Devin Thomas was just laying down for bed after binge reading light novels on his favorite app when...

I woke up on the bed, tucked into the blankets. The pack doctor was no where in sight. Nor was the alpha. Did he ever return home?

I looked over to the window and seen that the sun had gone down. What time is it? I look over at the nightstand and seen a clock. 12:40 am. It's late and he hasn't returned?! He at least didn't return to the room....I think. I sighed. Maybe I should go see if he's somewhere in the house. 

I got up out of bed and walked down the long hallway that led to a flight of stares. Quietly, I walked down the stairs, not wanting to wake anyone up. 

Once I got to the bottom step, I sighed and continued my way around searching for my mate. While roaming around the dark house, I seen a light up ahead of the never heading hallway. When I got to the room where the light was coming from, I seen that it was the kitchen. 

Inside the kitchen, sat a person. He wasn't Lucius but from what I'm guessing is that it's his beta. 

"I know you're there," he said. 

I looked up to see him staring at me over the book he was reading. 

"You can come in. I'm not going to bite," he said before sighing. 

I walked closer to him, but kept my distance. 

"I'm Iris," I said to him. 

"Maxwell," he said. 

"What are you reading?" I asked. 

"Huh? Oh. It's something my grandmother gave me. It was her book of the ancient legends and myths of every creature that lived on earth. She used to read me them to bed every night since I was a baby before she passed," Maxwell said closing the book.

I looked at him closely. There was a faint scar that went down his nose and lip. 

"Where did you get that scar?" I asked him out of curiosity. 

"What scar?" he asked me confused. 

"The one on your face," I said. 

"Oh, this one. About 2 weeks ago, the pack stumbled across a werecat. She clawed my snout while I was in wolf form. This is the result of it," Maxwell told me. 

Holy shit. I clawed the beta. I'm going to be in some deep sh*t. 

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. 

"Sorry for what? You didn't do anything," he said. 

"Yes I did Maxwell. I'm the werecat that clawed you," I told him. 

"Oh.... Well, it's okay. You were defending yourself," he said grinning. 

We talked to each other more. I soon had sat next to him. Apparently, him and Lucius were trouble makers when they were pups. I thought it was funny because from the little time I got to know Lucius, if you want to even count it as getting to know him, I didn't see him as a trouble maker. Now Maxwell, I can see him like that. He has that childish personality that suits him.

"So, have you found your mate?" I asked Maxwell. 

"No. Have you?" he replied. 

"Yeah. Lucius is my mate. But I don't know where he disappeared to," I said laying my head against my hand. 

"Your Lucius's mate?! I'm sorry Luna. I should have known. I'll mind-link Lucius for you," he said getting all professional. 

"Thanks Maxwell. But please call me by my name. And you don't have to be all professional around me either. Just be your natural self," I said to him. 

"Your welcome. And okay," he says before mind-linking Lucius.

"Iris, he should be here soon," Maxwell told me after mind-linking the alpha. 

I nodded in response and looked through the book. I wasn't searching for anything particular. Just a story that my mom used to tell me. After searching through half the book, I eventually found it and tapped a sleeping Maxwell on the shoulder. 

"What you got there?" he said half asleep. 

"Just a story my mom used to tell me," I said showing it to him. 

"Ahh. The story of how the first werecat clan was made. It was one of my favorites as a child.", Maxwell said. 

"Mine too. Do you mind reading it to me?" I said to him. 

"Sure," he said.

Maxwell read the story to me. I sat there engrossed and memorized in it. It kind of felt like when I was younger. By the end of the story, I was in tears. It was a sad story, but a famous one as well. 

I thanked Maxwell for reading me the story. That's when the alpha made his presence known. 

"Alpha," Maxwell said to him. 

"Maxwell," he said acknowledging him. 

"I'll go make myself scarce. Iris, whenever you want to hear another story, you can find me in the library," Maxwell said. 

"Okay," I replied. 

Maxwell quickly left me with Lucius in the kitchen. 

"What time is it?" I asked Lucius, not seeing a clock anywhere in here. 

"3:30 am. Why?" Lucius said. I tried to calm myself before talking to him, but that didn't work out as planned. 

"Where the hell were you?!? I looked for you before sitting here with your beta. I was worried. You weren't here when I woke up," I exclaimed. 

Lucius sighed. 

"We need to talk, It's about what happened a decade ago," he said dodging my question. 

"Then will you tell me where you went?" I asked. 

"Yes I will," he said tiredly. 

"You better," I said in a very pissed off tone.

Iris Lace is the last of her kind. She's been on the move for a while now. Then she meets him. Her mate. Lucius Lyons. 
     Lucius Lyons is the alpha of the Filtrian Pack. He's one of the most intimidating and scariest alphas in all of history. Piss him off and he won't show you any mercy.
     But what will happen when Iris crosses onto Lucius's path? How would Lucius feel about being mated to a werecat? Iris?

Aiden was momentarily stunned by the other party's bold suggestion but rather than following the Queen's order and doing as what he was told, Aiden pushed Nathalia on the bed instead.
He looked around them as though he was expecting to see someone in the room but when he found none, he also jumped into the bed and joined her.
"Once it appeared, you will catch it right away, okay?"
"Roger that."
"But what if it still refused to appear. What should we do next?"
"Well in that case..."
Nathalia stopped in mid-sentence and rather than using words to relay her message, she used actions instead.
She reached out to Aiden and caressed his face, going down to his chest and to his abdomen and going further down a bit more. Yet before she could even go farther than that Aiden already stopped her.
Aiden inhaled sharply and caught Nathalia's mischievous hand to stop her from advancing further down.
"What???"
She inquired as she pulled her hand away from Aiden's grasp and went on touching and squeezing the broadness of his shoulder instead.
"Nat, focus!"
Tsking in annoyance, Nathalia rolled her eyes.
"You are no fun, Aiden."
But rather than arguing back with her, Aiden chose to ignore her last comment and instead changed the topic and bring it back to the important matter at hand.
"What if it was your presence that was preventing the ghost to show itself just like what happened to the lady ghost the last time??? I think it is better if you exit the room first and leave me alone in here."
"Are you planning to use yourself as a bait? Are you insane? No. I would not do that."
"Come on, Nat. Trust me, I would be fine. Besides, I promise that I will call you as soon as I noticed that something was off and you would be able to teleport straight next to me then."
Nathalia did not think that it was a good idea to leave Aiden alone by himself, knowing that the room was possibly haunted by a strong baleful spirit.
But at the same time, she also could not deny the fact that Aiden has a point. There was indeed a high chance that it was her presence that was preventing the evil spirit to show itself.
"Are you sure you would be okay??"
"Yes, I will. Don't worry."
"Okay... I will leave for now."
Nathalia finally relented and stood up from the bed. Then before going out of the room, she turned around again and looked at Aiden's for one last time.
"Call me out the first thing you noticed something, okay?"
"I promise."
Aiden replied as he waved at Nathalia and gave his wife a reassuring smile.
And with that, the queen exited the room just as they planned. But Nathalia did not go far away. She just stood three doors away from Room 404 so that if ever something happened, she could be able to immediately run to Aiden's rescue.
Meanwhile, a crease appeared on Aiden's forehead as he tried to be keen on his surroundings and observed everything around him. Because even after Nathalia already left, he still did not notice any changes in the room.
The atmosphere inside the room remained exactly the same just like before. No chilling feeling, no hair standing on its ends, even goosebumps; nothing. None of what he typically experienced whenever something spooky was around.
Everything remained the same, except that the room felt emptier now more than ever. Likewise, it also became more boring inside since his wife was no longer there to accompany him on the bed.
Out of boredom, he started talking into the air.
"Come on, show yourself, and let us get it done right here, right there."
He said to no one in particular as he laid his back on the bed a spread his arms instead.
Left with no other things to do, Aiden watched his own reflection at the mirror that was placed in the ceiling exactly across his bed.
The mirror above him was not exactly a whole piece. It was actually made up of several small hexagonal mirrors that were put together to create a bigger one.
Aiden did not notice the anomaly right away. But the thing was, the more that he stared back at his own reflection, the more drowsy he became. In an instant, his eyes felt heavy, and before he knew it, he was already drifting off to sleep.
In his semi disoriented state, Aiden saw his own reflection crawling out of the mirror. It was as though it had come to life and decided to move on its own.
Everything happened so fast that before Aiden could even realize what had truly come to him, and do something about it oblivion already took over his entirely.
The next thing he knew, Aiden already found himself walking to the familiar empty corridor that led to his chamber down at the Underworld.
His shadow danced along with the swaying of the blue flames coming from the sconces that were hung on the wall. These jeweled sconces were the only source of light that lit the entire hall.
Yet despite having nothing but those flame-lit sconces alone to light the entire hallway, it was still enough to provide the place a sufficient lightning system.
Its blue flame lit the corridor going to Aiden's room as bright as day.
************************************************************
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A cold-hearted Male Lead with a dead inside disease who finds his cure after meeting his ever so jolly and kind-hearted Female Lead.
I bet you already find it too cliche!
You've read a lot of that before, right???
How about you try this one instead? 
Let us do it the other way around...
Born between the forbidden love of a god and a human, Demigod Nathalia Watson was forced to assume the role of maintaining the peace and order among creatures of the dark after her father, The Lord of Darkness decided to resign and finally elope with the love of his life. Nathalia's mom.
"Is this some kind of family business? While some inherit a conglomerate and become CEO, I inherit the highest position in the underworld."
Used to dealing business with the creatures of the dark, Nathalia had no choice but to be aloof and cold as an ice queen.
Until the day come and Aiden Jones comes to her life.
He was an optimistic and happy go lucky guy. No matter what life throws to him, he will face it with a bright smile.

