《Player Killer》One of Them and One of Us
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The woman in front of him was the same species as the bastard who killed his parents.
Naturally, Wilbert knew that they were different people, but that did not make it any easier when the memories of someone who looked like this woman standing over his parent's warm corpses surfaced in his mind.
Although he wanted to accept the staff and just move along, he simply could not move. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth to stop himself from saying something that he might later regret.
After a minute of silence, and despite Bairn's urging, Wilbert did not move. The cyrmex noticed the twisted expression on the boy's face.
"Wilbert, is it? Is there something the matter?"
"I…" After beginning to speak, Wilbert clamped his mouth shut. Honestly, he just did not know what he would say and did not want to get into trouble with this high ranking officials.
Noticing his reaction, the female cyrmex smiled. "Feel free to say what you want to say. We won't hold it against you."
Abel and Bairn quickly agreed with her, so Wilbert slowly replied in a dark, rage-filled tone, "One of your people killed my family, my entire village."
"I see." The woman did not seem offended by what he said. "Judging from your reaction, that should've happened fairly recently. I will not apologise on behalf of someone I've never met or for something I have not done, but as one of the soldiers who should have protected you, I, Geada, do apologise."
After saying that, Geada lowered her head toward Wilbert.
Seeing that someone so high up was lowering their head to him, Wilbert became flustered. "There's no need. It's not your fault but the fault of the man who did this."
An embarrassed expression appeared on Wilbert's face. "I know it's not your fault, and my reaction was very childish, but as you said… it happened just yesterday."
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'Yesterday…' As Wilbert said that, he realised just how much had happened in one day. 'They say time flies when you're having fun, but I wouldn't call this fun…'
"I'm sorry for your loss." The three officers expressed their condolences before Bairn asked, "What do you plan to do, seek revenge? I should warn you, cyrmexes are naturally adept at magic, and their tough exterior makes them formidable warriors. I won't try to stop you from seeking revenge, but you should hear the risks beforehand."
Wilbert smiled in appreciation. "Thank you, but I know the gap between me and that man better than anyone. Today is the first time that I've touched a real sword, and that man was clearly an experienced slaughterer."
At which point, he turned to look at Geada. "Where do cyrmexes come from? I think I should at least have somewhere to aim for."
"Hmm." The cyrmex touched her chin. The cold metal touching the soft, warm flesh would have frozen anyone else, but such a sensation did not seem to affect her, "Like most races in the world, we are spread everywhere. However, if I had to name a place that has a high cyrmex concentration, it would be the Frost Gale Republic in the north due to the naturally cool weather."
Nodding, Wilbert replied, "The Frost Gale Republic… Thank you, That's very helpful."
"No problem. Now then, will you give the basic mage training a go?"
…
Half an hour later, Wilbert left the training grounds under the impressed gazes of the three instructors and with three more skills under his belt.
[Wind Barrier], [Wind Cutter], and [Basic Thwack]—two spells of the lowest tier and a staff attack. However, that was not to say that wind was the lowest tier element. The reason all the spells were wind was because the training staff was a wind staff.
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After asking Geada several questions, Wilbert had learned that each spell would require runes to cast, and runes were split into various elements. The basic elements were earth, wind, fire, and water. Staffs imbued with the power of an element could negate the need of runes of that element when equipped. Thus, the trainees had no need to waste expensive runes on learning such basic new spells.
As he exited through the gates of the training ground, Wilbert was no longer thinking about the same things as when he had entered. Before, he had been concerned about the terms introduced by the weird boxes, but after, he was thinking about testing his new skills, learning what else the strange interface could do, and how best he should use his skills to slowly torture that cyrmex if he ever saw him again.
…
"Who really was that kid? Why did you personally show him around?"
The captain turned to Abel and replied, "He's both one of us and one of them?"
There was a confused look on Geada's face when he said that. "I don't understand. One of us? One of them? Who exactly?"
With a smile, the captain explained, "As you know, I can vaguely detect when a strong adventurer passes, which is why I keep an eye on the crowds when I have time. When I saw that lad, I got that same feeling. But when I spoke to him, it became apparent that he isn't one of them."
"How is he different?" Neither of the vice captains really understood what he had said.
"His mouth moved when he spoke."
"His mouth moved?"
"I don't think I've ever seen someone speak without moving their mouth, except for some performers."
The captain's answer confused his vice captains even more.
"Ah, I suppose you wouldn't have noticed it. Perhaps it's illusion magic, or maybe only some can see it, but those strong ones don't need to move their lips to talk."
