This special announcement is dedicated to all my fans wide and beyond. 
I have previously written this chapter as an auxiliary volume but figured you might not find it there so I decided to write it as a chapter. 
I am positive you would have been expecting another chapter,sorry to burst your bubble but here it goes:
Fifty shades of blood will now be updated weekly. To allow further concentration on this book,I have decided to suspend "Babe's Diary". Show some love by reading the book though and pls leave a review. 
Hurray! I am writing another book titled"The arranged Marriage:The Heir CEO". It's also for the WSA but is on the theme love (arranged Marriage),juicy right? I know. 
What does this mean?
This means that I cannot keep up with daily updates of both books BUT I will be updating during the weekends. 
This also means that I am having two entries for the contest, giving you more reason to show some love. I trust you will. 
If I get enough time and encouragement,I will be writing two other books too. I have started drafting them but it isn't ready for showcase yet. They are titled "Spitfire in love" and "Pretend love". 
Blockbuster thriller sci-fi novel "Skai:The legend" is coming soon to Webnovel by the end of the year. (Am giving something to read for Christmas,isn't that cute). 
Anyways,thank you so much for your time. 
Please Please please Please please Please please Please please Please please Please please Please please Please leave a review. Send power stones too and rate the chapters you love. Your encouragement is all I need. 
______________

What do you think about this special announcement? Comment below 👇. Drop a like emoji too👍

It's been thirty years since it happened but it feels like yesterday....... maybe that's what happens when you've just found out that you can live “FOREVER". 
I can't tell you my name or where am from,I can't disclose where I live......or at least used to live. I am monster yet the disgrace of my clan,I don't drink what they drink. I don't want to be like them,......I want to "die". Isn't that what human beings do? That will never happen,I know for sure. I AM NEVER GOING TO DIE. Maybe I will but this monster in me never will. 
Vampires are strong,scary and practically invincible but not this vampire! She does not like the taste of blood,mirrors, garlic,loves being in the sun and is the disgrace of her entire clan. What will happen to the young vampire who doesn't want to be a vampire.....

She stood by a wall,her shadow resting against the floor. She was about seventeen years old....or was she? She stood six feet tall,red hair, blue eyes and and lush red lips. She was wearing a black net blouse and black tights with black boots. Her whole demeanor was intimidating yet she was harmless. 
Most of her clan drank what she would never drink and do what she would never do. How much she hates the sight of red....used to be her favorite color but now...? How far can she run away from red or the sight and memory of it? She is red headed and her name means red and even her zodiac sign signifies red. This can't be a coincidence or can it? Is this where she really belongs? Is this the life she is made for. Can she really go back to her past life? How much she hates being stuck in two worlds?
She is a rebel in both her worlds,she will hunt you down if need be. But now she can't be so sure,she is weak and starving. She hasn't fed in years and it's wearing her out. She knows she can't stay long without blood but she is determined to starve herself to death. Too bad Vampires can't die....or don't die. How did things go wrong for the red haired Aodh Scarlett Flynn?
____________
She was born on the 21st of March,an Aries. She is Irish and American. She was born a twin. Her sister Ambrosia Tuesday Flynn was killed by an occult group during Halloween. Strange things aren't strange anymore as even the word is engraved in her story. All this... being a vampire and all. It all started thirty years ago.

Flashback,thirty years ago. 
.........This can't be happening to me-no,not at all. I had my whole life planned out in front of me,I was a rebel-yes but that didn't mean I didn't want a life. A life with Ian,I hadn't gotten my revenge with Arianna. I haven't avenged my sister's death. Too bad am about to join her. Too bad am getting crushed between two walls. The bricks fell and made a wall with a small crevice. I walked through the wall in an attempt to be with the others but it was too late, useless. The wall closed. I was trapped. Forever. 
_______________
This book is written to contest in the Webnovel spirity awards 2020. Pls vote and leave a review. Gift and send power stones too.
Love you all.
WhatsApp:08090241648 if you want to support me, pay for my stories or publish my book. 
© Copyright is owned by me and no one but me. No plagiarism!

