Three Square Meals Ch. 169 (Updated)
Added 2024-07-01 03:11:05 +0000 UTCHi everyone,
As I mentioned in the status update, I'm still working on chapter 169. I've added a big chunk of extra combat scenes, which nearly concludes the battle. I'll try to finish that off for you as soon as possible.
Please let me know if you spot any typos and I'll correct them asap.
Best wishes,
Tefler
Comments
Hey there David, again, have just finished re-reading the partial chapter (#169) and I cannot find a problem, ... Perhaps you are referring to the opening scene of the chapter where Alyssa and John are groaning and moving slow after Gally's use of his TK force blasts, ... the blasts are invisible so you might not have seen them, .... Anyway, this has been an outstanding battle chapter, so far, .... thank you 'Gallstone' Tef, wishing you well, ... ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-07-30 09:20:54 +0000 UTC-- a couple of boo-boos for you to fix, in time for the completed chapter #169 EOM drop, ... these oopsies can be found on page 25 of 29, with Jehanna, Ailita and Almari surrounded by Galkiran Thralls: "Ailita started shimmering, her shape becoming instinct, as the two women in body armour activated flight mode on their Paragon suits. The Nymph shapeshifted into a beautiful songbird, it’s white plumage ..." --- instinct s/b indistinct, .... and it's s/b its ---- loving the story, Hope you are feeling better, .... ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-07-30 09:01:34 +0000 UTCHey there David, ... I hadn't noticed any continuity problems with this latest partial chapter, .... I think that I'll re-read it before the rest of the chapter makes its appearance tomorrow, and I'll watch for what you spotted David, ... -- oh boy, ... more TSM soon to drop, it feels almost like X-mas, .... ;-( ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-07-30 07:22:02 +0000 UTCAll I see is John making the other Prog bleed, and then the chapter 169 Alyssa is groaning and so is John. When did the Prog counterattack?? It’s not in 168??
David B
2024-07-29 16:21:37 +0000 UTC--It's the final weekend of the month, so there is chance we might see some new words from Tef, this weekend or Monday, .... about a 1% to 2% chance, ... but Wednesday, July 31st, we should see at least the completion to chapter #169, and perhaps another chapter or two, #170 and maybe #171, .... so we only have a few days left to wait, .... -- and zero to just one placeholder is my prediction, .... ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-07-28 19:16:49 +0000 UTCIf I remember correctly, the mech is faster than the raptor, but that certainly doesn’t make up for Dana’s lack of finesse when flying the thing
Astrid Milken
2024-07-20 04:17:53 +0000 UTCOr just cut them in half, possibly? Although the first half needs to be congruent with the second half and as such, the entire battle needs to be mapped out. As to this that there are 4 perspectives that are being tracked simultaneously, and it’s a very complex integrated storyline. Maybe it would be easier to break up, except that the matriarchs and lionesses are communicating telepathically, so there are simultaneous, coordinated interactions interspersed throughout the battle that require contiguous storytelling. It would be great if Teller could focus on his health & get healthy so he can focus on writing with a clear mind. I have no doubt he’d double his production and probably triple his patronage!
EroticPoetic
2024-07-19 21:46:51 +0000 UTC.... Yeah, Andrew said it, ... two hands, two axes, .... the lost one (axe) shrank back to normal size and dropped out of sight along with his blasted forearm/hand, ... and the other one shrank along with Gally, when he dropped to normal size, after Dana ambushed him and he lost his focus and released all his control on his powers (giant size) ... So, he retained one of his two axes, ... And a Progenitor swinging a War-Axe (even at normal size) would still do lots of damage to a Mech's lower leg, .... Sorry Dana, .... ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-07-15 21:10:46 +0000 UTCThe hand/arm that was vaporized was the one he was using to channel psychic abilities (previously in the story it was mentioned that using psychic abilities without gestures is more difficult and takes concentration). So that hand didn't have an axe in it, and the implication is that he held onto the other axe in his left hand, even as he was attacked by Alyssa and Dana.
Andrew Shultes
2024-07-15 17:41:48 +0000 UTCAt the end "Gahl’kalgor slammed his axe into the Valkyrie’s leg. " However earlier Gally had lost his axes: "His axe tumbled from his loosened grip and toppled towards the ground, the weapon rapidly returning to normal size as it fell out of his hand." So did he just lose one ax and kept the other? This would be odd given that later his right hand/forearm were vaporized. Unlikely he went back to recover the lost ax but perhaps it has a beacon or will fly to him when called. Just needs explanation.
