Monsoon117
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276 Know Thy Enemy
🕑 Added 2020-06-27 15:42:49 +0000 UTCI narrowed my eyes, "Have they found our guild?"
"No, I don't believe they have. We're rather fortunate that Elysium only recently established a camp far south of here, hundreds of miles away."
I put my hands on my hips, impressed Torix knew that,
"How did you figure something like that out? We don't have that kind of reach."
Torix raised a hand, "We didn't, though that glaring weakness has changed as of late. That advanced obelisk has given me far more time to use elsewhere, and I've been spending that time expanding our information network. After all, our most egregious issue is Lehesion assaulting Mt. Verner or Earth in general."
Torix spread out his arms, "I am not wholly unaware of this fault, and I aim to rectify it. You shall act as our sword and shield should he arrive. Before then, I shall act as our eyes and ears so that we may evade him before that fateful moment."
I let out a deep sigh, "Torix, thank you. You can't know how much better this makes me feel about our situation."
He put a hand on my shoulder, "Oh, I believe I do. I've dreamed of establishing a university since my younger years, and this is the beginning of that vision. To see it be laid to waste by a juggernaut of magic, that...that would be hard to bear."
He let his hand drop, "So I decided not to bear it at all. I've been planting spies in all directions, and they've given me valuable insights into nearby areas. One of those spies informed me that a Hybrid was spotted several hundred miles south of here."
I raised my brow, "Damn, this is impressive."
Torix waved a hand, "This is nothing. My programs are merely bearing fruit as it where, and now we may enjoy the harvest."
I lifted a hand, "That's good to know. Was there anything else the spy reported back?"
"Indeed, there was. Our spy circled the Elysian encampment, giving us its exact coordinates. I've yet to attack as I didn't want them to know opposition was planted here on Earth. Just as well, I've gained a few insights into Elysium establishments."
"Are they spreading silver territories and blighting the local populace like normal?"
"Quite the opposite. I suppose the first point requires context given your presumptions. Most earthen camps are...primitive at the moment. Though Mt. Verner is a well of prosperity for nearby areas, other regions wallow in abject poverty, struggling to contain the eldritch nearby."
I frowned, remembering the few villages I checked out a while back. The situation wasn't getting better without some intervention. Torix continued,
"In many ways, the Elysium camp is the opposite of Schema's encampments. Schema only offers certain services to those that prove themselves. The Elysians do the opposite, granting Hybrid guards and protection to those most helpless. They also offer to enlist any that are willing to abandon Schema's system."
Torix shook his head, "I will admit, for anyone new to Schema's system, the rebels offer of training, protection, and an eventual Hybrid are alluring. It makes Schema seem barbaric by comparison. The Adairs even offer assistance to those that refuse to join their cause. How they can offer up these kinds of resources, I do not know. It is a fact they do it, however."
I raised my eyebrows, "It doesn't really matter how they do it, does it? If anything, that's more like what our guild does than what Schema's doing. It makes more sense why worlds are rebelling if that's what a standard camp is like. They sound pretty helpful, actually."
"Indeed. It bodes poorly for Schema's immediate future."
I snapped my fingers, "Oh yeah, I forgot to ask, do they have a warp there?"
"I couldn't believe it when the scout gave us the info, but yes, they in fact do. Why do you ask?"
"Florence planned out something with Amara and Hod. They want to subjugate the eldritch on the vagni's homeworld so that we can cripple the rebellion on Blegara."
"It's a fine idea, though executing on that sounds more than merely difficult. It would save us an immeasurable amount of resources should it succeed, however."
I pointed up, "He needs Amara to establish a link to Elysium's system, and that should only take a few days of being on an Elysian world. This camp might be our ticket into their domain."
Torix tilted his head, "Ah. We may turn this blunder into a boon then, the tides turned as they say. Perhaps we could organize some sort of supporting force to keep Amara safe on her departure, and that would allow us to learn about Elysium as well."
Torix gave a nod of approval, "This is a good idea, though perhaps a touch risky. Florence, was it? He's more talented than his family believes I take it?"
