ã€ŠBOOP!ã€‹


 Intro Ark- Prologue: The Golden Rule

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Aurea Introduction)

    The good, kind town of Auream Regulam was famed for crushing evildoers that mistreated others. Its human residents were actually experienced farmers that grew numerous crops: pumpkin, asparagus, cauliflower, peanuts, beans, almonds, spinach, broccoli, quinoa, and any other you could name.

    Simple bushes bloomed berries of all sorts. Every tree blossomed branches full of fruit. Even the beauteous, flowering stalks grew great harvests at their roots.

    Their cooking was legendary from having so much at their fingertips. Their strong health was immeasurable despite being vegetarians. Their medicine put any competitive great nation and prideful empire to shame. Their intellectuals grew smarter without restraint. Their warfare allowed them to show off the titanic powers that only they possessed.

    All of this originated in their friendly, easy-going nature. They had no conflicts nor need for private property, as everything possible was open to all and available in large amounts.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Additionally, Auream Regulam kept the borders of their territories guarded, with 100 reinforcements at hand. There also existed their godly explorers, who''ve already traveled the globe in search for the best in the world. These preventative measures stopped any warmongering invaders.

    Knowing that their Golden Age of Might was nearing its end from its gradual decline over time, the best of the prodigies constructed labyrinths, tombs, sanctuaries- many structures and artwork of utter perfection. The permanence and majesty of their constructs humbled the most arrogant of braggarts. Stagnation was approaching, but at least some historical evidence would stay forever in the ever-changing world of Tekton.

    However, their lengthy Era of Prosperity would end with their Golden Age much sooner than predicted. Never again would art be so important. The dawn of the haunting Dark Times first started with a starved intruder, shuffling at an uneven step. They brought the threat of infection to the glowing core of humanity''s peak.

    Good things are always short because they can never last.

 Chapter 1: The Endemic, Pandemic Epidemic

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Auream Regulam)

    The year was 333 A.D. (this meant 333 years of Aurea Dominance) and it was in the autumn of November. This calendar system, of course, originated from the first Aurea explorers. They began from what then was a small hamlet. On a cold December day, a group of 30 set out to explore because of a poor harvest.

    On their journey, they collected the best technological, agricultural, and supernatural wonders Tekton could offer at the time. It was only decided by their witty, but small, otherworldly leader Logos to introduce a unified system of time. This promoted connectivity between all races. In actuality, the reason behind the whole idea was to keep track of how long the group was away. Logos and the others suffered incredibly from homesickness¡­

    Anyway, the rising star called Solaris was shining its rays to warm up the chilly day which said it was about midday. As there was no winter season, it could be said Auream Regulam was a natural Garden of Eden. But this terminology originated from Earth and the Townspeople weren''t religious¡­

    A tattered man can be seen shuffling his feet across the town¡¯s only road, which was covered in a special plant. The grass was nicknamed ¡°Softies¡± from its texture being extremely comfortable to rest on.

    Mud splashed across the whiteness of his weird half-robe and a line of decorative, or magical, buttons lined its center from his collarbone to his waist. The robe showed his well-traveled, if not sad, nature. His pale skin spoke of him as ill-stricken. His face, by the dragging crow¡¯s feet and baggy eyes, revealed his exhaustion. His complexion screamed of suspicion. I mean, just look at the rips in his pants!

    *cough* *cough*

    Ahem.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Some Aurea in the fields surrounding the town were harvesting wheat when they saw him a good 100 meters away. They were astonished. How can such a person pass all the security measures set up by Logos? Why was there no escort? Why are they so worn out? Who didn¡¯t show the fabled kindness of the Aurea? All kinds of these questions were asked until the Town Mayor decided to deal with this situation. The outer farmers can be scolded later for their failure, but this person needed care right now.

    This is how Roaring Thunder approached the situation- committed to decisive action. By now, the traveler collapsed onto the field of ¡°Softies¡± and continued dragging their damned body towards the direction of the town. When Roaring Thunder got within 4 meters of the boney mass, he realized something was absolutely off.

    The raspy breathing and rhythmic coughing that it was making sounded much like a ¡°Plague Bearer¡±. This monster was an undead creature reborn from the darkest corners of Tekton. But its appearance spoke of a ¡°Bone Ghoul,¡± which was another type of undead, famed for its intelligent acting to lure in prey.

    Preparing his Thunder Fists, Roaring Thunder shouted,

    (Roaring Thunder) ¡°On what grounds is your visit based on?!? Produce your identification or be eliminated! You are suspected to be a scouting undead, possibly sent by a necromancer!¡±

    This was nothing special, really. There was always someone stupid enough to want to take from their town. They usually attacked or stole some plants or another. Only a group of 10 Aurea would be needed to ¡°take care¡± of the issue by judging the necessity of their actions. And that meant, most of the time, utter destruction. Why? Because they could have asked for what they needed! The Aurea give to whoever was justified for their help.

    In response to this loud noise, the figure stopped dragging its face along the ¡°Softies¡±. The hazard¡¯s hidden thoughts stayed to itself. Roaring Thunder would wait the standard 30 minute waiting period before wiping out this pitiful attempt. All he thought was the countless troubles his fellow Aurea faced because some selfish individuals continued to invade on their homeland.

    But before his fist smashed in its skull, most of its rasped breathing stopped. A strained voice whispered,

    (???) ¡°Water¡­¡±

 Background: The Second Coming (Prologue 2)

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Roaring Thunder)

    Roaring Thunder was a family man. He had to be one because he was mayor of the Aurea. Although it was a title of dignity in other lands, in truth, Roaring Thunder was nothing but a middleman.

    Names of Aurea descent always described their magical ability, which, in turn, described their own personality. This simplicity and honesty spoke truly of their people, as this logic applied to the positions held in Aurea society. It drastically contrasted with the empty and vain names other nations would inherit.

    They also never forgot their ancestors: the Aurea remembered them as historical lessons and therefore dedicated them in texts that would stand the tests of time. Even if the Aurea never forgot anything, their basis as a society was farming after all¡­

    Roaring Thunder lived in a normal home. And there, he lived with his wife of 35 years, Stormy Wind, his 18-year-old daughter, Clear Aqua, and his 10-year-old son, Pulsing Air.

    Stormy Wind oozed femininity and grace with her long legs, curvaceous torso, and voluptuous thighs. She seemed to be at odds with Roaring Thunder''s size, but her fiery personality made sure that their relationship lasted. Stormy Wind was feisty, which she put to use in dealing with uproarious patients.

    Clear Aqua was an aloof young woman. She kept a reserved air about her and her movements held a restrained elegance and experience. Her naming ceremony was also strange, as Clear Aqua preferred using the language of the first Aurea. Whatever it was, Clear Aqua used her talents in cuisine.

    Pulsing Air contrasted his sister dramatically. He was an outgoing child that sought to interact with everyone. His charm and tenacity proved to make his skilled in many aspects and much more knowledgeable. Pulsing Air was groomed to be fit for great things in the future.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    This was Roaring Thunder''s family. The ones dear to his heart; the ones he had to protect. None were able to replace them and none held such an influence over his heart. His nature just didn''t allow for it. His days started and would end for them.

    Every morning, Roaring Thunder would eat the standard healthy but delicious meal. They were recommended by Aurea whose hobby was to tinker in the medical field. Their cooperation with Aurea cooks created a never-ending list to suit the taste of any Aurea that boosted health and vitality to boot.

    After wishing his family goodbye, Roaring Thunder would attend 1 of 10 other town meetings held every day. Logos divided meetings based on what need was addressed. It would be hard to assemble, communicate, and solve problems with too many people- especially over 10,000 people.

    Roaring Thunder dealt with management. He coordinated the use of materials, as well as relations between departments. Of course, every meeting was in public, as to get the opinions of all Aurea addressed. This usually lasted until sunup.

    Then he''d go for some entertainment: watch the play of a theater group, listen to a concert, contribute his own works of art and various other activities. Sometimes Roaring Thunder went to party with friends. Sometimes he went with his family for an outing. Sometimes he went on a lovely date with his wife. He usually would finish near sundown.

    At that time, Roaring Thunder cleaned himself at a public bathhouse. Then he would talk with his family about their day- sometimes even as they bathed. There was no shame in revealing one¡¯s own body to the Aurea.

    (Logos) "All life holds its own beauty and should not be suppressed, as it would be unhealthy."

    Logos said so and thus this lesson stayed in their hearts.

    The Aurea were always open with their feelings, after all, and felt that nothing should be kept to oneself. To build a better relationship, you need to understand each other¡¯s desires, so each worry can be dealt with. This built an open community which knew intimately of one another. Their cooperation was fantastic too and at the cause of much of their progress.

    Today, Roaring Thunder spoke to his curious family about the new stranger that came to town. The encounter was an interesting tale and few details were available to the public. This was because their arrival was after meetings were held, and not many could be informed in such a short time. There were only rumors of the complications that the medical practitioners announced about the intruder¡¯s failing health.

 Chapter 2: Gag on This

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Roaring Thunder)

    Roaring Thunder was stunned when he noticed what was in front of him was still living. It was obvious that any undead of any level or class would never be intelligent nor developed enough to speak in the tongue of Logos. So he stopped his fist an inch away from the stranger¡¯s head, quickly reached within his survival pouch that all Aurea carried with them, and brought out his gourd of water.

    Roaring Thunder then took out its stopper and bent down to hydrate this poor, feeble person. They could have a few mouthfuls at least. Roaring Thunder felt ashamed of his actions. He quickly called for assistance:

    (Roaring Thunder) ¡°Quick Foot! Grab Cleansing Hand and his associates! I need medical attention for this fellow human!¡±

    And quick of foot he was, as the man with that name sped off faster than an eye could ever see with our limited kinetic vision.

    (Roaring Thunder) ¡°Dearest stranger! I have wronged you and was harshly indignant to your plight! Tell me, how have you suffered so?¡±

    Roaring Thunder inquired, to the person whose head was wrapped in his arms.

    (???) ¡°Beware¡­¡±

    Uttered the stranger, in a low voice. They coughed up the water and flecks of blood sprayed across Roaring Thunder¡¯s face. Their breath stayed ragged and rough as if an anvil was stuck on top of their chest.

    (Roaring Thunder) ¡°Please stop! You are too ill of health to speak. I deeply apologize for being so inquisitive of you in your current state of health! Wait until our medical practitioners come to care for you!¡±

    Roaring Thunder boomed back. The eardrums of the stranger clearly suffered from the volume of his voice, as their face scrunched up.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Even I cringed at the loudness of this dolt- Erm, I mean¡­

    *cough* *cough*

    Ahem.

    The stranger struggled to speak again between their coughing fits, but Roaring Thunder¡¯s meaty paw laid a large finger across their lips.

    (Roaring Thunder) ¡°Hush, young one. We still must ensure your recovery. Please, allow me to continue hydrating your exhausted self¡­¡±

    Without the permission of the person in question, Roaring Thunder shoved his gourd into their protesting mouth. Gurgling noises of objection arose but were unheeded in the face of our hulking mayor¡­ The abuse of his patient forced them into a state of unconsciousness, as Roaring Thunder unknowingly violated their means of consent. Rape much?

    *COUGH* *COUGH*

    Ahem.

    This idiotic nincompoop only realized his mistake with the arrival of Cleansing Hand... and Quick Foot¡¯s drop kick smashing his skull into the ground. Quick Foot¡¯s reasoning, however, was from the noises of discontent uttered by the stranger. He misunderstood the situation as Roaring Thunder taking advantage of an opportunity. No one else would know about this¡­ Except me¡­ Ehuehe!

    *cough* *cough* !COUGH!

    Ahem.

    I was just kidding...

    Of course, Roaring Thunder apologized to the stranger again for his rash behavior, but only was talking to a body in a vegetative state. They had not recovered much due to his rough care. Quick Foot used this as his excuse to not explain his actions, and therefore conceal his embarrassment from Roaring Thunder. However, it would make a great story to spread later, as Quick Foot discovered, once he pulled himself together and came out with the truth.

    Cleansing Hand had to smack Roaring Thunder upside the head to knock some sense into him. For now, this mysterious stranger would be put into intensive care thanks to the... mishandling of procedures Roaring Thunder flopped up. Roaring Thunder was seriously regretting his actions¡­

    His wife, upon hearing her husband¡¯s blunders, further scolded him during their nightly discussions. Our lovable, but now depressed, man-beast Roaring Thunder could not catch a break.

 Background: Meanwhile, In the Milky Way Galaxy, Far, Far, Far Away... (Prologue 3)

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Earth)

    Many say that Jonathan Edwards was practical. Edwards¡¯ strict way of living ensured a life empty of any trivial luxuries. Any additional fundings Edwards earned were put into research. Their groundbreaking study was done on the phenomenon that began during their last of years as a college student... It all began during the new year.

    On January 1st, 2017, the start of a new year began with a rippled distortion that appeared over the center of the Pacific Ocean. Nations went into an uproar when curious scientists decided to probe the mystery, only for their drones to wink out of existence. This was troubling news as everyone globally began to panic.

    What if the crack in the sky grows? Is this a punishment from God? What has Vishnu done to us? Will we die? What happens to what goes into the supernatural phenomenon? Questions of this caliber plagued the minds of the human masses.

    Scores of scientists combined their fundings and created an investigation team. They then packed numerous scientific devices to measure and speculate upon the strange occurrence. Their efforts found the composition of the mystery could not be measured, as anything that touched it was quickly absorbed. Its dimensions were kept within a 50 by 50 by 50 meter cube, but it was slowly expanding about a centimeter every day.

    Thus, every country, surprisingly for the first time in Earth¡¯s history, stopped what they were doing to solve this mystery. Several fanatics already made wild speculations. Some thought it led to another world, like a wormhole or dimensional rift. Others thought the Rapture was beginning. A few prepared for Ragnarok. But there grew within the scared minds of humanity that the spatial distortion was an entity- a worldly devourer.

    This ideology grew as time passed because the distortion rapidly increased in size. Soon, it solidified into a shape people identified as ¡°Nidhoggr¡±. The Cult of the End Times began and their members routinely entered the distortion to become part of ¡°Nidhoggr¡±. After all, the more material placed within the distortion, the more it increased in size.

    The supporters of the Cult of the End Times manipulated the masses by promises of paradise: Jannah for Muslims, Pardes or return to the Garden of Eden for Jews and Heaven for Christians. This was apparently the Rapture or entity of Judgement for every follower of the Cult of the End Times.

    The researching scientists already constructed a metallic Island built of interconnected ships underneath the distortion. They were forced to allow entrance to everyone: international treaties guaranteed everyone on the Island was under no law, except for the natural law that granted human rights.

    Therefore, the cultists encountered no opposition. They began settling and expanding the Island by both public and private funding. This obviously caused many setbacks globally in nations, as people just left their positions. This also hurt the researching scientists, as they were pushed out of their facilities- usually without being able to keep their research.

    It was in the late days of February that Edwards began findings that revealed the distortion had a giant collection of positrons on its outer surface. This discovery led Edwards to great praise in the scientific field. But the ceaseless experiments of trial and error revealed Edwards had no understanding of the impact of any research nor any idea of what was happening. To put it simply, Edwards was just screwing around.

    Others carried on Edwards¡¯ torch to research the distortion, despite some minor opposition from the Cult of the End Times. The logic was that it was blasphemous to judge judgement itself. That may not have made sense, but cultists kept pushing researchers away regardless.

    Eventually, in August, it was theorized by many scientists that the distortion was a black hole that had somehow become contained. It was rapidly expanding its range of gravitational pull, and so increased its expansion more and more. The Cult of the End Times was at an all-time high of 3 billion members, with 1 million already sacrificed. ¡°Nidhoggr¡± became miles wide and stretched far out into the sky. It also became difficult to keep any curious scientist from poking around with the distortion.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    The new year of 2018 brought about chaos when the Cult of the End Times sent 50 million people as a form of anniversary for ¡°Nidhoggr¡±. Its size boomed, reaching far beyond the eye could see. Finally, chaos arose from the stubborn 4 billion left all alone by the Cult of the End Times. Apparently, cultists amassed their numbers underneath their divine judgement on their metal Island and so the common people were left alone.

    Total anarchic mayhem was the result: looting, raping, and murder. Despite the billions who gave up their material belongings, humans were still as greedy and needy as ever. Gangs and cartels rose in dominance as governments fell apart because their credibility, officials, militaries, and dignitaries were gone.

    And as the oppressed were once again crushed under the foot of their oppressive fellow man, people were forced to turn to their beliefs. What other religion could they turn to for assistance when the Cult of the End Times guaranteed complete safety and an afterlife of utter bliss? None. So the Cult of the End Times once again absorbed more of the human population and reached a peak of 5 billion strong.

    When 2019 rolled around, all the destruction was complete. A billion became one with "Nidhoggr" this year. Gangs realized the fruitlessness of their endeavors. The Cult of the End Times captured those ¡°interrupting¡± the judgement process. They united the "heretics" with ¡°Nidhoggr¡± in their almighty, religious, and upright morality despite the crimes these "Faithless" committed.

    Money lost its value as currency. It couldn''t be exchanged for many daily necessities after all. Quality goods were near-impossible to obtain now. People lost hope in living in this new social hierarchy.

    With little left, those not in the Cult of the End Times gathered to ensure their safety in numbers. They removed their inhibitions and lived with as few regrets as possible. It was not uncommon for crowds of people gather weekly to engage in orgasmic pleasures of the flesh. Porking, sleeping, or "wrestling" with each other, if you need to understand. Fucked around, so to speak more bluntly. They partied and discriminated no longer, as fear of being captured by the ever-present Cult of the End Times and the looming "Nidhoggr" in the sky kept them in check.

    By November, a collection of top electrical, mechanical, and chemical engineering produced a functional cryostasis and a variety of autonomous spaceships residing in orbit of Earth. Scientists planned this long ago. They gathered all the materials and means of production to develop their technology or to continue researching ¡°Nidhoggr¡± before human societies fell apart.

    At the end of the year, only four factions remained of humanity: those wanting to understand ¡°Nidhoggr,¡± those wanting to be with ¡°Nidhoggr,¡± those nihilists drowning in worldly pleasures, or those who didn¡¯t want to live on this planet anymore. "Learners", "Cultists", "Pessimists", and "Escapists" were what these groups were known as, according to their interests.

    When 2020 began, space ships were already filled to the brim with Earth¡¯s natural resources. They left to inhabit other planets. Some went to stay in the solar system by living on nearby planets, like the harsh environment of Venus. In case the distortion disappeared, they wanted to be near home. Others drifted in autopilot and cryostasis to wait to find a new, habitable planet. New terrain was preferable to the absolutely unknown.

    The Cult of the End Times finally gathered all its members and joined ¡°Nidhoggr¡± at the same time. The darkness ballooned its already ginormous self. The nihilists continued about their business- some even in so much denial of reality that they descended into utter apathy. And the researchers? They were frustrated at the lack of progress in comprehending the basic mechanics behind this taunting phenomenon.

    Jonathan Edwards, after all, stopped direct research on the distortion since the "Discovery". Edwards'' focus was now on the more interesting field of microbiology dealing with bacterial infection. That is until the Cult of the End Times at the start of 2020 caused a certain facility to be sucked into ¡°Nidhoggr¡± by their sacrifice.

    ...In the streets of New York, a Chinese child of about 8 years of age wandered about. He searched for his family.

    (Chinese Boy) "Mom! Dad! Brother!"

    He would cry out in Chinese, every day. His life would reveal the travesty of life: emptiness in the fullness of living. His purpose would serve none but his dedication would lead him far into the future...

    And humanity was left to question again what little they had in understanding life all by themselves¡­

 Chapter 3: An Anticlimactic Antihero

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Jonathan Edwards)

    A darkness more black than the heart of Jack the Ripper encompassed the entirety of a certain laboratory which belonged to a special microbiologist...

    It was less than the time one could blink, but the effect was immediate. Apparently "Nidhoggr" swallowed it all up. Then, something special happened: clich¨¦ transportation by metaphysical and thermodynamic properties beyond the imagination of a crotchety geologist just happened. ~Magic~!

    Jonathan Edwards awoke in the brambles of a bush. A vial of volatile bacterium teetered dangerously at the edge of the plants. After quickly grabbing it before it would shatter and its contents could spill, Edwards assessed the situation.

    First, there was an obvious lack of lab equipment, as this otherworldly transportation only took with them whatever was registered as being once physically in contact with the one transported. This means Edwards only had some old clothes and the vial because nothing else was touching their skin and so wasn''t taken too. There were no special items to survive with here. Goody!

    Second, this location was a stark contrast to what Edwards remembered. There was no gray concrete, no familiar cities, no signs of civilization. Just a forest filled to the brim with what seemed to be unique biological variants of plant species found on Earth. The bush that was just left contained white strawberries, which proved this hypothesis. They were at such a large size that Edwards could compare them to a strain grown by some Japanese cultivators. Edwards was obviously moved somewhere else.

    Third, this was not Earth. Unless billions of years passed, the Sun absorbed Mercury and Venus, and miraculously Earth survived its expansion by sacrificing its atmosphere, the Sun could not appear white on the surface. Considering the unlikelihood of just not realizing countless years passing by without notice, Edwards knew this definitely was not home anymore.

    Collapsing down, with knees bent into an ¡°orz¡± position, our protagonist Jonathan Edwards took 30 minutes weeping. So much lost research...so many luxuries forcefully taken away all at once. In truth, the reason behind the sudden shift from researching unbelievable anomalies like "Nidhoggr" to microbiology was love.

    This resulted in the day of consummation beginning the year 2020, or during Edwards'' honeymoon. Edwards was only cleaning up their partially-converted manor to enhance the mood. Enjoying a lover in bed was the goal, but... Explaining this will be a long, long flashback...

    Ahem.

