Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Pâtisserie~ - Volume 2 - Chapter 26

The Heavenly Dao is fickle. A phrase that he had heard all through his life. Only after that incident did Adrian truly understand the meaning behind those words.From someone who had it all, wealth, power, prestige, to one without anything. Heck, even his fiancée abandoned him.One of the Twelve Great Houses on the Floating Cloud Continent, the House of Thorne was reduced to a pile of rubble and dead bodies after a mysterious attack by the Demonic Faction.All that remained was a blood-soaked pendant and a broken future.That is, until his blood awakens the pendant, unleashing a dazzling light. When he regains consciousness, his pursuers are gone, but so is the life he once knew.Now with only his younger brother and a loyal servant girl, Adrian sets out into the night.Armed with only the mysterious pendant and the inheritance it contains, he must walk the path of cultivation.Can he rebuild the House of Thorne from the ashes? Will he uncover the traitor who aided the demonic faction?He won't stop until even the heavens know his name and fear it.

Somehow, I ended up possessing a character in an academy setting.“Our school has a strict no-alcohol policy for students.”“Huh?”I’m a Drunken Fighter who gets stronger the more intoxicated I am, but alcohol is banned.

“Evil God of the Universe, You are in every space and time. Present in every dimension of reality and govern the darkness of our world.Oh, almighty Atticus! Hear our plea and grant us your presence tonight, awaken my Lord!”The rain had completely stopped and the strong gale had subsided into the fading raindrops. The night had turned eerily silent and only the sizzling and cackling of the fire entered their ears.Suddenly, they all felt like floating from their feet despite setting foot on the watery, hard ground, as if they were traversing into space. The darkness of the night gradually turned darker, enveloping them, morphing into everyone, like a void eating them slowly. Sequentially, their breathing turned oddly slower. Despite exaggeratedly inhaling air to breathe, it was to no avail, as if a higher entity was limiting them from breathing.Nolan felt his throat and tried to open his mouth to gasp more air but failed. Everyone but him was in a state of indignation and panic as they struggled to breathe to fill their lungs with air. Nolan tried to calm his heart. He closed his eyes and stopped inhaling air in pure panic, instead, he put his heartbeat and breathing into a rhythm. It was hard at first, but after a minute, he found his breathing gradually went stable.His whole being was in pure anticipation of what was going to happen next.After a couple more minutes, the storm completely subsided, the night turned to normal. Nolan remained standing, taking in his surroundings with his eyes closed. Everything turned silent. The eerie atmosphere and the crackling of the fire from the hay figure didn’t even enter his ears. Nolan waited for a couple more minutes, his breathing turning normal. He was reluctant to open his eyes, afraid he might ruin their ritual.“It’s alright now, Young Master. You can open your eyes now.”Nolan’s breathing hitched. He jolted on his feet as he fluttered his eyes open.“Atticus? W-why are you here?”The butler, standing in front of him, a raincoat hung on his arm, smiled. “I am everywhere, Young Master, in order to best serve you.”****Atticus, a demi-god from the underworld, was cast out of his parents' realm and banished to the human world. The reason? He had yet to give them any grandchildren.Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is purely the product of my imagination. Any resemblance to real people, events, or beliefs is entirely coincidental. The intention is not to disrespect or diminish any faith or tradition, but rather to explore ideas within a fictional context. Reader discretion is advised.

** A Light Novel featuring a weak protagonist tasked with the impossible mission of saving a Virtual Reality world that has moved on without him. This post-apocalyptic sci-fi is brimming with drama, conspiracies, and action. **As the Santa María spaceship travels the galaxy in search of a new home for humanity, all passengers must remain in cryosleep and log into The Novus, a Virtual Reality MMORPG designed to train the younger generation in building a civilized society.Not only is this place a utopia, but it’s also a fresh start for seventeen-year-olds Alan and Astrid, who have just started dating.“Life in The Novus will be awesome with you by my side!”But an emergency pulls Alan out of the system—a catastrophe that endangers the lives of the Santa María's population and their mission.What will he find when he returns?Three years have passed. Astrid has become one of the strongest warriors, and Alan... is now the weakest User in the virtual world.