Being trounced once again turned Hyrlan's attention away from Pong as she looked at Joshua and Sir Weissenasche walk out of the room.
"Joshua, is your discussion done? Ciri... you should come with me to the academy, then."
Hyrlan still underestimated Ciri's "favorable disposition" toward Joshua, plus Joshua had already reminded them that the talk could take some time before he entered the room.
So, Hyrlan was going to take Ciri back to the academy to try to salvage her student status. However, Ciri stuck fast by the door and refused to budge.
It was as if Ciri would die the moment she strayed a little too far away from Joshua.
That was a fact only Ciri and Joshua knew. Until now, Ciri had yet to find a good opportunity to explain her relationship with Joshua to Hyrlan.
Fortunately, the theater's hospitality for its guests was top-notch. Coupled with the charm of Pong, Ciri managed to distract Hyrlan's attention.
"Sister, it's already late in the evening now."
Ciri pointed at the clock on the corridor wall. It was one of the arcanotech appliances produced after the patent revolution thirty years ago. Since the advent of the rune-powered clock, humans in this world had finally been able to accurately count time to the second.
 "Evening? It's obvious that ten-plus minutes have just passed..."
Hyrlan's sentence came to an abrupt end when she saw the clock on the wall. The hour hand of the clock was pointing unerringly at seven.
It was five when Hyrlan arrived, so that meant she and Ciri had been sitting there for two good hours!
Yet, Hyrlan felt like the two hours had passed in the blink of an eye. All she did that afternoon was play a few rounds of Pong with Ciri.
It was... terrifying!
Hyrlan felt a chill run down her spine as she looked at the white Pong window in her vision.
She had always thought that wasting time was a cardinal sin, and the game just wasted two hours of her life.
She was now hesitant about using magic to erase Pong from her consciousness.
The reason for her hesitation was that she had not reconciled her losses. She had lost three games to Ciri earlier, and she would only win whenever she persisted.
So, Hyrlan gave up the thought.
"Sorry for making you ladies wait. The next agenda is to prepare for the premiere. I'm afraid that she may not want to go back that early," Joshua said.
Joshua's words prodded a little thought within Ciri's mind.
A real movie buff would not feel bored even if they were to watch a movie a dozen times, and Ciri did not receive the same treatment as the Duke of Bones. She had not seen the completed final part yet.
Hence, she had been waiting for this day for a long, long time!
"But, Joshua..."
Hyrlan was a little conflicted. The academy she studied in ended its classes at eight. If she was to rush there now, she might be able to make it in time for the teacher's classes.
Ciri had not been reporting to school for half a year now. If not for the fact that Ciri's magical talents were much more terrifying than Hyrlan's, Ciri might have already been expelled by the academy. In fact, there were whispers of the crazy little brat's half-year absence from school among the teaching staff.
Being a mage was a real symbol of status in Norland, and Hyrlan truly hoped that Ciri would continue her studies in the magic academy.
"I've already been absent for half a year now. It doesn't matter if I wait for another day. Sis, I'm choosing to stay for the premiere. I'll regret it for life if I miss it," Ciri said.
Hyrlan always believed that a stage play was just something to past the time. She had been dragged to one by her classmates before, but she was not interested in it.
Even if Hyrlan dragged Ciri to school as her older sister, it would be useless because... she was no match for Ciri.
Despite possessing a Rank 3 mage certificate, she was not a match for a Rank 2 magic adept.
The magic Ciri used was more inclined toward actual combat, while Hyrlan's magic was more toward academia.
"Alright..." Hyrlan finally relented and agreed.
So, with Sir Weissenasche at the lead, Joshua went straight to the theater's performance hall.
There were two performance halls inside Weissenasche Theater, and the first hall was the one used for formal performances. The auditorium was divided into upper, middle, and lower floors with enough seating to accommodate two thousand people during a single performance.
Although no one had visited the theater for a long time now, the seats in the auditorium were spotless. The ceiling was inscribed with intricate pale-gold patterns, which made the entire theater feel a little more glorious...
And the theater indeed had its glorious days...
"Sir, what do you think?"
Sir Weissenasche moved to Joshua's side, and his humble air from earlier totally disappeared, as he was very pleased with everything around him and he could stand with pride before others.
"The stage is too small."
Joshua walked to the side of the stage and looked at the back of the auditorium. It was definitely a worthy place for an opera, but for a stage play, the audience sitting on the third level and above would need to use "Eagle Eyes" magic in order to see the scene on the stage.
"Sir, I swear that this is the biggest stage in all of Norland. Even that despicable theater cannot match it."
"It is still too small."
The theater was indeed much larger than a normal cinema, and if Sir Weissenasche could accept it, Joshua would have torn down the entire theater and rebuilt it.
However, Joshua did not have the luxury of time now, and Sir Weissenasche, who saw the theater to be more important than his life, would definitely not accept it.
"Take the curtains above down."
Joshua pointed at the curtains hanging above the theater. They would usually be drawn during the switching of scenes in a stage play.
Sir Weissenasche hesitated for a while, but he still ordered his men to take down those red curtains, which had been hanging above the stage for decades.
After the curtains were taken off, the entire stage was completely displayed before the audience. Joshua did not care about the stage but the huge whiteboard at the back of the stage that almost occupied the entire space of the stage.
"Sir, that is a white wall used for background decoration..." Sir Weissenasche explained to Joshua.
"Can it be moved?"
Joshua did not expect this world to achieve circular-screen movie levels yet, but a giant screen was the most basic... The convenient part of the originium crystal's projection was that no matter how big the screen was, it would not affect the picture's quality.
The whiteboard behind the stage was undoubtedly an excellent projection medium.
"Of course."
"Push it to the front of the stage."
As per Joshua's order, Sir Weissenasche had his men slowly move the huge whiteboard to the front of the stage.
"Perfect. Sir Weissenasche, please turn off all of those glowing stones."
Joshua felt that the whiteboard could indeed serve as a projection medium... He walked up along the steps to the tenth row of the auditorium's first level, and after infusing mana into the crystals, the image was magnified many times over onto the whiteboard.
The effect was... not bad at all.
Joshua sat with a soft cushion and looked at the picture that was projected on the whiteboard screen. He finally experienced the feeling of watching a movie in the cinema again.
"It's starting." Ciri straight up planted herself in the seat beside Joshua before she whispered to Hyrlan, "This... is a stage play?"
Compared with Ciri's concern about the movie's plot, Hyrlan was more concerned about what was appearing on the whiteboard. It was nothing like any kind of stage performance Hyrlan had ever known.　　


A group of dragons binging on a Game of Thrones marathon day and night.
Elven druids are crying fountains of tears to the story of Hachiko. 
Humans and dwarves trashing a pub just for a legendary Hearthstone card.
Even the gods have descended from the heavens to rush the publication of “Sherlock Holmes”.
Last but not the least, the archdruids setting up an online auction house business with the gnomes and dwarves as the cultural invasion from Earth descends upon this other world!

