Devil's Music - Chapter 20: The Second Encounter with the Dead?

Have you ever wondered what a character in a novel or in a game should be?

Do they eat? Sleep? Do they have their own life when you are not reading or playing?

They do not.

When you are not doing anything, we stay still.

To be fair, think about your own life. Is it different from a game without a system? You can not see behind your back, similar to how a character has to render it in a game.

But at least, you have your own life.

While I have to watch the protagonist of the novel find his way into the pants of the female leads.

This is my destiny.

I'm not jealous. Not at all.

Welcome! If you want to jump in without any spoilers, feel free. Otherwise, here's a story primer, with a list of more specifics on what to expect from my work further below.Our story follows a fallen knight haunted by his past, in a world afflicted by war and supernatural wounds. Alken is the Headsman of Seydis, an executioner tasked by the divine powers of his homeland to hunt dark sorcerers, warlords, and traitors of all varieties, lest they drag the world into calamity.Once a paladin, this role ill suits him. Forced to cross lines that shake his beliefs, tempted by dark forces, and seen as an ill omen wherever he wanders, his path is often a bloody one. The longer he spends in the shadows of his world, the more he comes to realize just how many have been disenfranchised by the existent order. During his lonely battles through a land haunted by the restless dead and ancient magics, his journey becomes increasingly strange and personal.Enter a realm where the dead stir in every shadow and brooding demigods wage a millennia long war for a ruined heaven, where blessed knights wield gilded flames and sorcerers battle with weapons forged of their own souls. Enter a world of faustian alchemists, of saintly demons, and of time-weary elves.From Oathbreaker you can expect— A setting heavily inspired by Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Fromsoft games, and authors such as Michael Moorcock and Kentauro Miura. — A first person POV from an older protagonist who already knows a lot about his world’s history and cultures, who shares this information with the reader as it becomes relevant.— A mix of action adventure and quieter moments where the focus is on character development. Lore is shared piecemeal, usually only as it relates to a particular arc or character beat.— A heavy focus on mystery, both with the setting and the protagonist. The main character’s backstory isn’t shared up front, and a lot of the narrative involves learning about him a bit at a time, either from his own narration or other characters interacting with him.— A semi-soft magic system where many mages manifest unique powers tied to their own soul, or gain unique powers through eldritch pacts.— Romantic elements. These don’t crop up much until later in the story.— A variety of supernatural beings, such as elves, vampires, gargoyles, chimera, and trolls. Many are familiar, some are not, and most of the familiar ones have my own twists put on them.—Nobledark fantasy. This means that the world is often themed around tragedy and horror, but it’s not dedicated to being gritty. There are elements of high fantasy intermixed with the scarier stuff.—Episodic arcs. Each story arc usually has a specific locale and antagonist or set of antagonists, but certain overarching plots tie them together.— A long running narrative. I don’t have a specific projection of how long or how many arcs or books, but you should expect this to be equivalent to a long running serialized work.This is my first web serial! I hope everyone enjoys it. For trigger warnings, readers should beware that there are some heavy topics in here. When I think something might upset certain readers, I’ll put a warning in the author notes above a chapter. If I miss or overlook anything, feel free to let me know in the comments! I am currently publishing the same story on my wordpress, which is linked below and in my profile. I release three chapters a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Thanks for reading!(I originally had a link to a wordpress, but I'm in the process of overhauling that space. It's not a priority since my readership is all here, but just in case anyone noticed and was wondering)

[Completed] She only wanted to create a fake scandal, but accidentally entangled with a real male deity. Everyone says that the “Emperor Leng,” the entertainment industry's Heavenly King, Leng Zimo, is cold-blooded and ruthless, but why, why does he cling to her and refuse to let go … “Leng Zimo, let go, we have nothing to do with each other anymore!” she roared lowly. Beside her, a delicate little boy had a face as cold and stern as his, “Let go of my mom, or you will bear the consequences!”

It’s a trend to take your grandfather along with you when passing through to another world, but we have kind of been cheated—have you ever experienced buy one get eight free?

Hong Xiaobao: “This opponent is a bit formidable. All you old-timers, hurry up and save me please! If you don’t appear, then this prince is going to get angry!”

Demon Emperor Meng Xianji: “Mockers, kill! Those who defy me, kill! Strong people, eat! Valuable treasures and materials, eat! Good equipment, steal!”

Wine God Xiao Sanshao: “Why must you be so brutal? If there’s something wrong, can we not just all sit down and have a nice chat? I’ll teach you how to taste wine, youngster!”

Medicine Immortal Tian Can: “You guys chat first. My condition today isn’t very good, so I’ll go rest first…. If you want to concoct some medicine, tell me after I wake up….”

Godly Craftsman Xi Hong: “Didn’t I just upgrade your equipment yesterday? What are you afraid of? Attack, youngster! Isn’t that right, Chen Nan?”

Formation Spirit Chen Nan: “En…. How about you go ask Mao Yue.”

Beast Emperor Mao Yue: “Today’s sunshine is too bright. I’m recalling that cat of mine who died because of menstrual pain….”

Hong Xiaobao: “Can you guys not be so misleading?”

- Description from Novelupdates