Monsoon117 posts
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371 A Scarred Return
A few seconds later, a Sentinel tore through the fabric of reality. I helped pull apart the dimensional fabric, and it stepped through. It tilted its head at me."You wish to return to Earth, correct?"I nodded."Aw man, more than anything."The Sentinel sliced through the veil, and I approached a tiny circle showing Earth. I gazed down at Mt. Verner before I gave the Sentinel a salute...
370 Words Uttered, Laws Made
A dark blue aura enveloped the room, saturating everything."When you signed that contract with Shalahora, you sold your soul to an Old One."The emanation pulled me down as Schema said, "I will give you this opportunity out of grace. Answer me."Schema's voice hardened."Why shouldn't I kill you?"Chapter BeginI smiled, "Can you?"I pressed out with my dimensiona...
369 Schema's Will
As the air crawled into my lungs like hungry leeches, I said, "It would be, but that's not my plan."In the corrupted space, I spawned an orb of primordial mana. It billowed like smoke before I soaked it in, changing my dimensional wake to a primordial one. A few seconds later, my runes glowed dark blue, and I temporally accelerated. I glared at the walls as they opened mouths and eyes....
368 Leviathan's Pull
"Your pocket dimension will not capture something of this size."I cupped my chin."Hm, as is, maybe. I should be able to return and get it out of here...Eventually."Shalahora turned away."A source of power may become a source of pain."The shadow wisped away in trails of darkness. I gave one last glance at the dungeon core, the depths of it reminding me of Leviathan. The blac...
367 An Empty Purgatory
I floated out of the giant bone colossus and walked back into reality. Standing in the sea of writhing bones, I found the waves lessening in height and impact. After a while, they turned back into the shining hills from before. The solidified mass fell back into shards of rainbow bones, and the algae began regrowing overhead.As the algae encroached from all sides, I stared at the black hole Leviat...
366 A Mind of Metal
Death was a mercy to this anathema.The other entity was an ancient brute turned into Baldowah's tool long ago. It had existed for millennia, and it smiled at me, a mass of teeth and claws and blood. It whispered over the suffering, "You will be my next holder. Feel honor from it."This was what Valgus actually was. The presence shouted in my mind,"Fall."And so I fell.Chapter Beg...
365 Bloodbath
I closed my eyes, allowing the energy to run its course. Once emptied, I cleared my mind for a few moments. I became a sea of calm before viewing Shalahora and his shades. I frowned,"Is Valgus here?""He and his armies march this way."I stood,"Then it's time. Let's end this."Chapter BeginI made last-minute preparations, ensuring I collected every ounce of resources I...
364 An Uncanny Silence
If anything, I could lean into the rituals but on the opposite end. I laughed for a second as a realization popped into my head. Most ritualists would spend all of their time mastering how to perfect rituals. They'd focus on guaranteeing their success for smooth sailing. I would tread a different path.I would spend my time learning how to break them.Chapter BeginOver the next few hours, I atte...
363 Eerie Unveiling
After I handled the installation, Targask tried using one of them. He frowned at it, the sight disturbing him as he murmured, "How in the hell did you create this?"I grinned at him, "The same way I will make lots of other stuff."Targask gave me a wary eye as I lunged to one knee, still over his eye level,"Now then...Let's see the next set of runes, eh?"Chapter BeginTarg...
362 Uncovered Progress
Flying at the midpoint of the city's barrier, it raised the horn sword while bending its head down. I mirrored the gesture before waving it in. The insect landed below, its heft causing a quake throughout the city. As construction golems raced to fix the damage, I gave it a wave,"Yo. What do you want?"The beetle spoke in a series of clicks, but the translation system in my city let me ...
361 Out With Weakness
I turned a palm to them, "These constructs will assist you all in your development, whether that be constructing more infrastructure or helping rulers learn to wage war."I raised my brow to Shalahora and telepathically said, "Is it possible to leave a shade with each of the rulers so we can keep tabs on them?"Shalahora nodded, "Of course, Harbinger."I peered at the rulers, ...
360 Exposed
Reaching out a hand, I smashed the display in a gravity well before pulling three blue cores out of the mess. After heating the pulp into a moldable mass, I pulled it out of my city. A construction golem cleaned the singe marks by scraping the stone and making new rock over the torn surface. The rulers gawked before I gave them a tight smile,"So, who's with me?"Chapter BeginSeveral rul...
359 Amassing Armadas
"It's time we had a long, hard talk about what the hell's going on here."My golems arrive in mass behind me, and the twitching primevals skulked outside. The rulers huddled somewhat, hiding behind the guards who were hopelessly outgunned. I let a silence pass over them before announcing,"You've all been poisoned by this." I opened my pocket dimension and pulled some rai...
358 Cause and Effect
Valgus blinked a few times, the explanations overwhelming him, "So...The...Er...We need the Harbinger to bolster a weaker side of a war."The remnant put a finger in Valgus's face. She menaced, "The primevals, the fluid, even this giant bone beast could be game-changers. We need this planet if we're going to uproot Schema. Lehesion isn't enough anymore."I froze in place,...
357 Infiltration
Valgus turned around, and I thought to Shalahora, "Baldowah didn't pass over us, right?""If he did, I felt none of his presence - not even the smallest inkling of it."Valgus leaped across the shining hills of the horizon, and I raised a brow, "Can you have a shade follow him?""I already have one doing so."I turned towards the chaos left behind by the clashing ar...
