Red's tail thumped rhythmically against the wooden floor of Doreen's kitchen as Cass, Malcolm, and I sat shoulder-to-shoulder on a worn bench, working through breakfast. The morning light streamed through dusty windows, casting long shadows across our simple meal of eggs and fresh bread. Normally I'd have expected Cass to sleep until noon, but she'd been adamant about setting out on the hunt as early as possible. We were the first ones up, so I'd made enough food for everyone—leftovers waiting for Doreen and the others whenever they decided to roll out of bed.

  Someone cleared their throat directly behind us.

  I damn near launched myself off the bench at how close the sound was. What the hell was wrong with Valor's threat detection lately?

  I turned to find my Mentor standing there like she'd materialized from thin air. Diana Aldertree wore a flowing green and gold qipao that made her look more like visiting royalty than a person that ran a school. Her long white hair was pulled into a severe bun, secured with what looked like polished wooden stakes. Her bronze skin had an almost bark-like texture, more caramel than the typical bronze of her people.

  "If I was a Shadowrend Wyvern, the three of you would be corpses," she said with mock disgust.

  "Nana?" Cass shot to her feet, surprise and delight mixing in her voice. Red rushed to her side, tail wagging his back end all over the place as she patted him.

  "I haven't seen you for a month and that's what I get?" I said. "How are you and Chas avoiding my aura? You did it back in the tower when we first met too."

  "Darling, I wouldn't be in politics if someone could just read me with their aura." Diana's laugh carried an edge of professional pride. "You're going to have to learn to use more than just your spiritual senses to detect threats. Consider it my first lesson as your mentor, now that you're all officially enrolled in my Academy."

  "The obvious advice can't be why you're here," I said, managing a laugh despite the growing knot in my stomach. "Chas was adamant about meeting with you when you arrived. Did you ambush Elena?"

  "The... ahem." Diana cleared her throat, her casual demeanor flickering. "The Head Mistress of the Monster Hunters and I had a meeting."

  I glanced at Cass, then Malcolm. Both were gaping at Diana. She never referred to her daughter by title, they were perpetually cursing one another out.

  "What happened?" Cass blurted.

  "Fucking take your pick." Diana dropped onto the bench across from us with the weight of someone carrying bad news. She held up one finger. "Maris withdrawing from her claim to Ben means the Oathbound have to report details to the Rune Lords—and by proxy the Empire—about the whole gods-damned attack on Sylvarus." She pointed directly at me. "That includes whatever-the-fuck-it-was that you did, which means people significantly worse than Maris are going to hear about your little origin story. I have a Rune Lord inspection coming to my school."

  The Rune Lords were still mostly a mystery to me—powerful Runebinders from the Central Lands who apparently didn't mess around. All I'd managed to get out of Astrid was that just being in their presence was difficult unless you were at her level of power.

  "Ah. fuck," I managed, but Diana held up a second finger.

  "Oh, it gets better. The original reason I came here was to tell you we've only been given three weeks of classes before the dueling rounds start. Which means we can't waste any time at all—including the ride back to Sylvarus. I came to pick you up, only to find out you've taken a hunt."

  "Okay, well that's still training," I offered weakly.

  "Oh, it's not a fucking problem, darling. Because I suddenly have a list of Grand Masters a span long wanting to learn at my school, all of a sudden."

  Malcolm practically choked on his eggs. "What?!"

  "That has to be a good thing, right?" Cass asked hopefully.

  "Normally? Yes. We could use the money from all the apprentices and students they'd bring with them." Diana's smile was sharp enough to cut glass. "But imagine my surprise when, barely five minutes into La-Roc, I find out that the Sage of Joy has enrolled as an instructor at my school. The fucking Sage of Joy, Ben."

  "The Sage of what?" I asked, completely lost. Diana sighed like she was explaining basic math to a particularly slow child.

  "Do you know why we have trouble getting instructors at Sylvarus?" Diana asked.

  Malcolm spoke up. "Using Sylvarus's resources means you have to teach any student that's interested, not just your own apprentices."

  "Gaius's rule. Resources must be shared for the Monster Hunters to work," Diana confirmed. "Much to Dara's dismay at times. Gods-damned spirit is greedier than a pig in heat."

  "Okay, and this Sage will have to teach anyone who enrolls in his classes? Which... are people at your level? Who is he?" I asked.

  "Her, Ben. It's Arryava." Diana's words hit like a physical blow. "After over a century, the thankfully-neutral Sentarians just took a side. The Monster Hunters. The balance of power on our whole fucking planet just changed, and Sylvarus now has a colossal political target on it. She's that strong."