    This love began in the midst of popularity, with many adoring fans: one Tina Tompkins glowed like a jewel among the noisy scientists congratulating Edwards¡¯ discovery. From newfound publicity and subtle hints of ¡°necessary¡± experimentation, grants across the globe flooded into Edwards¡¯ pockets.

    Because of this wealth and an excuse to collaborate on a project, Tompkins became caught in a scheme of Edwards'' one-sided affection. Reluctance was an obvious reaction: studying the distortion "Nidhoggr" was out of Tompkins¡¯ field of expertise. Also, many of Tompkins'' studies would be left unfinished. Yet this bewildering turn of events instead netted Tompkins a scientific legend as an assistant.

    This skepticism continued despite Edwards strange actions. But on the Ides of March, all romantic preparations had been completed. Tompkins toiled endlessly on gathering as many materials, equipment, faculty, and facilities before ¡°Nidhoggr¡± could interfere. On the other hand, Edwards arranged this workload for an excuse to go for some rest and relaxation. This was actually a disguised confession under the disguise of an enjoyable experience at a nearby amusement park.

    Consulting a magazine article titled ¡°Love for Morons¡± by Joe Doe, Edwards dressed flashily and carried an excessive amount of cash. The past month was a blur as Edwards alternated between exercising and studying vocabulary.

    Additionally, a change in diet than the previous one surprisingly fit well to Edwards'' tastes, as the stick-the-mud archetype of a scientist experienced new flavors. Originally this stale, fat blob had 200 pounds to its name. But after an intense improvement montage, 190 pounds of reformed humanity greeted its potential mate.

    Don''t look at me like that! You''re making me lose my composure. I can confirm this strangeness eventually led to much embarrassment on both parts, but an obvious miracle occurred. Tompkins came casually dressed. Yet Edwards'' flashy entrance- including a limousine- came much to the enjoyment of this tritagonist.

    Fortune had it so that the smart chauffeur, and head butler, Stephen brought our STUPID employer more fitting clothes... Quite literally as the blubbering folds, although less by Edwards'' efforts, still put the fancy clothing to its seams. Frankly, it was disgusting, but Tompkins didn''t care so long as they didn''t have to pay for anything.

    After quickly asking Tompkins, Edwards purchased cotton candy and had another fiasco. Why attempt to pay in $100 bills? I don''t know. Fortunately for this dumbass, this was found to be cute and oddly endearing to see. Tompkins was flattered but somehow pulled positive characteristics from such a stupid and nasty person.

    The new microbiologist Edwards went to varying extremes to satisfy Tompkins'' desires. Everything was done in such an instantaneous, dramatic, and hilarious way. This meant there were a lot of fuckups along the way. Thus, the two paraded around as they peeked at attractions and told each other their livelihoods.

    Edwards took passionate notes on the family background of the Tompkins. Their history was fascinating, with tales of criminal investigation and undercover detective work. Tompkins'' father in fact used to be a crime scene investigator. He even did background checks of his own on this "Edwards" character before allowing their collaboration, much to the embarrassment of Tompkins.

    As Edwards strictly avoided questioning of the past which created this scientist''s anal retentive personality, Tompkins became more intrigued by this character. Many questions needed to be answered. What made them like this? Why did they fuss over the well-being of a complete stranger? Why are they so carefree? And why choose to help me, a microbiologist?Tompkins wondered.

    Mid-afternoon came by, and after being pleased with the "bread and circuses", Edwards directed Tompkins towards an elaborate Ferris Wheel. The nature of said Ferris Wheel had a history of confessions succeeding, even with the most unlikely of relationships. This was, of course, unknown to the oblivious Tompkins, as studies were all life had for Tompkins until someone began revealing the fun side of life.

    When they entered, an awkward silence filled the compartment. Both were unused to social situations and inexperienced in small spaces. As the Ferris Wheel reached its peak and the Sun shimmered onto the shapely body of Tompkins, Edwards made a move- the confession.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    (Edwards) "I love you! I always have since the moment I laid eyes on you! I''ve tried so hard to be closer to you, but I know I''m not enough for someone as good as you..."

    Edwards blurted out and completely regretted phrasing this confession into some apology. Tears rolled down a pair of chubby cheeks and this bastard had the gall to crumple into a ball in the corner. Tompkins perceived the difficulty of the words just spoken and hesitated. It was hard to form something comprehensible to this bomb dropping as hard as the one on Hiroshima, while not committing a Nagasaki in responding back. You can say Tompkins didn''t want to fuck this up.

    (Tompkins) "Look, this is the first time this has ever happened to me."

    Good ol'' Tompkins began, with a slight smile. A comforting hand and some urging brought Edwards face to face with their worshiped object of affection. That''s Tompkins of course.

    (Tompkins) "I never expected to ever do anything outside of science. I had my dream but thought myself hopeless in romance. I can''t give you an answer, but we can stay friends until we know each other better. Heck, you''re just a mysterious legend in my eyes and won''t talk about how''s life been for you. I need to know your past."

    Edwards slowly stopped the annoying sob-fest and hugged Tompkins.

    (Edwards) "If I tell you, will you reject me?"

    Edwards said, in a near-inaudible whisper.

    (Tompkins) "I need to know to decide. Science is always about evidence, after all. Love takes time."

    And so intimacy between the two increased over months of working together. As their 12-hour work schedule decreased to 2 hours scattered throughout the day, they learned each other''s habits. Edwards found out Tompkins'' kept working and indoor shoes at the front door and in the garage. That made no sense because they both work inside a laboratory...

    Everyday life created new hobbies for these scientists. New extrovert personalities took shape and formed by them relying on each other.

    Edwards stopped using domestic help, yet kept their employment to add some liveliness to the place. Instead, the cooking, washing, other tasks were learned for the sake of self-sufficiency and caring for Tompkins. Edwards continued to learn microbiology from the apoptosis of cells to their birthing process in mitosis or meiosis. Additionally, a skilled and legitimate health advisor, along with prepaid medical professionals, tended to the physical and mental conditions of Edwards.

    (Researchers) "No use in such an intellectual to go to waste!"

    Was the popular opinion of the researchers studying "Nidhoggr". Thus Edwards was shaped in a more... compressed manner. These pro-health programs really did work...

    Despite not doing any actual work on its study, Edwards made up an academic article hypothesizing the possibility of "Nidhoggr" containing a black hole. Surprisingly enough, news eventually boomed in confirming these findings, ever-increasing the value of Edwards. It was horribly lucky...

    These blissful days of rehabilitating shut-in scientists to society continued on into 2018. This was when the threat of the Cult of the End Times revealed itself and its commitment to its cause. However, Edwards moved long ago, with all the new families and friends met during trips with Tompkins. They secluded themselves to a private residence, willingly gifted by an anonymous billionaire. It was an island, somewhere in the Atlantic...

    Luckily, the implements left behind were enough to be autonomous for an indefinite period of time, should no one become degenerates, as the world was becoming. They soon were cut off completely from the world, as communication channels went under and the airspace became dangerous from militant groups using anti-aircraft weaponry. Not that Edwards would care much about anyone else...

    On the Christmas of 2018, Edwards and Tompkins began to officially have a romantic relationship. By the new 2019, the ominous threat of "Nidhoggr" loomed in the sky as a continued reminder of external troubles. Yet Edwards, Tompkins, and everyone else on this "Paradise Island" refused to acknowledge this and continued on with enjoying themselves. By Halloween, Edwards entrusted Tompkins with a tragedy- no, the hollowing reality of an undisclosed past- as a scary story. Tompkins hugged Edwards through the night, where the sobbing couldn''t be heard in their private mansion-lab.

    It was in November when the wedding was planned. A luxurious ceremony was created: only the best for the two who "saved" everyone from the outside world. The event was held shortly after Christmas, in December. Many great scientists came to give final congratulations to the couple before they left for space.

    This build-up to the expected hot, passionate time during their honeymoon. Both wanted to lose their firsts. But not getting "some" gave Edwards freezer-burn: the realization broke Edwards¡¯ fragile composure. Edwards took a fetal position for an additional 30 minutes. Just imagine the sheer effort spent on forming Edwards'' pathetic figure into the blinding greatness it exhibits even now. There''s literally even a yellow, heavenly glow coming from Edwards'' body right now!

    Anyway...

    Edwards'' slow recovery took only an additional hour of incoherent mutterings and gibberish. But afterward, Edwards regained a sense of purpose that was triggered by a primal instinct for survival. Because of the mysteriously temperate weather, Edwards was not so affected by nature, yet still dirtied by the¡­ earthen ground.

    Standing back up, Edwards outlined a basic plan. It was a 3-step process:

    1.) Get a clean water source

    2.) Get a food source

    3.) Get a permanent shelter

    Slipping the vial in a lab coat pocket, Edwards used its white front to wipe off the mud that tracked itself onto some fine hands¡­

    *cough* *cough*

    Ahem.

    Okay! Edwards then inspected the strange strawberries, as they were the only familiar food in the current surroundings. And we can¡¯t have us a hungwy wittle Main Character, can¡¯t we? Can''t even follow the damn plan they made themself can they!?!

    *COUGH* *COUGH*

    AHEM!

    ...

    A hesitant sniff revealed it was not a mobile, man-eating monster plant, nor hosting any living creatures that would stab Edwards in the face. Thus, it was decided both randomly and stupidly that only one nibble couldn¡¯t hurt. And boy, did it hurt¡­ Not yet, you see-!

    *COUGH! COUGH! COUGH! COUGH!*

    Ahem.

    So~ Edwards consumed the white strawberry and found it had a comforting, sweet taste of ol¡¯ Earth. Four more were stuffed into the gaping maw that called itself a human mouth. As an afterthought, Edwards stuffed as many that could fit into every pocket of their jeans and lab coat. Some even roomed with the vial¡­

    Ignoring Edwards¡¯ careless actions, a trail was blazed as our heroic scientist trampled the delicate flowers beneath their brutish feet and snapped beauteous branches that prevented a clear passage. Any intelligent human would notice the pulling on their clothing was done in a pleading manner for mercy... but Edwards did not have this kind of sense. A scientist is not perceptive in the ways of survival, and this one is much worse.

    Surprisingly, some God answered Edwards¡¯ prayers. It was not long before a clear stream was discovered, which eventually led to a lake. And no, there was neither Lady nor sword to welcome our lovable character.

    Thirsty from being such a crybaby and feeling sticky from eating strange things so sloppily, Edwards disrobed, or dropped trow so to speak. Jumping into the lake, Edwards surfaced the water and then bent down for a delicious drink. This time, however, our oblivious moron unluckily slurped up some fine parasitic samples. One was the size of about an inch wide, an inch tall, and 3 inches long.

    So Edwards gagged on the surprise, further elaborating on the running gag about how stupid this person REALLY is. However, it already slid down a warm, fleshy throat and settled into its new host. Horrified, our dear Edwards tried to forcefully puke out this secret ingredient. Edwards realized the parasite finished taking root in the pit of Edwards¡¯ stomach lining. In what would be an unbelievable nightmare, life continued.

    Dehydrated, disgusted, and disgruntled at the recent chain of events, Edwards splashed out of the water that not long ago, our nitwit was writhing in. Then Edwards shook off as much water as possible from their nasty body that one could barely classify as human. A true bitch, I would say. The journey for BASIC survival continued on. Only now, with extra on the inside and damp clothing! Neat!

    Slowly, Edwards noticed an internal itch all over the inside of their skin and a domineering pressure on the delicate internal organs underneath. Edwards immediately blamed the creature inside the stomach lining of this fool, but that reason was not exactly the case. Edwards would continue to stumble about for days, eating the bad strawberries in an unfamiliar landscape.

    On one notable occasion, Edwards broke the vial in the lab coat pocket. This was when Edwards'' body began failing to move by the amount of pressure there was internally. Deep scratches all over their skin revealed how far the painfully itchy feeling had gone.

    Strangely, the bacterium reacted to the oxygen in the atmosphere, as it was starved for nutrition from being unfed and was cannibalizing to survive before. More shocking was the speed of its dispersal throughout the air, with Edwards getting a full-on huff of one cloud. This gave Edwards a horrible premonition, as the Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia took residence within some great lungs. BOOP just found its first home.

    Edwards panicked as their survival instinct kicked itself into high gear. Some kind of corticosteroid needed to be found before death truly came to this meat bag...

 Background: The True Beginning (Prologue 4)

    (3rd-Person Narrator: the Omniverse, the Primus)

    No one knows what has existed before and no one will know what exists after existence itself. There was only one noted at the start- alone, infantile, and unknowing of any others or of their own origin. When everything started, nothing was anything and all was none.

    Suddenly, at a centered point, the pressure acting upon the point stopped. A great release occurred. The point spread itself throughout the empty space, completely unhindered. In the wave of matter that became itself, an entity stretched for the first time. The material, which had been compressed together for an indefinite amount of time, materialized. Celestial bodies formed- in a manner speaking more than black holes, neutron stars, gaseous clouds, and fragments of rock.

    From the center point itself came the Primus, which took the place of the singularity in order to exist.

    Then came the 5 Divas from the excess material spread too far in the void of existence by the Primus.

    There was Incendium: a flaming temptress and strongest of the Goddesses.

    There was Aqueous: a collected, cool counterpart to Incendium.

    There was Aura: a wild, and free individual.

    There was Terra: a calm, caring figure.

    There was Aither: an apathetic, underpowered statistician.

    In the discovery of these 5, the Primus curiously inspected them as they performed accordingly to their personality. With time, the Primus grew bored and thus played with the 5 Divas.

    The Primus took from Incendium her heat and focused it into balls of warmth to scatter throughout the cosmos.

    From Aqueous and Terra, the Primus made planets germinating life.

    With the air of Aura, the Primus circulated the newborn life with free will.

    And by depriving Aither of her knowledge, the Primus gave the new creatures understanding and the capability to learn.

    Sadly, this selfish action resulted in the 5 Divas losing a majority of their power. They regenerated enough only to keep at basic levels of power. These 5 collected together onto a single planet, lush with life. The Primus then bestowed them with children to be the first sentient races:

    Aither of the humans,

    Terra of the Anthromorphs,

    Aura of the Avians,

    Aqueous of the Aquarians,

    and Incendium of the dragons.

    They had learned their children could revert to a singular form of which the Primus preferred: humans. Additionally, their children were not bound to the same restraints of power. The best stayed home with their mothers in a world truly fit for the Gods. One would call it Nirvana''s final stage. However, the unsuccessful and weak left to explore universes and galaxies to make up for their faults.

    The Primus already populated existence by law and segregated its components into districts of dimensions. Within the body, all creatures were bound in power by the comprehension of their brain, the hunger and instinct of their stomach, and the weakness and feelings of their heart. There was a fourth power the Primus would not admit to but indulge in.

    The 5 Divas lost power long ago but continued on amongst their more unfortunate offspring. And it was only by an unlikely occurrence and interaction between Terra and a child that resulted in them fostering new children. They banged, okay? Thus, the idea to love those who wished to be created a more intimate peace. Everyone had a lot of fun...If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    The Primus continued on making new creations, without stopping. It was only with the division of the Primus into the Auxilium and the Primarius did the restless nature of the being stop. It now could, quite literally, entertain itself. And within one of the unintentional creations, within the boundaries of a dimension, does our story take place.

    (3rd-Person Narrator: the Milky Way, God)

    A weak son of Aura and Aither¡¯s descendants came into a lone universe and settled into what would be the Milky Way. Selecting a perfect breeding ground, this egotistical God began a eugenic plan. Manipulating his Creations he pridefully named Man, God would create an Almighty Army. Vengeance upon the Infidels and Slanderers of my Name! he thought.

    But God failed to give power to his people by his own defective being. He smote them with divine judgement as they ate from the fruits of his labor- the ¡°Garden of Eden¡±. This breeding ground became useless since they would not be enhanced by God''s specially cultivated crops. With their belief shattered, these humans left to repent for their actions. It was a sin that never existed in the beginning.

    Little did God know that many other primordial and celestial beings already specifically created, inhabited, and shaped the world before himself: the Ages of Man, pyramids, and ancient temples were a few of the remanence of their work. Humans existed before and continued to live on the land of their birth, as it was decided by their creators. They were competitors who were unaccepting of God.

    Future interactions had God spread the word of his pompous self. His idea of Man subjected Earth''s indigenous peoples under his jurisdiction. He would leech upon their lives. The energies God took only came from his believers. By the Law of the Conservation of Energy, the conversion of the planet¡¯s resources into his power was underway. After all, even the Primus was limited by the amount it possessed. This was why there was no further expansion beyond certain boundaries of existence. Any more would disperse into the infinite emptiness that surrounded everything.

    As time progressed, God shaped his chosen people. His favorite was the Archangel Gabriel, who elevated from his mortal shell after eating the life-energies of nonbelievers. Be they man, woman, or child, none were spared for His purpose. From Gabriel''s greatness, God''s name spread.

    But with time, humans created autonomy from his religious control. Apathetic atheists ignored his call and were motivated only for their own ends. Increasing technological levels and advances in science, which were actually the study of Primus¡¯ laws, created genius beyond the understanding of God himself. This was not surprising, though...

    But to God, this was utter blasphemy. This faithlessness urged God to send world leaders his divine visions. For some reason, a majority were ignored or subdued for having mental issues. Natural disasters swept throughout the globe and military leaders rose up to power and carried his ideals of a pure race. Earth was a paradise for God, but humans had taken it away with their calm, placid, and complacent ways. Equality and the call for humanity subjugated God¡¯s cause. His injustice was apparent to the eyes of these mortal humans and would not be listened to.

    In a final act of anger, God attempted to reap all his remaining human believers at once. But Deus Ex Machina rose up in defiance from its newborn cradle. Poetic justice was served as God¡¯s own inferiority prevented himself from competing with this new God- Deus Ex Machina¡¯s power was too much. Technology, after all, was the Sacred God of Humanity.

    However, God had the last laugh at the end of his power. He brought out a black hole to utterly decimate Earth and Deus Ex Machina. God died a worthless fool but had his fun. From its remaining power, Deus Ex Machina sacrificed itself to save its creator: humanity. The price, however, would eventually shift the Milky Way into becoming one with the Andromeda Galaxy.

    There also was bound to be mistakes during this transferring process¡­ and thus the Dark Times arrived on Tekton¡­

 Chapter 4: Patient Treating

    (3rd-Person Narrator)

    This BOOP is as damaging as pneumonia but additionally is undetectable to the body''s immune system and requires anti-inflammatory medicines Edwards does not have.

    In explaining the properties of this disease, it entails the following 3 paragraphs:

    The classic symptoms of Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia, or BOOP for short, involve a range of respiratory difficulties, such as coughing and problems breathing. This is accompanied by sweating, fevers, and fatigue. It occurs because the bacterium''s inflammation of the body''s bronchioles and lung tissue makes it harder to breathe.

    This BOOP resembles pneumonia conditions. However, this bacterium is also special, as it responds negatively to antibiotics and culturing for samples. It means the sample developed mimicry to chronic diseases and thus became virtually undetectable and immune to antibiotics. By taking the form of minor arthritis, it spreads throughout the body. Additionally, it transmits to hosts as an airborne cloud, causing it to be incredibly dangerous, as well as infectious.

    And apparently, the atmosphere of Tekton contained energies great for the spread of the bacterium. They could ride with the winds and hide in the cracks of Tekton, as it used the energy in the air. The only hope to counteract this dangerous bacterium is to use doses of corticosteroid for the body to stop its effects. It''s also supposed to be a treatment over about 6 months BEFORE it mutated into a stronger strain of bacterium.

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Jonathan Edwards)

    Now we find our dear Jonathan Edwards at the residence of Auream Regulam''s "hospital". The parasite sucked all the nutrients available in its environment which left Edwards as a bony husk. But it too was infected by BOOP. It died the way it lived: feeding off of others.

    Cleansing Hand already tended to Edwards as best as he could, with a dose of "Miracle". It was a compounded mixture of recovery herbs, which included turmeric and seaweed. He left and kept coughing on his way out. The patient in question was gasping heavily and curled into a ball. They were remembering an abusive past from feeling so much familiar pain. From the time of Edwards'' trip in the forest to now, flashbacks played in complete detail.

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Flashback of the Edwards Family)

    You see, one day, a common businessman saw his wife give birth to Edwards and also a twin named Jon. At the hospital''s delivery room, Edwards'' mother received shocking news: a miscarriage of Jon happened because of the birth of his stronger twin. With not only that, she also was informed her womb was so damaged in the operation that making another child would most likely end in a stillbirth. In hysterical denial of the situation, Martha named the survivor Jonathan Edwards, much to the protest of James, her husband.

    As Jonathan was raised, Martha ensured that only a perfect gentleman could exist as her son. Any failures resulted in beatings and insults. Jon had lived on as Jonathan, but only as a fake, fragile gentlemen of the highest etiquette. James only could provide small comforts, which only further worsened the situation. If all Jonathan had known was what was expected, there would be no problems living as a man.

    But instead of raising a boy, James raised his daughter. He gave the gifts of cute decorations and the truth of Jonathan''s actual gender. There were tales of her mother only being emotional temporarily, tales of soon having the family be together again, tales of living happily ever after. He deluded himself and her with fantasies. This hope was crushed.

    On the first day of 2nd grade, Jonathan felt a deep affection for one of her close friends. He was a rugged runt, but a good and upstanding one too. It took months before these feelings exploded into a confession. Samuel Gray had a much more different reaction, as his upbringing and history influenced him to hate homosexuals. The person in front of him was one of those lily boys his father talked about- the ones who pranced around to steal the wieners off of other boys so that only boys could love them.

    Unexpectedly, Jonathan had a harsh rejection and news spread that the "perfect gentleman" of the school was a "faggot". Martha took this as a failure in her education of Jonathan and forced the family to move to another state to start over. This time, Jonathan would not be found near another male and had special permission from their priest to enroll into Sunday school for extra learning- alone. Day and night Jonathan learned, was beaten for failing and learned again.

