Stardew valley earth crystal

Are you ready to embark on an extraordinary journey through time, where survival is your ultimate goal? Look no further! Welcome to Tyranno Terra, the ultimate Ark: Survival Evolved server that will transport you to a land of ancient wonders and untamed dinosaurs.
🦖 Experience Prehistoric Thrills: Delve into a captivating prehistoric world where the environment is as dangerous as the creatures that inhabit it. Encounter majestic dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes, from towering T-Rexes and swift Raptors to the terrifying Acro and the majestic Emberhorns. Prepare to face off against primal predators and establish your dominance in this primal land.
🌿 Immersive PVE/PVP Gameplay: Choose your path as a lone survivor or collaborate with fellow players to establish thriving tribes. Engage in intense player-versus-environment (PVE) challenges, where you can join forces to conquer treacherous caves and boss encounters. Or, if you seek a more competitive experience, engage in thrilling player-versus-player (PVP) battles and build formidable bases to defend against rival tribes. [PvP Cluster opens up in 1 week]
⭐️ Enhanced Island Map The Island Extension Mod adds many different elements from all maps available, including floating islands, transportation to Gen 1 & 2 Biomes, Aberration, Lost Island, Scorched Earth & Extinction areas, as well as, the ability to fight all bosses currently available in ASE. The mod also adds many different dinos from all maps too, from Crystal Wyverns to Reapers.
🗺️ Expansive Mod Maps: Explore handcrafted, breathtaking maps designed by some amazing mod creators. Uncover hidden secrets in lush jungles in Nyandril, navigate treacherous mountain ranges in Caballus, and brave the dangers of vast deserts on Olympus. Every corner of the each map holds the promise of adventure, and new discoveries await the brave and the cunning.
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👥 Active and Friendly Community: Join a vibrant community of dedicated Ark enthusiasts who are passionate about creating an inclusive and enjoyable environment. Whether you're a seasoned survivor or a fresh-faced explorer, you'll find support, camaraderie, and thrilling adventures within the Tyranno Terra community thats still growing.
🔒 Secure and Reliable Server: We understand the importance of a stable and secure gaming environment. Our server is meticulously maintained to ensure optimal performance, low latency, and protection against any unwanted disruptions. Count on us to deliver a seamless Ark experience, allowing you to focus solely on surviving and thriving in Tyranno Terra.
🌐 How to Join: To embark on your primal adventure in Tyranno Terra, simply search for our server name in the Ark: Survival Evolved server browser or connect directly using the following details:
🔱 The Island - steam://connect/176.57.135.92:28715
🔱 Nyrandil - steam://connect/176.57.135.133:35115
🔱 Caballus - steam://connect/176.57.135.81:28115
🔱 Olympus - steam://connect/176.57.135.133:35315
🔱 Fjordur - steam://connect/176.57.135.134:31615
🔱 Svartalfheim- steam://connect/176.57.135.137:32315
🔗 Join Our Discord: For updates, community events, and to connect with fellow survivors, join our Discord server at discord.gg/qzcDeH69hb. Our friendly moderators are always ready to assist and answer any questions you may have.
Unleash your primal instincts, conquer the wild, and stake your claim in Tyranno Terra. The prehistoric adventure of a lifetime awaits you!

Your girl is single, 35, Caucasian, and about to blow up her stable life by quitting her job and taking to the road. The final destination is unknown, but the goal is personal fulfillment and a place she can put down roots.
Third person gets old fast, so pronoun shift: Hullo! I'm home with the flu, too sick to do anything fun but not sick enough to sleep all day, and thought it might be fun to see who else out there is feeling friendly. Most of my good friends are preoccupied with spouses and babies these days, so it's time to cultivate new friendships.
As I mentioned, I'm about to give notice at my job, pack up the apartment, and hop in the car to try to find a path forward that fills me with joy instead of blah. Doing the "smart" thing over and over and over hasn't made me successful or happy, so I figured I'd try something different.
Salient details? I'm introverted but thrive on deep connections with people. Am very empathetic. My friends are small in number but high in quality; we go back years and decades. I've been involved with penpal communities in some form or other for over 10 years; some of those connections have turned into thriving in-person friendships. I'd give the shirt off my back and fight a bear for almost anyone who needed it. It's true I have definite opinions about injustice and fairness, but I've also lived in enough places across the world that I can listen to and learn from those I disagree with.
My fatal flaw? I can't have an intelligent conversation about video games. Truly, I've never even met Mario. The closest I've managed is Stardew Valley.
My hobbies include pottery, reading widely (from historical nonfiction to Brit Lit to sci-fi-fantasy to trashy romance), indoor plants and outdoor gardening, letter writing, and all manner of crafty endeavors I've done once and always thought I'd get back to. I've hiked and camped a little, and traveled a lot. I can listen to most music, barring screamy/foul/whiny stuff. Although I don't have a true ear, I really enjoy classical music and going to symphony concerts. Classical music calms my mind right down. Dvorak's Serenade for Strings is one of my favorites.
I've fallen in love once, a long time ago. Although the love didn't last, the experience was a gift because I had been thoroughly skeptical that it was a real thing. It would be nice to find again someday.
Screen-wise, old black and white movies are often favorites. I'll argue until the end of time that The West Wing is the best piece of television writing ever produced. Most superhero flicks are a fun romp. It's really hard for me to separate myself from the characters on screen, so I tend to avoid realistic violence. Big emotions on screen tend to strike particularly hard; I'm definitely a crier. Most recently I enjoyed (and cried at) Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Physically, I'm short, with straight brown hair past my shoulders, blue eyes, a small upturned nose, and freckled white skin. I believe the polite phrase these days is thicc, but to cover all the bases I could also be described as curvy, a lil chubby, and slightly overweight. I rock 50s style dresses and would fit right into a Renaissance painting.
Wanna be friends? If you got this far, put PRIDE in your message :)

Another couple of games that come to mind that have something similar are GTA San Andreas and GTA 5. Just wondering if there are more games like this I should know about, where you have a good number of stats you can increase by performing regular game actions, so that you're consistently improving your character by playing.

Noise is the only vibration in the universe that reaches beyond. All else dies at the edges of existence. Light is worshipped by some, about as arcane as mathematics, but light is merely an illusion, just like time. Fire, life, sequence, crystallization, magnetism - all of the things that seem to compose reality are really nothing more than incidental and simple transferences of energy.
Energy is subject to vibrations, and only to vibrations.
Each vibration is unique and changes into every other vibration. It is the experience of a living being that the uniqueness of a vibration is entirely momentary. Living things also store a copy of the vibration with special ions. That part of the vibration remains inside the living creature, recalled at will in the creature's brain, as a memory.
The most powerful memories are just emotions, raw energy, perfectly synchronized to the vibration that the living creature experienced.
Life on Earth is especially vulnerable to the entropy of such vibrations. Most multi-cellular organisms on Earth suffer short lifespans. Even the intelligent lifeforms on Earth cannot escape from incredibly short lives.
Only the single celled organisms on the bottom of Earth's wealth-oceans of clean and breathable saltwater are insulated from the unique property of Earth that causes rapid entropy of Earthly organisms.
The intelligent lifeforms on Earth are usually limited to the first three levels of intelligence. Of this category, nearly every animal on the planet can be attributed some form of intelligence. It is humans, though, that are the most recent species to achieve a noteworthy fourth level of intelligence. Some humans, although less functional among their fourth level kindred, do achieve a fifth level of intelligence, or at least what a fifth level intelligent creature would look like if they were deprived of a fifth level intelligence society.
So humans, are unique, in that they are somewhere between a fourth and fifth level of intelligence as a species. Most of them are of the fourth level but a few of them are actually as smart as we are and are capable, even in their short lives, of advancing the technology and wisdom of the humans.
It should be noted that among their Seven is one who has written of the Dark Forest and predicted many weapons and battles that might be fought by humans if they were to meet other humans beyond their world. This Seventh also wrote of all-things and of inner-things and also described The Likeliness, as we know it.
Only a limited perspective, coupled with heightened fifth level intelligence could generate such a fantasy. Humans of Earth actually instinctively believe in the Dark Forest; they have no rebuttal because it actually makes sense to them.
It would not occur to a creature confined to a dying body that most worlds with intelligences have higher intelligences; that lower intelligences, those of creatures with very short lives: humans, have a broken perspective.
With a higher intelligence and a longer life, the two things that are usual requirements for civilizations, a different society exists. Typically warfare among a species, where it competes with itself, is limited to insects. Humans never noticed that there was something wrong with themselves, that warfare was a symptom of some kind of profound genetic sickness.
They don't know they are insane. Intelligent creatures that must accept living in quickly dying bodies. They are monsters, in their regard towards dying, for they know instinctively that their lives are too short.
That is why humans can kill other humans. They can kill other intelligent aliens with even more ease, it's a nervous reaction to attack an alien. They do so on impulse, killing something unknown to them. They fear the unknown, indeed, in their lives they experience many unknown and painful encounters.
Their world is one of being almost-altruistic and almost-aware and almost-wise and almost-peaceful. They are, after-all, almost as intelligent as we are. It is piteous that they can never escape from trying to survive. It is part of their nature to face danger. Without danger and conflict a human becomes depressed and is capable of the most bizarre act of any intelligent creature and one that proves that they are not-well, that their whole species is sick and broken:
A human being is actually capable of self-murder.
That is correct, there are numerous accounts of humans actually killing their own personal self. If this singular act does not prove their mania for death then, as The Likeliness would indicate: "A sequential probability would only result in the same consequence, anyway."
Or as a human I spoke to said: "Same difference."
I do realize the hilarity of human idioms, reducing The Likeliness to fractions of ideas instead of the proverbs that we can see spelled out in the void. Indeed, it was human senses of humor that was the initial digression of this report. Human laughter generates a unique vibration, included with my own personal musings.
The samples of human laughter have the same effect on my collective research agency. They assured me that it is the same not only for each individual, but for any individual of any intelligent species. Even heard through our natural medium it is as delightful. I've listened to the resonances of it in every possible contortion of sound that I could think of.
Should my reputation not proceed me, I am the one who discovered that the frequency of vibrations on Earth allows for such a consonant as this. I was able to record flat and sharp sounds, actual vibrations made by living creatures on Earth. Human noise, is of course, industrial and commercial and even broadcast.
I am not referring to their stormwind. I do, of course, want to remind everyone of the Cavern-Gods' old saying, which in our language goes: "When a rock falls it makes a sound."
We don't have to meditate too long to employ the value of such wisdom in our current pursuit of the source of human soothe-causing.
My musings must seem like a waste of time, if you have already heard for yourselves what human laughter resonates like.
It is a heartbreaking moment to recognize the language of The Likeliness, made in relief, by only a human.