[ Coming, James, System is coming. ]
[ Achievement Unlocked: A Quick One ]
[ In order to appease you, System has used it's own hard-earned savings from centuries of blood, sweat, and toil to skip the next two missions. System is broke now. Hope you're happy. ]
[ Reward: Auto-Completion of next two missions. ]
---
"That's much better," said James.
---
[ Mission Completed: Second Base. ]
[ Achievement Unlocked: A Feel For This Now ]
[ Now that you've gotten a few hands on you, you're really starting to get a good grasp of this. ]
[ Reward: Hand History. ]
[ Perk Unlocked: Hand History - You can now review your historical gambling actions and have System critique and share some advice. ]
[ Sometimes replaying those hands in your mind can give you a good feeling. ]
[ Mission Unlocked: Third Base - Spend $100 on the system to unlock the final step of the tutorial. ]
---
James rolled his eyes. These names and descriptions...
---
[ Mission Completed: Third Base. ]
[ Achievement Unlocked: Getting a Head ... of Steam. ]
[ You're starting to feel warm and comfortable as you bob along on your journey to the finish line. ]
[ Reward: Active Participation ]
[ Perk Unlocked: Active Participation - Active skills are now available to unlock. System can now also give you more live help beyond probabilities, rules, and slang. ]
[ It's like having a partner with great skills. Much better than solo play. ]
[ Mission Unlocked: The Final Frontier - Spend $1000 on the system to complete the tutorial. ]
---
James was flabbergasted. Although the benefits were great, he could not help but feel a little bit dirty. He was beginning to suspect that the system had been programmed or created by someone with a mind not just halfway in, but completely in the gutter.
"Active skills and history review, huh. That's much better than a lame stat upgrade. We're finally getting into the good stuff," James commented.
"Let's try the history review. Something felt a bit fishy about how Mr Lee handled his wager."
A virtual screen appeared in front of James' eyes and started to replay the events that had happened earlier that day.
Mr Lee turning around and scribbling on a small piece of paper before folding it and putting it into his left pants pocket....
Mr Lee turning back to face James and the class and asking James a couple of questions...
James thinking about and delivering the answers to the class...
Mr Lee's face changing and a couple of sweat drops appearing on his forehead...
Finally, Mr Lee reaching his hand into his right pants pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper before slowly unfolding it and announcing the result to the rest of the class.
"Wait a minute. He put the first paper into his left pocket but took another piece of paper out from the right pocket. What a dirty rat! He cheated!"
James felt all of his prior respect and gratefulness to Mr Lee disappear. He should have won the hundred dollars!
---
[ Achievement Unlocked: Cheated On ]
[ Once bitten, twice shy. Now that you've experienced being cheated on, maybe it's time for you to turn the tables in the future. ]
[ Reward: Peek ]
[ Active Skill Unlocked: Peek - Allows you to look at a player's hidden cards. Consumes 1 charge per use. Gains 1 charge every time you find someone cheating against you. 1 charge currently available. ]
[ Almost like being able to see through someone's clothes. A highly voyeuristic skill. ]
---
James reined in his anger. Despite being cheated against, and after all of the events, he had come out ahead.
If Mr Lee had not cheated, he would still be ten dollars shy of completing the third base mission, and he would not have unlocked this active skill. With this skill, he now had even higher hopes about being able to perform at Phil's game this weekend.
"Going forward, I'll have to be more careful and aware." James reminded himself.
---
Now that James had spent all his winnings and progressed as far as he could in unlocking the system, he turned his attention back to the letter that his dad had left him.
After reading it a few more times and wallowing in his feelings, James decided to pen a quick reply.
"Dad. I don't know when I will next see you. I hope it is soon, and that this will all blow over. Regardless, I will dominate the game this weekend and follow your path to the end. I promise to you that I will make you proud."
James finished his short note and left it under the keyboard on the desk with a small corner peeking out. Even if his father never got to read it, James knew that, in the future, he would be able to look at it and remember the inspiration and determination that he held at that moment...
---
The rest of the week passed routinely, and soon it was noon on Saturday.
James cleaned up the safe room as he prepared to go to battle. The "Texas Hold'em for Dummies" book that had held his dad's legacy to him was laid out neatly on the desk next to the keyboard.
He had gone to the bank to empty his savings account and had even snuck upstairs to collect the spilled coins from his broken little piggy bank. The apartment looked just the way it had when James left it. It was clear that no one had made an effort to clean it up.
After exchanging the coins for bills, all of James' life savings fit comfortably into a small envelope the bank had given him. It was just a dollar short of five hundred. This envelope rested in the front pocket of his backpack and represented all the hope and ammunition that he had to pursue his new goal.
From the address that Phil had given him, James knew that Phil lived in the rich man's neighborhood on the other side of town.
It was about one and the half times the distance from his safe room to school in the other direction. James also knew that it would take at least two and a half hours to get there. Not daring to be late, James decided to leave then. It was important for him to not to give Phil any more reason than he already had to make his life difficult. After all, the next day could very well determine his and possibly his parents' fate.
---
Meanwhile, as James was walking towards his uncertain future, a much less optimistic scene was taking place in an abandoned warehouse unit on the far edges of the city...
A disembodied voice came from the shadowed corners of the warehouse.
"Well Mr Jones, I'm glad you finally decided to show up."
The target of those words sat trussed up in a cheap looking metal chair bolted to the ground in the middle of the warehouse unit. The floor surrounding him was bare concrete, and above him lay a naked light bulb connected by a thin wire running up to and across the ceiling.
Seated next to him, equally bound in an identically set up metal chair, was a middle-aged woman who had clearly seen better days. Despite her best efforts to sit with dignity, she was leaning forward against her bounds, clearly on the edge of exhaustion. Dark streaks of dirt and grime covered her face, except for two thin reedy lighter streams of gray where her past tears had worn some purchase. Her eyes were dead and hopeless.
Unlike the person being addressed, she had also been gagged.
These were James' parents. Mr and Mrs Jones of unit #07-07.
"What do you want? Let my wife go. She's innocent. She knows nothing." James' father said quickly.
"I want some answers from you," came the droll reply. "But first, let me show you the penalty of lying."
A gunshot came from the direction of the voice. From the flash, Mr Jones noted that his assailant was wearing what looked like a business suit, and had cold, emotionless eyes.
Mr Jones flicked his eyes down, noting with surprise the lack of blood on his body.
Then, he heard a slightly muffled high-pitched scream. With a sense of panic, he turned to look at his wife. She was now leaning fully forward, with only the tape binding her as her support, screaming against the gag in her mouth. Fresh tears had formed, filled, and left her hollowed eyes, creating new channels of lighter gray against the mottled shades on her face. A rapidly spreading crimson stain could be seen on the lower right leg of her pants, just below the crease of the knee.
"I am very disappointed in how long it took you to come to us, Mr Jones. The next bullet will take the left leg. If you still need convincing after that, the third bullet will be centered and nine inches higher."
"I'll tell you everything. Please. I swear I will. Don't hurt my wife, take me instead." Mr Jones blubbered.
"Oh, I will. Eventually. Now, where is the card?"
"It's in the book. I left it hidden in the Dummies book. Texas Hold'em for Dummies."
"Oh I'm disappointed, Mr Jones. There was no book by that title in your apartment. I thought you would be past trying to deceive me by now."
A second gunshot sounded, and the scream rose in pitch by another octave, now accompanied by muffled choking and coughing.
"I swear it's true! Maybe it's in my safe room. Same building, Apartment #02-05. Code 1116. Please, please, please don't hurt my wife. I'll do anything, just save her."
"Let me step outside and make a quick call to my associates. If you cooperate, I don't see why there's a reason to continue this little... exercise."

In a casino, there is a Blacklist. If you cheat, steal, or win too many times, then chances are you will find yourself invited to exit the premises and placed on the Blacklist.

Above the Blacklist, lies the Circle. Six mysterious individuals with incredulous tales attached to them. Millions and billions of dollars won in a single night.

Finally, above the Circle, lives a enigma. The enigma comprises only of a single word. Sanjay. He who is known as the God of Gamblers.

--
Work in progress. I am a new writer just beginning to explore this world. Thank you for your patience.

Disclaimer: Gambling is for entertainment only. If you choose to bet, bet only what you can afford to lose.

For WPC #126.

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Every love story is beautiful but ours is my favorite.

═════ஓ๑♡๑ஓ═════

A day like an other on JYPhig.



I was sitting on my place in our math clas reading in my notebook, I sudenly heard our techer sudenly yell "Inside" whit his loud yet stern voice , As I sruged and looked back into my note book lisening to the talk.


As I looked up I briefly caught his beateful chocolate eyes before he turned to teacher.

I've senced that everyone's eyes were on the new boy, except for me since I didn't care a bit I looked like a bad boy wearing a black leatherjack.

My attitude wasn't arrogant although everyone though I was selfish to everyone no one know I had a boy friend called Jea, I just focused on my notes and shrugged it of.

I heard to boy squeak a"Sorry, I was lost" I listened at his shy voice . 

"There is another place besides Jackson" i heard the teacher say as i looked up to see him pointed to me as I fastly looked dow to my book.

When he sat down on the chair next to me and puted his bag on the floor.

I was searching Assignment 15 in my notebook and saw him just look at his hands and didn't dear to say a work.

"Aren't you going to  introduce ourselves anymore, beautiful?"
I looked at him as he looked up in shock whit Fifty shades of red on hees sheeks.

"M-Mark tuan" 
He squeaked out of his mouth as his cheek become Fifty-Shades red but now with shame, yet I stil understood it. 

"Jackson wang"

I said as he blinked trying to probebly focus on what our techer was saying, what wasn't possible since he kept glancing to me I couldn't let to occasionally looke at mark what made him blush mandly. 

"C-Can I look into your book" 
He asked as I pushed his book to me so so we could both follow the lesson, I was grateful. 

"Assignment 15"
I said, as he blinked and looked at the assignment.

"Mr. Mark Tuan, I understand you want to make friends but you can do it after class."
I was shocked by the loud voice of the teacher who stood in front of the class I blinked.

