2024-09-18 19:50:59
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
54 - shell of fairness
The ferry horn echoed up the cliff like a long-held breath finally released. Eric stood on the pier, the sun warm on his shoulders, the sea calm for the first time in months. When Meghan stepped off the gangway, duffel slung over one arm, her eyes were red-rimmed but bright with relief. Eric’s heart did a small, helpless flip.“Hey, you,” he said, voice softer than he meant.She dropped the bag and walked straight into his arms. “I was scared you’d be mad,” she whispered against his neck. “Dad used you, Eric. He USED you.”He held her tighter, feeling her tremble. “I’m not mad at you.”. Their relationship is progressing a little too fast. “I know.” She pulled back just enough to look at him, eyes glassy. “But I’m still sorry. I should’ve seen it sooner.”Eric brushed a strand of hair from her face. “Come inside. Let’s talk where it’s quiet.”They climbed the pulley path in silence, Meghan’s fingers laced through his. At the mansion, Mimi bounded over, water orb spinning above her pal
54 - badge of transparency
Eric sat cross-legged on the warm basalt of the rooftop garden, sunlight pouring over the plateau for the first time in weeks. The rain curtain had vanished completely; the sky was a clean, endless blue. Mimi squealed as she chased a water orb that now glittered like a prism in the open air. Grandfather Song Tu leaned against the railing, eyes closed, letting the sun warm his face. Grandmother Dolly shaped soft clay into small dragon badges, her fingers steady and unhurried. Richie Rich had gone below to check the yacht’s fuel; the sea lanes were open again.Eric’s console hovered in front of him, player count ticking upward: 52,348… 52,349… Each new oath was another person choosing Terra, but the numbers didn’t make his pulse race. They simply confirmed that the system was working. He wanted enough—enough safety, enough comfort, enough fairness for the people he loved. An empire? That was for people who needed the noise. He just wanted his corner of the world to be quiet and just.He
53 - shard submission
The relentless, perpetual rain that characterized Coiling Dragon Island during the peak of the Terra server’s digitization cycle continued its rhythmic beat against the reinforced glass dome of the mansion’s rooftop garden. Eric, dressed in simple black training gear, leaned against the cliffside railing, the humid, ozone-rich air heavy around him. The sun, a hazy disc behind the clouds, cast an ethereal golden mist over the elevated plateau, illuminating the chaotic beauty of his new home.Below, the water-level pavilion buzzed with activity. Mimi, his sister, was a whirlwind of motion, her laughter echoing off the damp rock faces as she levitated a dozen grapefruit-sized water orbs, her primary Water Manipulation skill leveling with every twirl. Grandfather Song Tu was on the opposing cliff face, his massive frame a silhouette against the eternal lightning, channeling bolts into a series of jagged rock formations, slowly forging them into crude, thunder-charged turrets. Grandmother D
52 - Panic in S-city
Eric woke to the hum of the server console, its holographic display flickering like a digital aurora above his bed in the mansion's rooftop garden. The eternal lightning cracked overhead, casting erratic shadows on the reinforced glass dome. Beside him, Richie Rich snored softly in a hammock—his new "investor" ally had crashed hard after last night's strategy session. Downstairs, the family stirred: Mimi practicing water ballet in the courtyard, Grandfather Song Tu charging thunder crystals, Grandmother Dolly shaping golem sentinels from island mud.But Eric's eyes were glued to the feed. S-city was unraveling.[Server Alert: Player count - 12,457. Digitization: Earth 100%. Abyss Pit Instance: Active. Containment Integrity: 98%.]He swiped to the global feeds—X,
51 - kill list
Eric gripped the yacht's wheel tightly as the vessel cut through the choppy waves, the salty spray stinging his face. The night sky above was a canvas of swirling clouds, occasionally pierced by distant lightning that reminded him of the eternal storm around Coiling Dragon Island. His mind raced faster than the boat, piecing together the chaos unfolding back in S-city. The abyss portal in the H-hospital township sinkhole wasn't just a random anomaly—it was a deliberate sabotage. That soldier, whoever he was, had unleashed those zombie-corruption birds to spark an apocalypse. But Eric's traps had turned the tide, harvesting F-grade abyss crystals like ripe fruit from a poisoned tree.The server notifications buzzed in his peripheral vision, a constant stream of [Player xxx joined the server] and [Digitization progress: 100%]. Earth was now fully under Terra's umbrella, an "instance" in the game's parlance. It meant he could intervene anywhere, but it also painted a bigger target on his
50 - Backstab
The bright eyed young man lingered at the edges of the H-hospital township construction. The blue construction curtains remained closed, with danger signs pasted all over them. As the night fell, he slowly slipped between the covers, entering the construction area. He turned on a flash light, illuminating the walk area.The walk area is only about five meters. As he directed the light into the sinkhole, it vanished without a trace, leaving behind only darkness. Just from that, one could tell how deep this fathom was. He turned his back to the fathom. He spread his hands like a falcon, then fell back.▬ ●◘● ▬[ Danger ! ][ Danger ! ]The red warni
You may also like
The Loser No 1 : Trapped Inside Alorexa
Rytir10.3K viewsGlitch
Bumblevee 393 viewsTop Game
Entertainment Hub2.3K viewsApocalypse - World Of Zombie Games!
Bridget Arnold1.9K viewsOmniscient CraftMaster
BlackDaisy1.3K viewsOne Day Early: My Infinite Card System
BlackDaisy174 viewsUltimate NeroMancer
pretty oni chan 7218 viewsVRMMORPG: HEAVEN'S DESCENT
Mastermind 1.4K views