Showing results by author "Dakota Krout" in All Categories

Joe the Ritualist trusted his faction leader too much, not seeing Tatum’s blind spot before it was too late, and a catastrophic surge of Divine Energy left his Mana Channels in ruins, his skills in tatters, and his future uncertain. With natural recovery off the table, Joe designs a way to rebuild himself from the inside out: crafting new Mana Channels and anchoring them to his body and soul through a bespoke ritual. It’ll take every one of his skills, and every last favor he’s earned.

Joe the Ritualist and the town of Novusheim have survived their first major battle, at the cost of leaving most of the settlement a smoking crater. Only most of it. The core of the town survived, and permanent casualties were low. Now that the survivors have a better understanding of what to expect, they go on a reconstruction spree...but why stop there? Every inch of their upgraded defenses will be more potent, durable, and deadlier than ever before.

Joe the Ritualist has finally found a true community in Vanaheim at the Tower of Ritualists. To his delight, he’s greeted by Masters of his craft, a Grandmaster on the brink of ascension, and a method to fix his most glaring flaws.

Joe has started to draw attention to himself and his abilities. While some of the attention is good and allows for personal growth, most of it is from various organizations that feel threatened by the sudden upswing of power that Joe's guild - The Wanderers - is attaining. As the threat to Earth begins to reach its peak, all of humanity has a choice: flee to Eternium, or stay for an uncertain future. Some stay, some go, some don't make the choice quickly enough.

The decision to start a new life is never an easy one, but for Joe the transition was far from figurative. Becoming a permanent addition to a game world, it doesn't take long to learn that people with his abilities are actively hunted. In fact, if the wrong people gained knowledge of what he was capable of, assassins would appear in droves.  

 Dakota Krout presents the second book in The Completionist Chronicles series. 

For eons, conquering dungeons has been the most efficient way to become a strong adventurer. Although not everything is as straightforward as it seems. Several questions have always plagued the minds of those who enter these mythical places of power: why are there so many monsters? Where do the amazing weaponry and heavy gold coins come from? Why does the very air fill with life-giving energies? Cal has all of the answers to these age-old questions, for a very simple reason. He is a Dungeon Heart.

Enemies emerge everywhere. Stagnation starts seeming standard. Results require Ruthlessness. Joe has been moving deeper into his study of ritual magic and further away from his combat team. He's learning more and more, but more often than not needs to choose between his research and squad leadership. Improving the town is a huge help to the guild, and they have been pushing to increase their power. Their rapid increases have not gone unnoticed. The guild receives an ultimatum, delivered by assassins and signed with blood.

Joe and the Dwarves are doing more than surviving in the harsh climate of Jotunheim: they’re thriving. The Ritualist’s improvements to their defenses are paying dividends; and he’s hailed as a genius for ending threats before they come into striking distance of the burgeoning City. Every day, the Town expands further, allowing for more facilities, a larger population, and drawing in ever-more monsters.

Luke is a straightforward man. There are only a few things he wants in life: Levels, things to fight to gain levels, and finding Cookie, so he can fight things more efficiently. Yet, the other members of his team are ready for some relaxation, and fun in the sun. After all, there should be huge perks that come with stopping an invasion in its tracks. But surprisingly, being famous for making the Kingdom wealthy and powerful has its downsides. Namely, there is now a huge price on their heads. The Four soon find themselves searching for a way to pit their power against the world.

Luke is an apprentice leather worker, training with his family to one day take over the business. He and his friends Andre, Taylor, and Zed have known each other forever, and swear that nothing will ever tear apart their friendship. Then the Royal Decree comes. With the Dynasty of Dogs invading, and strange monsters appearing in the Hollow Kingdom, a draft has been implemented. Everyone 17 or older is required to be tested for "Potential". If they have it, they will join the mysterious and renowned Ascender Corps. If not, they will be drafted into the Legion as a forced recruit.

Joe takes his first step into exile, and is promptly unable to breathe. This new Zone has a higher concentration of power, magnitudes denser. His first task is to survive, but mere survival is the least of his concerns. The Zone he has landed on has been in a state of constant war for thousands of years, a tug of war between the Elven and Dwarven societies. Not choosing a side is the same as declaring both to be your personal enemy. Though he is resistant, Joe reluctantly decides to go with the group he thinks will help him grow the most.

Luke has found a great way to move directly from combat to combat. While his team is working hard to increase their knowledge, train their skills, and grow a paradise, the Murderhobo steps into a Descender portal for five minutes, pops out, jumping straight into Murder World—fists leading the way. Life is good.

Joe the Ritualist fled Alfheim with the remnants of the Dwarven Oligarchy at his side. Though the hairy warriors number in the tens of thousands, they stand at the brink of extinction; and the new world they landed on isn’t pulling any punches. Jotunheim is a winter wonderland featuring a vast array of monsters: the least of which are hulking lizard-ape Hoardlings, and carnivorous penguins standing a dozen feet tall.

Joe’s candidacy was successful beyond his wildest dreams. Between driving the elves out of dwarven sovereign territory, utterly destroying an army of thousands, and using resources he could have used for himself to bring back the fallen on his own side...his reputation begins to precede him once more. The human was so successful that many people even within the dwarven faction have decided that they need to step forward to stop him. Realizing that he’s been in the public eye too long, Joe decides that it’s time to step out of fighting the war.

Artorian has finally come to an accord with Eternium in the name of destroying the demon infestation. By relying on his past successes in Eternia, successful alliances, races believing in their sun-deity with all their hearts, and exotic new artifacts, Artorian throws the first stone to accelerate the beginning of Eternium’s end.

Powerful necromancers are on the move, and the dungeon has become a battleground. Without his faithful Wisp, Cal's mind slips - he begins creating traps and monsters that go against his already loose morals. A direct threat from an unexpected force causes Cal's mind to stabilize, but he doesn't know for how long. Using every resource at his disposal, he works to keep his mind clear while he funds a search for his lost companion.

Artorian wakes on a brand-new planet, refreshed and ready to make some mischief now that he’s back in Cal’s soul space! Eternium is old news; in fact, now that Barry is completely forked, the curtains on Eternia’s Alpha have closed. Being awake has its upsides, but there are a few...concerns. Cal, even unconscious, is pushing the boundaries of the double-S ranks. With oaths and promises in peril, should he breach that rank before letting people live their lives, Artorian will hustle and bustle to lay the groundwork for mass-decanting. Surely nothing will go wrong.

Joe and humanity as a whole messed up pretty badly, managing to get some of the most important people from both the Elven and Dwarven races killed. Now the war is escalating to unprecedented levels, and only one side needs to worry about being slain. With the attackers knowing they can get right back up after dying, they are throwing themselves against their centuries-long foe without caring for the consequences. As the death toll rises, there’s still hope for Joe and the people that he chose to align himself with.

Artorian has survived his encounter at the Ziggurat, but at a sharp cost. However, the powers in the world are moving and there is no time to rest. Even if Artorian doesn’t realize his part in it, the next stage of the great plan is set in motion.