[BL] Guardians of Fate - Chapter 49 - 16: Before The Storm [1]

We have all heard the legends of great wizards, but do we know how those stories begin? Ardan Egobar, a young man living in a remote corner of the New Monarchy Empire, does not. He doesn't realize that this story is about him. Not yet...In a world where steam locomotives chug along iron rails, where massive airships hover in the skies, where in the cities you might encounter orcs in suits involved in organized crimes, dwarves with cigars controlling major banks, or elves strutting down fashionable boulevards, where humans have built vast nations on the brink of a world war, almost anything seems possible.Maybe, in such a world, even an ordinary young man, the last of the mountain hunters, might one day become the greatest wizard in history.

After finding an injured imperial big shot in a cornfield, Qiao Jing took him home and performed full-body surgery on him.When he woke up, he searched all over the world for the daring woman who had done something audacious to him. He searched the entire Imperial Capital, only to find out that the person was actually his wife from the countryside. Not knowing the truth, General Zhan was disgusted. “After 100 days, we're getting a divorce!”The medical expert said, “Master, there are still 90 days left until the divorce. I know a prince from the empire who has always wanted to meet you.”The agricultural expert said, “There are still 60 days left. The position of my granddaughter-in-law has been vacant.”The famous actor said, “Just one day left. The engagement ring is ready.”General Zhan couldn't bear it anymore and jumped out, pulling Qiao Jing in his arms. “You performed full-body surgery on me, and you still want a divorce?”Qiao Jing replied, “We agreed on getting a divorce in 100 days. Aren't you a responsible man who'll keep his word?”General Zhan said, “I am, but... I just want to be responsible for you...”Nine months later, the onlookers thought they had divorced. But to everyone's surprise, General Zhan appeared with Qiao Jing, who was pregnant with triplets, leaving everyone stunned!

Saying 5000 year-old-dragon has an impressive ring to it, yet that dragon was an extremely harmless, herbivorous being. However, because of his uselessly giant figure and scary appearance, he was mistaken for the Demon King’s executive and provided by the nearby village with a sacrificial maiden.

Fundamentally cowardly and timid dragon tried to send her away, but the extremely enthusiastic sacrifice didn’t want to give up. Inevitably, he lied: “Okay, I just ate a small portion of your soul, so you can go back already”, but the maiden with outrageous assumptions has misunderstood that she became the dragon’s kin.

Then, out of all things, she began to manifest strange power on the basis of her wrong assumptions – in turn, the helpless dragon, by some mistake started a rebellion against the Demon King.

Rebellion or whatnot, he wasn’t even his subordinate in the first place.

Anton is a great-grandfather. He is living quite a happy life, despite his advanced age and declining health… until a group of cultivator bandits moves into the area. The nearby guardians of the area, the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars, are unable to track them down as they continue to ravage nearby towns. During one desperate winter Anton is out on a hunt when his family- his entire village- is killed or taken as slaves by the bandits. He lacks the strength to fight them, and he wasn’t even present for their arrival to die with his loved ones. At the pit of his despair, he wonders if he ever had any chance to change things. What could he even do? He cannot even pull his best bow, and his eyesight is failing. If he had been a cultivator… perhaps there might have been a chance, but he was decades- perhaps even most of his life- too late.Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge (2022)Notes on cultivation levels:There are five general stages of cultivation, though the fifth is extremely rare. Each cultivation style might have their own name for the stages.1. Body Tempering2. Spirit Building/ occasionally System Creation (Ninety-Nine Stars)3. Constellation Formation (Ninety-Nine Stars)4. Life Transformation/Galaxy Construction (Ninety-Nine Stars)5. Ascension