Seeing as the two still did not really know what he was talking about, Bairn sighed. "Come with me to the gate. When one of them approaches, I'll point it out to you. If you're able to perceive it will be down to you thought."
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WEAKLING
A geeky highschooler develops superpowers and is recruited to an international peackeeping unit at the same time as struggling with mental health problems. * Gonzalo Lopez is just a normal teenager except that he has superpowers. Or does he? Ever since that fight with the bully where his powers first manifested and he broke his attacker’s hand by accident, everything has been spiralling out of control. Now all of a sudden he’s getting invited to parties, his psychiatrist’s started dating his Mom, and at least two different international organisations are trying to hunt him down. Then there’s Ali--the new girl at school, the only other person who believes any of this is happening to him, who seems to be hiding a secret of her own. Is she really his friend like she says she is, or does she have some sort of ulterior motive for being so nice to him all the time? Should he tell her about Miracle Force, the superpowered United Nations peacekeeping unit he’s just been recruited to? And is any of this really happening, or is it all just going on in his head? * You can read deleted scenes on my Patreon.
8 97The Oddity: The One Who Does Not Belong
A purple ball descended from the sky, a gift from the primordial dragons, granting many races of the world access to magic. Unfortunately, humans were not one of those. During the great war, the magicless humans were nothing more than fodder, meat shields. Until one day, their powers awakened. After the war, with the ability to now wield, fire, water, earth, wind, or lightning, powerful magicians gathered to build a safe haven for humans, the Kaldora Empire. Before the humans had magic, other races prospered with it. But, within their midst, there were... oddities. People with an affinity for two elements. Each one leaving some sort of disaster in their wake. Each one, not quite fit for this world. A young boy's family, killed in an accident, only he and his sister survived the night. After that, they were split up, each taken in by a different relative. It has been eight years since the flames engulfed his home and most of his family. With his magic powers finally showing itself, he goes off to a magic academy to better learn about his newfound powers. But as he grows, something else does as well. The voice inside his head, the thing that influences his thoughts, the monster that he wish was gone, the devil inside his heart. This is a tale about connections. NOTE: The story will be slow for many of the chapters and the time will also match it, ex: goes by day by day. The time mostly will be used for introducing and adding to characters. It won't pick up until somewhere in the twenties but there will be action and events earlier on such as the missions. Just a fair warning. Order of Phantasmal Architects
8 184With the Power of the SUN!
My submission for the January Writing Contest POWER of the SUN is a Cells at Work-inspired comedy short story about a hydrogen atom that goes on an adventure trying to stop the sun from going out. This story contains some mild profanity and dumb hijinks, Not everything is serious throughout this story and some things will not be explained because I do not care. Enjoy the story!
8 82Encapsulation - FIRST DRAFT
This is the first draft of the story. The edited and expanded final version is available free for KU subscribers and for sale on Kindle. Planet Dirt: Remnant of an exile world, ground down by governmental and megacorp warring.The Accident a generation ago erased what its inhabitants had not already forgotten.Their brightest scientists vanished without a trace, leaving only the icy Wasteland.Carrick, a gangster, chooses Wasteland exile rather than betray the Family. Intelligent and loyal, he determines to bend the frontier’s prisoners to his will.After all, when people won’t choose what’s best for themselves, they must be forced to choose.But the Wasteland conceals impossible scientific phenomena that force Carrick to realize how little he understands.And when an officer of humanity’s ancient, starfaring empire crashes into the Wasteland’s heart, he reveals Planet Dirt’s coldest secret.The Accident was only the beginning of a bitter end.
8 195Powerless
Eighteen-year-old Carson Adachi has lived his entire life believing he was the only powerless person in a world of superhumans. However, when an unfamiliar power begins to manifest, he quickly learns there are worse things than being powerless. The leaders of the known world – the Council – take an interest in Carson and his unique power. As his strength continues to grow, the Council’s stance on his usage of it shifts, and Carson finds himself fighting to keep his right to keep his power. Questioning his leaders, Carson finds his finds himself not only battling for not only his rights – but for his very life itself.
8 88Revival of Undead King
Around 1000 years ago, there was an Undead king who made a winter when it's suppose to be summer. The winter called nightmare winter and countless lives taken thanks to it. People from all races gathered to defeat the Undead king and stop the winter. However, the price for that wasn't small and many people died. If not for the Dragon king arrival. They would be dead. the between Undead king and Dragon king went fierce. In the end, the winner was Dragon king. The Undead king is gone and nightmare winter is stopped. However, that is a history written by false historician. The truth is hidden behind the darkness and there is always a reason behind it. As the present is living in calm before storm. A young man from a certain village, Evan must face his unavoidable destiny.
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