The ominous pressure got the attention of everyone in the other room. They all rose from their chairs, eyes locked onto the doorway leading into the kitchen, waiting for what was causing it.
It didn’t take long before I saw a shadow—one that should have been solid—shimmer almost like smoke. Deciding to get this over with without too ...
2025-08-12 15:02:19 +0000 UTC View PostSince we had some time to kill before we could go back to the lantern shop, and since we’d decided to detour past the kitchen on our way back to the inn, we stopped by one of the many markets in the city to pick up supplies for cooking. Liane broke off to find Jen and Hari, letting them know the plan.
It would be nice to cook something w...
2025-08-12 09:54:43 +0000 UTC View PostI just stared up at Milo, who was still holding out the ring towards me.
“It... It’s too much,” I stammered, as Milo gently took hold of my hand and slipped the ring onto my finger.
“Nonsense. We, as a group, are investing in our party members. It only makes sense,” Milo said, releasing my hand once the ring adjusted to my ...
2025-08-11 13:29:43 +0000 UTC View PostAs we sat waiting in the office, I half expected to be called in for a switch, so I was surprised when Jackson entered again, this time followed by a lady who stood at about chest height to me. But there was no mistaking her for anything other than a warrior. Her arms were scarred, and her face looked hard.
When she entered, everyone began...
2025-08-10 10:33:46 +0000 UTC View PostI don’t think I’d ever slept that well.
The bed was, amazing!
Even when Milo shook me awake in the morning, all my body wanted to do was sink back into that heavenly cloud of a mattress! I had never had a proper bed like this before. At the Academy and Temple, the beds were incredibly thin, and at the Inn or Micca’s house, I us...
2025-08-09 17:12:54 +0000 UTC View PostAs we entered the giant archway leading into Boltron, escorted by the guards, we were led off to the side. Much like our experience in Forest’s Edge, it seemed we were repeating the same scenario. I could see Hari, Kevin, and Milo speaking to an official-looking person wearing a well-fitted suit of sorts.
It didn’t take long before tha...
2025-08-09 14:46:19 +0000 UTC View PostLord Falcone sat at his desk, pouring over paperwork. There really shouldn’t be this much, but it was important he did whatever he needed to do to ensure a kingdom auditor didn’t visit. There was a fine balance between overcharging your subordinates in taxes and their becoming disgruntled, with word spreading.
But he had a lifestyle to...
2025-08-09 14:44:49 +0000 UTC View PostI felt that overall, everyone was more relaxed today. I was the only one nervous about reaching Boltron, though. The scenery was changing quickly. We were still heavily under the shadow of Mount Divinus, but we were already entering a vastly different landscape compared to the past few days. The rocky outcrops were turning into vast valleys. I w...
2025-08-09 14:43:01 +0000 UTC View PostIt wasn't long before we were joined by Hari and Kevin, who made their way into the walled-off section Milo had created.
“Okay, I don’t know which part of all that was keeping a low profile...” Hari began, but was immediately interrupted by a little flame elemental who burst into the closed-off section, angrily throwing sparks into t...
2025-08-09 14:42:12 +0000 UTC View PostIt didn’t take long before Milo shot to his feet.
“I’ve got to, uh.. go test something!” he said, before rushing outside.
Jen leant over to me, whispering, “You’ll want to go out there. He’s probably going to do something ridiculous with earth magic to test that buff.” With a chuckle, she returned to her food.
W...
2025-08-09 14:41:37 +0000 UTC View PostThe hour passed quickly. Kevin was up front chatting with Milo and Hari, while the rest of the group had spread out along the caravan. I noticed Crisplet still nestled in Jen’s pocket, for now.
As the sun began to set, we found ourselves unable to pull off the road due to the rocky terrain. Instead, Milo conjured a structure directly ove...
2025-08-09 14:40:49 +0000 UTC View PostWhen I awoke the next morning, I saw there were another 23 notifications.
Pulling up my status to see where I was at,
Name: Trevor
Class: Arcane Chef
Rarity: Rare
Level: 18
Experience: 59...
2025-08-09 14:39:48 +0000 UTC View PostThere was a blur of motion as I sat there, my back against the rock, stunned. I was moments away from death when suddenly the beast—no, the cat—appeared out of nowhere and instantly killed a larger bird than the one we had fought before. But for what? A meal?
No, it couldn’t just be for a meal; it would have no trouble killing whatev...
2025-08-09 14:37:29 +0000 UTC View PostThe journey was slow; the terrain was rough; the wagons were overloaded due to the villagers; and the horses were struggling. According to Jen, we were still at least two days away from Boltron, but it would be at least a day before we’d have some form of safety from the Galvonson. However, that really depended on where its nest was located. 2025-08-09 14:36:02 +0000 UTC View Post
Now that the fear of kidnapping was brought up again, I was truly worried about heading to Boltron, but as long as no one found out, we’d be fine, right?
“I’d really like not to be kidnapped again,” I muttered.
Hari let out a chuckle. “Don’t worry, Trev. We won’t let that happen. Nobody knows about the tea except us,”...
