I Returned, and Now I See Strange Things - Chapter 43: Crisp-Crisp

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.

# 1V1 # MUTUALAFFECTION # BIZARRE

Nan Ge had been thinking about trading her Lamborghini for another car, but she seemed unable to pool more than a few grand together.

Nonetheless, as she cajoled and sweet-talked, her brother found her a great job that was brimming with a sense of responsibility: Galactic Guardians of the Stomach, otherwise known as food delivery service.

But on the first day of the job, as she drove on with much grit and resolve against the snow, she arrived at the luxury district, making a delivery to Shen Yanqing.

***

Shen Yanqing was a legendary magnate in Huai City, but he tended to keep a low profile.

Partners often described him as a cool deity with a kind appearance — affable on the outside, but utterly ruthless in reality.

Nonetheless, he met a girl he thought well of at their first meeting.

He thought there was no chance for them to meet again, but one day, he opened his door to find her familiar figure standing outside.

“Good evening, Mr. Shen! I am a delivery person from Irelyn’s Diner. Have a pleasant meal!”

Shen Yanqing presumed her to be a poor student working part-time to pay for her tuition fees, which was why he kept giving her business...

Until one day, he needed to leave the house but his car broke down.

After she found out that he had something important to do, she exclaimed, “I have a car!”

Shen Yanqing was wondering how he was going to turn down a ride on her electric scooter, only to see her whip out her car keys and press a button.

Nearby, the lights of a Lamborghini worth five hundred grand flashed. “Why are you spacing out? Get in!” “...”

Roy died in an unfortunate accident.

He thought that was the end.

But unfortunately for him, God didn't have a place for him in heaven, and the devil didn't want him in hell either.

So he ended up in the body of a famous count's third child, who his entire family neglected.

The world was exactly the same as the one in the novel he had read the day before he died.

The person whose body he had come to possess had the same name as him but wasn't mentioned in the novel because he had died two years before the forces of chaos invaded the county.

That meant, while Roy was alive in this new body, two years later, he would die, ripped apart & eaten by a monster.

He needed strength to survive the future events, but unlike the protagonist of Stallion novels, he didn't have a golden finger!

[You've gained 1 EXP]

It was only after unintentionally stepping on a bee Roy realized that he possessed a golden finger!

And this golden finger might be his key to becoming the strongest!

Through a mysterious portal, Chen Jin arrived at this strange place – a post-apocalyptic world where civilization had been destroyed.