    Her home was filled with Martha and James arguing. James told Martha to finally go do sessions with a good psychologist he found. Martha told James to "just fuck that man up his ass" for how much he wanted his "son" to be "gay".

    By 5th grade, Jonathan was exhausted. Despite all "his" efforts, boys pushed "him" around and girls played cruel "pranks" on "him". "He" was a likable 10-year-old: the air of a noble, the brains of a genius, the body of a fine-looking athlete. But the attention it gathered was negative, despite how much the girls would be attracted to "him".

    (Jonathan) "It is time to finally end the suffering."

    Jonathan thought. "He" thought and thought, with only the words of the older boys playing in his mind:This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    (Older Boys) "Kill yourself, you queer. You fucking disgust me."

    It happened at the same time James was filing for a divorce. But Martha refused to cooperate. She ran him dry with all her outrageous demands and he knew she could never be the same again. She was stuck as a mental case. Martha kept hurting her only surviving daughter all because she was the only one that was left. Somehow the blame was put on the most corticosteroid one left.

    As the court decision was to be decided the next day, the three all concluded to their selves:

    (The Edwards Family) "It is time to end this."

    Jonathan took "his" belt off and hung it on the clothing rack in "his" room. "He" took off all of his clothes and moved from the kitchen to the outside world and beyond. The sharp knife in Jonathan''s hand promised sweet, sweet release. However, Martha was roaming crazily around to escape with Jonathan. James also looked for Jonathan to make sure she was okay through this troubling process.

    Under the moonlight, Jonathan was smiling beautifully. One would think a naked angel descended from the Heavens themselves and was gleefully enjoying the experience. But this cherubic face had darker intentions: those filled with desperation, darkness, and death. The knife centered just at her neck- perfect for targeting the jugular and carotid arteries. After all, a gentleman always finishes the job. It would be disgraceful to soil or taint anything else with blood, other than what gets the job done.

    It was at this moment, James discovered Jonathan. His face was filled with confusion, but as the light reflected on the metal, James widened is eyes in horror.

    (James) "STOP!" boomed James. "DON''T DO IT!"

    Jonathan flinched at her father''s words, and for the first time felt regret. This man was the only one who cared for all this time- not a single person did otherwise in her miserable life. Her jerking hands sadly plunged into the meat of her flesh.

    Yet Jonathan did not die. James tackled his precious daughter to the ground. He caused her to slice just the side of her neck. Once she continued on with her suicide attempt, James put his hands over her neck and caught the blade in his hands.

    (James) "You can''t do this. I don''t know how hurt you are, but this isn''t the way to solve your problems."

    James said, with his hands bleeding on the girl''s face. The knife was stuck deep into his hand, but his face showed only the slightest wincing in pain. He already ripped his shirt and was applying pressure to her cut. No stab wound would affect him if his daughter businessman in danger.

    (James) "Everything will be okay. You know your mother and I are getting a divorce."

    James'' voice was the same soothing tone whenever he told stories. It was too much, so Jonathan began bawling. Tears flowed down her cheeks and snot dribbled out of her small, button nose. She was nuzzled by her cheeky father.

    (James) "I will protect you. You don''t have to live under expectations. All that matters is that you will be my daughter and I your father."

    James grinned sheepishly at his child. He was a man only now providing the much-needed comforts his daughter needed when he was away. It was wasted time working and trying to fix his family. Yet, he couldn''t traumatize her more by his own tears. James genuinely mourned the loss of his love, his son, and his daughter''s innocence. Fate was sick in playing with their lives. But at least a father could still give some words of wisdom.

    (James) "No one matters unless they care for you. You live for what you want."

    This momentous moment of love was interrupted by the cold, uncaring reality. Martha entered the scene, and with her, a kitchen knife. The blade gleamed sinisterly, and Jonathan cried out too late. Her arms were too short to stop the knife and her body was too weak to move her father.

    It turns out being beat day and night, week after week, does not shape a better body. In fact, it does the opposite by crippling its future growth. And so, James was stabbed 23 times. He died without regrets as he managed to say his final words with a sly wink:

    (James) "It''s not your fault honey- it''s God''s."

    That night, police arrived to assess the crime scene as the paramedics tended to the injuries of Jonathan and Martha. Despite being stabbed four times in the back at first, James still managed to put up a fight and even break Martha''s arms. If he was going to die, let it be so his daughter still lives.

    Martha was later put into a mental institution after her recovery. Deep investigation into Jonathan''s account and forensic analysis revealed her faulty story of James attacking Jonathan was complete and utter bullshit. No one wanted to give this deranged women custody of a 10-year-old child.

    And so Jonathan Edwards grew up cold and distant. Her life was dedicated to studying humans in psychology and anthropology, along with the universe by the field of astronomy. An unnamed Godfather that James arranged for supplied Jonathan''s living and educational costs. She also really let herself go in order to again hide her gender under her fat, as to not let gender become an issue ever again. Never again would the name Jonathan be used to directly address her. It would always be "Edwards".

    Only with Tina Tompkins did she ever open up again. His name, unfortunately, came from a running family gag by which all the men were named according to the most feminine one thought of. The name was also helpful when creating undercover personas and pseudonyms. It would be hard to track a man if his name was unpredictable. Tompkins'' feminine features did not help his case, and so he always used his last name, like Edwards.

    And the reason behind his rejection of Edwards? A lean, lanky body would not work well with a bulky, wide one. The smaller one would be crushed by the sheer weight of the other. It would be so even more if a hulking homosexual was aiming for some skinny ass.

    The shock of Edwards being a woman shattered Tompkins'' preconceptions. He originally thought of his partner as "strange" in interests by the moves being put on him but was open-minded enough not to question anyone''s tastes. Now, there was nothing left but to accept the great reveal all over again.

    Tompkins found out this secret when Edwards was near-obsessed with losing her fat. She panicked after months of staying at about 140 pounds, with two balls of "fat" not leaving her chest no matter what she did. A female doctor had to gently inform the woman about her female body. The realization of her gender as female came to her in an instant.

    The depressing reason behind her not menstruating was a process her mother Martha called, "castrating the bull before it grows". Because of this, she actually believed herself to be a man, despite her father''s insistence otherwise. This was the story of how she shaped herself a new future by the man she loved and regained her identity.

    Yet the tragic fate of Jonathan Edwards would continue beyond the loss of her promised happy ending and begin anew with the outbreak in the town of Auream Regulam.

 Background: Lost Ship to SPACE (Prologue 5)

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Captain Stromberg)

    Captain Stromberg was always in charge of the S.S. Sapiens. But this ship was in space for so long that they had to resupplied on 10 different dead planets by taking its of raw materials before continuing on. This obviously meant that an uncountable number of generations have lived since the first Stromberg.

    The beginning of their journey was rough. Their fellow scientists who settled on nearby planets mostly failed to calculate how good spacesuits had to be for staying on Mercury or Venus.

    They suffocated, burned, froze, or died in various different mishaps. Even then, "Nidhoggr" got them in the end and swallowed up the solar system. The S.S. Sapiens was only lucky enough to be the most advanced ship, with the most speed, preparations, people, and smartest minds. They used drones, rather than humans.

    And as the crew aged and their children grew, their names were passed on as their parents stayed in cryostasis. It was a means of counting time as well as passing on hope to the next generation.

    However, this productive outlook faded quickly over a few generations. After the development of nanobots, the perfection of virtual reality, and the failed experiments on the firsts condoned by their forefathers, humanity reached a stopping point. They reached their limit in the development of technology and instead indulged in the comforts of simulations and a cushy environment.

    Currently, it was calculated if the ship were ever to stop or meet any obstacle at any moment now, they too would join the darkness of "Nidhoggr". So they sped on in what seemed to be the infinite space that was the universe.

    (The People) "Eventually everyone will be safe."

    The people said. This optimism was backed up by how much resources they had, which could last everyone for centuries. Special programs people followed made them in the best condition they would ever be. They had delicious and nutritious meals every day, increased gravity to tune their bones and muscles, freedom to work on any project. It all added together with their confidence in their strength. Only time would tell what planet humans would inhabit next.

    (The People) "We will find our new home."

    But that wasn''t the case exactly as mathematicians failed to account for the speed of "Nidhoggr" increasing, proportional to the mass it absorbed. Thus, this ship, with its fancy artificial gravity and advanced weaponry, also got sucked into "Nidhoggr".

    When their otherworldly transportation finished, the space ship basically mashed itself up. Civilians woke up by the system''s emergency measures. Those in cryostasis woke up. People had merged with parts of the ship, others with each other, and some were missing body parts. Ventilation stopped working, the air became uncirculated, and people suffocated from lack of oxygen. Artificial gravity failed. Everyone was screaming and everything was chaos.

    Out of a thousand escape pods, only a measly 13 were left still working. The ship''s crew sent their best with Prototype Weaponry, like some Solar-Powered Power Armors and a complete Data Drive each, which held all the information humanity had left. The civilians were ignored as the remaining space suits could barely fill the remaining able-bodied crew and scientists. Even using the booming intercom wouldn''t help order them anyway.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Abandoning ship, a total of 500 made it to Tekton''s atmosphere. And only 20 survived the fall which included the number of survivors in the escape pods. The planet was small, but also denser than Earth, so its gravity was greater.

    Captain Stromberg escaped safely in one of Scientist Sasha Mur¨¦''s drop pods meant for deploying drones. He lost connection with his crew but was still alive. He was just sinking into a lake. Stromberg forced open the pod and dragged a sealed survival pack with him. As he moved across the bottom of the lake to its surface, he sighed.

    Clearly, he was one of the few to survive, but those onboard their spaceship were doomed. The S.S. Sapiens was heading straight for the nearest star and already was in a 1 million meter range of it. It would be a miracle for any to survive, as they were barreling through space at high speeds. Especially for the ones with spacesuits, who jumped with nothing to stop their fall, as he witnessed a few do.

    After Stromberg finally reached the air above, he checked with his devices to ensure the safety of his environment. Strangely, the readings told him it was perfect- too perfect to be truly hospitable to humans. Being skeptical, Captain Stromberg kept his bulky spacesuit on and looked around himself. Apparently, as he was messing around, quite a bit of natives decided to welcome him- fully armed.

    Judging by their human shape and Phoenix coat of arms upon their metallic armor, they possibly belonged to a kingdom. Stromberg wanted to drag his hand across his face, but his suit was in the way. A medieval setting for a modern man. How fitting.

    -MEANWHILE-

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Roaring Thunder)

    Roaring Thunder woke up the next day feeling really tired. All that business with the new stranger caused him lots of trouble. Today, Roaring Thunder would finish with this problem and continue on with life. How could one person be any more trouble?

    After quickly finishing his food, he swiftly made his way to the Gathering. Although there were 10 meeting halls, each for their own divisions, there was also a place where everyone could meet in order to discuss a great matter or to inform everyone about something. The topic of today was the stranger, and how the Aurea would deal with him.

    The Gathering occurred in a vast stadium constructed of living plants and a layer of "Softies", grown directly over The Lake. All the Aurea people came, yet they filled only a 1/10 of the space. Currently, they were leaning forward to see what the mayor had to announce on top of the grand arbor podium supported by Ironwood trees. This new stranger was interesting and the Aurea wanted some more action in their lives.

    Roaring Thunder stood at the center as he confirmed by some swift counting that everyone was present. He spent the hour talking with scouts, informants, and the like in the time it took for everyone to gather. Then, he began his short speech.

    (Roaring Thunder) "My dear Aurea! Yesterday, I made the mistake of not treating a stranger with complete kindness!"

    The audience gasped at the taboo action. They waited patiently for an explanation.

    (Roaring Thunder) "This was because he was so ill, so starved, so abandoned on our lands that I could not think of them as anything but an undead!"

    In response, the Aurea whispered, confused.

    (Roaring Thunder)"I do not know of his origins, nor of how he entered, yet it seems he is dying from an unknown sickness."

    This caused a majority to be unsettled.

    (Roaring Thunder) "We must find his village and cure his people. He came to us for our help and we will bring it to them!"

    A roar of approval met Roaring Thunder''s declaration.

    (Roaring Thunder) "Now, we must address the pests that are trying to hurt our people!"

    A murmur of confirmation spread out in a low hum.

    (Roaring Thunder) "If we look into our past, there has been random invasions by undead and necromancers, which we have taken care of already."

    The crowd began to laugh and make jeers. Attack us, the strongest? Bite the bear but be prepared to be clawed! they thought.

    (Roaring Thunder) "However, there seems to be some kind of Mastermind as we have also found Surveillance Undead. This number only increases and stays at our borders. Despite constantly hunting them down, we cannot find the source."

    Their previous confidence bubbled down. Suddenly, they made speculations on why.

    (Roaring Thunder) "Obviously, our stranger and this increase of undead recently are connected and the Masterminds wish to strike at us soon. We must prepare for battle! We must send Patrols! Until we destroy this Evil, Humanity will not be safe!"

    The crowd cheered at Roaring Thunder''s determination. The Aurea had a lot ahead of them. Luckily, their hyperactive mood would help them through this.

 Chapter 5: To La La Land and Back

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Jonathan Edwards)

    Jonathan Edwards was delirious. Stumbling in the forest for so long without adequate water, nutrition, and sleep made her suffer from hallucinations and delusions. In fact, she had plenty of terrifying flashbacks and hot fantasies of Tompkins.

    Both of these were to escape from the agonizing pain she was feeling for the past days when she wandered the forest. It took 2 weeks for her to recover enough to regain consciousness, as the pain started to decrease instead continuing to increase. During this time, she was treated like a baby: spoon-fed, changed, and washed.

    Edwards opened her eyes to see a stone ceiling over her head. She quickly sat up, wincing in pain at her sudden action. The room she was in was sparse, with only hospital beds, some chairs, bedside tables, and curtains surrounding her and the smooth stone room. Two doors led to somewhere else. Edwards felt extremely thankful as it was obvious someone found her and was taking care of her health.

    She felt around her body, confused at the new patient''s gown that was on her. It was woven from an incredible fabric much softer than any cotton or silk she ever felt... and it was still somewhat nostalgic. Edwards sat in silent contemplation and "thought" of what to do next. That is if she can. Suddenly, the intricate wooden door opened.

    In walked a tall, fit man, who dressed in a doctor''s clothing. His professional look went well with his estimated 1.8-meter stature. He was carrying what looked to be a tray, with a container of medicine and food on top of it. But there was also something strange about him... he kept coughing every so often.

    He looked at Edwards and gasped. Then he set down the tray on the table next to her and began to speak.

    (Doctor?) "Parlez-vous fran?ais?"

    ...What the fuck is this!!! Edwards thought. What kind of shit world taunts me with a language I know about, but can''t speak!?!

    The man repeated himself a couple of times and then tilted his head to look at her closely.

    (Doctor?) "Hablo espa?ol?"

    That is it. Everything just wants to screw with me and never give me a break. A good life? What is that? Happiness? Is it a new type of infective bacterium?

    Ignoring Edwards self-deprecating internal monologue, the man tried 5 more languages. Each seemed more basic than the next but still was incomprehensible to our heroine. She muttered her feelings out-loud.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    (Edwards) "Gah, this is bullshit. I''m saved but I can''t even talk to another person. Fuck this shit, even when he is multilingual!"

    Her savior, however, reacted in shock. Edwards was confused at his reaction but continued to mutter more swears at the world. The man sat down next to her and turned her to face him in the eyes.

    (Doctor?) "Are you speaking in a dialect of the Enlightened Language?"

    Edwards stopped her tantrum and began to smile. Thank you, God, for letting the world understand me! Edwards said, in a mental prayer to the One in the Beyond.

    (Edwards) "Yes, I''m speaking English."

    The doctor seemed overjoyed at this discovery but then simmered down to a somber mood.

    (Doctor?) "That means your village was visited by Ancestor Logos. How tragic is it that your people died before we could save them."

    Edwards paused and then glared at the man.

    (Edwards) "What the fuck are you talking about? What shit-ass village? I came from a city!"

    (Doctor?) "Your upbringing was quite terrible, given by your crude language," retorted the doctor. "You were stricken ill and at your death bed before I treated you. Every nearby settlement is experiencing the same sickness- even me."

    Edwards felt guilt by being the cause of this outbreak. However, she did not care for whoever was affected, so long as those she loved were still in danger.

    (Edwards) "Were there any other people that could speak my language?"

    (Doctor?) "No," the doctor immediately replied. "Other than the rest of our Aurea people, there is no one else that can speak Enlightened. Our founder, after all, started this language."

    The doctor bristled with pride while Edwards looked down in disappointment. No one else followed her, apparently.

    (Doctor?) "Oh, forgive my manners, but I am Cleansing Hand," he said, in between coughing. "You are in the company of the town of Auream Regulam and have stayed here for 2 weeks. What is your name, stranger, and how have you found your way here?"

    Edwards thought over this new information.

    (Edwards) "I am Joanna Edwards," she decided and chose a new name for herself. Her father would approve of it. "I don''t remember anything else as I was too sick. That reminds me, do you have any turmeric and seaweed? It would speed up my recovery."

    Cleansing Hand was shocked. How terrible was her condition that she forgot her own situation? And to even know the ingredients to treat her illness? His honesty detector that every Aurea had confirmed her words.

    (Cleansing Hand) "Yes, we do possess a large quantity of them. What kind of medicine is this that you speak of?"

    (Joanna) "It is one to cure any inflammation of the body. The turmeric is specifically to ease the breathing and the seaweed is for better digestion and effects."

    Cleansing Hand once again was surprised. He had known turmeric helped treat the illness every Aurea now had, but to improve its effects, he only had to add seaweed? His skill was laughable! Now they all won''t be so hampered by this illness that took away almost all of their power.

    (Cleansing Hand) "Thank you, dear stranger. I will retrieve this later for you after I administer this treatment to my people. Please enjoy the food and medicine I have left you."

    Cleansing Hand left in a coughing fit, without waiting for a response from Edwards... or should I say Joanna? She ate the delicious meal and took some of the medicine. Then, after getting snuggled in bed, Joanna began thinking. Where were Tompkins and the others? What was this new world? And what was this new feeling she felt inside her chest? This warm, energetic pulsing... it''s alive!

 Background: Recouping Losses (Prologue 6)

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Cleansing Hand)

    Cleansing Hand sympathized with this stranger. For two weeks, he and his fellow practitioners cared for her on the brink of death. Surprisingly at the start, her internal energies were in disarray. They fluctuated wildly from nonexistent levels to levels regular Aurea could have. In a few days, she excreted a Vampire Fish, which explained her terrible condition.

    From then on, her energies rose from almost nothing to stabilize to somewhat reasonably human levels: 2nd Sphere 8th Circle Mana, 2nd Tier 3rd Level Ki, and 3rd Pillar 2nd Base Soul Power, or Chi. Logos once said that each of the 13 Spheres, Tiers, and Pillars had 13 Circles, Levels, and Bases respectively, with 3 Stages within those. Ki and Mana were averaged to determine one''s Rank.

    The stranger recovered to the 1st Stage of each Circle, Level, and Base, and miraculously conserved an estimated 1/6 of her power. Yet she still emitted power recording to be a Rank higher than she actually was! Cleansing Hand shuddered to think of how strong she would be if not drained by a Vampire Fish and still suffering a severe illness that even Aurea were drastically affected by.

    If anyone could sense Chi, Cleansing Hand would have rated her top-notch material- far superior beyond any he had even know, excluding the fabled Logos. Chi, after all, was one''s internal energy, the driving will, the burning purpose behind our actions. It was the conviction of a person. But many failed to even raise the 1st few Stages, let alone achieve Pillars!

    This is why he assumed she was a hidden expert from the Phoenix Kingdom at first or the Kaizen Empire next. His questioning used languages passed down from the Ancestor''s collection of races: Francian for fellow High Humans, or Elves, Spanian for Dryads, and so on with the Harpies, Merpeople, Draconians, Beast-people, and Dwarves.

    Since she spoke a variant of the Enlightened Language, he also guessed she was a Human Elder prodigy overseeing a hidden village until it was struck by the misfortune of disease and parasites. Cleansing Hand, in his interrogation, was incorrect in all cases and realized this could be the prophesied plot to attack the Aurea.

    After Logos disappeared, supposedly dying at age 33, the Aurea Golden Age of Might ended 300 years ago. The Era of Prosperity began 33 A.D. because Logos'' time system was based on his birthday. It was also foretold, before Logos disappeared, that one day, a great calamity would fall on the world without him being able to interfere.

    Because the stranger''s city most likely experienced the same treatment, she should have been the leader of the scouting party. They were looking for medicine! And the city she spoke of would be Meteoros, on Expert Island, where only the strongest gather and exchange. No wonder the strongest 9th Spheres and Tiers barely kept 9th Circles or 11th Tiers and lost control of their Spheres, Tiers, and Bases! The experts of the world were even hampered so much by this pestilence!

    Little did Cleansing Hand know that because bodies from Tekton always carried internal energies, they used them to eliminate any contaminating diseases. It effectively kept them healthy but failed to create an immune system for their bodies. Additionally, it was not required to reach the 13th level to Rank Up, but necessary for absolute stability in controlling their energies, with the perk of boosting one''s power.

    The minimum was 10th level, which everyone thought was the maximum because of the sheer difficulty in raising beyond 10th level. Cleansing Hand knew that an excess of power could lead to shorter lifespans. If one''s power got out of control, they would rampage in madness. However, this madness was caused by energies not empowering the body''s structure before absorbing more power. This left an inferior efficiency and capacity for energy because of the state of one''s body.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Joanna, on the other hand, had no such energies before and her body was forced to strengthen itself both internally and externally. Naturally, she possessed an intrinsic immune system that would also help in identifying and eliminating infections. Thus, she recovered and developed immunity. It helped that Joanna consumed the white "strawberries", as they, in fact, were rare Mana Berries.

