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Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers Chapter 1-6: Eiji Becomes a Breader

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I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you’ve been enjoying this project, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

Eiji heads home with his new Digimon Linker and his new companion. His glances regularly fall onto his new accessory. He admires the sleek design. Watches as the face glimmers under the street lamp. Occasionally he wakes it up to read over all its menus and is greeted by a sleeping Loogamon. Around him, crowds or people move around him and a train passes in the distance.

His stomach growls and wakes him from his trance. He goes to the restaurant near the station and orders a meat bowl. The aroma is intoxicating and Eiji almost drowns in a pool of his own drool as he waits for a meal that only existed in his dreams until recently. He savors every bite and wonders when Loogamon’s last meal was.

Eiji takes a crowded train to his small apartment. The apartment is small and empty except for a few mats and a small alter. Small led candles flicker weakly as he stops in front of an old family pictures and one of a dog he used to have. “Hey, I’m home. Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma. I’m home.”

Eiji makes his way to his loft where he can finally examine the Digimon Linker without distractions. “I’ve never seen a Digimon like this before…Loogomon huh?” Eiji examines the blue dog sleeping on the watch.

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

“I want you to train the Digimon” Ryusenji had told him. Eiji begins scrolling through GriMM for advice on raising Loogomon. Digimon training jobs are extremely common on GriMM. Eiji needed to learn to be a competent Digimon breeder and trainer. He needed all the help he could get.

“I am interested in seeing how you raise Loogomon. It is important for my research“

Eiji goes sighs as the the conversation replays in his head.”If Ryusenji expects so much from me, I have no choice but to give it my all” Eiji promises to no one. As the the days events begin to sink in, Eiji can’t help but feel excited. But there was also

He had never been so excited in his life. But Eiji had no experience raising a Digimon, especially one so unique.

Eiji Looks over at the monochrome LCD screen that rests on his desk. A dotted Tyrannomon fills the display. It was Digimon Dock like the one he wore on his wrist, but an outdated model he built himself. The schematics can be found easily online. Eiji built it with readily available used parts he found online. Eiji owned a few Digimon Docks, but none of them were as good as the one he wore on his wrist.

The professor had mentioned something about the memory being corrupt in the Delivery Dock Eiji used to capture Betamon. “I’m going to need some parts,” Eiji says examining the parts scattered on his desk. But he already has a Digimon linker and doesn’t feel any urgency.

Eiji lays back in his bed and stares at the Loogomon. He smiles as he stares at the dog-like Digimon who seems to stare back. Loogomon felt like a good luck charm. One that he was determined to take good care of. But this meant that he would have to wear the Linker all the time. While the thought slightly bothered Eiji, he couldn’t help but feel excited. But there was also some apprehension. He had never done anything this important before.

Eiji spends the next few days learning how to use his new Digimon Linker properly, and watching Loogamon grow quickly. He spends lot of time on GriMM’s breeder forums, asking questions and going through older threads. Eiji picked up a few basic concepts, but Loogamon was uncharted territory.

This might be tougher than I thought. He thinks to himself as the anxiety of failing the professor begins to settle. He begins thinking of what he saw in D4 and all of the professors accomplishments. Digital World is real, Digimon are real, Loogamon is real, and I am just some high school drop out code cracker. But Eiji wasn’t just some Code Cracker, he was Cracker Fang. There was a small part of Eiji that was terrified of failure, but an even bigger part of him that was excited for the challenge.

“I’ll get you to Ultimate Loogamon,” he says to the Digimon Linker. Suddenly, notification flashes over the screen. Someone replied to his question on GriMM.

Fang! Gratz on becoming a breeder! If you want to raise a Digimon past its child stage, I recommend keeping it with other Digimon. If you have more than one, they will play together and learn from each other

“I see,” Eiji says as he rushes to his desk, and searches for his old Digimon Dock. He brushes off the dock it’s been collecting and links the devices. “Loogamon, meet the family,” he says as he begins the transfer. In his excitement, he failed to read the rest of the message.

Be careful though. Some Digimon become obsessed with their rank in their pack. It’s important to train them a bit before introducing them to the new Digimon. 

Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers Chapter 1-5: Thunder is sound of the Police

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I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you’ve been enjoying this project, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

There are two major ways to obtain Digimon. The first is by capturing them with a special AI tool. The other is by hatching them from eggs known as Digitama.

Digimon aren’t like the animals we are familiar with. Digimon have no gender, and don’t reproduce. When a Digimon dies, it leaves behind data. Think of this data like a Digimon’s soul. This data moves through the Digital World and becomes a new Digimon somewhere else. It’s sort of like reincarnation, but there is still a lot we don’t know about Digimon ecology.

It’s night. The dark sky is full of stars, and there is a stillness that echoes over the ruins. A closer inspection of the sky reveals that the sky isn’t full of stars but the flowing data between the interconnecting networks that exist above the firewall.

Below this sky sit ruins covered by mounds of garbage. Between it sits a putrid rotting sea of rusted sludge. It breaks against a shore filled with sand of a similar color. Bubbles form on the surface and pop, releasing a vile odor into the air.

How did this land become so rotted? A theory suggests that data from the real world accumulates here and poisons the land. Without natural defenses against this foreign data, the land is left to decay.

Ill intentioned men roam within this rotted canvas, but so do the police who exist to stop them.

A schematic of the area appears on the virtual monitor. Below it, the words “The Last Coast” blink in a simple font. Whoever named it had an odd sense of humor. In recent years, it’s become a hotspot for poachers. Digitama sometimes wash up on these bloody shores, and they can sold for a decent amount of digicoin on GriMM.

The police radio crackles “We have a suspicious Digimon in sight!”

A red dot appears on the virtual map. It’s an unidentified Digimon.

“Tamahime here. Continue the search with caution”

“Understood. Looks like…an Espimon, child, cyborg, virus type”

Tamahime watches the screen as the video from the search team starts to come in. “Got it, so it’s like a Tin toy?”

The Digimon looks like a retro robot toy. It has a large domed head like a snowman with long metal robotic arms. It propels through the air on the rockets it has for legs.

“Four bodies total” the voice reports

“We’ve got code crackers. These bots are toast.” Code crackers loved using Digimon, and Cyborg-type Digimon are the easiest to control. These Digimon were sent here with the commands to search the area for Digitama. If this were a real server, the Digimon would be looking for secrets or personal information. Here, the code crackers are looking for scraps.

“How many Digitama did you get?” One of the Espimon asks.

“Only one so far” the other responds.

The culprits don’t know their chat room has been hacked. The police listen in on the conversation. The voices are young. They must be kids in high school. To them, it’s probably just a game. A way to practice. The first step to becoming real code crackers.

“What are you going to do deputy leader?”

Satsuki Tamahime analyzes the virtual map as the team waits for her orders. Police can’t pick and choose which criminals to go after. “Arrest them”

Ten green dots move quickly surrounding the unsuspecting Espimon.

“Jam their coms. Commandramon squads move in. Cut off their escape”

Many voices reply in unison, “Understood!”

The Espimon continue their search. Their code crackers wouldn’t be aware of the ambush either. They most likely don’t even know where their Digimon are. The only thing the code crackers see are crude pixel images on simple LCD screens. But the police have more advanced tech than the rudimentary Digimon Docks the code crackers use. Satsuki can see everything through the eyes of her Digimon.

“How dare you?! How dare you code crackers come here?” Her warning rings. The Commandramon stand up, and the Espimons find themselves surrounded.

Commandramon (child, cyborg, virus type) are standard issue for the DigiPolice. They look like dragon men. They wear helmets and body armor with the word “Police” written on them. Each Commandramon carries an assault rifle. Commandramon’s skin emits an electronic camouflage that lets them blend into their surroundings. This allows them to approach undetected. All that was left to do was to make the arrests.

“Who is that?” asks one of the panicked code crackers.

“It’s the DigiPolice. Run!”

It is too late. Satsuki continues, “Stop resisting. There is no escape. We already have your schools and names. There is no escape”

“Arrested? On what charge? We’ve done nothing wrong” one of the voices responds.

