Simulated Crime, This Criminal Doesn't Seem to Be Acting - Chapter 73

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.

She has come a long way.

Orphaned, born a weakling, and being the infamous good-for-nothing of Azure Dragon Country. Gu Ruoyun was the shame of the proud Gu household. Falsely accused of a crime she did not commit, she was betrayed by her family and beaten to death by her own grandfather. But life took a fateful twist on that very day — she was revived.

Newly awakened, she is now the Master of an ancient treasure that resides within her body. Precious cultivation pills, treasures beyond her wildest imagination and spiritual beasts, all within her grasp… She is the apple of the eye of all under the heavens, including that of a mysterious, handsome man.

Now she only has one goal — to conquer the world.

In this latest work by Lord of the Mysteries author, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, be prepared for a well-thought out and detailed apocalyptic, cyberpunk world with a setting superseding Lord of the Mysteries!

Ding—Congratulations on unlocking the hidden profession “Teacher”.Ding—Congratulations on acquiring three SSS talents:“Divine Library”: As a teacher, your being harbors a Divine Library, granting you the ability to see the unseen about individuals and objects alike, be it strengths or weaknesses. Furthermore, you have the capability to amend these shortcomings.“Get 1st student”: As a teacher, you're entitled to mentor x number of apprentices (x increases as you level up), establishing a bond that allows you to monitor their loyalty.“Pass on the Torch”: Your role as a teacher entails not only imparting knowledge but nurturing souls. Sharing skills or bestowing gifts upon your apprentices could lead to unexpected rewards, courtesy of a probabilistic system return....The world as we know it has been thrown into chaos, with the lines between game and reality blurring.Mankind has stepped into the age of career transformation.With monsters on the loose, the emergence of dungeons, hidden realms, and instances marks an era of both peril and potential.Survival dictates that humans embrace this new calling, striving for power and progression.Upon his arrival at the age of eighteen, Alex Watson is gifted with the extraordinary “Divine Library System”!Thus begins the meteoric rise of Alex Watson!He sets out to teach, to mentor, to elevate the elite, and to share his wisdom with the world.