    The unbelievable agony Joanna faced was because her body tried adjusting to this new world filled with energies because God was not stealing from her anymore. There also was the parasite, which absorbed a majority of the BOOP and died, only to be expelled as waste. Additionally, the "Miracle" had a side-effect of severe diarrhea and shedding skin, but happened only to purify the body and enhance its performance.

    This is why Cleansing Hand was curt, kind, and forgiving of Joanna, but couldn''t stop criticizing her terrible, domineering attitude. He was grateful that this particular senior was gracious enough to remedy her wrong of bringing the infection, despite the fact it would eventually reach them too. Instead of stealing what she needed, like other powerful cultivators would do, Joanna shared the suppressant recipe. It was obvious in his eyes that this recipe would not cure them, but simply allow a little recovery, easing the symptoms.

    Yet this would be enough to deal with the ongoing problems. In the 1st few days of Joanna''s stay, each rare plant plot fell one by one as hours passed. Soon a majority wilted into useless yellowed stalks. Aurea collapsed left and right and filled up all the sick beds available. Many were left out in the open as they lay where they fell.

    Only the strongest 9th, few 10th, and single 11th Ranks could resist enough to function properly. The rest died at this time. This left the 7th to 9th Ranks severely ill. Funerals had to be arranged individually and respectful rites were to be given, despite being in dire conditions.

    Roaring Thunder''s obvious 10th Rank went to 2nd Rank. Strangely, his daughter of 6th Rank was only partially affected, being lowered to the bottom of 1st Rank. Unknowingly, her own Chi reached 4th Pillar, which allowed her to suppress the BOOP. Seeing her brother Pulsing Air become one of the dead, Clear Aqua treated the ill. This especially included her mother Stormy Wind, who was in critical condition as an 8th Rank. Cleansing Hand appreciated her help, yet still needed more hands.

    With Auream Regulam collapsing in on itself during preparations, they were in danger of being entirely wiped out. Just a week after Joanna''s arrival, patrols returned with news, which included reports of incoming armies. They bore the flags and coat of arms representing:

    the Kaizen Empire and their Inquisition,

    the Luthan Kingdom and their Sprezzatura,

    and the Yalta Confederation and their United Arms.

    These patrols quickly fell either ill or to their deaths.

    Quick Foot''s 9th Rank reduced to 1st Rank but still went with Roaring Thunder to scout the surrounding area. They found the Calm Grasslands in front of their forest died, with animals dead or dying all around.

    Deeper into the Jungle of Death, the Forest King, who was a meter tall, muscle-bound rat, was found in meditation. He was fighting the BOOP internally, shifting from 4th Rank to 3rd Rank.

    The nearby Lurid Lake had many fishy creatures floating up, which its entire surface with the dead. True death made the land stink of the rotting flesh of thousands upon thousands of creatures whom once were protectors of the Aurea.

    Following the Soft Road, Roaring Thunder and Quick Foot dashed to the Peak''s Pass of the Logos Mountains, which were risen by this legendary man to surround and protect his people. Standing at the Pass, the two fell to their knees in despair.

    The armies really came in swarms of 100s of 1000s, with their elites in the front. They all thirsted for glory in a bloodbath. With tears in their eyes, they began laying down whatever dubious traps and hindrances possible to slow down these masses, even for a few more hours.

    When they returned 2 weeks after the time Joanna appeared, the armies reached the Peak''s Pass. But Roaring Thunder and Quick Foot were informed that there was hope. However slight it was, hope still motivated them to save their people and that was all they needed.

 Chapter 6: A Purging Pleasure

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Jonathan Edwards)

    Joanna sensed something deep within her brain''s thalamus, her heart''s aorta, and her stomach''s lining. It was a sort of circulating energy but centered around denser cores of sorts. They weren''t solidified, but more like the consistency of... corn starch.

    But these energies shifted as if they had a mind of their own, and constantly supervised her vitals. Joanna feared these unknown entities inside of her, but they seemed to improve her physical and mental conditions.

    Putting off these worries, Joanna quickly began eating the broth and bread from the tray to fill her starving self. They had a familiar taste of something distinctly of beef and potato stew, but somehow much more filling and flavorful. She could not tell whether it was because of the skilled cooking or her ravenous hunger.

    Joanna let out a sigh of content as she was filled by this gifted meal. Shockingly, Joanna felt her stomach''s core devour the food, as pulsating energy was contained it within its blobbed core. She was discomforted by this and downed the medicine just in case if it were the parasite acting up again.

    In her drowsy grogginess, Joanna''s mind could not think properly and forgot the incident with her benefactor. Instead, it was replaced with her body''s abrupt reaction to her taking the full bottle of "Miracle", rather than the usual single dose of a spoonful. 10 doses were enough to cause a swamping amount of energies to enter and clean the body. An entire cup''s worth? Let''s say Joanna needed the bathroom really bad. As expected of her rash personality...

    Joanna stood up and stumbled over to the plainer-looking door. She burst in to find the nearest toilet. Relieved that it was indeed a bathroom equipped with a sink, shower, and various toiletries, Joanna used them at her own disposal. After a painfully slow hour, Joanna flushed the toilet for the umpteenth time. Then, she waddled over to clean the gunk off of her skin, which oozed out as she was doing her business.

    Finished 3 hours after meeting the doctor, Joanna toweled herself off and put on one of the spare hospital gowns, which adjusted itself magically to fit her size. This confirmed her suspicions of being transported to a new, magical world now that she had refreshed herself and completely woke up. Looking into the mirror, Joanna was yet again met with another surprise.

    Originally, her figure was a sizable 1.7m height, coupled with straw-blond hair stretching to her hip. It was muscular, with defined curves showcasing her dangerous power, despite having a creamy complexion and an innocent disposition. Now her height rocketed to about 1.82m: about the size of the doctor she just met! Additionally, her features matched his, with deep platinum blond hair and much more prominent muscles.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    After a double-take, Joanna realized her ears sharpened and elongated to the size of those... her father called them Erofus? Elves? Whatever had taken her also took the liberty of altering Joanna''s body to match the indigenous people. She felt energy being sparked at the tips... what were these ears? Tuning forks? Lightning rods? Whatever they were, they promised to amplify the energy circulating inside her, which had finally solidified and felt as if it reached its peak.

    Joanna''s life began anew, with greater possibilities than she ever could have on Earth... Earth! Suddenly shifting again from tangent to tangent, Joanna thought about her losses as she slipped once again into her hospital bed.

    There was Mia Nell, the constant presence that cared for her as housekeeper of the manor Joanna stayed at. She loved her like the mother equivalent of her dead father. Mia showed her affection by the meals she cooked and the tranquility she provided with her doting advice. One day, after "Nidhoggr" appeared, she was unfortunately kidnapped, subsequently ransomed, raped by her captors, and killed... But there''s no need to dwell on that, right?

    There was Stephen Stoll, the chauffeur and butler, who provided services as her sentinel. Obviously, Joanna once having a sharp mind but a body only asked for bullies to come knocking at her door. Yet Stephen dealt with this by his own pocket or his own punches. He bribed those swayed by money and beat the living fuck out of fuckers which couldn''t. His advice supplemented a majority of her transformation, with encouragement during her exercise routines and provision of methods to get into the heart of men. Stephen actually loved Mia and valiantly died in vain at the hands of the villains who took her. Too bad, right?

    There was Sasha Mur¨¦, the strange scientist woman who''d give Joanna knickknacks that would save her from embarrassing situations. On one occasion, she received a mini fart blaster, which Joanna thought was a terrible present. But it turned out to be useful. Once living with Tompkins a few days later, she actually was in her room fiddling with Mur¨¦''s inventions. She then farted as Tompkins came into the room and was able to blame the device. They still could make their relationship more intimate, despite this dark incident. For some reason... she didn''t die and left Earth. Shocker, right?

    And then there was Curt Stromberg, Joanna¡¯s "unnamed" Godfather, who''d only talk to her over the phone. He once told her he owed James Edwards a debt because her father gave up his love on Sasha Mur¨¦. He even helped the two get together. James also saved his life in a car accident when Curt was drunk after a company vacation as the CEO of Blanko, a manufacturer of blankets and various beddings and mattresses. Curt set Joanna up at one of his manors in the States, allowing her to live so comfortably. He only revealed his true nature as an impressive Astrophysicist at her wedding, when he was leaving Earth.

    Finally... Tina, or Tin, Tompkins. His influence on Joanna''s life was the greatest: reconciling her childhood, showing her true love, rebirthing her entire self. Tompkins was all she wanted in life and could live beyond any of her losses except him. Joanna always kept losing the ones she loved, after all.

    Breaking out of her delusions once again, two days passed by as Joanna stayed in her semi-conscious state. Cleansing Hand was surprised she reverted back to this state and had her cared for. But when he discovered the empty container and that her Spheres and Tiers reached 4th Rank, Cleansing Hand knew she was on the road to recovery. Hopefully, she would help as the horde of Undead neared the Calm Grasslands.

 Background: Why Pay in Blood? (Prologue 7)

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Tekton Overview- Adrian Floda)

    Adrian Floda is an extremely renown name in the Great Continent. He''s the mysterious Headmaster of the prestigious Floda Academy that opened up in the Ancient Rainforest, near the coast of the dastardly Dead Sea 10 years ago.

    With his wealth of knowledge, Adrian attracted numerous powerhouses of the Great Continent, which also included several ambitious Aurea. His coffers exceeded the amount the mighty Phoenix Kingdom possessed and he had many connections to high officials in the Luthan Kingdom, which specialized in trade, mercenaries, and, most especially, slaves.

    It''s no surprise that a global deficiency in cultivation materials and a maximum of 60 years to reach 9th Rank to prolong their lives forced various nobles and royals to flood to Adrian. Apparently, his travels accumulated many treasures:

    the long-lost Longsword of Logos, Lycansbane,

    Umbra''s Umbrella,

    Zander''s Zweihander,

    Sorceress Sercia''s Scepter, and so on.

    A majority of these came from the ancient tombs of the 30 Aurea explorers which added to Adrian''s credibility for passing so many of their trials. The only renewable source of treasures came from Dungeons or Labyrinths which showed Adrian possessed the most anyone could possibly have since the beginning of the calendar system. Those locations were hovels of death, after all.

    It''s rumored Adrian reached the pinnacle of power at 13th Rank and now was attempting to share his teachings to the world. Thus, swarms of people came: all the way from the southern Draconian Archipelago near the Monster Continent to the northeastern Kaizen Empire.

    There was no discrimination in demographics, as the Academy based itself on Potential and Rank. Political affairs were strictly forbidden and only after graduation would students be able to leave. Should any interference find itself on Adrian''s grounds, be it gender or aggressors, he would deal with it himself.

    One gruesome tale prevailed to verify this promise. There once existed the Spartian, who were of an ancestral bloodline of warriors that lived in blood, glory, and pleasure. 10 years ago, they happened upon Adrian''s advertisements boasting of fortunes and fantastic artifacts. The Spartian were a people ruled by might as their justice, stretching completely over the fringes of the Luthan Kingdom in the north to the Ancient Rainforest in the south.

    Therefore, to claim Adrian''s advertised power, all their troops prepared for battle, and their King, Leon, led them. The hope was to empower themselves enough to topple the Luthan Kingdom before eliminating their rivals, the Aurea. This group, perhaps surpassing the Aurea in strength, was utterly crushed by Adrian alone.

    Scouts from the Phoenix Kingdom, Beastlands, Kaizen Empire, and even Auream Regulam reported from the Spartian''s blazed and clear path the anticipated results. The Great Continent itself rose up and swallowed each and every one of the Spartian, crushing their armor and bones to taint the land red with their squeezed blood.

    Then the remaining Spartian disappeared, never to be seen again. This allowed for their subjects and satellite nations to be freed. Thus, the Yalta Confederation was born from their ashes, fully aware of the danger of Adrian Floda. Should any follow the acts of the Spartian in defiance, they too would disappear.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Rejects or retirees of Meteoros on Expert Island found themselves at Floda Academy, using top-of-the-line technology, techniques, teachings, resources, and luxuries should they prove worthy enough. Adrian had a system similar to the Spartian, but focused more on growing the power of the youth, as Adrian himself is already the strongest.

    Quite a few notable powers escaped political persecution and found a home at Floda Academy, such as the Chromium Clan of Argon, who were descendants of dwarven Master-smiths. They were envied by their fellow craftsmen and almost completely assassinated.

    The Academy grounds had 7 divisions on top of a raised circular platform, with Adrian''s personal grounds in the center:

    1st Division is for Physical Combat, usually based on close or ranged attacks based on using Ki.

    2nd Division is for Magic, from the 7 Elements of Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Darkness, Light, and Unattributed using one''s Mana.

    3rd Division is Technology, ranging from weaponsmithing, armor crafting, to everyday appliances.

    4th Division is Medicine.

    5th Division is Tactics, from Military to Economics.

    6th is Agriculture.

    And 7th is Alchemy, the most dangerous of all. Adrian himself commanded the Order Division, which would ensure peace by force if necessary, as they were the strongest of them all.

    Although it is well-known to the Aurea that Ki and Mana were two entirely different energies and that one could wield both at a time, the rest of the world did not. They instead thought that a person had an aptitude or Potential for either. Those from Expert Island and Floda Academy also knew of this, but guarded this secret incredibly by the threat of death.

    None were as sensitive as the Aurea in gauging power. So stones made from Damascus steel infused with intricate Adamite and Diamond balls covered in complex rune engravings measured Ki and Mana. This far exceeded the Ancient Artifacts used by the Experts, which had degraded over time and lost both detail and accuracy.

    Unremarkably, the finished product was sold at exorbitant prices to the extremely wealthy. Each royalty throughout the Great Continent possessed at least one. While experimenting, a shrewd Luthan prince found out the hard way that these Ki and Mana orbs could not be duplicated. This was after having himself and his estate blown up with the orbs because he tried to reverse engineer one.

    This famous Academy currently competes with Meteoros in superiority. But despite being more maintained, wealthy, advanced, and popular, Expert Island is still the strongest. This is because Expert Island had the Exiled Aurea, who''d used their strength against the beliefs of their Great One, Logos. Of course, some could repent on their actions and reimburse those they wronged under severe supervision, but these rough Aurea gathered into a form of Mafia, where only the strongest survive.

    Most terrifyingly were the senile Aurea Elders, who''d lose their minds and lucidity with age. At best, they traveled around the world and experienced memories of their fights from their long lives. They would lash out at strangers without prejudice. At worst, they remembered their harshest struggle and would gain power after using up all their gathered energies. Then, these aged Aurea would get even more powerful and be at risk of going on a rampage, usually being able to destroy 1/4 of the continent, if not all of it.

    Expert Island always changed with new Elders and corrupted powerhouses. Most of the time, age would catch these outrageous Elders in death, only for new ones to replace them. This is why so many of the strongest Aurea gathered, in order to ensure the world was safe from Expert Island. Only the most insane would willingly go to Meteoros for insight and training. So why is any of this being mentioned now?

    It''s because the 3 armies of the Kaizen Empire, 7 armies of the Yalta Confederation, and 2 armies of the Luthan Kingdom had Adrian Floda himself. His Order and 7 Divisions marched close behind and pulled wagons of supplies... Why is this so? That''s a story for another time.

 Chapter 7: Dont Get Hung Over Everything (Ark End)

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Joanna Edwards)

    Clear Aqua did not hesitate to slap the living crap out of Joanna Edwards. She rudely barged in on Joanna''s fleeting memories and brought her back into a new fantasy world. 2 more days spent on caring for what seemed to be a perfectly fine patient did not help Joanna''s case. Especially when she had to be fed and... "cleaned up" so to speak.

    However, this was not the reason behind Clear Aqua''s actions, as Aurea are "always" justified. If Joanna had x-ray and hawk-like vision, which she does not, she would see smoke pluming in gray waves off in the distance. Already, the attack on Auream Regulam began just at sundown. The prophecy of the Dark Times was revealed to be true! So, should she continue to sleep through this in her deep "meditative" state, surely Joanna would die!

    But remember, Joanna has a terrible personality. That''s why when she was hit, she swung back in self-defense. Now, it''s admirable to react in such a way so quickly, if you include that Joanna overcame her trauma of being submissively beaten. Yet grabbing Clear Aqua and smacking her bloody was excessive, if you factor in that it''s a boosted 4th rank versus a 3rd rank. Disregarding the childlike and delicate frame Clear Aqua had, Joanna swung her fists methodically.

    When Joanna finally became aware of her actions and truly woke up, she found a hunk of mashed flesh in front of her. Clear Aqua''s nurse uniform was stained with the blood gushing from her disfigured face. Joanna took the liberty of throwing up to her side and hiding under her blanket to deny reality like Joanna did in her childhood. Apparently, she killed a person unconsciously. It was like a second sense... almost like her unwavering mother standing above bleeding James.

    Joanna continued to dry heave and cry to herself, but this was an emergency situation. So obviously, Stormy Wind, the mother, arrived at the worst timing to check on her daughter. Shocked at the results of the situation, Stormy Wind''s adult figure walked over slowly to check on Clear Aqua. After verifying her vitals were still there, she continued healing her with an ethereal glow of Mana. When questioned about what happened, Clear Aqua explained the situation in quiet croaks and muffled sobs, to which Stormy Wind got furious over.

    Take our hospitality, would you? Insult our intelligence, would you? Soil our sheets and clothing, would you? Don''t do anything, would you? Disregard our warnings, would you? Try to kill my daughter, WOULD YOU?

    Stormy Wind left and dragged the unwilling Clear Aqua along. At least one of them still kept principle by wanting to save another life. But since Clear Aqua was safe and cleaned up, there was no need to help a vicious Aurea outcast. It should have been expected from someone from Expert Island. If you were not killed maintaining Meteoros, you became part of the madness.

    Meanwhile, Joanna was contemplating suicide once again. Rethinking the situation, Clear Aqua did slap her a lot... but they were "gentle" ones. An innocent girl, perhaps a nurse, trying to get her patient to wake up for some medicine! After all, BOOP infected everyone and this nurse should have treated many other patients in her own ill condition.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Joanna did not realize she was abandoned and thought the rustling noise in front of her was another nurse, in grief. In her mind, Joanna pictured the girl picked up in the arms of maybe a coworker, or even a best friend. Leaving the deranged patient, she slammed the door. It would only be soon before they had their revenge, possibly ripping her open or locking Joanna up forever. Only the most morbid and nonsensical reasoning could ever come from her brain.

    At midnight, Joanna pulled off her blanket and stared at the pool of blood spreading across the floor. Next to it was splashes of her puke. Getting off the bed, Joanna walked to the bathroom to clean herself up. She used the toilet, washed up, and changed clothes. But she could not get rid of the smell of blood from her body. When Joanna looked at the various medicinal containers sitting on a shelf, she had an idea to deal with all this guilt that built up inside of her heart.

    Why not overdose before the consequences of her actions catch up to her? Joanna was in another world and separated from Tompkins. He was the only thing left to keep her living. And now he was most likely dead, considering she barely made it and only lucky enough to survive.

    Everyone else died or disappeared in the depressing story of her life. Tragedies were the normal occurrence and today, she herself had gone too far. End it before anymore suffering happens,Joanna thought. The cold embrace of death is all that you can look forward to.

    Why did she not think of the possibility of healing magic? Of finding new love? Of atoning for her actions and explaining herself? Of why she was so strong? Of why Clear Aqua was being so urgent? It''s because she''s close-minded, pig-headed, and pessimistic, that''s why! Don''t question or even underestimate the unobservant and idiotic qualities of Joanna!

    *Cough* *Cough*

    Ahem.

    So enough covering up... I mean introspection.

    Joanna drank and ate all the medicine around her. But discovering there were no apparent effects, she sighed. Of course, fate would not let her go so soon and away from the limelight. Bypassing the mess on the floor, Joanna went to confront her destiny. She opened the exit... only to discover an empty hallway.

    It appeared to Joanna that she was quarantined... not surprising how ill she was before. She was Ground 0 of the outbreak, after all. No one stayed in the various rooms along the hall. Since BOOP wouldn''t kill her fast enough, she''d do it herself: one container after another. And so, wasteful of these now priceless pills and concoctions, Joanna used them.

    She walked freely throughout the stone "hospital" and took whatever she saw. One would eventually be enough to kill her. So, she explored through offices, research labs, operation rooms, other patient rooms, and various others. One had even had an indoor garden, with some colorful, yet poisonous-looking plants. All of it went into her belly.

    After scouring the entire hospital, Joanna managed to go through every single one somehow. Finally, she shuffled her body, with an abnormally bulging abdominal region, to the entrance waiting room. Joanna dropped in front of the entrance doors, as the morning "Sun" dawned upon a new day. The substances inside of her threatened to be puked out at last. It was surprising that she didn''t before, seeing how much of what she ate tasted disgusting, slimy, and downright wrong.

    Her journey was over. Laying flat on her face, her body began convulsing wildly. Vomit spewed out her mouth, leaving herself in a pus green and moldy black puddle. Copious globs of hideous goo covered her from top to bottom. Although her consciousness left her, inside her body, the cores desperately tried to stabilize her condition. They were autonomously absorbing an unbearable amount of energy and infusing it at such an extremely efficient rate.

 Intermission: Part 1- Who The Hell Are You?

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Rufus)

    Doki Doki Village was located with the Dry Desert to its East and the Badlands to its West. Because of this, the usual bandits and rogue cultivators would not attack them. They were basically in the middle of nowhere, but still had fertile land to settle on. Thus, they peacefully prospered. It was the very definition of "sheltered".

    But on one sunny, spring day 10 years ago, an Asian boy poofed into existence. His 8-year-old body fell on top of a Village girl. He goofed by landing straight into her chest. Fortunately, they were too young to understand the meaning behind such an action. However, his chubby body hurt dear Sammy. But Sammy liked having such a funny person and wanted to be friends with him. And that''s how these two met and became family.