I shook my head, "Yeah, they treat him like he's garbage. He can't fight at all, but he's got good planning, researching, and he makes friends fast. I just need to put him in the right position, and he's damn good at what he does."
Torix threw his hand in disgust, "I understand his problems all too well. As you know, I'm gifted at mind magic, necromancy, and many incantations. On my homeworld, Xanathar, I was hated by my family after enacting revenge on a rival family. The only reason I was driven so far was the distaste my own kin held for me."
Torix raised a hand with two fingers pressed together, "They chose not to acknowledge my talents, nor to help me foster them. Because of that disconnect, I was intelligent but without wisdom. That is what the old in society act as - transmitters of experience. They take the raw passion of the young and temper it with their advice and instruction."
Torix crossed his arms, "But the elderly can often be blinded by arrogance and constant comparison. Families will throw away the gifts of their children if those gifts do not fit comfortably into standard ideas of right and wrong. It is the failing of an aged generation when the youth aren't allowed to prosper."
Torix sighed, staring down, "That is what befell me. I...I lacked any guidance, and I fell into dark waters because of it. It's good you're giving Florence a place to shine before he fell into those very same circumstances."
I smiled, "Thanks. I don't know if I could say the same for me, though. I know I wasn't going to be successful in my own world before Schema arrived. My skills didn't line up. It just took a little luck going my way, and all of a sudden, I felt motivated and unstoppable."
I stared off in the distance, "Maybe circumstances play more into our success than we think? It's a scary thought."
"I understand the sentiment, and here is how I rationalize my fear. You see, opportunity is a fickle mistress. One day she shall shine on you with radiance. Other days she shall gaze away at all of your attempts to gather her attention. In that case, I think the most important practice is persistence. With persistence, one can one be in the right place at the right time when opportunity arrives."
Torix's eyes shifted red, "Otherwise, you would surely be caught without the means to press your advantage. It reminds me of killing a rival. One must have their knife sharpened for when your enemy exposes their neck. Otherwise, the blade will lack the edge to cut skin and sinew."
I frowned, "Good tips, though a little grim. Maybe it's kind of like steering ship? It takes some serious time to turn a seafaring vessel all the way around. Destiny and all that might be similar. It just takes time for your decisions to fully manifest."
Torix shrugged, "It's as good a theory as any. Regardless, what kind of team do you think we need for Florence's plan? Would you be joining them, perhaps?"
I raised my palms, "I'm as subtle as a jackhammer at a tea-party. We need people who actually look normal. Otherwise, they'll figure out what we're trying to do right away."
"Fair point. I'm trying to think through my various students, and one does come to mind who fits the bill."
"Who?"
"Alexander. He's the arcane mage you demonstrated pain tolerance to. He took that lesson to heart, and he's forged himself into a potent mage since."
I raised my brow, "You sure he could handle Hybrids?"
"He most certainly could not, but he wouldn't be alone. Though Amara is by no means comparable to us, she is strong relative to most. She may help in her own defense."
I cupped my chin, "Huh, what about Althea and Hod? I bet they could tail behind them and keep them both safe."
Torix's fire eyes flared, "Excellent idea. They're quite experienced in reconnaissance. Their experience would help Alexander and Amara quite a bit. I do worry about Alexander's experience, however."
"What do you mean?"
"He lacks any mundane, worldly experience. He was young when the system first arrived, and since then, he was a part of Springfield during Yawm's coming. Now he's spent years on Mt. Verner, and he's never traveled before now."
I crossed my arms, "So he needs a guide to help him out. I might know some people who could help."
Torix steepled his fingers, "Perfect. I wouldn't want one of my star pupils to be killed on his first outing. Who do you have in mind?"
"Eh, it's a group for one, and they clear dungeons for a living. None of the people I'm thinking about stand out too much either. I think they'll be perfect."
Torix leaned back, "Perhaps they're unusually competent then? I know most of the dungeon clearing corps. They are...rough around the edges to put it kindly."