2025-08-09 14:34:56 +0000 UTC View PostA moment later, Hari got up from where he was seated.
“Trevor, do you mind joining me for a moment? We should probably have a chat about this,” he said in a serious tone.
“Uh, sure?” I replied, a little concerned. I knew from their reactions that the buffs were good, but the way Hari was acting made me uneasy. Slowly, I follo...
2025-08-09 14:31:10 +0000 UTC View PostAfter packing up for the morning, Crisplet turned into its little orb form, and I slipped it into my pocket. That’s when I discovered it could still shoot sparks from inside the orb.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered to it. “I can’t keep you out while I’m riding Sable; I’ll fall.”
“I’ll hold it if you like,” Jen’s vo...
2025-08-09 14:28:10 +0000 UTC View PostIt took Liane a little over an hour before she reached her twenty-second kill, going by the notifications I saw, and with it.
Notifications:
You have earned 100 bonus experience for a buff used in combat
You have earned 100 bonus experience for a buff used ...
2025-08-09 14:26:52 +0000 UTC View PostAs everyone dug into the food, I grabbed a small bowl for myself and sat off to the side, letting the events of the day settle in. I was exhausted—physically and mentally.
In the span of a week, my entire life had been flipped upside down. Again. Somehow, I was now an adventurer, with an actual experienced party. I still didn’t know ho...
2025-08-09 14:24:02 +0000 UTC View PostMilo was right after all—the group from Greenstone didn’t follow us when we left. About three hours into our journey, the excitement of having my own horse had worn off. Now there was only pain.
Despite Jen and Liane’s warnings not to grip too tightly with my knees, I must have done it anyway because the insides of my legs were alrea...
2025-08-09 14:20:32 +0000 UTC View PostI ended up finding a nice, quiet spot in town—a vacant section of land with a large tree in the middle. Taking a seat against its trunk, I pulled out my new books, starting with The Magical Art of Foraging.
Overall, the book was rather dry; it was essentially a compendium of herbs, plants, fruits, fungi, and vegetables. But what made it ...
2025-08-09 14:18:17 +0000 UTC View PostHeading back out to the main hall, I wondered how they would know if you were a guild member or not. Did I need a card or something?
“Hey Milo, how do they know you’re a guild member?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
“Ah, it’s simple,” Milo replied. “Those screens you see people carrying are part of a netwo...
2025-08-09 14:17:10 +0000 UTC View PostAs we approached the town, the first thing that caught my eye was the heavy presence of guards at the entry. There were eight of them in total, each looking well-armed and alert—quite a contrast to Dunhearth, which never had more than two posted.
When we reached the gatehouse, I saw Hari step forward to speak with one of the guards.
<... 2025-08-09 14:12:51 +0000 UTC View PostThe next couple of days passed without incident. There were no more sightings of the Shadow Cat, and we didn’t encounter any other incredibly dangerous threats—not that we weren’t attacked at all. On the second day after the Treant battle, a pack of Skywolves struck at dusk, but they were no match for the adventurers, who were especially e...
2025-08-09 14:05:23 +0000 UTC View PostAs we travelled down the road, now surrounded by thick trees on both sides, I couldn’t help but reflect on last night. Why had the Shadow Cat stolen food? And why was everyone looking at me like it was my fault?
I was startled out of my thoughts when I looked up and saw Liane sitting there, watching me with an almost bored expression. 2025-08-09 14:03:47 +0000 UTC View Post
We had travelled much later into the night than usual; the group was still very much on edge.
So much so, in fact, that when we finally stopped, Milo created a structure far larger than normal—big enough to house not only our usual group but also the traders who had been following us from Greenstone. None of us wanted to leave them outsi...
2025-08-09 14:00:43 +0000 UTC View PostWhen I woke up the next morning, I was shocked by the notifications waiting for me. As it turned out, Liane really had gone hunting last night.
and she had killed a lot!
In total, I had gained 2,800 experience, along with 28 notifications of buffs being used in combat.
Notifications:
The roads out of town were quiet, passing through farmland and sparsely forested areas. I noticed that two more wagons had joined us on the way out.
“Hey Milo?” I asked, getting his attention. “Is it normal for more wagons to follow the group?”
“Yeah, it’s pretty common. I’d say by the time we reach Boltron, we’ll be ...
2025-08-09 13:49:45 +0000 UTC View PostAs I rushed back to the inn, I realised I probably should have asked the owner before committing myself to this task.
The inn was nearly empty, with just two elderly men sitting near the bar, mugs in front of them.
“Ah, welcome, young master!” called the owner, Carl, from behind the bar.
“Hello, sir! I was hoping to borro...
2025-08-09 13:47:14 +0000 UTC View PostAs we entered the village, there was a buzz of activity. Troy was sitting at the front now next to Cee, waving to people as we travelled down the dirt path. I was told there was an inn here where we’d stay, space permitting. What surprised me the most, however, was Liane suddenly appearing in the wagon, nearly frightening me out of my skin. 2025-08-09 13:45:59 +0000 UTC View Post