I Was Banished from Heaven, Now I'm the Demon King's Stepdad?! - Chapter 12 – “The Virus Trial: Prove You Can Save Her”

A conversation with a handsome stranger leaves Ariane chained in a cellar with a strange affliction. She soon discovers that the darkness of the nineteenth century’s Deep South hides many dangers. Mages, wolf shifters and the humans who hunt them play a risky game where to stumble is to die, all under the amused gaze of the apex predators of the supernatural world: vampires.

It is never healthy to attract the gaze of the aristocracy of the night. It takes much to survive in this merciless world, but Ariane will not let that deter her. The southern belle has a bite, and she is willing to learn and to grow in this hostile new world. She will use whatever means necessary to reclaim her freedom, be it guile, charm, or those intriguing new instincts that make blood so delectable.

This is a story of vampires as I believe they should be, with their strengths and weaknesses, with their remnants of humanity and the beast inside. Updates every Friday. Mind the tags.

Cover by Antti Hakosaari: https://www.artstation.com/haco

Special thanks to Svensonsen for getting me started, as well as Omi Nya, Hesketh, Rhaegar, Yaksher, Selkie and Raven for proofreading my stuff. Thanks to my patrons and you dear readers, for the support. I could not do it without you.

Journey is on Amazon, both in ebooks and audio. here is a link to the first one:

https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08DK6G8Y8

The story probably exists in your local marketplace as well of I can tempt you.

In the Heart’s Kingdom, a kingdom where vampires reign and humans were nothing but livestock, Lilou, a peasant, found herself being preyed upon by the worst maniacal vampire of his kind. However, as terrifying as what he addressed her as his ‘reserved meal’, this vampire also called her his bride!

Except:

My eyes brood with fear, gazing at the still-beating heart in his hand. “My Lord, pardon me but… is this the bloody proof you promised to show me?” I asked, my voice shook as I gulped down whilst struggling my trembling knees from giving away.

“Mhm… do you now believe I’m good at capturing hearts?” The silver-haired man, bearing those menacing pair of deep crimson eyes stared proudly at me after a nod. I gasped when he clenched his hand and squeezed the fresh heart to smithereen.

“Yes, milord. You’re good at it, literally.” I’m mortified, watching the pieces of the heart fall as he approached. His every step made me take a step back until my back reached a solid pillar.

“Huh,” Samael chuckled briefly, stopping in front of me. His long, pointy nails that were covered with blood traced my elbow down to my hand. Gently, he clipped my forefinger in between his, guiding it before his lips. “Did I pass your test, though?” He asked, the sharp tip of his nail played over the tip of my finger.

I stared at his penetrating gaze as I reluctantly answered, “Barely.”

He smirked, nodding in satisfaction before he pressed his nail on the tip of my forefinger that was quick to produce a drop of blood. “Such sweet aroma.” He whispered, placing my bleeding finger in his mouth and licked it with passion.

His menacing gaze never left mine as he consumed a bit of my blood. “Does that mean you’re accepting my invitation?” Keeping my finger in between his fangs, Samael inquired.

I bit my lower lip unconsciously, my heart within my chest drummed as my back broke into sweats. “But… I’m just…” I paused, hoping my answer would put an end to this. “… I’m just a human.”

Samael clicked his tongue, displeased at my response as he let my finger go. “No,” He whispered.

My entire body stiffened when he bent over, caressing my shoulder up to my neck by the apex of his nose, as his hot breaths prickled my skin.

“You're not just a mere human... you are my human.” He stressed before I sensed his lips part and the tip of his fangs against my skin.

Yuan Jia died early, and only after meeting the system did he know that his younger brother was the male lead, and he was the male lead’s cannon fodder brother.
Even if he is more talented than the male protagonist, how can he be more powerful than the male protagonist as a supporting role?
So he suffered a plot kill.
His business empire will be inherited by the male protagonist’s younger brother…
The connections he made will be inherited by the male protagonist’s younger brother…
The marriage date he set was inherited by the male protagonist’s younger brother…
And he is just the older brother who died young in the memory of the male protagonist. Take it out and remember it when you need it, and forget it when you don’t need it.​​
Yuan Jia’s goal is to work hard to live longer than the male protagonist’s younger brother.
As long as he doesn’t die, the male protagonist will always be just a younger brother.
World 01: [There is no eldest son of Houfu who died of illness] √
World 02: [There is no giant president who died in an air crash] √
World 03: [Nongmen Tianjiao who did not fall into the water] √
World 04: [Founding Emperor who was not robbed and killed] √
World 05: [There is no school god who died in a car accident] √
World 06: [Prince who was not deposed and poisoned] √
World 07: [There is no brother who accidentally fell off a cliff and died] √
World 08: [The true biography that was not plotted by the younger brother] √
World 09: [Cousin without plundering ability] √
World 10: [A powerful minister who was not framed for treason] √
…
2. Whether Yuanjia wants to marry and have children depends on the situation.
3. There are many kinds of male protagonists and younger brothers, there are dark villain male protagonists, and there are decent male protagonists of Guang Zhengwei…
4. Various types of routines, please pay attention.

Content Labels: System Fast Passing Through Books Shuangwen
Search keywords: Protagonist: Yuan Jia ┃ Supporting role: Pre-received new articles “White Eyed Wolf, I Don’t Love You [Quick Cross]”, “I am a gentleman of the male/female host [Quick Cross]” click into the column to see! ┃ Other:
One sentence introduction: I am not dead, the male protagonist will always be a younger brother!
Purpose: The protagonist must fight for his life with the sky and live a wonderful life.

- Description from novelbuddy

Hunter Cha Eui-jae, who was dispatched to seal a rift that appeared over the West Sea, was flung out as soon as he closed the rift. When he came to his senses, he was lying in a garbage dump.Starving, he was drawn like a zombie is to blood to a hangover soup restaurant, where he realized that he had fallen into South Korea, eight years in the future.In this era, disaster alerts notify people of rift openings in advance, ASMR videos of slimes gathered from dungeons were trending, and idle hunters livestream unboxings of A-rank longswords.Unlike the past, where people trembled in fear of an impending apocalypse, the future was surprisingly peaceful, leaving Cha Eui-jae feeling empty. Since things had turned out this way, why not start a second chapter of life as a part-timer at the hangover soup restaurant, rather than being a hunter?“That’s strange.”“…”“Have we met somewhere before?”Cha Eui-jae’s plan to quietly spend his remaining days as the only part-time worker at the decades-old hangover soup restaurant goes awry when he encounters a mysterious, gas-masked individual…DISCLAIMER: The story isn't mine