I put a hand on Torix's shoulder, "They're not geniuses or anything, but they're the best normal people we've got for the job."
Torix's shoulders drooped, "Why do I feel as though you're sending one of my best disciples away with a group of ruffians?"
"Because I am, but don't worry. They'll get along great, and these guys know how normal people work. Let's be honest, we don't."
Torix sighed, "True. Perhaps we may meet with these rapscallions on Saturday morning then?"
I shook my head, "They'll be too hungover to even stand up."
Torix facepalmed, "What have I agreed to?"
I grinned, "A great idea."
-Phil Williamson-
I sat at the dining room table, a cold draft sauntering in like the echoes of some bad memory. An eldritch tore a hole in the kitchen wall, and the entire lower floor chilled at nights because of it. Every time that wind cooled the back of my neck, it was like a whip across my back.
I failed my family.
No one else at the table said anything about that night, but we all understood what it meant. Before long, we would all have to leave the house. It was falling apart anyway, but not having at least walls between the monsters and us...that thought haunted even me, and I was the one fighting them. I could only imagine what the others must have been thinking.
Margret was hit worst by it all. She always struggled with anxiety, but we handled it together, even when times were hard. Nowadays, my wife was having a mental breakdown day in and day out. She would often daydream before, and I loved that about her. She was so full of hope. Since the culling, she'd struggled to transition to this new way of life. Now she wallowed in memories from a bygone era, and she could hardly contribute at all.
Jason picked up the slack, but he struggled like I did. I loved the boy, and he was becoming a man. At the same time, he couldn't cook like Margret, and he sure as hell couldn't give the same kind of comfort. She held us together with the way she painted pictures of a better life. Without that, we were losing hope and fast.
It wasn't all bad. Jason and I learned to appreciate each other in these trying times. That was probably because we were the only two people we had left. As I raised a spoon to Margret's mouth, that became evident. An eldritch tore into the house and grabbed her, screaming in her face. It stared down into her eyes, and it left her entire mind scrambled like eggs.
I was the one that let it in because I fell asleep on the night shift. Every mealtime since, I fed her. I tended to her every need, and guilt tore into my mind each and every time she needed my help.
That pain, I deserved it.
Jason already forgave me. He said it was just a part of this new world we were put in, and that making mistakes was a part of being human. I was proud of him when he said that, but I couldn't accept his words of encouragement. I should have done more. I could've done more, but I let laziness creep in along with a cunning doubt.
Fighting every night wore me down over these past few months. The monsters were becoming stronger, and the level ups were far and few between. The doubt, however, was far more insidious. We hadn't gotten a beam of hope in so long. Sally was gone, and as I fed Margret, I couldn't help but feel she was gone too.
Her eyes stared forward with a blank stare, and it hurt me to look at her. I had too, though. She was a burden I deserved, and I'd carry it willingly. That's what a man did. They owned up to their responsibilities, and if feeling this pain was what I deserved, I accepted it without complaint.
Jason lacked that regret as he ate his slop, scarfing it down with the kind of hunger that comes from being a growing boy. I wished I had meat to give him, but there just wasn't much wildlife in the forests these days. We both agreed not to eat monster meat, even if it looked mighty tempting sometimes. I salivated at the thought of it, imagining a fresh steak with pepper and salt. If only.
A bang echoed from the woods, jolting us out of our dinner.
I set the spoon down onto Margret's plate, and I stood up from our dining room table. Jason stood up with me, but I raised a palm to him,
"You know what these monsters will do to you."
Jason stared at the hollowed eyes of his mother, and the boy sat down. I turned and walked out of the house, a screen door clapping behind me. As I stepped onto our farm, I grabbed my nailed club from the porch. Staring around, I found eyes in the distance, this time each of them beady and lifeless.
I pounded my chest with my fist,
"Come and get me, you filthy monsters."