2ndAndrocentric
2024-07-15 16:37:13 +0000 UTCWell written and I add one other problem. At the end "Gahl’kalgor slammed his axe into the Valkyrie’s leg. " However earlier Gally had lost his axes: "His axe tumbled from his loosened grip and toppled towards the ground, the weapon rapidly returning to normal size as it fell out of his hand." So did he just lose one ax and kept the other? This would be odd given that later his right hand/forearm were vaporized. Im going to post this as a singular point elsewhere.
2ndAndrocentric
2024-07-15 16:35:30 +0000 UTC--- It is Mid July now, ..... I'd bet we don't see the completion to chapter #169 until the End of Month (EOM), .... along with any other writings that he has ready to drop (chap #170 and some of #171 maybe?) ... Until then, I have lots of additional reading to do, but I will still be looking forward to the end of July, and more TSM, .... yay! ....;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-07-14 10:24:23 +0000 UTCChapter 169 is still unfinished. It's been unfinished for the whole month of June and now it looks like we might actually get it by the end of July (along with two more placeholders).
Dennis Kindig
2024-07-13 04:19:32 +0000 UTCAt the same time, its gonna be a show with sakura beheading him and Jade catching his head mid air.
Myrnalin
2024-07-12 21:04:19 +0000 UTCI will add something to this. After shooting him, Dana could have either held him up in the sky with a gravity well above his head (although that would give him better line-of-sight for psychic attacks) or held him in place on the ground with an enhanced gravity field. If she really wanted to be aggressive with her psychic powers, she could have crushed him to death with a gravity well.
MVFast
2024-07-12 02:19:52 +0000 UTC-- Okay, what ends up happening to finish off Gally is: -- Valeria kicks his cheating ass, ... -- John runs him through with his sword, .... -- Dana blasts him, point blank range, ... -- Alyssa lights up the sky and Nova Lances his ass again, ... -- Sakura lops off his head, .... -- Jade bites off his head, and then spits it out, ... -- the Collective's solder-bots do him in, ... -- Betrixia rams the Raptor into him, ... any other guesses? ... ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-07-12 00:29:37 +0000 UTCI was refering to chapter 169!!!
William Wallace
2024-07-11 12:17:47 +0000 UTCYeah. Tef is juggling a lot of things in this chapter, .... Plus, Tef almost always zigs when I think that he will zag, ... he surprises me a lot, .... ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-07-11 05:42:43 +0000 UTC-- Only If he is quick enough, ... John doesn't have his speed while at giant size, ... And don't you think Kyth'Vindahlyis should be the sword that gets to eat Gally? ... ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-07-11 05:36:28 +0000 UTCHey there Braveheart, ... regards chapter #168, .... part 1 equals about 1/4 of a chapter, and part 2 equals about 1/2 of a chapter, .... so that's 3/4 of a chapter, so far, ..... Tef has indicated that he would strive to play chapter catch up in July, .... so, I am hopeful for not only a completed chapter #168, but a chapter #169 and at least some of chapter #170, ... -- And Tef might just get the story to the point where he brings back our perfectly perky little purple pixie, Faye, and that would be awesome! ,,, ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-07-11 05:16:14 +0000 UTCDon't forget that Rachel is close by too, so she might get involved with shielding some of the injured ladies. Also Jade could be on her way as well.
Unresolved Plots
2024-07-11 02:18:10 +0000 UTCI think that it seems drawn out, but 4 different perspectives are going on at the same time. The Progenitor battle, the ground battle, the space battle, and the Genthalas battle. So time is short total battle time about 8 minutes so far.
Green Seadragon
2024-07-11 01:13:34 +0000 UTCyeah, now that Gally is normal size John can stomp him:)
stephen mincher
2024-07-10 07:36:54 +0000 UTCI like that Dana got a critical hit on gally. Gahlkalgor doesn't know what's about to happen John doesn't take kindly to anyone hurting his girls. Also Dana has a pistol with her and/or a rifle with runic penetrators. Good times
Green Seadragon
2024-07-09 16:56:54 +0000 UTCI tried to combine the first and the second part it does not add up there is a sitll part missing
William Wallace
2024-07-08 17:56:46 +0000 UTCConsidering John removed his guide 9 days ago I think its fair on his part. Alyssa changed aim to try and stop the killing blow charging in his fist (and then they collided and exploded) Alyssa is under heavy pressure she has basically been a nerve wreck the whole last chapter, her panicking and not "acting optimally" is believable to me. And now you are not even reading the text with Jehenna, her only reachable captain were hit dead center by a blast from the ship. I feel you should read it more carefully since you clearly dont pick up on anything.
