noct

146. There You Are

Ike froze. He glanced toward the voice, revealing the absolute minimum of his face. No way. I couldn’t get caught this fast.

A man strode toward him, dressed in beautiful but not f...

145. Secret Tunnel

They wandered through the woods for a time. Usually, the walk wouldn’t have bothered Ike, but with Shawn’s extra weight weighing him down, he felt every step. His breath came short. He adjusted...

144. Rescue Mission

As they walked, Clarina spoke. She spoke softly at first, but grew louder as her story progressed. Ike half-listened, keeping his ears and eyes enhanced in case any more puppets crept up on them. T...

143. Enemies of the New Republic

Ike activated Lightning Clad. He smashed his fist toward the man. A dagger glittered in the man’s hand, plunging toward Ike’s hand.

Blade sparked against blade. The man startled, shocked ...

142. Chase

Ike and Wisp ran through the woods. The two of them exchanged a glance, then ran on, faster now. Ike nodded at her. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Dangerous.”

“Are we just doing thi...

141. No Hunter

The man cleared his throat. “Have you seen a woman in blue?”

Ike watched the man silently, pretending to think about it. He wore a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and stood near the in...

140. A Wild Lady Appeared! Wild Lady Used Explode Core!

Light gathered around the lady’s chest and abdomen. Before anything else could happen, Ike blasted off. Lighting flashed after him, booming against the air. In a split second, he reached the lady...

139. Oh Deer

Wisp and Ike led Shawn through the woods. At first, the boy kept up with them, but before long, he flagged behind them. Ike paused and injected a tiny bit of aether, checking Shawn’s Rank. To his...

138. Your Grandfather

All the way down the mountain, the kid ranted at them. He let loose a expletive-filled tirade that would’ve been at home in a seaman’s tavern, let alone coming out of a captured child’s mouth...

137. The Same As Me

Ike whirled. Wisp turned, less surprised.

Mont stood there, slightly up the mountain. He smiled at them and clasped his hands together. “Have you figured it out, yet?”

Ike looked at...

136. Landslide Slope

The earth flowed down the mountain. Rocks crashed down on the camp. Trees snapped and broke. The very ground itself bucked and shuddered, threatening to turn liquid under Ike’s feet. Terrified, t...

135. The Strategy

He held his breath as he jumped through the barrier, watching Wisp closely. The barrier shimmered over his body, and he and Wisp both landed smoothly on the other side. Ike let out a breath. “We�...

134. The Tent Flap

The tent flap lifted away from the tent. For a moment, Ike caught sight of its contents.

A young boy laid in a steel cave. Heavy chains bound his neck and limbs. Only a short length of chain ...

133. The Main Camp

Ike wove through the trees, moving silently. Mont’s help went with him, the branches clearing out of his way only to fall back into place behind him. He lost track of Wisp after a few steps, as s...

132. Contested Vein

A tight stand of trees blocked their view of wherever Mont had pointed. The man stopped, frowning at the trees. Ike glanced at him, and Mont nodded. Drawing out his wolf pelt, Ike pulled it around ...

131. Mana Veins

They headed out of the inn. This morning, no black-robed mages leaped out at them from the aspens. A gentle breeze blew, cooling the bare heat of the high atmosphere’s intense sun. Ike lifted his...

130. Morning Light

Ike woke refreshed and light. He stretched, yawning wide, then closed his eyes again and snuggled into the bed. I want to stay in bed forever. Beds are so nice. Dear gods, I love beds.

129. Worth It

A new Unique skill. Ike bit his lip, his eyes sparkling. Infinite potential spread out before him, the incredible strength of a second Unique skill opening up routes he’d never considere...

128. Black-Robed

Ike vanished before the black-robed mage’s eyes. Startled, the mage looked left and right, searching for him.

A hand wrapped around his neck. The mage kicked and grabbed at his neck. Ike sh...

127. Mana Veins

“So, what kind of room do you want?” Lanie asked. She slid behind a heavy wood desk and pulled out a large ledger. An enormous picture window opened up behind her, giving a beautiful view of th...

126. Fellow Man

Ike stiffened. He looked at the man slowly. I can’t feel his pressure, but if anything, that just makes me more scared. Wisp can hide hers, too. If Wisp just insulted an ancient mage, we’re...