Zarthos posts
Posts: 274
Files: 366
162 - Last Remains Trapped on the Page
First- Previous- NextQin Yun sat on the ground, book in hand, as all around him, massive pieces of purplish grey flesh wriggled and sublimated into a fog, only to quickly reform again, awaiting more to join them.The bizarre grey flowers that once littered the endless plains were gone in a radius of a few miles, while dark clouds, akin to a swarm of locusts, could be seen rushing toward their position, bloating out most of the dim light produced by the distant flowers.The once flat ground was now...
161 - Strange Cultivation Method
First- Previous- NextAs soon as Qin Yun left the barrier, a flexible limb came swinging his way like a whip, rushing through the air as it produced a loud shrill. He tilted to the side, avoiding the blow with ease. Once again, this elastic limb struck against the barrier, shattering into countless grey particles, becoming a dense fog.Qin Yun raised his knee, striking the creature square in the chest. The beast flew backwards, arms flailing as it tried to regain its balance, but then fell forward...
160 - The Cost of War
First- Previous-NextOnce all the Corruption had been filtered, Qin Yun rose to his feet and approached the barrier once again. He peered into the flailing creature's eyes. They were devoid of any light, just two bottomless pits. The more he looked into the abyss, the more he felt his sanity waver. This Corruption was old—older than anything he had ever witnessed in these lands.“Talk to me,” he said.However, the creature merely rambled on incoherently. There were no signs of intelligenc...
159 - Glimpse of a Path Forward
First- Previous- NextThe words were but a garbled mess of indistinct sounds. The creature’s wobbly arms flailed around as if trying to convey something, yet Qin Yun noticed some peculiar points he couldn’t help but feel were striking.First, the creature's thorax rose up and down, yet the movement was much too regular to be likened to breathing, especially with the jagged way it moved. With such powerful movement and long screams coming out of its deformed mouth, Qin Yun believed the crea...
158 - A Taste of Ancient Corruption
First- Previous- NextThe world opened up to a peculiar sight. Beyond those wooden doors was the outside world, yet it differed much from the Western Domain. It felt like an alien world, filled with exotic flora that rose to the sky, but the strangest thing that remained was the lack of all colours. The world was dark and grey.The sky above was completely black, with no stars to be seen. However, darkness didn't encroach upon the world despite the lack of sunlight, for those strange plants pr...
157 - The True Shape of the World
First- Previous- NextThe corridor seemed to stretch onto eternity, yet Qin Yun knew this was just an illusion from the reflected light against the polished stone. He couldn't see far in front of him as the light seemed to fade into darkness, but with each step, it became slightly brighter, allowing him to take just another. That was until he found an opening in the wall, a door leading to an adjacent room.“Anyone in there?” Qin Yun asked, knocking on the door frame, yet he knew not to ex...
156 - Stranded Outside the Bounds
First- Previous- NextQin Yun gasped as he opened his eyes. Added to the ache of his body, he felt a splitting headache as two new sets of memories streamed into his mind simultaneously. He took a few moments to compose himself, separating those memories from his own as he recalled the last images that flashed before his eyes as he was struck by the tribulation.Why... Why did it expend all that energy?Qin Yun wasn't shocked or outraged by how the Heavenly Dao treated him. He didn't feel a...
155 - The Two that Became One
First- Previous- NextAn explosion rang over the battlefield. Shrapnel flew everywhere, impaling soldiers left and right. Flames burst from the soil alongside a shower of dirt, only to fall back down like rain.A young man was crouched in a trench as he held his rifle tight, tucking his head inwards to protect it despite the metal helmet resting on his head. The edge of said helmet was already chipped with a large crack spanning almost its entire length. It was a miracle his head was still in one ...
154 - Unseen Connections
First- Previous- Next“Sister? What happened? Are you alright?”Yun Jingfei had just awoken from her meditation, but somehow, her emotions were out of control, something that had never happened before. As a cultivator, she had long learned to control them. Except for extreme cases, nothing should have affected her, especially not when cultivating, yet here she was, tears streaming down her cheeks.Feng Xia was at her side, looking concerned as she clung to her sleeve. Ever since they had return...
153 - An Incomprehensible Rupture
First- Previous- Next“That shouldn’t be possible!” Qin Yun screamed at the sky. “We’re already so far from the Well of Souls. How could it possibly have the strength to manifest itself here?”Despite wanting to deny what was happening in front of his eyes, Qin Yun couldn't bring himself to. It was plain to see, for he was intimately familiar with this phenomenon. These dark clouds were signs of the Heavenly Dao gathering its strength to manifest itself here. There was no doubt abo...
