Broker

Chapter 377

TAP TAP TAP TAP

A pair of the twisted mutations leaped off the upper walls of the labyrinth, their spear-like arms glimmering in the odd, sourceless light that seemed to bounce off of everything. The first let out a shriek, its maw opening as lamprey teeth flexed in its bloated gums. Wild eyes gleamed before an angular streak of l...

Chapter 376

The platform at the heart of the dungeon shuddered one beneath Cruader’s feet as she stood rigid, her eyes fixed on Otis’ face. The mask was stripped away in favor of the real ‘thing’ hiding beneath the surface. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she pointed her weapon at him. He stood with a confident slouch, his blue eyes lidded with...

Chapter 375

Sonya decided that morning that there was nothing quite like waking up next to someone that she actually wanted to wake up next to more than once. A little self-dig at herself, perhaps, but as she reclined against the pillow in her bedroom and watched the steady rise-and-fall of Carla’s shoulders, she couldn’t help but think it. Lit...

Chapter 374

Sonya leaned against the railing, Minneapolis’ chilly air drifting past her as she tilted her head and looked out towards the city. Her air fluttered around her face, her eyelids drooping a bit as her glowing eyes flicked towards a few multicolored sparkles in the distance. Her lips thinned a bit until a flare of something that looked like a s...

Chapter 373

A marathon.

One damn dungeon after another. They’d made it as far west as Indiana. Each dungeon had been almost insultingly easy, one massacre of monsters and anchor beasts after another. That first night of rest after the first dungeon had been a gentle easing in before the whipcrack of work came. The dungeon in Florida had been only th...

Chapter 372

If there was an award for theatricality, Sonya would have to pass it off to Amos in that moment. He stood there with his arms outstretched surrounded by six of the most powerful controlled sources of energy on the planet, under a high output light, in a hidden base deep within the marianas trench. She pursed her lips and crossed her arms, squint...

Chapter 371

Sonya’s eyes narrowed. She had anticipated a reaction, perhaps some manner of opinion. But from the sounds of it, Erebus’ perspective on things was one that she sorely lacked. She glanced towards Cass, who had pulled up a chair from the desk in the office and was sitting near the glass, just watching the undersea world beyond in quiet fascin...

Chapter 370

Turns out it only needed minor edits to the end of the Prichard portion. - DP

---

Sonya sipped at her cola, the gentle fizz of the bubbly liquid popping against her nose. She narrowed her eyes and focused on the eerie stillness of the ocean. She tilted her head and her eyes twitched just once as one of them began to feel strange. I...

Chapter 369

How many times did he have to ask? How many times did he have to beg? It felt like a never ending cycle. Who was he kidding? He was distracting himself at this point. Trying to get his mind off of it all. The anger was getting worse every single day. Little slips, eye-rolls, a jaw so tight it felt like it was going to crack. Every single day fel...

U_U - b

I want to apolgoze to everyone waiting patiently for chapters. I am doing my best right now. I apologize, and I am working hard to get things rolling. I will have a chapters out this afternoon. I am fine, I am healthy, I am just having some very interfere-with-my-time-ey days.

-DP

Chapter 368

For a moment, after Set dropped his little truth bomb, Sonya could only stare at Set with shock. Then her brows furrowed, and she tilted her head away, side-eyeing him with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. “Okay, is this a gotcha over the whole buying my friend's soul thing?” She asked incredulously as she took a step to stand next to E...

Chapter 367

The path towards the beach house was a bit nostalgic. She hadn’t been back here in a little while and seeing the tree where she’d stood to talk to John, the stone path where she’d walked with the aspirants towards the beach, the spot on the side of the building where her security system had detected Lillian and her friends trying to break ...

Chapter 366

The liquid metal bindings pinched into Saleh’s skin. The stink of wet dirt against his nose made him pull his head back instinctively only for the hand against the back of his head to slam it back into the ground. He tilted just enough, just enough to look into that man’s eyes. Glowing, blue, and cold as a glacier, they didn’t just send a ...

Chapter 365

“I would like to be the first to say, this is asinine,” Erina protested from within the changing room. The atmosphere of the Lucci store had shifted to even more relaxed as the crowd of onlookers hesitantly standing around the entrance turned into a pleasant little wall to block out the outside world. The employees had pulled back to nervous...