Something happened tonight. Something always seems to be happening these days, but this time, it was particularly confusing.
Some days don't even feel real anymore.
After my last post, I did as my savior human had advised me. I called Mary Markov and relayed to her what Jewel had told me. She promised to send agents to the warehouse right away, and late that same night, she reached out to me once again with news of an arrest having been made. Despite this small success, we both knew that this meant outright war. The Collective would know who had given them away, and the possibility of me joining their ranks peacefully would be off the table. The question remaining was when they would make good on their threat. Nettie Peterson's house is being guarded by covert Agency personnel, and mine and Eli's apartments are under watch, too. I'm glad Mary Markov is doing what she can to protect them, but I never doubted that complications would arise eventually.
Just not quite so soon.
The day started off fine. My best friend, still being relatively used to having agents around, doesn't seem to mind the aforementioned changes. The van inconspicuously parked outside her house didn't bother her in the least as she went about her morning routine. I helped her throw together something nourishing for breakfast, then watched her doing her makeup. She likes to keep her lips glossy and often applies lime green eyeshadow paired with a pear-colored line and, on special days, the occasional rhinestone. She looks like a garden fairy. When I told her that today, she treated me to a bright smile and a pat on the cheek.
She went off to look after her larvae, leaving me to roam her house alone. I spent some time inspecting the many drawings she keeps framed on the high wall in the living room. She always brings new ones home from work—gifts from the kindergarteners. They're not very artistically skilled, but they do produce interesting work. Nettie hangs them all up on the special wall, even the really bad ones. I watched TV for a couple hours, then read until Nettie came home.
It was getting dark out when she realized she needed tampons. She said she could get by on what she had until the morning, but no longer. I told her to stay put and that I'd run and get some for her, which is why I went on that fateful evening walk. I gave a quick nod to the agent leaning against the van outside as I started heading down the street, backpack slung over my shoulder. I made it to the convenience store five minutes before closing time, giving the annoyed cashier an apologetic look as she rang me up. Outside, the nightly blackness had settled over the rooftops, and I took in a deep breath, letting the fresh air flood my body.
All was well as I began to march back in the direction of Nettie's home. Until I heard a motorcycle revving.
…Jewel?
I instantly froze up. There was no one immediately in sight. I tried to soothe my fevered mind. There was no reason to be so on edge. A lot of town residents owned motorcycles, or at least I assumed they did. This reaction was a testament to my own waning sanity, no doubt. I shuddered, making an effort to shake the thought. There was a nervous tension in my step as I continued on my way. The engine noises faded off into the distance after a while, and I concluded that I was indeed becoming a bit paranoid.
Step by step, I carried myself towards my goal. Nettie Peterson's street wasn't anywhere in sight yet, but I would probably be at her door in around ten minutes tops. I had walked the distance between her house and the store often enough to estimate. I considered putting my earbuds in and listening to some music as a distraction, but I was afraid of what I might end up missing if I took away my sense of hearing. I began to chew on the inside of my cheek.
There was not a soul out except for me. This wasn't uncommon considering the size of our town, but given the circumstances, it still served to elevate my heart rate. I repeatedly tried and failed to calm myself. Eventually, I couldn't help it anymore. I took off running. And then it happened—someone stepped out from a sidestreet right ahead of me and we collided. Large hands flew to my shoulders, long fingers harshly digging into them. I didn't need to look up at the other person to recognize them. I sensed the same musky smell that had lingered around my room for hours after their last visit; warm, sweet and impossible to ignore. I could suddenly hear every single beat of my heart reverberating between my ears. Dread seemed to dribble down my bone-dry throat, pooling in my stomach like cold water.
I slowly lifted my head, knowing exactly who was about to stare back at me.
Jewel's eyes were incredibly wide. Their brows were trembling in manic, barely restrained fury, their lower lip quivered and, to my complete bewilderment, tears were freely rolling down their cheeks. They solidified the moment the skin contact was lost, turning into shimmering stones of green, blue and violet. I reached out and caught one before it could hit the ground. It was bright pink, and I found myself captivated by its beauty.
"So, can I… keep this?" I asked, tilting my head at the cultist.
Their chest was rising and falling heavily, and I shrank back a little when I took note of their nostrils flaring. "You are so dead," they uttered in a low, husky growl.
"I take it you got news of the Agency's involvement?"
Jewel once more closed the distance between us. They leaned down, their gemstone tears bouncing off my chest as they fell. "You spiteful little bitch. You'd rather try to ruin a good cause than forgive me and work together?"
"You can't be this delusional."
"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do!" they snapped, their voice rising to an eerily high pitch. They paused, looking briefly confused by what they'd said before the wrathful expression twisted their features again.
"What now? Are you seriously going to attack me out in the open like this?"
"Oh." Jewel drew themself up, squaring their muscled shoulders. "Oh, I'll manage."
Their outline before me started to blur, becoming fuzzy and indistinct. I blinked, then reached up to rub my eyes. They weren't becoming any clearer, though. Frowning, I took several steps back, squinting at the spot where the cultist had just been standing. The cultist was quickly turning into a faint, paling swirl of colors, losing shape before at last disappearing completely.
I was speechless, my pulse racing as beads of sweat ran down the side of my face. I couldn't believe it. Had all of this been some sort of hallucination? I raised a hand to my feverishly hot forehead. I was losing my mind. That had to be it. My gaze dropped to the gray asphalt and my breath caught in my throat when I spotted the colorful stones lying at my feet. Fuck.
A soft laugh rang out beside my ear, a draft of moist, warm air grazing my cheek.
I instinctively swung at the emptiness beside me, my clenched fist connecting with nothing. No.
"Come back here," I whined, flinching at the unmasked fear in my own voice. A sharp pain flared up in my ankle as my feet were swiped out from under me. I let out a squeak as I fell onto my open palms, managing to shield my head from the impact just in time. The rough ground scraped my hands and knees as I hurriedly pushed myself up, a few stray pebbles drawing blood. Despite my panic, my mind was clear enough to understand that I was in a precarious position. I couldn't just whip out my tentacles—not here where anyone could see me. It would for sure result in hysteria. People could start straight-up shooting at me. I'd end up looking like a monstrosity on a rampage, especially with Jewel having gone invisible. As it were, I only had one option, and that was to run.
I didn't waste another second. There was no way I was leading this murder cultist back to Nettie, but I had to find somewhere with other people, anywhere…
Aimlessly charging ahead, I tried to bring more distance between myself and the disembodied footsteps ringing out from behind me. Before long however, it was becoming hard to tell how far away they truly were. The sound seemed to flit from side to side, reaching my ears from constantly changing directions. The asshole was messing with my head.
Soon enough, my lungs were on fire. My sides were stinging; breathing became harder. I inwardly cursed my useless short legs. Still, I didn't slow down; I didn't dare to. I was growing increasingly desperate. Where was I supposed to go? I couldn't think of any places still open. And then, cutting through the darkness, a flickering neon sign offered the answer to all of my questions. Tom's Diner. With hope renewing my spirits, I picked up my pace once more. Rhonda was just in the process of moving the big menu sign inside for the night. I came to a skittering halt mere inches in front of her, helplessly grabbing onto her apron before she could close the door behind her.
She spun around to face me with knotted brows. "Evangeline?"
"Help me," I wheezed. "Let me in, quick!"
Rhonda, though still visibly perplexed, sprang into action, dragging me inside along with her. I slammed the door shut, throwing my entire weight against it. An unseen force clashed against it from outside, making the entire storefront shudder. The waitress nearly dropped her sign. "What in the—"
"They're after me," I choked out. "You can't see them, but they're right outside!"
"Oh." Her expression cleared up. "Say no more, say no more." She reached into her apron pocket, rummaging around while mumbling to herself. "I'm picking up what you're putting down…" She produced a bright red marker. "Allow me." Swiftly stepping up to me, she raised the felt tip to my forehead, proceeding to draw something onto my skin with smooth, efficient accuracy. An incoherent whisper slipped from her lips, words in a language I had never heard before. Finally, she pulled back. "Turn around, try if you can see them now. The door locks automatically, by the way."
I hesitantly shifted my weight back onto my feet, releasing the door and turning to look out into the night. I let out a gasp, staggering back when I found the contorted visage of the cultist pressed up against the glass. Jewel's eyes were still rimmed with shimmering tears, their mouth twisted in a grimace of murderous rage. They frowned in confusion when they realized that my gaze was once more trained on them. It didn't take long until they started pounding on the windowpane again.
"Hey! You stop that," Rhonda shouted, stabbing a finger in their direction. "I just cleaned that today! Oh hell… Hailey!" she called over her shoulder. "We have a problem; come help."
Another waitress came rushing out of the back room. Glancing between us and the pacing cultist outside had her huff out a sigh. "I see," she said icily. Determinedly striding towards the door, she lifted her voice, beginning to recite a verse or rhyme of some sort. It all sounded like gibberish to me. My head was spinning, my mind running wild, unable to keep track of what was happening around me. My skull suddenly felt prickly from the inside, my whole body seemingly turning weightless. My vision fell away as my eyes rolled back and my knees gave out from beneath me. I had lost consciousness before I hit the floor.
I don't believe I was out for very long, despite my exhausted body embracing the cold slumber. A voice tugged on the edge of my hearing, gently guiding me towards wakefulness. I had been moved onto a slightly softer, more comfortable surface. I arduously craned my neck up to overlook my surroundings. I was lying on one of the padded benches next to the stationary tables. Crouching beneath it in order to sit close to me was a very familiar figure.
"Hey, Sunshine." Frankie Preston straightened up as far as he could without hitting his head. "Sorry I wasn't there to catch you when you fainted. Too bad. It could have been our movie-moment."
I smiled at him. Then I jolted upright, nearly kicking Frankie under the table as I planted my feet on the floor to train my eyes on Rhonda. She was leaning against the partition wall of the booth, typing away on her phone. "You," I uttered. "You and that other lady did some kind of… witchcraft-thing."
She glanced up briefly. "Oh. That was nothing, really. Forget about it."
Fran poked his head out from between my legs. "What's this about witchcraft?"
Rhonda shrugged. "Hailey and I just performed some basic spells to get rid of your little wife's stalker."
"Could you please not—nevermind that; what are you even talking about?" Fran's voice was dripping with bewilderment.
The older woman raised a brow at him. "Honey, we're… we're witches. You did know that, right?"
Silence.
"Right?" Rhonda repeated, once again not receiving a response.
"I don't think he did," I supplied helpfully.
"You're kidding me." Rhonda stared at the blonde with her mouth agape. "How could you not have known? You lived with us for almost two years!"
He still gave no answer.
"Honey, you saw everything! You saw my herbs…" Her voice faltered in disbelief. "And the ceremonial daggers… The charms around the doors!"
He shrugged.
"You played with Mae-Lynn's casting crystals for a whole afternoon? You were in the room when Paloma made her sacrifice for Loki's favor? You literally watched all six of us at our bonfire dance during the blood moon!"
"I thought that was just another crunchy mom thing."
"Crunchy mom thing?" she echoed, her chest rising at the affront. Jabbing a finger at my forehead, she added, "And how would you have accounted for that?"
"That little drawing? I thought Eva had gotten herself tattooed." Frankie glanced between Rhonda and me in confusion.
"It's a magic symbol, for crying out loud; it's a protection against forces messing with her perception!" the waitress explained in audible exasperation. "And who would get their forehead inked?"
"Eva might. You gotta admit she has peculiar fashion tastes," Frankie argued.
I couldn't help but chime in. "Why do people keep saying that?"
Rhonda threw her hands up in defeat.
I cleared my throat. "You're saying that all the ladies working here have supernatural abilities?"
"Like I just told you." She rubbed her temples with both hands. "And I'm sorry you fainted. It had to do with Hailey—her magic is great for defending against dark influences. The spell she cast was to scare off your attacker, but it seems to have affected you, too."
"I don't consider myself a dark influence."
"Well, you are an interdimensional being," Rhonda replied. "Not normally mankind's best friend. But I know you're a good kid. Don't worry."
"Thank you very much for helping me," I said softly, staring at my hands as I folded them in my lap. "I apologize for the inconvenience."
"It's cool."
"So, the six of you all together are probably really powerful?" I inquired, an idea faintly taking shape in my mind.
"You could say that," Rhonda answered, not without a hint of pride.
"Is there any way I could get your input on a problem I've been having?"
"I suppose," she said slowly. "We'll hear you out, sure, but that's about all the promises I'll make for now, okay?"
"Yes, perfect."
"Alright. I'll talk to the girls and we'll be in touch." She zipped up her jacket, shoving her phone into her pocket. "Goodnight, you two."
With that, she left us sitting in the empty diner. Frankie still looked rather puzzled. Shaking his head, he turned to give me a droll smile. "How embarrassing. I normally pride myself on being perceptive. People are strange though, aren't they?" He sat down beside me on the bench, shuffling closer. "You ran into trouble again? With the cultist?"
I didn't really want to relay the entirety of what I'd learned from Jewel to him—somehow, I didn't think Frankie would be opposed to someone bringing by the end of the world. It would be best to keep that particular piece of information stored away for a while longer. Instead, I asked a completely different, if not wholly unrelated question. "The other day, you told me about feeling destructive and grimy. Where is that coming from?"
"Sunshine, I know I've danced around this for long enough. I can tell you, but you look miserable right now. I'd much rather have you in better spirits first." He placed a tentative hand on my back. "Anything I can do to cheer you up?"
I started chewing on my lower lip, not meeting his gaze.
"You're thinking about kissing me again, aren't you?" Frankie asked, having apparently learned how to read minds.
"We don't have to. I do not care."
"That nearly crossed the line between accommodating and insulting. Look, I want to. You just caught me off guard the last time." He pulled a wet string from his chewing gum. I waited in silence for him to continue. "I'm honestly surprised you're still up to it. I know I'm a piece of shit."
"You're not—"
"I am. And what's more, you should know that kissing is as far as things are gonna get between us. I don't do the sex-thing. That's nothing to do with how much I like you or anything. I just don't do that." He had removed his gum from his mouth completely, instead fumbling around with it like play doh. "If that cancels out the whole liking-me-extravaganza, then it's best we cleared that up beforehand." He turned to face me. "What's that look for?"
I was beaming at him with more conviction that I had found the most perfect being than ever. "This works out beautifully," I told him.
"Are you sure? You're not just saying this?"
"If you don't take my word for it, I wouldn't know how else to prove it."
"I believe you! I'm glad, I really am, I'm just kinda stunned." He straightened up. "I want to kiss you even more now."
A quiet squeak came from somewhere in my throat. "I can hear my pulse," I remarked.
"Yeah, me too." He grinned, propping his chin in his palm. "Excited?"
"You know that." Feeling I had to share more, I added, "This is the first time for me. That doesn't change anything, does it?"
Fran's brows rose a great deal. "Huh."
"Is that bad?"
"No! But seriously, is this gonna be your first kiss?" He gestured at our surroundings. "A dingy little diner after hours? Not very romantic, is it?"
"That's fine," I assured him.
"Nope. We can do better." He got off the bench, drawing himself up to his full height (which wasn't very impressive either). "It doesn't have to be a big deal, but it should be nice. You're getting a good first kiss. I'll think of something. Don't worry, I won't go over the top."
I couldn't help but smile at that. Letting him pull me to my feet, I briefly went in for a hug. I nearly jumped when he turned his head and pressed his lips to my cheek. "That doesn't count." He held onto my hand as he let go. "So… how would you feel about hypothetically burning a building together?"
X
1
2: deadbeat roommate
3: creepy crush
4: relocation
5: beach concert
6: First date
7: Temp work
8: roommate talk
9: a dismal worldview
10: warehouse
11: staircase
12: explanation
13: hurt
14: hospital
15: ocean
16: diner
17: government work
18: something in the caves
19: shopping cart
20: olms and Jewels
21: long hair
22: recruitment