Will his sunny personality be capable of melting our ice queen?

Would their predestined fate eventually alter their individual nature?

A love that transcends heaven and hell; but how a typical mortal that used to mundane life would deal with it????

Will Aiden soon realize that he unknowingly married the Queen of Darkness and live happily ever after with her?

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

One Year Ago...


"Machiko?!" The girl heard her name in whimpered cries, as she slowly returned to consciousness. Looking around, she noticed the figure of her mother leaning above her, aged eyes filled with tears resting above. Before she could even comprehend the situation, she was embraced into a light hug, which despite the fragile nature of the hug, put some pain on her shoulders.

"Oww..." She whimpered, her eyes coming back into full focus. Looking around the room, it was filled with sterile whites and awkward furniture, complimented by scientific-looking appliances blending into the walls and spaces around her.

She groaned, immediately realizing the space was a hospital room.

"What... what happened?"

The mother began, tears choking her sentences. "You almost..."

"What? I-OWW!" As Machiko began to lift herself up from the bed, she was greeted by a strong surge of pain throughout her back, going all the way down to the middle sections of her thighs. Curling in pain, the mother rubbed against Machiko's tense shoulders, reminding her to sink back into the bed, away from the pain.

"You'll be in bed for a while... but at least nothing's permanent."

"Nothing's permanent?" She questioned. "So, how long then?"

The mother turned away from her, nervously. Her father, as she now noticed was sitting on a small bench by the door, couldn't look to her either.

"How long?"

"...Months. Most likely until we're halfway through October until you can do anything like you used to. And even then, you'l have to take it easy for months after."

Her face froze, contemplating the reality of the situation. All of her hobbies, while not sports, were active, such as cooking or music. Music...

"We were on our way to Band Camp, right?!" She freaked, confused. "What happened?!"

"Car crash, a few minutes from the school. Our car's wrecked, and the man who hit us is in a similar state."

"No... what's the time?!"

"Twelve or so... Tuesday."

"Tuesday?! But-" She flinched, trying to lift herself up in pain. Taking a deep breath, she took on an even angrier expression. "But... Band Camp started yesterday..."

"I know you were looking forward to this, hun..." The mother continued to rub her shoulder, sitting on the edge of the bed. "But... you're in no condition to do something that physical! Next year, Machiko."


Present Day...


"What was that?!" Machiko walked up to Arthur's empty table, as he ate a small ham sandwich alone.

"You know what that was." He muttered, not looking up to greet her questioning gaze.

She sat down across from him, and let out a frustrated sigh. "... Vernon, right?"

"He was t-t-there for me, helping motivate me when you did. He's a cool guy! B-b-but..."

"They were making fun of him, and the way he led."

He looked up, realizing how much of the situation Machiko actually understood. "You... support J-J-Joseph?"

"Of course I don't. But... I've learned that making the most of your time here is really important, and he's both really social and a great player, from what I've heard at least. He has value."

"He disrespected your friend-"

"And people can change! I'm not ignoring his flaws, I'm simply working with his benefits! And if you want to make friends in this band... you're gonna have to get used to it."

Arthur, with a similar disappointed look as when they were playing the game, packed his remaining food and stood up. "A band that does nothing but talk behind others backs doesn't sound like a group of friends I want to make."

Walking away, Machiko was left in disbelief, unsure of how to think about his statements.

Sure, people are immoral, but what can you do about it? People will always have flaws, but antagonizing those flaws will only make things worse, right?

Looking into the mess of band kids, Machiko noticed across the way a table with a lone freshman girl, reading. Smiling, Machiko thought it would be the perfect opportunity.

"Hey!" Looking over the girl's shoulder, Machiko waved with a smile. "I'm Machiko! Do you mind if I sit with you?"

The girl nodded, and Machiko sat across similarly to how she sat with Arthur. Looking across, the girl smiled back. "What'cha reading?"

"Uh... 'One Part!'..."

"Oh, I've read some of that!"

"You read comics?"

"Yeah! I had a lot of time last year, so I spent most of it finding new comics to read. 'One Part', I didn't get TOO far in, but have you read 'Creature Tail'?!"

"Yes! It's really great, how the first couple arcs kinda build up the world and then we get the Second War..."

"Who's your favorite character?" Machiko smiled, leaning onto the table.

"Well, I'd have to say-"

"Hey! Light!" Machiko turned along with the girl (who's name was apparently Light), to see a tall, head-shaven senior give her a terrible look. "Who... who's this you're talking to, Light?"

Her head immediately curved down, trying not to look either one of the upperclassman in the eye.

"I... uh... she just wanted to talk and s-s-stuff..."

The senior angrily glared at Machiko, motioning for the two of them to talk a distance away from the table. Once out of vicinity of Light, the teen smiled at Machiko, intensity in his eyes.

"Sorry about all of this! It's just... she's like, really behind on all of her percussion warm-ups, and we can't have her wasting any more time at lunch. Understand?" Before Machiko could even respond, the senior motioned for Light to come over, making her grab all of her supplies before darting over.

"Who are you?"

"Brendan, percussion Section Leader." Without further context, Light stood beside Brendan, nodding before the two began to walk off. Machiko began to walk away, before realizing the opportunity she had in front of herself. Percussion Section Leader? He must have lots of useful advice on leadership, being attentive enough to help rookies on their first day during free time.

Machiko quickly turned around and tried to catch up with them, before noticing Brendan snatching the comic from Light's hand. He flicked through the pages uncaring before tossing it back to the girl.

"What is this crap?"

"Uh..."

"Don't bring it. If you're trashing your brain on this, then you'll need to work a lot more than initially thought."

"Hey!" Machiko called back, furious. "That's unnecessary, dude."

He laughed. "Unnecessary? You have no idea what it takes to be in percussion, 'clarinet girl'. Trash hobbies right now will do nothing but distract her from precious time she could be fixing her form before the end of band camp! And I'm sorry if your pretty little head just can't comprehend what I'm saying, just-"

"You don't get to talk down to me." Machiko stood eye to eye with him, despite the tall senior towering over her. Despite her conviction, each bit of confidence that filled her only went towards making Brendan see the situation as nothing more than a joke.

"Be in Marching Band for four years, and then you get to critique how I run things."

"Fuck you, man!"

"What?!" The tall teen, who had been rather dismissive of the conversation up until that point, suddenly gained an angry charge. Stepping closer, Brendan was ready for a confrontation, making Light nervous and baffling Machiko even further.

As she was about to let him have it, a sudden wave of regret hit her. Was this the right course of action? Was he right, and was she just too inexperienced or too emotional to understand his perception? She did want to befriend as many talented people as possible... but was it worth it to go THAT far out of her comfort zone, sending a quiet girl like her to be pushed uncomfortably and made fun of like that?

