《Vanilla》6. Almost Blind
Advertisement
It hurts.
It use to be just my arm.
Now its my stomach as well…
Ahhh, it hurts~
Now that I think of it, it’s kind of cold here too…
Don’t tell me I’m sick?!
Arrow must have nicked my intestines
Hah~, I’m going to die of septic shock at this rate.
What I need right now is another one of those chosen ones.
Sleeping, preferably.
If only…
As I round the corner, sure enough, there’s a sleeping goblin on the ground.
What?!
I rub my eyes.
What the hell?!
This is too good to be true!
Wait, I have a secret weapon!
What is that, ASA?
「Augmentation System Analysis (ASA): Mirage
Low level illusion generated by a Mirage Variant on the Curse tree」
Wut.
I’m being fucked with.
Suddenly, I felt a burning anger fill me.
I stand still and inspect the area around the mirage.
Footsteps, at least four.
That means there’s probably more standing still in ambush.
Multiple arrows appear out of nowhere and sail towards me.
Since I’m partially expecting them, I almost lazily reach out with my sword and smack them out of the air.
Some of them outright miss.
Now, in the time while you’re drawing another arrow…
I throw a rock.
*crack*
I throw another rock.
*thud*
A rock finds a target.
Unfortunately, it’s a rather small rock so it doesn’t outright kill the goblin.
A third rock finishes the job.
《EXP Threshold reached, Human LV16 > LV17》
Complete silence.
The illusion vanishes.
I suppose they gave up on that.
Invisibility and illusions.
What’s wrong with this place? The developers must have accidentally set the difficulty too high.
Or god hates me.
Based on recent events, strangely, the second one seems more probable.
Where’s my shotgun?
Well, I probably don’t even need that.
If my augmented throw can destroy a goblin skull, surely, their bone strength must be pitiful… even if they are mark twos.
Advertisement
I stare at the wall and in a figurative sense, the wall stares at me.
If you aren’t going to make a move, then I suppose I will.
I run around and wildly swing my sword.
It hurts my stomach, so after about three seconds of this I have to stop.
Footsteps? About ten feet ahead of me!
Die, bastard!
I rush forward and swing in broad strokes. My stomach hurts, but it’s worth the sacrifice.
My sword finds a target in the darkness.
A goblin is split in two at the waist.
An arrow sails over my head.
Another grazes my shoulder.
I whip around and search for the perpetrators.
The bisected goblin can bleed to death.
Considering the two arrows earlier missed, they are either very far away or can’t aim.
If either condition is true, they probably don’t matter.
I’ll prioritize the closer ones and the ones that can aim.
After all, if they can’t hit me, I can probably ignore them.
Hmm, if they stand perfectly still while cloaked and sit in a corner, there’s nothing I can do.
Another arrow sails through the air.
Surprisingly, it hits another cloaked goblin who falls to the ground screaming.
Hahaha, so they can’t see the other cloaked ones either?
I walk up to the unlucky bastard and stab him in the face.
Haha killsteal!
Is that even how this works?
Does the finishing blow determine EXP or does contribution amount determine it?
I’ll have to perform experiments later.
I immediately run back to the wall so I can’t be shot from behind.
Dammit... if they weren’t cloaked, this would be dead easy.
I would repeat the randomly swing my sword tactic, but I feel like I won’t be as lucky if I’m shot from behind again.
I have no choice but to walk with my back to a wall.
Advertisement
Wait a second.
I pull out the bow and arrows I looted off the goblin assassin’s corpse.
Although I can’t sword-deflect while I’m holding the bow, I’m kind of feeling lucky.
I send a shot in the general direction of where the last arrow came from.
As expected, my shot misses where I was aiming by several feet.
I correct my aim, but this time I overcompensate slightly.
None of the arrows hit anything, but I hear panicked running.
You think you can run?
I shot again… and missed.
Dammit, he ran away.
I hate this place.
Why am I even fighting these guys? I have no good way to de-cloak them.
I’m going to die if I keep fighting these invisible goblins. They hardly give EXP, they’re impossible to kill and they randomly shoot arrows at me.
Should I just run?
If they just hide, I’m screwed.
Yeah, I’m going to run. Time to go.
I shift my bag to a slightly more comfortable position and flee.
❦
As I run down the narrow hallway, I suddenly stop, pick up a rock, and fling it down the hallway behind me.
There’s a distinctive *thud* as a goblin is taken out.
Fuck you! Stop following me!
I turn back around and keep moving.
Can’t go upstairs because of the stupid spider.
My only choice is to go down.
Wait, since the spider is blocking off the path up, does that mean that the cross-floor attack gets stuck there?
Mmm, I may have killed off most of the special forces already if that’s the case.
Except I don’t know BECAUSE EVERYTHING’S INVISIBLE!
Where are the stairs to the next floor?
I need to find the stairs.
After around fifteen minutes of searching, I find the stairs down.