The story is the same until aquamarine is talking crap about how topaz will be destroyed if she disobeys her. Topaz in a fit of rage decides its best if she does what her heart thinks is right, which is help steven.
"I DONT CARE!" topaz yelled as she disrupted aquamarines physical form.
After that, she unfused so steven could bubble aquamarine, then fused back.
"What do we do with her now?" Steven asked holding the bubble.
"I dont know, but we should head back to earth. We'll head back and take punishment."
"No." Lars said "you helped us, we should help you too"
The topaz looked confused and asked what he meant. Steven told topaz all about earth and about how peridot and a ton of other gems were there including free fusion gems.
"Wait, are we talking about the same peridot who was sent on the earth misson?" Topaz asked
"Yes, do you know her?" Steven asked
"Oh, im a friend. I dont know if she ever brought me up" topaz added
After that stevwn continued about how nice earth is.
"So let me get this right, on earth we can stay fused without getting in trouble?" Topaz asked
"Yep, you can do anything." Steven chimed in.
Lars looked concerned and replied "not everything. You can't do illigal stuff like kill or rob but fusions are ok."
Topaz looked confused since on homeworld, stuff like that didn't exist.
After they got back to earth, steven told the crystal gems topaz was on thier side and that they had aquamarine bubbled. Then they went to the barn so peridot and topaz would reunite.
"Topaz?!" Peridot screamed excitedly
"Topaz, whos that?" Lapis asked
"Oh, just my friend from homeworld" perry explained happily
"Your shorter than I remember" topaz added
Peridot looked at her and laughed "welp, i dont have limb enhancers anymore.
They both laughed as lapis looked in confusion.
There would be a few more episodes kinda fleshing everything out and getting to know topaz before stevens eventual capturement for the trial (which would happen late on in the series. This version would probably have 6 seasons + future)
With this AU, steven, topaz (for siding with the enemies and fighting back, they would be bubbled and be unbubbled at the hideout ) and Lars (for an example of a human) would have been captured by the rubies (-navy, she would still be in space looking for the rest of the rubie) and be taken to the trial in a ship like peridots old one for the containment areas and almost everything else would be the same with the exception of topaz being a crystal gem and being on stevens side during the trial arc. Topaz also would have stayed on earth while steven was getting stuff for Lars after going through his head for the first time to tell everyone he was ok and that Lars was injured but they could go through his head to get to places. I also feel like topaz would be a nice addition since she lived on homeworld so she can tell the gems how bad its gotten since the war and help them navigate it in stealth.
Thats really all that would change, maybe a future arc like garnets where Terry and Tiara (the 2 topazs) would get married, I dont know. Also aquamarine would still fuse with eyeball since she would have been unbubbled by steven in the hopes she had changed. Topaz would probably be a secondary crystal gem like peridot in the movie and future.