“You are in violation of the Unauthorized Computer Access Prevention Act, the Basic Network Act, and the Digital Vandalizm Prevention Act, and for the Poaching of Digitama!” Sastuki says bluntly.

“The Japanese police don’t have jurisdiction in the Digital World”

Satsuki sighs. Her Digimon, who had been hiding underwater, surfaces.

Squeeeeeeee!!! The sirens blare. The red patrol lights start to rotate. The Epsimon tremble at the sight.

Satsuki continues “you are all Japanese citizens and as long as you are committing crimes, you are going to be in trouble with the Japanese police”

The Espimon press a red button on their belly and vanish in an instant. Vanishing magic? No. It’s their AI defense protocol. Optical camouflage.

The Commandramon fire at the space where the Espimon were, but the bullets find no target. They slip past the police unnoticed.

‘Mekanorimon” As soon as Satsuki gives the order, two large robots appear behind her.

Mekanorimon stand larger than the fleeing Espimon and the Commandrom they served with. These are the DigiPolice’s special purpose vehicles. Each Makanorimon has a Commandramon piloting it.

A twinkling beam erupts from one of the Meknorimon, grazing one of the Espimon. It erupts into a flurry of sparks as its camouflage dissolves. The Espimon falls onto the beach. The remaining three Espimon continue to flee, unaware that they are now visible.

“Don’t let them get away. Fire!”

“The weapons are still charging. We won’t be able to catch all of them” the Mekanorimon unit responds.

Petite Impulse

Suddenly, a bolt of lighting crashes into the rusty coast between. The bolt of lightning catches the police off guard.

“The Espimon?” a confused voice reacts from the radio.

One of the Espimon is left blackened, melted under the lightning’s heat. Bolts of lightning come down for the remaining two.

“What’s going on?” A new marker appears on the screen. It sits there, motionless.

A yellow Digimon stands over the deactivated Espimon. “Is that..Pulsemon?”

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

The Commandramon squad points their guns.

A voice comes in over the police radio “Looks like you just got beat by the hacker Judge!” says a familiar voice.

“Orders?”

“Judge!”

Pulsemon glances at Satsuki’s Digimon and blows her a kiss before turning into a bolt of lightning and disappearing into the sea of networks.

“God Dammit!” Satsuki bangs her fists on the table.

“Squad leader?” The Commandramon wait for orders. Satsuki shakes in anger.

“We’ve got the Espimon and Digitama. We’ll leave the rest to the police.”

“And the Pulsemon?”

“Leave it. You can’t catch him anyways. Pack it up. There’s no overtime.”

“Yes Ma’am….Huh?” The radio goes silent for a moment. “The Digitama. They’re gone!”

Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers Chapter 1-4: The Job Offer

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I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you enjoy this project, please leave me a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

“Digimon are alive!” The words linger in dead air.

Eiji breaks the silence with an involuntary chuckle “It be cool if Digimon were alive. Lots of people have Digimon. Some folks keep them as pets and others collect them. Digimon are pretty useful tools.” Eiji thinks of his Tyrannomon. Tyrannomon are popular with code crackers because they were common and easily caught. Most Digimon exists as code traded, bought, and sold between people on GriMM.

“Hmm,” Ryusenjji responds, somewhat lost in thought.

“So, when will Digimon Land be ready? Where are you going to build it?”

Ryusenji snaps out of his thought as a look of disappointment fills his face. He begins to shake his head “We had to stop development on Digimon Land…Permanently”

“Seriously?”

“The park presented many challenges, some of which were…. impossible to overcome. There’s a reason why the digital world has to be kept a secret. People aren’t ready.”

Eiji thinks about the plane crash. He can still hear the screams and the terrible sound of the plane slicing through the air as it fell

“There are bad people out there Eiji. People who will misuse Digimon. Digimon Crimes started small. A game server would crash or a website would get overloaded, but they were brushed off as pranks. Soon, the news started trickling in about identity theft and random acts of terrorism. You saw what happened to that plane. There are already people committing Digimon crime at a concerning scale, but the world leaders and international organizations are covering it up!”

Ryusenji takes a moment to compose himself. His hands shake from the anger but slowly still. “Can you imagine what would happen if a criminal used one of the park’s mascots for an act of cyber-terrorism? Can you imagine the scandal? Publicizing the Digital world means publicizing Digimon Crimes, and the world just isn’t ready. Imagine the panic that would cause.”

Eiji nods his head as he listens.

“I can hear the news outlets fear-mongering headlines,” the professor continues. “Digimon are coming for your freedom, more on this at 11,” Ryunsenji looks flustered as his rant grows angry. “It is shortsighted to assume all Digimon are evil…People just aren’t ready to understand.” The professor’s words trail off, turning into an incoherent rant.

“Professor?” Eiji asks, attempting to bring him back.

The professor wakes from his trance and remembers where he is. “There is another world beyond the network where Digimon are alive. The real world and the digital world both coexist. Do you want to see it?”

“Yes of course” Eiji replies with a hint of skepticism clinging to his words. He’d only known the digital world through the black and white screen of the palm-sized device he made from salvaged parts.

“Do you know why what I am telling you is top secret?”

“Because its real?”

Ryusenji smiles as he nods, “Yes. That was real footage from the digital world.”

Eiji looks at the Modoki Betamon on the screen. It’s alive! He thinks of the Tyrannomon he’s been using. They’re alive too. They’re all alive.

“That is why I have devoted my life to studying Digimon. To D4.” The transfer of Modoki Betamon is complete. The professor unhooks Eiji’s handmade device and looks over it once more.

Eiji moves forward with his arm extended “Thank yo..”

SNAP

Ryusenji tosses Eiji’s Digimon dock to a nearby bin.

Eiji moves quickly and catches the dock before crashing into the trash can and stumbling to the floor. Eiji spent a lot of time building it. Even though it was made from mostly junked parts, it cost him a lot of money. “What are you doing?” His face still recovering from the sting.

“There was an error in the memory”

“Seriously?!” Eiji couldn’t believe it. The memory had never been an issue.

Ryusenji was a Digimon Collector, and like most collectors, he was precocious about his collection. “My research requires Digimon data to be perfect, or else its worthless. That Modoko Betamon data was nearly destroyed.”

“That doesn’t mean you need to throw it away. It may be worthless to you, but this stuff is expensive. I don’t have the funding of a huge corporation or access to expensive equipment” Eiji snaps as he looks over his device for signs of damage.

Ryusenji ignores Eiji’s outburst. He seems preoccupied on a new thought.

“…Hello?” Eiji waves, trying to regain his attention. The man may be a genius, but he had no right.

“Sorry about that,” the professor replies suddenly. “You just gave me an idea. Let me see you left arm”

“My..arm?” Eiji studies the professor suspiciously. Ryusenji stands over him, flashing an eager smile. Eiji offers his arm up cautiously. Rysenji attaches something to Eiji’s wrist.

Eiji looks down and finds a stylish smart watch wrapped around his wrist. The sight of the gift makes him tear up. It’s been a while since he’s gotten a present. He fights back the tears. He wants to be professional.

“It’s Abadin Electronics’ latest Digimon Dock. Make sure you take care of it Eiji”

Eiji studies his gift. AE products were top of the line and highly sought after by Code Cracker. Eiji could only dream of owning AE parts, but here he stands with the latest model strapped to his wrist.

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

“Now this is just a prototype I’ve been working on so there might be some bugs.”

Eiji manages to rip his gaze from the watch. “This is amazing professor, thank you!”

The watch starts cycles through the startup process. “It has a biometric vital sonsor. Only you will be able to use it,” the professor explains.

“Just for me?!?!” Eiji can’t hide his excitement.

The professor nods “It can record your pulse, blood pressure, and other medical data. Most importantly, it supports Digimon hololization. Digimon hololization is only allowed in at the DDL and a few other facilities, but this…is a special exception”

Eiji is too excited to hear the explanation. He continues to turn over the watch to appreciate it from every angle.

“But here’s the thing” the professor begins. Eiji’s heart sinks. Of course there’s a catch. He knew better than to think there wouldn’t be a catch, but he also wasn’t ready to depart with his new watch. “I want to see what the famous Cracker Fang can do with it the next time I ask him for a favor”

“You got it chief!”

