Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress - Chapter 9: Firsts

“When the old gods are forgotten, they do not die—they wait.”In the year 1025, the Viking Age wanes.Iceland bows to Christ. The Althing governs by law. And the gods of old fade to whispers.But in the far Westfjords, something stirs.Vetrulfr, a former Varangian captain and exile, returns from the East with foreign gold, forgotten warcraft, and a hunger no man can name.He comes not in peace, but to raise Ullrsfjörðr from ash and ice; building walls, carving runes, and waging war on behalf of a dying faith.From Reykjavík to Aachen, rumors spread: a ghost walks the North once more. Some call him the son of Ullr. Others, a wolf-cloaked demon.But all will know his name.and when the Valkyries call, he will answer.

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)

“THE NEW GATE”, an online game that trapped its players and turned into a death game, was now releasing the thousands of players that had been dragged into it, thanks to the efforts of Shin, one of the most powerful players. But after having defeated the last boss and freed everyone, he was swallowed up by a strange light and found himself inside the game world 500 years in the future and unable to leave.

What would happen if a genius martial artist transmigrated into the world of swords and magic?Will he become the Ruler of the new world?OrWill he become the prey to the strong like a side character?Leon, a genius martial artist, was struck by lightning when he was on his way home.When the doctor said he was paralyzed from shoulder to foot, all martial artists cheered in happiness and held a party.Leon was a candidate to be the Ruler, so they were thrilled when they found out that he could no longer be a martial artist because they were scared by his extraordinary and unreasonable talent.They wanted to continue to be bosses in their regions and become idols for everyone, so news of his condition was like a heavenly song to their ears.The world's cruelty to Leon did not stop there.When a powerful earthquake shook the hospital violently, none of the doctors or nurses tried to save him, leaving him with no choice but to accept his fate as walls and medical equipment collapsed on him.But when he thought he was dead, he found himself transmigrated into a parallel world where monsters and powerful people ruled the world.Getting a second chance to live again, Leon decides to pursue his dreams like before.“Hmm? You mean there are two classes for awakeners in this world, and I awaken both the Warrior class and the Mage class?” Leon said as he touched his chin with his right hand.[That's right, Host.]Leon's lips curled up into a smile.“I failed to achieve my dream in my previous life. In this life, I will make sure to become the Ruler. I will stand at the top of the hierarchy and make everyone bow their heads to me.” Leon slowly lifted his head to look at the blue sky, remembering his previous life. “I will not let anyone or anything stop me this time. If the heaven tries to stop me again, I will make the heaven bow as well.”Follow Leon as he embarks on his journey to become the Ruler of the new world.* MC is OP at the same rank, too OP.Additional tags:Beautiful female leads, handsome male lead, multiple identities, secret identity, war, elves, fox girls, dragons, etc.