"I... never mind..." Machiko just looked away unsure of how to handle her emotions. Brendan, realizing he wasn't going to get a fight out of her, motioned for Light to follow him and the two made their way back to the Band Room.

Cursing under her breath, the girl sat back down at the now-empty table, unsure of how to move forward.

Arthur spent his entire childhood cooped up around fantasies and ignoring what everyone else was doing. However, once he takes an interest in Marching Band, a sport REVOLVING around the bonds between a massive team of people, his world grows into a place filled with competition, drama, and growth unlike anything he'd ever seen before! Can he grow as a person, and lead the way towards The High School Marching Band Internationals?! Find out, in HAKUNA FERMATA!

They were walking on a paved road surrounded by tall trees, while Yule could see some fireflies flying around the area, making the place more magical. 

The group passed a giant white stadium with lights on glowing on the second and third floors. Further ahead, they arrived at a five-story building with long corridors. 

"This is the students' dorm," Professor Fields introduced to Yule. "We will have to say goodbye to Ranger and Sanna for the meantime. Yule will stay temporarily at the Teacher's Dormitory where he will stay at my guest bedroom."

The three students nodded at the Professor, then Ranger and Sanna waved goodbye to them. Yule and Professor Fields walked more and arrived at a western-style mansion. The mansion was surrounded long brick walls, and in the middle was a metallic gate. 
Professor Fields pulled a card from his lab coat and flashed it at the gate. The gate automatically swung open, and the two entered the premises.

Upon entering the mansion, they were greeted by a chubby man at the desk. He tried to comb his unkempt hair when he saw the two. Professor Fields explained to him that he was with his nephew, and he will stay for a night while his transfer papers were being processed by the administration. The chubby man looked at Yule, then waved them off.

They climbed the staircase and went to Professor Fields' room. The room was very cozy, plastered with sky blue paper walls. There were two couches in front of a painting depicting the fall of angels in the bible. At the side of the room, two bookshelves stood with books filling it. Opposite of it, two doors erected on the side leading to the bedrooms.

Professor Fields opened the left door and led Yule inside. The guest bedroom had a single bed and own bathroom. 

"I think you had a very long day. You may rest here, Yule. We will talk in the morning." Then Professor Fields closed the door.

Yule went first into the bathroom and washed his face. After that, he leaped on the bed and released a long sigh. He agreed on Professor Fields he had a very long day. He could not believe that he was lying on the bed after the aswang they fought earlier almost killed him.

Yule was also thinking about tomorrow when he would start faking himself as the nephew of Professor Fields. Many thoughts and images entered in his mind until sleep arrived.

*****

A knock woke up Yule. He stretched his shoulders and rose from the bed. 
Someone pushed open the door, and Professor Fields's head popped up. "I brought clothes."
Yule grabbed the clothes and told him how grateful he was. After cleaning and changing his clothes, he met the professor.
The professor was sitting on one of the couches and reading a book. 

"I forgot to say last night that how cozy the room is for a teacher," Yule said. 

Professor Fields closed the book and smiled at Yule. "I'm glad you like the room also. This is the least that the Academy could do to us since most licensed slayers preferred to be on the field."

"So you mean to say, all the teachers of this academy are licensed slayers?"

Professor Fields nodded at him. He rose from the couch and returned the book he was holding to the bookshelf. "We should go to the dining area. Breakfast is being served now."
The professor led the way to the dining area located on the ground floor of the mansion.

*****

After their breakfast, Professor Fields and Yule went out and headed to another facility located in the southern part of the academy.
 
"We will meet with my colleague who we can trust about your situation. This colleague of mine will do an examination of your body and the shard embedded on your chest."

Yule nodded at him. He was actually nervous about what they would find on his body.

They arrived at a seven-story building and went to the third floor. The floor had a long hallway where they passed some Engkanto wearing long white coats. 

Professor Fields went to the end of the hallway and knocked. When no one answered, the professor slide the door open and found a female Engkanto typing rapidly on the hologram keyboard while her glamoured eyes were glued to the hologram screen.

Yule and Professor Fields entered the room, but the female Engkanto was deeply engrossed in her work. Professor Fields coughed louder, and the female Engkanto finally noticed them. She quickly jumped on her feet and faced them. 

The female Engkanto had deep blue colored hair with pink color covering the tail of her hair. She was about the same height as Professor Fields. Yule also observed that she was stunningly beautiful like the other Engkanto he had met. But Yule felt some gentle presence coming from her.

"Matteo," the female Engkanto started.

"Avatara," Professor Fields curtly replied.

"I assume that he's the guy you've mentioned from your email late last night?," Avatar inquired while eyeing Yule.

Professor Fields faced Yule and introduced her. "Yule, I would like you to meet Avatara. She's the colleague I've mentioned to you. She will try to help us." 

Avatara nodded at him then she clicked on the hologram keyboard. Automatically, the screen and the keyboard winked out. 

"Come, follow me." 
They were behind her when she started guiding them on another hallway inside the room. 

They stopped in front of a sliding door room. Avatara opened the door and led them inside.

The room was pure white. Yule also noticed a circular-shaped metal platform in the middle of the room. 

"B719, initiate the examination," Avatara ordered to no one. Then hologram screens started appearing around her. Words and charts appeared on the screens. She quickly typed something on the screen in front of her, then a word 'Standby' displayed on the screen.

"Yule please stand on the platform, so we can start scanning you," Avatara instructed Yule.

