New Fic Announcement: Thera (Not a chapter)

If you’re wondering, no this isn’t the big announcement I have. That will be related to Salvos and will come out next week or the week after. We’ll see. Also, the Salvos chapter will be out in about three hours’ time, and that will be the last chapter of the week.

So I have a new fic! What’s new?

But this time, it’s a Monster Evolution LitRPG. That’s right. It’s about a TURTLE. It is my highest rated story to date, having peaked at rank 9, although it’s currently at rank 24. It has only 15 chapters out for now, but it will get more soon. I was a bit distracted by… y’know, everything that has happened over these past two weeks.

Anyway, you guys should check it out and give it a rating! In fact, here’s the synopsis and chapter 1:

The Mystic Turtle.

They stand with the Elder Dragons and the Spirit Dryads as creatures of legend. Timeless. Immortal. They live solitary lives, drawing power from their own soul. They are the hermits of the sea, their power unmatched in the ocean. Yet, this power is not attained easily, for as Thera will learn, the life of a baby Mystic Turtle is full of trials and tribulations…

She will scour ancient sunken ruins, face the dangers lurking in the depths of the sea, and, perhaps one day, grow to become a Mystic Turtle that surpasses even legend.

Arc 1: Time

Thera 1.00

“Time: it is a terrible thing.”

Two figures stood alone before the beach. A pair of Elves, waiting at the fringe where the line was drawn between gravel and sand. A mother and a daughter. They could see the setting sun; hear the breath of the sea. A weak wave quietly crashed ashore, leaving behind rubbery wracks of amber-colored kelp where the tide was teething.

“It steals our life, our loved ones, and even our memories. It takes everything it touches and leaves naught for us but despair and dread.”

The red ring fell down the eastward sky; a silhouette emerged towards the north from the salmon-colored waters. The Elves raised their heads as an island emplaned itself onto the beach.

“Time is an enemy to us, Luna,” the mother said softly. “But not to all of us.”

The tide receded, and the sand shook. Luna inclined her head inquisitively as the glare from the sun was shaded by the damp trees rising from the water. Her mother caressed her shoulder, continuing her speech.

“There are only three creatures in this world that have made an ally of time— three legendary creatures that have transcended mortality. Do you know of them, Luna?”

The girl replied with a small nod but said nothing more as a shadow loomed over them.

Tracing a finger in the air, her mother spoke simply. “The first is the Elder Dragon, ruler of the sky, master of the elements. They are the mightiest of the three in strength, and the most prideful of their status.”

Luna’s gaze followed her mother’s finger as it drew down to the sheening wet trees now fully exposed to the sun.

“The second is the Spirit Dryad, guardian of the earth, disciple of the divine. They are born from the world itself, blessed with life by the Gods, and are thus the most dutiful in their worship.”

The trees rustled, then rose. A giant figure stepped onto the beach as both Elves fixed their gaze onto it. A legendary creature. A being of majesty and might.

“And, lastly, is the Mystic Turtle,” her mother breathed in awe.

It towered before the Elves. Larger than life; greater than its legend. A living myth. The very same creature the mother spoke of.

The Mystic Turtle stood there in its glory, wearing an oval-shaped shell on its back— one that teemed with foliage and leaves. A pair of tusks protruded from its lower lip, and a curved set of horns laid on its head like a crown. It gently dug into the beach with clawed hands as the island it bore trembled.

“Hermit of the sea, sage of the soul. Little is known about these wonderful creatures. We only know that they live solitary lives, drawing from their own essence to survive the harsh oceans.”

When the Mystic Turtle pulled away, a hundred white objects lay in the sand. Eggs. Each one larger than Luna’s head. The Elves approached the nest as the Mystic Turtle turned their way. Luna apprehensively shrank back, but her mother urged her forward.

“Your grandmother was your age when the last Mystic Turtle was seen on land. Cherish this moment, Luna— cherish that you bore witness to this. For it shall not happen for another thousand years.”

Luna stood trembling before the nest. The Mystic Turtle rolled one of the eggs to her feet, and she stared at it.

“Go on,” her mother said.

