The Devouring Dragon - Chapter 16: Burn

Childhood, upbringing, family background, social relations, traumatic experiences…

We keep reviewing and seeking out the motives of criminals, exploring the subtlest emotions driving them. It’s not to put ourselves in their shoes and sympathize, or even forgive them; it’s not to find some reasons to exculpate their crimes; it’s not to kneel down before the so-called “complexity of human nature”; nor to introspect social conflicts, much less to alienate ourselves into monsters.

We just want to have a fair trial – for ourselves and for those who still have hope for the world.

A seme thug specialized in dealing with various kinds of disobedience vs. a cowardly and dissolute uke descended from a rich family

- Description from Novelupdates

After Lin Qi married into the Huo family, the entire Huo family was eagerly awaiting her to give birth to an heir for the ailing young master.She originally thought that marrying Huo Tingdong meant she was destined to be a widow, never expecting that her vegetative husband would suddenly awaken.Overnight, with a divorce agreement, she became a discarded woman of the wealthy family but suddenly disappeared from Beijing.Seven years later, she returns with two powerful sons by her side, with countless people lining up wanting to be the stepfather of these children.The most regrettable thing Huo Tingdong ever did was to force that little ancestor to sign the divorce agreement. To win her back, the once all-powerful man poured his heart into appeasing her, pampering her to no end, but the two sons were determined to be his biggest obstacles.Eldest son: “Daddy! Your posture while kneeling on the washboard isn't as handsome as mine!”Youngest son: “Daddy! Your speed at swiping cards isn't as fast as mine!”Huo Tingdong never expected that the biggest hindrances on his path to win back his wife would be these two little treasures!

Alex was just trying to escape his dead-end job and overbearing family. Then the System arrived, bringing with it magic, Rifts, and the chance for ordinary people to become extraordinary. Unfortunately for Alex, his stats started out as unimpressive as his old life. But when he gains the unique trait {Primordial Will}, which only allows him to put his free points into one stat, everything changes—though not necessarily for the better.Thrown into a dangerous Rift way above his pay grade, Alex quickly discovers that surviving the chaos isn't just about having powerful skills. He'll need every ounce of his Willpower and resourcefulness if he wants to make it out alive and bring home the rewards that could finally give him an edge.This series follows Alex as he begins to master the art of Mana Threads and creates a revolutionary new magic system with Spell Circles. He starts to realize that magic isn’t just a tool—it’s a path to power that few can fully grasp. But with the world’s governments struggling to contain the rising number of superhuman threats, Alex will have to navigate more than just monsters and Rifts. In a world where “might makes right,” who really calls the shots?