《Raccoon's Treasure》7. To be succeeding
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Dave felt compelled to walk towards the painting depicting dancing musical notes. They slowly moved in a pulsing rhythm as they played an imaginary tone soothing his very soul. His eyes flickered over the rest of the painting, where he was surprised to find the musical notes wrapping around a dagger dripping blood.
A seething, scalding feeling erupted deep inside of him, persuading sweetly, failing to cover the thunderous sound of his beating heart. This was it, this was survival and much more.
'What could go wrong?' He thought loudly to cover his insecurities.
Dave absolutely knew there were things which could go wrong. He had to stop thinking in those directions multiple times as his thoughts drifted to darker outcomes like demonic possession.
He knew he wasn't omniscient, he didn't have enough information about the situation to deduct the full extent of what could go wrong. So he forced himself to think about the situation as a whole.
'The wall of brushes trying to block the way to the building, the story about six brave fighters and a broken painting of the seed? Everything I've seen before points towards someone having been here before.
They saw what I saw, only a different painting chose them.
The painting urges me to touch it. My survival trait is compelling me to stop dallying and touch the painting too.
The person before me chose their painting but what does that mean?
Did they win? If they won the survival game why does it still exist? Are they still alive? Did they really win?
...
Game status.'
Active game found. Name
Edmund's jollification. Participants(7/6) Rules
Stay inside the fenced area.
Penalty: Title +1 Main objective
Survive till dawn.
Rank +1 Side objective
Collect the hints and solve the mystery.
item +1 rank +1 trait +1
Beat the hunter
rank +1 Break the throne
item +1 Personal objective
Pick your path
Make sure as many competitors as possible survive
rank +1/2 for each survivor
title - Every little bit helps. Hunt down as many competitors as possible
rank +1 for each person killed
title - You had eyes, but didn't see Mount Tai.
'The main objective is survival, that means the successor of the plant guy could still be running around somewhere. I remember there were hidden objectives in the last game..how do I get the maximum reward.. just beating Edmund wouldn't cut it.. Wait, beat the hunter? Why would it say beat the hunter and not beat Edmund in his game? Sev..-'
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A cold droplet of water fell on his neck and shocked him out of his reveries. Dave quickly touched his neck while looking around the room. There was nobody but him and his hand was completely dry.
'This survivor trait is really saving my ass.'
Chuckling slightly, Dave put on a steadfast mien and walked towards the glowing picture.
The surroundings faded out as he softly stepped forward. A beautiful song, mesmerizing to the ear, gently lulled him into a feeling of safety as his hand reached towards the parchment.
His breath hitched as a sharp burst of pain rattled his mind.
Unable to move his arm away he was forced to watch in resignation, as his blood drained from his hand. Was this how it would end? With his body left behind as a dried husk, feeding a painting with his blood?
The musical notes danced excitedly as the painting bloomed red. A glimmer of hope reignited in Dave as the outer edges of the painting started to dissolve into motes of light. He watched the process with morbid curiosity as the flecks of light crawled up his arm and suffused into him. His expression turned into a grimace as pressure continued to build inside of him, bloating him, making him feel ready to burst at his seams. With a silent whimper he absorbed the last flakes of light.
🎊Congratulations!🎊
You found a hidden piece!
Legacy class accepted: Jester
Dave let out a sigh of relief. A gamble with his life on the line would always be nerve-wracking, especially with only a few simple clues and lacking information.
He closed his eyes and concentrated on his body, the awful feeling of almost exploding had left him the moment the status screen popped up. Taking a few gentle steps while rolling his shoulders, Dave realized he didn't feel any different from before he touched the painting.
Opening his eyes again, he stared at a hole in the wall where the painting hung before.
Inside of it lay a lute with an intricate piece of paper on top of it. Having just survived a gamble with his life on the line, Dave hesitated. He could just turn around and leave. Nothing would stop his retreat. Looking towards the exit a soft light caught Dave's attention, moving his graze back to the objects. 'Nothing will stop me from leaving but my will to survive..'
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His features twisted into an ugly smile as he gathered his resolve once more to grab the paper.
Upon contact Dave felt distinct markings on the paper. His confusion grew as his eyes wandered over the chaotic mess of musical notes strewn around all directions. Comparing the arrangement to the ones printed on sheets of music paper made no sense to him. His fingers traced the depressions in the form of musical notes on the paper as he was lost in thought.