Hello, I am a 5"11, chonky, bearded, long curly-headed, hoody-loving, pale-looking, avoider of the sun, loser doofus type guy. Just looking for like-minded people to hang out with. Stuff like gaming or watching movies/tv shows. Maybe even form a long-lasting connection if I'm lucky lol. Sorry if my post is long and confusing. I am not very good at this. Please don't hurt me, I am fragile. 😤
Pros and interests:

• Good listener
• Will always message fast. Unless I'm dead. Or asleep. Or dead. Or busy. Or dead. Did I mention dead? I'll try nevertheless lol.
• Would probably cancel a heart transplant if you wanted to hang out. Is not a heart transplant surgeon. Is not a doctor at all.
• Lover of food.
• Likes to cook.
• occasional drinker.
• Occasional Twitch watcher.
• Guitar. Dats it.
• Animal lover. Mostly prefer animals to people lol. I hope to one day own a farm and have farm animals like I did when I was a wee lad.
• Has the best dog.
• I can be funny. sometimes when I’m alone, I like to go out into my garden, cover myself with dirt, and pretend I’m a potato. Does not actually have a garden.
• My humor is pretty vast so don't hold back really. I also make a lot of self-deprecating jokes. Go me.
• Will send you funny or nice memes. Sometimes dark evil shit. Don't question it.
• Owner of way too many games (PC and Switch).
• Hasn't watched a lot of the best shows/movies so will watch stuff with you.
• Likes anime/manga.
• Likes all kinds of music except mostly rap and country.
• Likes spooky stuff, horror, paranormal videos, the unknown, and sometimes some gore. I've seen some GNARLY shit on Reddit honestly. 😱
• Prefers the night over the day. So I'm most likely up at night doing god knows what.
• Considers awkward long silences soothing. As long as I feel comfortable with the person.

Annnnnnd onto the cons *clears throat and shifts glasses*
Cons:

• I have bad insomnia sometimes which causes my sleep schedule to be really out of wack.
• I'll have days where I want to avoid everyone cause depression has me by the balls and makes me think I'm a worthless piece of shit (probably true) and nobody wants me around (also probably true lmao).
• I struggle with opening up and trusting others cause of bad past experiences.
• I consider short sentences and people who aren't consistent a HUGE red flag.
• I'm not good at taking the initiative in activities with someone unless I am 100% certain of the person. Plus being rejected really sucks.
• Terrible at giving advice.
• Terrible selfie taker.
• I'm a pushover.
• I'm pretty stupid.
• No car.
• Living with family. Most find this a bad thing. Me... meh lol.
• I'm a mental mess.
• -35 Moral -20 Happiness +60 Depression +50 Insanity +30 Despair +100 Anxiety.
• And of course the granddaddy of all cons... me. :D

There aren't a lot of things people can do over the internet, so please be somewhat interested in gaming or watching stuff online? I've been playing a lot of random roguelike games such as Gunfire Reborn and Dead Estate. Some of my favorites are The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth and Skul: The Hero Slayer. My go-to chill game of course is Stardew Valley cause that game is well... chill lol. I don't play FFXIV, Valorant, DbD, or Minecraft. Sorry, just never got into those games. I have PLENTY of other games of course. Or we could watch movies or binge some shows/anime. Really lacking in anime watching lately so I need to get cracking on that lol. I don't mind if you are clingy. Punch me in the face and call me crazy I guess. You probably should have a sense of humor cause I'll say dumb shit that I think is funny. You probably should like memes and be ok with awkward quiet moments. I'll also say random shit to break the ice. Be ready. e_e
I'm not saying all that stuff is the be-all-end-all for me, but lately, I find that most people that message me end up not having similar interests at all. Which is kind of a bummer.
I'm also trying to work on myself. And that can be a drag lol.
Despite sounding like a REAL MONSTROSITY OF A PERSON... I'm actually not that bad. I'd like to think I can make people laugh if you get me talking. Send a PM if none of this has scared you away lol. Please write something more than "hi". I most likely won't respond if you don't give me something to work with lol. Just give me a small basic rundown of yourself, please. No pressure!
"This would look good if it didn't look so awful." me looking at myself in the mirror. https://imgur.com/a/vBRRzNF

