Showing results by narrator "Catherine Winkel" in All Categories

I died nine months from today, on the day that Fortress ENE, my home and one of the few safe cities left in North America, was assaulted by a million monsters pouring from the same portals we’d been exploiting for years. Nine months. I have nine months to find out who is responsible for the breach, which corporation stands to gain the most, and who is pulling the levels or power to burn my home down.

Before being conscripted to fight in the Total War, Private Hector Park had a shattered family, a collection of old video games, and a promising career as a motorcycle stuntman. Now, he is dying from a virus threatening humankind with extinction. He has three days to live. When Hector’s brother contacts him after years of hostile silence, Hector goes to try and make peace. But his brother offers him something even better: the chance to cheat death by joining him in Archemi, a full-immersion fantasy VR-RPG video game.

It’s amazing what the lack of immediate threat to one’s life and wellbeing can do for a person’s disposition. High risk, high reward endeavors suddenly seem far less appealing, month-long delays are no longer a cause for concern, and sleeping in every single day of the week becomes an extremely attractive proposition. Indeed, without a pressing need to aggressively expand its power, Boxxy T. Morningwood is finally able to simply sit back, enjoy life, and watch the world both turn and burn.

It would appear that, after two years of relative slacking, the Hero of Chaos is once again facing an ever-growing workload. Boxxy had been quite fortunate to obtain an exceptionally potent pawn with very little effort, but that was still effort it did not intend to expend. Sensing it might get dragged into things it really doesn't want to bother with, the creature makes haste to depart Velos and its orcs so that it may continue its private preparations for the upcoming Dragon Festival.

Morgan Mackenzie had a very bad day. First at work, then at home, and then her bathtub fell through a portal to another world, with her in it. Now she's stuck thousands of miles from any sort of civilization with nothing but the bathtub and a lace puffball scrubby. But she learned magic, so that's sorta nice. Now if only she could find some clothes....

Kazar has fallen. All that is left of the border city is a caravan of refugees, skirting the edge of the deadlands and the dangers that lurk there. The situation is grim; but Viv is not done for. The Kazarans are alive and looking for revenge. And Viv? She has all the tools to provide it.

The world waits for no one. While Boxxy is off chasing shinies and delving dungeons abroad, Azurvale's shadows churn, fester, and ferment into a potent cocktail of trouble. Secret organizations maneuver behind the scenes, patiently advancing their nefarious plots. Government agencies lay in wait, ready to pounce at the first sign of trouble. Powerful adventurers gear up and train for the next challenge, uncertain as to what form it might take.

She's gotten food and shelter for her family. Her oldest is turning into a wizard, her middle boy is some kind of self-healing monkey, and her youngest is accumulating a small army of pets. That's a bit much to roll with, but when monsters are appearing on the lawn, it's probably for the best. What worries her is the mysterious—and dangerous—"challenge" she knows is fast approaching, and she's got to get her kids and community ready to face it. Some neighbors are ready and willing to pitch in, but others? They might end up being a bigger problem than the alien monsters.

My name is Magical Girl Rending Nightmare. I was the first. The origin point. The spark that lit the fire. Twelve of us were chosen—twelve magical girls to protect the Earth. We failed. Now the planet is little more than shattered debris drifting through space. I should be dead. Instead, I’ve awakened on a strange new world, pulled here by Magical Girl Crystal Genocide, the youngest of us all. She says I was sealed away on a planet shaped by my own magic.

In fifth grade my teacher set us up with pen pals from a different school. Thinking I was a girl, with a name like Misha, the other teacher paired me up with her student Ryen. My teacher, believing Ryen was a boy like me, agreed. It didn't take long for us to figure out the mistake. And in no time at all, we were arguing about everything. The best take-out pizza. Android vs. iPhone. Whether or not Eminem is the greatest rapper ever. For the next seven years, it was us. She's the only one who keeps me on track, talks me down, and accepts everything I am.

A showdown of titanic proportions is developing in Archemi. Kingdoms are falling like dominoes to the self-styled Emperor of Nothing and his swelling armies. Hector Park and his Queen dragon Karalti stand in their way. Linked by an unbreakable bond, they are the Paragons, heroes who are destined to overcome the dark forces mustering on the horizon, or die trying.

Insurmountable odds, hidden powers maneuvering behind the scenes, all culminating in a final, titanic clash. The mighty city of Everance lay in the GreenPiece clan’s path, but as Oren soon discovers he’s got even bigger obstacles to overcome before reaching his final goal.

Eva Nix, glorified messenger, at your service. Sure, the ability to cross boundaries into other realms is pretty neat, but when a devil tricks me into a contract, my celestial blood suddenly becomes the greatest prize in a dangerous game. My first mission lies deep in the goblin realm, beyond the wild forests to the stone towers of the old ones, in search of Mistral. I expected him to be deadly and cunning. I did not expect him to sit me by a cozy fire to offer a contract of his own, sealed with a kiss.

Hi there! I'm Magical Girl Crystal Genocide, one of the twelve magical girls, and sworn protectors of Earth! We were like a superhero squad, but with more sparkles! We fought day and night to keep the baddies at bay and the Earth safe. But, one day, our best wasn't good enough. So, we huddled up for a superhero brainstorm and decided to pool our powers for this mega, super-duper save-the-day plan. We kinda goofed. Big time. Instead of saving the day, we accidentally wiped out a quarter of the Milky Way.

A journey far from home. Becoming enslaved. Giving in to your inner monster. Having survived the first wave of invading players, Oren now seeks to strengthen his clan. With the Breeder’s Den destroyed and most of Goblin's Gorge's resources devoted to rebuilding, his best hope lies in creating an army of golems. But for that, he needs Viridium, a rare metal that can only be obtained from hobgoblin towns, where Oren and his clan of goblins are viewed as nothing more than potential slaves. To make his way in the game, and to defeat his former guild, Oren’s ingenuity alone will not be enough.

Since leaving the orphanage, Esil has spent the past year toiling in the data mines of Pangea while watching the wealthy elite traverse its myriad of game worlds. His luck changes forever when he discovers a legendary Developer's Chest. The Premium Worldpass inside grants him unlimited access to all of Pangea. With his newfound fortune, he enters a tournament to compete against some of the most skilled adventurers Pangea has to offer. He’s a long shot to win, but for the first time in his life, being a kid from the slums has its advantages.

It wasn't the day the Gates appeared that changed Jynn's life; she'd only ever known an Earth where hordes of interdimensional monsters terrorized humanity. No, Jynn's life changed forever when she graduated from high school and tested positive as a Hunter: a breed of enhanced humans evolved to challenge the monsters who are ushering in Earth's apocalypse. The only problem is . . . she has the very lowest stats possible.

A few minutes ago, Meghan Moretti's biggest concern was getting the kids' athletic clothes washed in time for practice this evening. Now, it seems that Earth has been forced into participating in some high-stakes intergalactic reality television. All electrical wiring has been slagged, and most combustibles neutralized. Some kind of evil space rodents are appearing on the front lawn, too.

It’s been years since anyone has seen Noble Vincent, the player that brought down World-Tree Online’s tyrannical moderator. Even with a lifetime of perceived experiences in the game, he still has centuries to go before the update finally ends and the people trapped in the game are freed. After taking a long vacation and traveling to many worlds, he realizes its time to get his team back together so they can try to reach the top of the World-Tree.

Ignas Corvinus, ruler of Vlachia, has been captured by his worst enemies. A puppet ruler has been installed to lead the most powerful nation in Archemi, and he's doing his best to blame Hector Park, his dragon Karalti, and their allies for the world's problems.