perizou

Chapter 165 - Turtles

Arriving at the turtles' territory, the group started looking for clues. It took them about four hours to get there, but they still had some time before getting close to the nests. But there could be tracks or signs of the missing crafters. Hera, Bonnie, and Alex took charge to look for anything that could help them find their target. With the various ponds spread around the area, it made finding any tracks harder. Surprisingly, the turtles that were walking around paid no mind to the group. It was peaceful in a way. Walking by those giant c...

Chapter 164 - Camping is Easy

The first day of travel went without much issue. A few packs of stray monsters appeared on the road, and that was it. The group spent most of the time talking, both so the new members would know each other and to take their minds away from Mark. The only minor problem was Bonnie's stamina. The rest of the group could walk and talk for hours, but Bonnie was different. She wasn't used to an extraneous workout, even if she still kept going to the guild's gym. That was the difference in skill ranks.

They stopped a few times during the jour...

Chapter 163 - Where is he?

"Bonnie, what happened?" Hera just connected a call to Bonnie. Blue and Alex were by her side, all three of them showing up on the camera.

"I don't know. Since Mark and I are working in Brinefront, we talk a lot and even go out for drinks now and then. A few days ago, he said he was going to gather materials for a big order his workshop got. It was supposed to be just a four-day job, but it's been over a week. He left just after the rampage. The people who work with him lost contact with his group and set up a search quest, but no one ...

Chapter 162 - Missing one

"How are you feeling?" Hera asked.

"I feel greeeaat," Alex had a goofy smile on her face.

"Damn, they gave you some good stuff," Blue chuckled.

"Only the besh for explores," Alex replied.

"Wow, that is really strong. I wonder if that's a spell. Imagine if I can use it in a monster," Runir said.

"You can check with the healers later. The important part is that she's fine," Hera turned towards Alex, "I'm really sorry for all this."

Alex stared at Hera, frowning and shaking her head. Moving her hand sloppily,...

Chapter 161 - Handbook

Leaving the dungeon wasn't much of an issue. It just took time. Even after all the fighting, Thomas didn't seem tired. Runir still had a few potions, but now he was trying to pace himself. It was better to be ready for any emergencies. Thanks to his [Sight], he could see if her wounds were getting worse. Alex still seemed stable, but that also meant that she wasn't improving, and the accelerated regeneration wasn't taking effect.

When they exited the dungeon, a few people gave just them a nod, while others noticed the bandages and aske...

Early Chapters Rewrite

Hey everyone.

Quick heads up, If you don't wanna read this meandering, go to the 'What does that mean part in the end'

It's been a while that I'm getting some bad reviews, mostly about the early chapters. How they are too boring/too slow/too bland.

At first, I just thought it was the minority of people, and they just didn't enjoy the story/my writing, and that was completely fine.

BUUUUUTTTT

It reached a point where the numbers don't lie. There are way too many people complaining about that for it not to be an a...

Chapter 160 - The Fall

The green rock pillar was about to hit Hera. Her eyes were closed before it broke, and the moment she saw the stone falling towards her, there was a brief moment of shock. That hesitation was enough to take away her chance to dodge the impact.

Hera’s arms were moving up in an effort to at least protect her head from the impact, but even that movement wouldn’t be fast enough. She was about to feel the blow when something pushed into the side of her torso. Hera flew to the side, tumbling on the floor with another body on top of her.<...

Chapter 159 - Tendrils everywhere

Hera was feeling her head pound. At first, the glowing lights made for a fun environment, but as the forest grew denser. The constant bright light started to affect the group. Not just that, but the sprites mirrored the surrounding lights, making it even harder to see them floating.

"Does anyone have an aspirin?" Hera asked.

"Don't have one. But, like we have a healer, you know," Alex replied.

"Yeah... I don't know how to fix a headache. I would need to figure out the cause first and then trigger the healing of the affected...

Chapter 158 - Underground Forest

The three dungeons in the Carpon Caves were all close to the city. The Flood was located thirty minutes to the left when leaving the city by the end of the room. The Secret Tunnel was to the right. It would take about 1 hour to reach the entrance since it required to go through a small tunnel that headed down.

To reach the Underground Forest, which was the group's destination, they had to circle the city's entrance and walk up a path on the side of a large wall. On top of there, a tunnel with moss ground around it would signal the dung...

Chapter 157 - Once more, with feeling

After the weekend off, the group met up with Runir and Thomas once more in the Carpon Caverns. The two were sharing a hotel room for a while until they found a more permanent residence. Before heading out, Blue and Alex wanted to stop by a store to see if they could get something with the rewards they got from the rampage.

Alex wanted to make a cloak with the chameleon skin, while Blue was looking for a wind armor. Since Blue wasn't thrilled with her choice of spells, Helena suggested that she could try wind. It was a more or less comm...

