Sovereign of the Ashes - Chapter 404: Pursuit

After a near death experience thanks to his own mother, Jake Hollander has an adverse reaction to people, baseball, and family. His feeling of abandonment is slowly lost thanks to his foster family, The Atkins. They take him in and change his mind about everything. He becomes more open, better at baseball, and craves for family. Slowly all wishes are granted.

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https://www.patreon.com/half_empty ~~The Last Curve can be found there, a short story about Rhys


**Names, faces, and places aren’t real. A work of fiction. Nonetheless, it is my work of fiction so please don’t post it without permission. *I have used school names that do exist though, but I would like everyone to know that I have no affiliation with them. Nor do my views reflect their views.

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.

In the martial world, disputes often lead to immediate violence, frequently harming innocent, unarmed civilians who either lose their wealth or their lives.Lu Jianwei merely complained a few times when she was suddenly bound by a system and transported to ancient times, tasked with running an inn according to the system’s rules.The foremost rule of the inn is—No fighting within the inn.Violators will either lose their wealth or their lives.A mysterious inn suddenly appeared in the martial world, rumored to be a shady establishment dealing in mu*der and robbery.No matter who enters the inn, they either leave penniless or lose their lives.The bold and skilled “Know-It-All” of the martial world, eager for firsthand information, sneaked into the inn alone to trace the whereabouts of missing people, only to be horrified to discover—Isn’t that diligent woodcutter the number one swordsman of the martial world?!Isn’t that agile waiter the number one thief of the martial world?!Isn’t that chef wielding a kitchen knife the number one beauty of the martial world?!Isn’t that farmer hoeing the ground the top disciple of the Martial Alliance?!And that…Before he could flee, the inn’s beautiful and gentle landlady stood before him with a smile.“The inn still needs an accountant. You’re it.”Know-It-All: I’m just a seller of information, I can’t do accounting ahhhh!Reading Guide:① Not a serious martial arts story, focuses on management + face-slapping + drama;② The female lead is the strongest throughout the story (pretending at first, truly strong later), the male lead appears later;③ For fans of overpowered management stories, all settings in the story are fictional.

In her former life, she was robbed of her status, her looks, and her reputation.