Herald of Steel - Chapter 1369 Planned Response

After years of exile, Marcus is coming back home. A powerful mage with few equals, Marcus lives in a world full of monsters and powerful adepts, many of which have bad histories with him. But he has not come back to pursue vengeance or start a fight. All Marcus wants to do is reconnect with old friends, build himself a house, and maybe train a successor or two.Alas, the world didn’t stop just because Marcus went into exile, and not everyone is content to let go of old grievances. Strange things are happening in the world at large, too, hinting at a looming disaster of unknown nature. Still, where there is a will, there is a way.If nothing else, Marcus has a lot of magical power to throw at problems.+++Zenith of Sorcery is set in its own original setting and isn’t related to Mother of Learning… beyond being written by the same person, of course. This is a more classical fantasy story than my previous one, with a lower level of technology and stuff like elves and dwarves, but it has a lot of worldbuilding effort put into it and its own complex magical system. The story has significant xianxia influences, but isn’t meant to be a xianxia story.For those of you not familiar with my previous work, I write relatively slowly. I intend to publish chapters at the rate of one chapter every three or four weeks, subject to further delays as life intervenes.

[space + ancient times kingdom building + escaping from famine]

The big shot from the future, Bai Wutong, transmigrated to ancient times with her space pocket! Before she could feel happy, she found herself in a chaotic world! There was murder, robbery, schemes, sky-high prices, and many other things happening all around! The moment she arrived, she had killed two people. Then, she also kindly saved someone, but was deceived and stalked as the person insisted on following her. If that’s the case, then don’t blame her for using aggression in return!

After she finally managed to settle down, she was assigned to the frontier to develop the lands. The remote lands were out of anybody’s control, and there was nothing more that Bai Wutong could ask for. After a few years, Bai Wutong accidentally led the richest man of the previous dynasty, the prime minister, the commander of the secret guards, a great scholar of the dynasty, the holy maiden, as well as the divine doctor… and turned the barren land into a rich, noble town that everyone desired. When the emperor and his ministers came to admire the place, they were dumbfounded. That man who was pouring tea beside Bai Wutong… Wasn’t that the eldest son of the previous emperor, who had been dead for many years?!

Jiang Yang and Qin Xu both dislike each other. Every time they meet they become filled with hatred. Both have feelings for the school idol but they didn’t expect that the other party was actually a cross-dressing man. In an instant, their world views were shattered.

In humanity’s final war against the Demon Lord, the strongest heroes fell—not by the enemy’s hand, but by their own, twisted into madness by a cruel illusion. Betrayal. Bloodshed. Despair… and then, silence.Only one person remained: Riley—the weakest warrior of them all. Powerless. Ignored. Forgotten.But he saw through the Demon Lord’s deception. The tyrant was on the brink of death—so weak even a fly could’ve finished him off.And Riley did just that, drawing every last ounce of strength to bite off the demon’s head.Victory? Not quite. A final, desperate strike from the Demon Lord pierced him from behind, killing him instantly.But fate wasn’t done with him yet.Riley awoke ten years in the past—when the online game [Apocalypse] was launched. Before demons descended. Before monsters overran the world.And this time, he wasn’t starting from nothing. He had a decade of experience—and a second chance.Even more shocking, he didn’t awaken his old D-rank Strength Boost talent. This time, he received something far more terrifying: an SSS-Rank Gluttony talent!He could now devour anything—monsters, items, talents, even traits—and gain their power.Ding![You have devoured: Iron Fang Wolf][Acquired: +4 Strength, +2 Agility, Skill: Bite (F-rank)][You have devoured: Goblin ShamanAcquired: +8 Intelligence, Skill: Mana Bolt (E-rank), Talent: Minor Spellcasting Efficiency][You have devoured: Flaming Salamander Drake][Acquired: +22 Endurance, Trait: Dragon’s Resilience, Skill: Flame Breath (C-rank)]Now, there is no demon, no god, no monster who will stand in his way. He will devour everything—and save the world.But the power of Gluttony was a double edged sword. If he wasn’t careful… he could be the one getting consumed.