Golden Stage - Chapter 20: Empty valley

[WARNING: MATURE CONTENT]I yanked my wrist, trying to pull free, but his grip didn’t budge. “Let me go,” I cried, surprised by how weak I sounded but for goodness sake, this is an elementary school restroom hallway, meaning anyone might walk in at any moment.“No.” He leaned in, his breath warm against the side of my neck. My skin prickled as my toes curled, I hated how my body reacted without my permission. “You’re mine,” he whispered, “Every part of you, your fear, your silence, even that defiance you’re clinging to. It’s all mine. And I’m not about to let anyone else touch or have what belongs to me. Not the world, not even yourself.”****Kain Locke would never forget that face, the face of the man who smiled as he pulled the trigger, murdering his parents right in front of him. That moment scarred him for life, carving a hatred so deep it kept him alive.That man was Caspian Draeven, a ruthless Alpha who ruled the underworld with fear and bloodshed and as if that wasn't enough, he took Kain too, raising him in his empire of chaos.But Kain wasn’t broken as they expected him, rather, he was burning. Burning with hatred for the man who destroyed his world and he swear to get his revenge.However, Caspian wasn’t the only monster in the Draeven family. His son, Kael Draeven, was just as dangerous, cold, brutal, and utterly loyal to his father which makes Kain hated Kael just as much, if not more.For years, Kain planned his escape, waiting for the perfect moment so he can leave to prepare for his revenge.However when he finally ran, he thought he’d won his freedom. But the unexpected happens when Kael was sent to bring him back, and their confrontation took an unplanned turn. A single night left Kain with a secret he never saw coming and a bond he couldn’t forget, no matter how much he wanted to.But secrets have a way of coming to light, and Kain’s path will lead him straight back to the man he swore to hate forever.Because some bonds can’t be broken. Not even by revenge.

This is a world of swords and magic. Here, sorcerers and knights are well established, while alchemists and forge smiths are revered by the Empire. Mas transmigrated from Earth to this world and became an apprentice alchemist. This was a very noble status, a brilliant alchemist could command the respect of any major city. Mas was also proud of his own position. But he didn’t expect that his teacher was actually a huge fraudster, who used subpar alchemy products to trick the Royal Capital.

When they came knocking on the door fuming with killing intent, Mas’s teacher Wosk had already run away. While Mas, who was his student, was left behind to deal with this mess. If Mas was unable to hand up alchemy products that are powerful enough, he would be burnt alive by the people of the Great Empire. Just then, he finally awakened the God-tier Alchemist System and received the Creator’s Alchemy Station. On this station, any monster could be created. [Obsidian Gargoyle], [Lightning Naga], [Iron Golem], [Granite Golem], [Puppet Dragon], [Laval Titan]...... One after another legendary alchemy creatures were born in the hands of Mas, and he gradually gained the title of the God of Alchemy!

The Empire stands triumphant.

For twenty years the Dread Empress has ruled over the lands that were once the Kingdom of Callow, but behind the scenes of this dawning golden age threats to the crown are rising. The nobles of the Wasteland, denied the power they crave, weave their plots behind pleasant smiles. In the north the Forever King eyes the ever-expanding borders of the Empire and ponders war. The greatest danger lies to the west, where the First Prince of Procer has finally claimed her throne: her people sundered, she wonders if a crusade might not be the way to secure her reign. Yet none of this matters, for in the heart of the conquered lands the most dangerous man alive sat across an orphan girl and offered her a knife.

Her name is Catherine Foundling, and she has a plan.

---------------

A Practical Guide to Evil is a fantasy series about a young girl named Catherine Foundling making her way through the world – though, in a departure from the norm, not on the side of the heroes. Is there such a thing as doing bad things for good reasons, or is she just rationalizing her desire for control? Good and Evil are tricky concepts, and the more power you get the blurrier the lines between them become.

“A Villain is just someone whom the Hero failed to save at the end.”[WSA ENTRY 2024]________________________'Huh, I recognize this window.' A boy muttered staring at the interface in front of him.After being shot to death because of helping an old man, a teenager is brought to life by the Goddess of the Void, Zephyra.He is given the choice to reincarnate and kill the hero after he annihilates the Ghouls in the world of the very novel he loves.Torn between the choice to transmigrate or follow the flow of life and death, the boy chooses to take his second chance at life along with the power that is granted as a gift to him by the Goddess.As he traverses the world in the new body of Amon Ashford - a character who was never supposed to exist and his past unknown-, he has to use his knowledge of the future to the best of his ability.Will he follow the Goddess's orders or will he carve his own path?