 She woke up starving and when she opened her eyes, an adorable furry face met her and licked her face. 
"Ugh." She pushed the face of King then she looked at her husband leaning on the headboard while reading Fifty Shades Darker. "Baby?" She called and then she looked at the book one Fifty Shades of Grey. Is he done reading it? 
"Hey, baby." He patted her head. "Go back to sleep." 
"Why? I'm hungry." She sat up and looked at the dogs sleeping with them. "Why are you reading that?" She crawled to him and reached his crotch. 
"Hey, our babies are sleeping." He said indicating the dogs. 
"I want you…" She murmured. 
"I thought you were on your period." He said and continue reading. She pouted at him. 
"Baby, let's take the shower." 
"I thought you were hungry?" He closed the book and kissed her mouth. 
"I'm horny at the same time." 
 Their late lunch had already been settled in the dining room. They eat casually and talk about stuff and she opened about the sniper that has been killed inside her facility. It stirred up Zach's overprotectiveness. 
Even inside her facility, someone wanted to kill her. 
"Should I call your cousin Sabrina to give you bodyguards? Or I could ask Gabriel Lawson." 
"No. Darling, I can handle myself besides—it's fine. I understand that once I sat on my throne—people would be a big threat to me." 
 They finish their food and just let it on the table and soon their maids clean it up for them. They went back to their bed and cuddle on the window seat while he continued reading the book two that is near to end. He's fast reading and she does not doubt that he'll finish all the books for a few hours. 
 She reached her phone and call Andel but he's not answering at all. Where is this guy? 
*** 
 Andel has been searching online about the bidding of gems. On the other hand, Ellen is with him and she's searching at the same time. She clicked the link and show it to him. 
"This is luxurious, they just got it from mine and it would be cheaper before bidding. It's a real ruby stone." 
"Okay." He said and told the pilot to go directly to South Africa. 
"I have connections there." She told. 
 Andel looked at her and clapped his hand. 
"You are good at that, little girl. I am so glad that I brought you with me." 
"For the tenth time, do not call me little girl, Old Man!" She scolds him. 
 He exhales and massaged his head. 
"Continue searching, okay? I'm going to sleep." He reclined his chair. Just a few seconds passed, he had fallen asleep. 
*** 
 Moira clutches her pillow and suddenly frowned. An arm was wrapped around her, a face shoved on her nape and the breathing is slow and hot. She was sure that she slept on the couch. She's a light sleeper and she would probably feel that she has been moved or carried. She dragged his arm, but he tightens both of his arms around her. 
"Let's stay more… I can't seem to get up." He murmured. 
"Fuck you." She unclasped his arms and sat up. The man was fast as he pulled her down, grabbed her waist, pinning it above her head. 
 Her eyes dilated seeing him fully naked and she accidentally sees his lower thing. She shut her eyes and avoid his kiss. 
"For the love of God! Dress up!" She muttered. 
"Oh." He looked down at his thing and it's hard. "Don't mind my big buddy here." He said sexily and bent down to kiss that adorable frowning brows. "My lady… we will be together soon." 
"Fuck you." She scolds him. 
 Her blood races up to her head and she unclasped her wrists from him and pushed him. She drags the pillow and covers it on his thing. She exhales and brushes her fingers through her hair. 
"I thought that you are going to fuck me?" He asked quizzically. 
"Stay away!" She slid off from the bed and face him. "Leave my house." 
 He didn't move an inch and just looked at him with his hand over the pillow that covers his lower part. She was pacing back and forth. She needed to leave where this guy could not find her. Alanis blinked and was curious about what she's thinking. 
"Darling?" 
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" She asked him fiercely. 
"I like you." He said it casually. "You wanted to leave the country? Let's run away together." 
 She looked at him for a while and thought about it. 
"I will bring you to places that would make you happy." 
"Is that what you want?" She asked him.
"No, Darling. It is what you want." 
"Do I need to strip and fuck you so you could leave me alone?" 
"No. Darling, I don't want to fuck you. I want to make love to you." 
 Moira crossed her arms and thought about it. Is he crazy or something? Maybe once that she had sex with him—he will vanish. But she doubted that. He's an importunate asshole. 
"If I strip right now, are you going to leave?" 
"No." He leaned on the headboard of her Queen Bed, his stripped abdominal exposed together with his strong pectorals. He's like a Greek God looking at her. 
 Moira rolled her eyes. Okay, he's well built, and she thought that he would have a big stomach, drinking alcohol and sipping on tobacco. She inhaled and looked at him. He smiled and patted the space beside him. 
"Come here, Darling." 
 She shuddered and went to the bathroom. She suddenly thought about Andromeda's words. Sexual words and the Fifty Shades of Grey—full of shit but she got turned on. She was pacing back and forth and thought about his propositions. 
 Coming to him will be a bad idea but maybe if she show bad things to him, he wouldn't like her and he would eventually back out, right? She washed her face and gargle a non-sting mouthwash. She took a towel and dump it on her wet face. When she comes out, he's already dressed up. 
 He hasn't unbuttoned his shirt yet and he looked so dazzling. Anyway, he looked sexy and so handsome. She turned around and went to the kitchen. She drank warm water and an arm wrapped around her. She froze. The man sniffled her neck and kissed a few parts of it. 
"Where do you want to go? Japan?" He asked with a grin. "Jetplane is ready to go anytime." 
 Moira has never been hugged by someone like this. It felt—comforting. All her life no one comforts her. Grandpa told her many times to never seek comfort to anything for them to be strong enough. And he was partially right. 
 Getting comfort from someone is good. 
They stay like that for a while and she could see his assassins guarding him around her Penthouse. 
"We could shop around…" he muttered. 
"I change my mind. Let's run away to Paris." 
"Oh, city of love." He twisted her hips around to him and he started kissing her passionately. 




“What now? We didn’t make love on our wedding night. Now you are teasing me.” Zach said frustratedly. Andy peeked on the window and Allona wasn’t there anymore. She turned back from him and reached her phone but Zach grabbed her arm and make her face him. “Andy, are you pushing me to use that freedom card?”

                Andromeda faced him.

“I am not pushing you to use that. I don’t want to make love to you because you don’t love me. You can fuck anyone but not that bitch last night.” She grabbed his shirt. “I am warning you. You can fuck any woman but not her. You are mine now and no one can ever have you.” She said dangerously.


Andromeda Mondragon - heiress of Mondragon Army Clan, who had fallen in loved and had received the greatest heart break. 
In her life she was trained by her grandfather to be the very best. She loved him dearly and had never decline his orders however, he wanted her to marry the family friend. And that will be the first order that she declined. She's willing to kill herself over the orders he gave. 
There's no place in hell that she's going to marry the man who killed half of her. 

Zachary Pattinson - heir of their army clan, a family friend of Mondragon. He was known to be the handsome-charming heartthrob in society. Many women had fallen with that charm but only he gave his all to one woman. And that woman hates him so much that she's hurting herself just to ease the pain in her heart. 
What she did not know is he's also getting tortured whenever he sees her in pain.
 
Will he win her back? How can he undo his mistakes? Is he ready to take her back and chase her?

Join the server: https://discord.gg/gpgZdMN

I love colors. I'll say it over and over again: I love colors! They're beautiful. They're stimulating. Sometimes I even think they're magical. I love everything about them, from the power they have to evoke emotions to the subtle yet distinct differences they make in a work of art. But my favorite thing about colors is their symbolism, the way they can be used to hide secrets and hint at details of a bigger picture without drawing focus away from the story at hand.

It's simple enough to use colors in visual art, but what about in writing? Challenging as it may seem, I believe it is possible to create symbolism with words, such as when describing color schemes of character outfits and settings. Color symbolism has fascinated me for as long as I can remember, and while it would take an entire book (or series of books) to get into it all, I'd like to at least scratch the surface today with some of the basics I've picked up throughout my experience researching and implementing meaningful colors in my stories. You may want to consider these tips the next time you set a scene; they can help add a vivid new layer to your story! Enjoy!
Red – Red is a bold and passionate color, often symbolizing such strong ideas and images as courage, fire, power, and violence. It's a color that demands attention, which is why it's commonly used to signify danger. Use red for passionate or aggressive characters, or for any sort of intense scene, whether it's the heat of love or the violence of war.

￼Orange – Not quite passionate and not quite joyful, orange is a middle ground between red and yellow. It symbolizes energy and creativity, and is used in psychology to stimulate enthusiasm and determination. Use orange for adventurous or creative characters, or when you want to paint some vibrant warmth into a scene.