My yelling might attract more of them, but I didn't want these ones to find Jason and Margret in the house. It would be too much to find another member of my family hurt or worse. A pack of skittering insects ran out of the forest. They were like scorpions with eyes at the end of their tails, along with stingers. Their legs curled up, letting them spring forward in great leaps, and their beady eyes sat as massive orbs on their tails.
I shivered at the sight of them. They looked like harbingers of death, but I waved my club in my hand, ready to go at em. They scuttled towards me, trying to encircle my position. I already knew that was coming. As the first scorpion scuttled off to my side, I darted sideways. The ground cracked under my heels as I shot towards the beast. It leaped back, escaping my first swing.
I followed the momentum of my swing, doing a spin. I viewed it again, and I chunked my club at the beast, the metal clobbering through its shell. It cracked into a spray of brown ooze, a putrid stench spreading from its wounds.
The other bugs hopped at me as I sprinted forward to my club. They leaped at me, but I darted sideways, jumping back and forth. The scorpions tackled into the ground, ruining patches of crops as they did. I reached the corpse I clobbered as one of the crawlers pounced at my back.
I ripped the club from its body, turning towards the insect lunging through the air. I splattered it across our farmland, its corpse exploding from the pressure of impact. Three scorpions remained, each of them warier now that I took out two so quickly. Their mandibles drooled at the sight of me, however, so I charged towards them. I found that attacking first gave me an advantage.
As I reached them, they grouped up together. Using their claws and stingers, they rained down a spray of attacks on me. I parried several snaps of their pincers and stings from their tails before one of them nicked me in the arm. A fire like radiance spread from the wound as I fell back. Their teamwork made up for my better physicality, and before I knew it, my left arm went numb. Holding my bludgeon in my right arm, I swung at the scorpions while howling,
"Back. Back. I said back."
They pressured me until I was at the edge of the house. I heaved for breath, the venom spreading to my chest. Sweat dripped down my forehead as the scorpions kept snipping at me. They pursued with the relentlessness common to their kind. I cursed them as my backfoot stepped onto my porch.
From inside, Jason shouted, "Dad, are you ok?"
I roared back, "Stay inside and be quiet. I'll handle this."
Jason stared on, fear in his eyes. The scorpions stopped attacking, pulling back. As they did, they inspected the house and my heavy breathing. A few seconds passed before they split their tails into three parts apiece. After interweaving those tendrils together, a voice echoed from their combined minds. It was raspy and snakelike, the sound unsettling,
"I see you are the guardian of this place, a sheep who guards the other sheep here."
I narrowed my eyes, "And what of it?"
"Do you love those that are in there? We will eat them unless you surrender now."
The eldritch never stopped eating, and I didn't believe them for a second,
"You won't be getting near them unless it's over my dead body."
"Then let it be so."
Their tails split back apart, and they continued their onslaught of attacks. I parried two more clamping claws, and I smashed one of their arms into the ground. A tail slit my forearm as I did. I hit two more stinger swipes sideways before kicking one of their skulls in, but another stinger pierced into my thigh, the wound deep.
I ended up tearing two of their bottom claws out, but they nicked me three more times. At this point, two more scorpions remained, and they waited for me to pass out. As they did, blood dripped from me like I was a walking wound. My nose ran, and my eyes teared up. I made one last swing before falling down, unable to move.
I lost.
The scorpions ran up to me, their mandibles jittering about in a frenzy. They stopped short of my face, however. I watched as they stormed the house, tearing through the defenses we set up. Dread welled in my belly while wood cracked under their claws like ice blocks under a hammer. After many minutes of struggle, they pulled Margret and Jason out of our house.
I watched as the scorpions pulled me upright. They threw my family in front of me, both of them struggling to stay alive. Jason wept, his eyes bloodshot. Margret stayed listless, her expression indifferent. I wished I could do the same. The scorpions interwove their tails again, and the same voice echoed out,
"Now watch them be devoured, as was our promise from before. This fault is your own."
I wanted to shout, but no words left my mouth. It was as if I was trapped inside my body, unable to vent my frustration, hatred, and anger. It pooled inside me, forging my mind like a furnace. I hated these monsters. I hated the eldritch. I hated this new world we found ourselves in.
