That Which Devours:
Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 25/58
Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done
Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done
Book Four: Rough Draft - 20/60
Life sometimes hits you with a hammer.
Family events killed my editing da...
2025-06-15 16:50:39 +0000 UTC View Post“Where did the crystal go? The one from your collar?” I asked, feeling my pockets. All I had was the marble crystal in one, along with the knowledge crystal. The fountain crystal from my belt was gone, and I couldn’t sense it anywhere.
Something buzzed from Kabi, and he tossed something over the fire.
I caught it in my h...
2025-06-13 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostBuzzing filled my ears as a strange flavor filled my mouth. I swallowed again and again, taking as much as I could. Then the buzzing increased.
“Wake, Alex….” Noseens voice sounded far away. “Please wake, squishy one…”
I tried to speak, but it didn’t work. Instead, I drifted back into darkness and pain. So much p...
2025-06-11 14:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostEverything felt heavy, like I lay in water unable to raise myself above the surface. My last memories were impossible. A forger, a monster from all my people's stories, marching out of the rift. Somehow, a myth appeared, brought to terrible life.
My arrows did nothing even as they hit.
Dengu’s body on the ground.
That Which Devours:
Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 25/58
Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done
Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done
Book Four: Rough Draft - 14/60
The words are flowing.
I feel like a debuff has been listed and I’m bac...
2025-06-08 17:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post“The tunnel to the Sanctuary?” I asked, trying to sound enthusiastic. “It’s good, it helped me level my territory.”
“Tunnel?” He shook back and forth for a moment, but then continued buzzing happily. “No, the rift. We can connect our worlds with a teleportation gate. My people are working on our side of it now.” 2025-06-06 14:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
I froze, my mind searching for everything I’d learned about rifts while in the Hidden Crystal Dungeon. Tears in reality led somewhere else, to different worlds. And here was one that the beetles were coming from.
What would claiming it do? More importantly, what would leaving it unclaimed do?
I wished I could ask Noseen abou...
2025-06-04 14:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post[Congratulations!, Alex the First, is the first human to reach level 50. Your race is now fully adopted into the System. Grow, prosper, and journey to greatness.]
The notification made me pause, my fingers poised above the tablet and the frustrating data.
“Alex,” I whispered to myself, wondering about the notification. Pot...
2025-06-02 14:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostThat Which Devours:
Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 25/58
Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done
Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done
Book Four: Rough Draft - 6/60
Book 3 first draft is complete, and all the chapters are up and scheduled. It fe...
2025-06-01 16:45:47 +0000 UTC View PostThe two items appeared in my hands. The tooth of the devourer, and the black cloak that I had been wearing.
My fingers tingled as suddenly my stomach growled. Light covered both of the items as they slowly sunk into my skin. Pitch black shadows from the cloak, and a deep red from the tooth, flowed up my arms.
Then the pain hit, and I...
2025-05-30 14:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostA blast of energy drained from me, but the shadow didn’t move. It trembled ever so slightly, then the tugging stopped. I yanked my spear out of its tails and it took off, stumbling over its own feet. It knocked itself toward the water, and two of its feet touched the edges.
They dissolved like the smooth liquid was acid which trav...
2025-05-28 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe bushes rustled and I froze, aiming the rifle in my hands at the bush. The gun on my shoulder also pivoted in that direction.
I needed to figure out a display for my targeting system, and then find a way to coordinate with John.
The bushes rustled again, and I used Insight instantly.
[Armored Lugger, Level 30.]<...
2025-05-26 14:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostThat Which Devours:
Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 25/58
Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done
Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - 58/58
Book Four: Rough Draft - 6/60
Book 4 is moving right along, I make it to an important movement in the book an...
2025-05-25 15:36:13 +0000 UTC View PostEverything inside me screamed to run, but I didn’t move an inch. I gritted my teeth and my fingers tightened around my spear as I trembled. My body lurched forward three inches, but I yanked myself back.
[You have earned a stat in Fortitude for resisting the Fearful Aura.]
My heart pounded as I struggled to take a deep breat...
2025-05-23 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post[You have leveled your class.]
Gopher hair, blood, and guts covered me, but in front of me were seven small hearts that fit in the palm of my hand. I decided to rapidly eat them one after another, to see if it changed what I received. The single level I’d gotten from the fighting so far seemed disappointingly low.
