Goblin Simulation: Building a Dark Empire - Chapter 36 – Screams in the Night

Welcome! If you want to jump in without any spoilers, feel free. Otherwise, here's a story primer, with a list of more specifics on what to expect from my work further below.Our story follows a fallen knight haunted by his past, in a world afflicted by war and supernatural wounds. Alken is the Headsman of Seydis, an executioner tasked by the divine powers of his homeland to hunt dark sorcerers, warlords, and traitors of all varieties, lest they drag the world into calamity.Once a paladin, this role ill suits him. Forced to cross lines that shake his beliefs, tempted by dark forces, and seen as an ill omen wherever he wanders, his path is often a bloody one. The longer he spends in the shadows of his world, the more he comes to realize just how many have been disenfranchised by the existent order. During his lonely battles through a land haunted by the restless dead and ancient magics, his journey becomes increasingly strange and personal.Enter a realm where the dead stir in every shadow and brooding demigods wage a millennia long war for a ruined heaven, where blessed knights wield gilded flames and sorcerers battle with weapons forged of their own souls. Enter a world of faustian alchemists, of saintly demons, and of time-weary elves.From Oathbreaker you can expect— A setting heavily inspired by Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Fromsoft games, and authors such as Michael Moorcock and Kentauro Miura. — A first person POV from an older protagonist who already knows a lot about his world’s history and cultures, who shares this information with the reader as it becomes relevant.— A mix of action adventure and quieter moments where the focus is on character development. Lore is shared piecemeal, usually only as it relates to a particular arc or character beat.— A heavy focus on mystery, both with the setting and the protagonist. The main character’s backstory isn’t shared up front, and a lot of the narrative involves learning about him a bit at a time, either from his own narration or other characters interacting with him.— A semi-soft magic system where many mages manifest unique powers tied to their own soul, or gain unique powers through eldritch pacts.— Romantic elements. These don’t crop up much until later in the story.— A variety of supernatural beings, such as elves, vampires, gargoyles, chimera, and trolls. Many are familiar, some are not, and most of the familiar ones have my own twists put on them.—Nobledark fantasy. This means that the world is often themed around tragedy and horror, but it’s not dedicated to being gritty. There are elements of high fantasy intermixed with the scarier stuff.—Episodic arcs. Each story arc usually has a specific locale and antagonist or set of antagonists, but certain overarching plots tie them together.— A long running narrative. I don’t have a specific projection of how long or how many arcs or books, but you should expect this to be equivalent to a long running serialized work.This is my first web serial! I hope everyone enjoys it. For trigger warnings, readers should beware that there are some heavy topics in here. When I think something might upset certain readers, I’ll put a warning in the author notes above a chapter. If I miss or overlook anything, feel free to let me know in the comments! I am currently publishing the same story on my wordpress, which is linked below and in my profile. I release three chapters a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Thanks for reading!(I originally had a link to a wordpress, but I'm in the process of overhauling that space. It's not a priority since my readership is all here, but just in case anyone noticed and was wondering)

[Mature Content][18+ Only] [Smut]“Then let's dissolve our mate bond and reject each other! That way, you can make Claire your official Luna!” Addison's chest rose and fell violently, her breaths ragged with fury.“Who said you could leave? You are MINE!” Zion turned feral and took Addison back to their chambers and ravaged her for three days and three nights...“I'll make sure you're tied to this bed, and your legs are so weak you won’t even be able to stand,” Zion snarled, pinning her down. His dark eyes flickered with gold, a clear sign that his wolf was watching her from just beneath the surface....Because they never truly tried to understand each other, their relationship was filled with misunderstandings. Zion, blinded by his petty pride and desire for revenge, refused to defend himself. He wanted Addison to pay for what he believed she owed him, but that very resentment became his own downfall. Addison, on the other hand, couldn’t wait forever for him to let go of his hatred and pain. She was ready to walk away.But when she finally disappeared from his world, Zion lost his mind. He turned his own pack upside down in a desperate bid to avenge the abuse and torture she had suffered. Yet it was too late—she was gone. And worst of all, he never had the chance to tell her the truth: the pup in the other woman's belly wasn’t his.He couldn’t openly reveal it either, because that woman held a special status they couldn’t afford to offend. Zion had sent Addison away to protect her from being killed, but his pride had cost him everything. Hurting her became his greatest regret—one that overshadowed even the death of his father, the former Alpha.But the Moon Goddess had other plans. Their paths crossed once again.And then, Zion saw her. No, them. Addison had a son. No—she had sons. There was another one.Regret clawed at him. He had once taunted her, wanting to break her, but now all he wanted was to make amends—to reclaim the family he had lost. But how? The gap between them was wider than ever. She wasn’t someone he could simply walk up to anymore.Would he ever get the chance to fix what he had broken? Or would Addison choose the mate her father, the Alpha King, had picked for her? After all, she wasn’t just anyone—she was the Alpha King’s only daughter, destined to be the first female Alpha King in history.

In a world where Lycans and werewolves are sworn enemies, Eve Valmont is a werewolf cursed by a prophecy and framed. Betrayed by her own pack and imprisoned for years, her fate takes a darker twist when she is offered to the Lycan King, Hades Stavros—a ruler feared for his ruthless conquests and deadly prowess. Bound by an ancient prophecy and haunted by the ghosts of her past, Eve is now at the mercy of the one being she should hate and fear the most—The Hand of Death himself.Hades, a king carved from blood and his own soul's decay, determined to avenge his family's slaughter and rid his people of the werewolves. He believes Eve is the key to his victory. To him, she is nothing but weapon foretold by prophecy, a tool he will wield to destroy the opposing forces threatening his pack. Yet, he finds himself craving this powerful yet broken woman. Leaving him questioning if she is truly his weapon or the one destined to unravel his carefully laid plans.***He stalked toward me, a predator closing in on its prey, his eyes dark and unreadable. “So, you laugh?” His voice was low, dangerously soft, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.I swallowed hard, suddenly aware of how difficult it had become to breathe. “Hades, I—”“But you only laugh at other men's jokes,” he interrupted, his gaze piercing, devoid of any humor. “Not your husband's.” The accusation in his tone was sharp, slicing through the air between us.A nervous chuckle escaped me. “You can't be serious... He’s your beta, for Goddess’ sake.”In an instant, he closed the distance between us, so fast it left me breathless. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me flush against his body, the heat of him making my skin tingle. I gasped, but before I could say a word, his lips crashed onto mine, claiming my mouth with a force that sent shockwaves through me. The kiss was punishing, hungry—I couldn't breathe, couldn't think.When he finally pulled back, I was trembling, my chest heaving as I struggled to regain my breath. His eyes, dark and stormy, searched mine with a possessive intensity. “You can’t laugh at my jokes...” he whispered, his voice a dangerous rasp as his fingers trailed lower, sending a shiver down my spine, “but you’ll come with my fingers.”I shivered, heat pooling low in my belly at his words, his touch. The world around us blurred, fading into nothing as his hand slipped lower, drawing a ragged gasp from my lips. The look in his eyes told me he knew exactly what he was doing to me, and there was no denying the primal connection between us in that moment.“I don’t need your laughter,” he murmured against my skin, his breath hot on my neck. “I’ll have every other part of you instead.”

[Are you crippled?][Did your fiancé break the engagement?][Did you lose your family to a demon attack? Are you the last surviving member of your clan, seeking revenge?][Does your family look at you with pity because you're the only one without any innate spiritual roots?][Are you tired of being told that you're a 'waste of resources'?][Are you stuck with no way to progress? Are you tired of being weak and helpless?][Well, have no fear! This Supreme Master is here to help you!]