The Machine God posts
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Chapter 120 - Practice Under Fire
Chapter 120Practice Under FireAlexander stepped through the gateway.The air hit him first. Thinner than The Nexus, sharp in his lungs. Cold enough to raise goosebumps but short of freezing. Wind rushed past, carrying the scent of pine and stone.He stood on a ledge jutting from the mountainside. Belo...
Chapter 119 - Forced Entry
Chapter 119Forced EntryGuang stepped toward the portal, then stopped. He turned back to face the group.“Good luck,” he said. His expression shifted, something genuine replacing the careful neutrality.He crossed the distance to Alexander, extending his hand. “And thank you for Grimnir’s assis...
Chapter 118 - Returning Fire
Chapter 118Returning FireMaximilian’s eye closed again, his attention returning to the chains wrapped around the gateway. “The prophecy has haunted my family for years.”Alexander waited, sensing there was more.“My father was obsessed with it,” Maximilian continued. “Believed he was desti...
Chapter 117 - The Prophecy of Eights
Chapter 117The Prophecy of EightsCash’s words hung in the air for a moment. The tension didn’t quite break, but it shifted. Some of the heroes relaxed slightly. Others remained wary.Alexander’s attention remained on the armored lady who hadn’t lowered her guard. A Nordic giantess of a woman,...
Chapter 116 - Rivals Reunited
Chapter 116Rivals ReunitedAnnie turned abruptly from where she’d been staring through the viewport. “We should help.”The bridge had been quiet since Carmen’s revelation about the invasion. Everyone processing what it meant.“If there are gates open, then people will be in trouble,” Annie ...
Chapter 115 - The Nexus
Chapter 115The NexusAlexander stared at Spencer for a long moment, processing what he’d just heard. Eight prophesied divines. Titles without faces. Wars across Earth. Or multiple Earths.And his supervillain alias on the list. Not that he’d told anyone yet that it had been locked in.“And you be...
Chapter 114 - Promises
Chapter 114PromisesA few days later, everyone on the ship gathered in the cargo bay for a second time.Last time had been to go to war. This time it was to show respect for those who’d paid the price.Carmen stood at the front, the crew assembled in loose ranks facing her. Grimnir remained near the ...
Chapter 113 - Starting a Fire
Chapter 113Starting a FireAnnie shifted against Alexander’s back for the third time in as many minutes.“This is really uncomfortable,” she said. “Like, seriously. Your armor has pointy bits.”Alexander sighed, adjusting his grip on her legs where they wrapped around his waist. The drones th...
Chapter 112 - Soul Circuit
Chapter 112Soul CircuitThe tendrils writhed upward from the rubble, black and smoking. More than before. Thicker. Each one moved with deliberate purpose as they cleared debris, some carving through with others hurling chunks of concrete aside.The woman pulled herself free.Alexander floated above and...
Chapter 111 - Teamwork
Chapter 111TeamworkFelix pressed his paw against Yuki’s shoulder, white light flowing from his small cat form into her body. The entropic corruption fought back, black veins spreading beneath her skin where the cultist’s attack had struck. He pushed harder, channeling more power into the healing...
Chapter 110 - Entropy Rising
Chapter 110Entropy RisingAlexander watched as Annie struggled to her feet. The ritual circle churned with unstable energy. Black smoke writhed across the dome’s surface.She stood there for a moment, swaying slightly. Then her posture shifted. Straightened. She mouthed something. Her metal body rip...
Chapter 109 - Assimilate
Chapter 109AssimilateAlexander adjusted the waves of Metallokinesis, weaving between buildings as they rocketed through the city streets. The drones carrying Annie kept pace, Droney coordinating the formation while she sat in the makeshift chair they’d formed.Buildings streaked past. Concrete stru...
No chapter tonight.
Sorry everyone. Work thing ran really late. I had a feeling it might, hence the double yesterday just in case. I'll make it up to you with a double tomorrow (and a bonus chapter over the weekend)!Edited to add: I just now realized there is a way to schedule the chapters. I'll make use of tha...
First Month Celebration: Design a Character for The Machine God!
Update: Closing date shifted to the 9th! I had a few questions that I was slow to respond to, so I'm extending the deadline by a week to give anyone that's interested time to get their entry in.Thank you all for an incredible first month on Patreon! Your support means the world and makes it ...
Chapter 108 - The Cult of Entropy
Chapter 108The Cult of EntropyThe barrier dropped.Black smoke-like blasts erupted from the crowd beyond where the barrier had stood. The mass of mind-controlled civilians began marching forward with mechanical steps, their movements perfectly synchronized, but slow. Cultists moved among them, using ...