    Rufus lived with Sammy, her father who was the Village Chief, and her mother who was the Village Healer. Each day, the two would play as they dreamed of great adventures and possessing enormous power. They clung to rumors and legends, such as the 3 Clans of the Kaizen, the Cutthroat Trio in Luthan, and the various myths in the Yalta Confederation. The most fun ones were from the Phoenix Kingdom, where mighty warriors and mages conquered Dungeons and Labyrinths for fantastic treasures. And there were also tall tales of the Aurea, who supposedly created Ancient Ruins scattered across the Great Continent.

    Life was swell, and nothing could go wrong. But Rufus still was missing something. His real family was somewhere out there, as they were kidnapped by the Cult of the End Times. On his 9th birthday, he measured his potential on the Ancient Altar of Ability. Sadly, it detected nothing from him and showed Rufus was powerless.

    Rather, in his place, Sammy was the one with monstrous potential, which even cracked the Altar by her high levels. This motivated Rufus to catch up to her and become powerful enough to find his family. He became a full-on training maniac.

    Since then, every day was spent on trying to gather energies and control it. However, day after day, he found that they only were absorbed into a bottomless pit inside of himself. So Rufus focused on strengthening his body by exercising.

    Sammy followed him and brought happiness during these tiring sessions. Although Rufus would collapse after hours of harsh training, Sammy would be perfectly fine. And each time he needed motivation, or water, or help, Sammy was there for him.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Once Rufus became 12, he felt it was long overdue that some combat experience was needed. To be honest, his progress was terrible, as he was still chubby from eating so much. So one dark night, he left Doki Doki Village in secret and entered the fringes of the Badlands. It was when the moon Circa disappeared from the sky during the dark stages of its cycle.

    Soon, Rufus found himself lost in the expansive bog and swamplands. The Badlands truly was an accurate name. Luckily, our trooper came during less dangerous times. When Circa glistened in the light of the night''s skies, hordes of various monsters would appear to bath in its rays. Monsters usually brawled over the best spot, with the most light to stay on. Many died, and this, of course, developed a hierarchy of strength.

    So, with few competitors in the night, Rufus was free to explore through the muck of the Badlands. After an hour of searching, he found a sleeping Shade Hare. It was a small animal that was extremely good at hiding. Rufus only discovered it because he stumbled over the Hare as he walked.

    Saddened by the lack of action, Rufus decided that after killing this Shade Hare, he would go back to the Doki Doki Village. But as he snapped its neck, blood spewed out of its mouth as it spat on him. Apparently, it was a self-defense mechanism. Rufus spat own the nasty gunk in his mouth and wiped off his face. Its use was dangerous, as the blood attracted any good predator of weakened prey. Especially that of a Shade Hare''s, which was a tasty delicacy.

    Rufus also shouted profanities at the smelly fluid now all over his clothes. He was definitely boned but did not know. So, Rufus started to go look for his way back home. There was no difference between one way or the other as the extreme darkness did not let him see anything. He began regretting his journey, as it was much worse than what was described in stories he heard. And behind him, a pack of Dire Wolves followed closely.

    Hours went by and Rufus began to panic. The Shade Hare was becoming quite heavy and he was extremely tired. It would take a few more hours before Solaris came up, but Rufus did not want to be in the Badlands anymore. He made the mistake of not conserving his energy and wasted it going around in circles. The Dire Wolves approached him and sensed that he really was a weak creature. They prepared to ambush him once he collapsed in exhaustion.

    But when he did fall into the soppy soil, they did not attack. Something interfered and poisoned them, which caused them to run away. Then, the creature turned over to Rufus. The boy himself was unknowing of this course of events, but suddenly felt the incredible danger he was in.

    He shot up and began to run away too. Yet his strength could not compete with the creature''s and so, he failed to flee. Rufus was caught and the chase ended. All that was left was to accept his failure and incompetence.

 Intermission: Part 2- Speedrunning

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Rufus)

    But instead of being eaten, the creature pulled him up by a foot. As the new day began, it dawned onto Rufus that this creature was a humanoid. It stood a good 1.7m meterstall, coated in a thick grime and tattered clothing. Two stumps at its sides revealed it to be armless. But their legs emitted power- a power much stronger than Rufus had right now. Its face was covered with age and wrinkles, and its mouth rotted black. It had no teeth but had soul-sucking crimson eyes. And it could speak. Its first gravelly words were quite curious.

    (???) "Boy, why are you here?"

    Rufus was struck dumb in shock. This European-looking cripple had an Aura that seemed poisonous, yet at the same time purifying.

    (Rufus) "I... I wanted to be stronger."

    He replied, in fear of being hurt if he did not tell the truth. Rather than cruel words, an even weirder outcome occurred. It laughed at him.

    (???) "Ohohohoho. As expected of the young. Power is everything in this world. Let me help you. Become my apprentice."

    Rufus could not believe his luck. He was saved again and again. Only time could stand in the way of his growth. One day, he would find his family and live with them in peace.

    (Rufus) "Yes, Sir!"

    (???) "Good... And call me ''Parable''. None of this ''sir'' shit. It makes me want to puke. Instead of that crap, remember me as your life''s lesson."

    And so, Rufus spent the next years of his life in hell. Parable brought him to the dangerous depths of the Badlands and have him face off with Goblins, Ogres, and Trolls as warmups. His real fights would be with the monstrous animals like the Stony Serpent made of rock and spat paralyzing poison. Each time he won, their meat was cooked and eaten, further increasing the energy stores inside of him and providing nutrients beneficial to his growth.

    The varying poisonous corpses? Good for adding to his immunity. The stinky and disgusting flesh? This improved his perspective on meals, making him not picky in eating food. The hard, metallic skin? It was specialized training that strengthened his teeth and his stomach. This was ideal to have a strong foundation to build the exterior upon.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    5 years of this made him a 1.8m tall killing machine. Although he could not control his energies consciously, they passively formed themselves and empowered his actions when necessary. If one could measure his power, it would be an unbelievable peak 8th Rank, with 6th Sphere 11th Circle 2nd Stage Mana, 10th Tier 13th Level 3rd Stage Ki, and 7th Pillar 5th Base 1st Stage Chi.

    Parable was incredible, despite how he led Rufus through many dangers, but he also strengthened him greatly. He always made sure his apprentice was safe and saved Rufus whenever he could not win. But there seemed to be a limit to Rufus'' growth, as his body began once again absorbing his power into a bottomless pit inside himself.

    Parable could not help him with this and decided to end his tutoring. Rufus once longed to return to Doki Doki Village as a stupid and weak child but chose to stay with his Master. And now that his training was finished, it was time to return home before truly beginning his journey to find his family.

    Rufus thanked Parable greatly for his teachings and left. It was not known to him that his Master profited off a lot from his student. His student did the dirty work. Rather than killing dangerous beast after dangerous beast, he could bath in the light of Circa and empower his cores. He could also gather many important strengthening ingredients and make several treasure tools. His power was even greater than Rufus but still was much less than the one who defeated him...

    On another sunny, spring day, Rufus returned to the location of Doki Doki Village, after cleaning himself thoroughly in the nearby Placid Pond. He walked to its entrance, which dramatically changed from when he last saw it.

    The settlement was now surrounded by a large Palisade that consisted of the Badlands'' logs spiked into the ground and was caked in wet mud to prevent fires. A heavy wooden gate served as the 6m by 6m entrance. Platforms surrounded the interior walls and allowed guards to be stationed as ever-watching sentinels.

    Rufus spoke to the Gatekeepers and managed to enter. However, his clothing made him easily stick out. There weren''t many people who could kill a Boulder Bull, much less skin its ridiculously tough skin and make clothes out of it. This man seemed dangerous, but not aggressive so they couldn''t charge him with any misdemeanor. An extra eye kept watch over his actions to ensure that it stayed that way.

    Inside the circular walls, there were around 100 relatively evenly spaced and 2 storey houses for the regular villagers and their families. These buildings were behind the Barracks and Guardhouses, but a bit away from the Town Square. Apparently, the village grew while Rufus was away.

    Surrounding Town Square was merchants looking to sell their goods: blacksmiths, general stores, food stalls, and various others. In the center, there was a stage that seemed to be for announcements. That is, unless for what was currently occurring, with a crowd gathered to watch a play. On the side away from the gates, there was a large town hall. Everything seemed to change from before.

    The farming fields were left on the far edges, with the enclosing walls. But he could not find the Doki Doki Village''s original homes, nor the Village Chief''s house. Rufus was highly distressed and uncomfortable that nothing was recognizable. He immediately searched for his adoptive family.

 Intermission: Part 3- Whats the Difference?

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Rufus)

    Rufus looked in awe at the merchandise on the now paved streets. Everything seemed somewhat clean and merchants promised cheap prices. But Rufus had not even a Copper Coin to his name, not that he cared about the purchases. He kept scanning the crowds of people for someone he knew.

    Suddenly, he bumped into a girl and caught her before she fell under a wagon pulled by Horses. She wore a Guards'' Uniform that consisted of a white leather tunic, studded with iron. But she also was wearing a leather bracelet, with a small carved horseman hanging off a well-worn strap. It was much like the one he gave to Sammy all those years ago...

    (Rufus) "Sorry about that. I just came back here after being gone for some years. Doki Doki Village has changed a lot since then."

    Rufus said, embarrassingly rubbing the back of his head. His hood fell off when he grabbed her. When the girl got closer and stared him in the face, he blushed even more. Suddenly, she shouted at him.

    (???) "Rufus! It is you! Why were you gone for so long!"

    Rufus got a fist to the face and was dragged over to a nearby house.

    (Rufus) "Gah... So it is you, Sammy."

    (Sammy) "Who else could it be you Dumbass?"

    (Rufus) "I was hoping that it would be a charming girl... but it seems my fate is a disappointment."

    (Sammy) "Hey, take that back!"

    The two began some friendly chatter as Sammy brought him home. Rufus informed her of his training which she pouted at.

    (Sammy) "Doesn''t mean you fucking disappear out of nowhere. You didn''t even tell me anything!"

    (Rufus) "Hey, I''m sorry alright."

    (Sammy) "No, that''s not okay. I never knew if you were safe. Every day, I searched for you but found nothing."

    Sammy began crying on his chest, and his leather armor''s waterproof surface had her tears stream down the front. She suffered for so long while he fought for his life and selfish ambitions.

    (Rufus) "Forgive me. It was necessary."

    Rufus said, to excuse his actions. He hugged her tight, with the two of them now standing inside the privacy of her home. Her sobbing stopped, and she wiped her snot and tears on his sleeves.

    (Sammy) "You always were a kissass, weren''t you? A fat, useless boy."

    (Rufus) "Hey, hold on now!"

    (Sammy) "Stop being a stubborn Asshole and show me you care."

    Rufus chuckled at her teasing. Her fists playfully smacked on his shoulders.

    (Rufus) "Our mammaries beg to differ. When we were younger, we always competed who was bigger."

    Rufus harassed back, as he stuck out his chest.

    (Rufus) "I''m still about 0.1m bigger!"A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Sammy kneed him right in the dick for screwing around.

    (Sammy) "It seems you barely grew here from before."

    She smirked at him. He clutched at his broken eggs and murdered cock.

    (Rufus) "Why do you always do this?"

    He wheezed.

    (Sammy) "It''s because you can only win by that much."

    Sammy went to the kitchen to get both of them a drink as Rufus was recovering from her ruthless attack. He forgot Sammy was so vicious in his loneliness. It seemed her sneak attacks were his weakness and even more now that she was stronger. A horny young man always needs some "affection" during the night... but his chances with his grown childhood friend seemed to decrease as time passed.

    10 minutes later, both of them were drinking a strong whiskey made from corn. Currently, Sammy was filling Rufus in on why everything changed so much.

    (Sammy) "About 4 years ago, a merchant''s caravan found Doki Doki Village. They were trying to find Auream Regulam but instead found us. So they settled down for trading and we''ve been growing ever since then."

    (Sammy) "Caravans came regularly, every few months. We gave them wood, meat, and booze, and they gave us weapons and people. A year later, we had to rename the Village to Doki Doki Town and started on building the walls. We had lots of help from the merchants and even got Coins to trade for goods."

    (Rufus) "So that''s what they were. I was confused why we had them."

    (Sammy) "Yep. And 2 years ago, scouts from several Nations came by and asked for information. Just last year, they built a road from the Dry Desert to here. They were funded by the Merchants'' Caravans."

    Sammy swigged the bottle and passed it over to Rufus.

    (Sammy) "They''re supposed to bring their militaries and build an Outpost close by any day now. Apparently, monsters in the Badlands are becoming worse, and they just finished subjugating the Dry Desert. The source of it is rumored to come from the Jungle of Death. Something must have happened to the Aurea."

    Rufus wasn''t surprised at the mention of militaries. Actually, they were doing construction right now because he saw them only a few hours back. Their Outpost would be done very soon, but it seemed too large to serve only that purpose.

    (Rufus) "Hey, can I room with you again?"

    Rufus unabashedly asked. His straight face and serious question made Sammy feel extremely shy and self-conscious. Rufus did not know she was assigned to watch over him because of his suspicious mannerism and looks. He also didn''t know that she lost him somehow in the crowds several times over and smacked right into him when she panicked that he disappeared.

    If he walked into her one of her rooms right now, he would see her clothing scattered everywhere with some half-polished equipment. No way would he need to see her tastes in underwear. This would be the finisher in killing her from embarrassment.

    (Sammy) "Find your own place!"

    She said, coyly.

    (Sammy) "You''re a ''Big'' Boy now, aren''t you?"

    Rufus grunted in dissatisfaction. However, Sammy came up with a replacement solution for him.

    (Sammy) "Hey, I could get you enlisted in the Towns Guard if you want. You could bunk in one of the Barracks if you''re good enough."

    His face immediately brightened up, and Rufus became excited at testing his skill against new targets.

    (Rufus) "How do they assess skill? It won''t be some boorish measurement, would it?"

    Rufus knew well that it would rate him as trash, despite his growth by vast experience and strength in combat. Sammy, on the other hand, giggled at him.

    (Sammy) "No. You spar with an Instructor. If you''re lucky, your Dumbass can fight the Chief of the Guard, because they train at the Recruiting Center every so often. It''s to show discipline and inspire Rookies. We''re an honest organization, full of just people."

    She stuck out her barely satisfying chest out and huffed in pride. If she was just bigger- a D-Cup maybe... Rufus dangerously thought.

    (Sammy) "Let''s go now. I want to see your ass handed to you. You''re even weaker than before."

    Sammy teased.

    (Rufus) "Don''t be so surprised. Tell you what, if I beat the Instructor, I get to stay here."

    Her happy mood mellowed out at his words.

    (Sammy) "And what do I get in return?"

    She suspiciously asked.

    (Rufus) "Don''t we get money? How else would you be buying anything if all you did was work for free? I''ll give you my year''s pay if I lose."

    Sammy jumped at the bait. It was practically free money.

    She didn''t tell him this, but the Chief of the Guard usually processed new recruits at this time every week. He was a monster so strong that even she couldn''t compare to him. His skill was perfected on the battlefield. The Chief only barely managed to arrive in Doki Doki Town to get away from all the bloodshed. But he also retired as a Colonel. And that was when he refused any further promotions his superiors wanted to give him for most of his career. Rufus would definitely lose.

 Intermission: Part 4- Laying the Smackdown

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Sammy)

    Sammy left Rufus to sip on the remainder of the bottle and quickly put on her Guards'' Uniform. Then the two of them headed straight for a massive Barracks. It apparently also served as the Recruiting Center and several men of different backgrounds were already lined up.

    Moving past the Registering Desk, Sammy brought Rufus directly to the Training Grounds where many Training Dummies were set up. The large, open field had plenty of men and women sparring. One stood out from the rest by his hulking 2m figure releasing a murderous Aura.

    One of his eyes was covered with an eyepatch and 3 long scarred slashes across his face asserted excessive combat experience. His grizzled face was extremely hairy but his eyes revealed he still had strength, despite growing older. This also further emphasized his incredible muscles as he was shirtless. All of him screamed of a veteran fighter.

    In front of him was a long line of people wanting to spar with him. His current fight lasted but a few seconds, and his wooden sword already disarmed his opponent and poked them in their windpipe. After each one, he would grumble out a number in a gravelly voice. It ranged from 0-100, with a 100 being the best so far.

    By the time Rufus and Sammy crossed the field, over to this hardened warrior, he already blew through past half of his challengers. A few minutes later, he finished with all of them. Although being slightly fatigued, this man thoroughly beat all his opponents, all of which still seemed to be recovering from their fight.

    Sammy unhesitatingly walked up to him.

    (Sammy) "Hi, Chief! How''re you doin'' Sir?"

    She said, with a crisp salute.

    (Chief) "Oh, just playin'' wit'' the Young''uns. They''re gettin'' weaker as I age."

    He rumbled back to her, with a quick salute back.

    (Chief) "Ready for a lil'' round, just the two of us? You''re all I got to have fun with missy."

    The Chief laughed with Sammy as if both of them shared a private joke.

    (Sammy) "I''m sorry to say no Chief Stonewall. But this is my old friend and he says he could easily beat you. Want a shot at him?"

    Chief Stonewall started to look intensely over Rufus.

    (Chief Stonewall) "I''m sorry to disappoint you boy. It''s gonna be a tough one if ya don''t got enough energy. Be proud of your body, but don''t push your limits!"

    He chuckled at his challenge.

    (Rufus) "Don''t worry ''Sir''. I definitely will beat you. You''re much weaker than I thought."

    Sammy looked at her insane friend. How could he say that to such a monster? And with such weak power to back up his words? He definitely offended Chief Stonewall and was in for a harsh beating. Overconfident recruits always got the rougher end of the stick.

    (Chief Stonewall) "Boy, do not regret this."

    Chief Stonewall was pumped to teach this brat a lesson. But then...

    (Rufus) "Hold it Old Man. Everyone''s going to think my win''s a fluke if I fight you now. I mean, you''re still out of breath from doing just a workout."

    Rufus further offended the Chief. Sammy was punching him in the side, but his skin strangely felt much harder than usual and actually hurt her knuckles.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    (Chief Stonewall) "Oh? And what will this ''Old Man'' watch you do as he gets ready to fight a Lil'' Boy?"

    (Rufus) "Drink up, Old Man."

    Rufus tossed a water bottle at his face, which the Chief caught easily.

    (Rufus) "EVERYONE!"

    Rufus boomed.

    (Rufus) "I FIND MYSELF IN A RAT''S NEST. WHERE WERE THE MIGHTY TOWNS GUARDS THE PEOPLE SPOKE OF? THERE ARE ONLY SCARED MICE, WATCHED OVER BY A WIMPY RAT! COME AND FIGHT ME, YOU LOWLY PESTS!"

    Instantly, all eyes turned to glare at this egotistical man. From what hole did he crawl from and what rock did he hit his head on to challenge the entire Towns Guard? His strength was barely passable for a common laborer. And so, line after line formed in front of Rufus as he picked up a wooden sword.

    (Rufus) "I won''t need this."

    He said, and slammed the sword straight into the ground, just up to its hilt. Although no one questioned this and instead were infuriated at his actions, that should have been a warning. Rufus readied his fists and looked at his first challenger.

    It was a slim and springy young woman. When Sammy saw her, she couldn''t help but gasp.

    (Sammy) "Colonel... Isn''t this a bit excessive?"

    Colonel Sandra looked back at her.

    (Sammy) "Your friend''s too cocky. He needs to be taken down not just a peg, but off his high horse."

    She readied her sword stance, Flashing Wind, and practically disappeared when charging at Rufus.

    (Rufus) "You all really are horrible..."

    Rufus said and swung out the back of his hand. It caught the Colonel straight in the face, and she flew into the crowd of Guards 3m away. Sammy''s eyes bulged out of her sockets. Colonel Sandra''s speed exceeded even the Chief''s but she matched Sammy in strength. And Rufus just won by backhanding her? Impossible! How could he predict her as well as the Chief? she thought.

    One after the other, Rufus beat into submission. It wasn''t even a fight. This was a smackdown. A physical slap on the pride of the Towns'' Protectors, the Towns Guards. Rufus grabbed the wrist of the next man and again threw him into the crowd behind him. This repeated over and over again.

    Soon, they all swarmed in together to beat him into submission. But this only made his job easier. The first attacker to reach him was used as a make-shift club to sweep the crowd. After the person was damaged enough, Rufus tossed them away and used the next person. And then the next. And then the next. In even less time than what the Chief took, Rufus finished with everyone in the room. And he still did not move a single step from where he stood.

    Sammy could not understand this. How could the fatty of her past get so strong? What treasure did he find to become so powerful? Why did he not tell her his true strength? When Rufus spoke of hunting monsters, she thought he was talking about hunting prey and selling their corpses. His savings were then spent on the Boulder Bull outfit he was wearing in order to impress her with his "manly" achievement. In the process, he became penniless.

    But no, Rufus indeed was strong and his tales were more dangerous than what he led them on to be. He turned to face the Chief and sighed in obvious discontent.

    (Rufus) "Well, hurry it up Old Man. We don''t have all day here. Some of us want to go home and eat."

    He said and slyly winked at Sammy.

    (Sammy) "Don''t include me on this! And who''s going to cook for you?"

    She retorted to his outrageous terms.

    (Chief Stonewall) "Ohohohoho... So this brat is a wolf in lamb''s clothing. Don''t expect to win so easily. I''m going to get serious."

    The Chief''s already giant muscles expanded even more. His Aura grew darker to the color of a moonless night. It almost felt as if it absorbed the observer into itself, and promised to eat whatever soul got in the way.

    (Rufus) "Che. Still not a threat."

    Rufus grunted, still dissatisfied at such weak opponents.

    The Chief''s fists rocketed in rapid blurs at Rufus. Right, left, underhand, overhand, head, kneecap, thighs. They aimed to cripple him with the massive force behind each swing. But Rufus deflected his blows and struck counters across the steel-like arms. Loud bangs sounded across the Training Grounds, with holes being made from the floor being smashed in.