The girl slowly bent down and touched the cold shell with the tips of her fingers. The Mystic Turtle waited expectantly as her breathing quickened. She tried to work her jaw, but her mouth just went dry.

“Give it a name, Luna. The Mystic Turtle has given you her blessing to name one of her children. For the Voice of the World to store and remember. And when ten years pass and the egg hatches, the child will not enter the world alone. The child will enter the world with a piece of you by its side.”

A piece of me by its side? Luna closed her eyes, feeling the full weight of that statement on her shoulders. If she’d had more time to prepare, she could’ve given the Mystic Turtle a fitting name. But at this moment, she could’ve thought long and hard about it and still come up empty—

A pulse came from inside the egg, like the beating of a heart, or the warmth of day. It whispered to her soul; spoke with a lilt; a euphony. Her eyes snapped open, and she knew what to say.

“Thera,” the girl said, delicately running her hand over the egg’s shell. “Your name is Thera.”

“Thera,” her mother repeated after her. “That is a wonderful name.”

Luna drew back as the Mystic Turtle began to bury the eggs in sand. A pair of arms hugged the girl from behind. She looked up, and her mother watched on with a bitter gaze of wonder. The sand slowly covered the nest as the last inklings of twilight vanished over the horizon.

“May you rest well, Thera. For when you awake, a world of danger lies ahead of you. But if you should live until the end of eternity, then so will a memory of my daughter through you. Now let us return home, Luna, and let nature run its course.”

* * *

And so, time passed: the mother and the daughter left, the Mystic Turtle returned to sea, and the ocean swept over the beach. For ten years, the eggs remained untouched. Hidden from the birds flying above or the crabs crawling over the sand. Then, the first egg hatched.

The eggshell cracked open, and a little flipper poked out. It had a leather-like texture— both coarse and tender to the touch. The baby Mystic Turtle’s head was next to follow, letting out a squeak as it clambered out into the sand.

It began digging its way up and out as, around it, the other eggs followed suit. They twitched and splintered and broke open, pouring out a deluge of baby Mystic Turtles into the nest.

Together, these little green-ish creatures hastily burrowed up until they saw their first sign of daylight. Driven by excitement— driven by instinct— to get to the sound of crashing water, little did they know that what awaited them above wasn’t so kind.

A seabird squawked, and a crab climbed out of its hidey-hole. A colony of Draconian Ants came to a halt as they felt the vibration in the sand. A large lizard watched the tide rise along with the sun. And the baby Mystic Turtles unknowingly pressed on.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Amongst the hundred of them was one called Thera— although she didn’t know it yet. She wasn’t the first to hatch, nor was she the last; when she hatched, there were already dozens ahead of her, and dozens more still behind. It took her a moment to catch up with the others as she floundered in her egg for a good moment before tumbling out and landing on her shell.

She lay there, struggling and squeaking as she waved her flippers in a panic. She didn’t understand her predicament— she just found it unsettling, unaware she’d die if she wasn’t saved. After all, she’d just been born; her thoughts were but a haze to her.

Fortunately for her, her shell was still undeveloped just like her brothers and sister, so it tightly hugged onto her body like a second skin, making it easier for her to flip herself back onto her underbelly and relieve herself of that unsettling feeling. But that was a double-edged sword as it also meant she was vulnerable to the predators lurking above.

The sand ceiling finally gave way and collapsed. Light leaked into the nest, inundating Thera with an alien but wondrous sight. Pure white clouds decorated an azure blue sky. She inhaled deeply and sighed. The smell of sea salt attacked her nostrils; a welcoming scent.

In a trance, she followed the rest of her brothers and sisters as they quickly climbed out of the burrow. Into this beautiful world. To the place where they’d live together for the rest of their lives. The first of the baby Mystic Turtles excitedly crawled onto the beach—

And into the claws of a giant seabird.

…what? Thera’s first proper thought echoed in her mind as she froze.

She heard the terrible caw of the winged beast. Saw it crunch her brother in a single bite. Her body refused to move because she was so taken aback by how sudden it had been. All the baby Mystic Turtles watched as the Clawed Pelican circled around the nest once before swooping back down for more.