Myrnalin
2024-07-07 16:28:29 +0000 UTCSo I'd like to try and address some of these questions from my perspective of the chapter. Feel free to disagree or point out any flaws you see in my argument. Alyssa takes time to charge up her powerful blasts, so when she shot once and Gahl started chasing her, she didn't have time to recharge another one. She has grown stronger over time, but it hasn't been as significant as John's growth when he absorbed his guide; if I remember correctly, a lot of her powerful feats were also fueled by the psychic energy of the others, which she can't use because they are all fighting and need it themselves. As for why she switched her aim, I read it as an instinctual decision, and she knew that something dramatic would happen if the two psychic energies collided, she just wasn't sure what. Targeting any other part of his body would have taken a good few seconds to break both his shield and armor, and he could have used the built up psychic energy to attack either her or John in that time. For Dana, her abilities aren't really suited for this kind of battle, and even if they were, she's more excited about piloting the Valkyrie and using the weapons that she designed. Gahl also took a good while to recover from Dana's attack: she was trying to sneak up on him for probably the better part of a minute after she shot him, and from what we've seen of John, that's a reasonable amount of time to heal enough to start fighting again. Speaking of John, he is equally if not more powerful than Gahl, but he is far less experienced in both dueling Progenitors and using psychic abilities. Gahl also caught him by surprise with that first psychic attack, and since then, John has been trying to get close enough to attack him while Gahl is chasing Alyssa. As for Jehanna's situation, I am not a tactical genius, so I'd rather trust an author who has been writing battle scenes for about 9 years, unless an actual, irl tactical genius says that there was a better way. I will say that the withdrawal seems to be going well overall, Jehanna is just trapped because she stayed behind longer to ensure that everyone got out.
Andrew Shultes
2024-07-07 16:02:37 +0000 UTCThe fight doesn't make much sense to me. It just seems engineered to be drawn out. Alyssa changed aim for his wrist, why? Also, after all these power-ups a single shot is all she has? Dana gets a good hit in, but he recovers in moments? She also forgot she has abilities? Meanwhile John is almost out of the fight because he's outclassed by a single skill... for reasons (Note, John's dad was amazed by his powers/abilities and he was supposedly the greatest of his time, the power levels don't track at all). Jehenna, the tactical genius, is unable to even properly withdraw and is isolated from her troops... for reasons. At least Jade is tired from being side-lined (again). Pretty much nothing in the fight seems to reflect the established abilities of the characters. Instead the whole fight alters almost every character to shoehorn them into a scripted setting that doesn't work. The only saving grace is the conflict that Gahl has with his matriarch. That's actually an interesting development that is well built-up by previous events.
LuxVeritas
2024-07-07 11:16:01 +0000 UTC-- Hey, let's just wipe out this Progenitor Asshat, Gally, ,,, and find out what punishment(s) they give out to an innocent Tom Walker, .... and is a jailbreak in Walker's immediate future before the crew of the Invictus takes a look into things? .... TSM has many loose threads yet to pull, ... ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-07-06 07:19:53 +0000 UTCSo you noticed that too? 😅 We were all waiting to see John activate Kyth’Vindanthis’ psychic powers and pull off some astral plane level miracles, then see Edraelle and Luna take out more of the Galkiran marines, leading up to the confrontation with the Gladiatora and her squad. Assassin vs Gladiator would make for an epic fight scene - possibly as exciting as John vs GK - worthy of both opponents martial skills given their psychically enhanced abilities and level of expertise. Aside from that, the lionesses are going to have to decide who dies, Maliri or Galkirans. Gahl’kagor is murdering his thralls by the tens of thousands while fighting John and the girls. If John isn’t victorious soon, millions will die in the onslaught, making “spared” lives of Galkiran troops meaningless in the face of sacrificed Maliri. The cliffhanger with Jade has my imagination playing out the possibilities - I just pray she doesn’t get herself killed again!
EroticPoetic
2024-07-06 05:52:00 +0000 UTC-- Humm, after dropping the ending to chapter #168, ... we then had, .... let's see now, ... there was about 1/4 of a chapter (#169) also dropped at the end of May, and now we have about another 1/2 chapter at June's end, ... for a total of about 3/4 of chapter #169, .... all of it a good, fun and exciting read, ... get well soon Tef, .... thanks for moving the tale along, ... ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-07-05 09:05:06 +0000 UTCLoved it!!
Walter Davis
2024-07-05 04:21:01 +0000 UTC*No.* - biggest line in a long time.
Jerry Seeger
2024-07-04 23:18:10 +0000 UTCHey Tefler! Thanks for the Chapter, it was a great read!
