EPIC: Path of Demons and Dragons - Chapter 18: Warmth

Before Wufu was reborn, she had no idea there was such a thing as rebirth. Only after her rebirth did she realize Heaven must have thought her previous life was too smooth, so it sent her to suffer in this ancient land where morality, decency, and the Female Precepts were held in high esteem, pitiful indeed! From being a master jade carver to having her soul transmigrate into a farm girl with a wretched background, she was bullied and humiliated. Even the bun-selling mother advised her that forbearance is gold? Bullshit! She could endure, but her other identity absolutely could not—robbers, swept away; insults to her mother, you're crippled... Wufu has a saying, for every insult and humiliation, I will repay a hundredfold. But what's with this one? He doesn't bully her; he only wants to sleep with her? And he even dares... to mount her? Well, a lord can endure, but Wufu cannot. Mount him back, life or death, a hundred years, neither owes the other anything!

This is the tale of the time when mighty dragons and legendary phoenixes ruled the world. Under the shadow of such powerful beings, the feeble humans lived lives worse than slaves.

1560 BC, Jerusalem

The darker-than-ink night sky was torn asunder by the tongues of purple lightning. The nocturnal macabre was augmented even further by a priestess that was busy performing a forbidden ceremony. Around her were six innocent kids that watched the priestess in silence as she performed her ritual with a ceremonial bowl in front of her. A drop of blood could be seen, making its presence known inside it.

The priestess was unperturbed by the earsplitting noises of the incessant lightning outside her abode as she chanted the spell in old Hebrew. The ritual was complete when she placed the drop of crimson blood on the tip of her tongue and gulped it down with her eyes closed.

“Heed my prophecy, my little ones. From today onwards, you shall walk on the path of greatness that will make you the rulers of this world.

Here, drink this to your heart's content and unleash the power that is bestowed upon you.”

She cut her two wrists and filled the bowl to the brim with her blood by cutting her wrists. The lightning noises could be heard even louder than before at this time.

The children obliged and drank the merlot drink one by one. But the macabre of the night was increased even further when the children started shape-shifting. One turned into a vampire, while the other changed into a werewolf. There was a witch among the children now. And being turned into a chimera and an elf were the fates of the other two.

The children changed into something else before turning back to humans again. This was the phenomenon that happened with five children.

But the sixth child remained human. Why did he not shape-shift?

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Tags: System, Vampire, Sci-Fi, Aliens, Werewolf, Slice of Life, Overpowered MC, Harem, Dragons, Phoenix, Witch, Magus, Cultivation, Military, Strategist, Arrogant female leads, Romance, Humor, Assassin, Angels, Celestials, Titan, Devas, Asuras and many more to be added with the progress of this arcs.

During the demon-summoning ceremony, Aiwass finally recalled his past life's memories.This should be an online game that his family's company had released and operated for six years. Now, his foster father was the leader of the latest version's antagonist organization.He would expose his identity six years later, hesitate and then defect from the protagonist's side. Ultimately, because he decided to take a fatal strike meant for the player character, he was killed by his upright older brother in a transitional CG without even a chance to enter the main content.——But the problem was not too significant. Aiwass also knew many secret advancement routes exclusive to the player character, as well as the Nurturing Secret Sequel regulations of the various Paths. He believed he could reverse his unfortunate fate……So now there was only one issue left.“According to the original plot, shouldn't I have been rescued by the protagonist before this lousy ceremony even began?”Tied to the ceremonial altar as a sacrifice, Aiwass fell into contemplation.

Zephyrine should have died that night. It was her wedding day, but it turned out to be a mourning day for her.She lost her parents, the Alpha and Luna, and worse still, she was framed for their deaths by the fiancé she was expected to marry.Zephyrine barely escaped death and promised herself to avenge her parents death. She became a queen—a fearless queen with a pack.She crushed those who stood in her way, even challenging great Alphas and those of high authority.Despite all this, little does she know that fate had other plans in store for her.She finally found her mate, and he was none other than the Lord of the Grims.She refused to let the mate bond tie her down and chose to grow stronger while protecting her pack.The Lord of the Grims was forbidden from having a mate following the betrayal from the werewolves that happened centuries ago. But despite it all, the Lord couldn't help but fall deeper in love with Zephyrine. He protected her and acted as a shield, refusing to leave her side despite how she pushed him away.Zephyrine and the Lord encountered different situations of life and death, bringing them closer.Unaware of his true identity, she began to fall in love with him.Those from each realm found out about this forbidden love and decided to put a stop to it.Zephyrine discovered his true identity, realizing what the werewolves had done to his kind.She chose to fight for love despite all odds.Because some loves are written in fate.And some must be fought for in blood.Will she be able to stand against the two realms and still fight for the one she loves?What other danger lay ahead in their love story?Excerpt from the book“You carry yourself like you're untouchable,” Caden said, his voice low and smooth. “Like no one can reach you. But I see right through that mask, Zephyrine.”I held my ground, unwilling to let him see how much his presence was affecting me. “If you think you can intimidate me, you're mistaken. I've stood against worse than you.”His lips curved into a faint smile, but there was something deeper in his gaze now—something that felt like fire. “You feel it, don't you?” he murmured.I stiffened, my wolf practically clawing to get out. I did feel it—the pull, the undeniable connection that tied me to him. My mate. The realization hit me like a tidal wave, and I hated how vulnerable it made me feel.“You're wrong,” I said sharply, though my voice wavered. “Whatever this is, I don't want it.”Caden's eyes softened, but he didn't back down. Instead, he took another step forward, closing the distance between us until I could feel the heat radiating from him. He raised a hand, brushing his fingers lightly against my cheek.“Deny it all you want, Zephyrine,” he said softly, his touch sending sparks through my skin. “But your wolf doesn't lie. You can feel it, just like I do.”I shivered, hating how my body betrayed me. My breath hitched as his thumb gently traced along my jawline. “I've been waiting for you,” he continued. “And now that I've found you, I won't let you go.”I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay firm. “I don't need a mate,” I whispered, though the words felt hollow.Caden's smile widened, but it wasn't mocking—it was warm, almost tender. “You may not think you require me,” he said, his voice steady, “but I promise you, Zephyrine, you'll want me. And when that time comes, you'll submit—not because I demand it, but because you'll choose to.”The way he said it made my heart stutter, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.Before I could respond, he leaned closer, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, “You'll see, my queen. You can try to fight it, but you'll be mine in the end.”He pulled back, his intense gaze locking with mine one last time before he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, breathless and trembling.My wolf was practically purring, but I wasn't going to give in.Never.