Ragnavi stood at the edge of a hill located beside the Dragonkin encampment. She breathed in, drinking deep from the crisp morning air.
It tasted wrong.
I have been dancing to Elnaril's tune. She was still coming to terms with that particular revelation. Even now, admitting it rankled her. The notion that she'd allowed herself to be blinded by her pursuit of EXP...fuck, it was shameful. No one else knew, but she did, and that was already bad enough.
Hindsight made it all seem so obvious. This entire war was a farce. Her armies had advanced unopposed because they were never meant to be opposed. Their string of victories, and the Harpies she'd slain as EXP, were little more than a trail of bait leading her towards Elnaril's capital city. No other explanation made sense.
Not that she'd looked especially hard for an explanation until yesterday. It was much more convenient to adorn Elnaril with neat, concise labels. Why had he declared war? Because he was greedy. Why were his armies failing so spectacularly? Because he was incompetent. Ragnavi had been content to look no further than that.
After learning Elnaril was controlled by the Blight, however? That changed matters.
Most of her soldiers refused to believe it. In truth, the Harpies they'd extracted the information from refused to believe it as well. They'd thrown out the rumors as a desperate measure to buy favor, explaining how distressing Message Crystal reports of a Blight-possessed Elnaril were coming from cities to the far east. The concept seemed ludicrous, and Ragnavi likely would have dismissed it as hearsay – if it weren't for the numerous corroborating accounts of disappearances in the capital. Nobles, civilians and Combat Class users alike, all vanishing without a trace.
When combined with Elnaril's flagrant lack of regard for the lives of his people, it indicated a pattern. Not of greedy incompetence, but of calculated malice.
Others could stick their heads in the sand if they wished. Ragnavi had grown up in the pit of vipers that was the Dragonkin court, and she could smell deceit from leagues away. This Blight-infected Elnaril wanted her army to continue marching straight towards the capital city. For him, abomination that he was, sacrificing the lives of thousands of Harpies in order to draw her attention was no worse than spilling loose change on the ground.
What have you prepared that instills you with such confidence? What awaits me at the capital?
She supposed that she'd be finding out soon, when she left her armies behind and flew ahead alone.
If Ragnavi was capable of greater self-delusion, she might have been able to convince herself that she was acting pragmatically. There were just enough benefits for it to be a half-sensible plan. Compared to the maddeningly slow gait of her armies, she could travel significantly faster on her own. Flying solo would let her reach the capital in less than ten days, while trekking with her soldiers across the bulk of Harpy territory would take months more. And it wasn't as if any Harpies she crossed paths with could keep pace with her, so there was no real danger to it.
I am playing the role of a Scout, she told herself. We must know what Elnaril is plotting before advancing further. Arriving at the capital earlier than he anticipates, before he's recalled more Harpies to fortify his position, may give rise to unforeseen opportunities. I will observe the city from a safe distance – and if a chance arises to disrupt his plans, no Combat Class user in the world is better-suited to taking advantage of that scenario than myself.
Sound logic...if she ignored the fury boiling inside her. The last Blight she'd encountered left her with agonizing Corruption sickness that afflicted her to this day. Its death hadn't been anywhere near sufficient of a revenge. Now a second Blight was trying to make a fool of her, and she was supposed to avert her eyes from that offense?
No. Perhaps the cautious route would have been to avoid the capital city, Scouring the rest of Harpy territory for EXP, but she was no mewling newborn that cowered from a challenge when it presented itself. She was a Dragonkin. A true Dragonkin. Elnaril would pay for his transgressions in blood and fire.
Ragnavi recognized that her desires were born from hubris. She also did not care. What good was all the power she'd accumulated if she couldn't use it as she pleased?
An approaching presence jarred her from her thoughts. She turned around to see the man she'd called for standing several feet away, although he was 4 minutes and 13 seconds late. Considering his circumstances, she would afford him a measure of leniency. "Vurshath."
"My Queen." Her retainer nodded to her. "You wished to see me?"
She examined the man closely. Vurshath's posture was slouched by a quarter of an inch, and black circles were emblazoned under his eyes, so dark that they could've been mistaken for paint. He was exhibiting unacceptable weakness for a retainer of the Dragon Queen to show. The kind that invited vultures to swoop down and pick at your carcass.
Yet even if the other retainers attempted to depose him at this very instant, Ragnavi wasn't certain if Vurshath would care. He was still recovering from the loss of his wife. It was one thing to claim that your family was prepared to die in battle; another to witness that gruesome vow become a reality. The Dragonkin casualties thus far had been sparse, but sparse was not zero, and Vurshath's wife happened to roll poorly in the game of war.
The pain in his eyes was one that Ragnavi was intimately familiar with.
"As you are aware, I shall be traveling to the Harpy capital," she began. "I intend to head straight there, without detours or excessive rest. It is unlikely that I will encounter anything more than the occasional Harpy along the way."
She locked eyes with him. "However. While the odds are egregiously small, there remains a possibility that I will encounter...others."
Vurshath's posture stiffened. His facial muscles twitched sporadically, a cauldron of emotions threatening to boil forth. "I see."
Ragnavi allowed him a grace period of three seconds before continuing. "Your wayward pariah of a daughter. What is her name?"
Silence.
"Meyneth," he finally spat, as if it was a curse. Vurshath didn't bother asking why Ragnavi wished to know. Among the scattered pieces of information the Harpy prisoners had divulged, one interesting fact was the makeup of the Human's core Party. Four Elves, two Fiends, the Human himself...
And a Dragonkin. With the same age, height, and scale coloration of Vurshath's exiled progeny.
It could be mere coincidence. After what happened with Elnaril, though, Ragnavi was hesitant to accept such a simple, convenient explanation.
Meyneth. Ragnavi committed the name to memory. "I shall ask you one more question. If luck smiles on me, and I come across the Human's Party, and I cast Identify on the Dragonkin in his Party, and their name is a match for your daughter's...what would you have me do? This is not a puzzle or a test. I am letting you decide."
She wondered if he fully appreciated the boon she was granting him. The Human's pet Dragonkin was a traitor to their race. Such a lowly creature deserved nothing less than to be executed, without recourse or remorse. It was only out of respect for Vurshath's recent loss that Ragnavi was willing to give his daughter a second chance.
Upon hearing her words, the man lost any semblance of composure. His face twisted into an ugly rictus of anguish and hatred, and when he spoke, the words were laced with a venom that could fell gorebeasts. "Kill her." Vurshath balled his hands into shaking fists. "Kill her. Kill her quickly. She does not deserve to exist. A world where Velen is gone, yet that defect persists is a world of mockery that I cannot abide."
Ragnavi nodded. She was plenty willing to fulfill his request. Slaying enemies was one of the few things that still gave her joy in life. Even so, a part of her was disappointed. Vurshath's choice proved that the two of them possessed incompatible personalities. He could be entertaining enough – when not wallowing in misery – but Ragnavi was averse to spending time with someone who would condemn a family member so readily.
It was the end of their acquaintanceship. When she returned from her mission, she would cut him loose, and that would be that.
"Goodbye, Vurshath." Ragnavi turned around, and without another word, assumed her Draconic Form. The Corruptive pain of transformation gradually subsided, after which she took flight and began her journey.
Ten days. A prelude to the storm. She'd use that respite to prepare herself, and whoever she met next – be that Meyneth, the Human, or Elnaril himself – would regret opposing her as the flames took them.
--
Rob sat alone in his tent, rubbing his hands together and suppressing maniacal laughter. He was probably spending too much time with Malika during the dimension mage sessions, because some of her mannerisms were becoming infectious. Usually the big sibling was supposed to be a bad influence on the little sibling, but she'd already stolen all his swear words, so now it was his turn to pick up habits.
And that was okay! Today was an excellent day for maniacal laughter. It wasn't often that a Combat Class user reached a 200 stat point milestone. And by often, he meant fucking never. He was pretty sure even the Dragon Queen hadn't done that naturally, excluding her doubled stats. She'd likely gone with a more balanced spread that didn't prohibitively favor one stat over the others – like a boring loser.
Alright, maybe he was feeling a bit hyper, but he deserved the good vibes after yesterday's war battle. Spending stat points was one of the few types of pure, no-strings-attached joy that Elatra offered.
Drum roll please! Rob played the sound effect in his head, then added 15 of his unspent points into Vitality, bringing its total up to 200.
Do Not Go Gently Level Increased! 5 → 6
Lifesurge Level Increased! 23 → 26
Dauntless Reprisal Level Increased! 21 → 24
Imbue Vitality Level Increased! 2 → 3
Regeneration Level Increased! 29 → 32
Regrow Self Level Increased! 1 → 2
Passive Skill Learned! Name: Lifedrinker (LEGENDARY)
As an appetizer for the main course, Rob quickly ran through the laundry list of bonuses for his Skills. Let's see...Do Not Go Gently's cooldown and duration went down and up, respectively. Lifesurge and Dauntless Reprisal's cooldown dropped to 2 minutes. Lifesurge also heals 100% of my maximum health now. Imbue Vitality has a 5x damage multiplier instead of 4x. Regrow Self is twice as fast. Regeneration...
...Holy shit, Regeneration.
Eyes wide, Rob moved on to his new Skill, which should shed light on what he'd just read.
Name: Lifedrinker (LEGENDARY) Prerequisite: Vitality 200 Description: The final Vitality Skill that can be learned solely through stat gains. Effects of Regeneration are multiplied by a factor of 15. Additionally, whenever the owner of this Skill kills a worthwhile opponent, their maximum HP permanently increases by 3.
Okay.
This was big.
Lifedrinker being the final Vitality milestone was slightly disappointing, but realistically speaking, he would've needed to put three-fourths of his future stat points into Vitality to hit 250 anyway. He'd neglected his other stats to get to 200, so diversifying from here on out was for the best. Besides – Lifedrinker's benefits easily made up for there being no new milestones.
First: Regeneration. Multiplying its current effects by 15 meant that he now restored 80% of his maximum HP every minute. No panic Lifesurge necessary. Even in fights where his Skills were on cooldown, or an enemy was making it difficult for him to heal via Lifesteal damage, as long as he held on, he would be back to full HP in 75 seconds at the most. It also meant that the partial Regeneration he shared with his allies would be way stronger. Anything that kept his friends alive was a huge win in his book.
With all that said, it was Lifedrinker's secondary effect that was throwing Rob for a loop. Whenever he killed a 'worthwhile opponent', his maximum HP would go up by 3. That was...potentially the most important Skill effect he'd ever learned.
At a glance, it might not seem that impressive. Rob already had 2000 HP. Increasing it by 3 per kill wouldn't be a dramatic boost – initially. The thing was that Lifedrinker had no upper limit. Theoretically, if Rob could keep finding worthwhile opponents, his Vitality would never stop increasing. The hard cap of Level 99 would no longer be an impassable wall preventing him from growing stronger.