Yule went to the platform and felt uncomfortable, standing in front of Professor Fields and Avatara.
Then a hole appeared on the ceiling, and a ball drone flew downwards and levitating in front of Yule. The ball drone had the same appearance as the drone of Manu.
"Shall we start the scanning?" The ball drone asked in a monotonous voice.
"Yes, please. Initiate Overall Scanning and Shard Examination," Avatara replied.
Professor Fields went behind Avatara looking also at the screens surrounding her.
The ball drone released a red light from its eye. The red light scanned his head first, then went all the way to the bottom. Data started appearing on hologram screens which made Avatara nodded. Then, the red light started going upwards and stopped on his chest. It stayed there for a few minutes. Then the red light disappeared. The ball drone stayed levitating in front of Yule.
"Done scanning," the ball drone announced. Afterward, it flew back to the ceiling.
Additional data started appearing on the hologram screens, but this time, it made Avatara frowned. 
Suddenly, they heard a knock from the door. Professor Fields and Yule looked at it and found Sanna opening the door. She nodded at the professor and waved at Yule.
"This might take a while," Avatara announced.
"Yule may step down from the platform. Sanna will escort you out. The two of you may roam around the academy while we wait for the result. I'll stay here with Avatara." Professor Fields said to the two.
*****
When the two exited the room, Avatara furiously typed on the holograms and it generated more data and graph on the screens. Professor Feilds was just observing the whole process, letting her do her expertise. 
After a few minutes, Professor Fields sensed that she was about to conclude her work. Avatara displayed some images on the screens and faced the professor.
"As expected the boy is in good health. He has the same DNA structure with humans on this Earth. Same body functions, nothing different. What surprised me is this," Avatara slid the screen in front of her and a shard appeared on it. "A common shard usually have spirit energy readings around it." She held the image of the shard and put a throwing action towards Professor Fields.
The shard appeared outside the screen via holographic imaging. It was floating in the air, and the two crowded around it. Avatara and Professor Fields were looking at close up version of Yule's shard.
"But the boy's shard doesn't have any spirit readings I could trace. It supposed to have a spiritual reading. It's usually emitted by the contracted mythical being, and I've never encountered this kind of shard." Avatara said in a tired voice.
"But they recounted that a weapon came out of it," Professor Fields insisted at her.
"I know, and I believe them. You know why?" Avatara touched the holographic image of Yule's shard, and a holographic screen appeared beside the shard. "The scan read there's a spiritual weapon inside it. And I'm dumbfounded where's the power coming from. I'm thinking his shard might be different because he came from another world which made it special."
Professor Fields looked at the holographic image of the shard, then sighed.
"I guess it's my job now to figure it now," he said to Avatara.
"Oh please, keep me updated. I'm intrigued by the boy's shard. Let me know if you need anything else."
"I trust, you will not say a word to anyone," Professor said carefully at the Engkanto.
Avatara nodded at him in reply.
"I guess, we're done here for the meantime. I'll go now and work on Yule's papers for his admittance on the academy."
"Do you think it's a good idea to let him in?"
"Like I always say to others, we need more slayers regardless of where he or she came from."
Professor Fields waved farewell to Avatara and exited the room.
*****
Sanna was busy looking at the mobile device she was holding. Yule could peek some videos on the glass screen of the device. Every now and then, some notifications popped on the screen, while the two were walking outside.
Then Sanna stopped halted her movement still engrossed on her mobile device.
"I didn't know it was today," she mumbled to herself. Sanna faced Yule and smiled at him. "Since it's so boring just to roam around the academy, I have this better idea," she said in a playful tone.
The two went to the stadium. This is the same stadium that Yule saw last night before going to Ranger and Sanna's dormitory.
The lobby area of the stadium was huge, and many students roamed around the area, while some were hanging out on the couches. There was also a holographic screen floating in the air, displaying various announcements. 
Sanna hurriedly climbed the escalator while Yule was tailing her. After riding another escalator, they arrived at the third floor. The hallway was empty. Sanna ran towards the end of the hallway and pushed open the door.
They were greeted with students casually seating in a gallery. The students were all looking down on the ground floor. Sanna led them on the front, and Yule could see below that there was a queue of students. They were patiently standing while a single student stood on an elevated platform.
"They are all 12 years old. Some of them hope to be a slayer one day." Sanna explained.
"But why are they here? Is this some kind of welcoming ceremony?" Yule asked.
"Just watch."
"Ram Park!" Somebody announced on the ground.
The boy in front of the line stepped forward to the elevated platform. Yule thought that the boy looks nervous.
Then a green-haired male Engkanto marched toward the boy. Yule couldn't identify if he was wearing a glamour or not. But this Engkanto was also wearing a white military-like uniform. He shouted some inaudible orders and holographic screens started appearing around him.
The Engkanto placed his palm on the screen in front of him. Then, a small light emerged out of thin air. The light subsided and a floating shard floating in the was left. 
"You may summon it now," the Engkanto ordered to the boy.
Ram Park nodded at him, then cleared his throat."I-I, Ram Park, summon you!" 
The shard started glowing, and the crowd above were all on the edge of their seat, waiting for the shard and the boy to bond.
Then, the shard broke. 
It broke into tiny pieces falling to the ground. 
The crowd shook their heads in disappointment, while Sanna just clicked her tongue.
The boy was shocked and a look of disappointment drawn on his face. He was escorted out by two male high school students.
"This is a summoning and recruitment ceremony," Yule announced to Sanna. She just nodded at him and waited for the next candidate in line.
The next candidate failed to summon and bonded with the shard. And the next one failed also. The crowd started to express their disappointment with the turnaround of this ceremony after ten candidates failed to summon from the shard. 
The male Engkanto supervising the ceremony was also getting bothered with the outcome. Then a small girl with brown pony-tailed hair stepped on the platform. This made Yule froze. 
The girl had some resemblance to her younger sister. Her sister loves to arrange her hair in a ponytail style. This made him homesick also. Are they worried sick about me? he thought. 
"Candice Rodriguez, you may start the summoning," the male Engkanto announced. This made Yule returned his focus to the young girl below.
The girl swallowed a deep breath and shouted, "I, Candice Rodriguez, summon you!"
The shard in front of her started glowing brightly and a huge wave of air was released around it. Candice and the people on the ground covered their faces. Then, a magic circle appeared on the ground where Candice was standing.
The crowd started rising from their seats, eagerly waiting for the next turn of events.
Candice didn't know what to do next. She looked at the male Engkanto about to ask him what she should do next when someone shouted. That person was pointing his finger above.
People immediately looked above, and all of them gasped on what they saw.
Another magic circle appeared. 
It was floating in the air near the ceiling. 
"This shouldn't happen," Sanna said. "When a candidate summoned a mythical being, it just materialized in front of that person. I never encountered this kind of materialization."
Yule looked at the helpless girl on the ground. Her mouth was hanging open and staring above at the magic circle she summoned.
The magic circle started spinning, and something was coming out from it. A creature covered by a light jumped in the air and landed on the ground facing Candice.
The light started to disperse and a black feline creature appeared. It had the same size and physique as a black panther. The feline creature was looking at Candice with its glowing yellow eyes. The creature started prowling around the girl. Candice noticed that the black feline creature was wearing a golden necklace around its neck.
The male Engkanto almost fell on his back when a word appeared on his screen. 
"It's Bastet!" He revealed.
The crowd gasped at the revelation of the Engkanto. Bastet roamed her yellow eyes around the room and looked back again at Candice. The feline goddess leaped looking like she was about to attack the girl, but when the feline goddess was on the air, it changed to a small light and dived to Candice's chest.
The room was filled with utter silence. Everyone was still shocked that a goddess was summoned in this room.
"So Yule, this is the part that you skipped as a slayer," Sanna said jokingly.

When asked to be a hero what would be your response? Of course it's that you're not hero material! Even if it was to save an alternate earth in ruins overrun by gigantic monsters, how can one more human make a change? 
Well, that won't matter much when Yule is forced to protect a world that isn't his.

Beckoned by a girl draped in violet clothes Yule's everyday life becomes flipped when he is suddenly transported to the other Earth. One where humanity is no longer the top predator, one where they are the hunted, one where Yule meets Sanna. A fierce warrior on the back of a mighty white stag, Yule's journey starts with that fateful meeting.

Will he be able to survive, much less save the other Earth?

Author's Notes:
Welcome to my first novel! I hope you'll like my story. Please bear with me on the errors :( I'm still a newbie writer, and I'm doing my best to improve my craft.

You can leave comments/reviews/vote via power stones also. ;)

Thank you so much!!!!

Days have passed, the time has was spent, yet here I am seventeen years later into my life, wasting it by constantly going through a cycle of school, home, sleep. With the hours in the middle being those which I waste time on an obsession I picked up during the summer before I started year 12. Constantly, reading books regarding reincarnation, systems and cultivation, in which people have fixed their lives, or you could say turned their lives around for the better. I always wonder to myself why am I thinking about this constantly - going back into time and fixing my mistakes. I am only seventeen. I can still turn my life around. I am a typical student who has been led down the wrong path through distractions. Manga, Video Games, WebNovels. I have always wanted to be a doctor, so that is what I want to be, not just an ordinary doctor but the best doctor. The Yama's nemesis.
****************************************************************************************************
SUCCESS SYSTEM ACTIVATED

Mission One: Choose Five branches you want to have success in today.
Reading
Social
Fitness
Acting
Singing
Love
Spiritual
Martial arts
Business

Time Limit: 24 hours

Consequences:
Rewards: Keep the system, 1 System Point [SP] - Can be allocated to branches. If the system feels like you have exceeded the criteria, you may be allowed to retain these abilities.
Failure: The system will find a new owner as you are clearly, too incompetent.


Accept/Decline

Declining automatically means failure.


"TF, who's this lady in my head?", James exclaimed with a confused expression.
"Host, please pick a mission." The voice said in a monotonous manner.
"Is this what I think it is, am I finally blessed? Has the light of God finally shone upon me?" James jumped up from bed, causing his Ipad - his favourite pass time equipment - to be flung into the air and smacked down onto his carpet flooring.
"Good thing I bought that case", he chuckled in a self-righteous manner.
"WARNING, NO RESPONSE DETECTED, SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INITIATED, TO CANCEL CLICK THE OPTIONS ABOVE"

ACCEPT/ DECLINE
10 
9
8
7
"Accept", I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Confirmed

Please select branches.

Selected: 
- Spiritual
- Martial Arts
-Reading
-Fitness
-Business 


SPIRITUAL
-Mediate for 5 hours.
[Can be accumulated throughout the day]
[If zen mode or above achieved, basic cultivation technique suitable for Host's planet will be unlocked permanently]

 MARTIAL
-Beat up the neighborhood gangsters or local bullies
[0/10]
[Physique adjusting breathing style will be unlocked if all bullies beaten within 1 minute, the count starts when any side throws the first punch]

 READING
-Read books.
[Size does not matter, as a bonus the ability to memorise anything read will be temporarily gained]
[0/10]

 FITNESS
-Exercise
[Body will not feel fatigued as a result, temporarily]
Calories burnt: 0/10000


 Business
-Make a profit of £1,000
[Host has been detected to incompetent, the Host has gained the ability of system factory (Basic), temporarily.]