"But…" The male forensic doctor continued his explanation to Zhao Yu. "Because the bodies have not been dissected, these are just preliminary judgments. We still cannot rule out other causes of death. However, don't worry too much. Forensics Gao will be here tomorrow!"
"Understood!" Zhao Yu said, clenching his fists. "You guys have worked hard!"
"Not at all, not at all. This is our job!" The male forensics doctor said, clearly flattered. He nodded out of respect, then stood up and left.
"Well, the shroud of female corpse number seven is different from the rest…" Zhao Yu said, thinking about it with his hands on his back after the forensic doctor left. "There was no yellow paper in her shroud with the eight characters either, and the body was drier than the remaining corpses…
"Miao Miao…" Zhao Yu said uncertainly. His eyes were peculiar. "Say… do you think the identity of female corpse number seven might be different from the remaining six?"
"This case is really quite strange!" Miao Ying said, sighing. "Could it be that the other six girls were buried to accompany female corpse number seven?"
"That can't be!" Zhao Yu said, shaking his head. "The material of the shroud on female corpse number seven is worse than that of the other female corpses, and her face has no makeup… I don't think she looks like someone with a noble background!"
"The issue now is…" Miao Ying said, "That we cannot conclude whether or not all these girls were murdered. If you look at female corpse number two who died of heart disease, it probably was not murder. But the situation for number seven is the complete opposite. This case is really abnormal!"
"Yeah…" Zhao Yu said.
Zhao Yu sighed in his heart. This hanging coffin case was really unprecedented!
The hanging coffins, female corpses, the bodies not rotting, the strange cause of deaths, and the mysterious birthday characters; each clue, in this case, revealed a peculiar, indescribable mystery!
And when all the clues were connected together, it became even more elusive and confusing.
What was the truth behind the case of the hanging coffins?
Was it murder? Was it magic? Or were there any other unknown reasons?
Thinking about everything, Zhao Yu finally went to his whiteboard that had been set up and began to add information in. He analyzed the case based on his usual, established routine.
Seeing this, Miao Ying also immediately returned to her desk and continued to investigate the situation around the eight characters.
Time passed by in the blink of an eye, and by the time Zhao Yu had filled up the two large whiteboards, it was already the dead of night!
From Zhao Yu's office, the sound of the rushing river could be heard out the window as well as occasional, low-lying bird calls.
"Seven Stars Hanging Coffin…" Zhao Yu thought.
Zhao Yu looked at the information on the whiteboard and concentrated, deep in his thoughts. He tried to analyze the possible outcomes of this case and any clues that might have been hidden or missed.
Just then, the system in his brain began to flash. He didn't expect the Kun Gen hexagram that he had opened earlier actually to be completed!
"What?" he thought.
Zhao Yu was a bit surprised, to say the least. Logically speaking, Kun was a large hexagram. It usually would not have been completed so soon after opening it. It would usually last for two or more days.
The last Kun Gan hexagram had lasted a whole three days before it had announced its completion!
"This…" Zhao Yu thought.
Zhao Yu opened the system interface to take a look and saw that he had a 298% completion rate and had received five items as a reward.
This degree of completion could only be considered satisfactory. Compared with the past Kun hexagrams, it was actually much worse.
"How come…?" he wondered.
Zhao Yu wondered what the sudden end of the Kun hexagram meant.
After thinking about it, he only managed to come up with two possibilities. Either his investigation was headed in the wrong direction today and a significant loophole had popped up, or the big incident represented by the Kun hexagram wasn't as substantial as he had previously imagined!
Tsch!
This was not easy to figure out!
If it was the first possibility, then he had to adjust his thought process when solving the case and see what he was missing.
And if it was the second possibility… did that mean that the Seven Stars Hanging Coffins case was not as serious as previously imagined? That the seven girls were not murdered? Or maybe, not all of them had been murdered?
Uhm…
After thinking about it for a long time, Zhao Yu felt that if he wanted to find out what the hexagram meant, then the only way was to open up another one and see what type would appear today.
If there were still a Kun hexagram, it would mean that the direction he was investigating in was wrong. On the contrary, it would also mean that not all of the deceased had died of murder!
Thinking about this, Zhao Yu quickly clicked into the system page and opened up a new hexagram.
In the end, the system managed to tease Zhao Yu again.
When the new hexagram came out, it was a Qian Gen hexagram!
"Freak!" Zhao Yu thought.
Zhao Yu fanned his face a few times and swore in his heart. "System administrator, I'm really impressed! Not once have you been nice and properly showed me the cards!" he thought to himself.
The Kun hexagram was gone, but now the Qian hexagram had surfaced again. This was really too ironic!
The Qian hexagram was a hybrid, and it was possible that it included the Kun. All his thoughts became foggy.
Oh…
However, Zhao Yu quickly realized something. It seemed that to this day, the system was reminding Zhao Yu, either intentionally or unintentionally, not to rely too much on his systems or to rely too heavily on the hexagrams!
Hmph!
"Alright…" he thought.
Zhao Yu thought about his situation with a huff. "I won't rely on the system then! It's not the first time I have managed to solve a case. Complicated cases have been solved before, why would I be afraid of the situation I'm in now?
"Hmm… it's just…"
Within a second, Zhao Yu shifted his eyes to the system equipment and spoke in his heart. "Hehe! If there are no clues in the hexagram, at least the system tools can still be used, right?"
Thinking about this, he opened the equipment bar and roughly browsed through it, quickly turning on the invisible browser.
At the very least, he first needed to understand the origins of the hanging coffins. That wasn't too much to ask for, right?
Thus, he typed the term 'Seven Star Hanging Coffins' into the browser and hit the search key.
The system equipment was better than those in reality. Zhao Yu knew that this browser was able to search through a lot of information that an ordinary search engine would not have access to.
Therefore, he hoped that he could find out about the unknown mysteries of the Seven Stars Hanging Coffins from there.
In the end, something depressing happened.
The browser listed a lot of information about hanging coffins and the Big Dipper seven stars, but nothing about the 'Seven Stars Hanging Coffins.'
"This…" Zhao Yu thought.
Zhao Yu carefully looked at the browser and the system interface. He didn't know whether there was really no such term, or if the only way to search for it was to strengthen the browser.
However, after searching for a long time, he didn't manage to find any clues.
Hng…
Zhao Yu's depression was easy to imagine. From his point of view, the Seven Stars Hanging Coffins must really be as President Pang Zhihui had said. It was a mystery that was unknown to everyone.
However, so as to not miss out on any clues, Zhao Yu patiently looked through some materials related to the hanging coffins and learned a lot about them in the process.
After he finished reading, he realized that he had thought about the hanging coffins too simply. Regardless, whether it was relating to the distribution area, type, age, or culture behind the hanging coffins, it was all beyond his imagination.
Although scientists had studied them for a long time, the origin and role of the hanging coffins were still unknown, much in part due to the differences in geographical environment and cultural customs.
Some people say that the hanging coffins were placed on the cliff to avoid being damaged by beasts, while others said that the deceased were buried on the cliff to facilitate the preservation of the corpses. Others said that hiding on the higher mountains allowed the souls of the dead to enter the other world easily.
So…
Zhao Yu opened the photo of the Seven Stars Hanging Coffins, wondering in his heart what the purpose of these coffins was.


A little ruffian who fought recklessly without any morals and bottomline accidentally time-traveled to parallel space and became a Key Case Investigation Team agent. The huge change in identity had him creating chaos in the police station. However, a strange miracle system helped him repeatedly solve mysterious cases, turning him into an impudent ruffian detective!

The effects of the paralysis start to fade. I perform a Hit Point check immediately. My HP is 9/22. Better being half dead than entirely dead. I wonder what happens when you die in this world. You respawn as undead zombie? That was the case in one former game experience I played.

"Wake up," a sweet, friendly voice urges me. It's hard to resist.

Slowly, I open my eyes, but my vision is still blurry. Fuck, I'm still inside the cavern, tied up now. I wonder what happened to my vampire friend, Nestor.