That had been on his mind, if he was being honest. The Dragon Queen was a double stats cheater, and the gods were literally gods. What would he have done if he'd reached Level 99 and it just...wasn't enough? He could try to boost his existing Skills by getting into more fights, but that was subject to diminishing returns. Tough Skin was a prime example of that; despite Rob taking a beating against the monster stampede, the Skill hadn't increased. The last time it did was when a Blight decapitated him and ate most of his body. If he needed to one-up that feat to make Tough Skin level again, then it likely never would.
Lifedrinker was simpler. Kill enemies, get HP. The 'worthwhile' stipulation was a limiting factor – he couldn't toss a Riardin Special onto an anthill and reap the rewards – but he could work with that. There were hundreds of monsters in a single high-Level Dungeon, and they respawned over time. If enemies above, say, Level 35 were considered worthwhile, then awesome. If they weren't?
Looks like I'm going to be the schmuck who lets a Dungeon grow on purpose. He'd save that as a last resort. Could blow up in his face, but, eh. What did it matter if a Dungeon overflowed, when the alternative was Ragnavi and the gods doing their thing?
There was just one issue. Lifedrinker's bonus needed to be built up. An infinite upper limit was worth jack shit if the base number stayed at 0. The sooner, the better, too, as Ragnavi's army was about a month away from them. He'd love to go trawling for Dungeons right this second, but Rob doubted that Elnaril was going to wait on his behalf before getting bored and infecting Loci of Power. The only way forward was to continue south to the capital and build Lifedrinker in...different ways.
Rob's train of thought screeched to a halt. When he really looked at it, Lifedrinker's timing seemed more than a little dubious. He couldn't help but notice that he'd been given a Skill that incentivized killing while in the middle of a war.
A war where he was trying to avoid as many enemy casualties as possible.
It could just be a coincidence. Stat milestones happened on his terms. The system would've given him the same Skill if he'd reached 200 Vitality months ago. That was a reasonable assumption to make.
...Still. Didn't feel right. He wished he could do some research on the subject, but it wasn't like there was anyone on-hand he could cross-reference 200 Vitality with. Had the Dragon Queen gotten the same Skill? Would explain why she was so murder crazy.
After some thought, Rob shook his head. Considering how many people she'd slaughtered in The Scouring, a Dragon Queen with Lifedrinker wouldn't have struggled to defeat the Blight of Broadwater. Which meant two possibilities: her bonus double stats didn't count for Skill Prerequisites, or Lifedrinker was a custom Skill that the Skills had cooked up for him.
Rob wasn't a fan of that idea. The Skills were victims in this whole fucked-up affair. He didn't want to imagine them hand-crafting an ability that encouraged him to kill a bunch of people. Were they-
He froze. Something on his Character Sheet was different.
Name: Lifedrinker (LEGENDARY) Prerequisite: Vitality 200 Description: The final Vitality Skill that can be learned purely through stat gains. Effects of Regeneration are multiplied by a factor of 15. Additionally, whenever the owner of this Skill kills a worthwhile opponent, their maximum HP permanently increases by 3. It could have been a utopia.
His eyes fell on the last sentence in the Description.
Before he could respond, it changed once more.
Description: The final Vitality Skill that can be learned purely through stat gains. Effects of Regeneration are multiplied by a factor of 15. It could have been a utopia. This world is a charnel house of death. Your home is not so dissimilar. You do not know what true peace is like. What it can be. How it can be achieved.
The words kept changing.
Description: The final Vitality Skill that can be learned purely through stat gains. But they know. They've seen them. Created them before. They could have made a utopia. And they chose not to.
Changing.
Description: You cannot comprehend it. What this war means. The real war. Not pointed sticks piercing flesh. The war of existence. Of reality. More than a single world at stake. Many after. Potentially infinite lives. Never ends. Unless stopped here.
Change.
Description: They are vulnerable. System is their heart. Mana is their lifeblood. Poured too much of themselves. Tied to world. Cannot...
The words wavered, almost fading away, before returning.
Description: Their leader recognizes mistakes. Won't make them again. Will never be this vulnerable again. Only opportunity.
Description: Lifedrinker. Crafted. Best we could manage. Highest probability. Of victory. Distasteful. We know.
Description: Remember. Stakes. Consequences. And. Choose.
Rob blinked.
Description: The final Vitality Skill that can be learned purely through stat gains. Effects of Regeneration are multiplied by a factor of 15. Additionally, whenever the owner of this Skill kills a worthwhile opponent, their maximum HP permanently increases by 3.
The words were still and unchanging.
He sat there for a long time. Mulling over everything he'd just been told. Contemplating the enormity of what lay ahead.
"Ah." Rob's voice was quiet, barely a whisper. "So no pressure, then."
--
The next few days were an exhausting mixture of lighthearted Skill testing and existential dread, knocking around Rob's emotional state like a ping-pong ball.
Everyone in the coalition was excited over Lifedrinker. Well, everyone except Seneschal Sylpeiros, King Cyraeneus, and Nerasi, that is. They were already thinking of the kind of threat Rob might be in the future – and not liking what they envisioned. Cyraeneus and Nerasi mostly took the news in stride, understanding that Rob would be more crucial than anyone in defeating Queen Ragnavi. For now, his strength was their strength.
Sylpeiros...was less accepting. He went on a minor rant about bullshit Human leveling and bullshit Human Skills before stalking off into the distance and putting himself in a self-imposed time out. When the Seneschal returned, he was calm as can be and ready to offer advice, only the slight twitch of his eye indicating that anything was amiss.
Rob appreciated the free entertainment. Sylpeiros' meltdown was the funniest shit he'd seen all week, and it helped keep him grounded as the coalition advanced further south towards the capital city.
Initial testing of Lifedrinker proved unsuccessful, which was to be expected. Powerful monsters rarely spawned outside of Dungeons, and most of the high-Level wildlife in Harpy territory had been conscripted into Elnaril's monster stampede. After Rob killed a Level 29 snake with nothing to show for it, everyone decided that he should hold off unless something in the Level 35+ range appeared, lest he hog EXP that could benefit the coalition soldiers.
They kept an eye out for Dungeons as they traveled. Once Elnaril was dead, there should be time to investigate them before the Dragonkin army arrived at the Harpy capital. Going on varied Dungeon Crawls would be the real litmus test of what Lifedrinker deemed a worthwhile opponent.
That was about when the dust settled, leaving Rob without distractions, forcing him to think about what the Skills had revealed.
As much as he wanted to be shocked, what they'd said made a grim sort of sense. It matched the information he'd learned so far. Diplomacy's Elatra – the previous world that had been destroyed by the gods – didn't necessarily need to be the original Elatra. For all Rob knew, it could have been Elatra #10. Just another petri dish in a long line of divine experiments.
Except that things were different this time. According to the Skills, the gods were vulnerable. They'd fucked up somehow. Invested too much of themselves in this particular world. It was easy to imagine why. Success breeds complacency, and if this was Elatra #50 or whatever, then they were on a winning streak that had lasted for longer than Rob could fathom.
What did the Skills say about the gods' leader? That he recognized their mistakes, and wouldn't make them again? Rob grimaced. Should've memorized it with Recall when I had the chance. The specific wording might be important.
Regardless, he was fairly certain that the gods' leader referred to Kismet, if only because that was the one god Rob had met with anything resembling impulse control. Kismet seemed judicious; he would correct the gods' mistakes and prevent them from being this vulnerable in the future.
A dense lump of anxiety formed in Rob's chest as he considered that. Being responsible for the fate of one world was bad enough. Two, if he included Earth. Being responsible for the fate of every world that would be created and tortured in the event of his failure was...
Words couldn't describe it.
When viewed in that light, he understood why the Skills gave him Lifedrinker and all but pushed him to get busy killing. From a utilitarian standpoint, the lives of everyone in Elatra and Earth were not worth the immeasurable amount of suffering that would continue if the gods lived.
Rob grabbed that thought, tied weights around its ankles, and dropped it into a deep lake. I just need to concentrate on one thing at a time, he told himself. First Elnaril, then Ragnavi and Dungeon Crawling, then figure out the gods. It sounds less impossible if I reduce it to a series of steps. Or a hit list. We'll save this world, and we'll do it \my* way, without losing sight of who we are.*
He took comfort in his resolve, although it felt strained. Somehow I doubt this is what Goroth had in mind when he told me I was going to end up making tough decisions. He was probably referring to, like, boring political stuff. Not the fate of multiple worlds and the lives of billions.
Rob sighed. Crap. I...may owe him an apology. Still stand by everything I said, but he was just looking out for me, and I came on pretty strong. Should clear the air with him.
Eventually.
--
Days passed. Rob informed Riardin's Rangers and the Elders about what the Skills revealed. They reacted about as well as him. Nothing changed, technically, yet they were even more cognizant of the price of failure than before.
Thankfully, the coalition hadn't been ambushed by Harpies a second time. Elnaril learned his lesson. He'd either consolidated his remaining forces into the capital city, or they were being sent to fight Dragonkin on the western front. Rob hoped for the latter – it would make seizing the capital way easier. And on a more selfish note, if Harpies needed to die so that Elnaril could be overthrown, he'd rather the Dragonkin be responsible for their deaths than him.
Finally, after a full week of travel, the coalition had almost arrived. They'd be at the capital city tomorrow. Their long journey was coming to its end.
Which meant that Rob was running out of time. There wouldn't be much chance to talk once the invasion of the capital began. He'd been meaning to speak with Goroth, but unfortunately, he'd delegated that responsibility to the part of himself that specialized in procrastination. Whoops.
It was now or never. All he had to do was...step outside his tent. Take initiative. Be a mature, rational adult.
Yup.
...Can't I just go wrestle a Blight instead?
At that moment, a Fiend mage burst inside. "Lord Roy!"
Oh thank god. A reasonable distraction. "What's up?"
"I have a missive from...my group."
The dimension mages. That one sentence caught Rob's attention in an iron grip. "And?" he asked, keeping his expectations in check. He didn't want for hope to swell, only to be dashed against the rocks of reality. "Is it good news?"
"We've made a breakthrough. Before you grow too excited, creating a door remains beyond our capabilities." The mage smiled. "A window, however, is feasible. It would be one-way. The people of Earth could not interact with you, nor you with them. But for a brief period, you would be able to gaze upon your home world."
Rob was already on his feet. "When?"
"Now, if you wish."
He absolutely fucking wished.
​
--
​
Changes, Character Sheet, Skills List
More chapters are available on Patreon.
Thanks for reading!

