Looking down at the metal hallway, John felt an urge to explore it. It was the first sign of intelligent life he had encountered on the planet, except for Sage Full Blue. Rain didn’t really count, he thought to himself silently.
Looking over at her, he wondered how she knew about the structure. She was staring at it with a curious expression, so it didn’t seem like she knew what it wa...
2024-08-14 19:24:07 +0000 UTC View PostWith only a short window to dodge the attack, John decided to turn Larang’s gravity downward at full force, holding Rain’s legs firmly in place. With their weights all dragging in the same direction, they would fall faster than any other method.
Rain made a sound of surprise as they dived, tightening her grip on John’s neck.
The centipede passed over them with a wide swing of ...
2024-08-14 19:22:43 +0000 UTC View PostAn hour later the two of them were lying in a hole that John carved out of a tree, ready for the night. He had been forced to help her get dressed, but now it should be fine in the future.
The lair was a lot less intricate than the last one, but it was only made to cover them from the rain and the view of most beasts. John planned to start his travel through the plains the day after.
<... 2024-08-14 19:21:05 +0000 UTC View PostSensing the danger of the situation, John shot up from his resting position and jumped into the air. Larang was summoned under his feet and started lifting him upwards, but the wind was pushing down with unusual force.
‘Damn! Is the air falling down into space with the rest of this forest? Won’t that mean that the planet will lose all its air soon?’
Despite the grim o...
2024-08-14 19:19:22 +0000 UTC View PostJohn’s mind went into overdrive as he tried to figure out how to survive this. He was certain this blackness was caused by the black horror of the skies.
‘Jump up?! Fly? I can’t run fast enough through the trees, have to go up!’
He put Larang back in his core as fast as he could and pushed the limits of how much essence he could put in his feet, bending down to the ...
2024-08-14 19:17:58 +0000 UTC View PostJohn’s plan to avoid splatting into the ground was rather simple; it relied on taking advantage of his equipment system. As he bent down, he summoned the greatshield below his feet and jumped off it, sending it hurdling down to the ground while stopping a lot of his own momentum.
The shield returned to his core as soon as it was about thirty meters away, letting him repeat the process a...
2024-08-14 19:16:31 +0000 UTC View PostWith a deep growl, the demon barg appeared from behind the tree. Standing on all its legs, it was nearly twice the size of John. Its muscles were bulging through its barred skin, and its eyes were yellow and glowed faintly as it stared at John.
‘Holy shit you’re big! But it’s definitely a barg, just evolved into a demon.’
He could feel his body tensing under the bea...
2024-08-14 19:13:33 +0000 UTC View PostLooking intently at the hand and praying it would stay attached to the tree, John gently started lifting it. And, just as he had hoped, it stayed perfectly attached. Too attached, even. After using all his strength and lifting himself entirely by his arm, he still remained firmly in place.
‘Yes! Now I can swing Larang as fast as I want as long as I stay on the ground! I’ll be an e...
2024-08-14 19:11:31 +0000 UTC View PostEver so slowly, John started imagining his essence becoming colder and denser while circulating it in his chest. Since it could not be changed in the core itself, he had to hold it inside as it slowly transformed, forming small droplets of essence.
Each time a drop formed, he put it back in his core, careful not to lose control of it. According to the sage, liquid essence was much harder ...
2024-08-14 19:08:30 +0000 UTC View PostJohn felt tempted to accept the deal, but he wanted to know if it was worth it before making a decision. “Can you tell me the part about the essence first? If I don’t think it’s worth it, you can just kill me, right?”
Sage Full Blue turned his head to the side again. “I do not kill. But I can tell you that the information will be worth it now.”
John furrowed his brows in...
2024-08-14 19:06:25 +0000 UTC View PostOne of the larger trees in the area was chosen as a temporary base. It had a small hole under one of the branches, partly hidden by leaves, that was just large enough for someone to crawl through.
‘This will have to do for now… ‘
It had taken some time to carve enough room for him to sit comfortably, but he did manage in the end, using the shortsword as his tool. Now ...
2024-08-14 19:04:24 +0000 UTC View PostHanging on the side of the tree, John prepared himself to attack as soon as the first monkey came into view. ‘Okay, let go of the sword, then airblast with my full weight, then lower weight to increase speed by… about seventy percent… Or is it thirty? Then summon Larang and use a piercing attack!’
With the plan ready and his legs filled with essence, he waited for the rig...
2024-08-14 19:02:10 +0000 UTC View PostJohn slowly approached the monkey-looking creature, hoping it wouldn’t attack as he approached. He felt confident in being able to defend himself, but he had a slight hope that he wouldn’t have to.
He tried carefully jumping to the closest tree in the direction of the mimicking monkey, checking its reaction as soon as he landed.
It only reacted by tilting its head in the other d...
2024-08-14 19:00:23 +0000 UTC View PostJohn was looking around again, desperately searching for any signs of danger. He knew that anything making an invoker despair would be the death of him, but he would at least fight. He glanced over at Serah again, who seemed surprisingly calm now.
“Serah, any idea what’s happening?”
She shook her head. “Not really. But it’s something bad.”
‘Yeah, no shit. Is ...
2024-08-14 18:58:00 +0000 UTC View PostAs he stood before her, John considered what he should do. In his world, kneeling, or at least bowing, would be suitable. But here, he had no idea. He looked back to the door to see if the man who guided him had any advice, but the sight made him forget why he turned around in the first place.
