《Rise of the Empress of Stars》Laboratory - 1
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Xeno Group
Secret Laboratory - XZ
As the elevator descends hundreds of meters underground a huge natural cavern, a large pool with a private submarine parked in it along the dock with workers unloading materials and taking them through secured corridors to the warehouse, along with an advanced high-security door built into the cavern on one side with blue lines pulsing through the silvery surface looking futuristic unlike the current technology comes into Zera's view.
'Looks like they succeeded in using Caeyton as a power source, but from the glow emanating from the surface they are wasting quite a bit of aura which can be further used effectively after being optimized.'
'I still got to hand it to dad for building a nearly 30000sqm laboratory underground within a year and got it working.'
"How does it look dear? I tried to make it according to your instructions as much as possible. They even succeeded in using the coal after mutation as an energy source." Said Zale, with a proud look and making a face literally saying 'praise me' on it pulling Zera out of her thoughts.
Looking at her dad's expression of asking for praise, Zera swallowed the missing things that she was about to say into her stomach and said, forcing a stiff smile," It's all good, dad. Let's go and check out the satellite along with the smartwatch."
"Hehe...let's go then."
A holographic screen appeared as they approached the door and the security system automatically scanned and verified the visitors unlocking the door while greeting them.
"Welcome back Mr.Zale and Welcome to the XZ Laboratory Boss." Greeted the AI named Eni with the avatar of a spirit the size of a finger with small wings on her back while twirling in front Zera with an excited expression on her face.
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Looking at the excited little spirit a smile formed on Zera's face as she stretched out her hand for her to sit and started teasing Eni as they made their way into the laboratory.
"Do you like the new place Eni? That old laptop was not enough to play with and now you should be happy playing your games while trolling newbies online, eh." Said Zera. Eni was the AI she made, that gained self-consciousness after three years, proving the records she saw in the past saying that the planetary evolution has a beneficiary effect on promoting self-consciousness.
"Yeah, it's a lot of fun. By the way, both of your grandfathers suck at playing games don't believe in their nonsense about the best alchemist and best thief." Said Eni as she chuckled remembering how easy it was to beat them when she first played against them after learning they play games online from Zera.
"Hehe...that was as I expected. Anyway, what is the progress of the satellite and the smartwatch?" Asked Zera, looking around the researchers working in various rooms through the glass panels walking down towards the inner area containing important projects.
"The smartwatch is in the testing phase and there were a few incidents of them not being able to connect to the existing network or connect with some disturbance. I think Dr.Quren and his team will need another week to solve it if they can spare time from the satellite project." Answered Eni, displaying the reports regarding the smartwatch failures as an interactable hologram in front of Zera.
"I didn't expect them to master hologram technology first, instead of researching the new energy source." Said Zera with a chuckle as she bruised through the reports.
"It's not that they want to, dear. It's due to your grandfathers who forced them to research it first so that they can play hologram games after they exercise daily and they said it is their gift from you as an encouragement to work hard at an old age." Said Zale, as he laughed remembering the cheeky faces of his father and father-in-law when they made the researchers switch their priorities using Zera's name.
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"What!!! Well, no wonder Dr.Quren has a weird expression when I asked why there was a delay on the progress of the satellite." Said Zera, first surprised at the cheeky behavior of her grandpas and then showed a look of enlightenment for Dr.Quren's expression.
Walking through the sliding door as they automatically verify the visitor and watching the team of researchers led by Dr.Quren looking at different logs, tinkering with some parts, and some assembling the satellite which is 4 cubic meters in size with smooth edges and constant pulsing of various grades of blue in lines along the surface.
Watching that they are not noticed even after a couple of minutes pass by since their entry, Eni dimmed the lights once to get their attention.
'Uhm, Why are there power fluctuations in the lab? There isn't any problem with the power source right.'
Dr.Quren's heart jumped at the thought of exploding the laboratory due to power source problems. She quickly turned to run towards the power room just to notice the newcomers in the room.
"Hello, Dr.Quren we meet at last, and don't worry about the power problems, it's just Eni playing around to get your attention." Said Zera with a chuckle waving her hand at the surprised Dr.Quren.
"Off, Thank god. I was scared the sh*t out due to that you know Eni and please don't do that next time dear otherwise I might get a heart attack."Said Dr.Quren patting her chest in relief.
"Oh, hello little girl. Uhm, do I know you?" Asked Dr.Quren with a puzzled expression looking at Zera, who now has Eni settled on her shoulder swinging her legs in the air.
*Ahem*
Faking a cough in embarrassment for not getting recognized, Zera took a look at Eni as if to let her explain.
