Steel and Mana - Chapter 13 – First Building Blocks

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.

This Dark story contains raw and unfiltered mature contents. Strictly R18+. Read with caution.Ella had lost everything. After her mother’s accident, her father married someone else and pushed her aside, choosing his new family over her. Her friends slowly left, and she was left to deal with everything alone. She spent all her money to keep her mother on life support. Now, she was broke, exhausted, and barely holding on.Then Nicholas showed up.He was a stranger—handsome, confident, and calm. But what shocked her most was the marriage certificate he brought. According to him, they got married in Vegas. The problem? Ella doesn’t remember it at all.She already has too much to deal with—her sick mom, the hospital bills, and her fiancé, who has been her only support. She can’t afford to lose him now.But Nicholas won’t go away. He says he’s her husband, and he wants her to come with him. Ella feels drawn to him in a way she can’t explain. He sees through her like no one else does.She knows she should walk away. She knows she should stay with the safe life she’s trying to hold on to. But something about Nicholas pulls her in—and she’s scared he might break her in the end.TW: DOMESTIC ABUSE, MENTAL HEALTH SCENES, ROUGH SEXUAL ACTS.

what did you say?
Your mobile phone eight-core processor? 6G running memory? 256G storage? One and a half hours full of electricity?
Very great?
Our mobile phone 16-core processor, 12G running memory, 1T storage, can be fully charged in just 10 minutes!
what did you say?
Your charging treasure 30,000 mAh capacity? Two-way fast charge?
Sorry, our charging treasure has a capacity of 100,000 mAh. As for the two-way fast charging technology… Our 10,000 mAh mobile phone can be fully charged in just ten minutes. Can you tell me two-way fast charging technology?
what did you say? Our products are defective?
Come here! Come over and try, let you see how to kill you in minutes!
Super electronics, super cars, super buildings…
Since Lin Yun acquired the universe trading system, various industries began to get a strong impact…
Money is just a trail, and force is fundamental!
You said that Lin Yun’s goal is to dominate the earth?
Do not! Do not! Do not! You are wrong, his goal is the sea of stars

- Description from uukanshu (translated)

“Even death can't stop me from reaching the top.”Alex clawed his way to the top through sheer hard work and ruthlessness, only to be betrayed by someone within his own group.Although he managed to kill the traitor, he lost his life in the process.But just when Alex thought it was the end, fate had other plans for him.Reincarnated into the world of a novel his girlfriend used to read, he was given a second chance at life.His goal remains the same, but this time, he awakened a mysterious system and surrounded by a harem of alluring beauties.Follow Alex journey through this vast new world as he uncovers the truth behind his reincarnation and the otherworldly goddess who made it all possible.