The door was simply floating in the air, while the wall was nowhere to be seen, just like on the...
2024-08-14 18:36:16 +0000 UTC View PostThe time before the expedition passed quickly. Serah was back to her normal self after that night, but they never spoke about what happened. Her smiling face had felt ever so slightly like an act ever since, but John chose to let her keep her secrets. For now.
They sat together on a train, having left everything behind after saying their goodbyes. John’s mother had seemed a bit more acc...
2024-08-14 18:33:48 +0000 UTC View PostOnce again, John woke up in his old bed, looking at the familiar ceiling. His mother wasn’t sitting next to him this time, but that was to be expected. He had been gone for an entire day at this point.
The familiar smells and sounds really made him feel at home again, soothing his soul. Even if he was trying to keep himself sane in that other world, it wasn’t easy. And if it was hard ...
2024-08-14 18:25:49 +0000 UTC View PostAfter John had demonstrated part of his ability with the greatsword, Serah stared at him with an unusual look. It seemed the greatness of the beautiful sword had taken hold of her. But John understood her well.
Karin also looked surprised, brushing her hair from her face. “... Where was that intensity when we were outside the gate?”
John replied with a hint of derision, “I did...
2024-08-14 18:23:32 +0000 UTC View PostThe two of them walked to the armory after cleaning up the training room, both excited about their new equipment. Serah had only ordered standard equipment, so they were ready the next day. But John’s sword was unusual in its size and needed special instructions.
John still felt out of place in the clean and straight rooms here, feeling much more at home in the wilderness outside the wa...
2024-08-14 18:21:17 +0000 UTC View PostThe next day, both of them were brought to a testing facility. Serah had gotten her own room to sleep in, and while John was slightly disappointed, he didn’t dare to show it.
John didn’t need much testing due to Karin’s assessment of his abilities, but Serah hadn’t even fought a single barg before, in either world. So, she needed to be tested before anything could be decided for t...
2024-08-14 01:32:43 +0000 UTC View PostJohn was greeted by the darkness of the metal bed he had entered the simulation in, and quickly swung the door open. There was no time to waste.
“Vera! Has anything happened to Serah?” he yelled, hoping she would say everything was fine.
Vera sounded almost as panicked as John was as she responded, “Yes, a fire alarm went off, triggering the opening of her pod! Follow the ligh...
2024-08-14 01:28:13 +0000 UTC View PostThe next day had been going surprisingly well so far. After waking up, John felt a bit calmer about his situation. But the highlight of the day was just coming up. John was dressed up and holding a basket of food in his hand, ready for the fateful date with Serah.
“You’re looking sharp, boy. I’m sure you’ll be fine, don’t worry.”
“Of course I’ll be fine, I’m me!”...
2024-08-14 01:26:47 +0000 UTC View PostAfter a short break and figuring out how to splash water on his face in the kitchen sink, John sat on the couch, staring out at his hometown through the simulated window. The sunset gave it all a soft orange hue, tempting him to return.
“... So I can go back home whenever I want?”
Vera responded with a careful voice, “Yes, as long as you’re in this facility. It will feel jus...
2024-08-14 01:25:02 +0000 UTC View PostThe light floating around in his core gave John a sense of power, but he couldn’t understand it. “... What’s an enchantment?” he asked, looking at Karin.
She had gotten up from the ground where she claimed one of the wargs, looking at him with a frustrated expression. “I can’t believe you got one on your second try! I’ve killed over 50 monsters, and I only have one!”
Looking toward the trees, John saw four much larger dog-like creatures approaching. They were nearly as tall as he was, with black skin and thick, powerful legs—monsters he had never seen before.
‘Oh, this might be a challenge!’
After quickly jumping toward his sword, he removed it from the corpse, swinging it widely to get rid of the blood. The familiar smell of thei...
2024-08-14 01:19:51 +0000 UTC View PostThe white lights led John from the pod room and past the door where the monster still lay on the floor. It was a long corridor, but the lights only continued for another 20 meters, turning left.
The omnipresent Vera still talked to him as he jogged along the corridor. “My logs tell me you prefer using a greatsword. Is that correct?”
“That’s right. Larger than most, I’m pre...
2024-08-14 01:16:35 +0000 UTC View PostThe unfamiliar words made little sense to John, but he still tried to figure them out. “Claim the kill? Explain.”
The man pointed at the dead monster. “Put your essence into the cadaver. You’ll see what I mean.”
John disliked following orders, especially from some stranger who probably kidnapped him. His last memories were from his home, which worried him greatly.
...
2024-08-14 01:13:33 +0000 UTC View PostJohn was desperately trying to understand the situation. But before he could even make any conjecture, he heard the sound of claws tapping on the floor.
A black dog-like creature was eyeing him like a slab of meat on the other side of the room. It bared its fangs and walked to the right, looking for an opening. Its skin was slick and bulging with muscles, and without a single strand...
2024-08-14 01:11:26 +0000 UTC View PostThe roar of the crowd was deafening, but John barely heard it. His focus was centered on the behemoth of a man standing across the arena, with muscles rippling beneath sweat-soaked clothes.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we're down to the final moments of this championship bout!" the announcer's voice boomed. "John 'The Windwalker' Tarvo faces off against Brandon 'The Bear' Kraggs!"
John's ...
2024-08-14 00:51:28 +0000 UTC View Post