Day after day, month after month, we lost everything. My faith in myself was gone, along with any self-respect and dignity. I didn't need those things. I needed Jason and Margret. Without them, I was nothing. It would be worse than dying. It would be torture.
The abominations grabbed Margret first, my highschool sweetheart now weeping. The wind whistled in the trees, and my own eyes watered. A scorpion held her upright while the other one opened its mandibles wide. Brown, disgusting drool leaked from the monster, and its mouth was like a thousand branches ending in thorns.
They neared Margret's face. I watched in horror as a mandible made contact with her cheek. It cut through her soft skin, blood leaking out. Several more mandibles sliced into her face, and I screamed inside. It was a wail I'd never imagine I could make, a lamentation from deep within.
An alien, crackling sound echoed from the trees. The scorpions glanced at it, their mealtime interrupted. I prayed another eldritch would fight them. Instead, a mechanized horror strutted out of the trees. It was an all too familiar sight, but I never imagined I'd see one in person.
It stood tall, over ten feet high with writhing hands. Orange pustules pulsed over its corded frame. The being left quakes in the ground as it stomped forward. Trees nearby shook with violence at its passing, and the monster's eyeless frame unsettled even the eldritch.
The scorpions locked eyes with the Hybrid, and so did I. We all stared at this new threat, each of us far too weak to fight something like this off. We were all going to die. This endless moment right before chaos broke loose, it stretched on for an eternity. In the pits of my chest, I dreaded the being in front of me. It was one of the only ways to die that was even worse than by these scorpions.
The Hybrid moved first. It dashed across our farm, laying waste to the ground near it. The scorpions released Margret, racing away. As the Hybrid stomped towards us, I screamed in my mind, terrified of this abomination. It got near Jason, and cords unveiled from its frame like branches from a tree. These cords ended in metallic blades, ready to pierce their victim.
I watched in horror as it passed Jason entirely.
The Hybrid shot into the forest, catching the scorpions. The bugs wallowed and thundered out in agony, their sickening cackles only outdid by the sounds of their bodies being consumed. As the siphoning process ended, the Hybrid skulked out of the forest. It stumbled, its body swollen with the remains of the eldritch.
It walked up to us, getting to the middle of our family. It stayed there, watching us from all directions. We remained petrified in place, unable to so much as move. A half-hour passed, my heart almost bursting in my chest as it stayed this close.
Another rustle echoed from the trees. An espen walked out of the forest, the alien comfortable here on Earth. I only knew what it was because of watching the Harbinger's streams. This mystery espen snapped its fingers, and the Hybrid walked towards her. As the espen reached us, she stared down,
"So that's why my watchdog ran off. It's good to see it made it here in time. We've been clearing out a scorpion's nest nearby, but a few of these guys escaped through the trees. Sorry they got a hold of you all."
She rustled through her bag, pulling out three vials of green liquid. She smiled, "Let me get you guys some antivenom."
We were alive.
She popped the top off one while giving us a cheeky grin,
"The name's Melania by the way. It's good to meet you all."
Comments
Jonathan
Not that there a no situations where a timely intervention from a rebel could help occurring organically, but I also wouldn't put it past the Espen here to have deliberately herded the Eldritch to this farm in order to set up the emotional rescue.
ducksgoquack
reading lots
Sebas Tian
well its been elaborated by other people including yourself, but I just really don't want Daniel to have to deal with a civil war type situation. Now that is totally in line with human behavior, but I just feel like you are piling up to many problems that he has to deal with to soon. Like I said, its great story wise and I could totally see it happening realistically, I just don't like it very much. So my problem with it isn't that I think it is unrealistic, or poorly thought out or anything like that, I just don't like where I assume it is going to take Daniel and Co.
Monsoon117
Here's the thing about that - everything has been told, not shown. I wanted to give a vivid picture of what the rebels are fighting for. That gives motivation and purpose to their actions. It justifies their brutal methods to some extent, or at the very least, it offers another side to this conflict. That plothole is real though, so I'll be going back to fix that.