  The wooden bench suddenly felt less stable beneath me. Yesterday I'd been talking to Arryava in my soul-space about genocide and world-ending Runebinding paths. Now she was apparently a political game-changer who'd just shifted the entire power structure of this world?

  "Oh. Double fuck," I said.

  Diana nodded grimly. "Double fuck indeed. Now read this—came in last night before I found out about Arryava." She handed me her Manascript, the device warm from her mana-sanctum.

  I stared at white letters materializing across the screen in an ornate font that screamed

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  Emperor Amon Crow, Titan of Law presents the Heaven's Tears Auction. Held at Sylvarus Academy—care of Prince Lucian Crow.

  His Grace recognizes no equal.

  I groaned at the mention of that pretentious asshole Lucian. "Why does that last line read like a threat?" I asked after reading it aloud.

  "Because it is." Diana gestured like she was stating the obvious. "Arryava is one of the few I can think of who could stand against the Emperor if required."

  "Ben…" Malcolm sighed. “All Sentarians follow Arryava. If she joined the Monster Hunters that means they joined the monster hunters. Not just those born as Huntborn, like Ferris.”

  “Is that why there aren’t many Sentarians in Sylvarus?”

  “Not ones that are allowed to fight, you’ve met them. They prefer doing labor or mercantile. But they’re everywhere on Ark and every single one of them is now a Monster Hunter.”

  “Oh… Triple fuck.” I said.

  Diana's lips pursed into a thin line. "Of all the things that have happened this week, that announcement scares me the most. After all that, why would the Emperor of the Central Lands choose to hold an auction at my school, and not in the Empire?"

  I winced, pieces clicking together with uncomfortable clarity. "It mentioned Heaven's Tears, which Arryava said could fix Winchester... so I think this is all me."

  "Of course it's all you, Ben." Diana's voice carried that familiar mix of exasperation and resignation. "A Seeker doesn't just help kill a Class-B whatever-the-fuck that monster was without turning every head on this side of the Ashenflow. There isn't even an accolade for that because it shouldn't be possible."

  Cass slapped my back hard enough to rattle my teeth. "They're gonna have to invent one if Ben's sticking around!"

  Diana's expression grew serious, her voice dropping to something quieter, more genuine. "Honestly, it would be easier if you just left, Ben."

  Cold weight settled in my stomach like I'd swallowed a stone. Both Cass and Malcolm gaped at her, and Red's ears pinned back as he shot Diana a look that was giving off actual anger.

  Diana noticed my reaction and chuckled, her shit-eating grin spreading across her face. "Oh, don't get any fucking ideas. You started this mess, so you get to deal with it. Since when do you do anything the easy way?"

  The knot in my gut dissolved completely as I stared at my Mentor. She was screwing with me—as usual.

  "Asshole," I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "So we go take down the Hydra up near the mountain, come back, and we all head out to Sylvarus to sort this out?"

  "Oh, and pick up Katie too!" Cass added brightly. "She told me all about her plan to study cooking there."

  Diana raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

  "Yep!" Katie's voice rang out as she entered the kitchen, her hair still mussed from sleep and a bright smile on her face.

  Red proceeded to launch himself at her like a furry missile, bowling her over in a tsunami of enthusiastic licks and tail wagging.

  "Katie Summers, your money is useless at my Academy," Diana said, her tone shifting back to business. "I'd have you working part-time in Sylvarus's kitchens instead. You and Ben can spend two days a week teaching the sorry sacks of shit working my kitchen how its actually done. Then you can study or canoodle or whatever the fuck you plan on doing while you're there." Her eyes glinted with mischief. "And please do your best to wring as many recipes out of Dara as you can. She won’t even let anyone at her Arcadian cookbooks."

  Katie gaped at Diana from the floor, Red pausing his enthusiastic assault mid-lick. The offer had clearly blindsided her completely.

  The rest of us mirrored her shock. I didn't know enough about Academy tuition costs, but that seemed incredibly generous. And honestly? I'd absolutely love to work with Katie in a massive magical kitchen that fed an entire Academy.

  "Arcadian cookbooks?" I asked, unable to hide my excitement.

  Diana's smirk was pure satisfaction. "I knew that'd hook you. All I know is that they exist and that I want to taste Arcadian food before I die." She pointed at me with mock severity. "It's the least my Apprentice can do to pay me back for letting his girlfriend distract him from his studies over the next three weeks. Now just say thank you, Nana."

  I rolled my eyes. "Thank you, Nana."

  Katie echoed me from the floor, still processing. "Thank you, Nana."

  "Good." Diana walked over to root through the runic cold-box, emerging with a stack of various meats and some hard-boiled eggs. She set them on the table, then dropped a heavy leather sack that clinked with the unmistakable sound of metal coins.

