Seth stirred awake in the swaying night caravan. Sitting up carefully, he made sure not to disturb the two other passengers who were still curled up asleep under threadbare blankets. His eyes adjusted quickly to the dim light filtering through the narrow gaps in the window curtains. Judgin...
2025-07-21 04:05:00 +0000 UTC View PostSeth sighed. "I didn't expect to find you all here."
"Why not?" Jenna retorted, folding her arms. "Aren’t friends supposed to worry about each other—and tell each other important things? Like, I don’t know, maybe mentioning when they have a contract with an arcane beas...
2025-07-18 04:05:01 +0000 UTC View Post"Seth, call back your direwolf," Director Ryehill said, glancing at Nightmare. "Contracted beasts aren’t allowed out without a teacher's permission."
Seth moved the direwolf back into his necklace and bowed. "Sorry, sir. I wasn't aware of that rule."
The director turned...
2025-07-16 04:05:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe story now has an official Discord!
A few of you had asked for one, so I finally sat down and watched several hours of YouTube videos to get everything set up properly. Hopefully, those of you who wanted a place to chat, ask questions, or just hang out will enjoy it!
Also… ju...
2025-07-14 04:07:01 +0000 UTC View PostSeth arrived at the academy feeling both excited and nervous—Professor Reat had agreed to let him skip school for two whole weeks. That time away would certainly put Seth even further behind in classes in terms of knowledge, but hopefully with a lot of hard work and late-night studying, ...
2025-07-14 04:05:02 +0000 UTC View PostStill lying on the cold floor of the cave, Seth closed his eyes and pushed his consciousness inward, examining his core. Nestled in his chest next to his Well, the thing was gradually returning to a dormant state, reabsorbing all the mysterious energy it had unleashed earlier. It felt like...
2025-07-11 04:05:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe air in the cave was frigid, a stark contrast to the forest’s warmth outside. Each of Seth's steps echoed softly, reverberating off the walls and into the deeper darkness ahead. Beside him, Nightmare moved with silent grace, every muscle coiled, ready to disappear into Illusionary Emp...
2025-07-09 04:05:01 +0000 UTC View PostThese past 2–3 days, you guys have really stepped up. I’ve received a wave of kind comments, awesome reviews, great ratings on Royal Road, and a surprising number of new Patreon subscribers. The story has now passed 2,000 followers, 400 favorites, 200 ratings, 85 patreons and… 19 reviews! (...
2025-07-07 04:09:01 +0000 UTC View Post"Who’s your teacher this afternoon?" Professor Reat asked, slinging his leather bag over his shoulder.
"Captain Michaelson," Seth answered, still thrown by the professor's words. Were the rewards from the Rising Stars Tournament really that valuable? It wasn't just the Seralp...
2025-07-07 04:07:01 +0000 UTC View Post"So, let's start with breakthroughs." Professor Reat stood in front of the large board, his long black ponytail falling down his back. "Can anyone tell me the requirements to break through into the Iron Tier? We've covered this a few times." In the first row, a young woman student in the g...
2025-07-07 04:05:01 +0000 UTC View Post(Yeah, I know, it's a long message, sorry!)
First off, thank you all for reading and for the support! You all have no idea how much I appreciate it!
Anyway, here are the updates :
1. End of the Launch Phase
This is the final chapter of the “launch” phase ...
"He was… one of the captains?" Seth mouthed in disbelief.
"Yes," Sericar answered. "Your father was deeply involved in his nation’s war. Up until he left with your mother."
The merchant stopped for a moment to take a sip from his mug. "After about a year of meeting in...
2025-07-04 04:05:02 +0000 UTC View PostSeth threaded his way through Trogan's bustling central market, a large leather bag he had just retrieved from his room slung over his back. Even though it was late in the evening, the place was as lively as ever.
'You should stop using that pocket watch,' Nightmare sa...
2025-07-03 04:05:01 +0000 UTC View PostCrouched behind a large tree, Seth brought his bow up, hand on the fletching of the nocked arrow. In the distance, an antelope stood by the only water source among the tapestry of tall gold-and-green grass stretching endlessly around them. The beast’s sleek brown fur and dark horns slightly gli...
2025-07-02 04:05:01 +0000 UTC View Post(Leonard’s stat sheet is subject to change depending on the final format I decide to use later on, but the important part for the storytelling is the spells. And sorry it's a bit shorter than a normal chapter!)
Leonard sat in his office, surrounded by towering bookshelves filled with leat...
