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[MA] 340. Tribunal of Peers
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter.[A/N: Notice: There will be no chapters from 12/26 to 01/06. In other words, I'll take two weeks off. I was initially compelled to do so by my wife, but I'm feeling more tired each passing day and believe it's the right thing to do. It's been forever since I took a real vacation to decompress.If you want a refund this month, just comment below or DM me. No questions asked, no hard feelings.Chapters this week: 2/3Next chapter...
[LitF] 51.2. Interlude 2 - False Evil
Previous Chapter - Table of Contents - Next Chapter Lyra looked at her left hand as she closed and opened it.No matter how many times she did it, she was still weirded out by not feeling her pinky touch her palm. Or seeing the rest of her pinky. The scab on the lower third of the missing finger even itched, making the injury double the hassle, but she had been punished when she dared to scratch it. It interfered with the potion that helped the finger regrow.Recalling the punishment made he...
[LitF] 51.1. Interlude 1 - Glimpsing the Deep
Previous Chapter - Table of Contents - Next Chapter[A/N: A chapter released on schedule! \o/This "chapter" and the next one will actually consist of 2 posts each, for a total of 4. They are all interludes. Some readers wanted other characters' PoVs, and when it rains, it pours. Well, I cheated a little; half are PoVs from past events, but it still counts in my book.Writing these interludes was quite challenging, so I hope you like it!I made sure these interludes add to the story in m...
[MA] 339. I Failed
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[Chapters this week: 1/3Next chapter: Thursday] In the end, Shen deemed everyone guilty of treason.Most lied or tried to use their background to intimidate him, but it was easy to ascertain the truth after being ordered to judge these people. He just needed to make queries to the system, and he got answers.As much as he wanted not to convict the ones who had tried to stop him, system recordings showed they were involved in other illega...
[MA] 338. The Face of Perfection
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[A/N: Notice: There will be no chapters from 12/26 to 01/06. In other words, I'll take two weeks off. I was initially compelled to do so by my wife, but I'm feeling more tired each passing day and believe it's the right thing to do. It's been forever since I took a real vacation to decompress.I acknowledge the notice is a bit sudden, so if you want a refund this month, just comment below or DM me. No questions asked, no hard ...
[MA] 337. Discretionary Power
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[A/N: Notice: There will be no chapters from 12/26 to 01/06. In other words, I'll take two weeks off. I was initially compelled to do so by my wife, but I'm feeling more tired each passing day and believe it's the right thing to do. It's been forever since I took a real vacation to decompress.I acknowledge the notice is a bit sudden, so if you want a refund this month, just comment below or DM me. No questions asked, no hard ...
[MA] 336. Aura-Material Suppression
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[A/N: Chapter this week: 2/3Next chapter: Saturday]Taeral Miavalur's superiors had estimated what the Hopeless Wanderer hoped to achieve with the lockdown he had been denied, and the most likely reason was to hunt for fugitives while using the ensuing chaos to detect hidden players and later deal with them. Likewise, he was likely to use his Exemplary Brigade to make things even more chaotic and force the secret forces to move.Though Tae...
[MA] 335. Infinite Improvement
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[Notice: There will be no chapters from 12/26 to 01/08. In other words, I'll take two weeks off. I was initially compelled to do so by my wife, but I'm feeling more tired each passing day and believe it's the right thing to do. It's been forever since I took a real vacation to decompress.I acknowledge the notice is a bit sudden, so if you want a refund this month, just comment below or DM me. No questions asked, no hard fe...
[MA] 334. A Human?!
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[A/N: Chapters this week: 3/3Next chapter: Tuesday] Shen quickly reached the general area he was heading to.To his surprise, D-ranks and even weaker Guardians tried to stop him dozens of times by blocking the corridors. He just kept running, stumbling into them and continuing unimpeded. It severely injured seven E-ranks and three D-ranks who assumed he would be gentler.Sadly for them, he wasn't stupid enough to give the fugi...
[MA] 333. Purity
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[Chapters this week: 2/3Next chapter: Saturday] With the notification came a system window. 「Secret Containment ProtocolMultiple individuals in the Samir Node have been exposed to too many high-level secrets of the Alliance. It has been determined that asking for their secrecy won't suffice to keep the secrets contained.Samir is now on S-tier lockdown.- Messages and teleportation won't work to or from external pl...