  "Now, as official students of Sylvarus Academy..." She paused for dramatic effect. "Get back here in eight hours with a Goreback's mana core, and I'll match the Hunter's payout."

  I gaped at her. A sidelong glance confirmed everyone else was equally stunned. That had to be serious money—enough to make us basically rich.

  "You three killed an Ash Stalker in under a minute. Shouldn't be that hard." Diana stuffed a full slice of ham in her mouth and moaned appreciatively. "Fucking hell, Ben. Is that mustard and honey?"

  "It's like a seven-hour walk to Nine Winds," Malcolm protested. "The math doesn't work."

  "We don't walk," Cass said, her grin turning predatory. "We run, as fast as our slowest person. I can get there in about an hour."

  I considered it, feeling the steady pulse of my fully-charged mana reserves. "If we took a couple of breaks, I think I could match that pace. I can mana burn for several minutes now before I'd need orbs or my Spirit Well to keep going." I looked down at Red, who was practically vibrating with excitement. "And I don't think Red would have a problem with the pace, would you?"

  Red barked once, tail wagging hard enough to shake his entire body as he abandoned Katie to stand beside me.

  Diana just stared at me blankly. A moment later, I realized Cass and Malcolm were doing the same thing.

  "Glad to see the Titan's Root is doing its job," Diana said slowly. "But let's not forget about Malcolm."

  Everyone turned to look at our slowest team member. He shrugged with characteristic resignation. "Running's not my thing."

  Cass strolled over to Malcolm and unceremoniously threw him over her shoulder like a sack of grain. "You're scrawnier than Ben. We can carry you."

  Malcolm turned beet red, flailing helplessly. "Put me down, Cass! I'm not a bag of ginseng!"

  "Bet you a silver I can still beat you there carrying Malcolm." Cass glanced at the coin sack on the table, her competitive spirit igniting. "Actually, make that a gold."

  I laughed, already knowing how this would end. "Deal."

  By the time I blinked, she was gone. A rush of displaced air swirled around the room, and the only evidence of her presence was Malcolm's distant, indignant screaming fading into the distance.

  There was no way I was going to win, but competition drove Cass harder than anything else. Erik had pointed out that while she was stronger and faster than me in basically every way, she was only there because she wanted to keep up with my training pace.

  I walked over to Katie and planted a kiss on her lips, tasting honey. "See you in under eight hours, Rosie." I ignited a mana burn, my blue aura blazing to life around me like controlled fire. "Think that's enough time to make another cake for the trip to Sylvarus?"

  Katie blushed, her smile bright enough to compete with my aura. "I want to try the strawberry one next."

  My mouth watered even through the mana burn's intensity. A literal bag of money and strawberry shortcake by lunchtime? This day was already looking up.

  The floorboards splintered under the force of my first step as mana pushed my body well past any human limits. Red bounded beside me with concerning ease, his powerful legs eating up ground like he was built for this.

  Everything blurred as I exploded into movement that should have been impossible to control. It still felt like running flat-out—like those desperate sprints during high school basketball—but instead of short bursts, I could maintain several times normal speed for minutes at a time. Without shoes, my bare feet gripped the ground through pure mana adhesion, each step landing like a cushioned hammer that somehow found perfect traction on every surface.

  I'd broken my ankle three times before swearing off regular footwear. The armored greaves weren't too bad, but leather or cloth shoes just slid around uselessly. Bare feet with mana reinforcement, though? They stuck to things with supernatural grip while somehow stepping around road hazards like they had their own intelligence, if I was paying attention.

  While mana burning, I wasn't just running—I was practically flying.

  MESSIAH OF STEEL

  by Drake Steel

  When faith meets firepower… sparks will fly.

  Derek Steele was once a man of science, a brilliant engineer who built his own power armor from scavenged alien tech.

  He believed in data, not destiny. Then a relic from a forgotten civilization ripped him from Earth…

  and dropped him into a realm where magic spheres grant power, and gods rule through their chosen champions.

  Now hunted, outnumbered, and trapped in a war between faith and reason, Derek must upgrade his suit or die trying.

  Each battle brings new systems online. Each relic reveals dangerous truths about the spheres and the lies the faithful live by.

  But when his path crosses with Isabelle Blackwood, a devout Warden sworn to her god, the conflict becomes personal.

  She wields faith like a blade. He wields physics like a weapon.

  Together, they’ll face creatures twisted by the power of the spheres, criminals, heretics, ruthless zealots and a prophecy Derek refuses to believe.

  One that calls him the Messiah of Steel.

  “Iron Man crashes into epic fantasy and nothing will be the same.”

  New chapters every week ? Progression Fantasy ? LitRPG

  ? Read Messiah of Steel Now!