MTL - Noble Emblem - Chapter 1099 War is the backbone of political negotiations

The most vulnerable time in a tennis game is when you are leading; even if there is a match point, the game is still possible.

Football is round, tennis is also round.

- Description from novelbuddy

Welcome! If you want to jump in without any spoilers, feel free. Otherwise, here's a story primer, with a list of more specifics on what to expect from my work further below.Our story follows a fallen knight haunted by his past, in a world afflicted by war and supernatural wounds. Alken is the Headsman of Seydis, an executioner tasked by the divine powers of his homeland to hunt dark sorcerers, warlords, and traitors of all varieties, lest they drag the world into calamity.Once a paladin, this role ill suits him. Forced to cross lines that shake his beliefs, tempted by dark forces, and seen as an ill omen wherever he wanders, his path is often a bloody one. The longer he spends in the shadows of his world, the more he comes to realize just how many have been disenfranchised by the existent order. During his lonely battles through a land haunted by the restless dead and ancient magics, his journey becomes increasingly strange and personal.Enter a realm where the dead stir in every shadow and brooding demigods wage a millennia long war for a ruined heaven, where blessed knights wield gilded flames and sorcerers battle with weapons forged of their own souls. Enter a world of faustian alchemists, of saintly demons, and of time-weary elves.From Oathbreaker you can expect— A setting heavily inspired by Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Fromsoft games, and authors such as Michael Moorcock and Kentauro Miura. — A first person POV from an older protagonist who already knows a lot about his world’s history and cultures, who shares this information with the reader as it becomes relevant.— A mix of action adventure and quieter moments where the focus is on character development. Lore is shared piecemeal, usually only as it relates to a particular arc or character beat.— A heavy focus on mystery, both with the setting and the protagonist. The main character’s backstory isn’t shared up front, and a lot of the narrative involves learning about him a bit at a time, either from his own narration or other characters interacting with him.— A semi-soft magic system where many mages manifest unique powers tied to their own soul, or gain unique powers through eldritch pacts.— Romantic elements. These don’t crop up much until later in the story.— A variety of supernatural beings, such as elves, vampires, gargoyles, chimera, and trolls. Many are familiar, some are not, and most of the familiar ones have my own twists put on them.—Nobledark fantasy. This means that the world is often themed around tragedy and horror, but it’s not dedicated to being gritty. There are elements of high fantasy intermixed with the scarier stuff.—Episodic arcs. Each story arc usually has a specific locale and antagonist or set of antagonists, but certain overarching plots tie them together.— A long running narrative. I don’t have a specific projection of how long or how many arcs or books, but you should expect this to be equivalent to a long running serialized work.This is my first web serial! I hope everyone enjoys it. For trigger warnings, readers should beware that there are some heavy topics in here. When I think something might upset certain readers, I’ll put a warning in the author notes above a chapter. If I miss or overlook anything, feel free to let me know in the comments! I am currently publishing the same story on my wordpress, which is linked below and in my profile. I release three chapters a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Thanks for reading!(I originally had a link to a wordpress, but I'm in the process of overhauling that space. It's not a priority since my readership is all here, but just in case anyone noticed and was wondering)

Ye Fan accidentally obtained a billion crystal technology system, and since then, he has become out of control.

Android: You do n’t even have a mobile phone system. I want to make it impossible for you all!
Ye Fan: Sorry, I researched it out, it seems to be more powerful than yours!
BMW Benz: Our engines are famous all over the world!
Ye Fan: Sorry, I do n’t have an engine, I only have magnetic levitation, and the speed is only a few times that of yours. Do n’t worry, take your time!
…
Enemy: Is he still human?
Who can stop this!

- Description from Qidian

Her birthday was marked as the day when her whole world flipped. She was rich, spoiled, and beautiful but all of it vanished when her cold body laid on the road, wrapped in her brother's arms. She thought it was her end but the young CEO finds herself at a loss when she wakes up in the body of Yu Mei Zhen, the illegitimate daughter of a rich family. She is married to one of her old university friends but he is no longer the gentle guy she once knew.

Enigmatic and wealthy, Jun Zixuan is the epitome of perfection. He has everything, including a suicidal and scheming wife whom he hates to the core until one day when she pours a glass of juice on him, her poison-laced words and countless insults following behind. That's where it starts. He could not take his eyes off his dumpling-like wife all of a sudden. Was he a masochist?

She decides to take one step at a time. Lose weight first, make money, get a divorce, settle the people who killed her unreasonably, and find a way to go back to her brother.

But wait...why is this cold and unapproachable husband acting like a white lotus?

...

“I want a divorce,” She indifferently said.

“Fine,” the man coldly responded without any shift in his expression.

One month later:

“When are we getting divorced?” She asked calmly, not wanting to deal with a moody husband anymore.

His gaze darkened, “The procedure is going on.”

Three months later:

“Jun Zixuan, where the heck is our divorce paper?!” She lost her patience and snapped at him.

One of his arms wrapped around her waist as he pulled her closer, “Are you that eager to leave me?” he asked, sadness flickered on his face despite that indifferent look.

“Uh-huh.”

“Oh, so sad~” The man narrowed his eyes, his lips tilted up in a crafty smile before he continued, “The lawyers said that our case is a complicated one, it might take them a lifetime to draft the divorce papers.”

And in the next second, his lips descended on hers shocking the hell out of her existence.