"Don't worry," Ambrosia reassures me with her warm, buttery voice. "Your master is in good hands." She points with her index finger the ceiling and I see him hanging with his head down, tied up with silver chains and a wooden stake shoved into his heart. "You know, me and Nestor were very close in the past. I could never harm him or his playthings."

The tooltip notifies me that my friend is paralyzed, but still alive.

I get another notification: You have been Charmed.

"I thought that you wanted to kill him," I tell her. My vision becomes clear now and I can clearly see her. And by the Great Administrator, she's truly gorgeous. Her skin is white pale and waxy, perfect like an expensive avatar. Everything is flawless, her face, her hair, her purple eyes.

She approaches me and sniffs my bruised, naked chest. Like a hungry cat, she purrs near my ears, then goes down and licks my bloodied wounds. My face becomes red and I moan softly from the pain.

She stands up and looks at the hanging Nestor. "Now, it's time the ritual begins!" She claps her hands from amusements.

Although paralyzed, Nestor is still able to talk. Probably because he's no ordinary vampire, but a lord. "Ambrosia, you idiot. I don't know who this guy is."

"Oh, really?" She hisses back at him, then stares me. "Tell me child, what's this guy to you?"

"He's my friend, Nestor," I tell hell in absolute naturalness, emphasizing the word 'friend'.

"I knew it," Ambrosia grins smugly.

"The fool has been charmed!" Nestor moans, still in pain from the silver and the stake.

"Take him," Ambrosia orders the two ghouls that had attacked me earlier.

They jack me and pull me under Nestor. Then, two other ghouls turn the pulley and lower him, till our heads are a few inches away.

"Vampires who take particular interest in a mortal being, may allow the human to take a test of their own blood. This ritual is seldom practiced. In fact, Lamia, our previous Vampire Queen forbid it. I know only of a few vampires that would dare to do something like that and she would punish them in the most agonizing way."

"What happened to her?" I dare to ask, while staring my friend hanging above me.

"Nestor and a few others raided her Vampire Castle and killed her. Several of my comrades met the same fate. I was wise enough to retreat with my ghouls and some of my vampire warriors. Those who stayed back, became ash and fertilize the soil now."

"Well, what does all this have to do with me? If there's a ritual that needs to be performed, then go on. I like Role Playing, but I'm getting a little bit bored right now."

"Silence," she commands me, and I obey. For some reason, I cannot resist her.

A new notification again: You have been Dominated!

"Untie him," she orders her ghouls and that's what they do.

Free from my shackles now, I wait for her next command patiently, as her loyal servant.

"It is said, that when a mage drinks the blood of a vampire, vampiric magic permeates their blood and their own being. I've never seen it and it's hard to find mages here, but you could be the ideal candidate."

"Glad I could be of help!" I give her my sexiest smile.

"Stand still, raise your head and open your mouth."

Reflexively, I obey her to the best of my abilities.

She approaches and with her forefinger cuts the throat of Nestor. Dark red blood gushes out in surges and falls inside my mouth. Thick and strong, the cool, salty liquid flows down my throat.

"Drink it," She commands me again and I gulp desperately, trying now to leave a single drop go wasted.

After a few moments, I'm inside a pool of blood, but the stream is slower now, weaker. To my surprise, Nestor's cut has been slowly healing and he's still alive. Well, technically speaking, he is dead, but you get what I mean.

I feel my stomach ready to burst, then a coldness expands throughout my body, reaching the fingers of my limbs. My Neural Control Interface notifies me: Vampiric Bloodline obtained. I dismiss it and I get a second one: You obtained Darkvision.

Ok, that's cool. Now I get to see clearly inside this dark cavern.

"Do you feel different now?" Ambrosia asks me with her warm voice.

"No, but I obtained Darkvision," I tell her, while staring at her heaving chest.

"Good boy," she praises me. "I thought that Nestor had preference only for girls, I didn't know he likes men as well. Let me tell you a secret, he hates others touching his playthings."

"Good to know," I smile back at her, my lust in my crotch reaching a new level of hardness.

"Strip off your clothes," she encourages me.

I do as I'm told. I can't and I don't want to resist her dominating voice. Now I stand before her, naked with my hands over my privates. I shallow hard, as she approaches me.

"Don't cover yourself, I like watching my pets fully exposed." She grips me from my neck, and I whimper softly. "I will take my time with you, before your master. I'll enjoy every inch of your body."

I know that all possible escape if futile and the only thing I can do is exhale in submission. She bites my wrist gently. As her sharp fangs pierce my skin, a few beads of blood come to surface and she darts out her tongue to capture them. "It reminds me of Nestor's, but better," she tells me. "I might actually enjoy it this."

Then, she moves behind me and plunges her fangs inside my neck. I groan from the cold pain, but the vampire kiss' drags swiftly inside me and my vision becomes blur. A heat grows down below, causing me to harden even more. Precum gathers at the tip of my fully erect member and Ambrosia starts playing with it. Quickly, I understand that the kiss serves as aphrodisiac and it's such a wonderful tool to dominate someone.

"You want release?" She mocks me.

I nod in response.

"Too bad, you'll have to wait, till I'm satisfied with you."

She strips off her clothes before me, and her servants. She descends down, and her hot mouth envelops my shaft entirely. Her lips tight around me as she sucks me off. Her eyes look up at me, and I can feel her tongue swirling rhythmically. Never in my virtual life I've sensed such shudders throughout my avatar. I exhale in pleasure.

Suddenly, she withdraws and tells me to lie down. I do as I'm told and she lowers her body and takes in my shaft. She embraces me tightly, as she starts rocking her hips. I close my eyes and let myself soak into the feeling of her body. My chest rises and my breath quickens, as my mistress starts to moan. Her hands grip her own breasts as she bounces on top of me, becoming wetter and tighter around.

I take the opportunity to take action. I shift her to the floor and fuck her aggressively. Her servants' and Nestor's gaze shift as we both adjust, watching our every move. It takes her only for a few moments before she contracts around my member, her sharp nails now digging into my flesh as she exclaims "I'm cumming!" Her eyes shut tight.

I twitch inside her for a few moments, then I withdraw and shoot out my seed all over her trembling body. She screams and ecstasy rocks her entire being.

"Did I assist you master?"

"Yes, you did," she tells me while staring at Nestor with a smugly expression.

I was born and lived inside a virtual game world, till I was tricked by the Great Administrator and got kicked out to the Real World for my bad mouth!