Monsoon117
This is what I'm trying to showcase. People are not liking it though, so I'm struggling at what to do to make it interesting.
Monsoon117
Could you elaborate more on this sense of unease?
Monsoon117
To Alexander, the golems will be very, very strong. They will be much harder to find and much harder to take control of than a normal person with a piece of good gear from Daniel. This will especially be true for Daniel's super golems.
Alex R
The Adairs have good intentions, their means are not good though. They are very Machiavellian, the ends justify the means. They don't mind sacrificing a whole planet and race if it means that many other planets and races survive. They are acting very similar to schema in that regard.
Jordan
While Phil may be desperate, I don't think he will truly trust the Adairs after watching the Harbinger's streams. However, he may unintentionally let slip Daniel's location(or have it lifted from his mind).
Regnal
Ok that does makes sense with manpower being low at first. However they did have access to futuristic technology through the Steel Legion when they took it over I think. Just having power armor and guns should put them leagues above the rest of humanity. I just think that if Daniel stayed on earth for a little bit to get his guild more established and able to spread their influence they could have had the ability to do it on their own while he was in Giess. All he had to do was show up in various cities and show how strong he was and there would be half the planet trying to join him for protection. It just seems weird to me that he wouldn't try to help them as he has shown he is willing to help others. Lets face it, there are probably thousands or millions of people that have died to eldritch while he was in Giess trying to only help his guild. It wouldn't be unreasonable at all for the rest of humanity to hate him. Especially after turning such a powerful enemy on them if they find out Earth is his home world. I could see Elysium easily turning all of humanity against him with a simple pr campaign now.
Memoulisous 23
Hmm perhaps you are right I guess we’ll see in future chapters
drag0nreb0rn
I honestly dont think that Adairs are bad guys. I think they believe they are right and hate the current system and are willing to do anything even bad things to win. The victor writes the history books.
Memoulisous 23
So the Aldairs are trying to hurt Daniel by turning his own planet and people against him atleast that’s what I think is happening anyway awesome chapter
Olinn
his guild isn't all that amazing, besides the few heavy hitters that went to Giess. they secured as much area as they could control and maintained that area, but they don't have the means to secure the entire planet, they have outposts that people can join but there hasn't been enough time for post-yawm recruits to get up to speed where they can help spread and maintain the guild's area of influence. at least, that's how i see it.
Regnal
Also something that I have been wondering for a while is what are the statuses of his quests? I think he had at least 2 or 3 of them with various conditions. I can't recall if it was officially stated if he completed them fully or not so I've been confused if the unknown statuses were removed or not.
Regnal
Hopefully the golems are figured out quick with him not having to spend too much time on them now that he has help. Then when he gets the primordial mana and sovereign skill I still think he needs to learn how to warp more than anything now. Especially the fact that he is fighting in space. His bigest weakness is getting stuck in space somewhere and not being able to find his way back. Even if he is near impossible to kill, he only needs to be stranded somewhere to be neutralized. Learning to teleport is an absolute must if he want to be as well rounded as possible. Especially now that he finally is taking it seriously that he is a dimension, warping should be second nature for a dimension to understand.
Regnal
I don't understand why Daniel's guild wasn't already expanding while he was in Giess however. The whole time he was there his guild should have been trying to secure earth while he was doing his quests. It wasn't untill the whole rebellion was exposed that he should have stopped but by then it would be too late. It really doesn't make any sense that he is so concerned with helping the Gialgathens when he completely abandoned his people that whole time. It's just really confusing.