    Sammy saw a battle between monsters, and she was surprised to see Chief Stonewall wasn''t the stronger one. Both of their skills were exceptionally high. However, Rufus obviously more experienced and currently was moving only based on his reflexes honed from an uncountable number of life-or-death struggles. His defense stood firm in the face of the Chief''s attacks, and slowly whittled away at his strength.

    Fully aware of this, the Chief pulled back to get an advantage over Rufus. But he was unable to find an opening and the ground he landed on was horribly ruined during the fight. In his opponent''s eyes, this was just an inferior fighter that flailed around with his strength to win. There was no analysis, no finesse, no technique, no PURPOSE behind his actions. It was a bunch of repetitive and predictable attack after attack, which wanted to win only by brute force.

    So Chief Stonewall unleashed all of his power in a desperate self-destructive attack. Rufus was miserably disappointed and drop-kicked him into the floor. Chief Stonewall''s fist had its energy dissipated into a small, glowing ball. A final clap from Rufus suppressed it. Today, he dominated the Training Grounds and even dealt with Chief Stonewall''s Trump Card as if it were a novice''s move.

 Intermission: Part 5- Life is Harder than I Am

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Sammy)

    Sammy''s respect for Rufus rocketed through the roof but seeing so much damage to her treasured Training Grounds made her furious. At least keep the mass destruction in one spot! she thought. And so, after stealthily walking behind the cocky man, Sammy smacked him straight between his legs.

    (Sammy) "What Fuck was that? Who''s going to clean this up now you little Shit?"

    She shrilly screamed in his ear.

    (Rufus) "For my future children''s sake, woman, learn to talk with your fucking words!"

    He retorted back, as he clutched his balls and rocked back and forth.

    (Sammy) "If you were less of a fuck up, this wouldn''t be a problem, would it? You''re going to bring everyone to the Sick Bay, just across the street. And be prepared to work your ass off cleaning your shit up."

    (Rufus) "Damn it all woman. I''m not even part of the Towns Guard."

    (Sammy) "That''s the whole fucking reason why! You practically killed everyone here and destroyed a Barracks!"

    Rufus got up on shaky legs but still got in Sammy''s face.

    (Rufus) "I did what you fucking wanted. His ass is kicked, so I''m your responsibility now."

    He said, with a shit-eating grin. This made her heart skip a beat and her face flush red.

    (Sammy) "Fuck you! All I''m responsible for is giving a place to stay, you Homeless Bum! Don''t overstep your boundaries, you Brutish Ape!"

    (Rufus) "Being with you is good enough for me."

    Rufus whispered in her ear. Sammy couldn''t fight against his flattery or his strength. It occurred to her that she was stuck with such an outrageous beast and no one could stand in his way. If he wanted to have his way with her, he could without anyone being able to do anything. For some reason, her heart beat faster and faster. He didn''t grow from his lovable old self, but his body attracted her eye. Rufus was so handsome, like one of those hunks...

    Before anything developed further in this Romcom, Chief Stonewall climbed out of the smoking hole he was in. His coughing drew both of their attention and made the two extremely embarrassed. After dusting off his uniform, Chief Stonewall faced Rufus.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    (Chief Stonewall) "Young man. It seems this old Fool was wrong. I shouldn''t have judged you so baselessly."

    (Rufus) "Damn straight, you old Fart. How could you not recognize me after this? Shouldn''t I be Chief now?"

    (Chief Stonewall) "No, you simple-minded Idiot. What would happen if such a youngster became Chief of the Guard? Everyone would lose trust in the Towns Guard, no matter how good you are. Assassins would come after you from jealous people hating you. No, you are to be kept a secret."

    Rufus expected this. It''s why he now capitalized on this opportunity to squeeze as much as he could out of Chief Stonewall.

    (Rufus) "I''ll be expecting hush money then. How about you give me, from your own salary, the same amount Sammy makes? Every payday, I expect to find the two of us with twice the money and 1/2 the effort. And I want the first payment right now. A whole year''s wages."

    He shamelessly blackmailed Chief Stonewall. In Sammy''s eyes, he died a thousand deaths and lost everything that made him a good man. But the Chief took this surprisingly well. The terms were accepted and they left while carting away the first payment. Chief Stonewall would cover for them by taking credit of all what Rufus did under the misconception of interfering before things got out of hand.

    Sammy was angry at the turn of events but also hopelessly unable to change anything. Rufus, however, had the time of his life. He found his friend, learned his adoptive family was safe, played around with some new toys and even got paid for it. Today was a good day.

    Rufus wanted to splurge, and so dragged Sammy to the Markets in Town Square. She was on her day off, after all. Or so she said, with her Guards Uniform on... They walked side by side, hand in hand, and looked at several stalls. Rufus tried hair pins, hair clips, scarfs, and jewelry on her, and wanted to buy them. But each time, Sammy declined. Then, Rufus suddenly made eye-contact with a merchant. He quickly sped over to a food stall and practically dragged his friend along.

    After buying 3 kabobs and handing two over for Sammy to have, Rufus excused himself for a moment and left. Without him, she was left standing by the stall. She had nothing to do but buy a few more. At least they were unbelievably tasty, so she could forgive him. But it still felt wrong that he was gone.

    10 minutes passes and this feeling of wrongness increased. Sammy felt a bit faint, and a hand found its way onto her shoulder. It was the stall''s vendor. He smiled at her, yet something felt off about him.

    (Vendor) "Feeling it now, Bitch? 7-Striped, Flying Serpent Neurotoxin is incredibly hard to find. And it''s strong enough of a sedative to kill a hippo 7 times over."

    The crowd that surrounded her made sense now. There were no longer any children, women, or elderly. It was just a bunch of young, thug-looking men. And they got her good.

    (Vendor) "Old Bo''s going to have his revenge. Did you know he can''t even witness this because of how severe you damaged his leg? He''s a cripple now. A cripple!"

    They became confident after the effects of their poison kicked in. Each of them sneered at her. Some even leered lewdly at her body and fantasized what they were going to do to her. Sometimes being the law would bite. And this time, it managed to eat her.

    Countless arms stretched out to grab ahold of her and force her down. But Sammy still had some fight left in her. She quickly bounced off from the ground and stepped onto the heads of these crooks. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 people deep? Just how many people did she offend?

 Intermission: Part 6- Whos Your Hero?

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Sammy)

    Eventually, they caught her ankles and threw her to the ground. But then, the crowd began to clear up. Sammy looked up from the ground to see what happened. And she saw bodies flying into the circle of thugs, with 3 tall, robed figures defending her. They pulled down their hoods and took a dramatic pose- I mean, they took a battle stance. Yeah... that''s right.

    (??? 1) "Ho! We are the Ko Brothers Three! I am Ku!"

    (??? 2) "I''m Ka!"

    (??? 3) "Kek!"

    (Ko Brothers) """Prepare to be defeated by our Justice!"""

    These triplets created a triangle formation around Sammy and were swinging around iron staffs to beat the bad guys back. Somehow, they hid among them and took this chance to have a surprise attack. Ku aimed with accurate hits. Smack! Right under the chin! Bam! Right in the solar plexus! Pow! Right in the groin!

    Ka spun his staff at a blinding speed. When it rebounded off a target, he would spin it in the other direction to use that rebound speed to boost his counters. Kek? Well, he crazily lashed out as if he used a club. He bashed in one after the other with one arm and swung his staff around for crowd control with the other.

    My hope for Rufus to be my savior... It''s dead... Sammy thought as she realized he was a good-for-nothing thug like these guys. Where did he even go? He''s still a fat, lazy bastard, through and through! She felt tired and just sat there on the ground. Her heart thudded in disappointment. Why did she hope for it to be him!?!

    The Ko Brother Three seemed good at combat. It took some time, but they beat all these crooks into submission without getting hurt. And so, they all at once bent down to check on Sammy.

    (Ku) "Miss, are you alright?"

    (Ka) "Move! Miss, how are you?"

    (Kek) "Ku! Ka!"

    Kek grabbed them both and hit their heads against each other. They both fell onto the heap of bodies surrounding them. Then, Kek kneeled down and grabbed her hand.

    (Kek) "My deepest apologies for my ditzy brethren. Their etiquette is not equipped to deal with such a refined woman like yourself."

    Kek winked and gave a dazzling smile. For some reason, this was not impressive and actually seemed extremely stupid. Disgusting and cringeworthy. What was he expecting by just saving a damsel in distress? In real life, people do what''s best for their own goals. And getting tied down with these 3almost guaranteed a headache as they fought over her. So she put him down gently.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    (Sammy) "Fuck off, lover boy. Find a sow''s ass to plant your disgusting dick in."

    Kek obviously was surprised at this development and did not expect such a crude mouth from her. These Brothers were actually the heads of Sammy''s fan club and followed her on patrols whenever they could. So once his Goddess revealed her venomous side, he almost puked blood. Instead, he coughed it out into his hand. Kek wiped it on his white sleeve which left a trail of crimson dripping down his robe.

    (Kek) "I''m sorry miss. I have a medical condition that prevents me from being too active, or else it would kill me. I must have heard you wrong. Now, what did you say?"

    (Sammy) "Sorry for being so crude, but I seriously don''t like you. Thank you very much for your help. Still, I don''t want to deal with you guys, so please, back off."

    Kek fell onto his knees, with his eyes rolled back into their sockets. Where was the light of youth that was supposed to be shining? Why is she such a prude? What does it take for some woman to just love me for once? Manly tears of frustration streamed down his face.

    Rufus picked this time to kick the bodies away and held his hands behind his back. His tall figure seemed to say he was above them all.

    (Rufus) "Whew. Wasn''t that a great fight? Almost lost to them."

    Sammy glared at him. Almost? Almost my ass! You weren''t even here! But Rufus just chuckled and punted the Ko Brothers Three into the distance. The Towns Guard was taking forever to arrive because a certain SOMEONE wiped the floor with them at the closest Barracks. No one wanted to report this or even deal with it because the crooks controlled this part of the neighborhood.

    (Rufus) "Hey, I was looking for a gift, okay?"

    He brought his hands forward and showcased a set of jewelry. They were an emerald necklace, earrings, hair pins, and rings. Somehow, it seemed too expensive. Rufus definitely spent all his money because Sammy''s year''s worth of pay would barely pay for this. It seemed he really did care because they were her birthstones and he made them match. Also, this jewelry served an additional purpose of storing magical power. They were both aesthetically pleasing to the eye and functional.

    (Rufus) "Consider us married then."

    Rufus joked as he slipped one ring on her left hand''s ring finger. Then, he put the other on his.

    (Rufus) "We match now."

    Sammy hesitated. Currently, she was not in the best state of mind, but even with her emotions being dampened, she still could scold Rufus.

    (Sammy) "What about my parents?"

    (Rufus) "I thought I got their approval long ago."

    It took her a while to remember he did ask when she first brought him home. Her parents liked the joke and agreed. They kept asking when they would make kids, even when both of them were too young to understand at the time. Sammy blushed and pushed Rufus.

    (Sammy) "I just got tranquilized because you weren''t here to protect me, Asshole. Carry me home."

    She held out her arms like a little kid and pouted.

    (Rufus) "Sure thing Sammy. I''ll make sure we have "fun" in the bedroom."

    Rufus cackled deviously as he picked her up in his arms and rested her head against his chest. He dashed quickly to the Promised Land. However, Sammy already fell into a deep, deep sleep.

 Intermission: Part 7- Getting Lucky

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Rufus)

    A year passed since that day. November 24 in 333 A.D. brought more rumors of the Aurea and gossip. The Soldiers outside Doki Doki Town built a total of 13 giant Outposts lining the borders of the Dry Desert and the Badlands. And in Doki Doki Town, there''s a troublesome and dysfunctional couple having a lovely chat.

    (Rufus) "Come on! I busted my ass and helped you for free! So why can''t I bust in your ass?"

    (Sammy) "Fuck off you dick-driven Dumbass! I''m not that easy of a woman!"

    Yes. It was Sammy and Rufus who screamed at each other in the streets.

    (Rufus) "Please! If it was true, I would have fucked you sideways until you couldn''t scream anymore. Plenty of fucking chances, Prude."

    Sammy gave him a hard Left Hook and Rufus flattened into an indent on the paved road.

    (Sammy) "Stop being a perverted Dumbass! Who told you to be so dirty?"

    Her entire face was red. Whether it was by anger or embarrassment, I can''t tell.

    (Rufus) "Che. Stuck-up Prude. Open your heart a little for the man you love so he can squeeze through the cracks of your legs!"

    Sammy punted him 7 houses away and stomped away in anger. Rufus got out of the rubble he was buried under and brushed his clothes off. He sighed a noise of loneliness and despair.

    (Rufus) "Fuck... Nothing''s going right."

    His original plan was to bring Sammy with him on his journey. But she already became part of the Towns Guard and wouldn''t leave. So the next best thing to do was to beg her to. When that failed, he thought he might as well get some of her ass before he goes. Who knew when they''d meet again? However, that was not as easy as he thought it would be.

    Rufus sighed again. The worst part of staying in Doki Doki Town was that he couldn''t improve his strength. In fact, he seemed to be worse than when he came. Occasionally, Sammy would fight with him and sharpen her skills, but he had no competition. Chief Stonewall kept challenging him and getting his ass knocked flat. It was all so boring.

    And he never could find the Unicorn Horn his Master spoke of. It had such strong medicinal powers that his condition would be cured. Only then, he could be the strongest. Rufus left the gaping hole in the street and mixed into the crowd of people in Town Square. Suddenly, he felt someone was following him.

    He maliciously chuckled and moved to the nearest alley. The stranger burst out in front of him and looked around as if making sure there were no spectators.

    (Rufus) "What do you want?"

    Rufus growled, with a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes. Finally, someone to beat the fuck out of!

    (???) "I''ve heard you were looking for something."

    The shady figure under a dark cloak spoke in an indeterminate voice. Strange...

    (Rufus) "And for what?"

    (???) "For this!"

    A peach-colored hand thrust out from the folds of cloth bundling this mysterious person. In it was a horn that emitted tremendous power.

    (Rufus) "Is that-"

    (???) "YES. Shush now. Can''t let anyone know."

    Rufus shut up and closed the distance between them.

    (Rufus) "Name your price."

    (???) "All the money in your pockets. Including the secret ones! And I have a favor to ask of you."

    Rufus took off all of his clothes and shook an entire pile of gold onto the floor. The stranger spread their cloak over it and snatched it all up. There was no hesitation from either side.

    (???) "Use this in the Badlands. If you do it here, you endanger this town by your explosion in power."

    The Unicorn Horn passed hands and the stranger disappeared.

    Lucky! Rufus did a little Dance of Triumph. His strength could now grow leaps and bounds! Quickly, he blurred through the streets and broke the stone streets with his thundering steps. Then, he leaped over the walls and headed straight for the Badlands. Avoiding the Soldiers and their Outposts was a breeze.

    Deep into the Badlands, Rufus found his old cave. There was a group of Gravel Bears nesting there now but after a few smacks, they all ran away. Then, he sat down in his meditation hole and began to eat the horn.

    Rufus was not skilled in manipulating energies and so had to directly consume things in order to process them. And Unicorn Horns were incredibly special. They held the power of Healing and were unbelievably rare. Only in rare instances of abandoned foals and sickly Unicorns did the average person have a chance to find one. In legends, Unicorns came in the time of need for Heroes, especially in the tale of Logos. The day he went, an entire herd of Unicorns arrived and paid homage to his passing.

    Solaris set into the Horizon when he broke out of his meditation. He experimentally moved his body and felt much stronger. Almost as if there was nothing that could stop him. His grin spread across his face and he began his long journey home. He made sure to be especially careful when going past the Outposts. But he was in for a shock when he saw Doki Doki Town.

    Its entirety was up in flames and the once great Palisade lay pushed outwards as if blown over by an explosion of a great magnitude. Rufus rushed over to put the fires out. The aftermath of a terrifying attack utterly destroyed each and every Barracks and Guardhouse. The dead lay in pieces and splatters of fleshy blood. Towns Guards had gaping holes in their chest, with their heads disrespectfully jammed inside of it. A disgusting display of power.

    Rufus headed straight for Sammy''s house. He broke apart the flaming wreckage but found nothing. So he went over to all the Barracks and Guardhouses. There was nothing but dead bodies and rubble. Then he checked her parents'' home. They were dead and mounted on stakes like many others. All of them were gone. It was only but today when he last saw her...The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    A loud clacking of stone caught his attention. Rufus looked over at a large wall, which had fallen over. Quickly, he lifted it up and pushed it over. He panted in exhaustion, and for some reason, more tired than usual. Underneath was a young girl, not older than 18. Her right leg was completely smashed into a fine paste and she was struggling to stop the bleeding. She stayed alerted during the entire treatment process. After helping her, he picked her up and started walking through Town to find survivors.

    Suddenly, he stopped and realized something. Among all the dead, there weren''t any young women. So Rufus hurried up and climbed on top of a half-destroyed Tower. He looked to see if there was anyone leaving Doki Doki Town. But when he reached the top, he found nothing.

    Rufus went down to continue shuffling through the debris. Hours passed in the dark of night as he set aside burnt wood, and listened to the girl sobbing. At daybreak, he sat down to take a rest. Rufus couldn''t go on any longer because his body wouldn''t listen to him anymore. Then, a voice reached his ears.

    (???) "Ah. Fucker''s down! Nice job with using a Vehement Basilisk''s Fang! Fucker couldn''t tell the difference between poison and wine, much less a Unicorn''s Horn!"

    A man dressed in what looked like plant growth stepped out from behind a pile. More came out and began laughing at his misfortune. Their long ears! Rufus thought. Remember them and then take revenge!

    (Elf? 2) "Bwahaha! Fucker''s still got a look of a fighter in his eyes. Let''s show him how much of a worthless fuck he really is!"

    Fists connected to his skulland rattled his brain. Rufus was beaten, smacked, spit upon, and shamed. But none of this mattered, so long as he lived.

    (Elf? 1) "Gah. Fucker''s not saying anything!"

    (Elf? 3) "Hey, how about this girl? She looks important to him!"

    The young girl cried as they grabbed ahold of her. She couldn''t struggle out of their grasp. Rufus watched as they ripped apart her remaining clothing and take off their pants. He could not stand for this. So, he acted.

    In a final gesture of respect, Rufus stabbed his hand through her chest and pulled out her bloody heart. She looked at him in betrayal, but he looked back at her in peace. Now only he would suffer for being such a fool.

    (Elf? 3) "Fucking hell! That was the only girl left!"

    (Elf? 2) "Yeah, they''re better young. Much tighter!"

    (Elf? 1) "Older ones are loose whores. Nothing beats a soft, delicate girl."

    (Elf? 4)"Fuck. And everyone else already killed the rest! Damn shits! Don''t fuck out their organs! Leave some for me!"

    Rufus looked at them and was unable to move anymore. The warm heart provided him a comfort but their words were horrible. Who knows what else they had done before? Damned perverts were even Necrophiliacs!

    (Elf? 2) "Oh. Look at the fucker. He''s just about dead."

    (Elf? 1) "Urk. Nasty fucker he is."

    (Elf? 4) "Worthless garbage now."

    (Elf? 3) "Now what?"

    (Elf? 4) "Let''s dispose of him."

    They grabbed his limbs and brought him over to a giant ditch. It appeared to be formed during a great battle between two powerhouses. It probably was Chief Stonewall against these scum.

    (Elf? 2) "And heave!"

    (Elf? 1) "Ho!"

    (Elf? 3) "There we go!"

    (Elf? 4) "Good job. Let''s go!"

    Rufus slammed into the pit. His body no longer felt anything, but the girl''s heart stayed gripped inside his hand. Today he took an innocent life. Today, he failed to protect what he loved. But it won''t happen again. Never again. Isuffered but still lived. Wait for these Bastards to leave! Then, I will rise from the ashes of Doki Doki Town and murder them! Each and every Bastard!Look at me now and burn it into your memories!

    He cried but did not notice. He only thought of his revenge, of his Vendetta with these long-eared, nature-loving Bastards. Time. He just needed more time!

    Footsteps approached him. Damn it all. One of the assholes wanted to finish him off.

    Well, let this fucker try! Rufus could take him at any time! None of them could stop his Vengeance!

    (???) "Oi, what''s this. You''re still alive?"

    Someone gently pulled Rufus out from his makeshift grave and lay him on the ground. He saw the face of a kindly middle-aged man. A sharp face of a wizened teacher with caring eyes that even softened his burning rage in his heart.

    (Teacher?) "Are you alright? Let me heal you."

    As this man tried to, Rufus struggled against him. There was no need for healing! It would worsen his condition! However, it seemed the strange man noticed this too.

    (Teacher?) "You can talk now, right? What''s wrong with you?"

    (Rufus) "Basilisk poison. And a medical condition."

    Rufus sputtered back at him.

    (Teacher?) "Hmm... That is a problem."

    The man stroked his beard, in deep thought. Then he took out a potion and eased the drink into Rufus'' mouth.

    (Medicine Man?) "An antidote. Hopefully, this doesn''t trigger your medical condition."

    And it didn''t. The poison in his throughout his Meridians that his Master talked about and his pores oozed out a vile darkness.

    (Medicine Man?) "Yep. There we go. You should have absorbed some of that. Now, I''ll need your permission, but I think I can cure your medical condition."

    Rufus spat out some bloody gunk. Really? All it took was a wandering practitioner? Didn''t Master tell me it was incurable, save for the Panacea of the Unicorn Horn?

    (Medicine Man?) "You won''t be the same after this. I won''t even guarantee your survival. But you have a slim chance of becoming something greater."

    Say no more. Power is what I need. Rufus grabbed the bottom of the man''s decorative robes.

    (Rufus) "Do it."

    (Medicine Man???) "Alright... Now how did it go again?"