System factory:
-Allow one to produce necessities through the use of a mixture of blood and water. 

"Well, guess I'm not going to school tomorrow, well I mean today its already 1 o'clock", I spoke in my mind. The day that I have dreamt for over these last few years has finally arrived, the day where I get a system. I thought that the day I will get a System will be the day that I change for the better, and it has arrived. I will become the best.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Days have passed, the time has was spent, yet here I am seventeen years later into my life, wasting it by constantly going through a cycle of school, home, sleep. With the hours in the middle being those which I waste time on an obsession I picked up during the summer before I started year 12. Constantly, reading books regarding reincarnation, systems and cultivation, in which people have fixed their lives, or you could say turned their lives around for the better. I always wonder to myself why am I thinking about this constantly - going back into time and fixing my mistakes. I am only seventeen. I can still turn my life around. I am a typical student who has been led down the wrong path through distractions. Manga, Video Games, WebNovels. I have always wanted to be a doctor, so that is what I want to be, not just an ordinary doctor but the best doctor. The Yama’s nemesis.

Confirming that, Lefiya agreed to his idea, Ethan gave her an encouraging smile as the latter, stared at the sign of the Inn as she could still feel very embarrassed, but, before she even realized it, she was reading again and again the name of the latter until she muttered

"The Frozen.. Lychee Inn"

Hearing these words, he couldn't help but think about the name of the Inn for a moment, but, that didn't last long as he didn't want to let her think about it too much, now that they were so close...

"..Let's just enter.."

Saying these words, Ethan took her hand in his before he decided to hurry. This, led Lefiya to leap in surprise before understanding what was happening, and this, led her face to become even redder than before as, after a few seconds, he was already at the entrance of the Inn.

The first thing he noticed was that a young girl, about 10 years old, was cleaning a shelf before the latter noticed the presence of two new customers.

This, brought her eyes to widen as she immediately turned around before shouting

"Dad, there are customers..a couple!!"

The way she defined them led Ethan to have a wide smile on his face while, without hesitation, he decided to tighten the grip that held Lefiya's hand, as if at any time, the latter could decide to run away in embarrassment.


Obviously, Lefiya, had thought of running away after hearing the little girl's words, but, Ethan's firm grip, led her to look down while, with the hand she had not occupied, she brought it close to the heart, almost as if to try to calm the heartbeat that, seemed not to want to slow down in any way...


While this was going on between the two, the girl's father left the kitchen before confirming that, it was indeed as the latter had said, and this, brought the dad to give her daughter a wide smile as he glanced at the 'customers' to indirectly ask them if he could have a moment as Ethan, replied shaking his head with a smile.

With the confirmation that he could have time with her daughter, the dad placed a hand on her head as he added

"You did a very good job, Aya..."

By heavily patting her, Aya felt really happy that his dad was praising her as her tail started wagging before he decided to return to important matters as he told his daughter to go help her mom in the kitchen...

Seeing the cute, little girl, running towards a door, Ethan smiled while the dad returned his smile with one of his own as, after approaching the two, he stretched out his hand towards him..

Releasing Lefiya's hand for a moment, Ethan reached out for the person's hand as the latter immediately added

"..It's a pleasure to have you here at the Frozen Lychee Inn, my name is Kimzeeshraa Michi. I'm sorry if I made you wait.."

Hearing this, Ethan shook the hand he had free as he, could only let the two enjoy their small moment, as it was only natural to do so..

"You don't have to worry, your daughter needs to be pampered when she does something good, so I don't mind waiting..."

Even though Ethan wanted to mention his name, he couldn't help but wonder how he should call him as, Kimzeeshra-san seemed too long, but, as if the latter could read his mind, he immediately added

"By the way, everyone calls me Kim, so, you should do that as well..."

Understanding, he saw Kim release his hand as he decided to start talking about business already.

"...Talking about important matters, I guess you need a room for you and your girlfriend to stay in?"

These words, brought Ethan to chuckle as he immediately took Lefiya's hand again in his own while she just looked away, again embarrassed for the way he called them while in her mind, she was wondering if they acutally looked like two people in a relationship...but, she decided to think about it at a later date as she knew it was impossible for her to escape this situation, and this, led her face to become as red as always..

"..Yes, we need a room for us, but, we won't remain for long. Obviously, I'll pay for the full day and night.."

The fact that Kim seemed so nice and friendly, led Ethan to tell him the truth in a naked and raw way, and this, led him to have a smile on his face while he turned his face to look at the girl who was next to him

"I'll just warn you that walls don't cover very loud sounds, so if I were you, I'd be careful about what I do..."

His words, were immediately understood by Lefiya as the latter felt as if she was dying in embarrassment as she immediately shook her head.

"W-We aren't going to..do that..!"

Deciding to reassure Kim, and Lefiya at the same time, Ethan nodded as, without hesitation, he added

"..We're not going to do anything like that, I can assure you, we just need some time alone.."

The fact he could hear the seriousness contained in his words, brought Kim to sigh as a small smile formed on his face before he looked away.

"..There's no need for you to specify anything, young lad. I was just trying to tease you a bit. From the fact you acted so kind to me, and decided to pay the whole day and night just for some time alone, I can understand that already..."

Turning to approach the shelf where his daughter was cleaning, Kim took a pen and a sheet as he added

"..You can use room 2-A, but, before that, I'll have to ask you for your ID.."

His words, led Ethan to bring his free hand in his pocket as, using his inventory, he took his ID out before giving it to Kim..

Seeing that everything was in check, and that he was legally residing in Orario, Kim noted the information, which would then be added in the register of activities of the Inn...

After this was done, he gave the ID back to Ethan, as well as the keys for the room.

"..You'll pay me only for the day, don't pay for the night as well.."

These words, brought Ethan to sigh as he didn't expect such a thing, but, he knew he didn't have too many valis to act like a rich person...

"I see, thanks, Kim"

Hearing this, brought Kim to shake his head as he sat on the chair next to the shelf before waving his hand to make him understand it was fine before Ethan placed the valis on the shelf.

"Ah, the room is on the right. Once you turn around, follow the hallway straight to the end. At the end of it, you'll find the room I assigned you"

Nodding in understanding, Ethan tightened the grip on Lefiya's hand as he quickly decided to heade in the room while Kim just sighed...

'So, his name is Ethan huh..I'll remember it..'

Although, it wasn't so strange for a couple to want a single room just for a short time, Kim could see that, unlike the other young lads who decided to stay in his Inn, the two of them seemed very different, as if the thing they had to talk about was so important that even the girl, albeit embarrassed, had decided to follow him..

---

After following Kim's instructions, Ethan opened his room's door as, he could immediately see that there was a large bed, enough for two people, at the right, while at the left, there was a desk, with a chair next to it..

'It's simple, but I like it..'

Saying so in his mind, he saw Lefiya slowly entering as he couldn't help but add

"..Lefiya, it's not the first time we're in a room alone, don't panic now.."

At this, she turned her head to look at him as she saw that he closed the door.

"..Y-Yes..I know.."

Ethan's words, were surprisingly able to lighten Lefiya's mind, but, that was certainly not enough to stop her worries, and that's because, she felt she didn't know where to start the conversation.


Seeing her as she was nervously rubbing her hands, Ethan realized that she was really stressed and, she didn't know how to start the conversation, and this, brought him to sit on the bed as he decided to be the one to start, but, this wasn't the only thing he wanted to do. His  actual goal, was to make her slow down a bit, and, there was no better way, if not by teasing her..

"..By the way, I want to add, regarding the conversation we had yesterday, that I already said what I personally feel for you. I don't mind starting again by telling you that I love you, but it's for you to decide..."

His words, made her face, that was already red, become even redder as she could immediately understand he was teasing her, but, instead of arguing, or telling him to stop, she clenched her hands in fists as she looked down..

"Could you r-repeat it.. again.."

The fact that she had begun speaking in a very low tone of voice, led Ethan to sigh in his mind as he elaborated her answer and, once he understood what she really wanted, he could only smile at her naturally.

