OptimysticStories posts
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ER: Interlude
“Is this world fraying? Will it crumble from the crack?” Voiceless thoughts floated through the absolute black, a tiny golden crack the only light, and beyond it lay Everrain.“Nonsense. Worlds cannot fall on their own. Someone is tugging at time like a string. We wouldn’t have even noticed i...
Chapter 164 - The Labyrinth
45th of Season of Air, 59th year of the 32nd cycle“Morning, Pumpkin.” Maelstrom waved at Newt and his group of fifteen disciples as they approached the gathering spot. Tidebreaker Abyss had forty-two disciples present on the half-full square, meaning they outranked Explorer’s Gate by a large m...
ER: Chapter 54 - Diary of Success
Day 89, 5:30 AMI’ve found a decent pace. Around ten loops of reading, then, practicing spells on my own, fighting monsters, playing board games, cooking, hunting. It almost feels like living a normal life, if not for cleaving my skull in half once every fortnight.The subject of magic and natural s...
Chapter 163 - The Sage’s City
44th of Season of Air, 59th year of the 32nd cycleSage’s City spread in all directions like a giant white monster, its titanic maw waiting to snap and devour countless cultivators touring the place. Newt and his fellow disciples walked with their backs straight, heads held high, displaying the pre...
ER: Chapter 53 - The Infinite Library
Day 100, 8:30 AMMy hands have been shuddering ever since last night. I’ve been devouring fifteen books per day, relying on hyper-stimulator and my mental stats to build up my understanding of magic from scratch.The topic is interesting, and now I know Edna sucks as a teacher, but that is fine. Kno...
Chapter 162 - Ancient History
44th of Season of Air, 59th year of the 32nd cycleNewt, his eyes closed, sat on his bed in the airship’s private cabin. Within his realm, he toiled, making what few improvements he could while the ship raced towards the gathering spot for the Sage’s Realm tournament.Elders Alabaster and Flameax ...
ER: Chapter 52 - Terms of Use
Day 86, 6:20 AMHadriuse’s servants slept better than anyone currently alive in this world, assuming Harlos’s inn is any indication of average bedding quality. Unwillingly, I get up from the mattress made of firm, flexible foam.I stretch my back and my joints pop softly.How long has it been since...
Chapter 161 - Changes
48th of Season of Fire, 59th year of the 32nd cycleThe sect canceled the trial of the Wander’s Forest and made a number of other changes. Sect Master Greenthorn, in agreement with the venerables and the elders, used the calamity as an opportunity to reorganize the sect.He restructured the outer di...
Chapter 160 - Budding Doubts
48th of Season of Fire, 59th year of the 32nd cycleNewt reached his residence, the generic housing which all core disciples received as a benefit of their status. The only use he found for the building was that of storage, since he constantly moved between library and cultivation rooms, only stoppin...
ER: Chapter 51 - Hadriuse’s Abode
Day 85, 9:00 PMThe building stretches left and right of me with no end in sight. Based on the elegant, tall windows, the ceilings are at least twenty feet tall, and everything from the pale beech window frames down to the entrance door’s blue paint appears brand new.The jungle has long since swall...
Chapter 159 - The Number Games
48th of Season of Fire, 59th year of the 32nd cycleThe whole situation seemed surreal. Nine moons ago, the sect was a ruined battleground, but as Newt walked the path towards the inner elder residences, he noted that nothing had changed. The Chamber of Healing, along with all other chamber buildings...
ER: Chapter 50 - Extermination Complete
Day 79, 10:10 AMFloor after floor we went, clearing abominations until we reached the stairway leading to the seventy-fifth. The big, slow lugs made for easy kills, mounting them and steering them into landmines did the trick. The ones causing trouble were the more exotic creatures.A praying mantis-...
Chapter 158 - The Third Solstice
45th of Season of Fire, 59th year of the 32nd cycle“Big brother?” Newt knew he was delirious. Dandelion gripping his arm and helping him stand straight was a figment of a dying man’s imagination.“Our timing is quite fortunate.”“Yes… Impossibly fortunate.” Sect Master Greenthorn dragg...
ER: Chapter 49 - Big Stick
Day 77, 12:30 PMI hop off the smoking remains of the eighty-foot-long abomination. As advertised, Edna’s landmine ended it in an instant. The monster’s impenetrable shell worked against it, concentrating the blast and the heat on its body.“That looks like a major design flaw.”“What? Having...
Chapter 157 - The Run
44th of Season of Fire, 59th year of the 32nd cycleNewt ran, fiery blasts exploding from his feet, propelling him impossibly fast. The sun had long since set, and he did not pause to admire what was possibly his last sunset ever. He flew, his feet destroying the earth and the roads. He did not care....