Conor McGroarty
Pretty sure MC has a father figure in Torix so he doesn’t need another. That said, I don’t hate the direction story is going in as author has shown good judgement more often than not. MC hasn’t been spreading his influence and helping humans due to the fact the Adair’s will raze it to the ground if they find out it’s his home planet. Even though we and MC know he is making the most appropriate choice he can make considering the situation, doesn’t make it easy as people will die regardless. Well let’s hope anyone desperate enough to join the rebels will at least have the sense to keep their mouths shut about this being the home world of the Harbinger. At least until MC has bought enough time to get his sovereign class going and preferably after he has his sovereign skill which should be when he has primordial mana and combines it with other stuff. The crabs made with primordial mana taste better so MC will be able to feed an army and have it taste great 👍 . Stuff with entropy should be fun too
thomas holder
i know this potential direction for the plot isn't getting a lot of love, and i think its because we are afraid of Phil becoming the anti Daniel, like some other smart eldritch doing something similar to him. I think the beauty of Daniel as a character is equal parts questions about his being a dimension and an understanding of his earnest character. And a "Nega-Daniel" seems like a cliche that you have successfully avoided so far. Between Yawm and Lehsion, your antagonist's have been very enjoyable, fresh and brilliant. I'd honestly love to see Phil and Daniel become close, maybe he could get some father figure closure with Phil, which will have to be concluded to see his character grow past a certain point. Please don't be disheartened by peoples lack of trust in your vision, but we know you can do great things, and cant wait to see where you will take us, but I'd wager that like me, most of my fellow readers have read some "stinkers" out there. You got this bro!!!
thomas holder
"With persistence, one can one be in the right place at the right time when opportunity arrives." i think its "one can be" not "one can one".
alexander julian
Isn't that a risk if he mass produces the golems tho?
alexander julian
I think he could have a little more depth but I still think it's awesome to see. I imagine he'll be a part of the elysium mission? Maybe as an antoagnisit for Alexander coz it looks like he's about to join. I think mainly it lacks colour sort of thing. He pretty much only wallows in his chapters. There's no thought of stradegy, build or combat wise for when he has to fight the eldritch. They aren't looking to get out of there which seems insane. There's no dialogue with his family. Or maybe like some of ritual his family does to show how there trying to cope and there bond
alexander julian
Alexander and Phil! Yay!
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter. Maybe I'm just tired but something felt odd about Torix and Daniel's talk. No idea why.
Code Reed
Maybe split between all the creator's? Say what you will about Schema, he rewards those that deserve it. Not like Daniel needs them. He's a dimension. I doubt there lifespans are short.
Sebas Tian
Omfg I hate where this is going. Don't get me wrong, it's great story wise, I just can't stand it xD.
Sebastian Prue
I'm not a fan of Phil's storyline. It feels unnecessary and forced. I think the first time he was introduced was nice, providing us a look into what the world is like for the low class and unlucky people's of earth, but after that it was like he was an extra that got rapidly shifted into a side character and that left a lot of flatness in his povs. However that is only my opinion so please take it with a grain of salt
Monsoon117
As for your third point about the dimensional items he can make, Daniel does have a pretty solid reason - he doesn't want Obolis or the Adairs using his skin for research. He's given out artifacts in mass before, but they were from after the Yawm battle. They aren't up to date. Having his current composition known and available for research would open him up for being exploited by enemies. They could make stronger Hybrids with the material, etc. This is how I think of it. I'll definitely take these points into consideration though.
Monsoon117
There's a lot to dive into here, so I'll tackle each of your points one at a time. For your first point, this is definitely something Daniel could've been more proactive with. For the most part, he went to Giess to get him and his people out of being unknown. After that, he intended on helping prevent the gialgathens from dying. In the process, he ended up becoming an enemy of the rebels, and now he's afraid that if he goes out of his way to expand his reach, Lehesion will come and destroy Earth. Lehesion threatened to do so during their fight after all. It's less that Daniel hasn't wanted to help, but more so he's trying to cover his bases first. For your second paragraph, it would take a lot longer than a week to clear Earth. There's millions of miles and millions of dungeons to tear down. Even if he cleared a dungeon in a minute, it would take about 700 days to clear a million dungeons. That's a lot of work for one man, and he's be unable to do anything else. Even worse, he'd have to sacrfice his entire life to help other people with no consideration for his mental health and whatnot. I'll continue this discussion below.