"..Yes, Lefiya, I love you"

Although, for Lefiya, the concept of love was something still not perfectly understood, she could feel it, she could feel that her feelings, and her mind, had lost a beat, again, when Ethan had clearly told her that he loved her. And, right now, even though that feeling may not have been 100%  of pure love, it didn't seem as relevant to her as it was a few seconds ago, as if the words Ethan had just spoken were the chant she needed to feel free to speak with her feelings in hand..

"..If I.. am the person you love..start treating me as such.."

Although, in her mind, Lefiya wanted to beat herself up for the way she expressed her feelings, for Ethan instead, there was a small moment where he was surprised by the way she was 'blatantly' stating it, but, in the end, her words were only the confirmation he needed.

"I'll start doing so..don't worry..."

By saying these words, Ethan decided to raise from the bed as he immediately approached her before wrapping his hands around her back.

"..From now on... we are officially a couple. You can't regret this action, no matter how much embarrassed you'll feel later.."

The fact he could feel she was still feeling nervous, brought Ethan to use his [Boost Magic] to raise the temperature of his hands as, he decided to take a mental note to find a way to help Lefiya release the stress and the nervousness she had..

Thinking about his words for a moment, Lefiya could feel the warm Ethan's hands emitted passing through her back as she instinctively brought her head down so that he wouldn't have been able to see what kind of face she was making...

---

(I have a discord server. https://discord.gg/cpVr5X8. You may ask me: "Why should I enter the server?". Well, I'm replying to every interesting question you readers are asking in my chapters, so, you should absolutely enter if you want to read my answers. Ah, and you can find some image reference of items in the story such as Light..! (Soon even Qienta).. so it's recommended to join, I frequently post polls as well, regarding things that(most likely) will be present in the story. One last thing, I post chapter updates in my discord right after I posted on webnovel, so I guess you can join to be able to know when I post chapters faster.)

(Poll going on in the discord: Who do you prefer? Qienta or Light? | Cat-girl or Renard(Fox))

(Do you enjoy reading my novel? If the answer is yes, then thanks. I'll leave my ******* here.  https://w ww.pat reon.com/watashiwavdesu)

(Alternate Titles:  "Lefiya & Ethan, heartwarming moments!", "Kim's daughter is so cute..!!","Aya will be the next MC of this novel")

Born in a rather particular family situation, Ethan finds himself having to face life with the desire of making his parents proud of him, from heaven. But, he didn't manage to do so because of an unfortunate accident, which caused his death. Now outside his own body, Ethan was afraid of having to meet his parents again, without having been able to fulfil his desire, but it is precisely at this moment that a voice speaks to him.

[Would you like to be reincarnated?]

Hearing these words, Ethan had various thoughts in mind, but, he understood that, with this, he could have another chance to satisfy his desires, and this, brought him to instantly say yes...

[Your wish to be reincarnated into the world 1042, titled {Danmachi} has been authorized and granted by God]

---

My own discord ID: watashiwavdesu#2029

(Author Notes: I will post one chapter a day)

You should enter my server discord.

https://discord.gg/cpVr5X8

*I do not own Danmachi and the cover*

Styler is now an official member of the Radiant Gang, the only thing left is to clean up his house and register as the owner of a house in the Radiant area.

     Styler still has the deer's body in his house. Styler asked Orby where he could find a man that is interested in deers. Orby said that he don't know any man but he know where to see the prices of creatures, the Price List Board located on the Townhall. The officers of the Townhall created this so people will have a fair trade and avoid fights for raw materials.

     Style went on the Townhall and started searching the price list. The board is big because there are many listed creatures, thankfully the place where to find the creatures are listed as well. But when he searched in the Blood Rivers he didn't see the word Blood Deer.

     He went on the office where the well-suited man is. The man was reading a document and when Styler entered he just glanced for a second then continued reading.

     "Take a seat." the man said with a plain voice. Styler took a seat on the front of the desk.

     "What can I help you?"

     "Ummm, mister.....?" Styler didn't know what to address the man.

     "Rhey"

     "Mister Rhey why is there no Blood Deer mentioned on the price list."

     The man stopped reading and looked at Styler. He now got serious face.

     "Are you selling it?"

     "Yes"
     
     The man opened a drawer and got a ring. He put the ring on the table.

     "Bring the body of the deer. It is a dimensional storage. Punch an object so it can enter the ring. We will pay you if it is really a Blood Deer." the man said with a serious voice.

     Style wore the ring and walked back home. He was still confused why are there no Blood Deer mentioned on the price list. He went home put the deer's body on the storage and walked back to the Townhall.

     "Follow me." Rhey immediately said when Styler entered the room. The man led Styler in a hall way with no lights but at the end of it was a door with red light coming out from below. Styler was afraid but he just followed Rhey. 

     "Don't worry, we just need the deer." Rhey said to comfort him.

     When the man opened the door there are persons inside operating some machines. The machines are grinding antlers same as the one that Style had in the storage. 

     "You have two choices for the trade. One is to get 5 high-class health potions or 5 high-class mana potions. Choose wisely"

     After thinking for a while he divided to trade for the health potions he didn't need mana because it can be replenished by sleeping or eating.

     After hearing Styler's decision Rhey ordered a man to get 5 high-class health potions. The man brought the potions and put it aside.

     "The ring please" Styler hesitated for a while but still gave the ring. Rhey put on the ring and the deer was out of the storage. The man checked deer and nodded at Rhey.

     "Thank you Mr.Styler here is your potions" the man gave him the potions and left.
     
     "Are this deer's special?" Style asked They in confusion. He just got 5 high-class potions that cost 50 silver coins each. High class potions has a great difference with low class potions.

     "The antlers of this dears can make high-class potions. We are lucky because this deer can be found here even though they are rare they can still produce 25 to 50 high-class potions depending on the size of the anlter. So if you ever find others like this feel free to have some trade with us." Rhey spoke with confidence.

     Rhey lead the way outside the room. When they are back in his office he gave the ring to Styler.

     "Consider this as a gift for a good trades to come. But take note that this can only store dead creatures."

     Styler happily accepted the ring and wore it. He said his goodbyes and left the Townhall. He also put the potions in his bag so it cannot get attentions from the crowd outside.

     Styler also finished signing up as the owner of a house in the Radiant area. His new house was bigger and better. There are cabinets where he could store the potions, bigger and more comfortable bed with wardrobe on the side of the room and then lastly is a bathroom with hot water. He took a bath and then went to bed.

A 15 year old boy died and entered his afterlife. He woke up in a medieval village. His after life is like a game where he need to be the strongest living creature on that world. He wants hunting alone on the wild so he can gain more fighting experience. After living there for a while he remembered his family in his previous life and hoped that they are all okay.

Claire…the girl on the bed quietly mumbled the name to herself. The person's name sounded pretty, but nobody could stand that attitude. Her memories were full of being rejected by handsome men and looking foolish.

The door was suddenly banged open and the deafening sound caused Claire to look towards the door. The girl at the door resembled the previous beautiful woman and seemed younger than Claire, however, her expression of disgust and condescending attitude did not match her young age.

Claire squinted her eyes a little only, because in her memories, she was terribly afraid of the girl before her. It was her younger sister, Lashia, a talented magician. Although she was only twelve years old, she had  already become an advanced magician. Because of her outstanding  talent, she was selected by the principal of the Sunrise Institute when she was only five years old to become one of his few disciples. This made Gordan Hill incredibly happy. The talented young miss hated Claire because their mother spoiled her so much. This wasn't strange because Lashia, being a child prodigy, had the love of her grandfather, father, and brother. Thus, her mother spent more time with Claire who was disliked.

"Humph, you brought great shame to the Hill name, ending up in this state just because you fell off a horse to chase a man." Lashia held her head high and looked disdainfully at the person on the bed. She walked up to the bed, a sliver of malice glinting in her eyes, and stuck her face right up to Claire's. She whispered in a low, poisonous voice, "My dear elder sister, why didn't you die falling off that horse?"

Claire looked silently at the pretty face before her. Who would have thought that someone who looked this innocent would say something so malicious?

Lashia looked at Claire's placid face and was taken aback. Normally her stupid elder sister would be trembling by not, yet currently, she was so calm.