[LitF] 50. Doomsday Device
Previous Chapter - Table of Contents - Next Chapter[A/N: Sorry for the delay. News at the end.Also, this chapter's first paragraph will be turned into the previous chapter's last paragraph to add a little healthy cliffhanger to it.] "Run!" the voice of the old Elf Commander lady screamed from the handset as soon as Arthur took it from the housing. "Nuclear missiles! Terrell's trap! Run!"Arthur immediately started pulling all nearby metal to him and flying sidewa...
[MA] 332. Darla
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[Chapters this week: 3/3Next chapter: Tuesday] People asked a few questions about the Justicar Program, and then Shen asked some Guardians to spar with each other so he could evaluate their strength.As much as he wanted to fight Vinamour, he asked him to battle Hukzun instead. The lithe and tall fanmv was all about speed, while the short and thick kulonv was an insurmountable obstacle. Vinamour was stronger, and his sabers hit Hukzun c...
[MA] 331. Change Everything
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[A/N: A perfect week with all chapters released on schedule! \o/Chapters this week: 3/3Next chapter: Tuesday] "As a wise man once said," the Grand Senator said as he entered his sworn brother's dwelling. "It's easier to break the atom than keep a dragon from a dark cave."There was only darkness in the Acting General's bedroom. Yet, the General himself, an abyssal dragon, was paradoxically visible because the...
[MA] 330. Heavenly Decree
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[A/N:Chapters this week: 2/3Next chapter: Saturday]Shen kept checking on the battlefield while ensuring no accidents happened and everyone respected the rules.Blue Sky and Rayna had both gotten to a corner to fight, and explosions were frequent. Shen evaluated them as barely at tier 7, but Rayna anticipated every single one of Blue Sky's moves. Indeed, the drow had perfected the art of dealing with lansiers.Rayna's long whip contr...
[MA] 329. Unthinkable and Humiliating
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[A/N: Chapters this week: 1/3Next chapter: Thursday] Blue Sky's Path had six Laws spread among three Axioms: Water, Fire, and Death. Rayna's had three Laws from three Axioms: Air, Annihilation, and Darkness.Their auras clashed and suppressed each other as the women got closer; their wills engaged in battle long before their magic or weapons could do anything.Shen analyzed everything with great interest. Talent was valued by the...
[LitF] 49. Magic Beyond Understanding
Previous Chapter - Table of Contents - Next Chapter[A/N: Only one day late! \o/] The humanoid core didn't react to seeing the scabbard, which worried Arthur a little. So, when he pushed the metallic sheath against the invisible wall's boundary and found no resistance, he didn't rejoice. Instead, he moved the object sideways and tried to move his hand through the hole the voidsteel should've created.His hand found the same impregnable wall as before.Arthur supposed the wall ...
[MA] 328. Otherwise
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[Chapters this week: 3/3Next chapter: Tuesday] Shen approved of Vinamour's proposal. It would be a great way for him and the Battalion Commanders to see how their troops performed on each level and let everyone experience working together.He also liked how Blue Sky had decided not to give a damn about the exercise and just bring a random factor to it by having the E-ranks attack as soon as the battle started. That matched what he e...
[MA] 327. The Fundamentals
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[A/N: Chapters this week: 2/3Next chapter: Saturday] Vinamour was a single step from forming a domain. He felt it like a soundtrack on his every breath. Only something was missing. Until he found it, whenever a theme perfectly fitted his emotions and circumstances, his Path of Music empowered him.That happened now. The Theme of Swift Triumph wasn't fitting anymore. He changed it to a Theme of Soft Hatred. It had to be soft. He had ...
[LitF] 48. Of Commanders and Dungeons
Previous Chapter - Table of Contents - Next Chapter[A/N: Late again. Sorry.] Arthur nodded to the dwarf. "Thank you." He turned to the elf. "Is that enough?"The old woman smiled and said, "Black Aegis, deactivate."The dwarf was next. "Black Aegis, deactivate."The trap's enchantments obeyed. Arthur also reconnected the building's internal wires just in time for them to send signals informing that everything was fine. The voidsteel bars started descend...
[MA] 326. Next
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[A/N: Huge chapter, almost twice as long as usual. I shouldn't have done it. It messed with my writing schedule. But the words kept flowing, and it took me a while to reach a point that felt right to end the chapter.So, enjoy!Chapters this week: 1/3Next chapter: Thursday] Luthdel challenged Shen next.The blond high elf was visibly upset at how the other Guardians had disregarded Shen. The two of them had gotten to know each other w...