Chapter 156 - Back to the main topic

After the treatment, grandma Triss was feeling much better. The two had a day out in the city, but it was cut short since Triss started to feel tired, and they still had a long trip back to her place. On the next days, Triss kept sending showing off to Hera how she could get down the stairs, go for long walks, and even dance a little. Her grandmother wasn't a sad person, but seeing her with that child-like smile warmed Hera's heart.

The next day Hera was already back at Hazelpond. It didn't feel right to stay in her flat, not when she ...

Chapter 155 - Down Time

With the group agreeing on taking a small break, Hera sent a text to her grandma asking if she would be free during the weekend. Having a positive reply, Hera would go to their hometown to pick up Grandma Triss before taking her to a hospital specialized in healing civilians. Hera managed to set up an appointment beforehand, and thanks to her silver guild card, she was able to get enough of a discount to get an even better healer for her grandmother.

Hera rang Triss's doorbell early in the morning, and her grandmother was ready to go. ...

Chapter 154 - Heavy price

The guild's mood made a complete 180, while before everyone was celebrating the defense, drinking, and preparing a party. Now everyone moved quietly. Some even helped Team C recover their loot. Life in the MAZE was dangerous, and everyone was aware of that. Two people would die in Brinefront every year during their adventures, be it due to an accident or for biting more than they could chew. However, no one could remember when something in the first layer killed twelve people at once, especially when over thirty explorers were fighting it. 2020-12-11 13:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post

Chapter 153 - Crimson Sky

The red glow coming from the clouds became so intense that no other color could be seen. The light was bright enough that it was hard to look at any surface. Instead of facing the monsters head-on, the defenders had to focus on the moving shadows and ascertain their position and nature from there. Everyone was surprised by the glow since it never turned so intense, even during previous rampages. It was like the MAZE itself was warning them of something. Hera could feel her stomach turning, imagining if the light would vanish and the clouds t...

Chapter 152 - Let's try it again

With the three teams responsible for the defense of point H fighting together, more people could rest at a time, and they needed less time to feel rested. The clouds turning redder was a sign that the rampage was coming to an end. Now, the glow painted over the entire room, making it harder to distinguish the scenario. They turned the floodlights on, and it helped to see the monsters moving. But with time, the intense light started to make the area hotter, and the number of people walking around didn't help.

No one knew precisely how l...

Chapter 151 - Things just keep coming

Despite the easy fight, after facing the Wendigo, the entire group was on edge. They all had heard the stories about the monsters would grow stronger with time, and if it encountered a prey that it couldn't kill, it would start bearing a grudge.

Hera had to forget the idea of controlling her chakram for a while. This was no time for testing things out. She got distracted for a moment with that when a giant newt jumped at her, trying to bite her arm. With no time to dodge, Hera tightened the grasp on her handaxe and braced for the impac...

Chapter 150 - Rampage quest

Hera could feel her sweat dripping from her face. If what they fought during the previous days were waves, this time it was a tsunami that was always crashing. Hera barely had time to kill a monster before having to switch to the next one. Blue and Kenny were dealing with three creatures at a time, while Cass, Bolton, and Tisha would kill them from the wooden wall. The damage dealers were doing their best to finish the beasts off in as few strikes as possible.

They were fighting for over one hour. Their team was defending on their own ...

Chapter 149 - The last day

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Rampage Quest
Wendigo's Assault - Hazelpond

Three Wendigos are mixed with the monsters that are attacking the city. If left unchecked, the monsters can become strong enough to destroy the entire town. Kill them to ensure the success of the Rampage's defense.
The amount of damage you inflict on the wendigos will determine your reward.

Rewards
????????
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hera kept staring at the notification. Why had the wendigos appeared? Was that going to be a regular occurrence now? 2020-12-02 13:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post

Chapter 148 - Unfair

"Hera, are you ok?" Helena asked.

"What?" Hera snapped out of her daze.

"Are you ok, sweetie?"

"I... I think so," she replied, still staring at the screen. How was that fair? She spent years trying to become an explorer, studying, making money, participating in contests, and now, everyone would be able to join?

Hera could feel her heart beating faster and a buzzing noise in her ear. Wasn't the raffle an apology from the system? That was the only little thing that made her special, and now everyone would be just like h...

Chapter 147- Changes

Romeo Ballester walked up to the podium. He had short red hair with a big receding line, a long braided beard under a large plump nose. His big green doe-eyes seemed to sparkle with the lights of the camera.

"Hello everyone, I'm Romeo Ballester. First of all. I want to thank Leliana Mihafrey for her years of service as the leader of the guild. She has done commendable work during all the time acting as chairperson. Even when facing an unimaginable situation, she not only rose to the occasion but even surpassed all of our expectations. ...