￼Yellow – Yellow is the two-sided coin of colors. On the one hand, it symbolizes happiness, optimism, sunshine, and friendship. On the other hand, it can also stand for cowardice, illness, hazard, and deceit. Golden shades represent wealth and luxury. Use yellow when you want to add hints of joy or caution to a scene. For the best effect, I recommend using yellow ambiguously, such as for characters who seem jubilant and optimistic on the outside but who are fearful or deceitful on the inside.

￼Green – Think of green and you're sure to picture beautiful scenes of nature, complete with lush vegetation as far as the eye can see. Indeed, green is the color of the environment, and it represents such ideas as youth, fertility, health, and rebirth. Abstractly, it also symbolizes jealousy and good luck. Use green for characters associated with natural themes such as environmentalism or the practice of healing, or to hint at fortune or envy in relationships.

￼Blue – Blue is my favorite color because it represents all my favorite things. It's a color that symbolizes intelligence, tranquility, trust, and loyalty. In nature, it's associated with the sky and the sea, and different shades from turquoise to navy can be used to signify sophistication, knowledge, and integrity. Use blue for characters who are more intellectual than emotional, and for settings fitting an atmosphere of calm and authority.

￼Purple – Purple is the color of royalty, and has long represented such themes as nobility, wisdom, honor, and extravagance. Being a relatively rare color in nature, it is often associated with mystery and magic. Lighter shades such as lavender also convey grace and elegance. Use purple as a motif for regal or arrogant characters, mysterious settings, and storylines brimming with fantasy.

￼Pink – A soft complement to the bold red, pink is the color that most famously signifies love and romance. Strongly associated with femininity, it represents tenderness, caring, and acceptance. I myself tend to associate the color pink with flowers. Use pink to add a soothing or feminine quality to a scene, or to signify elements of a romantic subplot.

￼Brown – Brown is well known as an earth tone, and as such tends to represent stability. Common ideas associated with the color brown include simplicity, comfort, and endurance. Use brown when you want to convey a sense of plainness or tenacity in a scene without having to resort to the blatant dullness of gray.

￼Gray – The dull middle ground between white and black, gray is most commonly associated with boredom and depression. On the positive side, it also stands for security, modesty, practicality, and reliability. Use gray for conservative characters or when you want to create a colorless air for a particular setting.

￼White – White is the international color of peace, and is often regarded as a symbol of light, purity, and faith. Some even go as far as to associate it with perfection. Note that white takes on a different meaning in Eastern cultures, where it's associated with death and mourning. Use white when you want to convey innocence in your characters and cleanliness in your settings, or when you want to create strong religious symbolism in your scenes.

￼Black – The exact opposite of white, black represents everything that its counterpart doesn't. Darkness, evil, and death are themes commonly associated with black, but it can also stand for austerity, formality, style, and sexuality. Arguably the most powerful color of all, black has a long history of symbolizing strongly opposed ideas on the spectrum of good and evil. Use black to convey depth in your characters or to add dark themes to a scene. For best results, combine it with other colors to create interesting contrasts of ideas in your stories.

Luis arrived at Jeff's place exactly at the time they had agreed on. Luis was an advent timekeeper, and he didn't like getting late, especially for important things. He rang the doorbell at Jeff's place and patiently waited. Jeff's mom was the one who answered.

"Hi, are you Luis?" she greeted him warmly and he nodded, "Welcome, Jefferson says he will be with you in a few minutes."

Luis was shown into the house and waited for Jeff at the lounge. It did not take long for Jeff to come down. He had already heard Luis ringing the doorbell and did not want to keep him waiting.

Luis was not expecting Jeff to dress like that when he descended the staircase. He had worn a pair of khaki shorts that revealed his thighs and pressed tightly against his buttocks, a slim fit pullover and hair that had been visibly applied too much blowout. He stared at him for a second before commenting.

"You appear prepared for the occasion," 
Jeff flushed a shade of red and replied, "Thank you, I like to dress according the activity."

"I didn't know the library needed such a  outrageous outfit. You look like a gay man who's desperate for sex." It was Winnie, Jeff's older sister. She had a mission of making Jeff's life miserable and wasn't hesitant to do so when the chance came. Although she was really smart, Jeff tended to call her stupid whenever she interfered with his life.

"Well this gay man might just snatch your boyfriend so watch out," Jeff retorted. Fortunately for him, his loud mouth usually had just the right answer for her whenever she was overboard. Seeing that she was defeated, she stuck her tongue out at him and went ahead to the kitchen to prepare a snack. Jeff called out to his mom to tell her that they were leaving. Jeff was about to open the door when his mother called them back.

"Don't tell me you are leaving and yet I haven't prayed for you," she excused herself.

"Mom! No!" Jeff hissed at her. His mom, on seeing that, was clearly hurt but she didn't let it show for long. Instead she kissed them both goodbye, much to the shock of Luis, and led them outside. Luis waited until they were out of earshot.

"Why didn't you want your mom praying for us?"

"Trust me. Her prayers are long enough for us to go to the library and back in the evening. She would probably have started even asking for forgiveness for the sins of the cattle you keep in your ranch," Jeff answered lightly.

"How did you know we had a ranch?" asked Luis, surprised that Jeff knew and yet he didn't tell him.

"Ummm…" Jeff stalled, looking for an excuse. "Michelle told me. She said that all the girls that were mad about you actually did a research on you."

Luis halted. All of a sudden he started laughing so hard that Jeff wondered whether he had said something wrong.

"When you find a better excuse please come and lie to me again," he told Jeff, tears in his eyes. "Everyone in school knows that I'm gay."

Jeff felt like killing himself. He had just been caught lying. Lacking another answer to give him, he shrugged his shoulders and continued the journey with his head down, too ashamed to look at Luis.

They finally arrived at the library. They entered and went ahead to the reception to pay for the entrance fee. However, they found that the secretary was not yet at her station and had to wait until she came back from wherever she was. Finally she arrived, and greeted the boys asking what she could do for them.

"We would like to access the library please," Luis replied.

The secretary looked at them sadly and told them, "I'm sorry but your reading adventure has been interrupted today. The library is closed due to a book club function. I had put it on a poster outside, but I guess someone must have ripped it off the wind could have taken it." 

Luis and Jeff looked at each other and shook their heads. That would be the only chance they had of entering the library, as during the weekdays they were usually at school and the next Saturday was too far. Jeff decided he couldn't waste his chance. He turned to the secretary. 

"Excuse me my dear. Seeing how much your beautiful here and the way that Mac lipstick is perfect on you, will you please just allow us to use the library?" He flashed a set of puppy eyes that dropped the secretary's guard. He then moved close enough to her and whispered seductively. "We have a very urgent matter that we need to find out."

Luis was astonished to see the secretary's cheeks all pink as she blushed profusely. She looked up to both of them and smiled.

"Well I suppose I could let you in. The book club function is only on the second floor. Which part of the library are you going to?"

"The history section," Jeff replied sweetly. 

"Okay, you'll go to the far end, and then you'll climb the staircase up to the third floor. After they, go to the farthest end of that hall and on the right you'll see the History section," the secretary guided them. 

"Thank you," Jeff said and winked at her, causing the secretary to fan herself with a paper. They went ahead to the staircase.

"What was that?" asked Luis, as they walked up the stairs. 

"It's some superpower of mine," Jeff replied cheekily. "I just turn on the puppy eyes and boom! Someone's under my spell. I like to call it The Charm."

"Who do you use it on?"