“That was fast. Good. I like that about you.” Ryusenji takes Eiji’s arm and presses the switch on the side of the Digimon Linker. The screen begins to glow a faint green. A mysterious flame flickers across the screen before vanishing into black. Words scroll past the watch reading: Loogamon, child, dark beast, virus type

Eiji looks at the strange Digimon occupying his screen. A small blue…

“It’s a..Dog?” Eiji asks stary-eyed.

Eiji passes through the security gate alone. The professor’s words echo in his head. Digimon are alive. The digital world is real.

Eiji passes the reception desk.

“Oh, good evening!” This time Hatsune speaks to him first.

Eiji turns away from his watch “Do I return the pass here?”

“Yes please. Put it here. Thank you very much.” She says, pointing at a small basket in front of her.

As Eiji returns the bass, he notices Hatsune eyeing his watch curiously. “The professor gave it to me. It’s a Digimon Dock.”

Eiji shows off his watch. Hatsune scurries around the desk. She grabs his hand to get a closer look and whispers “Isn’t that the newest model? I thought those were top secret?”

Eiji is surprised by how well-informed Hatsune is. “It’s just a prototype. The professor asked me to test it for him.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.” Hatsune says, reexamining Eiji. “The professor must really trust you.”

“You think so?”

“Absolutly” Hatsune lowers her voice “The professor is so…strange. He wouldn’t give this to just anyone.”

“He is peculiar isn’t he?” Eiji blurts out. Eiji is surprised by Hatsune’s sudden change in attitude. She is a lot nicer towards him now. “I’ll see you later?”

“Sure Nagasumi.”

“You can call me Eiji”

“Likewise…eh..you can call me Hatsune or whatever. Oh, this is your admission record. I noticed you left your occupation blank. If you don’t mind, what should I put down?”

“My occupation?” Eiji thinks for a bit before declaring proudly “I’m a Code Cracker!”

Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers Chapter 1-3: Digimon are Alive

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I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you enjoy this project, please make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

Eiji finds himself in a domed room, staring at a massive hologram of networks swimming around his head. He stood surrounded by game servers, social networks, and cat photos, all presented to him in almost tangible clumps of code and data. The professor smiles as Eiji is left speechless by the impressive display.

Before them, a hologram produces a map of a strange yet familiar looking world. While not the best rendering, it was beautiful nonetheless. It was a world separated by distinct biomes. A world with islands and continents. Mountains and oceans.

“Welcome to the Digital World,” a warm mechanical voice begins. “A world that exists outside the sea of networks. A world inhabited by digital monsters known as Digimon.” Suddenly a new hologram begins to materialize before Eiji. At first glance, the monster looks like a frog or rather a tadpole on the verge of becoming a frog. The creature is green with black stripes that make it resemble a watermelon. A dorsal fin runs down its back. A single sharp claw stems from its arms and legs, and its tail rests lazily behind it. Sharp exaggerated fangs spill out of its mouth and its red eyes stare down at Eiji.

Below the Digimon, words apear reading “Betamon, child, amphibian, virus type.

“Digimon are living AI” the recording continues.

Living AI? Eiji thinks, Is that really possible?

“Digimon can resemble living, mythical and theological beings. They can take the form of mammals, plants, insects, machines, and even gods” The hologram cycles through visual representations to aid its explanation. “Digimon can evolve. Throughout its life, a Digimon will exist in one of five stages. Baby, child, adult, perfect, and ultimate form.”

“Digimon are our way of interacting with the digital world,” Professor Ryusenji chimes in over the recording. “This new world suddenly appeared on our network, and it has since helped prop up humanity. Digimon have played an important part in revolutionizing society. The application of Digimon as AI tools has lead to remarkable discoveries in different fields like software development, cryptographic security, and even medicine.” the professor is unable to hide his passion. 

“However” he says in a sudden change in tone. “There is a lot we don’t know about Digimon or the Digital World. Most people don’t even know it exists”

The dome begins to vibrate as an electric buzz begins to fill the room. The images in front of them disappear.

“Even if they did” the professor continues “they wouldn’t understand. Most people aren’t ready to understand.”

The dome continues to shift around them. Suddenly, the pair find themselves inside the cabin of a passenger plane. The flight is full. The engine roars as it carries the plane over clumps of clouds.

“There are two sides to this new world. While Digimon have been instrumental in important scientific advancements, there are people who will misuse them as weapons…” the professor’s voice trails off.

The scene starts to play around them. One passenger films the cabin with his smartphone. In the seats next to him, his wife and daughter sleep soundly.

BOOOOH!!!!

The serenity of the cabin is suddenly interrupted by a deafening roar. Eiji is startled by the sudden outburst. The cabin erupts into chaos with a sudden flood of noise followed by an ominous silence.

ROOAAARRRRRR

The scene starts to go dark as the camera begins to shake violently. An alarm starts to sound as the oxygen masks come down. Panicked screams mix with the confusion and….

Eiji averts his eyes. He can’t watch anymore. Tears start to fall from his shut eyes as the scene continues to play around him. The airplane begins to lose altitude. It crashes through clouds and falls out of the sky.

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

Eiji follows the professor to his lab. He tries to shake off the sadness of what he saw and get serious.

Inside, it looks like an ordinary university laboratory with tables filled with parts and unfinished gadgets. On the wall are shelves crammed with tools, materials, and cardboard boxes. One of the walls is made of glass, revealing an empty hallway. The two are alone except for the occasional whirling of machines.

Ryunsenji inspects the palm-sized gadget Eiji brought with him. A Digital Dock. “Wonderful,” the professor says as he inspects the device. He is visibly impressed by Eiji’s work.

Ryuesenji connects Eiji’s dock to the lab’s equipment. The Digimon Eiji captured appears in a hologram. It is a familiar tailed frog-like creature.

“A Modoki Betamon, just as I requested. Look at how beautiful and gentle it looks” Ryunsenji smiles widely as he continues to study the creature.

Eiji scoffs at the remark “It took four Tyrannomon to capture it!” Eiji sets his belongings on one of the tables.

Ryuensenji continues to study the Betamon “wow, sounds rough,” he says flatly.

Eiji remembers the fight. The cornered Betamon fighting back furiously, the shockwave emitted from the creature’s dorsal fin, and the Tyrranamon lost in the process.

“This Betamon is different from the others,” Eiji begins his appeal.

“How do you mean?” Ryusneji seems miffed. He looks at the Betamon “Oh. You don’t know the difference between Betamon and Modoki Betamon?”

Eiji shakes his head in embarrassment. He didn’t like disappointing his clients. “Umm, is it the color?”

“That’s it!” the professor exclaims “so you do know the difference. I’ll make sure you get a bit of a bonus with your reward”

“Thank you so much!” Eiji’s mouth begins to water at the thought of meat for dinner. It’s been a while since he could afford meat, or any food really.

The professor seemed satisfied. He begins to transfer the Modoki Betamon data into the strange device.

Ryusenji turns to Eiji and asks “I’ve been meaning to ask. What did you think of our little experience from earlier?”

“Earlier…” Eiji shakes himself from his meat bowl dream “Oh you mean the video in D4? It was amazing!”

“That was a promotional video for our planned Digimon Land. The idea was to sell Digimon as characters to the general public to help educate them on the Digital World.”

Eiji’s imagination begins to race with ideas for the Digimon AI “I especially liked the bit about Digimon being AI creatures. If I were a kid, I’d be hooked!”

Ryunsenji shakes his head as he turns his attention to Eiji. “You don’t understand,” his hand lands on Eiji’s shoulder “Digimon are alive.”

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers: Chapter 1-2: Abadin Electronics

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I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you enjoy this project, please leave me a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

Tokyo University of Electrical and Computer Engineering is a world leader in research and innovation. The school started as a government-funded program in an effort to promote the advancement of science and technology for the benefit of society. Despite being a newer institution, the universe has earned prestige through its advanced research in the field.

