Luke Everhart

Chapter 36 - Sudden Quest

Nar came too slowly, air still roaring past him.

He had fallen to the floor, and had lost the others.

“Jul?” he croaked, tasting blood.

“H-Here…”

“Tuk?”

...

Chapter 35 - ITS NOT MAGIC

When they made it back to the others, it quickly became apparent that all was not well.

Kur, Gad and Viy stood to one side. Opposite, Cen had her back turned to them.

Mul had a blank ex...

Chapter 34 - Lost Attribute Modifier

Poisoned or crushed.

The shock of his impending death made him blank.

Would the poison kill them quickly? Or just weaken them so that the guardians could finish the job? Would the boss ...

Chapter 33 - Power

Blurs moved around her.

Distant sounds echoed, muted.

She heard words.

She heard pain and fighting.

But it was all so far. Her Nexus was but a blur of dark and green that he...

Chapter 32 - Powerless

“Kur!” Gad shouted. “What do we do?”

Nar stared up, frozen in place.

From the green lights that shone from the Sentry, a nightmare of moving limbs and blades descended upon them...

Chapter 31 - Survive If You Can

The silence was crushing.

Nar dragged his feet into yet another square. Another, identical, few feet of dark floor, with a single dim yellow arrow at its center. Around them, nothing. Not eve...

Chapter 30 - Mistake

Sweat pooled under him, on the sweltering hot floor.

On all sides, walls of Pressure rose to the endless darkness above them, confining the party to a tight space.

There wasn’t enough...

Chapter 29 - Invisible Trial

Their labored breaths echoed through the tight, stuffy corridor. Nar saw green out of the corner of his eyes, and that fueled him to run even faster.

Unfortunately, up ahead, Cen was slowing ...

Chapter 28 - Poison

The walk in the dark proved uneventful in the end.

After a few more short breaks, Jul called out something in the dark.

“I-I see something,” she said, alerting the others. “I thin...

Chapter 27 - Secret Guilt

Nar had never experienced a darkness like that. The light of the arrows seemed to stretch a few feet away from them, and suddenly disappear, as if swallowed.

Even sounds, which he had so clea...

Chapter 26 - Sense Attributes

They waited, anxious, for something to happen, but after 10 minutes of nearly absolute silence, Kur spoke up again.

“It looks like that was it,” Kur said.

Tuk sighed, and leaned bac...

Chapter 25 - From Now On, Its The Real Deal

Despite the late night, Nar woke up ahead of Kur and Tuk’s wake up call. For their last night, Kur had reinstated the watch to make sure they didn’t sleep through the deadline.

Now, Nar s...

Chapter 24 - The Path is Changing

Nar stepped into the blaster, and the door closed behind him, gently and on its own.

“Woah…” Nar whispered, staring at the closed door.

He passed a finger over the smooth, slightl...

Chapter 23 - Tutorial Gains & Rewards

When next he opened his eyes, the lights were still dimmed.

Nar blinked, staring up at the featureless square of ceiling above him. It was low enough that if he stretched, he could touch it.<...

Chapter 22 - Interlude

What does light look like to those who have lived their whole life in the darkness?

What does real, true color mean, to those who cannot even imagine it?

Real color. Real light.

H...

Chapter 21 - The Bridge

Nar and Jul sprinted down the corridor, chasing after the others.

With each step forward, the lighter his steps flew off the corridor’s floor. His very brain seemed to relax inside his skul...

Chapter 20 - Predict

Nar considered the half-eaten square of cracker between his fingers.

It was the last half of his fourth cracker.

He wasn’t supposed to have finished two of them, let alone be finishin...

Chapter 19 - The Light We Follow

Mercifully, nothing else happened that night, and everyone was able to get their share of Pressure sleep.

However, sleeping meant nothing.

His muscles grew heavier.

His eyes were ...

Chapter 18 - Blocked

“Nar? Wake up, Nar.”

He returned from afar, to the sensation of light fingers gently shaking him.

“Whaaaaat?”

“It’s time to go,” Jul said.

Nar opened his eyes ...

Chapter 17 - Clouded Minds, Clouded Hearts

“Is he okay?” Gad shouted, panting from the floor.

Cen didn’t answer, unable to in the midst of her grief.

Kur crawled over to the caster, and checked on Mul.

“He looks fi...

Chapter 16 - Endless Corridor

When Nar and Tuk woke up the others, their rest hadn’t been as restful as it had looked.

They woke up sluggish and groggy. Almost more tired now than they had been before they had slept. 2024-11-11 14:01:19 +0000 UTC View Post

Chapter 15 - Heavy

Nar and Kur woke the others with 15 minutes to spare.

As if on cue, the lights turned back on to full intensity.

“Up, people. I want everyone ready to go in 5 minutes!” Kur said. 2024-11-11 14:00:19 +0000 UTC View Post

Chapter 14 - Resolve

-[ You have encountered a safe room.

Each safe room provides different amenities. You will know what they are when you enter them....

Chapter 13 - Safe Room

The Pressure returned to the same pattern the next day, and once again, days passed.

Would it be another two weeks before they faced their next enemy? Another two weeks of soul crushing Press...

Chapter 12 - The Wrong Gains

The pattern held.

The first wave hit them again the next day, at twelve thirty, and the last one at ten thirty at night.

So it was for the third day, and the fourth… And five entire d...

Chapter 11 - Humble Beginnings

He was gently brought back from his sleep, and found Kur squatting in front of him.

“Hey man, sorry to wake you up so soon, but we need to start walking,” he said.

“Walking?” Na...

Chapter 10 - First Night

“I can’t keep going!”

Everyone stopped and turned to Cen.

The lengos sat on her knees and gasped hard, holding her throat. “My stamina… I only have 7 points left!”

2024-11-11 13:53:25 +0000 UTC View Post

Chapter 9 - Gains

“Thank you. And sorry about that,” Gad said. “I’m being a burden.”

Nar kneeled next to her, gulping air like a desperate man.

“You’re fine,” he panted. “Don’t worry ...

Chapter 8 - Not a Great Start

… one more.

Nar breathed hard.

He huffed, blowing the tickly sweat drops from his nose.

He was dying to wipe his face, but the last time he had tried to, he had almost ...

Chapter 7 - Under the Pressure

The minutes dragged and turned into hours.

Nar had forced himself to stand, to ensure he didn’t drift off.

He had gone over all of his skills, his sword, his attributes, the HP and st...