152 - The Struggles of a Dying World
First- Previous- Next“This world is doomed... isn't it?"Qin Yun sat at the edge of the world, watching this miniature sun slowly descend into the darkness. He bore witness to what he feared most, a desolate landscape where not the slightest trace of life could subsist.As the light fell, many outlines appeared within the darkness. They all possessed the same shape, that of large lotus leaves. With almost no reference point, Qin Yun couldn’t judge the distance, yet he only had to make ...
151 - To Stand at World's End
First- Previous- NextQin Yun stood at the edge of the precipice. All he saw was a sheer drop into a dark abyss. What remained of the river tumbled down without end. There wasn’t even any sound of it hitting the ground, just a deep, prolonged silence.As he gazed into the dark, many emotions swirled into Qin Yun's heart. No matter how apathetic he had become through his many lifetimes, there was simply no way for a living being to remain unmoved at the sight. There was always an ember smould...
150 - An Ancient River's Dying Throes
First- Previous- NextIt took another full day for the Exiles to reach a consensus. From what Qin Yun could piece together from what he was told, his offer had created a three-way divide within the tribe. A nontrivial number of them had already realized the threat the Ruling Tribe posed and were in accord with Qin Yun's plan. They believed this to be the best way to navigate these uncertain times, as food and water had always been their foremost worries.A slightly smaller contingent believed ...
149 - The Oncoming Dread
First- Previous- Next“Grandpa! Are you really going to trust an Avaad?”Qin Yun couldn't comprehend what made her so mad. While he understood the friction between their two races, this was much more than that. It was personal. Still, he couldn't just come out and ask for fear of worsening the current situation. He could see the old man was receptive to what he offered."Enough!" the old man said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "While in the presence of others, you will o...
148 - The Heavens' Grand Design
First- Previous- Next“Why do you have this?” the old man asked.There was a deep frown on his face, filled with doubts and uncertainty. Never had he expected to witness this symbol after so long, much less from the hands of a foreigner. However, there was no way for it to be fake, as its shine was all that was needed to verify its authenticity."She gave it to me. Why else would I have this?" Qin Yun replied rather smugly. He couldn't help but revel in the awkwardness this prompted...
147 - Personification of a Myth
First- Previous- Next“What would you even know, youngster? You weren’t even born when I watched many of our tribes being cut down like insects while you bask in the protection of this biased world. How much more should we suffer by your hands? The Avaads’ very existence is proof of their guilt!”“Oh, please. Get off your high horse. You're far from the only ones who suffered," Qin Yun said as he used his blade to prop himself up.His whole body was bloody, yet the wounds were qui...
146 - Speaking Nothing But the Truth
First- Previous- NextDespite the amiable words that had been spoken, Qin Yun didn't relax a bit, for the pressure emitting from the old man's body hadn't diminished in any way. It wasn't the strong coercion of qi waves striking his body like when he met a cultivator approaching the peak of the Soul Formation realm, someone like the master of Jin City, Sun Yang. It felt more like space itself bent to the old man's every whim, like his presence alone was enough to distort reali...
043 - Straying Away from the Pack
First- Previous- Next“I oppose this!” Celena snapped as she rose.The motion propelled her simple wooden chair slightly backwards. It tumbled a few times, creating a muffled noise before landing on its side. Still, none of them paid any attention as their gazes were fixed on Ethan.“That’s not up to you,” Ethan replied sternly. “You will respect the chain of command, or I will have you dismissed.”Despite the words threatening to come out of her mouth, it remained closed as Celena bit...
001 - Death to All Birds!
Preface: So I was bored today, and decided to try something new. Unlike all my other series, I haven't really dabbled in first person story telling so I would like your input on this matter. I'd like to know if my character's thought comes of as too jarring and I should roll it back a little. I also wanted to write about a non-human character for once. Come out of my comfort zone, if you will. It's also LitRPG, something that many people like, yet I've also never dabbled in i...
145 - A Position of Strength
First- Previous- NextWithout bothering to address their stares, Qin Yun rose to his feet and took out a knife. He plunged it into his forearm, being sure to leave a long, bleeding gash. Blood splattered everywhere as the two looked upon Qin Yun in horror, thinking he had gone mad. However, Qin Yun's expression was still calm and serene. He showed no indication of the pain he was surely feeling.Instead, Qin Yun stared at the wound. Thanks to his amazing vitality, he could see it slowly heal, ...