"I don't mostly use it, but sometimes I use it on William's secretary to get free chocolate bars from the staffroom, or on Julliana whenever I haven't done my assignments so that she could let me go," Jeff naughtily replied. 

"Oh God!" Luis remarked and they started laughing. They suddenly kept quiet when the book club came into view. They could see some of the attendees hunched up at a corner reading a book. Both boys' eyebrows Rose after realising that the book was Fifty Shades Of Grey. They then tiptoed all the way to the third floor, hoping that no one would notice them. They heaved a sigh of relief after finally reaching the third floor.

"What kind of book club reads Fifty Shades Of Grey?" Luis exclaimed as they searched for the history section. 

"I could swear that I had seen the bulges of almost twenty men in there. Are they trying to convert it into an orgy?" Jeff remarked and they giggled. 

They finally found the History section. They then got into the searching of suitable books. Luis was the first to find one.

"Hey, I think I found one," Luis called at Jeff, waving a book titled 'The Fall of Gaffernon' 

"Gaffernon?"

"Yeah, but you do Geography so you wouldn't know. Although they don't teach us that in History until Grade Eleven," Luis explained. They sat at the library desks and began perusing through the book.

"Here," Jeff pointed to a paragraph and began reading it. 

"The myth about the Expiravit of Middlewood is perhaps the most common story that is used to explain what really happened to Gaffernon at that time. It is said that a young princess from afar had come to take back the invaluable Dragon Pearl Necklace from the then Queen, Gaia Smith. It is said that she was caught stealing it, and opted to jump out of the window rather than be locked in the dungeons. It is that fall that led to her death with spears piercing through her body. However a few days later, the King and Queen were reported to be missing, with nothing but blood stains on their bedroom. It was perceived that the princess had come back for her revenge, thus she earned the name Expiravit, Latin for 'ghost'. However, it is unclear what had happened the day of the disappearance, and after the people had shifted to the democratic government they opted to change the castle into something more appropriate and useful for the town, thus it was converted to a school, Algernon High, or what is known nowadays, Arabella Academy."

"Wait, so you mean I have been learning in a century-old castle?!" Jeff exclaimed.

"Could be even three centuries, it was a castle for the ruling families of Gaffernon," answered Luis.

"At this rate I might even find our house is older than that school."

They were interrupted by the sound of three people rushing from the stairs into their floor. They were two boys and a girl. Luis and Jeff instantly recognised them from Panterbaker High. They rushed to hide behind a bookshelf and watched silently as the three made their way into the corner. Then to Jeff and Luis' complete dismay, they began kissing and fondling each other as the two boys placed the girl on the table. Luis was further shocked when Jeff took out his phone and began recording the three, he gave him a shove and dragged him silently to the stairs where they eventually left, but not after a resistance from Jeff who wanted to get more footage of the three. 

"What was that for?" Luis asked as they both laughed at what they had just witnessed.

"You know we have a feud with those assholes. I just wanted some leverage," Jeff defended himself. "I knew that wasn't a book club."

They decided to go back home and rest, ready for tomorrow's regroup. Luis took Jeff home, and they stopped to say their goodbyes at the front gate.

"Now I know why Marcus likes to hang out with you. You're so much fun to be with," Luis confessed.

"Don't make me choose because you're going to be very disappointed," Jeff replied.

"If I would have been brave I would have approached you before he did"

"So you've been stalking me?" 

"No, but I've been seeing you," Luis said, giving Jeff one of his signature smiles. Jeff felt all energy leaving him at that smile.

'I'm never going to get over that smile,' he thought to himself.

"You're still a stalker."

"Call me whatever you want," Luis smirked.

"I guess it's time for me to go," Jeff sighed. "It's been beautiful, today I mean."

"Yeah," Luis replied, his blue eyes glowing. "Goodbye Jefferson."

"Don't call me Jefferson," Jeff joked. "No one calls me that except my mother." 

Jeff then entered his compound and walked up to the porch. He paused before knocking the door and turned back, hoping that whoever had brought him was looking back too.

And he wasn't disappointed.

[Book One of the Arabella Academy Series]

He didn't expect a murder to drastically change his life.

When a fellow student is brutally murdered in Arabella Academy, Marcus thought that it was an unfortunate incident that would soon be forgotten in the naturally peaceful life of Middlewood. However, his curiosity gets the better of him and upon being at the wrong place in the wrong time, realises that it's up to him and his friends to figure out why Sheila was killed. He dives into the detective business where after a few coincidences and a whole lot of bad luck, he discovers that the murder was tied to him in so many ways. This leads to a hunt to find the Dragon Pearl Necklace, a piece of jewellery which had been for so long nothing but a myth, and which will give an answer as to who really killed Sheila. The search for it reveals a lot about his life that he had never heard of, shifting his life to a completely different direction. Arabella Academy is no different, as many will come to realise its perfect nature was almost imperfect as the secrets that have been kept behind its walls are finally brought to light, one after the other. It is a journey which will change Marcus' life completely, and one in which he will experience support, pain, danger, heartbreak, betrayal, anger and endearing love.

The hunter becomes the hunted and the hunted becomes the hunter.

Will Marcus find the killer before he gets to him?