Thankfully, there are no spiders on these stairs.
Screw all you fuckers, I’m out!
I leap down the stairs and into the next floor.
I shield my eyes as I’m bombarded by the bright light.
Why is it so bright inside of a dungeon?
Slowly, my eyes adjust.
I look around.
That’s really green.
How is this in any way a dungeon?
No matter how you look at it, this is clearly a jungle.
Advertisement
- In Serial20 Chapters
The Accidental Archmage - BOOK 9 (THE DRAGON HOUSES)
The Accidental Archmage Series (BETA CHAPTERS) NOTE: DRAFTS OF EARLIER BOOKS (BOOKS 1 to 8) HAVE BEEN POSTED BEFORE ON RRL. THEY ARE NOW ON AMAZON AND HAD ATTAINED BESTSELLER STATUS IN THE FANTASY-MYTHOLOGY GENRE. ACTUALLY, MANY RRL STORIES PUBLISHED ON AMAZON HAVE GONE ON TO BECOME BESTSELLERS AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. HOWEVER, AMAZON KDP RULES REQUIRE THAT MOST OF THE DIGITAL CONTENT AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE BE REMOVED. GENRE: CLASSICAL EPIC FANTASY An epic mythological fantasy in another world. Immerse yourself in a grand and dangerous adventure. In a world both familiar and strange. A world where magic and gods still exist. Meet deities, beings, and exiles from Earth’s pantheons. Encounter warriors, huskarls, satyrs, hoplites, dark and evil mages, and strange beings from myths of pre-history up to the age of iron.Match wits with the likes of Loki, Zeus, Athena, Odin, Amun-Ra, Coniraya, Viracocha, and even Dionysus. Escape plots and schemes played by powerful gods of life and death.Find the truth behind the dark and otherworldly beings from the Lovecraft mythos.Play with dire wolves, drakontes, lamias, keres, amphisbaenae, a sphinx, ice giants, creatures of nightmares, empusas, gigas, minotaurs, vrykolakas, jotnar, dokkalfr, to name a few.Survive being in the middle of wars between civilizations and races. Suffer the arrogance and stupidity of gods and men alike. Cross paths with beings who don’t like you. Thor, Ares, and the Incan death god Supay, to name three.Be burdened with a quest to save yourself and your humanity in the brutal and primordial world of Adar.A world where scientific pursuit will get you a lightning bolt or two. Probably five. All at the same time. Book Nine - THE DRAGON HOUSES His beloved Eira rescued, the rogue Titans have been defeated, and Tartarus sealed. Yet as the rising Archmage tries to escape the Forbidden Isle, events have been set in motion that would embroil him once again in the tides of war engulfing Adar. Escaped Titans, a rising power in the South, vengeful adherents of the Elder Gods, and more have him in mind. Least of all, a far from defeated Loki. New players have come to the fore, each with their own purpose in mind. The lustful drive for power, the search for a release of one's soul, and the companions' storied pasts all come to drive the world deeper and further into chaos. Add a powerful demon determined to open a portal to its own dimension. It's enough to drive a mortal man mad. (Cover image used under license) Book Eight - WHERE TITANS WALK Now in the land of the damned below the underworld domain of Hades, Eira awaits the company and battle portends. But first, they have to find the fortress of the Titans. Above them, Loki's war is going well as the internecine war among the pantheons continues. An old foe rises in the south, more powerful than ever. Astrid finds herself the subject of a wife's rage and the murky past of the companions now comes back to haunt them. Yet amidst it all, a dying Elder won't wait as plots and new players bedevil Havard Ulriksson, formerly Tyler West of Earth, now the Archmage of his adopted world. Cover Image used under license from shutterstock.com. Alterations by the writer. Book Seven - DRAGONS AND DEMONS https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08122Y739 An urgent rescue and the path to vengeance are not easy in a magical, myth-filled world. Nasty roadblocks and unexpected complications have a way of rearing their wicked heads along Tyler's route across the dwarven lands and into the infernal realm of Tartarus. More myths and legends cross the First Mage's path as Loki's war and Asag's emergence stir up mortal lands and magical domains. Cover Image used under license from shutterstock.com. Alterations by the writer. Book Six - TARTARUS BECKONS Gifts, curses, and problems. The unfolding of Loki's mad and complicated scheme results in a war between and among pantheons, empires, and kingdoms. From Ymir's Domain down to the far south, conflict engulfs Tyler's world and the magical gate to Tartarus is starting to break open, threatening to add mad Titans and other powerful beings to the chaotic mix. And on the forbidden isle of Banna, a dying enemy awaits. (Note: NOW PUBLISHED ON AMAZON) Book Five - LOKI'S GAMBIT With the promise of the First Mage not to act against him, Loki now accelerates his plans. A plot millennia in the making, spanning the length and breadth of Adar. Like a spider spinning its web, the trickster god now puts the finishing touches on an audacious scheme. A revolution to change the balance of godly and mortal power in the world. Book Four - VOID LANDS The Void Lands. A place where gods fear to tread. Where strange creatures and hostile beings emerge. A nexus of dimensions, the origins of which are lost in the mists of time. To