ParoxysmDK
Thanks for the chapter, a bit of a rant coming, but i hope some of my points make sense: I'm both surprised and sorry i have to mention this, but this entire Phil Williamson side plot has been incredibly predictable to me. Ever since you introduced him the first time, i was completely certain he would become a antagonist. And ever since we learned of Elysium i was sure earth would be fractured into the nay and yay sayers. I honestly haven't understood Daniels mind frame when it comes to earth. He's so powerful now, that he could've EASILY cleared the entire world, made his guild big enough to span the entire world, kick out all the other guilds, get people fed, housed, trained, and adapted to the new world. I mean.. He has people who can warp light years away in seconds, why is it so hard to figure out he should unite earth under his flag? Or at the very least do something 'good' for his own race, rather than helping everybody else in the universe? This has been my only gripe with the story for a long while now. I absolutely love it, and i've made that known before; but this specific subject I've disliked almost since his guild defeated Yawm. It simply makes no sense to me. Not to mention there could be multiple hiveminds or worse hiding around the planet. And he wouldn't know at all, nor would his guild. It would literally take him and his guild less than a week to clear the entire planet, i'm willing to bet daniel could do it solo in a few days, as long as somebody warped him around. He doesn't sleep, eat, or stop. He's a machine, and he can literally use magic like a living weapon of mass destruction. Also food, and the like should be no problem, nor transporting the people he saves. He weighs so much, that he could literally use gravity manipulation on an entire cities worth of people, on top of having an entire team for warping. Another small thing i've had a hard time wrapping my head around, why has he not outfitted his ENTIRE guild, or at least all his veterans, teachers, and elites, with items made from his own skin? we've seen how ridiculous anything he's made is, and it should be an absolute cake walk for him to mass produce stuff. He doesn't even need to do most of it himself, he could just provide the 'materials' for other people to make stuff with.
Bob
Yeah, I'm still not quite sure how Daniel managed to acquire the "Superman and God are sh!tbags" trope. But here we are, infinite power, and babies on spikes.
Tatsu
Nice chapter, but the problem I see with exploring Elysium through Phils eyes is that pretty much everything that could suprise us about Elysium (them being nice, helpfull and supporting) is already known. The plot that it leads to a divide between some human factions and the Legion should be pretty obvious. Save for some suprises it only would get interesting once this perspective clashes with Daniel (namely the infiltration and open conflict later). A plot hole would be that you introduced the concept that some (all?) earthlings know that Daniel is from Earth and they watch his live streams to some extend, which would instantly lead to Elysium knowing this as well if they recruit enough humans (one of the recruits is bound to know it). This should then lead to a massive increase of activity on eath. Keep up the good work!
Alex R
If the golem's kill an eldritch over 1k level, does anyone get the year from the level 1000 perk?
Code Reed
Fuck. I was afraid of this. Daniel didn't have a chance to secure earth before heading out for parts unknown. Because of that there's gonna be a kind of resentment in a lot of human that watch his fights. "If he's this strong why isn't he here on earth helping his own kind?" stuff like that. So, there's going to be a divide on earth those that support Daniel, and those that don't. One backed by Elysium, and the other by the empire. Let's be honest, Schema wouldn't support him, not the guys modus operandi. Humans are fractuse by nature, so was enviable something like this would happen. I'm fairly sure Elysium doesn't know that's Daniel's homeworld yet. They found a world New to Schema and thought it a easy place to find more followers. A little safety and security goes a long way towards changing minds. I think the only way the change those minds back to Daniel's camp will be if/when he finishes the Golem project. It's similar enough to Elysium's sales pitch and isn't disgusting to look at. Good chapter by the way.
Monsoon117
This was a challenging but fun chapter to write. I really like exploring the different perspective with this character, and he lets me do a lot of things from both a worldbuilding and narrative sense. Let me know if it was effective and gripping or it fell flat, along with any errors you guys notice that I didn't. Thank you all for reading.