"She is my MOM!" Explained Eni to the confused researcher.
"Ohh… okay.WAIT! WHAT! Do you mean that a 4-year-old girl made you? The only sentient AI I know was brought out by a little girl who is going to kindergarten!" Exclaimed Dr.Quren attracting the attention of all the researchers in the room while pointing at Eni and Zera.
"Uhm, well I am the one though."Said Zera looking around the room with a slight smile on her face as she looked at the look of 'who are you deceiving' on the faces of most of the researchers.
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Delve
Summary – Level 1: Delve is an isekai litrpg that follows an average guy who just happened to wake up in a forest one day. He wasn’t summoned to defeat the demon lord or to save the world or anything like that, at least as far as he can tell. The only creature there to greet him was a regular old squirrel. Soon enough, he meets other people, only to discover that he can’t speak the language, and that not everybody immediately trusts random pajama-wearing strangers they met in the middle of the wilderness. Things generally go downhill from there, at least until the blue boxes start appearing. Delve is a story about finding your way in a new, strange, and dangerous world. It’s about avoiding death, figuring out what the heck is going on, and trying to make some friends along the way. It’s not about getting home, so much as finding a new one. Did I mention that there will be math? Summary – Level 2: Okay, but what are you in for, really? Well, this story is supposed to be realistic, or at least, as realistic as a fantasy litrpg can be. The main character doesn’t instantly become an all-powerful god and murder-hobo his way across the universe. Delve is, at its heart, a progression fantasy, but that progression is meant to feel earned. The numbers in this story actually mean something. Everything is calculated, and if you find a rounding error, I expect you to tell me about it. That said, if math isn’t your cup of tea, there is plenty more that the story has to offer. Characters are meant to feel real, and progression isn’t only about personal power; it’s also about allies, connections, and above all, knowledge. Figuring out how the system works is a significant theme. ... What, you want more details? Okay, fine, but this is going to get a bit spoiler-y. Are you sure? Yes! Really sure? I mean, this summary is practically half as long as the first chap– Now! Okay, okay! The main character becomes a magic user, but he takes a route that is not very popular in adventurer culture, namely that of a support. There is a full magic system with various spells, skills, and abilities, but our MC decides that aura magic is the way to go, and that the only stat worth investing in is mana regeneration. Most people at the Adventurer’s Guild think that this makes him a bit of a dumbass, but he’s playing the long game. We’ll see how that works out for him, won’t we? Because of his build, the MC levels up fast, at least compared to normal people. There are no cheats, though, and he is limited in other ways. There are some clear and pretty obvious downsides to his build. That’s what makes it fun, no? Morals? Our MC has them. Again, we’ll see how that works out for him. Realism, remember? Would you be okay with killing someone and looting their body? I sure hope not. POV? The focus is on the main character, but there will be occasional varying perspectives from people around him, or involved in the events related to the main plot. It isn’t going to jump all over the place. Tech is standard medieval stasis. No smartphones, but the MC does have a technical background. Computers and their programming might be involved. There might even be a bit of uplifting down the road, who knows? Anyway, it isn’t the focus. He isn’t going to invent the gun in chapter 1 and change the face of warfare. Romance is not a major focus. Friendships are more the name of the game, though there will be some characters in romantic relationships. There is exploration, though not as much of the geographical nature as you might expect. It is more about exploration of the system and the culture. The pace is slow and detailed, sometimes verging on slice-of-life. The action is meant to be realistic and grounded in the numbers, and it is intended to have meaning beyond simply punching things until they stop moving. The general tone of the story is grey, and some parts can get quite dark. People die. Sometimes, people with names, but not anywhere near GoT level. There is plenty of light, too, though, to balance the darkness. The world is dangerous, but overcoming that danger is why we’re all here, isn’t it? Anyway, if you’ve made it this far through the summary, you clearly like words. I hope you enjoy the story! Cover by Miha Brumec Summary Updated: 2020-06-14
8 822Humanity's End