Son of Lan Mandragoran
2024-07-04 12:14:17 +0000 UTC... this is the way I see it, over the past couple of years (plus), Tef has written about 2 or 3 weeks of TSM time, ... anything thrt the girls might have learned might not yet have become instinct, ... They have been getting better for some time, so you might cut them some slack, .... ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-07-04 02:38:22 +0000 UTCThis is how I see it. Their focus is on killing Gahl'kagor. If they kill him, the battle is instantly over. Based on what you said, it seems that the part you don't understand is why they aren't doing more to stop the dreadnought. Well, they are all focused on other parts of the battle. Also, there's a fine line that they have to walk when fighting the dreadnought. Its already in position, so short of disabling it and having it crash to the ground, causing massive casualties, they can't force it to move. They have to disable it's ability to fire, which is what the Invictus is trying to do. The only other way to do that would be your suggestion about the Valkyrie. However, it would be very difficult for Dana, a less skilled pilot than Sakura, to fly to the dreadnought without getting shot by the defence grid AND thousands of drop ships. Betrixa was struggling against that much incoming fire, and she is a more skilled pilot in a faster, more maneuverable vehicle.
Andrew Shultes
2024-07-03 18:27:51 +0000 UTCJohn and the girls have every possible superpower. The semi-conventional battle taking place is only plausible if they effectively forget they have these superpowers or can’t put 2+2 together in how to use them. Irillith can hack Gahlkirian battleships and have them attack or ram the dreadnought creating an incredible force multiplier. Dana could create a singularity in a critical but non-explosive part of the dreadnought, like the bridge. Alyssa can grab the dreadnought engines with telekenetic hands and rip them off the ship or grab dropships and smash them together like she has done with tanks in the battle of Terra. The Valkyrie could have landed on the dreadnought, inside its firing arks, and taken its time cutting or blasting weapons, sensors, engines, thrusters, etc. off the dreadnought. These are all things they have done many times before in the story. It’s as if they not only forgot most of their superpowers, but also all their hard won experience. I’m struggling with how implausible this battle is. I feel like Tef should stop writing for however many years it takes to deal with a gall bladder in the UK (since using any two of the endless precharges and paying for gall bladder surgery clearly isn’t an option) and then write the battle again when he has clarity of mind.
AzureReader
2024-07-03 16:41:38 +0000 UTCHey Tef Part of last cliffhanger, Sakura turned on her speed to help Alyssa. How far away was she? Is this worth changing?
Fred Hunter
2024-07-03 14:06:03 +0000 UTCI have read every chapter 3 times, this one is in the process of being the best yet Tefler! Sorry you are dealing with these medical issues, I have had gall stones and they really are debilitating. Can't wait to see if everyone is okay after the cliffhanger, Bravo! Take all the time you need to finish, anyone complaining doesn't really understand what you are going through. Heal up quick! Thanks for writing my favorite erotic literature ever.
Evan jones
2024-07-03 06:13:54 +0000 UTCI apologize for the caps. Consider it as bold, or italicized text. The AVERAGE wait time is DOWN to ONLY 51 weeks?!?!
MVFast
2024-07-02 18:55:47 +0000 UTCI can't. It has been the way he has been doing business. I deal with that by limiting my contributions to x times per month. You can do the same. Instead of ranting and raving on about it in comments, I just accepted that I would be paying Tefler a monthly stipend. I am ok with that.
Florida Reader
2024-07-02 15:10:31 +0000 UTCNow tell me the placeholders were a typo.
Gky
2024-07-02 14:50:41 +0000 UTCI think I am going to wait for the completed chapter, every time one of these hits I eat it up like a bag of popcorn at the theater.
Jonathan Seeley
2024-07-02 14:03:30 +0000 UTCThe sad thing is we are not in his shoes and there to witness what he is going through. I have friends in the UK and unless you are on your deathbed and er you get lost in the shuffle. here is some info I looked up, the acceptable average for surgery is 18 weeks but as of 2023 here is what is said. Some say that it's possible to receive treatment within the 18-week limit by researching and discussing options with a GP or other clinician. Others say that waiting times for general surgery procedures, including gallbladder removal, have decreased in recent years. For example, in January 2023, the average wait time was 51 weeks, down from 57 weeks in November 2021.
Taco1085
2024-07-02 13:29:47 +0000 UTCAmazing action!
Sushant Bhartiya
2024-07-02 01:26:24 +0000 UTCTefler great writing. I think you shoulld charge double or more for combat chapters since they are so much more complex.
G E
2024-07-02 01:19:26 +0000 UTCSo, I agree that this is a good chapter. It is also an action-packed, long chapter that is still not concluded. So, there is more action yet to come. It's quite a fantastic chapter, really. Nice work, Tefler.
Florida Reader
2024-07-02 00:50:58 +0000 UTCWe are not paying two times for 169.
