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Soul of Blades - Chapter 13: The Dao
[Consume?]"Yes," Alex said, his voice barely heard in the swirling wind.It shot towards him, covering him in an instant, seeping into his clothes, his eyes, nose, and mouth.The last thing Alex saw as the ashes engulfed him was the system panel twitching, buzzing, and glitching. It turned blood red to display an unreadable message.[ ̷̳̮̏̄͝͠d̶̺̆͜͠s̸̡̽̚͠'̵̢̟͖̞̀͆t̸͇̾̃̌̕i̶̧̹̽̈́̋̚ ̷̱̑̽̂̚s̷̯̲̅...
Time-Smith: Chapter 13: Draconian ideals - Part 2
The air in the dimly lit room was thick with the smell of herbs and potions, R'hazul's laboratory was a place where only the bravest dared to venture. Or the ignorant. He was hunched over a body, his eyes scanning the corpse with a meticulousness that was almost frightening. Every inch of skin, every bone, every organ was scrutinised with a surgeon's precision. The man was so still, so focused, it was hard to believe he was mortal....
Soul of Blades - Chapter 12: Clash at the Summit
Behind and almost beside him, the horde of wolfmen and titanapes pursued relentlessly. Their thunderous footsteps pounding a drum-line through the mountain, and their growls filling the air. Battles erupted all around him as the jungle denizens clashed, trying to impede each other's progress. Projectiles flew through the chaotic scene, aimed at him, as the others recognized his head start and sought to close the gap.Alex weaved through the ch...
Time-Smith - Chapter 12: Draconian ideals - Part 1
Evan followed R'hazul deeper into the desert, observing the shifting sand beneath his feet, leaving no trace of their path behind them. R'hazul moved with a fluid grace that spoke to decades of practice, amplifying the movements of his armor and leggings in the evening sun. Evan, on the other hand, felt clumsy in the sand, but he was getting used to it.It turns out, that walking at speed or running through the desert is like playing a nev...
Soul of Blades - Chapter 11: Death vs Destruction
In the world of martial arts, there are countless techniques, and in the realm of the sword, they are all said to stem from eight different movements- eight attack angles. Well, nine if you include the stab.4 Vertical slashes.4 horizontal slashes.And of course, the stab. Once you truly delve into the complexities of sword play and the complexities of combat, the 9 multiplies into 18, then 36, and then endless variations for endless scenarios.All ...
Time-Smith - Chapter 11: The Limits of Flesh - Part 2
Evan sank to his knees, his body wracked with exhaustion, awe, and confusion. He knew he had gone too far, pushing his magic to the limit and beyond."KIN?”… that's what it had asked. The words still rang through his thoughts, even more than the pulsing and alien sensations of his twisted limb.The voice had been overwhelming. It had grown louder and louder in his head as his arm had continued to grotesquely distort, growing more eyes t...
Soul of Blades - Chapter 10: Skill Selection
[System Message: Choose one of 2 Skills][F-grade Skill 1: Astral Blades (Duration: 30 sec): Creates ethereal blades that surround the caster, slashing at enemies from all directions with increased speed and damage.][F-grade Skill 2: Mana burn (Duration: 30 sec): Burns through casters entire mana pool to double stats for a short period]Pressed for time, Alex's thoughts tumbled through his head as he considered his options. He hoped time was fr...
Time-Smith - Chapter 10: The Limits of Flesh - Part 1
The thing about time travel is that it involves not just moving through time, but also through space, both physical and metaphysical. When one is flung through time, they are not simply moving from one moment to the next, but also traversing the vast, interconnected web of causality that links past, present, and future.And then, just as suddenly as your journey begins, it's over. The world around you blurring and shifting, a fever-dream of co...
Soul of Blades - Chapter 9: The Horde
As the light fell in the distance, touching the horizon, casting long, languid shadows across the jungle terrain, Alex sat in the entrance of his cave, gazing down at the world below.He'd spent the past week inside this mountain, living off of what the land provided. With the help of his stats, the memories of a high school free-climbing field trip, and some strategic uses of 'Phoenix Leap,' he'd managed to secure this hidden cave...
Time-Smith - Chapter 9: Pyrrhic victory
Evan sat on the edge of the training room's cushioned mat, his world spinning, and his stomach churning.When he returned to the present, he felt a burst of powerful mana and meaning flood his mind, almost threatening to overwhelm him. At first, he had been too overwhelmed with nausea to acknowledge it, but he could still feel it. He could still feel the strange package of infinite and potent golden mana stored in his mind, almost begging for ...