stop the Aztecha Empire’s march to power and domination of the eastern lands, Tyler West, now a High Mage, must confront and defeat the empire’s mysterious patrons. Beings of incredible might and magical knowledge. An imperative path which leads him right to the Void Lands. Though a few detours are required, each dangerous yet crucial. The only problem is that the Void Lands are on the other side of the continent. And to get there, he may have to ask a favor from the Trickster God himself, the Norse deity known as Loki. Book Three - BLOOD WARS Continuing our lost mage's epic journey through the magical and extremely dangerous world of Adar. Escaping the convoluted schemes of the Greek pantheon, Tyler finds himself with an old acquaintance, the Incan deity Viracocha. His son, the sun god Inti, is dead. With the Aztecah Empire and its powerful pantheon of deities on the bloody road to more conquests, the deity asks for his help. A request he could easily refuse. Except Viracocha is not alone is asking for his aid. Two other pantheons have made their presence known to the young mage. And the Egyptian deities are watching how he will decide the matter. To add to his burdened conscience, the rise and dominance of the Aztecah pantheon would mean a million or more new human sacrifices. Resulting in extremely overpowered bloodthirsty deities. What's a newly minted Elder apprentice mage to do? Involve himself in a blood war? Book Two - GIFTS OF THE GREEKS Tyler's journey continues. New land, misadventures, friends, foes, skills, and knowledge. Confused encounters of the female kind. More deities become aware of Tyler as he continues his quest to survive, reach his potential, and carry out his burden. Amid convoluted plans designed by divine acquaintances of old and newly met gods, what's an ordinary guy from Earth to do?The god of wine wants to be his friend. Ares and his sons are coming to say hello. Book One - RAGNAROK RISING What if you fell through a crack in reality? Like those people disappearing in plain sight you've read about. What if you find yourself in a strangely familiar world? A world full of Earth’s mythological beings, lost civilizations, and people from its primitive and brutal past? Where magical energy still exists. Where gods play games among themselves, with the fate of mortal men as pawns. A land where a sword is deadlier than a five-inch thick contract drawn by a hotshot lawyer. Would you survive? That's Tyler West. Alone, lost and bewildered, the three moons in the sky made it clear he wasn’t on Earth anymore. It’s not a game. It’s real. And there's no coffee, pizza, fries, or his favorite show on HBO. *** All Rights Reserved. 2017/2018/2019/2020. Cover Images are used under license.
8 141 - In Serial10 Chapters
The Empire That Blocked the Sun
Zeke Wilson, a man who just quit his job at a company that takes advantage of charities to fund their own wants and needs, finds that wishing for the fall of a company can come with harsh consequences. As his world comes tumbling down, both figuratively and literally, he is once again buried underneath the lies and corporations he sought to leave, as Empire Rize takes him underground. Battered and bleeding, Zeke must find a way out of the rubble. [Participant in the Royal Road Community Magazine Contest January 2022 - "And Then The Sun Went Out"] Completed, in the Novella region of 10,000 to 40,000 words. Cover image is edited by me from free images found online.
8 65 - In Serial12 Chapters
Imperium
A young fledgling city-state of Etris seeks to make a distinguished name for itself in the chaotic era of human emergence with the Titanomachia only a few decades behind them the ordinary citizens of Etris await the coming of their divine Consul. The one who will lead them to become the prophesied Etrian Empire is yet to be born. In the faraway tribal regions of Gallia a young boy is born to the tribe chief of the Veraxes. The boy is pale and smaller than most young ones in the tribe yet his destiny is to outshine all who came before and shall come after him. In another city-state of Junia the city lord has recently been bestowed a son and a daughter by the Gods and he has begun preparations of an invasion of the tribes that surround his territory. A prelude to an epic begins in 100 C.D. Hey everyone second time writing a story on Royal Road the first time was an experiment that made me learn much but hopefully this time it will be better. As always 3 chaps a week for this one could be in the middle of the week or at the end but 3 will fall definitely. Discord Link: Imperium Discord Have fun reading.
8 90 - In Serial15 Chapters
Hiscovol
For as long as it can remember, mankind has been protected and trapped by The Palisade. Everyone has long since forgotten what lies outside, not to mention what lies within themselves. Over the past two-thousand years, mankind has done what it has always been known to do- dominate. Follow Glen Hiscovol, a man who has tasted the life of both the opressor and the opressed, as he survives the world after the fall of The Palisade. But be wary; there are many things that Glen doesn't know, about the world and himself.
8 108 - In Serial28 Chapters
Forbidden
BxB 👀Started:May 26 Ended: September 24
8 147 - In Serial28 Chapters
It was always you jordan Phillips
It's always been me and him
8 91