042 - A Flavourless Meal
First- Previous- NextEthan had returned to his tent alongside Theo. They both poured over the map as he had done countless times before. By now, he had almost committed it to heart, yet he still felt uneasy not having it open on the small table between them.“Where did they say they were attacked,” Theo said as he sat on a chair facing the map.Ethan didn't know why he cared as he couldn't see the map at all, yet he still chose to answer nonetheless, for he couldn't see the depths ...
144 - All In on a Bet
First- Previous- NextQin Yun felt a wave of relief wash over him. While he had fared just fine with only one arm, as he had his mechanical one to rely on, he couldn’t be more satisfied to finally have the use of this limb back. He even opened his eyes momentarily to admire his work.It seemed slightly different than before, yet the differences were minute. Some of his moles were slightly displaced, while others were gone completely. This wasn't the same arm he had lost but a completely new ...
143 - Pushing One's Luck
First- Previous- Next“What are you thinking?" Kerak asked, noticing the devious expression on Qin Yun's face. Qin Yun's gaze was locked downward onto Ressa's unconscious body, and Kerak couldn't help but feel a slight chill.“Nothing, really,” he replied as this expression vanished, returning to normal. “She won’t be unconscious for long. We should probably tie her up. I doubt she’ll suddenly become cooperative once she wakes up.”Kerak felt conflicted about doing...
142 - Ressa, the Desert's Prodigy
First- Previous- Next“Ressa? Is that you?” the young man stuttered, slightly letting go of his grip over the young woman’s arms. However, he still stood over her, bracing her against the ground.She was small, much smaller than he was. Unlike the Outsider women, who wore long garb that covered them from the harsh sun, the young woman's outfit was much more revealing. What Qin Yun found strange was that most women's clothes were made of material similar to his, while the men wore mai...
141 - A Storm on the Canopy
First- Previous- NextWhile keeping his gaze up, Qin Yun took a few steps backwards before bending down and retrieving the arrow deeply embedded into the ground. He then raised it to his eyes and noticed that the tip was black yet didn't resemble any metal he knew of. This was to be expected for this was no metal at all.“Obsidian?” Qin Yun muttered, unable to contain his surprise. “No spirituality whatsoever. Just an ordinary rock.”This struck him as strange, for no mere obsidian shou...
041 - News From the Front
First- Previous- NextIn the first hours of the morning, Ethan awoke. And yet, he didn't feel the slightest bit refreshed. The night had been cold, and he had felt the wind strike against the cloth of his tent the entire night, keeping him awake for most of it. Added to the stress of his position, Ethan felt positively dreadful.Despite it all, he rose without a single word of complaint.Outside, the world was still dark, with light only beginning to show itself. And yet, breakfast was already ...
140 - A Single Sword Against the Hordes
First- Previous- Next“What kind of bird is this?" the young man exclaimed, holding his weapon tightly. "Is it even a bird?""Now that's the interesting thing," Qin Yun began, feeling slightly amused by the existence of this creature. "There's been debate over whether these are reptiles or birds, but the consensus seemed to be trending toward being both simultaneously.""What are you babbling about?" he replied, confused about Qin Yun's nonchalance....
040 - The First Night
First- Previous- NextThe convoy had come to a halt, at least for today. While most labourers were busy raising tents and starting fires, Ethan's own had already been erected. He stood within, nose deep into his map, as he carefully reviewed the itinerary he had chosen through careful considerations. He still remembered it by heart, but doubts loomed over him.Was this the best path, or was he leading them to hell? The burden of command was much heavier than he expected.He carefully put down t...
139 - A Mirror of the Past
First- Previous- NextDespite Qin Yun's insistence, he held his weapon tight, frowning as he tried to peer through the scattered thick bushes. They obfuscated most of his line of sight, yet he could feel movement beyond, hiding behind. Whatever they were, they moved silently. The wind could not catch their scent, but they were undoubtedly there.“Show yourselves!” the man cried, pushing away Qin Yun’s restricting hand.Qin Yun frowned as the man chose simplicity. Whether that was good or ...
039 - The Long March
First- Previous- NextThe convoy ran through the Capital to the admiration of many. The Academy’s colours were prominently displayed on their clothes. Even Ethan had been granted new ones in response to his new post. Instead of a long robe, his resembled a military attire more: pragmatic and durable, with just enough flair to show his rank.Around him were some of the Martial Division's students, wearing the same purple uniforms. They were armed to the teeth, sporting all kinds of weaponry, ...