2025-07-01 04:05:02 +0000 UTC View PostSeth stood in front of a wooden door with a small silver plaque reading 'Professor Reat.' After Devus had gotten out of the tower and heard the whole story regarding Marine, the Guardian had suggested talking to the professor to explain the situation, hoping he would help.
At first, S...
2025-06-30 04:05:01 +0000 UTC View PostSeth bolted toward the white cross while Nightmare slinked off to the side and vanished as he had done in the three previous fights. If the summon turned out to be a caster, the direwolf’s sneak attack could probably give them a chance. Just as Seth felt slightly more optimistic, a giant bear a...
2025-06-27 04:05:01 +0000 UTC View PostSeth stood alone in a dimly lit chamber, waiting for the tower's instructor to return and initiate his trial. His gaze wandered around, drawn first by the crystal-clear orb resting atop a four-legged stand at the center. Its faint glow was almost completely overpowered by the brilliance of the li...
2025-06-26 04:05:02 +0000 UTC View PostSeth and Devus left the dormitory and headed toward the only tower that wasn't attached to the academy’s main castle. Trees lining the cobblestone path cast long shadows around them as they walked, leaves rustling in the mild breeze.
"Hey, sorry for being grumpy lately," Devus...
2025-06-25 04:05:01 +0000 UTC View PostSeth turned Celine's words over and over in his mind as he headed back to the academy. The beast-holder and the contract were things any commoners with a sponsor could easily obtain, but now he had to find a plausible explanation for how he’d contracted a Copper beast. According to the...
2025-06-24 13:07:00 +0000 UTC View PostSo on Royalroad, the story is currently sitting on #11 of Rising Stars. As promised 5 days ago, if it hit #10 there will be an extra chapter today on RR and here!
So, if you haven't follow, favorite or rate, it would be great!
And once again, thank you so much for reading the story an...
2025-06-24 10:34:37 +0000 UTC View PostThe next morning, Seth stepped into Aether Affinity class a few seconds late, his black hair tousled and his golden eyes bleary from lack of sleep. He had stayed up quite late, trying to practice with his Lighter while reading his encyclopedia after his Military and History class. To catch up to ...
2025-06-24 04:05:02 +0000 UTC View PostSeth woke up early the next day, feeling unexpectedly refreshed despite his late-night reading. After dressing quickly, he slung his messenger bag over his shoulder and made his way through the academy’s bustling halls, searching for his morning class: Wielder Class Theory for Primalists. Findi...
2025-06-23 04:05:01 +0000 UTC View Post1.
First, I’ve created a new tier for the audio version of the story, based on a suggestion from one of the subscribers. The reason is simple: I want to know if people are actually listening to the audio before continuing to invest money into it, especially when that money could instead ...
2025-06-22 16:46:06 +0000 UTC View PostSeth entered the locker room nearly a dozen minutes after everyone else, hoping to avoid running into Lucius. No instructor meant no protection, and he wouldn’t be surprised if that silver-spooned bastard would use the occasion to jump him.
'Watching you lose was more annoying...
The audio options cost money, even if it's AI, because it's a high-quality service. If no one ends up listening to them, I’ll just stop and wait until the book gets published in a few years—then I’ll look into hiring a voice actor to do the whole thing properly.
But if even one person...
2025-06-21 11:28:04 +0000 UTC View PostSeth staggered out of the ring, his muscles throbbing from his first defeat of the day. He had won two matches in a row before facing Jenna, the Rank-18 Warrior who had just beaten him. His high Agility and Nightmare's bonus attributes had given him an edge against the other Warriors, but ...
2025-06-21 04:25:01 +0000 UTC View Post'You should wait here and ambush him,' Nightmare suggested from within his teardrop as Seth set his gray training uniform on a bench in the coliseum’s empty locker room.
Seth shook his head. 'I can’t beat him without your help—especially with all the leeches always...
2025-06-20 11:00:11 +0000 UTC View PostProfessor Reat strolled to the center of the room, his gaze sweeping over the sea of faces looking at him. "Let me show you another reason why manipulation is so important," he said, pulling a scroll from his bag and crushing it into his hand. A head-sized ball of fire flickered to life in...
2025-06-19 11:10:00 +0000 UTC View PostSeth and Devus sat together in the coliseum, a massive open-air arena surrounded by towering seven-story-high stands. Around them, a sea of a thousand students filled the lowest rows, two thirds dressed in the scarlet uniform and a third in gray—which was absurd given that nobles barely ...
2025-06-19 11:00:10 +0000 UTC View Post