Mikael was surprised to hear that there would be a new member on their team of two heads so he could not help but asked Santina more about the other party.
"It probably slipped on my mind, but I remember it now... Wait, I thought he was not into this kind of thing, so how did he end up becoming your assistant???"
"He had grown fond of the kids living within the dumpsite and he was afraid  that the next victim would be one of his students that was why he wanted to help us to solve the case as soon as possible."
When Mikael heard about it, he just nodded his head silently and after a while, he just asked where the other party was instead.
Since Santina had already decided about accepting Anton into the team, Mikael no longer questioned her decision regarding it.
"Oh, okay, so where is he by the way?"
"You just missed him. He was on his way to meet this girl he met on Tinder. Hot date, if you would ask me."
Santina replied with all honesty afterward without bothering to hide anything at all.
"Lucky guy then. At least he is someplace warm right now."
Mikael commented as he walked further inside the room.
Looking around the room, the first thing that one would notice was how almost everything inside it was painted with all white. White walls, white floors, white ceiling, white everything.
Also, if one would only pay closer attention, one would probably notice how the temperature inside the air-conditioned used to drop as one moved closer into the center.
It was because the room used to host a walk-in refrigerator with eight available drawers where dead bodies could be kept,
The place was already inhospitably cold, to begin with, but the bad weather only made it worst and colder than how it originally was.
Despite having only two heads working on the team, the laboratory where Santina and Mikael used to work at and conduct most of their researches was not in the very least simple.
From how they set up their high-ceilinged laboratory, it was obvious that they really put careful attention towards the details of the interior of their room.
On the wall opposite the door where Mikael came in, was a huge whiteboard that was some four feet high by six feet wide and walking across the room, there were two empty skeletons of gurneys that were pushed to the corner and just above it was stainless shelves that were suspended from the sturdy brackets on the wall.
Their shiny stainless steels were the only color that contrasted the almost pure white room.
A few feet away from where the gurneys and shelves were located was their workstation which included a computer table as well as bookshelves and cabinets all made from a cherry-oak wood.
At the center sat the main centerpiece of the workstation itself which was a brand new Compaq Presario Q2159 with a 21.5-inch wide-screen monitor. One of the many aids that they had received from Officer Aragon throughout the year of trying to solve the case.
This monitor served as the heart and brain of their research because they made used of it among other things to construct a photogrammetric three-dimensional skull-photo also known as a photo superimposition which was proven to be very helpful in assisting the identification of the dead.
A tasked that used to be a tedious job for forensic anthropologists before the advanced computer technology had made it simpler.
With the help of modern technology, the method of superimposition was made possible where various computerized 3D images of skulls were superimposed onto various photographs of missing people taken while they were still alive, in case there was a suspicion that the skulls in question belonged to them.

Other than those pieces of equipment, some of Santina's most prized items were also put on display.

A tempered ceramic model of a human torso with removable and vividly colored polyurethane organs stood upright on its cut-off thighs at the small table located at the far end corner of the room.
 
That one was a gift to her by an old acquaintance that used to work on a firm that specialized in casting anatomical models for medical schools.
 
A clothesline that stretched across to the other side of the wall could be seen not too far away from  where the model of a human torso was situated
 
 
It was garlanded with strips of photographic negatives that Santina had personally processed in the small dark room off to one side of the laboratory.
 
 
While on the other end of the wall hung the huge four foot high and glass -framed reproductions of four of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings that depicted his fascination with anatomical studies.
 
 
His drawings of organs of the thorax, the heart, and the main arteries, the profile studies of a skull facing left as well the principal female organs were all done with a quill, ink, and red chalk.
 
 
************************************************************
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LET US ALL SAY NO TO PIRACY!!!

There were mysterious murders taking place at District 12 every last weekend of the month and the serial killer was at large.



"Our killer was not just deliberately peeling of the face of his victims. He was also eviscerating their body and purging out their organs, particularly their hearts. It was like the killer wanted to remove everything that made one human."


Two people who used to be high school friends and also shared a painful past; both lost a loved one on an incident that happened six years ago decided to join hands to solve this mystery.

One was retired a forensic anthropologist who turned a  new leaf and chose to become a professor at a medical school


While the other was a former law enforcement officer who had decided to be into seminary and was just a step away from becoming an officially ordained priest

Will they be able to identify the notorious killer that lurked the shadows of their district???

PS pic's not mine.
Credit goes to the rightful owner

After the battle had ended, a horrific smell of blood and rotten corpses filled the atmosphere. Even Black Wind was shaking his head. He hated the smell.
However, Abel did not care at all since he loved cleaning up battlefields way too much. He jumped down from the back of Black Wind, stepping on puddles of blood and began to search for any collectible items. Abel was hoping he could find some potions or equipment by exploding, but this hope had been destroyed again and again. Still, Abel was not willing to give up his last bit of hope.
When Abel was feeling more and more hopeless, he suddenly saw one of the dead Fallen shamans on the ground. Abel's eyes began to sparkle. The dead Fallen shaman was holding a magic cane on one of his hands. 
It was a magic cane. Even the lowest-ranking ones were considered as a rare treasure in the Holy Continent. This was because the resources required to make a magic cane was way too scarce, so very little magic canes were made in the Holy Continent.
Abel sped up his steps and picked up the magic cane from the ground. He brushed off the blood on its surface and shoved it in the Horadric Cube. He then used his power of the will to focus on it. Some statistics appeared:
Short cane (normal)
Longevity: 18-20
+1 fireball
+50% damage to immortal beings.
My god, that's some real equipment. Now, Abel had learned that equipment didn't come from explosions. Instead, they were also held within the hand of those creatures from hell. So all he needed to do from now on was just to kill those creates from hell, and their weapons will automatically be dropped on the ground for grab.
Although this magic cane was considered as the worst one in Diablo 2 by looking at its attributes, it was a true treasure in the Holy Continent. As long as Abel held this magic cane in his hand, all his 'fireball' spells would increase a rank, making it much more powerful. Furthermore, the +50% damage to immortal beings also allowed him to strike more powerfully against immortal beings.
However, Abel did not show any interest in the other weapon of the Fallen shaman. He didn't even want to touch it. It was an old, worn-out short knife. Over a long time of cutting meat, a stinking smelling covered the surface of the short knife.
Abel walked around the camp for a while. He collected two more magic canes from the Fallen Shamans. He then threw them into the Horadric cube for examination again.
Short cane (normal)
Longevity: 12-20
+50% damage to immortal beings
Short cane (normal)
Longevity: 15-20
+1 spirit transfer 
+50% damage to immortal beings
The last magic cane made Abel's eyes sparkle. The + 1 spirit transfer attribute was too good. Spirit transfer was only something an official Wizard could do in the Holy Continent. It was a truly powerful attribute since it was appearing in a magic cane that a novice Wizard could use.
'Spirit transfer' was a spell. It allowed the wizard to control a target from afar within their mind. Through this strange controlling power, a wizard could take things they could not have otherwise or attack enemies from a distance. To a cunning and bad intentioned wizard, this ability could give them a lot of opportunities.
Most of the time, wizards would use this spell to pick up things, trigger mechanisms, and attack their enemies.
You could say the 'spirit transfer' gave wizards a more extended arm. This was the exact spell that Wizard Morton had used to destroy the 'fireball' of Abel when they first met.
Abel did not care about the stains on the short cane. As he the short cane it on his hand, he felt a weird sensation emerging. His power of the will bond to the short cane, and an arrow appeared on the top of the short cane. When he ignited the arrow with his power of the will, the short cane moved forward automatically, and a pattern appeared. Afterward, he felt his mana rushing towards the pattern, and soon it became a spell that was ready to be unleashed at any moment.
Abel's power of the will sensed that he only needed to push forward with his power of the will, and he could unleash this spell on to a target.
He began to stretch out his power of the will. Sixteen points of power of will allowed him to reach beyond his body for 16 meters. However, this time he could reach 17 meters until it stopped. Abel began to question darkly in his heart, had his power of the will increase again? But did not think too much, his curiosity towards the "spirit transfer" spell was the only thing that was on his mind.
His power of the will locked down on a rock, in a flash the rock was surrounded by white light. The rock vanished, and suddenly Abel felt something heavy on his hand. It was a rock.
It was wonderful. Abel was very satisfied by how this spell had turned out. This spell was only used by an official wizard. Every time when Abel saw his teacher Wizard Morton use this spell to take things from his shelf, he couldn't help but get jealous. Now, since he got this magic cane, he too could use this spell.
"Wait!" Abel whispered. He seemed to have just missed something. That's right, Abel had done a quickened spell. There was no spell, no hand gestures. It was the first time Abel had used the 'spirit transfer,' he had never even seen its magic pattern, let alone saying the spell. But just like that, he had unleashed the spell in a quicker way.
The magic cane was not powerful because it increased the attacking power, and definitely not the increased damage to immortal beings or something like that. Its most powerful characteristic in the Holy Continent was the ability to increase quicken spells.
Abel had only seen quicken spells being used by His teacher Wizard Morton. However, he never knew if it was just a technique or an actual quicken spell.
Up to this point, Abel had really underestimated the value of these magic canes. At first, he only thought they could increase magic power. Now, he realized besides that whiteboard magic cane. The other two were treasures. There were still a lot of uses in regards to that whiteboard magic cane. For example, he was using it as studying material or resources. Abel was still very new in regards to these things, so he couldn't think of much on the spot. But he was sure that he would definitely have a use for this whiteboard magic cane.
Abel tested out the 'spirit transfer' and 'fireball' a few more times out of curiosity. After a while, he realized the sacrifice of using the magic cane, and that was doubling the mana consumption. Although he was unsure how much mana 'spirit transfer' would consume, he was very familiar with the 'fireball.' Originally it consumed 2.5 points of mana. Now it consumed 5 points of mana.
To a low ranking wizard, doubling their mana consumption would hugely reduce the time they were Abel to sustain a battle. However, it could also speed up their attacks. Which one was more important? That was up to the situation. But no matter what, a quickened spell was a powerful way to increase the fighting ability of a low ranking wizard.
Abel had just recovered his mana, but after a few testing, he had used up all of them again. Abel was exhilarated after such a big battle. He whispered to Black Wind, "Black Wind, let's go back."
Black Wind jog to the side of Abel, and Abel jumped on to its back. Black Wind didn't even need Abel's command. In a flash, he had sped out of this place full of sickening smell. To a being with a strong sense of smell, a filthy and disgusting place such as the Fallen camp was like hell to Black Wind. If its owner did not command It to stay, Black Wind would leave the place without a second of doubt.
Without using the scroll of town portal, Black Wind had directly run back to the Rogue encampment. Although the portal did not hurt Black Wind, he tried to use it as less as possible. The shock last time deepened his relationship with Black Wind.
When they arrived at the empty fireplace, Abel took out some wood from his Kong Kong spirit portal bag, which he had prepared in advance. He threw the wood floor in the fireplace and dashed out a 'fireball' spell, lighting up the wood. Alongside the bonfire, he took out some meat that he had prepared for himself and Black Wind and began to BBQ at the bonfire.
Black Wind lay on the ground by the side, waiting for his food to be ready. Normally Black Wind wouldn't eat raw meat, and Abel had always stuck to his theory that cooked meat would make Black Wind smarter. Because of this, the number of chefs in his home had increased from 2 to 4. Black Wind needed too much food.
After they filled their stomach up, Abel took Black Wind to the riverside. No one was looking anyway, so Abel took off all his clothes and began to take a shower. Originally he was planning to eat after the shower, but he was way too hungry after such a long battle. Even Black Wind was hungry.
Black Wind jumped into the river, submerging its entire body in the water. The weather in the Rogue encampment was super comfortable. There were no changes in seasons. For the many days that Abel had arrived here, the weather remained in perfect condition. Although the temperature might drop a little after rain, it often returns to normal very quickly.
This weird weather reminded Abel that this world was a training ground divided into heaven and hell.