Florida Reader
2024-07-02 00:49:07 +0000 UTCHe has stated that the "more going on here" is his health. So, let's hope his health improves and he can get caught up.
Florida Reader
2024-07-02 00:48:28 +0000 UTCSo, I've been doing the same. However, I limit how many times per month I can be charged. SO, effectively, I am paying him $10/month. I'm ok with that.
Florida Reader
2024-07-02 00:46:50 +0000 UTCWhy are we paying 2 times for 169 ?
Per Simonsen
2024-07-01 23:17:08 +0000 UTCYou’re right☺️. I think I’m just feeling a little scammed at this point. I’ve been giving Tefler $10/chapter since around # 85 and not getting much love in return these days.
glenn kellogg
2024-07-01 20:57:00 +0000 UTCA ponzi requires continuous recruitment of new 'investor', with promise of greater returns based on the recruitment.
Jeff
2024-07-01 19:21:53 +0000 UTCAnd I thought John said he wasn't going to drag out any future battles. Kill em quick before more tralls have to get drained. He sure has been dragging this one out just like Tefler.
Chandler
2024-07-01 13:28:43 +0000 UTCAh, that's a typo. It's supposed to be indistinct.
Tefler
2024-07-01 09:37:17 +0000 UTCTefler is already making $8,000 per chapter. Maybe he should write 1-1/2 chapters per month if he wants more money instead of front loading $45,000 worth of place holders. Although TBH, if Teller just produced one chapter a month consistently, his subscriptions would go back up to 15-20,000 and he’d be making $30-$40,000 each month! He could even throw some collaboration spinoffs in the mix to break things up and make even more. There’s obviously more going on than a lack of money. Barring a drug or gambling addiction, lack of money is not the reason production is so far behind the promised delivery schedule. Let’s hope Tefler gets back on track sooner than later.
EroticPoetic
2024-07-01 07:33:19 +0000 UTCgreat chapter, and another cliffhanger. some interesting turns in the characters and plot.
John the 5th
2024-07-01 05:36:10 +0000 UTCThat was a good chapter, all the action made me feel like I was reading chapter 100.
Cornbread
2024-07-01 05:28:08 +0000 UTCJump up the prices to at least 5-10 bucks miniumso you can justify working on this series full time, this dragging out and halfway stuff is a farse
patreonpatreonpatreon
2024-07-01 05:22:48 +0000 UTCThank you. Get well soon.
MVFast
2024-07-01 05:18:37 +0000 UTCYour very nice sycophants can defend you all they want but there is something very fishy going on here. I think you need to make a decision regarding the morality of exploiting the kindness of your readers versus being 5 chapters ahead at ~$7K per chapter. This is turning into a Ponzi scheme and is not sustainable. Who knows … maybe you will suddenly putting out a chapter a week 😂 In the meantime, I go way down to a dollar a chapter and urge everyone else to do the same. Ps. I do hope you feel better … or, whatever it is you need
glenn kellogg
2024-07-01 05:06:20 +0000 UTCCorrection: "Ailita started shimmering, her shape becoming instinct," -- I don't think instinct works here.. Maybe distinct or diffuse depending on what you are going for.
Florida Reader
2024-07-01 04:21:51 +0000 UTCOk... I'm just gonna ignore any more notifications until I see something like Ch. 200, or something. These mid chapter cliffhangers are starting to irritate the hell out of me.
Wraths Child
2024-07-01 04:15:12 +0000 UTCGood progression to the battle for everyone except maybe John. It seems like John’s only role in this battle is to get bitch slapped by the other progenitor. Sakura stabbed him through the chest, Alyssa blew off his arm, Dana took out his spine. John chopped off a pinky… then spent 20 minutes knocked on his ass and seems incapable of getting up or doing anything to contribute to the battle. Gahl can heal an entire spine that’s been blow away in 2 seconds and attack Dana, while John staggers around helpless to do anything but wave. No doubt John will be victorious but certainly not for good reason after being this pathetic. Guess we’ll find out what happens in two or three more months when chapter 169 is finished.
AzureReader
2024-07-01 04:13:11 +0000 UTCMuch appreciated. Now I can go and organize dinner.
Antoine Scrivener
2024-07-01 03:56:07 +0000 UTCThanks Tefler. Take care of yourself.
Cignal
2024-07-01 03:32:36 +0000 UTCThank you very much!
Rocketman
2024-07-01 03:30:34 +0000 UTCThank you, Tefler!
Evan
2024-07-01 03:16:38 +0000 UTCThx
Sushant Bhartiya
2024-07-01 03:12:55 +0000 UTC