The campus is also home to the world-renowned Abadin Electronics Corp (AE). AE leads the industry in electronic terminals, network equipment, and fabless semiconductors. The site is also where you find the Abadin Electronics Lab (DDL), a world-famous research and development lab.

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

Eiji walks into the DDL to find a bare room with only a reception desk and a small metal bench sitting across it. There are no visible logos or markings to suggest the building was connected to AE except for a large display mounted on the wall. The display loops peaceful videos of nature to serene music, occasionally ending in one of Abadin Electronic’s promotional videos.

“Abadin Electronics Corp, discovering the impossible” the video trails off. The line makes Eiji smirk as he continues to make his way toward the front desk. The cute girl behind the desk watches Eiji suspiciously. She is shorter than Eiji, with thick short hair tucked at the collar. She is dressed plainly in her receptionist’s uniform.

Before Eiji could say a word, the girl says and says, “This is a research facility, if you are looking for the school, it’s out those doors and to the left.” It was a speech she’s made too often.

Eiji is dressed in his usual casual attire and looks out of place amongst the well-dressed professionals that occasionally walk around him. He can’t help but feel out of place. He smiles warmly. “Hi there. I have an appointment. Do you want me to sign in?”

The receptionist studies Eiji for a moment before handing him a tablet. A camera stares down at Eiji as he picks up the tablet and begins to fill out the form. The receptionist looks confused and slightly annoyed by the information as it appears on her screen. “Your name is Fang?” she asks incredulously.

“It’s an alias. I use it for work”

” Are you in streamer?”

“No”

Fang is Eiji’s code name. Most code crackers use them on the job. It was to keep anonymity in a field that wasn’t always on the legal side.

“Please use your real name,” the receptionist replies flatly.

Eiji updates his information on the tablet before setting it down. “Is that all you need from me…” Eiji reads over her nameplate “Hatsune?”

Hatsune turns to her computer and begins typing away. “Don’t be so casual.”

“Sure thing…Hatsune”

Hatsune’s temples give an involuntary twitch “If you are here on company business I need your company’s name”

“I don’t have a company yet.” Hatsune doesn’t seem to appreciate the response. Instead she continues to look annoyed as she waits for an answer. “I’m sort of a freelancer. I’m here to see…oh what’s his department” Eiji’s voice trails off as he pulls out his phone and begins scrolling through his messages “I’ll just wait for him over here..” his voice trails as he walks towards the bench.

Eiji clicks on the contact: Tomonori Ryusenji, professor. “I’m here” the message reads.

Eiji takes a seat. A few people wait with him. He begins to scroll through his phone as the serene lobby music plays around him.

“Fang!” a voice calls from behind the security gate.

Eiji turns to see Professor Ryunsenji waving at him. The professor was a chiseled man with graying hair. He must be in his sixties, but he looks younger. Everyone in the lobby is surprised by the professor’s sudden appearance.

“Hello Professor” Eiji says as he walks over to greet him.

Professor Ryunsenji is one of the founders of Abadin Electronics. He owns more than 20% of the company shares and is worth around $100 billion, making the professor one of the world’s richest people. Professor Ryunsenji’s work has been instrumental in making Aberdin Electronics a world-class company since its inception some 20 years ago.

“It’s nice to finally meet you Fang, but it feels like we’ve known each other well enough already” The professor shakes Eiji’s hand. The two had been talking over the phone for a while now, but this is the first time meeting in person.

Eiji fires back an untrusting smile “Eiji Nagasumi. It’s a pleasure.”

“Well Fang. ER. Eiji let’s get going. Sorry for all the trouble” He stops “Were you able to get your guest pass?” the professor looks over to Eiji. Before Eiji has a chance to answer, the professor continues, “I’ll get you one” as he walks over to the desk.

Hatsune is confused by the request. She looks over Eiji, then back at the professor before working on the guest pass.

“Oh and I’m going to D4, Eiji here is my guest”

“Excuse me, sir?”

“The board gave their approval this morning”

“Oh right, understood,” Hatsune taps away at the terminal.

Pass in hand, the two make their way towards the gate. The guards look at Eiji and nod as they walk through the metal detector. Eiji feels like a real professional as the pass hangs comfortably over his neck. They pass by employees and researchers who warmly greet the pair. Eiji does his best to keep up as he returns smiles and greetings. Eiji couldn’t help but enjoy the attention. It made him feel important.

“Why do they call you Professor instead of President or Chairman?”

“Because Professor describes me best.” Ryunsenji enjoyed research more than he enjoyed running a company. He had already left management to his formal subordinates so he could focus on his projects. “Before we go to the office, there is something I would like you to see. Follow me.”

Eiji agrees as he becomes filled with curiosity. They take an elevator to the next floor and cross another guarded gate. A large metal plate on top of the gate “D4”. It is a strange-looking building that seems to exist on its own.

“This is our secret department. It is where we keep our most important work” The Professor explains.

After a rigorous search, Eiji is forced to leave his phone and personal belongings at the gate. Eiji enters the room nervously and asks “What is it?”

The Professor smiles “It’s an experience”

Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers Chapter 1-1: The Beggining

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Since the release of the Digimon Seekers web novel, I have taken it upon myself to rework the English translation to fix some of its awkwardness. At this point, it’s clear that Bandai only throws the original story into Google Translate and doesn’t bother to hit spell check. While I will do my best to keep the core story elements the same, I’ll be making changes that I hope make the story read better. My version will always go up the Monday after the official release. 

Always make sure you support the original. If you enjoy this project, please make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

Hungry snarls echo off the tunnel walls. Heavy hurried steps crash onto loose gravel. Thick black claws dig deep into the earth as they reach through the darkness. An old light flickers. Its dirty yellow light washes over a large dinosaur. For that moment, its red scales shine and the light catches the glint of hungry blue eyes. The creature snarls as another light reveals its figure. The creature looks like Tyrannosauruses Rex, but not like the ones you’d see in a museum. Thick black stripes decorate its body and a row of pale emerald scales run down its back. Behind it, two identical beasts follow.

A subway car zooms past the trio, illuminating them for moments before leaving them to continue their pursuit in spotted darkness. The Tyrannomon are on a mission.

Tyrannomon, mature, dinosaur type, data species

A tiny shadow scurries ahead of them. With each passing moment, the Tyrannomon inch closer to their prey. The scent grows stronger with each talon full of gravel. Their fangs blare as foamed drool drips down prehistoric jaws. Their prey is trapped.

ROAAARRRRR

The first Tyrannomon lets out as he lunges, but a passing train brings it to a halt. Gravel and dirt shoot from under it. The panging of pebbles against the metal is heard briefly before the screeching of the wheels drowns it out. Dust and dirt kick around the lead Tyrannomon as the remaining two come to a stop behind it. They pace impatiently for the few seconds it takes for the train to pass them. They waste no time continuing their chase. This was their turf, there was no getting away.

The Tyrannomon move deeper into the tunnels. Darkness settles around them heavily. There are no lights to shine a path, but they don’t need them. Instinct guides them through the shadows. 

SPLASH

Talons sink into a cold thick liquid. The sensation slows them, but the Tyrannomon do not stop. They wad furiously through the sewage. The putrid rotting scent of the canal begins to mask the scent of their prey. They stop, taking a long sniff at the air in search of the eluding scent. Suddenly, the sound of gusting air appears in the darkness. Before the Tyrannomon can react, a tornado forms around their leader. The water around it kicks up into an angry whirlpool before sending the Tyrannomon flying. It lands on its back, its stomach left vulnerable as the waves from its landing settle around it. It struggles to return to its feet. 

FUSHA

A shockwave of energy pierces into Tyrannomon’s stomach, leaving behind a deep hole. The Tyrannomon lays there motionless as its bright blue eyes grow pale and lifeless.

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

Eiji moves through the lobby of a fast-food burger joint to grab a seat by the window. He carries with him a small Coke he got free with a coupon. He looks out the window and watches the people walking below him. Behind him, a digital 3D pop-up advertises the restaurant’s newest burger. “Don’t forget to supersize it!” The mascot commands as it enjoys the last bite of its burger. The advertisement trails off and is replaced with a generic Pandora station, as it fills the lobby with soft music. 