Soul of Blades - Chapter 8: Four Options
Lost in the black expanse, he floated. A kendo practitioner reborn in a world not his own, a vast void Alex had felt only once before; a void reminiscent of his reincarnation. The dark emptiness stretched out, endless.A system message appeared, distorted. Its holographic characters glitching, flickering.Then, abruptly, the holographic chaos settled. Four notifications blinked into focus, their presence grounding him, anchoring him to the ephemera...
Time-Smith - Chapter 8: Blood Diamond - Part 2
*A few seconds earlier*Evan breathed a sigh of relief, having negotiated his safety in one of the most dangerous rooms in the city, and to one of its most dangerous citizens.Through promises to deliver artifacts of the Old Gods… great. He thought, the reality of his false promises dousing the fire of his freedom. His freedom depended on him entering dungeons and historical sites; places so filled and twisted by immensely powerful magic that the...
Soul of Blades - Interlude: Empire of War
The Martial Empire stretched into infinity, a vast expanse transcending physical boundaries and dimensions. It embodied an unchallenged authority, its dominion far beyond mortal comprehension.For It stood as a formidable realm of cultivators, masters of the divine arts.In a galactic auditorium of this supreme Empire, two outer disciples of a hidden cult surveyed a low grade world from their ethereal perch. Their eyes, mirroring the cosmos, reflec...
Time-Smith - Chapter 7: Blood Diamond - Part 1
A sea of swords hung eerily still in the air as Lady Sariel fixed her gaze on Evan's eyes from across the room.Evan found himself pinned to the wall, with her sword floating in the air and pressed against his throat. He could feel the cool touch of the diamond blade against his skin, and he knew he had lost.She stood with a regal and unyielding posture, while her suspended weapons glinted menacingly in the light.She had never once looked dire...
Soul of Blades - Chapter 7: Blood, Sweat, & Beasts
His body, his weapon, his will - all seemed to blend with the jungle as he ventured further in, towards the enemy. His heart steady and composed, its beat a growing rhythm of survival within him, filled with determination and purpose.He squared his shoulders, his grip tightening on the crude weapon. There was no turning back, no escape from this new world. It was survival or defeat. His choice was made. He would survive.***Alex stood alone, drape...
Time-Smith - Chapter 6: Diamonds & Gold
Evan was lost, adrift in a sea of memories, feeling as though a whirlpool had caught him, spinning him faster and faster. The world around him moved like a time-lapse, a blur of colours and shapes that coalesced and dissolved before his very eyes. It was like watching a painting come to life, each brushstroke a moment in time that flickered and danced before him, until he was lost in a maelstrom of time. A dull, throbbing ache in his head grew lo...
Time-Smith - Interlude: Extraction wars
Extraction warsThe Extraction Wars were a dark time in the world's history. The most powerful skill holders and creatures in the world banded together with a singular purpose: to kill the gods and steal their skills, their power. The war lasted for a decade and left destruction in its wake. The gods fought fiercely, but they were outnumbered and outmatched. The skill holders and creatures, driven by their insatiable thirst for power, were rel...
Time-Smith - Interlude: Gold & Diamonds
Lady SarielLady Sariel stood atop one of the towering megastructures in the grand palace of the ruling council, overlooking the city that she in all but name held dominion over. From this vantage point, the entire city was laid out before her, a sprawling mass of buildings, streets, and people. She looked upon it with a mixture of pride and amusement. The people below scurried like bees, going about their business without a care for the dangers t...
Soul of Blades - Chapter 6: Harsh Realities of the Sword
In the heart of the strange jungle, Alex watched as the portal pulsated with arcane energies, the system message glowing in his mind's eye.[Quest sub-system granted.]A jolt of shock coursed through him. Quests. The surreal reality of his situation had been given stark clarity.The list of tasks laid out before him hung in the air, a panel of demands, expectations and challenges. His gaze traced over each quest, the potential rewards enough to ...
Table of Contents: Time-Smith
All ChaptersContents: Time-Smith Time-Smith - Chapter 1: Evan’s Awakening Time-Smith - Chapter 2: Hunted Time-Smith - Chapter 3: A Second Chance Time-Smith - Chapter 4: Hunter - Part 1 Time-Smith - Chapter 5: Hunter - Part 2 Time-Smith - Interlude: Gold and Diamonds Time-Smith - Interlude: Extraction Wars Time-Smith - Chapter 6: Diamonds & Gold Time-Smith - Chapter 7: Blood Diamond - Part 1 Time-Smith - Chapter 8: Blood Diamond - Part 2 Time-Sm...