I was reincarnated into another world, and I brought the Horadric Cube from Diablo II with me. 
Being a knight is cool and all, but being a wizard is pretty neat as well.
So, which one will it be?
  

Danielle's POV
" Danielle please get up sweetie." That was my adopted mom. She is my best friend's mom. Which technically she is my sister now. I looked up, my adopted mom was smiling at me. She said," Sweetheart school is in a little bit. Don't want to be late. Now, do we?" I just shook my head.

Oh, right. I am mute - I can talk, just chose not too. Haven't spoken in more than a year. I have light brown curly hair and hazel eyes. Call me skinny, but that's not my opinion just everyone else's.

My best friend/ sister ran into the room. "DANIELLE GET UP YOUR ASS AND GET IN THE KITCHEN! MOMMA'S BOY FIXED BACON!" I grabbed my whiteboard. So they can know what's on my mind. Duh, I mean how else are they going to talk to me?

I wrote on the board ' Don't tell me you are joking.' Kat said," Well, of course, I am not joking. "

Kat's real name is Katie but she says she doesn't like that name. I call her Kat. In return, she calls me Dani. Kat has Dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes, like her dad.

Katie's dad wasn't really a good man. Just a lousy cheater, that's what he was. Had a mistress and got her pregnant. He left when Kat was five, right after the divorce with her mother. He just packed up and left, never called or anything.

Anyways I ran to the kitchen, excitedly. Rob, my more recent older brother, said, " I am guessing you want bacon, Dani?" I nod my head really fast. He laughed.

Rob is 19 and he still lives with his parents. As Kat said, he's a momma's boy alright. We are only 17. Rob looks similar to Kat, but he has light blonde hair and blue eyes.

We got in Rob's car - don't tell him, we kind of stole it. His car is a sports car, so who wouldn't want to steal it.? I mean we will give it back. Eventually. As we started the car we heard Rob yell, " WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY CAR?" Kat said to me," Step on it, Dani! " I stepped on the gas pedal just as Rob came out of the house. Let me just say, he didn't look too happy.

Once we got to school, I wrote on my whiteboard. ' Kat I swear from far away Rob was acting like a five-year-old.' She laughed and then said, " I thought I was the only one who saw that. " Kat paused," Let's go to class."

Ever since the accident and I became Kat's sister, we always have to have the same classes. Safety precaution apparently. Kat and my other best friend, Mia make me never leave their sight. Mia has black hair and green eyes and boy does she have a temper. Don't mess with her when she's angry. It's not her fault she's like that. She didn't have the greatest childhood either. I guess that's why we get along so well. All three of us has experienced the cruelty of the world one way or another.

A guy comes up to me and says, " Hi Danielle." Why is he talking to me? We never really talked before. I just waved back to him. I knew him in the 8th grade. Ever since then I think he hated me. Don't know or care. He is one of those jocks who think that they are a sex god. He also became the biggest player at this school. He has black hair and light blue eyes, has that ' I'm an asshole ' face.

I wrote on my whiteboard, ' What do you want Alexander?' He said, " Why aren't you talking to me?" I wrote,' Sorry I don't talk to players or assholes. ' He said, " I am not an asshole! I'll be faithful to you. " I wrote, ' First of all yes you are and second thing good luck with that. '

I started to walk away but he grabbed my hand and pulled me to him. He said, " Don't walk away from me! You are mine!" I wrote, ' Sure. If it helps you sleep at night. Keep on thinking that.' He was about to say something else but Kat and Mia came over.

Kat said," So what were you guys talking about?" Alexander said, " Nothing." Then he walked away. Kat questioned me, " Dani what did he say to you?" I wrote,' He said why am I not talking and I told him I don't talk to players or assholes.' Mia replied, " That is weird. The biggest player comes to you and says hi after not talking to you for years." True dat.