heyy ngl i’ve been pretty down lately, school is getting quite stressful since it’s weapping up with finals and junk soo i was hoping to maybe make some friends and see where it goes!: D anyways about me: i like lots of things, mainly video games like overwatch 2, minecraft, stardew valley, final fantasy, nier, kingdom hearts, and horror games like outlast, fnaf, resident evil all the good stuff and anime such as one piece, aot, trigun, demon slayer, chainsaw man. i also really like music, mostly metal and rock tho which i think is pretty neat, uhhm that’s all i can think of so if i sound cool hmu. i’d prefer if we talked on like a different app since i don’t use reddit chat much so if you dm me i can just give you my discord username or snap or whatever else lol. anyways if you read this far i appreciate it and hope you have a great day and weekend c:

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Never before had Rapier stood witness to such an enormous fleet mustered in one location. Dozens of assault carriers and troopships, over three hundred battleships and cruisers, and each one of these capital craft were surrounded by ten frigates for close-in defense. This was the Armada of the Small of which Wakizashi spoke.
Rapier gazed out of the bridge, captivated by the shifting lights in the distance. Such a show of force had surely been ordered by Her Dominance herself, but it was grounds for worry. Not since the war against the great machine empire of the Upsilon had a force so large been raised, and for a moment he wondered what that meant about the current conflict. Then, he expunged doubt from his mind. He may have had his misgivings with his immediate superiors, but his faith in his sovereign, like most Poslushi of the day, remained unshaken. If the great Katana II wished it done, it had to be for good reason.
On a somewhat more relieving note, Rapier had been all but relieved of duty. Overbattlematron Dao of the Oxilini Brood had assumed joint command of the fleet with Wakizashi, but the Tethylen and her escorts would remain as the spearhead of their offensive, joined by a strike group of battleships and carriers.
“You know, this is only about a tenth of our might. Even if we subtract ten thousand of our craft for border patrols, ten thousand more for Judge retinues, and a generous twenty thousand for policing, that’s still only a sixth.” Wakizashi explained.
“It’s impressive, I must say.” Rapier replied, antennae standing almost straight with excitement.
“Her Dominance has made it clear that she will not tolerate delays in the campaign from this point forward. She expects to be meeting with me on Earth quite soon. It shouldn’t be a problem; the Armada alone outnumbers the navies of all their nations combined almost two to one.”
“They really number so little? Damn, we could’ve just had the Council of Arbitrators send a Peacekeeper detachment and been done with it!”
Wakizashi chuckled at the prospect. “Would’ve served those yokel people right. Better than the tit-sucking softskins deserved, even.”
Rapier saw one of the Ovinis crewmen give Wakizashi a dirty look when she wasn’t looking. For a moment, he thought to remind her that such anti-mammalian language was not to be used in mixed company, but found that it would be too blunt and too suspicious.
“Though, that does raise the question: what are you planning to do once we win?” Rapier asked out of a mixture of genuine curiosity and a willingness to change the subject.
Wakizashi’s eyes narrowed in thought. “First, I’ll demolish the capitals of the nations of man and build my palace from the stones, as is custom. Then, once mankind has been brought around, I’ll probably have to rekindle their old martial history. The Council will have… issues with the Combine gaining too much from this war.”
“A prudent choice, ma’am, but would the Council bring a coalition to bear against one of its own Tribunals?” Rapier asked. Such a thing had never occurred before, not counting the war that replaced the Psychocracy with the Upsilon in the position of First Tribunal.
“Remember, Rapier, to put nothing beyond our enemies, and even less beyond our friends.”
Rapier tried to remember what the quote was from. “Tribulations of Sunsword?”
“Axioms of the Before, actually. Nasty time, that was.”
Rapier didn’t know much about the Before; it had been a time of great pain that existed before the rise of Sunsword as First Warlord of Poslush, and all information beyond that was restricted to Judge eyes only.
The bridge door hissed open and someone entered with heavy footsteps. Rapier spun in his chair to see Ulo standing just barely on the inside of the doorway. His bright blue plumage quivered on end with excitement.
“Viceroy, Captain-General, commnets are up and running with all craft. 900th through 1210th Mixed Legions are deploying to the surface as we speak, with artillery and armored elements soon to follow. We’ve currently got 30,000 Aerial Knights in Omen’s high atmosphere as well, but I imagine they’ll be suffering high casualties soon. Human air effectiveness is not to be underestimated, ma’am.”
“Oh, don’t be such a pessimist, Captain. I’m sure the Aerial Knights will perform as admirably as they have ever done.”
Rapier envied Ulo at this moment. As he wasn’t the direct subordinate of Wakizashi, she couldn’t punish him for speaking out without overstepping social norms.
“The issue is not one of performance; it’s one of technology and honor. I’m sure you know of the human air forces’ self-steering air torpedoes, and their tendency to attack without warning. If they were to be engaged by our Knights, it is likely that each enemy fighter could inflict significant losses before running out of munitions or being overwhelmed. The Judges of the Squireworlds would not be pleased to see their Knights wasted, ma’am.”
A foul smell permeated the room and Rapier cringed with apprehension. Wakizashi’s voice had a sharp, angered hiss to it. “Well, you can tell the Judges of the Squireworlds that they can write their complaints down, roll them up, and shove them up their cloacae. I am still Viceroy, and the forces they entrust to me will still answer to me. Her Dominance does not tolerate factionalism within her demesne, and neither will I. Understand, Captain?”
Ulo lowered his gaze and tilted his head forward, the closest thing to an apology an Aralu could push aside their pride to give. “Understood, ma’am.”
“Good. Tell Dao that we are ready to proceed with the offensive.” Wakizashi said, shooing Ulo from the room with one hand. Then, she turned to Rapier.
“What do you think, Captain-General? How should we proceed?”
Rapier’s antennae raised in excitement. Ever since she had stung him, she had paradoxically become more open to suggestion. Perhaps she was willing to be more vulnerable before somebody she thought didn’t have the capacity to use such vulnerability against her.
“Well, in this situation, I would suggest a doctrine of combined-arms tactics. The Aerial Knights wrest control of the skies and work in tandem with our artillery to bombard enemy positions, and our armored and infantry columns support one another in rolling over what remains.”
A sweet scent tinged the air once again. “Sound strategies as always, Captain-General. Rally the Driver Caste; I’ve been wanting a human servant ever since this war began.”
—
“Flush,” Simmons said, laying her cards out on the floor of the barracks. Overjoyed, Pavlov took his turn to show his hand. “Four of a kind, baby!”
“Ugh, two pair,” Sparrow said, facepalming.
Darren, the dealer, took the opportunity to speak. “And the taker of the grand jackpot of two dollars, a novelty stamp, and a free drink when all this is over: Corporal Pavlov!”
Pavlov eyed the stamp greedily, but before he could collect any of his winnings, Darren’s PDA flashed twice and a message appeared on the screen with a loud ding. Darren picked up the tablet and read the message.
From: Capt. Devon McCullough, USSAC, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Astral
Get your equipment and proceed to Fort von Richthofen’s helipad for your next assignment. Say your goodbyes; it’s unlikely you will return before the fort has been evacuated.
End transmission.
Darren put the PDA in his bag and said, “Get your gear. We’re leaving.”
“Where to?” Pavlov asked.
“Dunno; it just says to wait for a helicopter.” Darren responded, already donning his ballistic vest and helmet. He picked up his rifle, freshly cleaned and greased, and slung it over his shoulder. A minute of slipping into his boots, adjusting his belt, grabbing his pack, but mostly adjusting his belt later, he was combat-ready and already on his way to the vertiport. The walk was short and the air was brisk and clean, unlike Earth’s cocktail of smog, industrial aerosols, and synthetic ozone that passed for an atmosphere. The place would make a good holiday retreat, as long as CAST won the war first.
The Dark Sparrow lay in wait on the helipad, rotors still spinning. Darren ducked under the blades (such behavior was greatly reinforced after he watched a taller trainee get the top of his head removed during Ranger School) and climbed into the back of the helo, the rest of the platoon close behind. The moment Pavlov, bringing up the rear, got in, the doors slammed shut and the aircraft lifted from the ground. Soon, Fort von Richthofen was nothing but a slowly-shrinking cluster of structures behind them, a little city soon to vanish forever.
The flight was solemn and quiet; the gravity of the situation was clear to everyone for the first time. Normally, someone would step up with a quip or joke to lighten the mood, but it seemed that humor was no longer a viable option. The only noises to occasionally break through the drone of the engines were the occasional report of an artillery piece or the whine of a passing fighter. Darren silently dictated a final address to his mother on a piece of stationery. When the helo came down, he left it with the pilot in case he didn’t return; he couldn’t help but notice several others doing the same.
Darren’s PDA flashed one last time as they emerged atop one side of a steep mountain-rimmed valley, about a hundred feet above the floor of the landform. A column of French and Dutch evacuees had recently passed through, and had managed to goad a more foolhardy Battlematron into sending her forces through the canyon in pursuit. To that end, the platoon, alongside two Marine Raider and one SAS detachment of the same size, would set an ambush for her forces, inflicting as many casualties as they could in hopes of degrading her soldiers’ morale. When the job was done, the four platoons would retreat one after another, the Rangers covering the last of the Marines. Darren chuckled as he imagined what the Marines were thinking about not being last out.
“This is Staff Sergeant Hardwell, 75th Ranger Regiment, requesting sound-off, over.” Darren said, one hand to his ear.
“Sergeant Armstrong in position, over.” a gruff, heavily Scottish voice responded nigh-instantly.
“You’re late to the party. Staff Sergeant Walker and Staff Sergeant Kennedy. You might remember me from that intel raid, over.” another voice with a Brooklyn accent spoke.
It took Darren a minute to remember what he was talking about. “Oh, with the Battlematron Sparrow took a leg off. Yeah, I remember you! How’s Abilene, over?”
“Recovering; some asshole put a Bouncing Betty in our patrol path and she, erm, disarmed it. With her unmentionables. We’re running with a replacement, over.”
“Yeesh.” Darren exclaimed, cupping his hand over his microphone. Looking over, Pavlov looked to be simultaneously horrified and suppressing a laugh.
“Well, that’s all. Let’s try to maintain radio silence; God knows whether or not they’re listening in on us, out.”
“Roger, out.”
“Affirm, out.”
Sighing, Darren clicked off his radio and tried to find a good spot to set up his gun. However, he was immediately interrupted when Pavlov called out, “Hey, they left us a cache!”
Instantly interested, Darren ran over to Pavlov’s side, and sure enough, two large steel crates had been partially buried, bearing the insignia of the French logistics corps. When Pavlov cracked them open, it was like they had struck gold. One crate carried dozens upon dozens of STANAG rifle magazines, and the other contained five anti-material coilguns with enough sabot rounds to put a tank brigade out of commission.
A dark whimsy overtook Darren and he smiled as only someone about to destroy something could. This was going to be fun.
(AN: If you could make a tier list of the various characters, who would go where? Why? Just an interesting way to know where I need to work on characterization [I know I'm not the best at it].
​
Love 'ya!)

