DIVINE BANE - Chapter 34: is this what suffering fells like

“Duty before heart,” Ashleigh replied firmly.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I will do my job. But Caleb is just my duty, you are my heart.”

***

Two men, two distinct feelings of attraction and trust.

Ashleigh struggles to understand the feelings in her heart. Torn between the man she has loved for the past two years and the cold Alpha of an enemy pack, can Ashleigh figure out which of these men she truly wants to be mated to?

Does she really have a choice?

She is the daughter of Alpha Wyatt of Winter, the largest of the four Werewolf Packs. For two years she has eagerly awaited her eighteenth birthday so she can finally be married and mated to her love, Granger. But just before that magical day she runs into a significant problem: she finds herself bonded to another wolf.

Her fated bond happens to be Alpha Caleb of Summer, the man whose father was supposedly murdered by one of her own.

As if that wasn’t enough, every pack is suddenly reporting attacks from rogue wolves. Now Ashleigh is faced not only with a war in her heart, but one in real life.

Will they be able to work together, putting aside all their heart ache and pain to keep their packs safe from the enemy that threatens them all? Or will this love eventually become their downfall?

Once an unsung slave; Yur’s existence was defined by blood, pain, and chains. That was until he stumbled into Zulmasharr, the realm of demons.In the depths of despair and agony, a near-death encounter unsealed the terrifying truth of his existence; he is no mere mortal. A cursed hybrid of human and demon; Yur’s survival was only possible through the bloody rebirth of his Ashkavaal bloodline and the awakening of his sinister cultivation system, Zul.With Zul, Yur can rear demons for rituals, harvest their power, and dominate the chaotic world around him. But freedom comes at a cost. As the incognizant successor to an ancient being, his every step is burdened by the weight of a destiny he never asked for. Yur craves only one thing: to stay free, unbound by demons and men. Yet his growing power and severed bloodline ignite the fascination of forces that would see him enslaved or slaughtered.Yur must steer through a world of demons where trust is a fault, survival is animus, and his very existence is a blemish. Blood will pour, flames will revolt, and demons... they kneel or die. But in the end, is freedom attainable for the bearer of a bloodline forged from blood and ash?Will Yur vanquish his fate or will it condemn him?

“A Virtual Dream Device? What the heck is this?”“Is it used for daydreaming? Nope, not interested.”“What? It could simulate reality at a hundred percent? I could live out half a year in one night's time and bring in a replicate of a real person?Hmm, pretty sweet I must say.”“I'll be the only one left in the world while the others are all gone in the first dream?”“Uhm, I'll like to bring in a female celeb at the pinnacle of her glamor, could I?”

In the 30th century, Tyler Rustel is an eccentric and visionary genius, renowned as a brilliant inventor. His life, however, comes to an abrupt end when a small experimental nuclear reactor explodes in a series of unforeseen events. Yet, death is not the end for Tyler. He awakens in a body that feels both familiar and foreign—a parallel version of himself in a completely different universe.This is not a world of technological progress or orderly civilization. Here, twisted gods roam the cosmos, shaping realities according to their cruel whims. The moral laws that governed his previous world do not exist. This is a magical universe, one marked by brutal betrayals, interdimensional wars, and endless massacres. The balance between the forces that rule this cosmos is fragile, and Tyler finds himself at the center of schemes involving powerful entities and boundless ambitions.However, Tyler is no longer an ordinary man. Upon awakening in this new world, he discovers that a fragment of his technology has survived with him: an advanced artificial intelligence system capable of analyzing, adapting, and enhancing anything, provided it has the necessary data. From magical weapons and arcane spells to alchemical techniques and enchanted jewelry, everything can be optimized under his supervision.Armed with this technological advantage in a universe dominated by magic, Tyler quickly realizes the potential of his unique position. While others struggle to survive, he schemes to conquer. Driven by his sharp intellect and a questionable sense of morality, Tyler embarks on a ruthless campaign to achieve magical supremacy and subjugate all worlds around him. He seeks neither redemption nor alliances. His ambition is clear: to rule everything and everyone as a tyrant, to amass an immense harem of women, and to father one million children to establish his legacy across all realms.