LiseEclaire

Leveling up the World (Chapter 624)

“An echo message,” Dallion said to the messenger service. “To Linatol.”

This was pretty much the first time he had used the courier for this service. Physical letters were a lot more appreciated, but they lacked the one thing that echo messages provided: speed. The simplicity of it all was astounding. The courier service had members in all cities, each with echoes of everyone else...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 623)

“Going to the countess,” Dallion said as he passed through the outer gate.

A whole garrison of soldiers was stationed there, but no one dared stop him. It was well known that he had been sent on a phoenix hunt, though that wasn’t the only reason. Dallion had deliberately filled his words with dread, making sure it affected everyone in the vicinity, and he hadn’t stopped people alo...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 622)

Trails of water droplets followed the nymph’s blade. Larger than raindrops, they remained in the air for several seconds, before stretching like needles and darting in the direction of the Star. Barely any ever caused any actual harm, most sinking in the void matter that shifted to protect them, but she was pushing him back.

Watching her fight, one couldn’t tell whether her level was ...

The Impeccable Adventure of the Reluctant Dungeon (Chapter 39)

The throne room was packed with people—not just the usual nobles and soldiers, but also everyone who could physically squeeze in. The whole thing was a grand event: a noble quest given to the protector of Rosewind, and something Theo had desperately tried to avoid. It was clear that he’d have to go through such a humiliation the moment the Lionmane guild told him the details surrounding the...

The Impeccable Adventure of the Reluctant Dungeon (Chapter 40)

“Four rooms,” Theo’s avatar said, slamming a gold coin on the counter. “A full floor if you have it.”

Silence filled the air, as all eyes of the half-empty room focused on them. This was supposed to be the town’s best inn, though by the looks of things, it too had seen better times. The innkeeper had done his best to keep appearances: the floors were clean, the tables well kep...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 621)

Was that the major difference between magic and the Star’s skills? All this time, Dallion thought the major part of it was the introduction of technology. It seemed that if that had been a concern, it was only a minor one. Artifacts of past ages still existed in the world. If they were so dangerous the Moons would have destroyed them, or at the very least had the Order do it for them. No, it ...

Quod Olim Erat: Fractal Contact (Chapter 1)

I stood to attention outside of the commandant’s office. The decision to have me assigned to a vessel had been made weeks ago, only just managing to squeeze through the pipes of the bureaucratic apparatus. It was outright astonishing how long it took for a suitable position to be opened up, even after officially receiving my promotion. Half a year had passed since my last operation, and if it...

Quod Olim Erat: Fractal Contact (Chapter 2)

A total of three people were waiting for me in the ship’s airlock. Two wore black uniforms, indicating they were part of ship security. According to their classified personnel files, both were ground troop officers who’d managed to survive two tours on the Cassandrian front. That in itself was impressive. Grunts had a general life expectancy that was less than that of battleships. Their see...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 620)

An otherworlder that helps the Star pull whole cities into the wilderness—that was the sign that would mark the end of the world yet again. At least according to the nymph prophecy. The dwarf was adamant that it would happen, and so had isolated himself in a place he thought would withstand the inevitable cataclysm. Dallion had taken the whole thing quite badly at the time. Back then, he fear...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 619)

PETRIFICATION EFFECT REDUCED BY 25%

PETRIFICATION NO LONGER IN EFFECT

A purple rectangle popped up, allowing Dallion to move again. It was fortunate that Lux was still able to negate the effect. At least Dallion had a fighting chance now. Or did he? Seeing a mega spell in action was a terrifying event. More and more, it was looking like t...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 618)

Red and green markers appeared all of a sudden, providing Dallion options to better his fight. The issue was that they appeared minutes after they were needed still displaying solutions to situations long past. The first few times they had confused Dallion to the point that he’d almost lost all his instances to magic attacks.

Which one do I go for? Dallion asked, zig-zagging th...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 617)

Dallion was the first to attack, striking at Arthurows with a double spin. The harpsisword’s blade vibrated intensely, letting out a strong musical hum. It never hit its target though, blocked by the Star’s arm. The black substance that composed his clothes had trickled up, covering his entire arm, acting as a diamond-like shield. Despite that, Dallion’s attack sliced through into it, eve...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 616)

MEMORY FRAGMENT

World’s Middle, Copyette’s Era

Aether flew across the sky, the sun’s rays turning purple as they passed through. He had been flying over an hour, following the threads of magic over the world. In the distance, the Purple Moon was making its way to the horizon. Unlike half the other Moons, Galatea preferred when the s...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 615)

MEMORY FRAGMENT

Erekol, Second Age

“The star pupil wants to see you, divine one,” the man said, bowing so low that his head almost touched the ground.

Aether could feel a significant amount of magic within him, just as he felt the other thing—the coldness of the void. Lately, his roost was the only place in which it couldn’t...

The Impeccable Adventure of the Reluctant Dungeon (Chapter 38)

Two dozen royal slimes rolled along the underground tunnel. Each of them was the size of a small shed, full of goblin bones and old rusty weapons. It wasn’t rare for an overconfident, novice adventurers to overestimate themselves and charge alone at such a creature, perishing as a result.

The slimes slowed down, arriving at a complete stop. They had sensed a presence in their domain and...