Time-Smith - Chapter 5: Hunter - Part 2
Evan opened his eyes to find himself standing in the peaceful forest, with Markus to his left, and Lucia to his right. All three of them whole, and alive.It worked!? He stood there in stunned silence, unable to speak. His thoughts moved at pace while his body stayed frozen. But what did I just do? I only activated [Postcognition]... How am I back in the past? His thoughts came to a screeching halt as a familiar beast entered the clearing.The Dusk...
Time-Smith - Chapter 4: Hunter - Part 1
It was early in the morning, a full day after gaining access to his skills. Evan felt ready and ecstatic.Heading into the dense forest, Evan carried his trusted bow slung over his shoulder, and a quiver full of arrows at his side. The sun just started to rise, bathing the foliage around him in a jade glow.The forest, with its ancient soul, stirred with anticipation as Evan delved deeper into its depths. It observed the lone humans steps with time...
Time-Smith - Chapter 3: A Second Chance
Evan's eyes snapped open, the vivid memories of the timeline that had just reset still etched in his mind. The room around him buzzed with the priests healing and the soft light of their divine [Appraisal] skills, poised to ensnare those around him. His heart pounded, but not from fear. It was a rhythm of newfound understanding, a silent mantra that screamed, "Not this time."Evan felt the priests' eyes on him, their gazes and outs...
Time-Smith - Chapter 2: Hunted
Evan looked on with dread growing in his stomach, as he watched the guards subduing the boy across the chamber.The other boy was still screaming, thrashing against his captors as they dragged him towards the door. The boy's skin was shining with a golden light, and as Evan watched in horror, he saw that the boy's body was mending itself even as it was being torn apart.He recognised the skill instantly - [Immortality]. It would grant whoev...
Time-Smith - Chapter 1: Evan’s Awakening
The sun was just beginning to rise over the sprawling slums of the city of Evercrest, and as the first light of day emerged, the city awakened, enveloped in its gentle, warm orange radiance. Its rays reflected across the dilapidated buildings and alleyways, like a magical filter, of sorts, that could make even the most run-down buildings seem somewhat picturesque.The boy, who was decidedly not Evan, but a fellow nameless member of the slums, rubb...
Table of Contents - Soul of Blades: The Transmigrated Swordsman
All chapters:Contents: Soul of Blades Soul of Blades - Chapter 1: The Swordmaster's Awakening Soul of Blades - Chapter 2: Error 404: Earth Not Found Soul of Blades - Chapter 3: "Alive” Soul of Blades - Chapter 4: Predatory Nature Soul of Blades - Chapter 5: Decoding the System Soul of Blades - Chapter 6: Harsh Realities of the Sword Soul of Blades - Chapter 7: Blood, Sweat, & Beasts Soul of Blades - Interlude: Empire of War Soul of Blad...
Soul of Blades - Chapter 5: Decoding the System
A few minutes earlier.Alex Ironwood was tired, exhausted even, but he was calm. His every breath seared through his lungs. Trees towered around him, the verdant canopy filtering sunlight into dappled fragments that lit his path. Unfamiliar calls from unseen creatures played in the background constantly, an eerie harmony of beasts calling to his steps.His heightened senses caught every sound, every distant creature. A consequence of his new world ...
Soul of Blades - Chapter 4: Predatory Nature
Alex's heart drummed a rapid beat in his chest as he propelled himself deeper into the forest, each lungful of air feeling like a precious gift. The earth shifted and sprayed underfoot like clay under his swift footsteps. Crunching twigs and leaves marked his frenzied passage.And blood. A trail of his blood followed his every desperate move.Clutching his shoulder as he ran, Alex assessed the damage. Blood smeared his fingers, and a large purp...
Soul of Blades - Chapter 3: Alive
The sky split. A thunderous roar filled the air. The pack was on the move, like a river of teeth and fur.Then came the leader.Bigger than the rest, towering over him, with a horn sharper than any blade, it moved with deadly precision. A predator born and bred. Its eyes - wild and hungry, fixed on Alex with a clear message.Prey.Stumbling on a tree root, Alex crashed to the ground. The ground seemed to quake beneath him. The cacophony of growls and...
Soul of Blades - Chapter 2: Error 404: Earth not found
[Planet X-1234598 Integration Complete][Planet X-1234598 Designation “Earth” - Rank F][Welcome to the Multiverse][Initiating System in…][3…2…1…][Error - Inductee 6,000,000,042 Soul in Stasis during first contact][Attempting to revive form - Failure - Protocol ‘Inductee-recycle: welcome message’ initiated][Recycling soul…][Attempting reincarnation to Multiverse Planet X-1234598 Designation “Earth”…Success][Error - e̴̟̓́...
