Age of Beast Tamers and Exorcists - Chapter 23: Ascension

Li Ling, the eldest son of the Duke of Zhenguo, was a good man with great talent and courage.

However, his beloved wife Shen felt that living with him was boring. After five years of marriage, she was submissive to him in every possible way, but he was not the least bit enthusiastic about her.

If it was just because of his cold temper, she would admit it.

But when the Huns invade, the ninth princess will be forced to get married. Li Ling was so angry that he asked for an order to go to war for the sake of his princess cousin.

She finally understood the reason why he treated her coldly.

She was so angry that she didn’t want to be with him.

The letter of departure has been drawn up, and we are waiting for Li Ling to return to sign it.

Unexpectedly, after waking up, she went back to the time when she was newly married to Li Ling…

—

Li Ling married a well-behaved little wife who was completely obedient to him. After being married for more than a month, she served him comfortably.

In the past few days, Li Ling discovered that something was wrong with his bride.

She stopped dressing him in the morning, and she stopped serving him dishes and soup at dinner. She turned away as soon as he approached her at night.

The dignified and solemn Li Ling couldn’t help it.

He came forward and said, “Madam, what’s wrong with you?”

She just gave him a roll of her eyes.

Li Ling scratched his head: “It’s your first time coming to the mansion. Madam, you don’t feel comfortable with it?”

She bowed her head and said nothing.

Li Ling was so itchy that he had to pay attention to her every move in order to pry into his wife’s heart.

One day, while watching a polo match, he saw her hiding her face and smiling at a man on the field; another day, he saw her resting her chin in her hands, reading a poem by a talented man in a daze; and at a palace banquet, he actually saw the prince. I smiled at her…

Li Ling’s heart became more and more confused day by day.

- Description from novelbuddy

Akashi was a boy so beautiful it seemed the gods had sculpted him with a touch of mischief and a dash of fragility. He wasn’t handsome in the rugged, masculine way of knights or warriors. No—his beauty was softer, captivating in its innocence. His frame was small, almost delicate, and his pale skin looked as if it had never known hardship, kissed only by the gentle sunlight of his village fields.With wide, striking black eyes that shimmered like obsidian under moonlight, and hair the color of a calm, endless ocean, Akashi possessed a charm that defied age, status, or reason. He didn’t know it, but his very existence pulled at the hearts of those who saw him—like an untouched gem waiting to be claimed.And yet, he had been untouched for a reason. Akashi had never known life beyond the boundaries of his village. He grew up surrounded by warm smiles and familiar voices. Every elder knew his name. Every child wanted to play by his side. His days were simple, his heart untouched by cruelty.But peace is a fragile thing.One night, it shattered.The sky turned crimson. Screams tore through the quiet air. Fires devoured homes. Demons—twisted beasts of shadow and rage—descended without warning. They killed with a hunger that could not be reasoned with.By morning, the village was gone.Ashes, corpses, and silence were all that remained.And Akashi… Akashi was alone.The last heartbeat in a graveyard of memories.He wandered for days, hollow and dazed, until rough hands seized him. Chains replaced freedom. Smiles were replaced by cold appraisals. And so, the boy once adored by all became something else—something to be sold.A slave.At the capital's grand auction house, he was stripped, washed, and displayed like merchandise. His beauty caused a stir. Whispers spread like wildfire.“Look at those eyes...”“That hair... Is it dyed? No, it’s real...”“So delicate... Is he even human?”To them, he was no longer a boy with a heart, but a prize to possess. A fantasy in fragile form.He stood on the stage, trembling slightly, barely able to process what was happening. The voices of the crowd blurred together—hungry, leering, filled with desire and greed. The auctioneer’s booming voice called out the bids as if Akashi were nothing more than a fine vase or a rare jewel.The numbers climbed quickly. Too quickly. Akashi’s knees weakened beneath the weight of invisible eyes drinking him in. He stared at the marble floor, trying not to cry.Then, suddenly, the room fell silent.A voice—deep, commanding, and heartbreakingly beautiful—cut through the air like silk over steel.“Fifteen thousand gold.”Time seemed to pause.Every head turned.At the back of the room, standing beneath the golden chandelier, was a woman unlike any other.She wore a flowing red gown that hugged her form like it was crafted by the gods themselves. Her long, golden hair shimmered like strands of sunlight, cascading over her shoulders with effortless grace. Her eyes, cold and blue as a glacier’s heart, stared ahead with quiet power.Even the nobles drew back. This was no ordinary bidder.It was one of the Princesses of the Three Great Kingdoms.Whispers erupted anew—but no one dared challenge her offer.Who would?She stood like royalty incarnate, a goddess who walked among mortals, and she had just claimed Akashi as her own.The boy raised his head slowly, unsure of whether to feel fear or relief. His eyes met hers—just for a second—and something in his chest shifted. She didn’t smile. She didn’t leer. Her gaze was unreadable.But it was powerful. Absolute.And it made his knees weak for an entirely new reason.He didn’t know her name. Not yet.But she had bought him.And somewhere deep inside, something told him—his life was never going to be the same.

Draco had risen to the top of the world through his exploits in the legendary FIVR game, Boundless.

“If you had E-class or F-class skills, history would have changed.”

Jung-woo Jung, a hero who has everything except ability.

Then the world gave him unlimited power.