Chapter 146 - New Concept

During the first wave of the third day, Hera already felt the difference in the monsters' strength. According to the previous team, the creatures seemed to be in their normal state. Yet, they still were weaker than what Hera was expecting. She didn't fight the frogs since she was level 3 and her skills and gear are stronger now. That led to a misconception from Hera. She expected to have the same trouble as she did at the start of her journey. In reality, her experience and abilities are showing her worth. What once was a serious threat now ...

Chapter 145 - Day 2

My children, who were playing around,
We told them not to make a sound
the streets were covered in red dye
That’s what we told them

Beneath our bodies rumbled the ground
as we looked up to the black sky
Our movements stopped when we saw the hound
in silence, I pray
Why didn’t we ran away?

Excerpt from Victims of the Black Cloud (adapted) - 1236
_______________________________________

Hera spent a few hours with Helena in the lab, learning how to pull specific parts of her mana to a spell. She had...

Chapter 144 - Research Results

Hera and her team arrived in the guild. The first thing she wanted to do was take a shower. Sadly, she wasn't the only one. The shower lines were so long that the guild had to set up a number queue system. Hera's number was 45, and there were only 10 showers, so it would take some time before she was able to properly clean herself. Having to wait, Hera went back to Cass to make sure there weren't any issues with the team. The mage was talking to a group of people. When she noticed Hera approaching, Cass waved at Hera.

"Hey, is everythi...

Chapter 143 - First Shift

"Blue, toss that one to me," Kenny shouted.

Blue grabbed the chameleon by the tail and spun it around before throwing it towards the vanguard. Kenny used his sword like a bat and split the creature clean in half. While that happened, Hera was focusing on her spells. The monster rampage felt like an excellent way to increase her mastery. She joined the vanguard to hit the poison needle as soon as possible.

It took her a few attempts before she found the sweet spot that would kill a monster before it reached the rest of the vanguar...

Chapter 142 - Monster waves

Hera slashed at a frog, cutting its back wide open.  She saw Alex moving to the side, kicking the creature's leg, and stabbing her new dagger in its head. With a swift motion, the duo went after their next target. Kenny slammed the side of his broadsword in an incoming pangolin, sending the creature flying to the side and hitting the water of the ocean. Blue spun an applicator a few times and tossed it in the spike traps. A lightning bolt crossed the battlefield, parting the wave of monsters in two.

"Do not falter. The beast are m...

Chapter 141 - Monster Rampage

Hera's group rushed towards the doorway. A couple of people from the Guild talked with the people who wanted to go back, while others seemed to be setting up camps by the portal. One man stepped above a rock wearing the Guild uniform. As he started speaking, his voice echoed as if it was going through a megaphone.

"Everyone, listen, Brinefront is in the middle of a monster rampage. Anyone who goes there won't be able to leave until it ends. We can't tell how long that will last. It can be half a day or a couple of weeks. Anyone willing...

Chapter 140 - Fight like a Knight

"Blue, watch out!" Alex yelled.

The mole was clawing towards the controller. Alex, who was on the back, was the first one that noticed the movement. The creature didn't even change its position. It merely raised its arm and slashed. Blue managed to duck at the last moment, almost falling backward. The attack made a large gash on the ground, showing the strength of the creature.

"Careful with the claw. Taking the beast head-on is the most dangerous of tasks," Thomas was watching the group fight. He wanted them to show their abilit...

Chapter 139 - Carpon Caverns

"This is sooo annoying. Why is the line so long?" Blue kept complaining while they were waiting to go to the next room.

Hera and her friends had decided to go to the Carpon Caverns early the next day. Sadly, due to the high influx of miners, they were already waiting in line to cross over for 15 minutes. Blue wasn't the only one who was restless. Alex, Hera, and even Runir were trying to distract themselves somehow.

"Blue, we are all bored here. You complaining only will make it worse for other people," Alex said, raising her eye...

Chapter 138 - New Armor

Hera's time inside the ATR was mostly to stall for when her new armor would arrive. At first, she considered it just a necessary purchase, but now that it was the only thing stopping her from hunting. The last hour of training seemed to drag for hours. Hera had yet to receive the message from the guild, letting her know that her order had arrived. The distraction made her movements more sloppy, and the control of her mana was all over the place. With 15 minutes still remaining for her time in the ATR, a message came on her tablet.

She ...

Chapter 137 - A gift

The doorbell rang as Hera was in the middle of doing the dishes.

"I'll be right there!" she shouted before washing away the soap on her hands. Heading to the door, Hera heard some noises coming from the basement. The first time that happened, she rushed downstairs, but now, Hera was used to the noises Helena made while working. She arrived at the door and opened to see who the visitor was.

"Hey, Hera. Glad to see you walking in a straight line again," Mark smiled.

"Hi, Mark. It's nice being able to understand you again. How...