Tale of Conquerors - Chapter 119: Act III / Shadows on the Horizon

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.

“It was a book.It was a scripture.”Its cover was made of the skin of those who hold a grudge against humans.Its words were written with the blood of those who hold a grudge against heaven.Its weave was created from the sinews of those who hold a grudge against earth.The ancient demonic object, restraining darkness shaking heaven scripture (制暗震天經).Yeon Sang-hyeon, who signed a contract with the restraining darkness shaking heaven scripture at the last moment of his days, is now rewriting his own destiny.The peerless genius met the ancient demonic object!

For a long time, Malin always felt that Fate had been quite generous to him. Although he had to face that life-threatening job every day, as long as he had the lovely Leopard Girl cooking delicious food for him daily, and as long as there was meat to eat and cats to stroke, life wasn't too unbearable. Working a bit harder and facing some difficulties on the job weren't really an issue for a man.Moreover, being able to live two lives meant one shouldn't have too high demands, right, Mr. Different-Kind?Having said that, and without waiting for an answer, the young man snapped his fingers, and the white flame on his fingertip lit the tobacco in his other hand, then he flicked it towards the non-human entity on the stake.Welcome to Abield, to witness the last splendor of the steampunk era.And the madness.

The Sword Emperor’s challenges result in three of the Ten Venerables to be criticially injured. Three of the Seven Absolutes also die.“It wasn’t enough for you to come knocking at my door all alone; now you dare challenge me to a battle to the death? I did not think you to be so dull as to miscalculate others’ strength.””Neither the Ten Venerables nor the Yellow Lotus Temple’s Seven Absolutes of the orthodox sects had the ability to give me an answer. You are the only one left to ask.”Some may call the Sword Emperor old-fashioned, but he only seeks to be stronger as a martial artist.His endeavor eventually leads him to challenge the Heavenly Demon, the generation’s strongest man in murim. The challenge turns out to be the grand finale of his life.However, the Sword Emperor later wakes up as a member of the Cardenas family, the continent’s best swordsman family!