Chapter 107 - Sleipnir’s Landing
Chapter 107Sleipnir’s Landing“Captain?” Yuki’s voice carried an edge of controlled panic. “The ship isn’t responding to the controls.”Carmen leaned over the helm station, her fingers moving across the displays. “Everything is green.”Reaching through the ship’s systems with his po...
Chapter 106 - All Hands on Deck
Chapter 106All Hands on Deck“Come in.”Alexander entered the ready room. The space was compact but functional, everything designed for efficiency rather than comfort. Carmen stood behind her desk, reviewing something on a tablet. She looked up as he entered and gestured to the chair across from h...
Chapter 105 - Five and a Half Members
Chapter 105Five and a Half MembersThe team shifted, exchanging uncertain glances. Nobody seemed sure what to make of Spencer’s announcement.“What does that mean?” Alexander asked. “Paths ending?”Spencer straightened slightly in his chair, seeming to gather himself. A smile spread across hi...
Side Story - Gabriel Santiago 1
Side StoryGabriel Santiago 1A quick note about access: This side story is currently for paid members only because it spoils events in the advanced chapters. Once the regular releases catch up to this moment, I'll make it available to free members as well. Don't worry! All side stories will e...
[TLD] Chapter 11 - Names
Chapter 11NamesAzratheon woke to darkness.Not the darkness of early night. Deep darkness. The kind that came hours past sunset.He lifted his head and looked around. The forest was still. Quiet. The meeting spot empty.She wasn’t there.Confusion came first. He’d slept longer than intended. Much lo...
[TLD] Chapter 10 - Real Monsters
Chapter 10Real MonstersThe wolves moved first.All three of them attacked simultaneously from different angles. Azratheon tried to track them all but they moved too fast. The one on his left darted in low and snapped at the back of his hind leg where scales gave way to more vulnerable flesh. Teeth to...
[TLD] Chapter 9 - Ambush
Chapter 9AmbushAzratheon cracked open an eye.She sat a few paces away in the grass, watching him. Her hands were folded in her lap. The last light of sunset caught on her white fur.“You’re here,” he said.“You were snoring,” she said tentatively.“Dragons do not snore,” he replied with d...
[TLD] Chapter 8 - Rest and Study
Chapter 8Rest and StudyNight fell across the forest as Azratheon moved deeper into the trees.The darkness didn’t trouble him. His eyes cut through it easily, picking out roots and stones and the small creatures that scattered at his approach. The temperature dropped but he barely noticed. Heat and...
[TLD] Chapter 7 - A Taste of Freedom
Chapter 7A Taste of FreedomAzratheon moved through the forest, trees blurring past as he ran.The rhythm felt good. Powerful strides eating distance. Wind rushing past his scales. This was real movement. Not the stumbling weakness of his first days. Or the hybrid form. His body worked properly now. S...
[TLD] Chapter 6 - Choices
Chapter 6ChoicesThe forest thickened around them as they moved away from the volcano. Trees blocked more of the sunlight filtering through the canopy above. The air had cooled considerably, though Azratheon barely noticed. Temperature meant little to him.She shifted on his shoulder, adjusting her gr...
Chapter 104 - Pathfinder
Chapter 104PathfinderCarmen’s voice cut across the bridge before Talia could respond. “Are you saying there’s a stowaway aboard my ship?”Alexander met her gaze. The question carried weight beyond simple curiosity. Technically, the GSS Sleipnir belonged to Grimnir. They’d borrowed it fair a...
Chapter 103 - Twenty-Five
Chapter 103Twenty-Five“Bridge to all hands,” Carmen’s voice came through the ship’s comms. “Approaching Astra Omnia. ETA ten minutes. Grimnir, please report to the bridge.”Alexander set down the steel plate and leaned back from his workbench, frowning at the array of 4x4 inch squares spr...
Chapter 102 - Mystery Solved
Chapter 102Mystery SolvedTwenty minutes had passed since they’d cleared Prime Orbital’s docking berth. Twenty minutes since the alarms had started blaring behind them, lockdown protocols engaging seconds too late.The bridge had settled into a professional rhythm. Carmen commanded from the captai...
Side Story - Star Titan 1
Side StoryStar Titan 1Star Titan hovered above the French countryside, exhausted beyond anything he’d felt in years. Three hours of sustained flight from California to here. Mach four through the atmosphere, plasma jets burning hot enough to make the sky scream. His skin was red beneath the armor,...
Chapter 101 - Borrowed Time
Chapter 101Borrowed TimeAlexander stepped out of the room and pulled the door shut behind him. With Metallokinesis he reached into the lock mechanism, twisting components until they seized. The internal workings bent and broke. No one was getting through that door without extra effort.He glanced bot...