356 A Goal
Every thought diluted through this new prism, and my every doubt, fear, and emotion devolved into a form of anger. For minutes, I floated in something akin to memory as if I lived the lives of Mars and Ares. My everything melted into war and battle.I was war and battle.Gasping for air, I calmed myself as much as possible, but I still writhed with rage. Around me, all was still for a while, and I t...
355 A Sea of Red
I shook my head, "I don't think so. They aren't meant to protect Valgus's mind from someone's attack. They stop his mind from becoming unsettled."I gazed at the asura, "He's not a warrior."Shalahora's eyes widened as well, and the shadow whispered,"He's a prison."Chapter BeginShalahora sent out an umbral slice towards Valgus, the lack of light li...
354 Madness
Valgus stood in the middle of the primevals.As an extension of himself, the creatures flowed around him. I tore one of the last of those creatures from him with a singularity before he roared out at me. With the swing of his arm, he smashed a hill of bones apart.The opalescent shards misted out like powdered glass.I darted out of that glistening cloud before Valgus leaped from it. The sparkling cl...
353 A Hollow Roar
I grimaced, "Then our kingdoms will clash."Shalahora waved a hand over me, several shades adorning portions of my armor. The Sovereign menaced, "They'll let us communicate and act as your scouts."I pulled out several dozen blue cores, having them embedded into my armor. While pulling out their mana, I breathed out energized miasma. It floated down, a cloud of crimson red adorni...
352 Clashing Kingdoms
The creature followed my orders, pacing back and forth, doing jumping jacks, and even doing backflips on command. Silly as it seemed, the beast's innate tenacity and strength omened its future purpose. One that Shalahora mused about,"This will be your army then?""Yes.""And this isn't the first time you've done this either, is it?"I peered out into the distance, ...
351 Ethics and Armies
Shalahora tilted his head at the liquid, "What is it?""It psionically kills whatever eats it."Shalahora wisped away from the stuff, his body trembling, "Gah, grotesque."I spun the shining liquid in a circle, "It is, and based on the fight, the primevals aren't the only victims here."I set my gaze where the black cyclops watched us the fight,"It's being u...
350 Untimely Assaults
I gazed down at him, and the catfish man crossed his arms over his head. He blew into the pit of algae, "Ah...This place is finally comfortable."I pulled molten dimensional fabric from my pocket dimension. With it floating above, Drelex sneered,"Ahck, what are you doing with that? It's molten."I rolled my eyes before swiping him and his algae pit into my pocket dimension. As I ...
349 Uncertainty
Iona raised her hands and wings in tandem, "They're dying from barotrauma."Answering my confused expression, Iona snapped, "You depressurized everything too quickly. Their tissues were already weakened, and they ruptured when you fixed everything so fast."I tilted my head, and my eyes turned to slits, "Oh...Really now?"Chapter BeginIona simmered, "Yes. It's the ...
348 Reconnected
A few rulers laughed at that, which was surprising since I didn't really think that was funny. One thing I appreciated was how everyone stopped gawking in amazement. Most of these people accustomed themselves to the unusual because of their station. It made me stand out less compared to home. Either way, I cracked my knuckles and got to making guardsmen golems next.It was time to turn this pla...
347 Set Up
Shalahora spoke quietly yet with great force,"I only showed him pain."I winced, "It looked as though you robbed him of reason. How in the hell could he experience pain like that without any wounds, not even psionic ones?"Shalahora's voice grew distant, "It was not his pain."My eyes widened as Shalahora seethed,"It was my own."Chapter BeginI held myself in place,...
346 Quick Deals and Equal Exploits
The frog simmered, "You speak that because no matter the outcome, your false empire will be helped more by their deaths. You're trying to kill them to fuel this death game Schema placed us in. Their armies will, in essence, become yours."I stepped up, several feet taller than Obolis. Shalahora's shroud dispersed while I spread my hands,"Hey Obolis, it's good to see you agai...
345 The Elements of Disaster
The mana cables ruptured, and I reached out my hand. Iona gazed up at me, fear and awe mixing in her expression before I shifted her with a gravity well. I moved a single finger as I did, emphasizing the ease of it. Iona Joan blinked before I spread my arms to the others,"Let's discuss some deals."I smiled,"Mmkay?"Chapter BeginBehind Iona, the two rulers in diplomatic robes pee...
344 Enmity
Interrupting my thoughts, Shalahora simmered, "What is this? You intend to fight us?"Iona Joan walked out, her angel wings locked behind her. Several other rulers paced behind her, each looking like members of a council or guards. The bubbly ruler walked up and gazed at me, a smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eye,"Calm down, Shalahora. We're just making sure he's trustwort...
343 Hell Hath Opportunities
Shalahora seethed, his claws brandished, "I believe Valgus intends to do something with the bones here."Shades rushed our direction from outside the city, and Shalahora turned to them,"And I shall uncover exactly what that something is."Chapter BeginI pondered aloud, "I might know what he's up to."Shalahora lowered his arms, the condensed limbs dispersing, "And what...
342 What Bumps in the Night
Scratching my hair, I closed my eyes, trying to swim through my memories. Once more, behemoths interrupted my train of thought. I killed them, keeping a fit of explosive anger in check. Laying back on the side of a sand dune, I made a few sand angels in the dust. It gave me a nostalgic feeling as if I were a child in the snow again. In my ears, a low, droning voice ebbed in,"And fate has decid...