Eiji pulls out his phone from his jacket. “Let’s see if there’s any work,” he says to himself. Aside from a few people sitting in the booths away from him, there was no one around to hear him.

Eiji logs into his GriMM account and begins scrolling through the threads. 

GriMM is the world’s most popular social network. Most people use GriMM for its normal social network features like chatting, streaming, and message boards. GriMM’s most distinctive feature is its support for the proprietary cryptocurrency Digicoin (DC). But like anything that exists on the net, there are parts of GriMM that are quite illegal. 

For freelancers like Eiji, having a GriMM account is mandatory. GriMM is where freelancers find job postings, sales, and other tools of the trade. Eiji scrolls through the job listings as he mutters to himself.

He scrolls over an image of a BlackAgumon “One -Hundred Million DC for the capture?” It was a lot more money than he made on his usual hunts. The bounty excites as he thinks about all the meat he’ll get to eat. He swishes the coke in his other hand as his stomach grumbles. 

But Eiji’s heart begins to sink as he begins to read over the comment section. Instead of helpful tips, it was full of trolls and people asking for money. GriMM is a dumpster fire, but a necessary one. 

Eiji stares out the window as he debates taking the assignment. “Maybe this is some sort of urban legend. An Agumon isn’t worth a million. And if it were black, it wouldn’t be an Agumo..” A faint beeping interrupts his trance.

“My Tyrannomon!” Eiji shouts involuntarily. A group of high school students sitting at the other end of the restaurant turn to stare at Eiji. Eiji doesn’t notice as he fiddles with the palm-sized LCD screen in his hand.

Eiji puts down his phone to focus on the small toy-like device in his hand. A deformed pixel version of Tyrannomon fills the screen. There is an “X” on its eyes, and its vitals are gone. 

“Gah! I’m so stupid!” Eiji growls. He’d become too distracted, and it was going to cost him. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” He grumbles.   

The two remaining Tyrannomon look up from the LCD screen at Eiji, then at each other in confusion. Eiji starts pressing the keys on the screen, replacing the downed Tyrannomon and entering new commands.

“Capture the target or no food for you!” Eiji growls at the Tyrannomon. If the Tyrannomon doesn’t capture the target, he won’t get to eat either. Such is the life of a freelancer.

The high schoolers shift in their seats as they steal awkward glances at Eiji. They find it strange to see him so worked up over a game. But this isn’t a game for Eiji. Eji is a Code Cracker, and this is his job. 

Eiji continues furiously entering commands into the small device. 

Tool Settings….Capture! Reassign target to Modoki Betamon

“You’ll pay for underestimating Cracker Fang,” Eiji says, referring to himself as his alias. Eiji clicks the Execute button. The Tyrannomon disappears from the screen. Eiji takes a sip from the half-empty paper cup. Moments later, a chime sounds. Eiji looks down at the LCD screen and smiles. The Tyrannomon have captured their prey. Eiji picks up his phone and continues to scroll through GriMM as he finishes his drink.

D&D

The Party That Saved Christmas – Part 3

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Snow drifts down slowly. Endless white canvas in every direction. Small banks of snow and a few mountains break its monotony. Peace falls against this lifeless tundra. Peace and silence. A bright flass at the center leaves the party at the center of it all. A cold air brushes up against the party, creating involuntary shivers.

The party is awestruck by the sudden change in scenery. Hox drops to his knees and starts handling the snow. His tail wags excitedly. “I never seen so much!” His ears twitch as the snow crunches between his fingers.

Euphemia giggles as she packs a snowball to throw at Hox. It explodes against his hood. He shakes it off, but a bit lingers at the end of his snout. “So cold” he exclaims”

The faintest giggle escapes Belyis’ lips. Hearing this, Euphemia smiles and throws a snowball at the Tiefling. “Heads up Bel!”

Belyis lets out a squeal as her reflexes kick in and her hands move to catch the projectile. The snowball explodes in her hands. She begins to blush from the attention.

Aus is busy searching the horizon. “Focus,” he says as his gaze fixes into the distance. “We have a job to do.”

“Lighten up” Euphemia replies as she packs another snowball “We’re just having a bit of fun. It’s not every day we get to see snow”

“That’s fine. You’ve had your fun, but we need to focus now. Mr. Duke said that Santa’s villiage is due north,” Aus says as he raises his hand and points straight ahead “North is that way.”

“How do you know that?” Euphemia asks as she walks over and looks in the direction he is pointing.

“It’s a weird thing I can do. I can also tell you what time it is”

“Nah” replies Euphemia as she plops to the ground and begins to put on her shoes. “North is fine”

The party moves across the snow. Their boots land with a crunch as Aus takes the lead. Peaceful tranquility falls with the steady snowfall.

Twenty minutes pass. Aus searches for enemies. Euphemia hums quietly to herself. Hox sticks his tongue out as he attempts to catch falling snowflakes. Belyis treks behind the party. Her head is down, but her eyes scan the tundra for enemies.

A loud rumbling nearby stops the party. Weapons are drawn as they each search for its source. The rumbling stops. An even more menacing silence follows suit. Hands clench nervously at hilts and staves. A small bead of sweat starts to form on Euphemia’s brow.

The ground before Belyis explodes. Large chunks of snow fly through the air as the small bits of aftermath begin to settle. A large, almost invisible creature rises from the snow. Ten feet tall and almost just as wide, with fur as white as the snow that falls around it. There are places where the fur is matted and tangled. Other spots are bald, exposing scars from battles past. Its massive hands are hairless, with long black claws at the tip of each finger. On its head, there are two twisting grey horns. Wide nostrils sniff angrily at the air. It roars. Chunks of frozen saliva flies from its mouth. Its ice blues yes are full of blood thirst as it studies the party. It is a yeti.

The yeti’s claws come down on Belyis, ripping into her shoulder. Hot blood runs down her arm. Belyis’ expression changes as her meekness is replaced with anger. The second claw comes down with the same ferocity, but this time Belyis has time to react. Her hands blur through the air, blocking the beast’s attack. Her muscles are tense as she holds back the beast. The yeti grows angry.

Belyis pushes the hand to the side and ducks under the frustrated yeti’s desperate retaliation. She moves in close with her fist clenched tightly. A soft glow comes off her hands as she swings with all her might. The punch digs into the beast’s stomach. The yeti stumbles back as the air gets knocked out of his lunges. It takes a moment for it to regain its balance. It takes a step towards the Tiefling before a soft yellow glow glosses over the beast’s eyes. It stops advancing as his eyes go white. It remains paralyzed, its gaze lost in the distance.

Euphemia begins to charge at the Yeti, rapier in hand. Her stride is broken by another explosion of snow. A small, young yeti lunges at her back. Euphemia doesn’t get a chance to react as the creature’s fangs sink her shoulder. Strong hairy arms wrap around her. The young yeti stands at a similar height.

The pain from the bite is new to her. She screams in agony as a stream of blood falls down her back.

Hox, hearing her yell, grips his staff tightly. His eyes begin to glow purple as he waves his staff above his head. His raspy voice shouts “jennu ir! tluog ve dout vers. nomenoi souls re douta”

Above him, a glowing purple light begins to form. The snow around him glows as it reflects the purple light. He raises his free hand and points at the young yeti. “Loreat!” he shouts as the purple orb of eldritch energy flies towards the young beast. It crashes against its back. The Creature releases his bite and turns to the Kobold who begins reciting his next spell. Frozen foam and blood spill from the corners of the young yeti’s mouth.

Four more identical baby yetis jump from below. They make their way towards the Kobold whose eyes remain fixed on the yeti attacking Euphemia.

Euphemia free from the jaws of her attacker turns. Her free hand moves to cover her fresh wound. Blood pours from the lane of small holes that wrap around her shoulder. “By the light of the stars and the guidance of the moon, cure these wounds and grant me strength”. The wound begins to seal under her touch.

Hox begins to cast another spell. Before he can tap into any of his magic, he finds himself surrounded. Four young yeti circle the kobold. They snarl and growl as they lunge at him. Hox raises his staff in an attempt to fend off his assailants, but the claws rip into his scales. Drops of his blood and shreds of his cloak fall onto the snow around him. The Kobold lets out agonizing yells as he pushes against one of his attackers, keeping him away. An arrow sinks into its head. The body grows heavy against Hox’s staff. With a slight push, the yeti falls lifeless to the ground.