Given a year to prepare by the mysterious ‘system’ for contact with the wider galaxy, humanity must work to ensure the Earth’s defense is ready to meet any challenge. Sadly, most of the world seems dedicated to tearing itself apart as the year-end deadline gets closer. The west is in barely contained Chaos, while the east descends into internal conflict and war. The Pillar Forts, one of the few successful projects of the United Nations headed by the United States, stand ready to defend humanity against any invasion that may come through the strange Connection Pillars that appeared on each continent. Massive steel and stone walls that surround the Connection Pillars. They are filled with deadly men and women trained in all manner of warfare, each trained in the newly acquired System with skills and magical abilities that they put to deadly purpose. Beside these brave warriors, tanks, helicopters, artillery and more stand ready to defend humanity at each of these powerful installations. But, can they overcome the disparity in levels and experience between themselves and the forces that threaten them and the rest of humanity? Main Characters Jessica Brown- A young African American girl. Her 18th birthday in Detroit was the same day the systems message appeared. She discovered she was Level 7, much higher than most of the rest of the world. Why she is blessed, or cursed, with the power she doesn’t know. But what she does know is that she rather likes the feeling that comes with manipulating magic. The week after her birthday, government workers started testing every person in the US in a massive census effort of skills and abilities. Jessica Brown found herself conscripted into the US Magical Corp, a new branch of the US Military, and shipped off to a Pillar Fort. Somewhere hot and muggy in her ancestors’ home of Africa. As she grows stronger, she finds she has some connection to the pillars. While everyone else sees beauty or danger when they look at the pillars, after connection is made all Jessica can see is a Tree. A tree the size of the entire universe. Isaka Smith - is a third generation American and farmer who just wants to be left alone. But she is dragged into the situation by events beyond her control. When people in her small town had to deal with rioters and looters after the system announcement, she rallied them to defend themselves, earning her a trait that the government found extraordinarily useful. After a visit to a local reservation, she finds herself conscripted to lead one of the many small support towns erected around the great pillar forts. Not near her old home, but in far-flung Africa. John McIntire, the “Fighting Bull” -The commander of the African Fort, but because of circumstances beyond his ability to contend with shortly after taking command after being re-activated from retirement, he finds communication with his chain of command increasingly difficult. The US government, hell, even the United Nations, seems to have fallen into complete and utter chaos. The African Union is embroiled in a bitter civil war just outside his door, and supposedly, most of the world governments are in similar situations. Meanwhile, John must do his best to be ready to facilitate diplomacy, or to match the hostile argument of whatever force might come through the pillar of light when the year timer finishes counting down. Can our heros defend Earth from outside threats, while it tares itself apart? Or will they need to rebuild from the ground up? DEDICATION: This story is dedicated to my father who passed away recently. Jim Holloway, you’ll be missed you old silverback gorilla. Love you dad. Always have, always will.
8 301Rise of Toki
From a common worm to human to a dragon, they have a gem embedded in their bodies since birth. These gems contained the skills of that specimen for it to grow and mature. The more skills one obtains, the stronger they become, the more evolutionary options they open. Then their powers would be passed down to their children to unlock. This is a story about a little tortoise rising up against ... the world! Maybe not. It all started out when this little tortoise sought out to find her little sister in a big world. My attempt to draw the main characters.
8 202Sky Dungeon
In a world filled with magic, where gods roam the earth and fearsome beasts of legend fill the land, mysterious monsters known as dungeons have existed in perpetuity since the dawn of time. This is the story of one particular dungeon that ruled the skies. A lone dungeon that hovered over the earth and traversed even the world’s most lone and desolate places! A dungeon of dreams, of hopes, and of many desires that inspired great fear in some and great destiny on others. The one and only flying dungeon of its time, the sky dungeon! Inspired by Ancient Strengthening Technique by I Am Superfluous and RoyalRoadLegend’s Dungeon Heart by MinningDragon. The Cover is temporary and is not my own work, nor have I been given permission to use it. I found it on a blog belonging to the artist Aiste Surutkoviciute.
8 133I, Paladin (an urban fantasy novel)
I was born and raised in Guthrie, Oklahoma—a town with 10,000 people. Mama runs a vintage diner inherited from family and the farthest I’ve been from home is a thirty-minute car ride to Oklahoma City. It's been a traditional middle-America upbringing. Until I have to defend myself from a vampire at sixteen. Suddenly, life is fight training, classes about monsters, and possessing a power I don’t understand or know the origin of—all made more complicated by a crush on my instructor, Agent Thirteen. I don’t want any of this, but The Agency promises to pay Mama’s medical bills and making sure she’s taken care of always comes first. It’s only been the two of us for years. Becoming a paladin means sacrifice.
8 168Cross Roads: The Monsters Among Us (Book One)
In a series of bizarre murders around the Sycamore University, now more than ever people are getting restless and scared. With no end in sight, a gift from heaven (so to speak) comes knocking on their doorstep. A group of magical young ladies with immense strength and unfathomable intelligence, arrives as a godsend. As they delve deeper into the investigation, a story between what is righteous and what isn't stands firmly in the presence of what is really happening around campus.
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