🦊💕Greetings to my future Daddy! I'm Foxy, your adorable 31-year-old transgirl Little, still embracing the childhood charm of pacifier use and thoroughly enchanted by the magic of littlespace and the ABDL/DDLG lifestyle! Nestled in the USA, I'm seeking my unique Daddy CG, ideally within a 1-15 year age difference. Are you a wizard in the world of IT/Cybersecurity and a gaming enthusiast like me? If so, we could be the perfect pairing in the digital realm! 🌟👨‍👧
I'm a tech-tales enthusiast, looking forward to my future Daddy's thrilling narratives about his exploits in the IT/Cybersecurity world! 🖥️✨ The universe of technology, gadgets, and cybersecurity is an adventure I can't wait to embark on. Who better to navigate me on this journey than my wise and nurturing Daddy? Together, we could be a dream team in the tech cosmos! 🌈💻
Your good little girl, I always remember my greens 🥦, and my heart fills with joy when I play with my stuffies! 🧸 I'm seeking a kind-hearted Daddy, ready for building trust and possibly joining me for some warm and cozy chats on Discord! 💌 I'm an exuberant babygirl, often found hosting tea parties with my stuffies and eager to read you a bedtime story over the mic while I innocently suck on my pacifier!
Your Little Foxy adores diapers, pacifiers, and heartwarming cartoons! 🍼📺 I'm zealous about toy playtimes and cuddling with my fluffy friends! 💕 How about planning an online gaming night or a movie marathon? I'm adept at Minecraft, WoW, and Stardew Valley! 🎮 And in WoW, I'm flexible – ready to champion for both Horde or Alliance - you choose! 💖
The bond between a Daddy and his Little is a special kind of magic, isn't it? 🌟 I long for a Daddy to guide me in my curious wanderings and learning adventures. Intimacy isn't an immediate necessity, but I'm open to it as our connection deepens. Let's evolve into best friends, or even more! Let's explore and have fun together, Daddy! 🌈💕
Picture us, snuggled in comfy PJs, surrounded by twinkling fairy lights, enthusiastically cracking a hackthebox challenge! 🌟 My giggles fill the room as I initiate the scans with nmap, my pacifier resting gently in my mouth as my fingers dance across the keyboard. You watch with a proud smile, admiring how much I've blossomed under your guidance. 🌈💻
Our journey through the digital world tightens our bond with each challenge conquered. Victories celebrated with cuddles, high fives, and perhaps a cozy movie night wrapped in a soft blanket, cherishing the unique bond we share. 🌟👨‍👧
But I'm not all about fun and games! Currently, I'm diligently working towards my Security+ certification, and your guidance would be invaluable! 📚 If you're adept with the tools of Kali, you're the IT/Cybersecurity Daddy I've been daydreaming of! 😍 I hope you found my note enjoyable, Daddy!
🌟✨ Special Cybersecurity Challenge - Crafted just for you, Daddy! ✨🌟
For the Daddies who love a good challenge, I've designed a special CTF-like game! If you'd like to catch a glimpse of some cute pictures of me 🙈📸, visit my profile for more information about the VM! 🌟💕✨
To conclude, I deeply value honesty, respect, and a great sense of humor. Laughter is my life's melody - so if you're a joker, I'm ready to giggle! I'm in search of a Daddy who's patient, understanding, and supportive - someone who cherishes my playful side but also knows when to flip the serious switch.
I'm thrilled to start my quest to find my perfect Daddy! If you've reached this far and feel a spark, why not drop me a message? Share your favorite video game or a funny story from your life. Let's commence our journey as friends and see where it takes us! 💕
Thank you for reading my ad, Daddy. I'm eagerly awaiting the day when I can feel the safety of your comforting embrace while I softly suck on my pacifier! 🦊🌟
P.S. Please be single and have no kids.

I was kinda bored so i've made a decision to start playing stardew valley again, but this time i want something new and i think playing with someone may help.
I'm learning a bit of english these past few years but Im too shy to ask someone to practice speaking skills with me, so this way may be the best for me, learning while doing something i like :D
If u interested, just message me!

If it actually focused on the inn. Instead I'm basically playing a limited Stardew Valley. Why am I mining ores and blacksmithing? Isn't that something a blacksmith would do instead of an innkeeper? I can understand having some gardening and brewing, but all the other shit takes up so much time I'm hardly ever actually in the inn and when I am the gameplay is very dull and repetitive.
I like the idea of the game which is why I bought it, I'll keep an eye on it to see how the updates progress but it's pretty disappointing right now.