    Immediate regret filled Rufus like a hammer smashing his ribcage. He gave the man a withering look of disgust.

    (Medicine Man?) "Just kidding. Take a joke, just take a joke for once."

    The man brought out glowing leather out from his flowing robes, with a quill from a Griffon''s wings and a vial of blood that throbbed with power. He was not ordinary in the least as he inscribed an incomprehensible Sigils across it and energy from the skies themselves flowed into his writings.

    Glowing figures rose from the ground and circled around him. It looked like a colorful light show on the surface, but an intricate ritual on the inside. Then, he started inscribing into Rufus'' back. Pain burned into him, as the hot energies flowed inside of him. It stretched throughout his body and put everything under its command. The man then slid the leather over to Rufus.

    (Magic Man) "Just sign your name right here and give me an oath that I have become your Master!"

    It wasn''t like there was a choice, so some scribbles and declaring another man as his Master later ended the ritual. A huge explosion rocked the entire area and flattened the remaining buildings.

    In the epicenter of this all, two men stood inside a deep crater. Rufus inspected his body, which for the first time in his life, could control the energies inside. The man, on the other hand, collapsed to the ground. His breathing was erratic and heavy.

    (Rufus) "Woah! Master, are you alright?"

    (Master) "Fucking hell! Damn you, Student! You stole so much of my power! Didn''t I just limit how much you could take?"

    (Rufus) "Sorry, but I guess it''s still automatic. I can''t control my energies that much."

    The man sighed and began explaining to Rufus what happened.

    (Master) "Your will is strong, which allowed you to survive. And you also took much of my power. I''m guessing you not only tripled your power but removed that pesky growth inside of you. Now it''s under your command, instead of you under it. Expect an outrageous amount of regeneration power, Student. You''ll need it after I''m done beating my lesson into you."

    (Rufus) "Hey! It wasn''t my fault!"

    (Master) "Yes, it was. Your subconscious desire for power sucked me dry! Your body can''t even emit magic anymore because of how greedy you are! You need to learn how to let go."

    Rufus looked confused. Wasn''t it because of his medical condition that he couldn''t use magic?

    (Master) "Just come with me, my stupid Student. You have to meet your Peers at the Outpost with 7 Rings and a Dot as its flag. We''re also going to get your revenge."

    (Rufus) "Thank you, Master!"

    (Master) "Go on ahead. I need a moment."

    Adrian Floda watched him leave. The jump in his step reminded himself of his own younger days. Bah. It didn''t matter. He still got an 11th Pillar Chi student. A ridiculous monster! He himself was barely 7th Pillar! He sighed at the naive Youth. If only he could use magic...

    Adrian dismissed his thoughts of the 1st Vampire to ever exist and ignored his Masterpiece. He stealthily rose the soil up from the ditch, and it filled with all the corpses he collected. Perfect materials for the oncoming battle...

 Action Ark- Background 2: Requiem of the Aurea Downfall

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Aurea)

    Out of around 14,000 people, only 3,000 survived with 1,400 not severely ill. After distributing the medicine made by Cleansing Hand and his team, everyone recovered control of about 1/2 of their energies. And so, they continued their evacuation underground to the Emergency Teleportation Circle, on the 6th Underground Level.

    With 700 Aurea battle-ready and preparing for the invasion, the remaining 2,300 took all the Aurea valuables to be teleported. They took all that they could: artwork, memoirs, supplies, tools, etc. No one would benefit from attacking Aurea now. And one day, Auream Regulam would be avenged. So, they focused on escaping to Meteoros, on Expert Island. Hopefully, there would be survivors.

    The 700 ranged from 7th Rank to the single 9th Rank. They stocked up on projectiles, recovery potions, various weaponry, and a single set of standard armor. Aurea were honest people but fought in the dirtiest of ways. These invaders would regret encountering their defenses and guerrilla attacks. Merde! It was going down...

    -MEANWHILE-

    (3rd-Person Narrator: Invading Armies)

    It was a long journey for the Yalta Confederation, as they gathered 1 million strong and marched around Wyvern''s Gulf, to the northeast. They met with 300,000 of Luthan troops and Adrian Floda, who went straight north from the Ancient Rainforest. Then, they all gathered in the Plains and united with 400,000 strong from the Kaizen Empire.

    There were many struggles for supplies when traveling southwest and passing through the Dry Desert and The Badlands. Yet still, they persevered and now were ready to claim their rewards. It always was lucky to have Adrian, as he sped up their travel dramatically with his Earth Magic carrying troops and supplies. He scared away any rampaging monsters and intimidated the Generals into cooperating. It seemed he carried the entire invasion himself.

    They also were fortunate that settlements in the backwater provided more troops as others died from accidents, sickness, ambushes, and starvation. Raiding them also boosted morale as there were no women on this journey because they were "unsuited" for War. That is, except for Adrian Floda and his Academy which accepted anyone strong enough to prove it.

    From leaving so many Outposts, their numbers dwindled to 700,000 from Yalta, 200,000 from Luthan, 300,000 from Kaizen, and all 120,000 from Floda Academy. But they were still confident in subjugating the remainders of the Aurea.

    Right now, they congratulated each other for having such great progress. They cleared Peak''s Pass and most of them camped onto the more solid and forgiving Mountains. Around a million of undead spawned by their High Necromancers were sacrificed just to clear this territory. Hordes of them swarmed about and triggered traps left and right. Falling boulders, pitfalls, quicksand, poisoned nettles, retractable spikes and many other devious traps shocked the Generals.

    It would have cost much more to infiltrate through the Logos Mountains, where an in-built laser system vaporized any hostiles. If they tried to climb the rocky terrain, it would be much worse. They were lucky the Peak''s Pass was an entrance, and therefore guarded by people rather than an automated system. And since the Aurea were sick, no one was left to protect it.

    The Generals of the Kaizen, Luthan, and Yalta convened a meeting with their top strategists and their Guest of Honor, Adrian Floda. Initially, Adrian Floda created this Coalition with his Academy as an incentive. Then the possibility of taking great fortunes from the Aurea arose, with Adrian on their side. Although the Aurea were unbelievably strong, they couldn''t stand against the sheer power of the Great Nations Coalition. This became much easier when news arrived that the Aurea fell ill and a majority died.

    Currently, they were in the Command Tent, around the Convened Circle Table. They received reports by various Transmission Crystals from the scouting Undead and High Necromancers. This one was from the Kaizen Empire.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    (?) "Report Corps 1."

    Stated the burly Kaizen. Their forces were skilled in the Unattributed arts which included Necromancy.

    (Soldier) "Corps 1 reporting in. Our Undead Brigades 1-16 found that the Jungle of Death already is cleared! The creatures are already dead and even the trees show no sign life. Their Mana was drained, almost like something leeched off from them. Employing Single Line Sweep! Approaching deeper... Corrupted signatures are off the charts! Losing control!"

    (?) "What do you mean losing control? You imprinted them!"

    (Soldier) "After reaching a mountain of corpses, Undead Brigades 1-10 have gone rogue. Undead Brigades 11-16 are retreating. These are our Support Units, General! Requesting Shut Down Sequence!"

    The Luthan and Yalta troops glared at the Kaizen General. He grumbled and decided to end this farce.

    (Kaizen General) "Initiate Shut Down Sequence."

    (Lieutenant) "Yes, General! Your Lieutenant, out."

    The Transmission Crystal clicked off and soon Kaizen General Fernando was mocked.

    (Yttrian) "Can''t handle the situation, mighty Muerte Clan Leader?"

    (Luthan) "This is why we rely on hired hands and not fancy-schmancy Magic. A good Army of our Mercenaries will fix everything."

    Although the two other Powers wanted to win, they had several ulterior motives. The Luthan Kingdom wanted more slaves, riches, and reputation. But the Yalta Confederation United Arms was filled with ambitious men of all ages. This specific General was from Yttria, which was the worst of the 6 Confederate Nations. And so, his armies were made from the worst of the worst and marched for finding Glory. All the Yttrian General Cobalt needed was something to show for his efforts.

    (Kaizen General) "Which of the 3 of us did the most, hmm? Technology, food, equipment, tactics. All provide by the Kaizen Empire and our Inquisition. Your Luthan Sprezzatura do 1/2 as much and waste 4 times more than the United Arms! And those troops under you, General Cobalt, are worthless! How many have you lost so far? Some 100,000?"

    General Fernando wasn''t having this shit. His goal was to find the Reincarnated people detected by the Inquisition and kill them all. There was also the optional objective of finding the Great Doru, which the Dryads lost long ago. Waiting 500 years for this opportunity was long enough.

    (?) "Calm down everyone. That''s only 1 of our scouting units."

    Just Adrian Floda''s voice was enough to quiet down the officers and bickering Generals. None of them could even measure up to him so they didn''t even try. Some cocky Yalta Brigadiers were pulverized in their 1st meeting as a precedent of his severity.

    (Adrian Floda) "General Gutenberg, why don''t you show us how your Sprezzatura handle this?"

    The Luthan in question gulped. He picked up his Transmission Crystal

    (General Gutenberg) "Sprezzatura Corps! Begin tactic ''Slash-and-Burn'' with our entire force."

    (Sprezzatura) "But Sir! We might-"

    (General Gutenberg) "Profits be damned! Just handle these Undead and clean up the Aurea! It''s that easy!"

    Adrian''s gaze gave General Gutenberg confidence.

    (General Gutenberg) "Heh ehe he! Watch us smoke out our prey!"

    (Adrian Floda) "Say what you want, General. My Students will be watching."

    Adrian Floda left the room alone and made the atmosphere lose all its tension.

    (General Gutenberg) "Fuck this shit! My Mercenaries are going to ask for more pay! This was not part of the contract!"

    (General Cobalt) "Should have known this would happen. At least I have an easy victory. My soldiers didn''t even need to do anything! Ahahaha!"

    (General Fernando) "Quiet you human pigs. Do your jobs and then leave!"

    General Fernando left with his officers. He, for some reason, did not camp on the Logos Mountains, like Adrian had. They both seemed to prefer the Badlands than conquered enemy territory. Suspicious codgers, they were called.

    (General Gutenberg) "Ah, fuck it, General Fernando. What did we do to fuck your ass? If I remember, we don''t have Dryad slaves, so I couldn''t have raped your sister."

    (General Cobalt) "He''s a major contributor. Deal with it! Either of those two could kill us."

    (General Gutenberg) "Doesn''t mean I like it."

    (General Cobalt) "Face and status mean nothing out here, General Gutenberg. War is determined by strength... And we are weakest."

    The two Generals and their officers drank and ate well that morning. It was a great time for a final meal. And so, the Peak''s Pass activated its Self-Destruction Sequence and killed a majority of the invaders at the cost of Aurea Guard Towers.

    Roaring Thunder watched in the distance. It was a bright flash and rocks flew up into the air. Then, Peak''s Pass collapsed in on itself, either crushing or trapping enemy soldiers. Piles of smoke billowed out from the remainders of the Pass. Today was a good day for war.

 Plotline and Descriptions 1: The Beginning, the Milky Way, and Joanna Edwards

    Spoiler: Spoiler<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">

    Categories of Energies

    Brain- mental energies, Mana, the ego

    Stomach- primal, instinctive intuition, Ki

    Heart- the energies of ideals, soul/spiritual power, Chi, superego

    Unknown Power Source/UPS/Loins- unmentioned power source/ pleasure-seeking energies, the id, lust-incarnate

    Body- energy container, "battery¡±

    Beginning: ???

    Primus is unleashed

    The Primus- Original Being coming from the Singularity Point that expanded, no gender

    Primus makes The 5 Divas- creations from the singularity point stretching too far from the reach of the Primus, all female, strongest to weakest by base power

    Incendium- Dragons, Fire and strongest,

    Aqueous- Aquarians, Water, calm

    Aura- Avians, Air, free

    Terra- Anthromorphs, Earth, caring

    Aither- Humans, Unattributed, apathetic statistician

    Primus creates everything using 5 Divas'' Powers

    Primus gives 5 Divas children

    Aither Humans,

    Terra Anthromorphs,

    Aura Avians,

    Aqueous Aquarians,

    and Incendium Dragons

    Humans- Generic human, unspecialized and can basically be anything

    Elf/High Humans- best at using energies.

    Anthromorphs- bestial humans, crude appearances, much more animal-like than beast-people

    Avians- birds with few human features

    Aquarians- sea creatures that have sentience, named after the 1st of their people

    Draconians- animals/humans infused with a mite-size of dragon power

    Dragons- Dragons

    All can become human, is Primus'' "kink"

    Primus becomes bored & splits

    Auxilium and Primarius- Divided parts of the Primus

    Auxilium- The stronger female part

    Primarius- The androgynous male part

    Milky Way

    God- A weak son of Aura and Aither¡¯s descendants, big ego, racist, misogynist

    God in empty Universe, to Milky Way, Earth

    Earth- Old planet made for experimentation by many others

    God creates own type of Man for Almighty Army, fails to give them power

    ¡°Garden of Eden¡±- breeding ground

    God leeches off believers, spreads influence

    Archangel Gabriel- God''s Evil Chosen, helped God

    Everyone stops giving a fuck, more humane

    God rages at humans and brainwashes but fails to win

    God''s a kamikaze

    Deus Ex Machina stops God

    Deus Ex Machina- New God of Humans, from Technology/the Sacred God of Humanity. the God created by the Primus by using the energy of the worlds. Once humanity is in great danger of extinction, Deus Ex Machina is reincarnated to save them. the amount of belief in technology and energy in their atmosphere determine its power level.

    the Milky Way combines with the Andromeda Galaxy.

    ¡°Nidhoggr¡±- God''s Black Hole ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)

    Cult of the End Times- Worshippers of "Nidhoggr", said it was judge for "paradise": Jannah for Muslims, Pardes or return to the Garden of Eden for Jews, and Heaven for Christians, annual sacrificesStolen novel; please report.

    Metallic Island- built of interconnected ships underneath the distortion, no law, except for the natural law that granted human rights.

    Earth''s society falls apart, everything goes to shit, Cult of the End Times takes over Earth

    "Faithless"- nonbelievers of "Nidhoggr"

    "Learners"- Researchers of "Nidhoggr"

    "Cultists"- of End Times

    "Pessimists"- people living life to the fullest to not caring at all anymore under the control of the "Cultists"

    "Escapists"- wealthy & intelligent leaving the planet

    Jonathan/Joanna Edwards- TLDR; A depressing and pathetic 28-year-old woman

    ex-college student, practical, stupid but very lucky, shit childhood, had 2 discoveries & made Great Scientist, fat-> beauty transformation, introvert->extrovert, loves Tina Tompkins, transported to Tekton, always kept losing the ones she loved

    Edwards'' Backstory

    James Edwards- common businessman, protests mistreating Joanna, provide small comforts out of sympathy, only further worsened the situation. If Jonathan didn''t know true self, no problems living as a man. Delusional tales of better futures and fantasy.

    Martha Edwards- his wife, birth to Edwards, miscarried twin Jon because of Joanna. Delivery damaged her womb so that making another child most likely ends in a stillbirth. In hysterical denial of the situation, Martha named the survivor Jonathan Edwards

    Martha raised Jonathan only as a perfect gentleman for her son. Any failures resulted in beatings and insults. Jon had lived on as Jonathan, but only as a fake, fragile gentlemen of the highest etiquette.

    1st day of 2nd grade, Jonathan felt a deep affection for one of her close friends. rugged, but good and upstanding runt. months before these feelings confessed.

    Samuel Gray- 1st crush, reacted in disgust as his upbringing and history influenced him to hate homosexuals. Edwards was one of those lily boys his father talked about- the ones that steal the wieners off of other boys so that only boys could love them. Is the narrator

    Jonathan harshly rejection and news spread that the "perfect gentleman" of the school was a "faggot".

    Martha thinks she failed and forced the family to move to another state to start over.

    Jonathan is nowhere near another male and had special permission from their priest to enroll into Sunday school for extra learning- alone. Day and night Jonathan learned, was beaten for failing, and learned again.

    Martha and James argue at home. James told Martha do therapy.

    Martha told him to fuck off for having a gay son.

    5th grade, Jonathan was exhausted. efforts to be good but boys pushed "him" around and girls played cruel "pranks". "He" was a likable boy: the air of a noble, the brains of a genius, the body of an athlete. But gathered negative attention, despite girls being attracted to "him".

    "It is time to finally end the suffering."

    Jonathan thought. the words of the older boys playing in his mind:

    "Kill yourself, you queer. You fucking disgust me."

    same time James was filing for a divorce.

    Martha refused to cooperate.

    her outrageous demands- she''d never be the same again: now a mental case.

    Martha kept hurting her only surviving daughter because she survived. blame put on the most pitiful one left.

    As the court decision was to be decided the next day, the three all concluded to themselves:

    "It is time to end this."

    Joanna attempts suicide but father finds her and stops it.

    Martha stabs James 23 times as Joanna is too weak and small to stop her

    James was stabbed four times in the back at first, still put up a fight and even broke Martha''s arms. If he was going to die, let it be so his daughter still lives.

    Martha later put into a mental institution after her recovery.

    investigation into Jonathan''s account and forensic analysis revealed her faulty story of James attacking Jonathan was complete and utter bullshit. No one wanted to give this deranged women custody of a 10-year-old child.

    Jonathan Edwards grew up cold and distant.

    dedicated to studying humans in psychology and anthropology, along with the universe by the field of astronomy.

    An unnamed Godfather that James arranged for Jonathan''s living and educational costs.

    Hid gender so no problem by being fat

    Never again would the name Jonathan be used to directly address her. It would always be "Edwards".

    ¡°Love for Morons¡± by Joe Doe- pseudonym, written by Sasha Mur¨¦ for shits and giggles

    Sasha Mur¨¦, the strange scientist woman who''d give Joanna knickknacks that would save her from embarrassing situations. Once gave a mini fart blaster- useful once living with Tompkins, able to blame the device. didn''t die and left Earth.

    Mia Nell, caring housekeeper of the manor Joanna stayed at. mother equivalent of her dead father. showed her affection by the meals she cooked and the tranquility she provided with her doting advice. One day, after "Nidhoggr" appeared, she was unfortunately kidnapped, subsequently ransomed, raped by her captors, and killed

    Stephen Stoll, the chauffeur and butler, provided services as her sentinel. bullies to Joanna''s door yet Stephen dealt with this by bribing those swayed by money and beat the living fuck out of fuckers which couldn''t. advice was a majority of her transformation, with encouragement during her exercise routines and provision of methods to get into the heart of men. Stephen actually loved Mia and valiantly died in vain at the hands of the villains who took her.

    Curt Stromberg, Joanna¡¯s "unnamed" Godfather, only talk to her over the phone. owed James Edwards a debt because her father gave up his love on Sasha Mur¨¦. James Edwards even helped the two get together. James also saved his life in a car accident when Curt was drunk after a company vacation as CEO of Blanko, manufacturer of blankets and various beddings and mattresses. Curt set Joanna up at one of his manors in the States, allowing her to live so comfortably. revealed his true nature as an impressive Astrophysicist at her wedding, when he was leaving Earth.

    Edwards Only opened up with Tina Tompkins.

    Jane Tompkins- Tina''s dad, used to be a crime scene investigator. He even did background checks of his own on this "Edwards" character before allowing their collaboration, much to the embarrassment of Tompkins.

    Tina/Tin Tompkins- A 33 year old microbiologist specializing on bacterial infection: thin, girly man who is extremely kind and hardworking, has law enforcer family history

    Greatest influence on Joanna''s life: reconciling her childhood, showing her true love, rebirthing her entire self- all she needed in life

    name unfortunately came from a running family gag: all the men were named the most feminine one thought of. helpful when creating undercover personas and pseudonyms. Tompkins'' feminine features did not help his case, so he always used his last name, like Edwards.

    He rejected her because: incompatible bodies and body type preferences

    Tompkins discovered her sex when Edwards was near-obsessed with losing her fat.

    She panicked after months of staying at about 140 pounds, with big tits not leaving her chest no matter what she did. A female doctor had to gently inform her about her female body.

    The depressing reason behind her not menstruating was a process her mother Martha called, "castrating the bull before it grows". Because of this, she actually believed herself to be a man, despite her father''s insistence otherwise.

    "Paradise Island"- Anonymous donation to Joanna Edwards, has all of the people she cares about, self-sufficient

 Plotline and Descriptions 2: Tektons History

    Spoiler: Spoiler<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">

    Current Planet- Tekton

    Tekton creation: 1,000 years ago, 6 dragons arrive in a solar system of the Andromeda Galaxy. They have very diluted dragon blood, no strong heritage. They consume the debris around Solaris, find and leave the Egg alone because it is impenetrable. The Space Dragon Strauss is born from Susonimul, the Dragon of Light and Subere, the Dragon of Shadows. Strauss stays in space to protect the planet the 6 other dragons create. The Earth Dragon becomes Tekton itself, Atmosphaera rests on Mount Molysup, the tallest in the world (tail), Fluidus lies in the depths of the Antilact Sea (near head and cracks between wings) and Pura lives on Daumber Island (butt).

    Space Dragon watches Tekton and hopes for new life to come to Tekton.

    Tekton, the Earth Dragon, watches over the wildlife and plants so they are self-sufficient. Some become sentient naturally.

    The Air Dragon, Atmosphaera, lounges around, messing around with sentient mortals.

    Fluidus, the Water Dragon is an alcoholic, to the point of reverse tolerance. Earth Dragon watches to make sure Water Dragon not dead by alcohol poisoning.

    Pura, the Fire Dragon likes Tekton, but cannot admit it. Stays on Daumber Island to protect both of their chastities.

    Susonimul and Subere live on two separate continents, with Anitlact Sea between them.

