Ember Dragon - Chapter 13: Subduing Retainers

As a human, I should be miles away from any large shifter event. Especially the annual Mate Hunt.A hunt for mates. Doesn't that sound barbaric? Yeah, it's as bad as it sounds.Several packs in the area gather as their newly minted adult wolves shift. Females are let into the woods first and are given an hour's head start, just before sundown. Then it's time for the males, ostensibly thrown out to hunt down the scent of their fated (or chosen) mates.It isn't an event for the faint of heart, and it's definitely no place for someone who can't shift. So why the fuck am I here, running my little human heart out, chased by what sounds like an entire pack of wolves? Great question. I don't know, either.But I'm here.Surrounded by howls fueled by the thrill of the hunt.Feet bleeding. Lungs freezing.I am so fucked.----R18. Dark themes, including but not limited to: Murder, attempted murder, a stack of dead bodies, betrayal, mild sociopathy, an ML who appears to bathe in red flags despite his favorite color being green, an unwarranted hatred of blueberry muffins, and pillow thievery.

The world’s largest VRMMO, Conviction, was almost like a second world for humanity. It had integrated itself into the real world’s economy, with both corporations and individuals seeking their fortunes through the game.

In this game, Nie Yan prided himself in his Level 180 Thief. He could barely be considered among the top experts in the game. Though, that was the only thing he could take pride in. He was penniless and unable to advance in life; a situation he was forced into by the enemy of his father. If it weren’t for the little money he made by selling off items in Conviction, he would’ve barely been able to eat. In the end, he chose to settle his matters once and for all. He assassinated his father’s enemy. He lay dying shortly after being shot in the pursuit.

However, that wasn’t the end of his story. Instead, he awoke moments later to find that he had reincarnated into his past self. Armed with his experience and knowledge of future events, he sets out to live his life anew.

Michael Alastair never mattered. In a world where strength was everything, he was nothing—just another powerless kid, easy to break and easier to forget. When his tormentors finally took things too far, his story should have ended in that alley, bleeding and alone.But fate had other plans.In the void between life and death, a voice spoke. Cold. Sharp. Amused. [NEW TALENT UNLOCKED: WRITER’S LEGACY]. A system unlike any other—sarcastic, relentless, and strangely invested—offered Michael a power beyond reason and a purpose he never imagined. Now, armed with an SSS-rank ability and a mission to rise, he’s back. And this time, he won’t just survive—he’ll rewrite the rules.

The Thousand-Year Clan, the Ten-Thousand-Year Battle, deities play games with mortals' lives, fostering myriad tribes like nurturing parasites — with defeat meaning oblivion and victory ensuring sole survival.Only the one who prevails can earn the gods' faint smile.A youth named Qin Chuan, endowed with the power to stop time, leads humanity into the battlefield of countless races, only to discover that this is not their first foray onto this battleground...