' Weird indeed. Maybe he just wants me to sleep with him. I mean isn't that what they do best?' Kat nodded and then stated," You should stay away from him Dani." I wrote,' You think I want to talk to him? That's funny. '

Mia suggested, " You want to go get some ice-cream? Because I would love some Chocolate ice-cream right now." I wrote,' Sure but get sprinkles with mine. Plus the longer we stay away from home the more it pisses Rob off.' After she read it, I erased it and added,' We may have borrowed his car again.' Mia laughed," Since when is that new?" Kat answered," Since never. " I shake my head in agreement.

Once we got to the ice-cream place. We got our ice-cream. Someone yelled at me, " STAY AWAY FROM HIM! A SLUT LIKE YOU HAVE NO CHANCE WITH HIM! " Sweetie check yourself in the mirror, please. I wrote, ' Excuse me? I am not a slut. I don't go fucking everything that has a heartbeat. You can have that asshole, you just want him for his dick anyways. '

Alexander's POV

Today I finally turned 18. I can't wait till I find out who my mate is. Yep, I am a werewolf, an alpha to be exact. The alpha of the Shadow wolves pack. I walk into the parking lot to smell the most beautiful smell, roses, and cinnamon. I look over to see it is Danielle Blake. We knew each other since the 8th grade, never really talked, thought she hated me.

Guess I could try to get her to like me. Walking over to her, I spoke, "Hi Danielle." She just waved back. Then starting writing on a whiteboard, ' What do you want Alexander?' Most of the time I make people call me Alex since I hate my full name but since she is my mate is will let it slide.

She will call us whatever she wants to call us.

Ignoring the main reason I'm a werewolf, I said to my mate, "Why aren't you talking to me?" She wrote and smiled sickly,' Sorry I don't talk to players or assholes.' Well, that kind of hurt.

She needs to learn respect to her mate.

I answered my wolf, Javier, I thought she could call us whatever she wanted? Letting my anger over me, I spit out, " I am not an asshole! I'll be faithful to you. " She quickly wrote, ' First of all yes you are and second thing good luck with that. '

She started to walk away but I grabbed her hand. " Don't walk away from me! You will be mine if it is the last thing I do!" She wrote, ' Sure. If it helps you sleep at night. Keep on thinking that.' I ' was about to say something else but her friends came over - damnit!

Kat asked us said," What are you guys talking about?" " Nothing." I replied quickly then got in my car and left. What was with the scars on her arm? Did she do them to herself?

I can't help but think, Does Danielle even want me as her mate?

It doesn't matter. She will love us in time.

I went to the pack and went to my office when Bre - or better known as the pack slut - came over to me. " Hey, babe." I pushed her and then said," I am not your babe. I have found my mate. YOUR new Luna." Bre stated," Just forget about her. Come on baby, we have a history together, you can't just let her come in between ."

I stood up and angrily said," What happened is in the past! I fucked you and moved on. You were never going to be Luna! I was just with you to satisfy my needs! I have found my mate now and you WILL show respect to her. Understand?" Bre yelled to herself," That bitch ruins everything!"

I yelled, well Javier did. He used the alpha command on her," DO NOT CALL MY MATE AND YOUR FUTURE LUNA A BITCH! THE ONLY PERSON WHO IS ACTING LIKE A BITCH IS YOU! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

She stuttered out, " Y-Yes A-Alpha." Nobody insults my baby," Go now." She ran out of the room.

So how do we make her fall for us?

As you said takes time Javier. Let her trust us then maybe we will kidnap her. It is ok to kidnap your mate right?

You can't kidnap what belongs to you.

I am coming for you my beautiful. You will be officially mine Danielle Blake.

Danielle's POV

We came home and Rob was not happy - not exaggerating. He asked worriedly," Where were you? School ended an hour ago! You didn't scratch my baby, did you? Who am I kidding, of course, you did! Baby, I am coming!"

He ran past us and to outside. Wait, you do know he is talking about the car right? Yep, that is right, he is in love with his car. Sad, I know. Well, I had a weird day at school today. I wonder if tomorrow will be any weirder. Turns out I wasn't wrong; this is only the beginning.

Danielle Blake is a  half-werewolf/ half-demon teen that starts off as mute. All she does is stay with her two friends, Katie ( Kat ) and Mia, along with her adoptive family. That is until her mate comes into the picture and throws her life upside down trying to figure out all of her secrets on what happened to make her mute. As he does this a twist in the game comes to play as people from Danielle's past come at her full force.

" I will forever love you, princess, you just don't realize it yet. "

This does have mention of suicide and other sensitive topics,  if you get triggered easily then I suggest do not read this.

The girl, who had graduated from the East China University, had fought to stand out between all the male technicians. Her tutor at the Manchester Institute of Technology had loved her so much that he had taught her all his secrets.
One day, she had received a call at the laboratory, taken her mask off and left without looking back. She had packed her luggage immediately and gone to work for the J Clothing laboratory.
The strange girl was sitting before two silent men and studying a pile of samples. Suddenly, she turned off the lamp and took off her glasses. She looked as enchanting as an evil spirit.
Unlike Huang Jiajia's raised phoenix eyes, her dignified thick eyebrows and big eyes were a perfect match for her elegant, flirtatious aura. She always walked and stood slowly, with a subtle charm in her movements.
She was a paradox of danger and innocuity.
The girl started picking strips of cloth from the samples and putting them together. Her nails were painted enamel.
The process took her a full three minutes. Both Xue Yayan, the boss of J Clothing, and Guo were waiting for her, but she did not seem sorry.
When she had arranged all the strips in order, she finally stood up. "Okay!"
Guo felt glad, but his mouth opened wide at Hu's next action.
Hu took a pair of sharp scissors and cut off the hanging parts of the strips carefully.
"Perfect!" she said before turning her eyes to the two men.
"When did you get here?"
We've been sitting here for an hour! We were just too afraid to disturb you!
In Hu's eyes, the two men paled in comparison to the cloth strips. She spread her fingers proudly, showing off the natural enamel, which was a mixture of Arabic gum, impatiens, alum, gelatin and beeswax. It was actually based on an ancient formula of the Ming Dynasty.
"I know what you're waiting for. Don't be nervous. Do you see these?"
Guo nodded, standing up for his boss. He had to look ashamed for the sake of his superior.
"Our team could have developed it too. High-tech fabric is nothing. Some cheaper materials can be good alternatives for it. Maybe they will get more popular in the market, but our new products can do even better than this."
Come back to reality, sister. The production lines can't be stopped. We will lose money!
Xue Yayan held back his tears. Why are scientists always living in a dream? I just want to make profit!
"Fine, fine! Don't take that expression with me!" Hu Li pointed at Guo's forehead.
"If you want quick money, you need to work on this first."
"Memory fabric is a joke. My tutor's team developed it. It's the same formula our laboratory developed. I don't see why people are fighting over it. The formula is right here."
She pointed to her own forehead. When she saw the wide smiles on their faces, she changed her attitude again. "Good work, right? Where is it?" She stretched her palm towards Xue.
"Oh, oh! I got it. Xiao Guo, give this to Dr. Hu."
"No problem." Guo carefully handed her a lunch box.
"Wow!" The girl smiled. "Pea flour cake! Fresh from the oven! It's delicious!"
Before her voice could fade away, her cheeks bulged like a hamster's with food and she gave Guo a thumbs-up. "When Boss Xue mentioned braised Dongpo pork hock with brown sauce on the phone, I'd had pizza for three days in a row at the laboratory. That's why I returned to China. I'd rather enjoy the food at home than starve in the UK. Believe me, British food is not made for humans!"
The girl concentrated on her food amid the harmonious atmosphere. A few minutes later, Xue's phone rang.
"Hello, Qin Guan? What's the matter? If this is about the money, we can negotiate. What? What fabric? We do not have a high-end fabric."
"You know everything? Hu Li? What do you suggest?" 
"You want to buy some? Of course you can. Which kind do you want? We have only common fabrics."
"Memory fabric? No problem. We are focusing on the low end of the market right now. Okay! I'll call you when I have the batch."
The other two were listening to their call carefully. They did not feel ashamed. They were actually really excited.
"Was that Qin Guan?"
"Yes."
"Does he want to buy the fabric? Have we been exposed?"
"Yes, here is the order."
A complacent smile emerged on his face. I made the right decision!


