Elydes - Chapter 266: The Hall of Seekers

With the revival of spiritual energy and the breakdown of the order of species, it is a difficult test whether human beings can still stand at the top of the biological chain.

(There is already an old book, The Strongest Descends in the City, you can read it.)

- Description from novelbuddy

Tan Shuchang had always considered himself born into a scholarly family and had also been a young star atop the honor roll, a true parasite of the upper class. He should have been holding significant local authority, receiving endless gifts, spending boundless money, enjoying innumerable years, and marrying countless concubines. How had he ended up becoming a demonic cultivator? After pondering for a long time and still not understanding, he slowly emerged from the pool of blood, deciding to think it over gradually…

Shiro Sakamaki was reborn into a new world with one simple goal: to live a peaceful, luxurious life free from drama.But when he transfers to a prestigious high school in Tokyo, he quickly discovers that his new reality is anything but ordinary. The city is a strange mix of supernatural forces, ghostly phenomena, and events that feel like they’ve jumped straight out of an anime.Before long, bizarre occurrences follow him everywhere, along with a series of beautiful, mysterious girls—from the arrogant, blonde twin-tailed exorcist, to the mysterious quintuplet sisters, to a passerby heroine with hidden powers.As Shiro gets tangled in the supernatural chaos, he realizes he’s at the center of something far darker. Cursed relics begin to surface, and Ancient, Evil Outer Gods—whose very presence bends reality—start to stir.Now, Shiro must figure out why he’s caught in this web of strange occurrences while trying to survive school and the surreal new world he’s been thrust into.

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.