[MA] 325. Welcome to Samir
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[Notice: We're back on schedule! \o/Chapters this week: 3/3Next chapter: Tuesday] One C-rank and eight D-ranks materialized before a mobile fortress in a vast empty space, just like in La'sing. Around them, a little over six thousand Guardians were also teleporting to Samir.A proper Brigade consisted of between 584,944 to 1,058,508 troops. However, an Exemplary Brigade was also meant to humiliate the local troops by being bette...
[MA] 324. Sudden Epiphany
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[A/N: This is yesterday's chapter. It wasn't released on schedule because I messed up the procedures with my friend (who releases MA chapters for me). My bad.On more important news:I messed up some time frames in some PoVs. Three *Earth* years have passed, not three Standard years (that would be 36 Earth years!).I'll also have to fix Captain Abbav's punishment period to one Standard month, which is about as much as an Earth y...
[LitF] 47. Joint Command
Previous Chapter - Table of Contents - Next Chapter[A/N: This is last Saturday's chapter. Sorry for the delay.] Nora looked apologetic and embarrassed as she wrote something on her tablet. Arthur had expected the device to be capable of discrete communication. That confirmed it.Instant long-distance communication had already changed the world, and evidently, what he had seen in North Lake was just the tip of the iceberg. If it wasn't for mana interference, the world would be much m...
[MA] 323. Evidence of a Ploy
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[A/N: Chapters this week: 1/3Next release: Thursday] Shen shook his head. The ultimate truth of the Alliance was too enormous for him. He should worry about slightly less big matters."Why are you telling me all this, Acting General?" he asked.The favors the Queen had asked of him were minor matters. The way she had withheld the technique to save his Path from his Raw Self was critical, but the things she was revealing sounded l...
[MA] 322. Make It a Surprise
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[A/N: Chapters this week: 3/3Next chapter: Tuesday] The Queen could be lying. It was even likely, even. She was A-rank; could she even change her beliefs and personality? Theoretically, yes. In practice? It should be impossible.Still, just hearing the words from someone described as "arrogance incarnate" was flabbergasting.The fact that she just kept talking instead of waiting for him to acknowledge her words in any way was fur...
[MA] 321. Eleven Things
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[A/N: Chapters this week: 2/3Next release: Saturday] Shen left the mobile fortress and found a small floating platform made of earth, like the step of a staircase, littered with tiny flowers.His orders said he would see the way to the Acting General once he left the fortress, and the platform was obviously it. He stepped on it, and the flowers instantly grew and multiplied, forming the next step, a mix of petals and closed buds that di...
[MA] 320. He Could See It Now
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[Chapters this week: 1/3Next Chapter: Thursday] There was one thing everyone from Earth in La'sing came to understand as the years passed: they were nothing.Hindsight had been very cruel to Sai. None of the struggles for his family, the mental compulsion he had suffered, and the aliens invading his planet for resources mattered before the vastness of the Alliance and the ultimate enemy. The Void would kill them all equally if given...
[MA] 319. Void-Sourced Material
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[A/N: Chapters this week: 3/3Next chapter: Tuesday] Abbav floated in darkness. The miles-wide mix of red, green, blue, golden, and silvery blood strips formed a complex three-dimensional spherical pattern that pulsated like heartbeats, bathing the draggor with the light of Life and Blood.He finished his thousandth inspection and concluded that the ratio of different bloodlines and their places was perfect. The frequency of the Blood an...
[LitF] 46. The United Research Institute
Previous Chapter - Table of Contents - Next Chapter Some types of power were about perception. Whoever or whatever you perceived as having dominion over you would have power over you, no matter if that was a factual truth. For instance, a dog wouldn't defy the one holding its collar if it had been trained to obey, no matter if circumstances made it harmless for the animal to do so.Thus, any organization needed to portray itself as well as possible. It was a matter of survival. Some kin...
[MA] 318. Three Years
Previous Chapter — Table of Contents — Next Chapter[A/N: Screw it. Let's do a proper time skip. We've spent enough time understanding how things work. Let's get to the meat of it.Chapters this week: 2/3Next release: Saturday] Uya knew she shouldn't be doing this. This was wrong on many levels. Morally wrong.But legal.Allowed.Encouraged, even.The military had plenty of races that didn't condemn hierarchical power over a subordinate when it came to romance. It didn...