Qin Guan was reborn and sent back to his final semester in High School 18 years ago. Getting a second chance at life, he works hard to turn things around and eventually become a Prince Charming. What will his life be like the second time around? What will he have to go through? How will he succeed in turning from a loser into a Prince Charming? Read this story carefully and find out!

By false dawn, the team lead by Diego was already gathering on the edge of the oasis. There were six sled wagons each being pulled by a single dracolisk, a strange, scaly, horned beast that look like a cross between a horse and a lizard. Being cold-blood creatures, they were sluggish in the early mornings before the sun could warm the sand, but their keepers had long known of these problems and had warmed all of the lizards with a large bonfire.

 When Diego had walked up to the meeting point, there was already a team of twenty men in warrior's armor hitching up the lizards to the wagons or tending those still by the fire. There were another ten that were loading up the wagons with food, water, and equipment that only wore a light hide cuirass, so it was easy to guess that they were some of the miners from the Lizard Faction. Everyone greeted him respectfully and a miner took his bag to be loaded as he approached while Toba walked over to his side to give a report.

 "The wagons will be fully loaded in half an hour and the rest of our group should arrive by then," Toba said, saluting with a fist over his heart.

 "That's good, but why have you prepared so many dracolisks?" Diego asked.

 "The wagons can only how a total of sixty people and, for the fifteen remaining, we are giving them personal mounts, so that they can act as our vanguard if we are attacked."

 "That makes sense. Save a mount for myself, my brothers, and Shaman Rainshower so that we can be the first to engage small groups."

 "That would put you in much greater risks, young lord," Toba replied with some doubt.

 "How do you expect us to grow if we don't take a few chances?" Diego asked with a smile. "I won't throw my life away, captain, but you can't expect to shield me from every fight."

 "Your words are true, young lord, forgive me," Toba said with a bow.

 "Always so serious, Uncle Toba," Diego chuckled.

 "My duty calls for such. Might I suggest that you pick your mount? Juni can help you pick one," Toba said as he pointed to the man who was tending a large, gold dracolisk.

 "Thank you," Diego replied with a nod then head in the direction of the man.

 Juni was a thick, burly man with short, messy orange hair and skin that matched. He was hunched over with one of the golden dracolisk's back claws held between his thighs as he filed each talon to a sharp point. Diego waited until he released the foot before he cleared his throat to make his presence known.

 "Oh, young lord, forgive me," Juni said in a gruff voice.

 "It's fine, you were working," Diego said with a friendly smile. "Captain Toba suggested that you could help me pick out a good mount."

 "Of course, young lord!" he replied excitedly. "Although Goldlight here is pretty, he is the laziest and most stubborn of the lot. I've got three over here that have good temperaments, come look."

 Diego followed Juni away from the group of eight dracolisks and over to the second bonfire where the other seven were lined up to be saddled.

 "The gray is named Smoke and is a bit excitable, but he listens well-enough and is good in a fight. The red is Dune, very steady and reliable. The blue is Dew and she has a very affectionate personality, but she is a bit skittish in a fight, so our hunters normally ride her," Juni said.

 "Got anything to feed them?" Diego asked.

 Juni smiled as he untied a pouch hanging from his belt. Diego reached in an pulled out a strip of dried meat as he walked up to the dracolisks. Smoke immediately saw the treat in his hand and began to prance in place while Dune and Dew looked at him with hopeful eyes. Before he held out his hand, he activated his [Scarlet-Gold Skin] to cover his hand and forearm because he could not help but fear the excite Smoke's jagged, beak-like mouth as he clicked it repeatedly together.

 Smoke's head shot straight down to snatch the jerky out of Diego's hand, but he controlled his beak with incredible precision and did not even graze his hand. While Smoke goggled down his piece, Diego pulled out two more strips and fed them to the other two lizards. Dune carefully plucked the piece from his hand while Dew nuzzled his hand before she snagged the jerky. Diego felt a nudge on his arm and found that Smoke had reached his long neck over Dune to beg for more treats. Diego laughed as he pulled out another piece and gave it to the lizard.

 "Save Dew for Shaman Rainshower, I think they would be a good fit. As for Dune, give him to Tovao, and I'll take Smoke. Peyni will also need a mount, preferably your strongest as he is on the heavy side as will Jastrab, but he will need something a hunter would ride… And give Goldlight to Catro," Diego said with a chuckle.

 "As you command, young lord," Juni replied.

 "Thank you, Juni,"

 Juni bowed as Diego nodded and walked away. Tovao and Peyni were walking up when Diego made his way over to the wagons. They were both in metal-studded, leather armor and carrying the same weapons they had used in the duels. When they saw Diego, dressed in his new armor and his black spear slung across his back, they whistled and laughed.

 The red leather of the breastplate and cuisse was made from the hide of the Sheol Wolf and studded with black metal. Covering his forearms and shins, he wore solid, black metal bracers and greaves which were decorated with painted red flames. 

 "Pays well to be the young lord, eh, Peyni?" Tovao laughed as he nudged Peyni.

 "Starite-studded armor," Peyni whistled.

 "The new spear is too," Diego said with a gloating expression.

 "Bastard," Tovao laughed.

 "And?" Diego grinned.

 Jastrab slowly made his way over to the wagons and Diego waved him over. He wore normal leather armor and he had a quiver of blue feathered arrows across his back while carrying three more in his hand.

 "Although we are still missing Catro and Rainshower, Juni has arranged mounts for us and I want us to act as the main vanguard for the lesser beasts, so that we can get some experience working together. Jastrab, you'll ride with us until we reach the range you can support us safely while Peyni, Tovao, and I engage in close courters. Rainshower will use her spells to help while Catro will remain behind with you two to defend you incase anything slips passes us," Diego explained.

 "Shaman Rainshower is really coming?" Tovao asked.

 "She seemed quite excited yesterday, so I'm pretty sure," Diego replied.

 "Hehe," he said, rubbing his chin, "I've never had the chance to spend any quality time with young shaman. I'm sure she would like to exchange pointers."

 (I'm going to need popcorn if he really asks.) Diego laughed to himself. "Fat chance," Diego said aloud.

 "Just watch, with my looks, there is no way she could resist me," Tovao replied with a cheesy smile.

 "I thought you were going to beat those out of him, Ishu," Peyni laughed.

 Diego shrugged, "Moonwater is a great healer and he has learned to block his face, what can I do?"

 A vein could be seen pulsing in Tovao's forehead while his eyebrow twitched, and the two brothers laughed. Jastrab tried to maintain a neutral face like Toba normal had, but his eyes gave away his inner laughter.