Aus has taken to the air. His wings flap confidently against the frigid air. They almost vanish against the white backdrop. He notches another arrow and takes aim. The arrow whistles through the air as it strikes another yeti. Its last helpless yelp escapes his lungs as it falls to the ground.

One of the young yeti turns to run. Hox tries to strike the fleeing beast but the remaining yeti blocks his line of sight. The yeti stares at Hox. Its eyes are full of bloodthirst. Hox readies grips his staff tightly as the yeti lunges at him. Fangs and claws dig into the Kobold as he tries to push the yeti away.

Belyis stares down the large beast before her. The yeti is dazed; its white eyes lost in the void. Belyis moves in close and unleashes a flurry of punches. The muffled thuds echo over the snow. The faint sound of bones slowly breaking follow suit. The beast coughs up blood as rage begins to gloss over its eyes.

It stares down at the Tiefling. Belyis readies herself as she hops against the snow. Hot steam rises from the yetis flaring nostrils. It roars as red frozen foam falls to the ground. The air around Belyis grows colder. Ice begins to gather against her coat and hair. The cold cuts through her skin. She stands there, frozen in place. Its black claws dig into Belyis’ coat, tearing at the fabric. Blow after blow comes down on the defenseless Tiefling. The yeti’s fur turns red with her blood. Belyis falls to the ground. The yeti stands over her lifeless body, its eyes searches for its next victim.

Euphemia’s yeti rushes towards the kobold. She swipes at it with her rapier, but she misses. She drops the sword to the ground. She pulls a small pan flute to her lips and begins to play a sweet melody. The young yeti stops in its tracks. Its eyes are no longer bloodshot. Its mouth no longer foaming. It sits on the ground and it stares onto the snow, peacefully.

Hox looks around and smiles. “feed sia thurirl. nomenoi souls re douta ekess clax!” Behind him, a spark of light flashes. A portal begins to grow. Dark purple lightning spews in every direction as the portal begins grows behind him. A loud wailing spills from the other side. Hox stands proudly as he holds his staff tightly. The portal grows to about 10 feet. Lightning continues to fly from its edges as purple energy swirls around, obscuring the landscape. From it, two large tentacles reach for the young yetis. One tries to run, but it is too slow. The tentacles wrap tightly around the creature. It struggles in vain as it is pulled into the portal. The portal vanishes. Hox stands alone in the middle of the blood-stained snow. His smile is unwavering and his tail waves behind him.

The large yeti finds his target in Hox. He begins to charge at the Kobold. Each step shakes the frozen landscape. The kobold braces himself. His knees shake as his grip on his staff tightens.

On the other side, Belyis lays in the snow motionless. The pool of blood continues to grow around her. The front of her coat is completely torn off. Deep gashes run down her chest as her breathing slows. A teary-eyed Euphemia runs towards her. Her little feet struggle to move her through the snow. “Don’t die.”

The yeti continues its charge. Large chunks of snow fly behind it. It closes in on Hox. Seeing the large creature up close, Hox takes an involuntary step back. An arrow rains from the sky and digs into the yeti’s back. The impact breaks the yeti’s stride. In this moment of confusion, Hox finds his words. A blast of purple eldritch energy strikes at the yeti’s face. It stumbles back as it tries to recover from the shock. A second arrow whistles through the cold air. This one digs into the creature’s skull. The yet stumbles about as the last bit of life bleeds from its wounds. It falls over lifeless.

Hox and Aus stare at the creature for a moment. When it doesn’t move they rush over to Belyis. Euphemia falls to her knees beside the dying Tiefling. Tears fall down her cheeks. She places her hands on Belyis’ chest “Please wake up!”

D&D

The Party that Saved Christmas – Part 2

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Mr. Duke laughs loudly. This sudden outburst catches the party off guard. He quickly gathers his suitcase and addresses the party “Splendid! We don’t have time to waste. Follow me. I’ll explain more on the way.”

The party follows Mr. Duke into the busy corridor. Phones ring over frantic voices. People seem to run up and down the hall in a hurry. People don’t take notice of the party as they walk by, most busy with their own tasks.

“As you can see, things here are a bit hectic. We have been asking other nations for aid in the matter, but most leaders are more concerned with the safety within their own borders. I don’t blame them. It’s not a threat most take seriously, that is why you have to be enough. This is a very big ask, but you are the only hope we have” He continues to walk as the party walks behind him quickly.

“What happens if we don’t stop this threat? Why is the north pole so important”

Mr. Duke stops and turns to the party. He has a serious look on his face. “There are magical items, artifacts, secrets hidden from the rest of the world for our protection. If they were to get in the wrong hands, it would mean the end of modern civilization. Wars would break out. Millions will die. Empires will burn and from their ashes, evil and chaos will bloom. I hope I don’t have to keep convincing you on the importance of your mission”

Mr. Duke pauses and assesses the party’s reaction. Euphemia scribbles away as quick as her little hand can carry the pen. Hox and Aus look onto him with a mixture of interest and concern. Belyis has raised her hood and stares at the ground nervously.

“There is a bigger plan in motion here but we haven’t been able to figure this out” Mr. Duke continues “All I know…all we know is that you need to save Christmas. Am I being clear?”

“Yes,” the party responds. Hox’s tail twitches behind him. Aus scratches behind his head nervously.

“Good” Mr. Duke continues as he turns and resumes his pace. ” You will be teleported about an hour out of the south of Santa’s Village. That’s the closest we can get. You will be given clothes for the weather and a few items that might help you with the journey. You are going in blind. We can show you the layout of the village but unfortunately, we don’t know who is leading this attack or how they are defending the city”

They stop inside a small elevator. Mr. Duke presses a code into the keypad and the elevator begins its descent. He turns to the party with a serious look on his face. “There is something out there blocking out communications and our mages haven’t been able to scry. You will be alone out there”

“This is getting harder and harder to get motivated for” Aus replies

“It isn’t an ideal situation. You will need to find whatever is jamming our magic and report to us. But your priority is saving Santa”

An awkward silence fills the elevator. The party looks at each other, but no words are exchanged. The elevator comes to a stop after a moment of silence. The doors open revealing a large open space filled with metal tables, shelves, and racks full of different tools and weapons. People move franticly, working diligently making weapons or mixing chemicals. Mr. Duke walks out of the elevator at a hurried pace. The party follows suit, fascinated by the myriad of items scattered throughout the room. There are oddly shaped swords that hang lazily on beaten racks. There are staffs with intricate carvings of animals or runes engraved with shinning gemstones. There are bows made from rare woods strung with a material that shines in the room’s dim light. There are tables where the rolled-up scrolls spill over, almost falling to the floor. There are heavy hammers, menacing maces, and dangerous daggers. The small forge at one end of the room blazes away hammer bang against hot steal.

The party passes sections where beakers are full of odd-colored liquids. Burners push hot flame against rounded glass containers, slowly bringing its contents to a boil. A small woman swirls a mixture between her fingers, it changes from red to purple. The smell of sulfur and something bitter fills the air. There are shelves lined with jars full of odd objects. A troll’s hand floats against one while the jar next to it is filled with dried bat wings.

Passed all these tables, at the far side of the room, there is a large magic circle. It’s made of red paint. There are strange symbols that seem to be randomly integrated into their pattern. There are candles that break up the pain, evenly spaced. Mr. Duke stops in front of the circle. “Before you step into the circle, there are a few items I would like to give you.” An elf man walks up to Mr. Duke carrying with him a basket with vials filled with different color liquids.

“We didn’t have much time so you will have to make due. Each of you will get a healing potion. You only get one, use them wisely. This” he says as he pulls up a green potion “is a potion of haste. It will give you a bit more energy but when it wears off you will feel the worst you have ever felt. And this” he says as he pulls out a vial with light blue liquid with silver specks that move slowly through the liquid “is a potion of invisibility. We are not sure about the side-effects. Use at your own discrection. Thank you Calvin.” The elf nods and walks away.