The Impeccable Adventure of the Reluctant Dungeon (Chapter 39)

The throne room was packed with people—not just the usual nobles and soldiers, but also everyone who could physically squeeze in. The whole thing was a grand event: a noble quest given to the protector of Rosewind, and something Theo had desperately tried to avoid. It was clear that he’d have to go through such a humiliation the moment the Lionmane guild told him the details surrounding the...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 614)

MEMORY FRAGMENT

Erekol, Second Age

The funeral was tiny, given the size of the Erekol. There was no monument or tomb, just a marker the size of a brick. Less than a hundred people came to say their last farewells, mostly mages. Even with two lives, Klere Eilia never bothered to make a family, dedicating his entire life to his craft. Aethe...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 613)

MEMORY FRAGMENT

Erekol, Second Age

Existence came in a flash. Aether didn’t know how or why. All he knew was that time had been split in two branches: up to the point he could move and after that. All of it seemed boring, and for some reason there didn’t seem any particular difference between the two.

“Aether,” a voice comma...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 612)

It was one thing to say that the south must have been a major city. Seeing it was something completely different. It was already morning by the time Dallion reached the top of the “mountain” that made it impossible for him to see the aetherbird. However, he managed to see something else. The spot was a perfect vantage point to look over a large part of the canyon. From this vantage point he...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 611)

The surface of the sea rippled rhythmically, distorting the reflection of the seven Moons in the sky. It was morning, and yet all of them were clearly visible, watching down upon Dallion’s realm.

“They’ve been there for a week now,” Dallion said from the top of Harp’s tower. “I guess they can’t wait for me to return to the real world.”

“The Moons are always watchin...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 610)

Both Dallions burst into instances and attacked. The echo performed the unique type of line attacks Dallion had experienced in the corridor, while Dallion struck with his vibrating harpsisword, this time adding spark attacks to the mix. Red rectangles were everywhere, popping up then disappearing as the respective instances were killed. It was like watching being in the middle of a constant fie...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 609)

The “sprint on knives” path was chosen. With one strike of his harpsisword, Dallion broke the thick layer of stones, revealing a long corridor. Instantly, light crystals lit up on either side, illuminating the darkness.

“Thanks, harp,” Dallion whispered.

It was almost just now that he found how exceptional the weapon was. In the past, he had used aspects of it, focusing on t...

Quod Olim Erat: Fractal Contact (Prologue)

Location Classified, Graveyard Vault Elysium II 707.7 A.E. (Age of Exploration)

“Leave your personal weapon here, ensign,” the major ordered.

According to her personnel file, she had survived three full tours on the Scuu front before being transferred to a desk job. Officially, it was presented as a promotion. In truth, there were allegations of Scuu artifact...

Quod Olim Erat: Fractal Contact (Chapter 1)

I stood to attention outside of the commandant’s office. The decision to have me assigned to a vessel had been made weeks ago, only just managing to squeeze through the pipes of the bureaucratic apparatus. It was outright astonishing how long it took for a suitable position to be opened up, even after officially receiving my promotion. Half a year had passed since my last operation, and if it...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 608)

“It’s not that far,” Dallion said. “I’ll there—”

He’s still watching, Gleam interrupted. I can’t tell where exactly, but he’s there.

That was a rather big problem. Dallion’s brief encounter with the creature had shown him how powerless he was even at his current level. The distance wasn’t much, but more than enough for the shardfly to swoop ...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 607)

The rat rushed to cover the rat king like a shield. Dallion performed a pint attack straight down, but it was too late to kill the creature. The destructive force slammed into the cover of rats pushing everything down. The floor—already weakened by Dallion’s familiars—gave in, crumbling into the room below. The rats flowed down with it, creating new layers around the creature controlling ...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 606)

Blood splattered all over the wall as Dallion did another triple spin slash. Whoever said that fighting rats was difficult had vastly underestimated the reality of the situation. A dozen rats or slightly more weren’t an issue, yet it soon became obvious that rats didn’t travel in dozens—they moved about in swarms. And these were not mere rats that one would find in the less fortunate dist...

The Impeccable Adventure of the Reluctant Dungeon (Chapter 36 - Prologue)

Mornings always started with griffins. As every bird they rose at first light, letting out a loud screech, then leaving their nest to soar in the skies of Rosewind in search of food. Some of them—mostly the younger ones—had acquired the annoying quality of begging the townspeople for food. Many enjoyed that, petting the majestic creatures, feeding them, even giving them names. That was not ...

The Impeccable Adventure of the Reluctant Dungeon (Chapter 37)

The first day was willed with client panic. Theo had no idea what devastating hunger meant, but he was certain he didn’t like it. For hours, he contemplated his life’s choices, namely his decision to consume the gem and increase his size, despite having no practical need for it. When it came down to things, the dungeon continued to devote most of its attention to the small building in which...

Leveling up the World (Chapter 605)

“Huh? Dallion blinked.

The fact that he was technically asleep toned down the horror he should have felt. It wasn’t the first time that Felygn had grumbled at him, but never had there been a warning this serious.

“Free will, free consequences, free ability to mess up,” the Green Moon said. “No more hand holding, remember? I tried to nudge you in the right direction, and yo...