 The brothers taunted each other back and forth as everyone arrived. Just before sunrise, the entire party had gathered. Diego, Toba, and Tunba took the lead with the four brothers and Rainshower following right behind as the rode into the sunrise.

Diego had been a normal person back on Earth. After his parents died, he took in his sister to help raise her, but before too long, she accidently caused his death. Instead of it being the end, as he expected, he found himself waking up on a strange new world where magic and cultivation existed.

His arrival in the red sand desert would set into motion events that could destroy the fragile balance of world, but he would not learn of this until it is far too late. He rises through the ranks of power in the Konto Sect, but before he is strong enough to stand against the dark forces of the world, they begin to stir. 

Now, he is hunted for a power that is not truly his own. Can he master the Seed of Speed and rise through the ranks of his cultivation before the Daemoras capture him? Will he find the strength to rise to the peak of the world and ascend to the Heavens to rejoin his sister who gave him this second chance?

Follow his journey to break through the Heavens and walk among the Gods!

The city of Petrous was built off an opening in the endless cliffs that lined most of the Orcish sub-continent. It was the first foothold the empire had centuries ago before peace treaties and alliances came to pass. With high walls, bigger than any on the main homelands-matched only by those that shared its vicinity-and tens of thousands of defenders, it was considered impregnable.

Only once was it recorded that its walls had been breached, and even then the attackers were routed within minutes of their footholds.

It was a marvel to look at...from land. The harbor where Jonas looked at was packed with smelly bodies, filthy streets, and rats aplenty. Considering it was the only harbor for thousands of miles, its uses were limited and far in between. Only every few years did anyone show up from the homelands and they were always tax collectors.

Of course, that's if you don't count the endless numbers of mercenaries and pirates that call this place home. Just like an infestation of rats, they spread quickly and pack up on top of each other without a second glance at what filth they slept on.

That all meant that no one, with true political power, knew that he had arrived. There was no procession, parade, or even a lonely magistrate that made it his duty to greet him. His fleet arrived off the cape without anyone recognizing who it was. A gathering of hundreds of dirty pirates that stunk to high heaven watched from their ships at the newcomers.

Huemara, unlike his usual, stood at the very front of the deck. He stared back at the numbers of pirates without a hint of a smile. The solemn face looked foreign and unnatural on him. He had a few laugh wrinkles that lined his face that only made the effect that much more pronounced.

Behind him stood four other people, two men and two women. One of each gender wore long billowing robes with multiple strips of cloth sewn perfectly on their left shoulders. Mages were the first thing Jonas thought and powerful ones at that. Each colored strip counted as a level of significance in the Towers. The more one had, the more powerful the person was.

The other two wore varying pieces. The man was a hulking monstrosity that made Huemara look tiny-all of it was muscle on top of muscle-and was covered from head to toe in a dark silver armor lined with intricate designs. A red piece of cloth hanging from his waist.

In his right hand was a large triangular shield that curved inwards, it came from the floor to his shoulder in height. In his other hand was a massive flanged mace with a head as large as Jonas's torso.

How the man carried it, like it weighed nothing, was a mystery Jonas did not plan to discover any time soon.

On the other hand, the woman standing directly next to Huemara wore a long black cape with red and gold linings on it. She had on a few pieces of metal to cover her vitals but the reset was a thick set of chainmail. Her black and white hair made her look like a hero from fables and myths.

The fleet suddenly stopped a fair distance from the harbor. They moved into a tight wedge formation like they were about to charge. Each cannon was moved to point forward and behind them were the large bolts meant to sink or pull ships closer. For the first time, Jonas got a real picture of the soldiers and mages that manned the weapons in their actual armor.

They all wore a black and dark silver armor-whether metal or leather-and had a chimera as their insignia on their left shoulders. Long billowing banners, vertical flags, hung from the ship and behind the soldiers. It was solid black with red and gold highlights. In the center was a chimera-lion body, falcon head and legs, bat wings, snakehead tail-and a large blade behind them.

Jonas cursed to himself. That was one he had made when he was still a child. The same colors and insignia he had been proud of until his father and mother laughed it off. The chimera was the embodiment of the beastkin kingdoms and the blade was often used by the orcish clans.

This had to be the last hoorah his younger brother had done to salt his bleeding wounds. Not many would take him serious with such an outrageous banner. He would need to change it as quick as possible, if he could.

As they sat in the calm waters before the port, the walls of the city of Petrous, beyond the harbor, began to show signs of life. Multiple flags were raised each showing a different insignia-representing a family of high nobles. From different colored flowers, to lions, stags, and even a wheat stalk in between them.

The battlements were packed as they saw our fleet wait for any sign from them. And behind the flags was the recognizable bustle of an army rushing to get into positions.

He and his crew probably scared the ever-living daylights out of them showing up without warning, Jonas thought. The forward messenger probably was killed by some random burglar as they weaved through the harbor. How unfortunate.

Within moments, a black ship, sharp and sleek, made its way through the waters. On it were the banners of each faction that controlled the harbor and surrounding waters. Pirates, one and all of them-and the odd mercenary army powerful enough to be recognized-each wearing light clothing.

Jonas felt an innate fear within him from the ship. Multiple powerful individuals rode on it, their figures stood in similar positions to his honor guard. But, unlike the quiet power his soldiers had, that only showed in their confident standings, these men adorned themselves with chains of gold and jewelry over their leather armor. To show their wealth.

The most flamboyant among them, Jonas noticed when they came close enough, had gems sewn onto his jaws. Blue emeralds, red rubies, and at the center of his chin protruding apart from the rest was a clear diamond.

The pirate ship stopped in the middle between our fleet and the harbor. They waited for Jonas's main ship, Leviathan, to meet them in neutral ground.

Huemara waved a hand forward and Jonas's ship lurched forward, its massive size showed no signs of slowing it down or making it look to bulky to change direction fast. As they slowly made their way to the middle, Frezar whispered to the awed Jonas.

"Young Master, stay calm. You will have to speak with these...pirates. Find out why they stand in your way as the rightful master of all the lands beyond this point and the waters to the Lukim ocean. Don't worry we will stand behind you, covering you with our auras to prevent them from unnerving you. You'll do well, just be yourself. Okay?"

"Y-yea," Jonas said, uncertain.

By the time Jonas looked back up, they were almost side by side. He could see the many battle hardened faces of the pirates that manned the ship. Then his eyes fell onto the seven flamboyant ones. He guessed they were the leaders among them all. They had to be to be decked out in gold and jewels.

The Leviathan stopped silently, making the pirates anxious for some reason, Jonas noticed. Even though the two ships were roughly the same size they looked impressed of his flagship.

With a heavy thump, a plank was laid between the two ships. His soldiers rushed forward onto the ship with a command from Huemara and a nod from Jonas. Thirty of them set up two lines of fifteen standing ramrod straight and swords unsheathed pointing upwards. None of them moved as Jonas began to walk towards them.

Falling prey to the machinations of his younger brother, Jonas IV Helen Hadin III was quickly disowned by his father, Duke Hadin, then shipped away into exile in less than a week to a colony of the Motherland. Worse, it was in the Orcish Continent. 

Now, war is on the horizon with the orcish tribes and clans. Jonas hopes to prepare a stalwart defense to survive with those he cares about and he would if he didn't have to face a million other issues. From crazy pirates, power-hungry mercenaries, entitled nobles, famine, ancient cities filled with unspeakable horrors and much much more. 

How he is supposed to deal with this all...? Well, we will find out together.

Oh, did we mention he has been having weird nightmares about an America and a Corporate life?

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