The True Ascension - Chapter 31: Kiss and Confession

On their wedding night, she gnashed her teeth, yelling, “Your Highness, that’s shameless!”

Set off by the flickering light of red candles, he curved the corner of his mouth into a wicked grin, “Actually, I can be more shameless…”

…

When they met for the first time, he was the young prince who lived in his day of brilliance, while she was the pampered princess of the adjacent state.

When they met again, he became the crippled underdog suffering from frustration, while she became the lackluster hostage stranded in an alien land.

In his mid-life, he was defeated in the fight and had his legs broken; his wife passed away and he didn’t have anything left except his father’s detestation… After constant blows took the edge off his spirit, all he wanted was nothing but serenity.

In her teen-age, her state perished and her home lost; she lapsed into an awkward situation after being abandoned and having her marriage annulled… As endless hardships isolated her from happiness, everything she wished for was no more than peace.

…

“Lu Zhishan, when I first met you, I didn’t think I’d marry you…too old,” after years passed by, one day, she lay on his laps mumbling, with a kind of hazy beauty on her boozy face, “and lame.”

“Mu Nanzhi, you have the wrong memory. At our first meeting, I’m neither old nor limp.”

“…When was that?”

“When people were celebrating your first birthday,” that man assumed all gentleness and joy crept on his eyes and brows, “On that day, you were ‘drawing lots’ in the rear hall. I also sneaked there to have a look. But, out of my expectation, you directly grabbed my true-love knot.”

…

How vivid the red love pea is embedded in the exquisitely carved dice,

Just as my feelings for you deep in my bones.

- Description from Novelupdates

Hugo Fernandez, a short, skinny virgin with zero charm, was a young man with grand dreams. He had just started college and was brimming with hope for a bright future, but a rather unfortunate food poisoning ’incident’ soon turned his life from bad to worse. He experienced a social death! Out of the blue, a mysterious girl’s voice echoed in his head: [Ding! Fate has aligned, and your woeful destiny with women has reached the heavens! You have been granted the Ultimate Harem System!!!] Hugo’s listless eyes widened. Had he finally received his own cheat code? Was it time for him to ascend to the heavens in a single leap and start attracting women left and right? The mysterious voice spoke again: [Ding! Initialising Death mission... Seduce a 7+ woman within one month or die!] Hugo blinked, his jaw dropping. “Wait, what? Seduce a 7+ woman or die? What kind of medieval torture is this? I can’t even seduce my reflection!” After taking a minute to calm down, he realised it wasn’t as bad as he thought. “In the worst case, I can burrow some money and get a pro-” [No pay pigging] Hugo realised he was soon going to experience a real death! This system was out for his blood! [Tick tock, Romeo. Time’s wasting…] “I’m gonna die!” Join Hugo on a captivating, deadly journey filled with debauchery, womanising, and thrilling level-ups as he rises above all and becomes a Supreme Casanova! If he doesn’t die first, that is…

It all started on 28, May, 2011… A football game was played, an unforgettable memory was created, and a dream was born with it. ‘I want to play ball!’ It all ended on 12, May, 2018… Another football game was played, another unforgettable memory was created, and a dream was killed with it. And it all changed on 18, December, 2022… Another football game was played, another unforgettable memory was created, and with it, a miracle was created. {Your plea for a miracle has been answered!} {Congratulations! You have received a reward: Ultimate Football System!} This is the story of Sam, a young Nigerian whose passion for football created a miracle. With his miracle, watch the boy dominate the world of football, break countless records, climb the all-time rankings, and establish himself as the G.O.A.T, the Greatest of all time. Watch Sam become the God of football.

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.