A dirty female dwarf walks up next. She drags behind her a wagon full of different weapons and winter clothes. “We weren’t sure of your measurements but our tailor is pretty good at guessing. This should keep you warm. There are snow shoes to help with the travel. We also took the liberty of crafting a few items to update your arsenal. We have finely crafter armor you can change into” The party starts grabbing the clothes and armor, searching for their sizes.

“For your Aus, we made a bow made from the a very strong wood. Take this quiver of arrows. Each has a magic ability but unfortunately we don’t quite know what they do. You only get 10. And for the rest of you…”

“Let me stop you right there mister” Euphemia interrupts. She taps at the hilt of her bejeweled rapier “This sword has been in my family for generations. If it was good enough for my grandma during the great Silverfoot clan wars, it is good enough for me”

Hox nods as he squeezes his staff. “Yes Hox don’t need new staff. This staff is best staff!”

“Well, I suppose that is fine.” He turns to Belyis who stands behind the party and stares at her feet “And my shy Teifling there only uses her hands to fight from what I understand” Belyis turns red and nods shyly. She says something inaudible. Mr. Duke clasps his hands together. “Well when you are ready, step into the circle. The quicker the better”

The party takes the time to change into warm clothes. Each with a thick cloak with a hood lined with fur. They wear heavy black boots and thick padded pants. They make their way to the center of the circle. They are silent as they get to the center.

“Thank you. This is a lot I am asking you. Be safe, strike true, come back come alive” Mr. Duke presses his hands on the ground. The circle begins to glow until it is a solid white glowing circle. The party begins to sink down into the light. Slowly until the last one disappears into the light. The light fades. People have stopped working and stare at the empty circle. “May the gods protect you”

D&D

Mad Mage Chronicles:Chapter 8

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This story is based on the wizards of the coast adventure The Dungeon of the mad mage. There are spoilers

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The cave becomes familiar to the party. The dank smell of rot and decay fades away into familiarity, almost like a memory. The cracks on the wall, the deep scrapes from combats past, and the decomposing bodies that litter the ground slowly begin to morph into the landmarks of their adventure. The party continues to move in silence, but this time it feels different. It is a comfortable silence that is shared amongst comrades. The trust might not yet be there, but its threads begin to weave between each member with each step.

Roakala takes the lead with her cursed sword which emits a soft light that washes over the ancient stone. It creates soft shadows against the walls of the caverns, this time they are less menacing. This time they stroll with a more relaxed ease as they finally make it to the forest of pillars. The party stands at a familiar crosswords. To the north, a path already travelled. To the south, a clear warning of certain death. To the East, an unknown variable. The party stands in contemplation.

“Where to now princess?” Roakala asks, unable to resist the smirk that appears on her face.

Diljaris’ tail twitches in playful frustration as she instantly retorts with “I am not a princess!” She doesn’t sound annoyed. There is a certain friendliness in her tone. Diljaris looks around at her options for a moment before continuing “Well if we are looking to make money” she reviews her options one more time “I think the best chance of finding magic items might be due south” she says as she points at her option. Above the door way in freshly painted letters the warning reads “Certain death this way”

“You want us to go towards death?” Gorak chimes in

“Yes, we need money and towards death would more than likely have magic items we can sell”

“You barely made it out of the last bout with monsters, shouldn’t we prepare more before we go running towards our deaths?”

“Well my friend” Diljaris replies as she places her scaled blue hand gently on Gorak’s shounder, giving him a warm and friendly smile, “We can’t know for certain that any of the other paths will yield a less dangerous path. I would argue that we will never be ready for what we don’t know. But I don’t want you to feel pressured, no one is forcing you to go. You can leave when you like. I am here to conquer this dungeon and my gut says that that way” she says as she points south “is the first step in doing so.” She pats him gently on his shoulder and begins to step due south. “Whose with me?”

Roakala is the first to react. Her head swivels between the two members of the group before letting out a frustrated grunt “Dammit! Wait up princess.”. Roakala walks after Diljaris. She drags her feet lazily.

A heavy dwarven hand falls onto Goraks shoulder. The old worn glove smells of fresh oil. “Well boyo?” Drugnar says “You did ask for more adventure.” Drugnar chuckles as he continues after the pair. Gorak stands in place, the room growing dark as the cursed light’s reach no longer engulfs him. He sighs in frustration and begins to take steps towards the party. They pass through the door warning them of certain death.

The doorway empties into a long dark hallway. A hallway that is well travelled. The ground is littered with tracks, both young and old. There are deep overlapping footprints belonging to humanoids of varying sizes. There are animal tracks and long deep wheel imprints. There are bits of ash and burnt out torches. It is clear that despite it being marked for certain death, this path down here is a busy avenue.

The party moves cautiously over the tracks. They look eagerly towards the end of the hall, expecting a dangerous surprise. Perhaps death would be the answer to the strange nature of this corridor. Finally they arrive in a room. There are neat piles of ancient stone, earth, and ruble throughout the room. Around those, digging supplies of varying condition. There is also a small body in the room. It is slumped over against the wall. It’s leathered green skin has begun to rot. There are signs that rats have begun to nibble on it’s body. An ear is missing and the body sits on what is left of a pool of blood that seems to have dried long ago. There is no way of knowing when the body died except that the belly has bloated.

Rakala examines the body carefully.  “Well” she says as she ponders the goblins visage “whatever killed the goblin took anything valuable.” The party searches the room for valuables and clues as to what might be in the next room; but all they find are the discarded tools and deep footprints leading in and out of this room.  There is another exit to this room. One that has been freshly and hastily made. This doesn’t share the workmanship of the caverns they have already travelled. This was made by new hands. Hands that don’t hold the same attention to detail as the original carvers of this earth, but somehow still talented enough to create a new passage way.

Roakala looks into this fresh wound. The cursed light washes over the freshly dug rock. The light reveals the madness of the new architect. It bends and turns with lack of reason, although the function stands up right with the support of new shabbily cut wood. The new path is ugly and it sews distrust in the party. Diljaris steps up and touches the wall. Examines it for a moment.

Gorak comes forth and gets close to the ground, touching one of the deep wheel wells. “Well if there is any treasure, it seems to be moving through here.”

“Agreed” Diljaris replies finally looking away from the stone “Whoever made this is using it to transfer something pretty important.”

Gorak nods “But the question is who’s using this tunnel and what are they carrying?”

“The real question is do we want to deal with whatever made this thing?” Roakala chimes in, pointing at the corpse of the dead goblin.

“I mean” Diljaris answers with her bright warm smile “We did come down here for some adventure”

D&D

The Mad Mage Chronicles: Chapter 7

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A new party and a task at hand

This story is part of a larger series based on the published adventure The Dungeon of the Mad Mage. There are spoilers.

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When the party emerges from the dark and dank underbelly, the yawning portal is alive with music and drunken singing. There is an overwhelming air of celebration that seems to teeter around the room, floating along with the clouds of cigar smoke. They inch through the crowd slowly as the clusters of drunkards make movement difficult. Eventually they find a table, at the center of the cackling crowded chaos. A bar maid makes her way to the tired group who order food and a round of drinks. 

Food and drink arrives that the table. Roakala rests her head between her arms. Diljaris has settled in her area with books and journals neatly surrounding her. Drugnar and Gorak polish their weapons. “So what do we do now princess?” Gorak asks Diljaris who scribbles furiously in her journal. Food and drink comes. The barmaid places six large bowls of rice and curry at the center of the table. Next to the plates of food, she places two large pitcher of ale. Foam spills over the side, creating a small ring around the base of the pitcher. The barmaid leaves 5 full flagons of ale. Drugnar tips the waitress a silver. The barmaid surprised by the generosity winks and says “Let me know if y’all need anything else. Im closing out this place.” She places the coin gingerly in her pocket as she almost skips with joy away from the party.

Diljaris without looking up from her work “I am not a princess”. She continues to scribble until finally she looks up and replies “We need to find work”

“I thought you had work?” Gorak replies

“No, I was looking for a party to find work with. Now that I have a party, we need to find work. I think we should start with the barkeep, he might have some leads”

Drugnar stands up “Shall we?” he says as he motions towards the bar

“Of course” Diljaris responds.