No pain or joy would last longer than time itself.
As dawn arrived, the obscure gray-white fog was dyed with a layer of gold radiance by the first rays from the sun. Streaks of bright but heatless radiance fell through amidst the cracks between the clouds, only to be devoured by the darkness that covered the land.
Orderly footsteps and the clanging sounds of armor colliding could be heard within the darkness that quickly advanced, but there was not a hint of human interaction.
Some silent visitors had arrived at the southwest wastelands of the Grandia Continent.
The ripples of contorted dimension lowly dissipated behind them. These dark beings carried a deathly presence that did not belong to this world were warped here from the far northern dust highlands.
Klang. The sounds of clashing metals echoed even as the sun slowly brightened. It broke through the gray-white clouds and illuminated the land, and the Death Shades that were scattered around quickly vaporized just as the darkness that engulfed the world slowly vanished, revealing the beings behind it.
It was an elite unit of heavy infantry that was as systematic as machines, their banners soaring overhead.
Each of these soldiers were adorned in black full-body armor. Each flail, heavy crossbow, and broadsword that hung by their hips or javelins they carry behind their backs were exquisitely crafted, gleaming with cool light of bloodlust.
But the most astonishing thing was that these beings with no hint of being alive did not disperse despite the arrival of the sun. They were protected by a dull black halo over their heads, containing abnormal Death Shade power that kept the sun from harming them.
At the very front of the troops, a warrior wearing a heavy armor decorated with a ferocious looking dragon-head while carrying a dragonslayer great sword behind his back led the team through the dimensional doorway as they advanced towards the soil of the Southwestern Wastelands.
No pain or happiness was more somber than death.
Great commander Arman was deeply aware of that fact.
As a dead general who once led endless armies and was awakened from eternal slumber, no one was more aware of how cumbersome time and death were—enough to crush all spirit and discolor all glory.
Armand Fernand was a general five-hundred and fifty-three years ago who served the Central Empire—the former incarnation of the Ulan and Gelug Empires. He led their grand army overseas to hunt the giant dragons that inhabited a dragon island, killing hundreds of those reptiles due to the unexpected ambush.
Then, under Armand's instructions, the army closed down the space where the dragons lived on every other turn until the powerful general killed the Elder Dragon of that particular generation by his own hands. Thus, the ancient, glorious and powerful race was almost completely wiped out, leaving just a few dragon-blooded descendants behind.
Now, five-hundred and fifty-three years later, the reawakened dragon-slaying general led his revived armies and walked upon this land. And yet, everyone was now ignorant of their past glory, their records becoming but a light scribble in the history books. Just as the draconic races that were slaughtered and thus forgotten all those years before, everything they did slowly return to dust and silence under the sweep of time.
Now, this undead army that was filled with past glory, pressed on towards the wastelands with a confident stride.
Their goal was to wipe out all life within.
Since the Death Shades engulfed the continent, every faction in the world of Grandia crumbled beneath their boundless invasion. Most cities fell or self-destructed swiftly, leaving survivors who ran to live within the ancient forests.
Thus, ninety percent of life on the continent was extinguished, and the expression 'nine out of ten' was no longer a hyperbole but reality.
However, even those survivors were slaughtered by the gradually active Death Shade Army one after the other.
As the one behind all that, grand commander Armand neither felt ashamed nor hesitant. It was because all of it were orders coming from 'that person', and everything 'that person' did was unquestionable justice.
Even if it was war, slaughter and destroying this world.
Suddenly, the army stopped.
The sounds of their footsteps vanished in an instant, leaving the sounds of billowing wind in the air. The dawn sun had completely broken through the clouds, allowing the world to be blanketed in light and filled with warmth.
The general wearing a dragon-head helmet lowered the hand he used to gesture for the army to stop and looked up towards the seemingly borderless plains.
Behind the v-shaped opening of his helmet, two bundles of red flames could be seen contracting into specks, and he tightened his grip over the hilt of his sword that hung by his hip.
Armand had seen someone.
The plants over the wastelands were withered; the land cracked in countless spider-web fissures due to drought.
And yet, a warrior with black-hair and scarlet eyes and whose body emanated with an indescribable presence was simply standing over the plains that offered no cover, as if he was waiting for their arrival.
He wore a black light armor; his face was so calm it was almost cold. Beside him was a silver great sword almost the height of a person that stood upright as if a pillar, while he held another weapon—a war axe over his shoulder.
His imposing presence radiated to regions dozens of miles around him, holding such power that the dawning sky dulled. He therefore became the greatest source of heat in this world, scorching all things around him. Still, the dried plants were but incidental victims—the undead spirits around him were the ones being bombarded heavily.
Nonetheless, Armand stood before his army. The halo over his head whirled slowly, blocking the opponent's cleansing lifeforce that radiated out of his entire body.
He immediately knew that the person was the target of their journey.
A Heavenly champion who stood before the threshold of Divine, capable of breaking through at any moment!
An equal of their current broken bodies, a power that belonged to the peak of this world that was deteoriating by the day.
"So, you're that person from another world."
Through mana resonance, the dragon-armor general's voice that was so flat it seemed to have no emotion resounded across several kilometers. "We have a list of all remaining Heavenly champions of the entire continent. Heavenly-pinnacle champions who are about to make a breakthrough are especially given more attention—and yet, you're not included."
The warrior did not reply, however. Joshua seemed to have no intention of talking. He merely tightened his grip over the hilt of his axe and sword, while tremendous energy flowed within his body.
Armand, on the other hand, was indifferent to the fact. Seemingly having other thoughts, he simply carried on speaking.
"Although it's not known why you would come to this world without hope, whatever the case may be, it's better if you quickly return and not interfere in our struggle against the living. This isn't something people of another world such as you could step into."
Though Armand's words were laced with thick caution, there was no hint of enmity. Even Joshua paused for a bit at his demeanor, but he soon shook his head as if mocking the other for thinking too much.
I'm just doing what I want.
Slowly lifting the greataxe and greatsword and assembling both into the unsophisticated Dragonslayer Swordspear, he assumed a combat stance with a spear in hand, inviting the other into a fight.
There were flames within his gaze, as if narrating a simple truth.
 —Only victors have the right to talk.
With that, the lifeforce emission that was spreading incessantly everywhere quickly shrunk, cascading back into Joshua's body.
Knowing that his opponent was a being that did not dull in comparison against Herlas—perhaps even surpassing him, the warrior would neither be careless nor spare an ounce of power.
"You wish to fight?" Armand smiled coldly on the other side, shaking his head as he grasped Joshua's intentions. "Pitiful fellow. You totally have no idea what you're dealing with."
In the very next moment, the general drew the longsword from his hip, his fingers clenching over it as he held it before himself.
A resounding reverberation came banging from his body. With the thunderous boom, endless black haze ejected out from the seams the general's dragon-armor, shaping into a gigantic black halo formed from endless runes and totem constructs over himself and his army. The halo chained every Death Shade together as if fusing them into a single body.
Moving clouds shifted under the manipulation of that power as if a pair of colossal, invisible hands were condensing every energy on this earth. Armand's voice was also gradually growing more powerful, turning from your typical speech into the roar of a million dragons at once. Gales formed from the sound waves billowed across the skies of the wastelands, causing clouds to surge and the world to lose color—as if all things could not disobey his view.
The dragon-armor general lifted his head slightly and focused his gaze on Joshua, a cruel killing intent exploding instantaneously. 
"I am the titled Divine, Armand Fernandez the dragon-slaying general of the Central Empire and the Fourth Death Shade commander."
"You face the judgment of ten thousand armies!"
Klang!
Every undead spirit that stood behind Armand drew their weapons. Blood-red radiance gradually concentrated within their red eyes, as if they desire the slaughter and flesh that followed.
With nary a sound, the phantom of a military god that seemed to pillar heaven and earth had seemingly awakened from the netherworld. It appeared out of thin air, and yet had not an inch of flesh but merely pale-white bones. Over its body was a heavy dragon-scale armor, its hands brandishing a bone-breaking war hammer and an armor-piercing longsword, while its entire body unleashed bloodlust and ferocious killing intent.
And as if the will and curses of the vengeful millions it had murdered had gathered upon the military god's specter armor, its surface seemingly swirled with a black luminescence of malevolence.
Five-hundred and fifty-three years ago, the dragon-slayer general had condensed the power of armies. The taboo spell [Lord of the Armies], undefeated in all wars and wiping out nations or dragons alike has reappeared on this day!
Though his opponent was but one man.
"I am the army; the army is I."
"If you wish to fight me, you would have to fight my armies. If you wish to kill me, you would have to kill us all."
Armand pointed his longsword towards the silent warrior before his eyes.
Amidst the ranks of undead spirits, the military god that was comparable to a titan drew out its longsword and pointed at the warrior too. Its savage impulse for bloodshed poured out, as if to freeze all things and have all life bare their necks for its blade. 
On the other hand, the warrior's eyes glinted.
Then, he spoke—the first line he uttered since he met Armand.
"Doesn't sound too difficult."


Joshua woke up in the middle of a battlefield one day only to discover that he has been transmigrated into a popular MMORPG, Continental War. Discovering that he has not only been displaced in space but also in time, Joshua realizes he has knowledge of the events unfolding around the world as he had played through them as game events. Read on to discover how Joshua forges his path toward becoming a legendary warrior embroiled in the struggle of Order and Chaos!

Four people, Huang Xiaolong, Fei Hou and the two guards from the Marshal's Mansion headed towards a cultivation technique and battle skill auction house (having decided to go there before heading to the property market).

While Huang Xiaolong was in the Silvermoon Forest, he had gotten some gold coins from killing mercenaries, however, it was not enough money to buy a property; so Huang Xiaolong decided to auction off the cultivation technique, Black Moon Art which he had gotten from the Purple Robed Sword Sect Elder Chen Feng.

The Black Moon Art was a high-grade Mysterious rank exercise; it would definitely fetch a good price.