An odd memory surfaced in Dave's mind as his fingers moved intuitively.
In his memory he looked up at an indistinct figure who gesticulated energetically while talking. "Music is feeling, Dave. It's not just aesthetics or acoustics. You have to feel it with your very being."
He slowly rearranged the mess of musical notation as his hand roamed over paper, creating and listening to a song inside his mind.
Song: Finale has been found, compatible with class Jester. Learn?
Yes No
He didn't hesitate to press yes. Images of the final battle scene and other battles flooded his mind, of jesters giving different performances and ending it all with a finale. At the same time other memories passed by his inner eye, times after the finale where past users were utterly exhausted, sometimes even unable to move.
Blinking once, then twice, Dave understood.
A finale in a song needed to be a masterful finish.
'So no matter the performance as a whole, if the finale is bad people will only remember the bad end? But a performance.. Was the battle a performance too? The jester in the painting delivered an amazing finale to barely tip the scales of the battle and draw out a pyrrhic victory..'
While in thought, Dave subconsciously took the lute and gently plucked it's strings. He pressed down the strings on the neck's fingerboard and gently strummed a melody. His musings shifted to the instrument he was holding. He was surprised how intuitive it felt to hold the lute.
It felt like remembering a long forgotten memory, as if it had always been a part of him and only now after they reunited, did he remember how much he had missed it.
He continued strumming chords as the dirt and leaves sticking to him got blown away. Finishing his impromptu song he found himself invigorated and clean, with his body being in prime condition ready to run a marathon. His head felt clear and he felt himself grow more determined. He felt absolutely in tune with his body, feeling as if music in the form of electricity gently strummed his muscle cords.
'I became.. buff.. heh. I'm able to myself and probably others with music. Why do I only get a vague feeling? It doesn't feel like there is any clear buff being given, instead it's a way of conveying my.. feelings and intentions?'
Hoisting his new lute he looked around the room for the first time since accepting the legacy. All paintings dimmed down, as if trying to be inconspicuous, with the biggest painting showing the scene of a victorious jester bowing to the audience.
Dave gave a bow to the jester and turned around. He had gotten enough hints and even an upgrade, he was determined to thrive instead of only surviving.
As he walked out through the same corridor, the murals on the left wall drew him in the same way the other side did when he came in. Gazing over the other wall he saw the mural and it's drawings moving in a chaotic way, making it indecipherable.
Focusing his attention to the left wall, Dave watched another tale unfold. A short and simple tale where the despair was kept at bay and the different races came together to rise to prominence. Reaching the door to the outside, Dave looked over both murals once more, watching them morph into a grotesque shadow sitting on a throne. A maniacal grin split the beings face into inhuman proportions while it raked one of its claws towards 6 indistinct figures and hugged a seventh one with the other.
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Tur Briste
A Druid cultivation novel. Borrows concepts from Wuxia and Xianxia but using Druid myth and lore. More on this at the bottom. Crow is son of Maddox, a Druid with an ancient bloodline and a people with a story spanning toward the beginning of time. Cursed, unfated, and a heap of bad luck have brought him only pain and suffering, but nothing will stop him. Nothing can stop him. A son of Maddox doesn’t bow his head. A son of Maddox understands that only a man with roots, with something to lose, will fight until the last drop of blood leaves his body. The Draoidh were once a proud people. They were both respected and hated for their form of righteousness. Power wasn’t something they gained through the might of their arms, but through intelligence. Their fall was all the more disheartening for the weaker cultivators. The tens of thousands of years that followed… chaos reigned. They forced Draoidh until most fled to the lower realms, nearly wiped out and exhausted. They went into hiding and became known as the Druids of the Oak. The Druid Order wasn’t the powerhouse it had been, and only nine of the major clans survived the calamity. Their bloodline weakened, as well as their prestige. Even the remaining clans fought amongst each other. Already on the decline and near extinguished, the Maddox clan can only struggle for survival, but their foundation wasn’t a joke. Weakened, but not weak. The other clans will understand this difference soon enough. Tur Briste, the Shattered Tower, awaits Crow’s ascension. Reaching the upper realms is only the first step in reestablishing the Draoidh. The Druids of the Oak remembered every betrayal and grievance, and they’ll return to power and reclaim what once belonged to them. The upper realms may have forgotten, but the Druid Order has not. Please Note:1) This is harem story. There are only a few chapters with sex, and it’s not a focus of the story. I’ll only add graphic sex if I feel the story needs it, so not gratuitously. Either way, Crow has several women. This is in line with Druid/Celtic history, and harems/reverse harems were an accepted part of their culture. Further, they had open marriages, meaning the man or woman could end their marriage at any time. While it was still a patriarchy, women had almost equal power. They were a very progressive culture. 