MTL - The Divine Martial Stars - Chapter 1646 Winning and losing points

A conversation with a handsome stranger leaves Ariane chained in a cellar with a strange affliction. She soon discovers that the darkness of the nineteenth century’s Deep South hides many dangers. Mages, wolf shifters and the humans who hunt them play a risky game where to stumble is to die, all under the amused gaze of the apex predators of the supernatural world: vampires.

It is never healthy to attract the gaze of the aristocracy of the night. It takes much to survive in this merciless world, but Ariane will not let that deter her. The southern belle has a bite, and she is willing to learn and to grow in this hostile new world. She will use whatever means necessary to reclaim her freedom, be it guile, charm, or those intriguing new instincts that make blood so delectable.

This is a story of vampires as I believe they should be, with their strengths and weaknesses, with their remnants of humanity and the beast inside. Updates every Friday. Mind the tags.

Cover by Antti Hakosaari: https://www.artstation.com/haco

Special thanks to Svensonsen for getting me started, as well as Omi Nya, Hesketh, Rhaegar, Yaksher, Selkie and Raven for proofreading my stuff. Thanks to my patrons and you dear readers, for the support. I could not do it without you.

Journey is on Amazon, both in ebooks and audio. here is a link to the first one:

https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08DK6G8Y8

The story probably exists in your local marketplace as well of I can tempt you.

What happens when a goddess falls in love with a shifter?Asara; the goddess of love, was punished by her father, the god of thunder.Her crime being falling in love with a mortal shifter Alpha.To pay for her sins she was reborn as Cassandra LeBlanc; a mortal Princess in the magical Kingdom of Speldaria.Her family and kingdom, except her middle sister, shunned her for she was born without any magical abilities and she had no recollections of her true identity.Her betrothed, the powerful mage commander of the Speldaria, was unbothered by her. He wished for someone strong.Cassandra’s life was toppled when she was gifted a warrior slave by the mighty Alpha of Dusartine. She was asked to take part in the Yearly Arena Event by collaborating with the warrior.Cassandra who hated ‘The Arena’ with her very breath. A place where blood flowed like wine and life was cheaper than the very air they breathed didn't understand her purpose in it.On top of that, the mysterious warrior affected her in unimaginable ways.His hypnotic gaze unsettled her.His rare essence overwhelmed her.His muscular bronzed body consumed her with sinful thoughts.Even the dreams of her past life plagued her.When ‘The Arena' began the hidden agendas and underlying truths came to light and Cassandra was played a hand of fate. She was left with no choice but to give in and choose a path.The question would be.How will Cassandra grapple once she learns of the curse placed on her?Will she be able to obtain her magical abilities and stand up to her father?Who will help her along the journey?~Excerpt~Then she felt him, all of him.All his ruggedness.The strength of his arm.The softness of his lips.The grip of his hand.The warmth of his breath.Every muscle in her body went taut at the implications of sleeping in a man’s arms. She had never slept in a male’s embrace before.Her whole skin tingled like tiny sparks dancing on the very parts that connected with him.The crevices of her brain had these memories which weren't hers. This touch somehow didn't seem foreign to her. She felt safe in his soothing embrace and didn't wish to push him away and yet she knew this was far from appropriate.Cassandra tried to wriggle out of his hold, his arms seemed to be built from iron for they wouldn't budge.The light garment she had worn had lifted from her milky thigh baring it as his bronzed muscular one was draped on it.And now she could sense something poking her back. Her eyes suddenly expanded from the realisation and Cassandra fully panicked.“Let go!” She voiced out, heavily.Siroos slowly lifted his leg and slackened his hold on her waist so she could shuffle away. He had awakened when she had stiffened for the first time but wished to behold what she would try.With eyes blown wide she stole a glance towards the man who had her wrapped in his embrace like a precious treasure, his treasure.His molten gold eyes had flickered open and there was this softness and want with which he stared at her.Those soft brown curls cascaded over his eyes as he forgot to blink, watching the timeless beauty that she was. Her one-of-a-kind fragrance was a torture to his senses.How he wished to grab her dainty ankle, pull her from it and have her sprawled underneath him. To kiss the very skin that oozed such scent which was driving him insane.Instead, he bent his arm and placed it under his cheek using it like a pillow to watch her with desire-filled eyes.The awkward lull between them prolonged as Cassandra cleared her throat.“Did you have to climb on me to sleep?”“It wasn't intentional but was certainly enticing and definitely won't be the last time.” His deeply hypnotic voice was even more alluring this early in the morning as it resonated all around her.

(Apocalypse Farming, Sweet Pet 1V1) As soon as she opened her eyes, Su Shu found herself reborn two months before the Apocalypse. Before her rebirth, a certain man watched over her and protected her for three years, almost going as far as dragging her home to swallow her whole. After her rebirth, not only did she have to raise her adorable genius niece, but she also had to take care of a wolfish husband. This Apocalypse was a bit different! The pitiful her from her previous life now not only had a heaven-defying space, but also blood-related family, and on top of that, the indulgent spoiling of Tang Dashao, who sprinkled dog food without restraint. Su Shu thought, even if the heavens required her to reset and start over once again, it wouldn't matter. She would just meet Buddha, kill Buddha; meet a ghost, kill a ghost!

This year, Ji Jingqiu is 16 years old.To survive, he envisions the Fire House Buddha Prison, plants a bodhi treasure tree, and embarks on the path of martial arts.Many years later,A brilliant light arises, illuminating endless darkness.A towering ancient tree, with emerald green leaves and a canopy like a pavilion, rises with glass-like clarity into the sky, supporting a divine realm of pure land, spanning countless ages, illuminating the three realms and ten directions.On this day,All martial artists under heaven look up to it, like mayflies seeing the blue sky.......“Within there is a bodhi tree, which I planted when I set foot in martial arts, and now it has grown to provide a canopy.”“I see everything in the world, and nothing is like me.”“That year, I scoured history books, this history without era, I looked horizontally and vertically, and saw those characters – ‘The world’s storms come from us.’”...— Excerpt from the autobiography of Ji Jingqiu, the proud sun of the martial arts world of today.