Moments later, Huang Xiaolong's group of four arrived at a cultivation technique, and battle skill auction shop called Solitary Peak.

Probably due to the early hours, the auction hall was empty when the four of them walked in.

"May I ask if you gentlemen want to buy or sell cultivation techniques?" asked the shop supervisor as he approached them (having seen the four of them as they walked in).

"I want to auction a high-grade Mysterious rank cultivation technique." said Huang Xiaolong without preamble.

"Mysterious high-grade!" The supervisor was really surprised as he looked at Huang Xiaolong. Generally, people were rarely willing to sell a high-grade Mysterious rank technique and skill.

"Correct." Huang Xiaolong answered lightly.

"Please, please come inside so we can discuss." The Supervisor's expression drastically changed, and he smiled broadly as he ushered the four of them into the inner hall. He quickly ordered servants to serve tea as Huang Xiaolong was seated, then he went to inform his superiors.

Very soon, an old man in his sixties wearing a gold colored robe came into the hall, followed by the previous supervisor, he was Solitary Peak's Elder, Lin Yuan.

As Lin Yuan came in, surprise flickered across his eyes when he saw Huang Xiaolong.

"He he, I'm Solitary Peak Auction's LinYuan. I heard that Little Brother wants to auction a high-grade Mysterious rank cultivation technique," said Lin Yuan as he came in smiling.

Huang Xiaolong didn't say anything but pretended to take something out from his robes while actually taking a black book out of the Asura Ring. He put the book on the table and opened to the first page.

"Black Moon Art!"

Lin Yuan was rather surprised as he had heard of Black Moon Art. After practicing this cultivation technique that trains in the yin energy of the moon, if one practices it especially at night, the power of this technique increases.

Controlling his expression, Lin Yuan smiled saying, "This is definitely a high-grade Mysterious art, how does Little brother want this auction?"

"I need money at the moment, so you offer a price." replied Huang Xiaolong after thinking for a moment.

If he decided to auction the book, it would take two to three days before he could get the proceeds from the auction which was why Huang Xiaolong decided to sell it directly to the auction house, so that he wouldn't need to waste time.

On hearing Huang Xiaolong's words, it was clear to Lin Yuan that Huang Xiaolong needed the money urgently, a pained expression appeared on his face as he said, "This Little Brother, you are aware that directly selling it will only fetch you a very low price." then, he continued with an air of magnanimity saying, "But I won't short change you, I offer you fifty thousand gold coins!" His hand showed five fingers.

"Fifty thousand gold coins?" Huang Xiaolong sneered in his heart when he heard that. This old guy was really taking him as a little kid, trying to send him away with a measly fifty thousand gold?

A high-grade Mysterious rank cultivation technique could reach a price as high as three hundred thousand gold coins minimum in an auction, so selling directly should at least bring him two hundred fifty thousand gold coins. Even a mid-grade Mysterious rank cultivation technique would cost at least one hundred thousand gold coins.

Huang Xiaolong did not bother to continue negotiating but instead he retrieved the Black Moon Art from the table, got up and said to Fei Hou: "Let's go." And the four prepared to leave.

"Stop!" yelled Lin Yuan, when he saw that the four were about to leave. His body then flashed, then he appeared beside Huang Xiaolong blocking his path with his hand. Suddenly more than ten gray robed guards rushed into the room.

Huang Xiaolong's expression became cold, looking at them he asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

Lin Yuan's earlier smile vanished, as he said "Little Brother, why are you in a rush to leave, is it because of guilt? Does your cultivation technique manual have suspicious origins ?"

Huang Xiaolong returned Lin Yuan's look with a look full of interest of his own, "My manual's origin is suspicious?"

Lin Yuan smirked, "That's right. Our auction house lost a high-grade Mysterious rank cultivation technique, the Black Moon Art a few days ago!"

Huang Xiaolong sneered in his heart, it seemed like this person wanted to force him to sell cheaply so he gave an excuse implying that the Black Moon Art was stolen from the Solitary Peak auction house.

On Earth, Huang Xiaolong had come across this kind of forced sale situation a few times.

"How about this, I won't make things difficult for you." said Lin Yuan in a cold tone: "Return the Black Moon Art to our Solitary Peak auction house, and we will let you leave. If not, stealing from us comes with dire consequences!"

Now, Lin Yuan didn't want to pay the fifty thousand gold coins which he had previously offered. With fifty thousand gold coins in his pocket, it was enough for him to live happily for some time.

He knew all the children of Royal City's nobles and prominent families' and Huang Xiaolong was not one of them, so he dared to act in such a manner, confident that Huang Xiaolong didn't have the means to seek revenge.

He had done this a few times.

Listening to the auction house's Elder slander Huang Xiaolong, saying the Black Moon Art was stolen from them, Fei Hou regarded him with interest, he stood next to Huang Xiaolong silently.

However, while Fei Hou could stomach it, the two guards from the Marshal's Mansion standing behind Huang Xiaolong couldn't. One of them stepped up and slapped Lin Yuan's cheek, and shouted in anger, "Are your eyes blind, you dare to bully our Young Master!"

"Pa!'

That one slap sent Lin Yuan staggering back several steps, and a red five-finger print appeared on his right cheek.

"You, you dare to attack me?!" Lin Yuan's hand touched his burning cheek and roared. His eyes filled with killing intent. Because the two guards weren't wearing their uniforms, but instead wore normal robes, Lin Yuan couldn't recognize them.

"Attack, kill them all! Snatch back that Black Moon Art manual!" Lin Yuan shouted anxiously; he flashed and appeared in front of Huang Xiaolong and struck out.

But the moment he appeared before Huang Xiaolong, a silhouette suddenly cut in between them. Fei Hou slashed out, and swords sparks floated out like white snow-flakes.

Startled, Lin Yuan tried to retreat but the many snow flake-like sword sparks melted into his body and Lin Yuan screamed as his body was sent back flying and crashed into a pillar.

The two Marshal's Mansion guards' bodies were spinning, and with every turn, an auction house guard fell down.

Having being sent to protect Huang Xiaolong by Marshal Haotian, these two guards' strength couldn't be weak; although they were yet to reach the Tenth Order, they both were at the peak late Ninth Order, so how could the auction house guards win against them!

Very quickly all the gray clothed guards were lying on the floor moaning in pain, only then the two guards who followed Huang Xiaolong stopped.

"Young Master, are you alright?" Both of them stepped towards Huang Xiaolong and asked respectfully.

"I'm alright." Huang Xiaolong shook his head. He walked towards the auction house Elder Lin Yuan who just got up and was leaning against the wall. Seeing Huang Xiaolong standing near him, he became frightened, "Little Brother… a misunderstanding, this is a misunderstanding! It's our mistake, we lost a cultivation technique a few days ago but it wasn't the Black Moon Art! I was mistaken, this pig head of mine, so stupid, deserving death!"

It's too inconvenient reading this on a particular site, can't download to read offline.
So I copypasta this here.


Hey the posting of chapter depends on my reading speed so if you caught up go read on wuxiejie.

