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Savage Awakening 122. Touch of Death (V)

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The punch fell the way night fell. An endless darkness settling over his world, settling over his soul. And he sank straight into it. Deeper and deeper…

He thought it would be a violent thing. Not at all. It was gentle, almost a tender good night; so tender he couldn't even ra...

121. The Touch of Death (IV)

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Zane could tell when they both hit a wall six moves deep.

Every new level just ballooned. For Zane, it felt like his soul was stretching, tearing at the seams.

Eze, meanwhile, was doing stuff Zane couldn't even start to understand. While Zane felt everything out—like put...

Savage Awakening 120. Touch of Death (III)

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Eze's eyes began to glow. Shit.

Zane rushed to match him.

Something was coming—Zane could feel it. The two of them started circling each other like prowling lions. All around them, the crowd stood in hushed, breathless silence.

Zane tapped into Eze's ...

Savage Awakening 119. Touch of Death (II)

The punch landed, and they all felt it. You didn't even need Sage Mind—the aftershock swept the far and wide, passing through every soul there. A soft echo of what Cain had felt—a futility, an utter hopelessness, on and on.

Silence reigned. They were all frozen. Shaken. The treasure had...

Savage Awakening 118. Touch of Death (I)

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There was a deathly silence. Then— “Emeka Eze!” said Cain. His voice came out shaky and about an octave higher than before. He cleared his throat, tried getting his voice under control. "What…What a lovely surprise!"

He was smiling, but he was actually quite spooked. You...

Savage Awakening 117. Tomb Kings (IV)

A/N:

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I have edited 116 to

1—play down Zane's 'feel-bad-about-beating-up-Mike

2—include a brief lil monologue by Mike in the astral realm before shit goes down

3—show Zane's full beatdown of mike, including a different end

//

Z...

Savage Awakening 116. Tomb Kings (III)

Then it felt like he'd been shoved. Shoved so hard his whole world spun. He was violently flung away; he started falling, hurtling out of control. Nausea washed over him; not in his gut or in his head—not anywhere he was used to feeling it. Not anywhere physical. It went deeper than that, wrenc...

Savage Awakening Chapter 115. Tomb Kings (II)

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Mike came at him like a rabid animal. "DIE!" he shrieked.

Zane, meanwhile, was still feeling bad about the whole thing. In Zane's head Mike was still just a poor sad guy.

In that moment it was easy to forget Mike Masters was ranked top ten in the world—and he'd already s...

Savage Awakening 114. Tomb Kings (I)

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A/N: 

Retconned so Mike Masters broke through 2 weeks before present time, and is Level 106!

//

1 month ago...

A full moon shone over a desolate mountain peak. A peak so high it loomed far above the restle...

Savage Awakening AU? Chapter 114??. Tomb Kings (I)

A/N: 

CAVEAT: 

I was originally going to trash this chapter and rewrite it from scratch. 

But I didn't want to leave y'all with nothing for today--and I figure even something that isn't canon story content could be interesting--so...

Savage Awakening 113. Cliff Face

A/N:

Changed it so you can now gain essence within the Asura Hell Array--wanted to make the runs more consequential; due to this, have had to do some other minor retcons:

—changed payment mechanics a bit. You pay an initial cost of 5 high-grade essence stones, plus ...

Savage Awakening 112. Testing (II)

He wasn't sure how much faster his Skill Leveling had gotten in here. When was the last time he Leveled two Skills in a row? He couldn’t even remember.

He wondered if they were based on kills. That'd be nice. The splash damage was very convenient.

He figured he was pretty well suite...

Savage Awakening 111. Testing (I)

Zane touched down and wiped a line of soot off his face.

He looked at the mess he'd made. All the half-melted boulders strewn about, gaping open, showing their swirling lava cores. He smiled.

Yes. He liked this.

Still though...he scratched his head. It wouldn't do to go flying e...

Savage Awakening 110. Big Deal

"I want three A-ranked Law treasures," said Zane.

Elias gagged. "You want what."

"One Electricity, one Fire, One Wood."

"Wood?!"

"It's for Reina."

Elias goggled at him. Then he took a deep breath, in and out, and plastered on a wobbly little smile. "Let...

Savage Awakening 109. Third Class Evolution

Zane liked the Chain Warlord a lot. The idea of using a harpoon and dragging them in… You couldn't grapple much with axes, so he'd let that part of his style rust a little. But he had a soft spot for it.

The main problem with Axes was also why he liked grappling. Lots of his enemies nowad...

Savage Awakening 108. Breakthrough (III)

A/N: housekeeping: changed end of Yuki’s section so he notes Zane’s breakthrough, but doesn't come see

//

A single note rang out. A silvery note, a note of the soul. It was the same note Zane felt in that Steelheart Conclave Law recording. Now it spread from him, ...

Savage Awakening 107. Breakthrough (II)

A/N: Yui Urabe -> Yuki Urabe

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//

Steel essence poured out of the Worldseed like water escaping a dam. Into him.

Zane closed his eyes. He reached out with his soul.

Usually, he had to make an effort. It took some searching. Not so right now. I...

Savage Awakening 106. Breakthrough (I)

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Zane was to meet Evan and Avery in the 'Golden Garden.' It was named for the little gold-petaled flowers peppering its grounds, swaying gently in the breeze. It stood on top of a hill. From here you could see most of the Silicon Coven headquarters sprawled out below, a dotting of stee...

Savage Awakening 105. Scouting Out

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Zane was a little concerned as he watched them go, but... eh. Evan would be fine. Avery was a little... much... but she meant well.

***

The mid-afternoon sun told him he still had a few hours before dinner. So he went to get settled. He walked down a main ave...

Savage Awakening 104. Talent

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"So? Want to give it a try?"

Zane just frowned at him. Elias rolled his eyes. "It's not a trick question. Yeesh." Zane could feel he was telling the truth.

"Here." Elias held out the crystal. "Let me show you."

Once he grasped it firmly, a little scale flickered up i...

Savage Awakening 103. Arrival

NOTE: Retconning Evan's age to be ~14-15 to better match his personality! Also, removed the part where they can just teleport back from any A-rank Beacon for logistical reasons.

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//

First Zane and Evan teleported to Titansteel. From there th...

Savage Awakening 102. ( ๑‾̀◡‾́)σ

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They found Evan in one of the sick rooms—a cozy little thing on the fourth floor with a grand window overlooking the Faction's north side. You could see the fountains spurting up in the town square from here.

Evan lay in a little bed. He wasn't alone—there were three n...

January End of Month Q&A

Here’s your chance to ask any burning questions you have, or just to tell me how you think the story’s going! 

Ex—if you want to know what inspired this story, I’d say:

Solo Leveling, the 2005 video game Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team, and a gazillion different...

Savage Awakening 101. Show and Tell

They lay there for who knew how long. Zane was happy just being Reina's pillow, listening as best he could, and being curious. He could tell she was a little pent-up. He wanted to help her vent a little.

She started telling him about it. Things were going better actually. The Harbormasters ...

Savage Awakening 100. Big Stick

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Woo chapter 100! 

//

A bunch of treasures lay inside atop a red plush bed. The first was a piece of paper,

smooth and yellow. He'd seen this kind of paper before.

Merchants Guild Promissory Note (B)

This promissory note can b...