Footsteps sounded outside and Lashia's expression changed to a frown. She muttered indistinctly under her breath and instantly, a tiny bolt of lightning appeared in her palm. Before Claire could react, Lashia had already pointed her finger at Claire's back. Claire felt a terrible pain surge through her body from her back.

"You male-chasing idiot, next time you worry mother I won't let you off as easily, " Lashia  whispered coldly into Claire's ear. "You know what will happen if you dare tell Mother. "

In Claire's combined memories, it seemed that many similar situations had happened before. Without anyone knowing, the little sister Lashia seemed to give the previous Claire much suffering. Claire dropped her gaze emotionlessly, not looking when Lashia turned around.

This time, the door opened quietly. The beautiful lady from before peaked inside and smiled.

"Mother~~" Lashia greeted happily.

"Lashia, you're home!" Katherine smiled as she entered.

"Yes, Mother. Let's go eat now." Lashia grabbed Katherine's arm cheerfully.

"You go eat first,  I'll stay with your older sister." Kathleen patted Lashia's head and said softly, "Your sister is not feeling well today, I'll stay here to keep her company."

"Oh." Lashia said, eyes cast down with a bitterness unnoticed by Katherine. Watching Katherine walk towards the bed, Lashia quietly and coldly humphed without anyone hearing and left quickly.

"Claire, the maids will serve dinner soon." Katherine sat near the bed and enclosed Claire's hands in her own. Claire gave a start. The warmth coming from her hand  made her relax immediately. So soft, so warm. Just like how that person held her hand and told her to be happy.

"Mother…" Claire said softly.

"What is it dear?" Katherine smiled gently. Suddenly, her expression changed and she asked anxiously, "Do you feel hurt anywhere?"

"No, mother." Claire suddenly smiled. "Mother, you haven't eaten either. Are you hungry?"

Katherine gave a start, and suddenly, tears came uncontrollably and silently. It was the first time Claire had asked a question like this, the first time Claire was kind to her.

Seeing Katherine's tears of joy, Claire lowered her eyes. Her true feelings were hidden by her long lashes.

Claire. Claire, this will be my name in the future. A strange light glinted in the young girl's eyes. The previous Claire didn't dare report Lashia's bullying or have the power to strike back.  But, in the future… Claire's eyes became icy as she remembered the burning sensation on her back once more.

At this moment, a bright new star rose in the night sky of the Ceylon continent, but as for why, no one knew.

The next morning, all the servants in Duke Hill's castle were gossiping among themselves and casting uncertain glances at the study. It was nothing big, just their Miss's strange behavior! Usually, she would already be out searching for handsome men by now, at either the theatre or the City Center Library… because young noble gentlemen normally hung out there. But today, she actually went to Duke Hill's study! When the Duke wasn't working inside, he would usually let his children inside his study. Although Claire fell off the horse yesterday, the doctor said she would be fine. But based on Miss's wild personality, she would never enter the study she despised!

In a large study with shining windows, a few huge bookshelves lined against the walls. Neatly classified books of all genres lined the bookshelves. A pretty blonde girl leaned on a windowsill thumbing through a thick book, The History of Ceylon.

Flipping through the book, the girl's expression became complex. She had already reached the section on the history of the country, Amparkland. The most credited people for the establishment of the country was the Hill clan, a family whose coat of arms was a rose. The young girl lifted her head to gaze thoughtfully upon the rose regalia hanging above the desk. It seems the Hill family wasn't simply wealthy.

Outside, light footsteps sounded but stopped abruptly at the door. Even though it was extremely light, Claire noticed instantly.

From the door came a low and cold voice,"Miss, the Duke has returned."

"Oh," Claire answered unenthusiastically, closing the book. From her combined memory she already knew the person outside the door was her knight, Jean, who was supposed to protect her.

Claire got up and just when she was about to set the book back on the bookshelf, she heard a series of footsteps sounded outside the door. Then, she heard the sound of Jean's greeting.

The door was pushed open and an austere, old man with luxurious clothes appeared. He looked to be more than fifty years old, but very energetic. His brows and Claire's were similar, letting her know that he was her grandfather. Currently, the Duke held a great amount of power in Amparkland and was also the most powerful man in his family.

"Grandfather," Claire greeted indifferently, her previous cowardly attitude gone.

Gordan Hill looked at the young girl in front of him and frowned, a strange emotion flickering in his eyes. He couldn't believe at first that his headstrong granddaughter would be willingly reading in the study when he heard about it, but now his own eyes convinced him. And how differently she dressed! Usually she would wear elaborate dresses like a butterfly, but today she donned the plainest white dress, her curly golden hair in the simplest style. Did she hit her head too hard when she fell off the horse yesterday?

"Claire, you fell off a horse yesterday?" Gordan walked in, asking casually. The people following him stopped outside and lightly closed the door to the study.

"I'm fine now," Claire replied lightly.

"Then that's good." Seeing the book in Claire's hand, Gordan,was a little surprised. She's reading The History of Ceylon? He knew this granddaughter of his inside out: capricious, unruly, and abnormally attracted to the opposite sex… She, who hated studying and learning more than anything else, was actually reading the most dull and boring Ceylonese History?!

"So, what do you think after reading The History of Ceylon?" Duke Gordan asked offhandedly, walking to his study desk.

"Let the banner of roses fly forever," Claire replied quietly with a hint of a smile.

Duke Gordan's eyes bulged as he stared, astounded at the smiling girl before him. What did he just hear?

Let the banner of roses fly forever!!!

Let the Hill clan exist forever!

"Say that again!" Gordan commanded in a deep tone, squinting at the girl in front of him.

"Let the banner of roses fly forever." An imperceptible hint of a smile flashed within Claire's eyes. This elderly man in front of her was the heart and center of this clan, the head and the leader. Through numerous previous experiences, she knew exactly how important it was in unfamiliar surroundings to pay close attention and take advantage of superior people to the greatest extent. If she wanted to survive in this unknown world, if she wanted to become powerful, then gaining the favor of this person in front of her would be her first threshold.

If someone else had told him this, Gordan would dismiss it without a thought because it would only be a means of flattering. But its meaning was drastically different when this young girl said it! His only son and other two grandsons and granddaughter had never said anything like it, but it was said by someone who was considered a failure like Claire. Duke Gordan was completely stunned.

"Grandfather, I have been acting out of line insensibly and it has been going on for too long. From now on, I will take my studies seriously and definitely not let down the Hill clan again." Claire stare at the stunned old man. Every word, every sentence had been said clearly, and her green eyes held a serious gaze.

Amazed, Gordan looked blankly at this sincere young girl, unable to speak for a long time. Claire kept quiet, too, silently staring at her grandfather.

"Great!" Finally, Gordan came back to his senses and laughed in relief. He patted Claire on the shoulder and praised, "This is my girl, this is the child of the Hill Clan!"

"I promise I won't disappoint you," Claire smiled. Her smile was shining with confidence.

This day, the whole manor boiled.

This idiotic girl that was infatuated with men and always disliked by the duke was actually led out of the study today, hand-in-hand with the normally serious duke, and they were both smiling!

The foolish male-chasing Miss of the Hill Clan was now favored! The news spread like wildfire throughout the whole manor.

When a cold and crafty girl travels into the body of a foolish, man-crazy, young female aristocrat, what will happen?

A young girl, Claire, falls off a horse while chasing his Royal Highness, the second prince, and falls unconscious. But when she finally opens her eyes, her gaze is ice cold.

Soon after, she shines a blinding light that astounds the whole kingdom.

In a world where power is based on magic and power, how would an airhead like her survive?

But, she soon stuns everyone by mastering both magic and Dou Qi, paving a new path for herself.

His Royal Highness, the second prince, was forced by the Emperor to go visit her but was told she was busy.

When he saw the “busy” miss drinking tea leisurely, ignoring him, the second prince’s handsome face twitched.

Her personal knight, Jean, had always looked down at her with disgust. But as he and many others watched her shine in glory and power, they couldn’t help but ask themselves, ‘Is this really the girl they knew?’

On the seventh day of the New Era - exactly one week after his birthday - Li Yang witnessed a miracle upon waking up.

He had slept very well, and slept in late. Having a full belly and a hiber bed to sleep on proved to be a very sleep-inducing combination. That morning, he opened his eyes when it was already nearing noon, although his room was still in semi-darkness. Li Yang kept the curtains on all the windows tightly drawn at all times. He didn't want rooftop gunmen taking potshots at him because they'd spotted him through the window.