“I’m good” Gorak responds as he takes a long swig from the flagon. Roakala is too busy eating to respond. The two move towards the crowd, pushing their way through the crowd.

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The two make it to the bar. Gorak pushes a pair of patrons aside to make room for them. The barkeep moves around them, quickly haning out filled flagons until finally he stops in front of the two. “What are ya havin?”He puts an old dirty towel over his right shoulder. His beard is freshly trimmed. His apron is also clean and neat.

Drugnar clears his throat and starts “First I would like to commend you on running such a fine establishment. I have been to many taverns in my long Drwarven lifetime but this has to be one of the best. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Drugnar Stormhammer and my scaly associate here is Diljaris Eshbis. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now before we waste any more of your precious time, we would like to inquire on any business opportunities you might have or know about for a group of brave and capable adventurers”

The large burly man sighs “If you want work, go ask Obaya. He’s sitting over there. He’s always looking for adventurers. Now are you gunna buy something or not? I’m kind of busy”

“Yes can I get a flagon of your finest ale?” Drugnar asks smiling widely.

The barkeep pulls out a small barrel from under the bar. He fills a clear glass flagon to the rim with a golden clear ale. He places it on the bar as the foam settles. “Anything else?” the barkeep asks with clear dred in his voice.

“No you have been very helpful. We appreciate the information. Thank you” Drugnar replies as he slides a gold coin towards the bar keep. The barkeep is stunned by the sudden act of generosity. “Come back whenever you need anything you hear”

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Obaya is a black human male whose permanent resident is at the nicest booth in the yawning portal. Today he is surrounded by a group of laughing nicely dressed individuals. Obaya himself is adorned with the finest silk robes that have been hand stitched to specifically fit his frame. His finely ordained hat hides his wavy locks that shine when they manage to escape and touch the light. His golden brown eyes search the bar as he weaves together the tales that seem to always have his company in an uproar.

As the two walk towards Obaya. Obaya takes notice but doesn’t break from conversation. When they get within earshot, Obaya grin with genuine warmth, greets the pair “You look like you have a question for old Obaya. What can I do for you my friends?”

Drugnar steps forward “Good evening Mr. Obaya, we only want a moment of your time. My name is Drugnar Stormhamer and my beautiful scaly friend here is Diljaris Eshbish. We are travelling with a group of very capable adventurers and we hear you have a bit of work for dungeon delving folk like us”

“Well my well spoken friend, I am a travelling merchant and I deal in the strange and the magical. If you can bring me any magic items or spell books, I’ll take it off your hands for a bit of coin”

“Hi” Diljaris finally speaks up “how much do you pay for each magic item?”

“10 platinum per magic item. More if depending on how rare it is. How’s that sound?”

The two are taken aback by Obaya’s words.  They are clearly dazed by the reply. They remain silent as time continues.  “Well?” Obaya asks again, still smiling patiently.

“Well Mr. Obaya, it looks like you have yourself a deal. We look forward to doing business with such a generous patron” Drugnar finally responds as he extends his hand out towards Obaya.

Obaya laughs loudly and his guests join in. “You flatter me Drugnar but no need to be so formal. I am just a regular guy. Please, just Obaya is fine.” He stands up and extends both hands out “I look forward to working with you too as well.” They shake hands. Obaya smiles warmly. “Oh but you have to promise me one thing.”

“And that is?” Diljaris asks

“Don’t go dying on my account please”

The two laugh “We can assure you, you there won’t be any dying from us, I’ve brought together a very capable group” Diljaris replies. The two turn and make their way back to the table. Guidy with excitement at the possible prospects they were just promised.

Back at the table, Roakala and Groroak eat and drink in silence. Roakala continues to scarf down a bowl of food. One lies empty in front of her. Gorak drinks in silence, lost in thought. When Diljaris and Drognar come back, they don’t notice, but instead seem lost in food and drink.

“Good news!” Diljaris addresses the table, breaking their concentration “our wise Drugnar was able to find us work”

“What’s the job?” Gorak asks, putting down his flagon of ale.

“There’s a man in here that buys magic items, 10 platinum a piece. This dungeon has to be loaded with magical items” Drugnar adds.

“Yeah but how often do you think we’ll be finding magic items?” Gorak asks, sounding a bit skeptical.

“Well we did find a magic sword on our first trip down” Diljaris reminds Gorak.

Yeah don’t forget about Janice” Roakala adds, breaking her silence. She places the magic sword in the table. It glows faintly even under the candle light. The two empty bowls resonate from the impact.

“Isn’t it cursed?” Gorak reminds the group.

Roakala shrugs her shoulders “It still counts as magic”

“Maybe we should sell the sword” Gorak says as his hand slowly moves towards the blade.

Roakala snatches the blade off the table, almost knocking over bowls of food and the half empty pitchers of ale. “Janice is not for sale, she’s going with us!” She says sternly, her posture tenses as she gets ready to pounce at whoever dares reach for her sword.

“No need for any of that” Diljaris chimes in “No one is selling your sword Roakala. Settle down.” She puts her hand gingerly on the Orc’s shoulder. Roakala glares at Diljaris. Her eyes still filled with some rage but her breathing seems to slow and her posture relaxes as she finally slinks back down into her seat. “Fine” is all she says as she grabs a third bowl and continues to eat, this time slowly as she continues to eye Gorak.

A woman’s voice interrupts Gorak as he seems to move to continue to tease the Orc.  “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I hear you are looking for work?”

“Yes of course!” Diljaris says as she turns to face the owner of the voice. The woman is a finely dressed in new and clean robes. Around her neck is a golden necklace of a robin diving into a sea made from a blue sapphire. She is a tall and slender woman and her beauty makes it difficult to decern her age. She appears to be in her twenties. Her dirty golden curls seem to be meticulously placed down to her shoulders. She stares back at the party with eyes as blue as the emerald that hangs around her neck.

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“My name is Esvele Rosznar of house Roszar and I am looking for my brother Kressado. He went missing a few weeks ago. I have asked countless adventurers for help but I haven’t heard word of his whereabouts”

“What does your brother look like?”

“He is a slender man. He is 22 years old and has dirty blond curls that go to his shoulders. He wears a platinum ring with our family crest” Esyele pulls her necklace towards the group. “It’s also engraved with our family motto. Fly high and swoop swift”

Diljaris scribbles furiously even leaving and quick but recognizable sketch of the Roszar family crest. “Is he an adventurer too?”

“Well?” Esyele begins. Her face turns red as she looks down at the ground “He isn’t an adventurer. He’s been in some trouble. He is a good guy, he is just a little misguided”

“What does that mean?” Gorak says as he places his flagon on the table.

“He got mixed in with the Xanathar Guild and that has gotten him in a bit of trouble. Last I heard he was going down into the dungeon for some job but he never told me details”

“What’s the Xanathar guild?” Gorak continues to interrogate the woman.
 

Esyele doesn’t raise her eyes. She remains silent for a second before slowly letting out “They are the crime syndicate that runs this town. Larceny, murder, prostitution, drugs, all things illegal run through them. My brother was a thief for them” she pauses for a moment as she studies the reactions of the party and ponders he explanation  “My brother is a thief. Unfortunately he is a great thief and has now been unfortunately bound to the service of the Xanathar guild. I’ve tried my hardest to convince him to leave but he is also a stubborn man who likes to live dangerously. He is a good man non the less. He’s disappeared before, but it’s never been for this long. I just want to know if he is ok. Will you help me?” This time she looks up. Her voice cracks and she is clearly fighting back tears.

“How much?” Roakala asks as she leans forward, picking at her teeth.

“Well?” her voice still cracks and a small tear starts to roll down her cheek. “I will be ever so indebted to you and your group. My family is incredibly influential and having me as an ally will be incredibly beneficial”

Before the party has a chance to react, Diljaris moves towards the woman and places her hand on her shoulder. She looks down at the woman with a wide smile. Her tail wags her golden eyes seem to glow with a spark of excitement. “You can count on us. We’ll find your brother”