest, as though he was suffocating.
It was there, once again. It surged, like tidal waves, belting...
2021-10-13 22:20:17 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 43
To Take a Life
Though Sylas shout was loud and awakening, it was still too late. Just as his voice faded into the night, dozens of tents went up in flames, with yet another crescendo of arrows descending. He rushed into the tent, all the while screaming ‘FIRE, FIRE, FIRE’ like a madman, trying to wake up as many people as possible. It worked as, soon enough, more and more shouts came booming out.
Rousing his three tentmates from the sleep, he...
2021-10-12 20:45:23 +0000 UTC
View Post