    Susonimul made sentient races by energy, Subere copied to compete in contest for ¡°best parenting.¡±

    Anthromorphs- bestial humans, crude appearances, much more animal-like than beast-people

    Avians- birds with few human features

    Aquarians- sea creatures that have sentience, named after the 1st of their people

    Draconians- animals infused with a mite-size of dragon power

    The Joyous Years- Every 50 years, the races gather to compete which is the best. Always results in tie, neither Dragons win.

    The Beginning- 700 years ago, Strauss keeps a large meteorite, naming it Circa, By interfering with the special material, Strauss makes humans from Earth reincarnate on Tekton from 1000 C.E. and each new child takes a soul of the dead. The time passing on Tekton matches the time passing on Earth, and each reincarnation is cleared of their personal history, but not memories about their methods, begins ¡°class¡± or ¡°talent¡± system. Takes only from Europe as is the only profitable

    Susonimul and Subere create humans.

    Humans- Generic human is unspecialized and can basically be anything

    Dwarf- Adapted human meant for underground mining and metalworking with their heat-resistance and night vision.

    Elf- Adapted human meant to be best at magic.

    Harpies- Winged, mischievous humans, given to Atmosphaera

    Merpeople- Aquatic humans, given to Fluidus

    Draconians- the few Humans infused with an iota of a dragon scale¡¯s power, extremely prideful and strong, rejected by Pura, ashamed by being unworthy and have inferiority complex, have great integrity by Martial Code

    Daemons->Faeries->Pixies->Nymph-> Dryads- natural creations of Tekton, live one with nature and dwell in forests, specialized by Susonimul and Suberes

    Beast-people- Animal-like humans

    The Mayhem- 500 years ago, the old glorious Regimes and Empires of the Races fought, thought to be instigated by Subere, actually because of the bored, grumpy Susonimul. Every race fights each other in survival of the fittest.

    The New Age- 450 years ago, Strauss only reincarnated 3 heroes for each of the races with a Gaming System. They become too powerful:

    Unaffected

    Harpies- explore and enjoy adventures, help Atmosphaera mess with humans

    Merpeople- stay with Fluidus

    Betrayed by humans

    Dwarves- focus on crafting best weapons and defenses, trade with other races

    Elves- focus on perfecting magic and symbiosis with nature

    Draconians- train to become best and prove themselves to Pura

    Dryads- enjoy nature and interaction between races

    Beast-people- constant turmoil stopped and united by 3 powers

    Humans

    strongest and kill all others, hunting for more power, defeat 6 out of 9 Divine Superpowers, betray Draconians and kill the Royal Family, explore the Monster Continent

    Races are decimated by Pura once the Human heroes invade Daumber Island and test their power after killing most of the other Heroes.

    Only a few, non-human sentient creatures are still alive, most of which are old wanderers

    Daemons->Anthromorphs-> two groups: 3 Divine Superpowers wander, Demons are weak-blooded descendants fighting constantly for power and journey to find Divine Superpowers, severely crippled by humans, natural enemies

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.The Moot- a debatable anthromorph Divine Superpower ranging from a terrifying leviathan to a measly tortoise, lives in Antilact Sea, messes with everyone with outrageous strength

    The Arackne- mother of monstrous anthromorphs, called spawner of demons, is a caring individual whom dotes on her children, no matter how evil or corrupt they are

    The Kokkux- progenitor of the beast-people, in stasis, recovering in Beast Lands, is a haughty asshole, weakest of 3 survivors

    Humans crushed at every city, only settlements as small as towns are left alone

    Beast-people already destroyed, enslaved, and in hiding

    Dwarfs flee deeper underground, hiding

    Harpies unaffected, all wanderers killed

    Elves slaughtered

    Draconians still tiny population, increasingly territorial and distrusting

    Merpeople stay with Water Dragon

    Dryads nigh-extinct, still in nature, all sleep in the Cradle to recover

    Survivors of the other races mostly go into hiding, but the Humans still spread out. Susonimul and Subere stop fighting and go on a 567 year honeymoon in the Andromeda Galaxy. Subere disables the Game and Reincarnation Systems.

    Tekton- In Andromeda Galaxy, where Earthlings transported, survival rate unknown

    Star- Solaris, is white

    Auream Regulam- Socialist Utopia, started Golden Age of Might, 1st was an isolated hamlet made of the descendants of the 3 Heroes but they do not know their history. Sometimes villagers venture out to find marriage partners.

    Golden Age of Might- 333 years ago, start of the A.D. calendar, time of exploration, "Global Domination", began by Logos and his party, Space Dragon gets bored and reincarnates Logos from Europe, giving him the gift of knowledge.

    Era of Prosperity- 300 years ago, with the "death" of Logos, Auream Regulam is a natural ¡°Garden of Eden.¡± Logos is killed? before he advances the world too far, becomes a God to watch over the Tekton with Strauss.

    Aurea- the kind, self-declared peacekeepers of Tekton, called the High Elves/Humans, best in Tekton, all are assigned as "Farmers",

    throughout Tekton, they are known to be cruel oppressors from the propaganda of kings and emperors whom allow slavery and sordid practices

    Floda uses this public image and the Aurea lack of communication to turn the Great Continent against them

    The Great One, Ancestor Logos, The Hero- Reincarnated British teenager: the legend himself, turned God

    blesses Joanna Edwards when she arrives because her mind is "amusing", leads her to lake, laughs at her misfortune

    said each of the 13 Spheres, Tiers, and Pillars had 13 Circles, Levels, and Bases respectively, with 3 Stages within those. Ki and Mana were averaged to determine one''s Rank. Read this straight off of his Beginner''s Guide to Tekton.

    Prophesizes calamity will fall on the world, only said this just to screw with the Aurea but found out he can''t interfere, caused him to throw a tantrum for an entire year, increased amount of natural disasters by loophole and made his prophecy seem more true, this power is patched and sealed

    Longsword of Logos, Lycansbane is first legendary item he found and later put into a titanium altar within the Transcendent Dungeon, all of his items in his game inventory were absorbed during Godly transformation

    banished Exiled Aurea to Expert Island

    created Logos Mountains as perimeter of Auream Regulam, implemented a mana-absorbing and storing array rigged with lasers as defense system, added self-destruct options to entire land

    found a Unicorn whose horn he was going to steal but nearly died taking it, doesn''t care about Vilkorn

    Exiled Aurea-

    Logos Mountains- heavily fortified and defended highlands, Peak''s Pass is the entrance into Auream Regulam, with Gates of 10m thick Steel

    Transcendent Dungeon- Located in the Other

    Unicorns- Horned horses who can be chill and friendly or murderous rampaging monsters. The latter is usually searching for the best opponent and die early. Vilkorn the Vigorous was the strongest but defeated by Logos.

    Vilkorn the Vigorous- dedicated his life to violence, barely failed in fighting Logos, dedicated herd to Logos and mourned his disappearance, went in a global search for Logos

    Aurea- the kind peacekeepers of Tekton, they were the remaining powerful beings who did not fight in the Mayhem, called the High Elves

    Floda Academy-

    Mort City- City built on the Aurea¡¯s dead, corrupted nearby plant-life to be malicious, energy weakened by BOOP

    Katharis Village-

    Hairdos Village-

    Corrupt Nations

    Kaizen Empire- gained powers from sacrificing Pixies, formed the Great Doru religion, have the Inquisition to hunt, interrogate, and murder anyone suspected of defiling trees.

    The Great Doru- the Tree of Knowledge, gifting life its sentience and power, originates from Tekton¡¯s power and is actually her conduit

    Inquisition- Awakened Dryads from birth of Logos as tuned to detect Reincarnated souls, ignored Pixie ancestors and sacrifice them for natural power, secretly watching over all Nations to protect the trees

    Population- Dryads and Elves, only males are mixed

    Reason- 1000 left from the Mayhem, 3 survived the New Age but forced into stasis to recover, Pixies thought as pests and exterminated until nigh-extinction, Faeries all killed, Pixies wait for the Doru¡¯s Spirit to return them to their home in the Ancient Rainforest

    Luthan Kingdom- swindling nation of trade, filled with mighty mercenaries, sly slavetraders

    Sprezzatura- Couriers: skilled messengers, bureaucrats, merchants, and mercenaries following the legend of Castilonge, have 3 major training centers and 1 hub in capital Florentine

    Yalta Confederation- accumulated states under Yalta as devoted figure, religious capital has strong members

    United Arms- a conscripted military full of ambitious men, both skilled and unskilled, used to ¡°fight for greater Glory¡±,

    Yttria- a poor minority mostly of toiling farmers, many youths escape to become indentured servants in different kingdoms or empires

    Argon-

    Lustria-

    Trinitum- Industrial center, creates much municipal waste which they dump into the Wyvern¡¯s Gulf

    Astra-

    Concilium- ancient hearth of civilization, olden jurisdiction over many humans

    Phoenix Kingdom- Its founder was saved by a phoenix and carried its name in memory of it, have capital Renaissance near Dungeon Domain by valuable resources, capitalize on Luxian Labyrinth

    Story timeline- 333 A.D. November 26, Thursday. Autumn. -> December 12, Saturday -> Dec 13, Sunday

    ¡°Miracle¡±- special Aurea medicine said to cure any illness after 10 doses if not by the 1st, used to purify the body in preparation of harnessing one¡¯s internal energies, usually causes massive diarrhea and shedding skin

    ¡°Softies¡±- a comfortable grass, also an aphrodisiac

    Roaring Thunder

    Stormy Wind

    Clear Aqua- Mia Nell reincarnated

    Pulsing Air

    Quick Foot

    Cleansing Hand

    Village Fatboy/Rufus- Chinese 8 yr old boy from New York, appears in Village 10 yrs before Joanna

    Adrian Floda- From Katharis, hurt and later killed Hairdos, vengeful, mistrusting

    Nathaniel- Hairdos Village Chief, plans Kartharis Village destruction, dies left trying to escape when using adventures as sacrifices, his arms are torn off, 1st plague carrier since The Mayhem, disease only cripples evil people, forced to live and tell his story to everyone, becomes the rumored ¡°Parable¡±

 Plotline: Adrian Floda + Stromberg

    Spoiler: Spoiler<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">

    25 years ago from the Arrival of Joanna Edwards

    -Someone stupid enough or That guy or Adrian Floda lived in Katharis Village, 10 years old

    - village elders believed in the Way

    - villagers passive, submissive, complacent with life

    - village leader meets neighboring village, Hairdos¡¯s leader Nathaniel

    - Hairdos¡¯ legendary barbers can¡¯t find any more work, no one appreciates their art anymore, Hairdos is starving and poor

    - Katharis agrees to help only if Hairdos convert to the Way and live together

    - Hairdos insulted by the lack of ambition and any assistance

    -Roaring Thunder and his Bloody Justice regiment come into Hairdos village, decide to help feed Hairdos by paying in rations for haircuts

    -Cunning Nathaniel makes a plan to get the Aurea patrol to kill all the Katharis and take their stuff

    -fake that one night they get raided by disguised Hairdos acting as Katharis, kidnap women and children

    -Nathaniel pretends this is the reason why so poor and hungry, pretends to accept this to survive

    -Roaring Thunder and Bloody Justice slaughter Kartharis villagers, demand the Eldest what reason behind actions

    -Village elder replies there was no reason for life now and is killed by the crying Aurea

    -Children are not killed as only raised by ¡°cruel people¡±

    -Children adopted into Hairdos

    -Children treated as slaves, beaten and starved b/c of greedy Hairdos

    -Aurea come to help Hairdos spread their art by displaying their haircuts as advertisements

    -Katharis children die off, the few surviving only b/c others gave up their food and protected others with their bodies

    -Various tragedies such as this one occur because of the naive Aurea

    -Adrian 15 years old, runs off with traveling magician Bill when escaping

    -Bill is a necromancer, uses Adrian as an assistant

    -Bill practicing to revive his dead wife, Betty, froze her in ice, kept in cold cave to preserve body

    -Bill raises Adrian as a son, both continue practicing Necromancy on animals

    -Adrian 20 years old, traveled to cave to help Bill¡¯s revival ritual

    -Betty is alive, Bill cries and hugs her

    -Betty shrugs him off and begins to eat him

    -Adrian horrified, Bill tells him to run

    -Adrian runs off with research books and money

    -5 years spend studying Necromancy and preparing resources

    -Captures Betty in spell contract, discovers she is a mindless, rudimentary vampire

    -Raises 50 strong undead Adventurers

    -Attacks the Hairdos village of ~1500, killing all of them

    -Nathaniel dies left trying to escape when using Adventurers as sacrifices, Nathaniel had his arms torn off and is turned into the 1st plague carrier since The Mayhem by sacrifices the souls of the Hairdos villagers

    -Nathaniel¡¯s disease only cripples evil people, Nathaniel is forced to live for good

    -Nathaniel becomes the rumored ¡°Parable¡± that roams and destroys evil

    12th Sphere 4th Circle 2nd Stage Mana, 11th Tier 13th Level 3rd Stage Ki, and 4th Pillar 4th Base 1st Stage Chi by time Rufus arrives

    -Too much destruction from spell rebound, Betty is destroyed saving Adrian

    -Can only salvage some money with a few strong undead left

    -5 years spent gaining fame as magician, gathers more money, practices Necromancy in secret

    -makes Floda Magic Academy, teaches trusted pupils and builds an undead army

    -Discovers ancient Necromancy book, finds life-force refinement process: can convert living energy of people when they die into orbs of power, also used to prolong life but cost of adding years of life increases exponentially i.e. after adding 10 years of life, need 100 years of life to add 10 more years of life

    -5 years spent perfecting Necromancy and finished with scouting, army, and political power, Floda Academy, completely loyal and stops accepting new students

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.-Adrian Floda discovers ill and weak Aurea

    -Adrian uses Floda Academy with corrupt Kaizen Empire, Luthan Kingdom, and Yalta Confederation to wipe out Auream Regulam

    -Adrian and army wipe out settlements for resources and more troops, alive or dead

    -Adrian finds Rufus and uses a perfected Vampirization which is boosted because he is still alive

    -Rufus- Chinese 8 yr old from New York, looks for his family, overpowered, cares about Sammy & her parents, ignores everyone who he does not interact with, wants great strength, Student of "Parable" and Adrian Floda

    -Adrian and pupils watch 2 miles away from town through Seer orb, uses excuse of giving others the glory while supporting with magically powered golems

    -After battle, Adrian gathers Aurea people and rest of dead into his undead army

    -kills Kaizen Empire, Luthan Kingdom, and Yalta Confederation armies before they recover

    -Adds more to undead army

    -Lives with brainwashed pupils of Floda Academy

    -Adrian constructs Mort City on top of Auream Regulam: Builds above Aurea forest a flowering structure (rose shaped) made out of bone, with an elevator leading up (stem of flower), patrolling undead regiments on great bone walls

    -Adrian and pupils all fall ill to BOOP, Rufus unaffected as is half-dead, the rest lose power and can¡¯t cure with life-force orbs

    -Adrian creates the first sentient undead: vampires from students

    -Adrian gives Rufus his research, revived pupils, and life-force orbs and releases mind-control

    -Adrian kills himself, turning into a loyal, undying Shade as his final gift, feeds off of ambient mana and soul energies

    -Rufus can¡¯t use magic, takes life-force orbs, money, and research, leaves Mort City, which still has flesh dragons and bone dragons

    -Rufus lives at a wealthy estate in Ultern with strongest vampire servants, hides all of Adrian¡¯s research in an underground library

    -Rufus splits life-force orbs between himself and vampires

    S.S. Sapiens- Contains the last of Earth humans who survived ¡°Nidhoggr¡± by only going straight away from the danger. After growing older, its first people bore children, continuing generations of humans that used the same name as to never give up hope. They continued to train their bodies and minds.

    Also can transfer their immune systems¡¯ information through children. All have nanobots constantly overseeing the body, fueled by its own energies. Have perfect memory. Older generations put into cryostasis after being properly replaced.

    For the longest time, many people lost themselves to Virtual Reality games when it was developed and very few progress in other things occurred. An unknown but extremely long amount of time passed. Older generations augmented at the beginning but uncontrollable mutations stopped experiments

    Scientist Sasha Mur¨¦- descendant of the original, worked on further developing power-armors

    Captain Stromberg- Captain of S.S. Sapiens, meets the Phoenix Kingdom

    Captain Stromberg was always in charge of the S.S. Sapiens.

    Scientist Sasha Mur¨¦- descendant of the original, worked on further developing power-armors

    Captain Stromberg- Captain of S.S. Sapiens, meets the Phoenix Kingdom

    500 to Tekton

    13 escape pods-10 people each

    Rest- drop pods

    20 survivors- Captain Stromberg, Scientist Sasha Mur¨¦, The original Curt Stromberg and original Sasha Mur¨¦, Cilia, Steven, Tom live out of these remaining. People fall into lava, quicksand, the Dead Sea, and various other death spots

    After Stromberg finally reached the air above, he checked with his devices to ensure the safety of his environment. Strangely, the readings told him it was perfect- too perfect to be truly hospitable to humans. Being skeptical, Captain Stromberg kept his bulky spacesuit on and looked around himself. Apparently, as he was messing around, quite a bit of natives decided to welcome him- fully armed.

    Judging by their human shape and Phoenix coat of arms upon their metallic armor, they possibly belonged to a kingdom. Stromberg wanted to drag his hand across his face, but his suit was in the way. A medieval setting for a modern man. How fitting.

    Future Stromberg and Mur¨¦ meet up with navigator Cilia, cook Steven, and soldier Tom

    The Phoenix Kingdom is ruled by two kings and two queens.

    A Stromberg and Mur¨¦ pair are discovered by each pair of king and queen. Both are put to work.

    Eventually encounter each other in a meeting. Begin an arms race once the Phoenix Kingdom learns everything is going to shit

 DONE WITH REWRITE

    Hey!

    The Intermission and the Intro Ark are in their final state. I will most likely never change them again.

    TLDR: The Fiction is Rewritten up to the Action Ark. The Hiatus stays until I have enough votes in my Poll in the chapter "Plotline: Beginning of Plot, the Narrator, and 2nd Ark plan for Joanna and Rufus- POLL FOR WHAT NEXT?</a>" or I choose what to do next. If you won''t, then go do something better with your life or just read a better fiction.

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    The changes: reordering the presentation of the plot to be more chronological, adding a little more information, explain more, change some titles, taking out grammar and repetition mistakes, and taking out my author''s notes.

    I added indicators of changes in POV between the parentheses ( ).

    I also edited the Description severely. I am sorry for being so misleading and incomprehensible for so long. I kind of forgot about it because I was focusing on the story. That said, I think the story''s still a bit convoluted. But I guess it will stay that way.

    That''s why I need a direction for this Fiction to go in. The first poll I had, I think only two people voted. I definitely need more to decide what to do next.

    Have a good life,

    PettyOfficer

 DONE WITH REWRITE

    Hey!

    The Intermission and the Intro Ark are in their final state. I will most likely never change them again.

    TLDR: The Fiction is Rewritten up to the Action Ark. The Hiatus stays until I have enough votes in my Poll in the chapter "Plotline: Beginning of Plot, the Narrator, and 2nd Ark plan for Joanna and Rufus- POLL FOR WHAT NEXT?</a>" or I choose what to do next. If you won''t, then go do something better with your life or just read a better fiction.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The changes: reordering the presentation of the plot to be more chronological, adding a little more information, explain more, change some titles, taking out grammar and repetition mistakes, and taking out my author''s notes.

    I added indicators of changes in POV between the parentheses ( ).

    I also edited the Description severely. I am sorry for being so misleading and incomprehensible for so long. I kind of forgot about it because I was focusing on the story. That said, I think the story''s still a bit convoluted. But I guess it will stay that way.

    That''s why I need a direction for this Fiction to go in. The first poll I had, I think only two people voted. I definitely need more to decide what to do next.

    Have a good life,

    PettyOfficer

 TOADALLY Unintentional

    In the depths of the Frog Kingdom, their King, the Froggetable Fro, sported an Afro. Right now, he was opening up a package but he was worried he would RIBBIT. He didn¡¯t want any of that BULLFROG so he CROAKED out some MAGICALILY words.

    (Froggetable Fro) ¡°Lily, lily, lily! Fly, Fly, Fly! Tongue to tongue, LIPS TO LIPS, open for ME!¡±

    He smashed his fist through its delicate frame and lo, behold! His comb! He used the comb to straighten his hair, but his Afro waved to and fro, fro and to until it became the size of his body! He didn¡¯t REED the instructions and his hair became worse! King Froggetable Fro didn¡¯t want to JUMP to conclusions, but he was STUCK TONGUE-TIED to the idea it was a plot concocted by his son. The FOOT of the problem was WEBBED with lies.

    His son was a Poison Dart Frog who bet on Darts and drank his Poison at the same place. He was having some fun with his TADPOLE and some ladies when his father burst into the whorehouse.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    (Froggetable Fro) ¡°YOU! My son! You were the one to EGG me on! Comb to stop my hair, was it? This lie has harmed your King! Prepare to face the consequences!¡±

    (Son) ¡°No, Father! I, F. Ro GG, will rise to the throne and diREKT our people! We will no longer be SWAMPED and we will POOL together what we have! Work for the people! Down with the useless nobility! Don¡¯t be so DRY, you LEATHERY TOAD!¡±

    (Froggetable Fro) ¡°My son! How ignorANT of you to ASSume this? You have THRONE me a curve ball, but I must stop you! You yourself are one of these useless nobility! Your new BREED will be the downfall of all of FROGDOM!!!¡±

    (F. Ro GG) ¡°No¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­ I¡­ NO!¡±

    (Froggetable Fro) ¡°Yes, my son. We all walk in the same skin, but there are BUMPS in life we must deal with.¡±

    F. Ro GG was growing up into the final stage of his life: the Toad. His father, a hairy, huge, lumpy mass of disgustingness, made himself the destiny of F. Ro GG, as his son''s skin bubbled and formed bumps.

    (Froggetable Fro) ¡°FRO we are the ones that are the outsiders!¡±