As he lay there, staring at the dim ceiling, the ceiling light suddenly came into life. It shone for just a couple of seconds. Then there was a loud pop, and the light went out.

Li Yang got up and examined the light switch by the door. He had left it on! He switched it off and on a few times, but nothing happened. The light bulb was dead.

He got dressed and spent the next few minutes going into all the rooms in the apartment, using the keys he'd got from the cops that had come to tell him Rose Fogerty was dead. He'd decided that he'd keep the landlady's keys. He was the only tenant left in the apartment. No one could accuse him of anything.

Li Yang switched on the ceiling light in every room in the apartment. The result was always the same:  a couple of seconds of light followed by a pop as another light bulb went dead.

He took a fresh pail of water from the bathtub in the communal bathroom, and returned to his room to make himself some food. But the stink in the bathroom had killed his appetite. He had defecated into the toilet there the previous day forgetting that there's no water in the toilet tank.

After a short hesitation, he'd poured some water into the tank and flushed the toilet. But one small turd persisted in remaining afloat on the surface, and after he'd wasted another tankful of water he just put down the lid on it. The lid didn't fit the seat too well, so the smell from the toilet bowl spread.

He wondered why his shit stank so badly. Had he been poisoned by his contact with the cube? The documentation he'd read didn't mention that possibility, and it was pretty thorough. So thorough that he knew he'd missed a lot of things even though he'd read everything on the scroll.

But before he could reach for the scroll to scan it for mentions of poison and illness, he realized why his shit stank. He was eating a lot of protein. He hadn't eaten that much meat and eggs ever before. He had been pigging out full time on all the stolen food, since it was bound to go bad anyway without refrigeration.

He had stopped thinking about it and was just relaxing on the bed next to the silvery mat when he heard something move above his head.

He stared at the ceiling: he was sure the sound had come from the floor above. Then he heard it again, a soft clatter as if someone had dropped something on the floor.

The thing was, the floor above was unoccupied. Li Yang's building was a relict of another era. It should have been torn down a long time ago. A leaking roof and cracked water pipes had made the upper two floors unsuitable for habitation. Things were so bad up there that the city building inspector had sadly refused the bribe offered by the building's owner, and declared the top two floors off limits for human habitation.

But there was someone up there, Li Yang could hear it. Someone in the apartment, the room immediately above his own.

He got up and got the revolver from under the bed mattress. It still had only three cartridges in the drum. Li Yang spun it until the first of the three cartridges was lined up with the barrel. Holding the gun in his hand, he opened the front door and peeked out into the staircase.

He stood motionless in the open doorway for a couple of minutes, listening hard. Nothing and no one was moving on the staircase.

He quickly went back to his room and put on a an extra pair of socks, sprinkling their soles with water so that they wouldn't slide. Then he crept out of the apartment and up the staircase to the floor above.

There was an official tape strung across the top of the stairs. Black letters on a bright yellow background repeated the message: Do Not Cross. Do Not Cross. Do Not Cross.

Li Yang bent his back and slipped under the tape. He stepped onto the landing and stood still, listening, the gun's butt getting warm in his hand. Nothing stirred, nothing moved.

He stepped softly across the landing and into the hallway that led to two apartments. The one on the left was directly above his own. He put his ear to the door and immediately thought he'd heard something. But it was followed by total silence, dead silence that dragged out every second into ten.

He put his hand on the door handle. The round metal knob was very cold. But it warmed quickly under his fingers, and it awakened an instinct: he tried to turn it.

It turned. The door opened a crack. It had been left unlocked.

He stood still, listening. More silence. He pushed the door open wider with the muzzle of his gun and looked inside.

The hallway was an exact copy of the hallway in his apartment, with doors leading to rooms on both sides. The second door on the left led to the room above his own.

It was the only door that was open, throwing a shaft of pale light over the hallway runner.

Li Yang crept into the dark hallway. His shoeless feet were silent on the threadbare hallway runner. He held his half-raised gun in both hands. his left hand cupping the butt. His thumb was on the hammer of the revolver.

A sound made him freeze just a couple of steps from the open doorway.

It was the sound of a sob.

He crept forward until his body was next to the open doorway. Then he slid an eye and the barrel of his gun around the door jamb.

Charlene Lee was sitting on a bed that was directly above Li Yang's bed. She sat sideways to him, and she was holding her face in her hands. A couple of rings on her fingers caught the light, and she was dressed in what looked like a very expensive fur coat. She didn't look as if she could have anything to cry about.

But she was crying, there was no doubt about it. As Li Yang looked on, her shoulders shook and another sob escaped through her hands.

He dropped the gun to his side. After a short hesitation, he flipped the safety to on, and put the gun into his left pant pocket. The butt stuck out, but maybe that wasn't bad. He stepped into the room and said:

"Charlene."

She screamed before she looked at him. She recognized him right away, even though he'd grimaced horribly at the scream.

"Li Yang!"
"Yes. It's me. I heard you moving around from downstairs. What are you doing here, Charlene? And why are you crying?"

It was the wrong thing to say: she started sobbing again. Li Yang waited for a dozen heartbeats. Then he said:
"Charlene. Let's go downstairs. We shouldn't be up here."

She stopped sobbing and said:

"I can't go downstairs. I owe Rose last month's rent. I promised I'd pay for both December and January right at the beginning of the year. I don't have the money. I don't have almost any money! And Harper is in jail."
"What?"
"It's... It's a long story. And complicated."
"I'll be glad to listen."
She glanced at him suspiciously. Then she said:

"When the storm broke, we were visiting Harper's friend. So we stayed there. And then trouble started and when it went on and on and there was no electricity we, we... It looked safe enough outside in spite of the shooting, there was a lot of people were on the street, many going home loaded with stuff. So we went along to pick up something, we were getting short of food. And Harper and his friend got caught. The cops arrived soon after we'd gone into this store. We didn't hear them coming, they were on bicycles. They arrested Harper and they arrested Bobby, his friend. I was so lucky. They ran in right past me. Maybe they didn't grab me because I wasn't carrying anything. I just had this coat on and some jewelry and that was it."
"It's a very nice coat."
"You like it?"
"Yes. It looks very expensive."
"It's not. It's fake fur. But it ain't inexpensive either."
"I've got good news for you, Charlene."
"What? Fuck! Tell me. I really can use some good news."
"I'm sorry. I should have said I have both good news and bad news."
"I knew it. I knew it! Give me the bad news first, asshole."
"Miz Fogerty is dead. The landlady. She's dead. So she won't be after you for the rent. That's the good news."
"Is this really true? You're not fucking me around?"
"It's gospel truth," said Li Yang, purposefully using the phrase he'd sometimes heard Harper Lee use. He added:
"Let's go downstairs. You don't need to stay here. Don't worry, I'll do my best to protect you."

Charlene Lee looked at him sharply. She seemed to make her mind up about something.

"Okay," she said, getting up. "Can you help me out? I've got some stuff under the bed."

She looked at him and noticed the small revolver's butt sticking out of his pants pocket. She said:

"Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?"

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NOTE: This story is currently free to read. Before you start, please select Table of Contents above, and read the introduction in the Auxiliary Volume. It explains how this serial differs from standard web novel fare.

SYNOPSIS

It is January 2nd, 2035. In New York, leaders of all the world's nations are assembling to agree on a plan to save the dying planet: Earth.

Before they can agree on anything, disaster strikes. An electromagnetic storm destroys the global power grid, and cuts communications. Billions of people die.

But as soon as the storm dies down, millions of mysterious, glowing cubes appear all over the globe. The cubes contain tools that will let humans colonize a new planet: a bigger, richer version of Earth.

The newly formed Colonial Council, which answers to the United Nations, has one goal: to ease the crisis on Earth by transfers of goods and resources from the New World.

Millions of new colonizers rush to the New World, united by a common purpose: to turn their dreams into reality.

Some dream of getting rich by trading New World goods. Some dream of conquest, and building an empire. Some dream of peace, adoration, and love.

Some will succeed, and others will fail.

But fortune always favors the brave.

Current update schedule: 2-5 chapters a week

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