Chapter 156 - Two Weeks to Death
29th of Season of Fire, 59th year of the 32nd cycleNewt sprinted out of the jungle, clutching his glaive. The weapon was impressive to say the least. Ever since he parted ways with Greenbow and the rest, he had relied on it to stay alive despite his reckless charge through the dinosaur-ruled jungle....
ER: Chapter 48 - Old Habits
Day 77, 9:45 AMMy head is pounding. I should ask Edna whether she can do some aspirin magic or something. While loathe to, I open my eyes, my guts queasy.“Hello, crazy person,” Edna greets me with excessive cheeriness. “What did I teach you about flushing all mana from your body?”That explai...
Chapter 155 - An Outdated Quest
59th of Season of Water, 59th year of the 32nd cycleRealm spirits, old ghosts, honorable ancestors, there were many names for what was left of Coldsteel. Like Magmin, such entities lacked a sense of outside time, stuck in the loops of their own thoughts and actions for an eternity until an outsider ...
ER: Chapter 47 - Abomination Floors
Day 76, 5:20 PMWith ten attribute points to spare, I sank three of them into intellect, to round it at thirty-five, increasing my mental acuity by a third, reaching around elven times the base human intellect. My intention was to use the increase to help me reach my next level as well as to find the...
Chapter 154 - Old Ghost
64th of Season of Earth, 58th year of the 32nd cycleNearly an entire moon had passed since the crash. Newt’s party carefully avoided any spirit beasts they came across, even though their realms had dropped marginally. Upper and middle fourth realm spirit beasts made up the common predators in the ...
Chapter 153 - Trek
38th of Season of Earth, 58th year of the 32nd cycleThe sun was setting, the jungle growing dimmer, and Newt was the first to spot the snout as it appeared from behind the trees. Head-sized nostrils flared as Newt grabbed Emeraldstreak’s forearm. The woman opened her mouth with a frown, but Newt p...
ER: Chapter 46 - Exceptions
Day 71, 6:30 AMMy lids feel like they are burning as Lucy shakes me from my sleep. I struggle to crack them open, but they resist, wanting nothing more than to stay shut for another hour or two.“Leave him be, he worked hard last night.” Edna comes to my rescue, and I’m grateful. Learning magic...
Chapter 152 - Due North
38th of Season of Earth, 58th year of the 32nd cycleAlabaster sat alone, away from prying eyes. She stared at the ruins of her once mighty sect and wept. A day had passed since the attack, and only after the twenty-odd hours did she have time to sit and gather her thoughts.Treason. A pair of outer e...
ER: Chapter 45 - Chores
Day 70, 8:30 PMSince I don’t plan on fighting Edna, I pick Initial Overpower Resistanceand check my new level up condition.“Cast at least one spell of each mana affinity.” I look at Edna to confirm she heard me, but she just keeps eating her dinner.So, consider what I’ve experienced with the...
Chapter 151 - The Fall
38th of Season of Earth, 58th year of the 32nd cycleBlue skies above, jungle below, and mountains in the distance. The ruined Explorer’s Gate airship still screamed through the air at breakneck speed, but the disciples aboard no longer noticed it.Newt estimated their ship had descended to around h...
Chapter 150 - The Flight
37th of Season of Earth, 58th year of the 32nd cycleThe blue skies—were not. Instead of a deep blue, blackness welcomed Newt and his five fellow disciples as they climbed out of the cargo hold. They gasped at the sight. There was light. They could see everything just fine, but the sky had taken on...
ER: Chapter 44 - Overrun
Day 70, 4:05 PMThe first floor is overrun. Forget a bunch of beginner-friendly land lobsters, nearly invisible orb-weaver threads are criss-crossing the trees. Some are torn where stronger monsters passed through them, some are still standing.I consider the scene indicating hundreds of orb-weavers, ...
Chapter 149 - The Search
37th of Season of Earth, 58th year of the 32nd cycleThe problem with going up became immediately apparent. The airship left the sect’s defenses. An explosion to the left rocked them, scattering the seven cultivators like straw. Blossom, a third realm water cultivator and beast tamer, hurtled towar...
ER: Chapter 43 - The Mission
Day 66, 5:45 AMFinally, a night during which I didn’t feel bugs crawling all around me or vines reaching out towards me to check whether I was alive or dead. Initial Darkness Intuitionfeels like a curse most of the time, almost like my nose. I’ve gotten used to both, even so, sleeping on a bed w...
Chapter 148 - Consequences
37th of Season of Earth, 58th year of the 32nd cycleNewt fought with a dead man’s spear. At some point, someone had ordered the outer disciples below the third realm to retreat. Their efforts and sacrifices served nothing save to empower their enemies with their blood.The battlefield grew less clu...
