Solar Mage - Chapter 9: Pyro

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

—— Dickens《A Tale of Two Cities》

I made myself a ghost back to life from death, with hatred in my bones and conspiracy brewed for years, sinking into the marsh, into the abyss. All I want is to bury the rotten roots, growing thistles and thorns which can kill like upas, to stab into the hypocritical civilization.

In the bottom of the muck……I found my lucida.

- Description from Novelupdates

Book I: Lost ThingsTristan Abrascal is a thief, one of many making their living under the perpetual twilight of the greatest city in all of Vesper. Quick wit and a contract with a capricious goddess have always kept him one step ahead, until one night he crosses a line by accident that burns all the bridges he had left. But not all is lost, as his mentor offers a way out of peril that turns out to be more than a simple escape.It is also an opportunity to get even with the infanzones, the nobles he’s lived under all his life, and it so happens that Tristan has a full ledger’s worth of scores to settle with them.Lady Angharad Tredegar has fled halfway across the world, leaving behind a ruin of a life: her family butchered by a ruthless enemy, their estate torched and their nobility revoked. Yet no matter how far she flees the blades of assassins follow, and she finds herself growing desperate for any protection. She has one relative left to call on, her estranged uncle, but she finds that the safety he offers comes at a cost.Angharad has sworn revenge, however, and her honour will allow for no compromise. She will do what she must to survive so that one day bloody vengeance can be visited upon her enemies.The paths of the two take them to the doorstep of the Watch, but for desperate souls like them enrolment is a lost cause. They will have to do it the hard way instead, by surviving the trials on the isle known as the Dominion of Lost Things.Where every year many go, and few return.Book II: Good TreasonsThe trials of the Dominion are over.The four survivors have become students of Scholomance, enrolling together as a cabal, yet even on those infamous grounds they soon learn none are beyond the reach of their pasts.Angharad Tredegar is returned to a semblance of the world she left behind, but finds her honor sorely tested by bargains offered - every bit as tempting as in the stories and even deadlier.Tristan Abrascal needs answers. Mysterious enemies keep trying to abduct him, his classroom does not exist and he’s now had several conversations with dead people. Worst of all, his carrots keep dying.Maryam Khaimov is going mad, which would worry her less if it were happening on schedule. More frightening yet is the possibility that she is not, and there truly is someone else going around wearing her face.Song Ren must forge the others into a functional unit, all the while fending off enemies on all sides: rival cabals, vengeful countrymen and the deluge of implacable foes her companions simply cannot seem to stop attracting.Failure is not an option, for Song must bring back honor to her family’s name whatever the cost: it is the only way to keep their disgrace from literally eating them all alive.And as the four chase shadows in Scholomance, in the distance looms the greater test awaiting them in the Asphodel Rectorate. Asphodel is a faded power, the rotten carcass of what it once was, but under that rot looms darker things - of which monsters might just be the least dangerous.Besides, is treason really such an evil when you have the best of reasons for it?

There are always some people in this world who are brave, stubborn, even paranoid, uninhibited, proud, and arrogant. Even in a desperate situation, they will never compromise.

Would rather die than lose.

PS: The TV series of this book is already in preparation, please pay attention to:

Turtle official WeChat account: jybsg1985 (soft-shell turtle is not a turtle 1985)

Turtle official Sina Weibo account: starting point – turtle is not a turtle

The official Sina Weibo of the film and television drama: Big Splashing Monkey Film and Television Drama

Thanks for the support.

- Description from novelbuddy

I’m a proud NEET who’s devoured every romance novel, manga, webtoon, and otome game out there.Just when I thought I’d conquered it all, a black bunny appeared in my dream.“Congrats! You’ve been chosen to help villains win across multiple worlds!”“Like a game?”“Uh . . . sure.”“Great, I’m in!”And just like that, I became an agent of the Villain System.Time to rewrite some happily-ever-afters—villain style.**[NOTE!]** This novel features multiple short arcs, each exploring different tropes such as ancient China, the modern world, beasts, werewolves, vampires, fantasy, school romance, idol groups—you name it! The twist? Each arc focuses on our MC making the villain (male) triumph over the male and female leads.The story is written primarily in 2nd and 3rd person POV for a dynamic and immersive experience.|| Excerpt ||[WARNING! MATURE Content Ahead!]“Then serve me . . . properly.”The command was both sensual and authoritative, and Xue Li’s pulse quickened under his intense gaze. The air between them grew heavy, her trembling hands faltering as she began to run the sponge across his chest, her touch featherlight against his scars.“Y-yes your majesty.”Xue Li’s hand trembled slightly as she dipped the towel into the warm, fragrant water, her breath catching as she squeezed it out over Han Feng’s shoulders.The water cascaded down his chiseled frame, tracing every ridge and contour of his muscles. She swallowed hard, focusing intently on her task, though her heart raced like a drum in her chest.She began at his shoulders, her touch gentle as the towel glided over his skin. His scars, a mix of old battles and untold stories, caught her attention, and she hesitated for a brief moment before continuing.The warmth of the water mixed with the heat radiating from his body, and the intimacy of the moment sent a shiver up her spine.Han Feng leaned back slightly, watching her through half-lidded eyes, his expression unreadable. “Slower,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble that made her pulse skip.Xue Li obeyed, her movements becoming more deliberate as she ran the sponge across his chest, down the defined lines of his abdomen. Each stroke felt unbearably sensual, her fingers brushing his skin as she worked.She tried to maintain her composure, but the proximity to him, the sheer physicality of his presence, made her feel as though the air had thickened.When she reached his arms, he extended one lazily, letting her clean him as though it were his divine right. Her hand moved carefully, trailing down his forearm to his wrist, her touch so soft it almost tickled.Han Feng’s silence was oppressive yet charged, the pressure of his gaze pinning her in place.As she lowered the sponge to his torso again, her hand faltered briefly near the sharp line of his hipbone. The water ran over his skin like liquid fire, and her breath hitched when she noticed the slight curve of his lips, a hint of satisfaction playing there.“You’re trembling,” he said, his voice velvet smooth, making her flinch.“I-It’s the steam, Your Majesty,” she stammered, though she knew it was a poor excuse.Han Feng chuckled softly, the sound deep and rich. “Hmm . . . Is that so? Then you have no problem cleaning my cock right?”Xue Li's eyes trembled, on the verge of tears, which seemed to please Han Feng. His smile grew wider as he urged her on.“Go on. You're going to serve me properly, aren't you?”