Chapter 364

Ethereal light rippled from the edge of the Norfolk Virginia common-tier dungeon portal. Wisps of light that tumbled across the ground like serpents. The portal was contained, like all others under the control of the Pandora Committee. A concrete prison designed to protect against more humbly tiered light-touched. Against a real threat, though, ...

Side Story: Heralds 2

One-Shot rolled to the side, scrambling along the stonework walkway along the outer walls of the monastery. He reached up and pulled his hood down as he clutched at his rifle. A tingle of awareness washed over him and he dipped his head low, another bolt of yellow light shot over his head and he slid to a stop, whipping his weapon around to aim ...

Chapter 363

The reporter stood with a microphone in her hand. The wind whipped around her once and she held a hand up to shield her eyes as she turned slowly to follow the movement over her. The camera panned up to follow her field of view. A Pandora Committee aircraft was descending from the air nearby. The backdrop was the city of Cairo. The light tan of ...

Update 363, 364

363 is done being written. It's being edited soon. Apologies. I've got some side stories coming out after it. Hopin' that makes up for yesterday. Got 364 planned out as well. Doing my best to hammer away. - DP

Chapter 362

Clack Clack Clack Clack

Her heels clipped against the marble floor. The lights above shimmered against her armor. She strode past the two hosts who bowed quickly, their shoulders shaking. She raised a hand in dismissal and an amethyst haze fell over their eyes. They stood up straight, blinking slowly as the last hour drifted from ...

Chapter 361

Saleh couldn’t move. His posture crammed into a single position by the vines. All he could do was sit there on his knees and watch as the heroes brought his father down like a boss monster. Brought down like a beast. Not a man. There was no pride in this end. No glory. No songs to sing and no battle to celebrate. His eyes fluttered shut only f...

Chapter 360

Note from DP: Orz ... nuff said. Yesterday was not fun. More coming. Got a side story in the works to cap this off.

----

The shockwave hit first. Then, the literal wall of platinum scales collided with his body. The follow-up shockwave sent what could only be described as a warning signal through his entire being, his body twitching ...

Chapter 359

Rewinding the clock a bit…

Everything was pain. Every movement was an effort. Every staggering step dragging him closer to the room. He leaned against the wall, a smear of blood following him as he clutched the severed limb in his hand. His abilities might allow him to redirect damage, but he had no method for fixing it once it was done...

Chapter 358

The city of Cairo shuddered again as Erebus took another thundering step. His roar shook the earth and sent more debris falling from above as the ruins of the ballroom-wing of his palace caved in further. Ishtar took another deep breath and floated up into the air, her eyes fixed on the distant titan. She’d tried to hold him off when he’d fi...

Chapter 357 - Revised

Note from Derelict Presence: Thank you guys so much for all the feedback on the previous version of 357. Writing Riot can be a bit of a challenge and I want to make sure I get it just right while still keeping the story going in the direction I want it to go. I've overhauled the chapter and taken your feedback into account. These kinds of edits ...

Chapter 356

A note from DerelictPresence: I completely overhauled several portions of this chapter after some excellent feedback. I hope you enjoy the updates! The majority of the edits are in the Riot portion and the ending of the chapter, though there are improvements sprinkled elsewhere. <3
----
The Soul. An inviolable core surrounded by layers...

Chapter 355

A few moments earlier…

And this is the problem with going to a party where everyone wears masks… Sonya thought irritably as she drifted alongside Erebus. She kept her arms crossed behind her back, her back straight and her chin high while she moved, her eyes scanning her surroundings. Every face but a select few was obscured....

Chapter 354

Three masks lay on the table in the suite, next to them were three cards, invitations. Sonya crossed her arms and squinted at the pile. Her lips curled up into an amused smile as she glanced towards Marta who stood with her hands at her waist her own smile barely containing mirth. Charon was leaning on his cane, his stitched face twisted into a ...

Chapter 353

With some exquisite presents in hand for the lovely ladies in her life. Ishtar followed Erebus on a brief tour of the rest of his collection. She had to admit, while she was drifting through the vault, that she was kind of short on treasures to show off. After all, what kind of villain didn’t have a gallery of ill-gotten gains to flaunt in fro...