Translator: QUMU

Charlie, the other board member, made a simpler comment, "This creative paper has proved that human body electric current and brain waves can cause illusions. It is for sure a breakthrough. However, the paper still lacks solid support for wider application to cover more illusionary spells. Therefore, the importance of the paper remains to be further proved in the future. Twenty-five arcana credits and three hundred points are recommended to be given."
In the end, the document concluded, "Creative and groundbreaking. Worthy of detailed discussion. Well-organized and clearly presented. However, the application of the paper is relatively limited as it currently cannot cover the entire field of Illusion, and many key parts remain ambiguous. Twenty-eight credits and three hundred points are given as the award."
A smile appeared on Lucien's face. Although it seemed that those board members did not really like his paper, as they did not give him many credits, the comments given by them were not bad. Lucien had found the right research direction, thus his paper was, of course, creative and was a breakthrough.
Eric slightly shook his head and said, "Those board members are just fusty. They don't like yours and Ms. Isabella's paper. They gave you the least credits within the standard. Normally speaking, your paper deserves at least forty to fifty arcana credits, but Ms. Isabella's paper should get at least eighty."
"How many credits did Ms. Isabella get in the end?" asked Lucien. As he was prepared, Lucien was not angry. He was looking at getting more credits by other sorcerers' future citation.
"Fifty… Those guys…" Eric lowered his voice, looking the same serious, "If Ms. Isabella wasn't a senior-rank mage, probably they would give her forty."
Ms. Isabella was a member of Tower, a level six arcanist, and a seventh-circle sorcerer. Although Isabella specialized in Astrology and Illusion, she was still outside of the core group of Tower and had not been selected into Arcana Review Board. Rachel was her student.
"I see… It would be hard for Ms. Isabella to win the Laurel, then," Lucien commented casually.
Eric stared at Lucien with his light gray eyes and said to Lucien after making sure that he was not expecting to win the laurel, "So the number of Sorcerer Laurel winners have always been fewer than that of other awards. And most of the Laurel winners are the members from Family of Sorcerer, and their findings were all related to the three schools of magic from the ancient magic empire. But Ms. Isabella's experiment is very well designed and sufficiently proved. If the Laurel is not going to be given to Ms. Isabella, this honor would become a joke."
Lucien realized that who could win the award was also of political concern. He could not help thinking how he could win the Laurel.
...
When Lucien got back home, he was told by Leo that he had a guest.
"Mr… Drummond?" Lucien was a bit confused. He could not remember the name.
Leo hurriedly reminded him in the low vice, "Mr. Drummond's the chief editor of Arcana."
That was right. Lucien clapped his hands. As for every single arcanist who worked hard to publish his or her paper on Arcana, Drummond was a name that they had to remember. But Lucien was an exception. He did not have to worry about where to publish his papers.
"Why is he here? And Leo, how do you know him?" asked Lucien confused. Drummond was a level seven arcanist and an eighth-circle sorcerer, the chief editor of the famous journal, the winner of Arcana Sceptre prize. Why did Drummond come to visit him in person?
Leo answered as a very decent butler, "When I was working for Ivanovszki, I had to remember the names of all the important people to handle all kinds of stuff. So after I came to Allyn, I've collected some names, just in case."
"Thank you." Lucien was very satisfied.
When Lucien saw the chief editor, Drummond was wearing a dark vest and suit, holding a black stick. His black eyes were sharp and serious like the eyes of an eagle.
"The Lord of Storm once gave me some very useful suggestions in the field of Force Field, and his achievement in many arcana fields is incomparable. I'm sincerely glad for you that you can become his student, Lucien." Drummond tried to be closer to Lucien.
Lucien greeted Drummond and said, "Every morning I have to go through Mr. Fernando's brainstorm. Every morning time seems to pass by very slowly."
It took Drummond a few seconds to figure out what brainstorm was. He smiled, "Not many people are willing to stay beside the Lord of Storm when discussing arcana and magic questions."
Lucien and Drummond walked into the living room. Lucien asked politely, "Mr. Drummond, it's my great honor having you here. Honestly speaking, I did not recognize your name immediately as I never expected you to come and visit my place in person. I should be the one visiting you, sir."
Holding the stick, Drummond said, "I just got the news from the board that you've got a breakthrough in studying the factors affecting hormone secretion, and you've introduced Electromagnetic Theory into the field of Illusion. By the way, hormone is the term put forward by Ms. Isabella to call the certain human body alchemical substances. I've read your paper, and I think your paper is of great value. I am here to invite you to publish your paper in our journal. The theme of our next month issue accords with your topic well. I think it's better than sending you an invitation letter to express my sincerity, and also to apologize for what happened to your previous paper. I've fired the editor who rejected your contribution."
Arcana was the most well-known and reputed journal in the world of magic, and its chief editor came to Lucien in person for his paper! Drummond was treating Lucien like a grand arcanist or a legendary sorcerer! But, of course, apologizing for what happened last time was also part of the reason.
"No worries. Thank you very much, Mr. Drummond." Lucien and Drummond sat down on the couch in the living room. Lucien asked, "You mentioned the theme of the next month issue… Does Arcana have a theme?"
Before getting more information, Lucien would not say yes casually. Not to mention that Mr. Woods from Common Arcana was an old friend of his.
"Since Ms. Isabella's paper passed the review, great controversy has been caused. In the past week, many senior-rank arcanists have developed papers or designed experiments to refute Ms. Isabella's theory. So, in the next month's issue, we have decided to give the most space to these papers. This was the theme. We're hoping that your paper can achieve the expected outcome as your paper is the best support to Ms. Isabella's theory," said Drummond sincerely.
"To achieve the expected outcome…" murmured Lucien. He soon realized what Drummond was talking about.
Lucien guessed that most members in the Highest Council were not happy with the fact that Illusion and some other schools of magic had never belonged to the system of arcana, which caused the barrier between the sorcerers from Family of Sorcerer and most arcanists. So they were using this as an opportunity to let Lucien's paper become the solid support of Ms. Isabella's theory, thus the conservatives could feel the pressure. If Isabella won the Laurel, arcana would win, as the sorcerers from Family of Sorcerer had to admit the fact that the arcana system could at least explain part of the school of Illusion.
Of course, Isabella's paper itself was good enough to win the Laurel. This was the premise.
Lucien crossed his fingers and said in a low voice, "Mr. Drummond, Mr. Woods from Common Arcana has helped me a lot, and I've promised that I would first consider publishing my papers on Common Arcana first. I keep my words."
Lucien was expecting a better offer.
"Evans, Arcana Review Board is discussing something recently. It is totally unfair that publishing a paper on different levels of journals gives a sorcerer the same credits. Therefore, they are going to give each journal a corresponding coefficient. When deciding on future citation credits, a sorcerer can get more credits by weighting the base credit by the corresponding coefficient," answered Drummond, well prepared. "They've decided to evaluate each journal every five years based on the influence of all the papers published previously. The coefficient varies from one to three. Common Arcana is doing a good job these years, so the coefficient Common Arcana deserves shouldn't be bad. But I have to say that Arcana currently still enjoys a higher reputation. Arcana credits are very important to sorcerers, and this is also the will of the highest council. I am sure that Mr. Woods will understand. Also, if you support us this time, we will always reserve a place on Arcana for you and your paper. We can negotiate the schedule."
Arcana only did this for people who were at least members of Arcana Review Board!
Lucien nodded. After all, this was part of the plan of the highest council. He smiled, "If Mr. Woods won't blame me, I'm willing to publish my paper on Arcana."
Later, in Lucien and Drummond's casual talk, Drummond said with pity, "If Ms. Isabella did not publish her paper before you, and if your paper was more precise, your paper would be the focus. If that was the case, you probably would become the second arcanist in the past hundred years who could win two highest prizes before reaching senior-rank. But you're still young, so you still have a lot of potential, especially as the Lord of Storm's student."
After Drummond left, Lucien went back to his study and continued to work on analyzing the fifth circle spell.


"A falling star has brought the chaos. The throne of fate has lost its master. The nonbeliever who walks in light and darkness will make his debut."
In this magic world, knowledge is power.

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