Advent of the Archmage - Chapter 692 - An Unwavering Spirit

On the 15th of March 2139, the world mourns the passing of Darius Stone, billionaire broker, and philanthropist.

Yet while his family and friends put his body to rest, Darius wakes up to find himself reborn into a younger body in a different world.

A strange voice informs him that his soul has been transported into the magic-filled world of Faust on the behest of a mysterious Goddess called Vena, for the sole purpose of entertaining her through his struggles.

In this world where any dream can be achieved with enough effort, he sets out to become a Supreme, an existence above Mortals and even Gods!

.........

Warning: This novel features a villainous protagonist. If you have enjoyed Warlock of the Magus World, then you should be able to tolerate Darius Stone’s actions and choices throughout the novel in terms of Morality.

Note: This story is slow-paced in order to allow for better world-building and development. If you’re looking for a fast-paced action story, this might not be for you.

In the land of magic and beasts, Sylvia was betrayed by her family and sold off as a slave. She was expecting the worst, but fortunately, it was a handsome prince who had ‘bought’ her! Who doesn’t love a charming, benevolent, and kind prince, not to mention ridiculously handsome?

But, little did Sylvia know that the charming handsome prince was no angel but rather a devil in disguise!

The calm, kind and good-hearted Sylvia found herself slowly changing under the devil's influence but worst of all, she found herself becoming more and more addicted to the two-faced devil who harbored dark and dangerous secrets.

But could she ever fully trust the shameless devil? Or was he just one of the many who desired her hidden powers? Let the games begin!

.......................

Excerpt:

“Are you getting ready for your engagement, my sweet kitten?” The devil's familiar voice drawled, making Sylvia's entire body tingle with an unfathomable need.

She gazed into his dark coal black eyes, lost within them, as he rubbed her lips with his thumb. This man... This man in front of her alone had the power to make her knees weak and her heart crumble.

“Heh. Being silent, are we?” The devil chuckled, his hand moving away from her lips to the back of her head. He clutched a handful of her soft silver hair and pulled her closer to him, capturing her lips with his.

Sylvia snapped out of her trance and commanded her body to push the devil away but her traitorous body only yearned for him more and she wrapped her hands around his neck instead.

The devil's lips curved upwards, his grin widening in satisfaction. His hand then moved down to her gorgeous engagement gown laced with diamonds and rubies which came undone as soon as he touched.

The laces, the veil, the flowers, the jewelry, everything was ripped to shreds, leaving behind only herself. An entire morning spent on getting ready and dressing up gone to waste just like that!

“You!” Sylvia glared at the shameless devil angrily. She had given him an inch but he went for the mile!

She pushed him away with all the force that she could muster, pinning him against the wall, imprisoning his rude mannerless hands.

“Heh? Why are you angry, my darling? Aren't I helping you? Why waste your time attending the meaningless engagement, when you already know that you belong to me and me alone?”

“Go to hell! Who said I belong to you! I belong to no one.”

“Is that so?” The devil leaned forward, gently knocking his forehead with hers. “Shall I leave then...?” He whispered, his warm breath caressing her cheeks.

Sylvia's face instantly reddened as she couldn't resist the devil's sweet temptations anymore...

She gave into the man's wicked allure and pressed her lips over his, stopping his mouth from taunting her and teasing her any further.

Leif Vin is mortally wounded and left for dead at the conclusion of a devastating battle.The squad he commanded have either fallen or abandoned the fight and all around are the cries and wails of the dying.With both armies all but wiped out vultures and parasites stalk the aftermath, one such creature finds Leif as the last of his lifeblood stains the muddy ground.Implanted with the essence of a carnivorous and corrupting tree, Leif loses his levels, memory and humanity.Reborn as a sapling in the newly formed wilderness that sprung up among the fallen, Leif must piece back together the fragmented shards of his soul and identity.But before that he must do what all trees must.Put down roots, stay still and grow. ===Hey, author here! Here's a few things about Hyperion Evergrowing to make seeing if this is something you might be interested in easier:This story follows a young man reborn as a carnivorous tree and missing all but one of his marbles. The plot focuses on his progression from feeble sapling to world striding legend. Utilising a litrpg system to quantify stats and skills Leif must engage with the system to evolve his monster class in a never seen before direction.There are certain advantages to his fairly unique circumstances, though these advantages do not instantly make him a demigod of war capable of defeating all foes with hands tied and eyes closed.One of the protagonists initial goals is to discover and reclaim his lost humanity, this puts him on the path away from sitting in the ground and doing tree things forever. Progress in this direction starts fairly early on so if you're not interested in seeing a monster attempt to reintegrate into civilised society and all the struggles involved this might not be for you.Time passes, due to his nature as a monstrous tree Leif has a much longer lifespan than most people. Leif will witness the rise and fall of nations, see the beginning of new eras and observe the very planet change as time marches inexorably onwards. There will be some light kingdom building, but it isn't the focus of the story.Oh! There's also a subplot involving the origin of the system itself.Three chapters a week, with updates happening at times convenient to an Australian. Enjoy!

Oliver Patrick, the Greatest General in Stormfront's history has a secret - a secret not many know. They think that his Iron WIll was built overnight. They know not the path of suffering he walked, as the slave Beam, to reach his destiny as King, and then Emperor.This is that story. A true story, of progress, struggle, hardship and strength. A story of greatness achieved without a system. A story of how one unknown boy's struggle transformed a continent forever.//ExtractThe arm dropped to the floor, as did the head. Spear points raced past the falling corpse as the goblins sought to take advantage of his momentary lapse in attention. But the tide had already shifted. The equilibrium that had kept the battle going for so long was shattered. With no bruiser to take care of their front lines and distract his attention, the goblins in front of him were no match for his speed.He employed his misdirection as he normally might, feigning the same backwards step that he had practised over and over, before leaping forward, catching the goblin off guard, twisting his body to avoid its spear and forcing his blade into its throat.It let out a high-pitched squeal as it dropped its spear and attempted to stem the tide of blood that was spurting from the wound. The goblin next to it squealed too, in fear this time, as its eyes widened, seeing two of its comrades dealt with so easily in quick succession. Beam saw it take a backwards step, as it attempted to turn and run away. But he was on it before it had a chance. He wrapped his arm around its neck and drove a sword through its back.Rather than let the corpse fall to the floor as he normally might, he held onto this one, enduring its death throes. Once life had finally left its body, he shifted it into place as a meat shield. Two arrows thudded against it, almost piercing it straight through. But the time they reached Beam the momentum was entirely gone – though they touched him, they did not even pierce his clothes.Slowly, with his meat shield in place, Beam advanced on the remaining goblins. They both shared a glance with each other as they dared to fire another volley, before turning on their heels and attempting to sprint away.“Stay,” a brief moment of eye contact, and one of the goblins was rooted in place. Beam tossed his shield aside and picked up a spear instead. With a twist of his hips and shoulder, the spear went soaring, impaling the running goblin straight through its stomach. Its bow fell to the ground, as strength left its hands. It then fell to its knees, before falling face down to the floor, pushing the spear back through itself.