[You have ...
2025-05-21 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostJohn and Benny worked together to take out the bats flying through the cavern. Both Denver and I hung back so the boys could gain more experience. Neither of them was big into fighting, though John at least used his class with the shuttle now. Benny preferred growing food to using his fighter class, though at least it had changed to rifle...
2025-05-19 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostThat Which Devours:
Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 25/58
Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done
Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - 58/58
Book Four: Rough draft - 4/60
I made gains this week.
Plotting of book 4 is as close as I’m going to ...
2025-05-18 19:28:52 +0000 UTC View Post“Are you okay?” I asked, reaching across the table with my hand, trying to figure out why she was crying and whatever I did to make her feel that way.
“You forced the crystals to combine even when they didn’t want to.” She blinked away more tears, and she wiped her face with a hand, her cheeks tinting red.
I pulled b...
2025-05-16 14:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostI set the crystals down for the moment, wondering how to fix this. It didn’t seem to want to work, and the fire crystal had burned part of my finger. The skin stung. It didn’t really hurt, just highlighted that they didn’t want to work together. It healed quickly, since it wasn’t bad, but I decided to let them all cool down for th...
2025-05-14 14:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post“I need to heal some of that, unless we’re following the mining settlement’s rules…” Sang said, glancing at Len.
Len frowned, staring at Jennifer. “When someone snaps and attacks another, we let them go free into the deep. The tunnel eventually reached the jungle floor. We left it up to fate.”
My father hadn’t ...
2025-05-12 14:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostThat Which Devours:
Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 15/58
Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done
Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - 45/58
I am that much closer to finishing up book 3. I got a bunch of chapters for the first draft down, along with progre...
2025-05-11 17:29:29 +0000 UTC View Post“We’ll figure it out,” I said, turning to head in to the fire. Everything on me was wet, and it all needed to dry, but at least the ooze was gone.
His hand wrapped around my wrist, stopping me in my place. “Promise me if you come across her, you won’t take anything at face value.”
I stared at him, then nodded.
<... 2025-05-09 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostScreaming. It screamed so loud!
I removed another two tentacles that lashed out at me as it tried to retreat further down into the cracked rock. My feet landed on its side, close to one of its eyes. I stabbed down as tentacles flayed in the small space.
The eye popped as it screamed louder, suddenly jerking down.
I...
2025-05-07 14:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostThe tunnel opened up to a cavern with a giant hole in the ceiling. Bright sunlight filtered in from it, and the cavern was filled with bushes, trees, and the sound of water. I stretched my senses out and found a few creatures within my reach, but not many.
…And the group of them just dove into the jungle, without even pausing ...
2025-05-05 14:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostThat Which Devours:
Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 15/58
Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done
Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - 31/58
Five more chapters' revisions are done for book 1. I hit the are...
2025-05-04 17:13:44 +0000 UTC View Post“Friendly incoming, do not freak out,” I growled, realizing who the beast was. I motioned for Matt to take the ends of the stretcher, which he did.
“What now?” asked David, but I ignored him.
“Dad, you’ll get to meet Grizzle,” I said, putting myself between the group and the approaching predator.
...
2025-05-02 14:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostNothing moved on my radar, and I couldn’t see any movement either. All of us remained on guard as I checked the area out. A large branch lay on the ground, which had clearly fallen from the tree above.
The muddy ground farther east caught my attention, and I stepped that way, trying to figure out what had happened. Jennifer sa...
2025-04-30 14:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostThe conversation had settled by the time I made my way back to the campfire. Several people had already relocated inside the cavern to sleep, including Jennifer. I nodded at Hawk and headed inside myself to get some rest.
I woke up earlier than I wanted, but my body didn’t need any more shut-eye. Instead, I headed outside to watch...
2025-04-28 14:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostThat Which Devours:
Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 10/58
Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done
Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - 31/58
Well, putting book 1 edits on the back burner has finally bitten...
2025-04-27 16:31:11 +0000 UTC View Post“Someone needs to explain what’s going on,” I demanded, trying to sound in control of myself. At least my voice didn’t tremble.
Abby’s arm was like a vice around my back as she led me away from the fire, where Jennifer sat with the others. Benny followed us as well. She directed me toward the fence that led to the lake. 2025-04-25 14:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post