Tyranny of Steel - Chapter 140: A Hero's Welcome

[COMPLETE] Can a royal Romeo and Juliet find their happy ending?

Ayleth, Princess of Zenithra, is secretly trained in hand-to-hand combat, and collects swear words she doesn't know how to use. During the Festival of Peace, in which every royal son on the continent will be at the castle for a month, she is instructed by her parents to find a husband. Yet, Ayleth has never even been kissed—until the very first ball, when she meets the man in the Lion mask.

Etan is a seasoned warrior, and the Prince of Summitras. He attends the Festival hoping to find a powerful wife who will help him conquer the dark sorcery of their bloodsworn enemies, the Kingdom of Zenithra. But at the very first ball, he discovers the masked woman who captures his heart is the Heir to the evil empire.

Ayleth and Etan face an impossible battle. Will their love survive? Or will their parents' dark dealings keep them apart forever?

[Mature content. No sexual violence.]

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“You…” She stepped back. Then back again, her mouth dropped open. “You… You cannot be…”

“I am,” Etan said, and his hair raked back as he pushed his mask off his handsome face. So handsome her heart raced.

His hair was ebony black, his skin a warm brown that threatened to fade in in the winter months. He stared at her with glittering green eyes, over high cheekbones and a noble nose, his jaw tight and shadowed this late in the day. His chin was high over the pillar of his neck that she’d just touched with its hard lines and steel strength, so different to her own. And his chest... She gasped and covered her eyes. She’d humiliated herself revealing her stupid, childish curiosity.

“No, Ayleth. This changes nothing.”

“How can you say that? It changes everything!” She was horrified to realize she was crying.

“Ayleth, please.” His voice cracked on the plea and she stared at him, shoving her mask up and off, despite how it would pull her hair out of the beautiful twist the maid had managed for her.

His eyes locked on hers and she couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe.

She had met her One. And he was the son of her bloodsworn enemy.

She stared at him as he stepped forward again, offering both hands, palm up. “Touch me,” he whispered. “Hold my hands. This is real, Ayleth. I don’t know how it happened, but this is real. Please don’t deny it.”

She couldn’t resist. She raised a trembling hand to his cheek, letting her palm catch on the scruff of his jaw. He blew out a breath and put his hand over hers, and that jolt that happened whenever they touched shivered through her again.

“Please, Ayleth.”

“I cannot deny it,” she whispered.

Betrayed by his closest ally, Caleb Ellise was forced to settle for third place in the world’s most prestigious RTS gaming tournament, Lord of Empires.Disheartened but resigned, he accepts his prize, delivered via email. But just as Caleb thought his journey had ended, fate had other plans.BLAST!A sudden explosion leaves him critically injured. When he regains consciousness, Caleb finds himself not in a hospital bed—but in an entirely different world.[DING! Welcome to Izoya Continent, Earth #212][Welcome to the Grand Tournament: Season King Lord of Empires][Host has been designated as Lord of Kingdom #9845007]Caleb quickly realizes the impossible: he has been transported into the very game he spent years mastering. Now, the stakes are higher than ever.[Main Mission: Build your kingdom, dominate the economy, forge alliances, and conquer the world][Congratulations, Host! You’ve unlocked the Lord Talent: Vision Fog (Rank: S)]Fueled by his expertise, a newfound determination ignites within Caleb. No longer just a player, he is now a lord destined to rise.As he navigates treacherous alliances and strategic battles, Caleb vows to reclaim his crown—not as a gamer, but as the true King of Kings.The game isn’t over. It has only just begun.

Kai is refused help from the president and thrown back into ground zero, where he meets a man whom he shows kindness to. As an act of repayment Kai is taken to the under tunnel of the city where he discovers a secret office belonging to his father. The stranger seemed to know what he was looking for after some time he handed over a box to Kai. A melodic robo voice came from the box -|DNA ACTIVATION VERIFIED|- -|ASTRAL NODE IS ONLINE|- -|SYSTEM HAS BEGUN ACTIVATING|- -|AWAITING MANUAL OVERRIDE TO TURN ON SYSTEM|- Kai is gifted a rare astral node and resolves to join the academy to save his dying sister from the F-X7 disease and also escape the life of poverty they were stuck in. -|PASSWORD CORRECT|- -|MANUAL OVERRIDE SUCCESSFUL|- -|SYSTEM IS UPDATING, PLEASE BE PATIENT|- -|SYSTEM UPDATE IS COMPLETE|- -|SYSTEM IS ONLINE|- Joining the academy does no guarantee his success since he has no powers. But he must survive since that has been his goal after being sold to slavery. -|USER: KAI HALSTEN|- -|RACE: HUMAN|- -|GENDER: MALE|- -|LEVEL: ONE|- -|EXP: 0/100|- -|HP: 10/10|- -|BEGINNING BONDING|-

A crownless king in the world of gods.Akamir had unrivaled strength, wealth, and prestige in a realm governed by martial ability.Yet one mistake cost him his life.When Akamir awakened in the fragile body of a disgraced noble’s son,he found himself in a world steeped in mana, ancient artifacts, and gods who watched from above—A world shaped by otherworlders summoned thousands of years ago.But the longer he lived in this new reality, the more he noticed its abnormalities.“I am a villain?”A world with a predetermined path.“...In a romance fantasy game and novel?”He had become the anomaly.