Tunnel Rat - Chapter 213: Reaching Out

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.

Yun Ling, on the eve of his sixteenth birthday, faces mixed feelings from his younger sisters, Yun Wei and Yun Chu, about the upcoming test to determine his cultivation talent—a critical milestone in this world where martial prowess can define one’s destiny.Despite their teasing and doubts, Yun Ling harbors a secret determination fueled by a tragic past. He’s not originally from Blue Star but a transmigrator who lost his parents at a young age and witnessed his father’s mu*der—a powerful martial artist and vice master of the Golden Wind Martial Club. Adopted by Yun Jinglin, Yun Ling has lived with a burning desire for revenge against his father’s killer, now a grandmaster level martial cultivator.On Blue Star, a planet transformed by disaster thirty years ago that unleashed ferocious beasts and dark demonic energy, humans discovered the power of vitality, giving rise to superhuman warriors and a new era of martial cultivation.Will he possess the cultivation talent needed to pursue his quest for revenge and protect those he cares for in a world where ferocious beasts and martial might reign supreme?

Facing extinction, humanity seeks salvation in the Astral Verge, a dangerous dimension accessed via portals that threatened to wipe out the entire planet.Few years later, aspiring recruit Daniel Vance enters the Verge for his final assessment, hoping to Awaken a Talent and secure his future. While others gain common abilities, Daniel secretly Awakens the mythical SSS-Grade Talent: [Soul Assimilation]. This allows him to absorb essence, enhancing gear, gaining stats and EXP from slain creatures, and crucially, absorbing attributes and skills from fallen Awakened.Witnessing the swift death of the arrogant Jaxon Rex, Daniel makes a grim choice: he assimilates Jaxon, gaining his first skill, [Kinetic Pulse]. This sets his path: scavenging the aftermath of others’ battles. He enhances gear and, after achieving his first kill on an injured beast, waits patiently to assimilate two more fallen recruits, acquiring [Quick Step] and the invaluable passive [Aura Sense].Starting as average, Daniel rapidly gains power in secret, enhanced gear, multiple skills, and boosted stats , far exceeding his peers while remaining outwardly unremarkable. He navigates the lethal Verge alone, using its inherent dangers to fuel his growth, wrestling with the moral cost of his unique, overwhelming power.

The day of marriage. Lifting the sedan chair to the door, he lightly lifted the sedan curtain, but he saw no newcomer, only a piece of paper pressed under a stone.

Looking at her flamboyant font, his thousand-year-old pupils faintly spurted out a few flames. good very good. On his perfect and impeccable face, there was a faint smile, not angry but smiling.

However, no one saw the hidden chill in that smile. That woman dared to run away from marriage, he would let her know the consequences of doing so.

- Description from novelbuddy