Rey felt an itch at the back of his throat.His stomach rumbled as a few beads of sweat dripped from his face.He had been mentally preparing himself for this moment, but now that it had finally arrived, he couldn’t help the nervousness that assailed him.At the moment, he was kneeling before the five members of the Royal Council.Conrad Listrio, as always, sat at the center of the group.Listrio's long, flowing blond hair cascaded over his shoulders, framing his calm expression as he fixed his gaze on Rey.Beside Listrio, a woman with a slightly feline smile studied Rey intently, adding to his discomfort.It almost felt like she was a cougar who desired to devour his flesh.The other three members of the Royal Council maintained neutral expressions, their faces betraying neither happiness nor sadness, just sternness.‘Oof! Tough crowd…’ Rey muttered under his breath, stealing a quick glance at the array of cold-faced guards observing himThe pressure was overwhelming.Rey could see h
Rebirth“Why am I not dead?”That was Lucian's first thought as he felt himself slowly regain consciousness.He remembered that he had been shot and he opened his mouth to cry out for help but the wail that escaped his lips was not his own. It was high-pitched unlike his and the unmistakable sound of a newborn baby.What the hell!!!He was startled and tried to form words but he let out another involuntary wail.His body felt wrong—small, weak, utterly helpless. He tried to move, but his limbs barely responded. His lungs burned as he struggled for breath.Around him, voices erupted in relief.“The baby is here!”“A strong cry! He’s healthy!”“Give him to the lady at once.”He could see by their apparel that they were midwives and they had just successfully delivered a baby. Namely him. That can't be possible except I've been reborn into a new family. The room was filled with faces beaming on him and he was quite flustered with the attention he was receiving. He had barely register
“This isn’t how it’s supposed to go…”Adonis muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the night sky. While he couldn’t recall every single detail from the past, this particular incident was engraved in his memory.‘The kidnapping of Billy and Alicia… it’s supposed to happen way further in the future!’Sure, a lot of things had been altered now, but he hadn’t expected such a drastic change to the original timeline.‘They’ll nearly be sold at the slave auction a few days after being captured, but thankfully the investigation was done before the auction was completed.’As a result, the Royal Knights swooped in and apprehended a lot of criminals in the Black Market and Slavery World.Unfortunately, this huge victory came with a great loss.‘Alicia’s mental state became unstable and she went insane. Billy was fine, but he was so concerned with Alicia’s health that he didn’t focus on training any longer…’Eventually, Alicia’s mental health deteriorated to the point where she eventually commi
Dorian’s POVDorian woke to cold sheets.At first, he thought that Anna was in the shower or making coffee. But the apartment was silent—too silent. His gut twisted. He reached across the sheets, finding them cool to the touch.For a moment, he lay still, his mind sluggish with sleep, but then it hit him—Sophia was gone. She had taken advantage of the night and slipped out.He slept late which was what had made him wake up late as well. He knew it was futile to search for her on foot since she'd have had a wide head start. His heart pounded as he threw back the covers and sat up. The apartment was silent. Too silent. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand and dialed her number. It went straight to voicemail.He tried again. Nothing.Panic gnawed at his insides as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood, scanning the dimly lit room. Her things were still here—her shoes by the door, her jacket draped over the chair. But she wasn’t.Moving quickly, he checked the front do
‘Finally…’Rey heaved a sigh as he deactivated [Heat Touch]. It was a Skill he had recently acquired on the 10th Floor, along with another pretty intense one.Now that the manager was willing to talk, he withdrew his hand from her head, though he kept his other hand firmly around her neck. If she tried anything suspicious, Rey was prepared to use Lightning to teach her a lesson.‘I thought this would take forever, but luckily she's cooperating.’ “Stand,” Rey told Sylvia, and she instantly obeyed.“Lead me there.”“W-wha—?!”“I said, take me there,” Rey repeated, his grip on her neck tightening slightly. Sylvia stopped her protests, understanding his intent.“Let’s go.”***********The path to the Underground Area was unsurprisingly on the Ground Floor.It was in a room disguised as a mere storage room where old furniture and cleaning supplies could be found lying around.However, right on the ground, there existed a clearing that could be opened up, like a secret compartment.‘Impre
The Tournament (Part 3)The entire colosseum was filled with inexplicable silence and anticipation as everyone's eyes were transfixed on the two fighters on the stage.On one end was the champion on a winning streak, the one everyone thought would be the obvious winner of the entire challenge.On the other end, though, was a bizarre sight that seemed to have no place on the stage meant for warriors. Donning a disheveled, nearly oversized jacket, and shorts, the... boy... couldn't be said to be an ideal opponent to the tall man who stood a distance from him.This lad, Theo, had just said something absolutely insulting and condescending that caused everyone in the room to gasp.The weak-looming kid, having a defiant expression plastered on his face, had just called the Tall Serpent... weak!“What did you just say, brat?”Sure, it sounded like the immature prattling of a child who knew nothing, but warriors weren't known for their nice and understanding personalities.Even though Zeke