2) There is a period of a 30-50 chapters where Crow loses the ability to cultivate like a Druid so he adopts an eastern body cultivation method for a while. This is temporary, but some people feel it’s misleading, so I am pointing it out ahead of time. I promise, the Druid stuff comes back, and 90% of the lore/myths/creatures/gods are all related to Druid/Celt/Irish/Scottish history. 3) I use many original names, most of which are in Gaelic or Irish. In the story, I refer to this language as Ancient. I enjoy all kinds of folklore and myths, so I encourage you to google those original names as they arrive. I give some background on them at the end of the chapter in my author’s note. 4) I use Ogham runes a lot, these are like the Druid alphabet, and they based each rune on a sacred tree so they also have symbolism associated with them. Again, feel free to google that too. It’s pretty neat stuff. Quick Translations:Draoidh = DruidTur Briste = Shattered Tower or Broken Tower Release Schedule:As of Oct 1, 2021- 3 chapters released every Sunday (May have up to two bonus chapters)- Side character chapters… this might be bonus chapters I release through the week. So they won’t count toward the 3 chapters on Sunday.- Please understand I work full time, have two kids, and can’t spare as much time as I’d like toward my writing. Maybe in the future I can switch to doing this full time, but for now 3 chapters is a comfortable pace for me. Lastly… I very much appreciate all my readers and thank you for allowing me to entertain you!
8 127Flipping the Galaxy
What do you do when a random omnipotent being offers you the chance of a new life in another universe with free perks to boot? You accept it of course! Follow the journey of our protagonist as he gets reincarnated in the Star Wars universe with a couple of perks to help him along the way. (Halo elements present in the story)
8 200The Outliers
This is a tale of gang warfare in a world of fantasy. The city of Vim: a cesspool of crime, poverty, and death is home to over 100 gangs all vying for control of the metropolis. Once such gang are the Outliers, an up and coming group of teenage boys seeking to reach the top. One day they are invited to a gang rally, where they are framed for the assasination of a prominent gang leader. Now they must fight their way through the ghettos of Vim to get back home alive.
8 104Bangtan's Bodyguard || BTS
'We want you to be our bodyguard,'Will contain: Violence, Swearing, Sexual ThemesHighest Rankings:#1 Yoongi #2 BTS#2 Jungkook#7 BTSxReader# 107 Fanfiction#224 Kpop#29 Jhope#35 Jin#154 Namjoon#100 Jimin#142 Taehyung
8 192Retrograde Motion [SCP X Reader]
Life seemed to enjoy screwing you over. You thought getting dropped in another dimension was absurd at this point. You couldn't even die properly! [SCP X Reader](From my Quotev account: I'm Not Here I Swear [NekoInu])(Formerly titled "Anomalous")
8 183The Hunt
Cecily's blade swung, hitting its mark as always. The man's arm fell to the cold grass of the prison with a familiar thud. He let out a blood curdling scream. A warning to the rest. Stay away, the Hunter is here. That's the name they'd given her, the Hunter. After she cut off the man who tried to rape hers masculinity, they stayed away. She'd made it clear anyone who tried to touch her would be hunted and slaughtered. Cecily kneeled down, pushing the man's face into the dirt so she could use his back as a seat while she trifled through his belongings. "You're hurting my ears," she told him, no remorse in her voice. "Quiet down before I really do kill you."The man but his lip, well aware that she wasn't lying. Sobs shook him, making for an uncomfortable seat. She, however, didn't particularly feel the beed to kill him. It happened, not often, but it did. "Oh, hush up," she hissed, taking out a bag of rations with her metal hand, "it doesn't hurt that bad."With her good, human hand, she dropped the plastic bag of food into her own bag. She pushed up, off the man back. As she was about to walk away, bag slung over her shoulder, brushing against her autumn colored braid, she turned back to him. "Consider yourself lucky," she said, no hatred in her voice, there never was. "Consider yourself lucky that you didn't do anything stupid. And even luckier if one of the scum bagged criminals in here feel a little light in their hearts and help you. Consider yourself luckier if you die there."With that, her old black and white Nike sneakers carried her off into the brush of the huge prison.
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