Returning to the Mysterious Era - Chapter 13 - Beginner Basic Combat Arts

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.

Pet shop owner Tang Wan was accidentally reborn into an interstellar world. When he opened his eyes, he found himself automatically married to a vegetable via the StarNetwork. A social status worth ten billion yuan; but with an unconscious husband, he was unable to withdraw any money. Tang Wan held the empty position of the First Gentleman, but was, in fact, a poor man.

In order to secure his future livelihood, Tang Wan was bound to the “Earth Pet System” and returned to his old business, with the goal of saving money, getting a divorce, and looking for a second spring!

After thousands of years of evolution, Earth’s energy depletion had long been abandoned to the distant corners of the Milky Way. All of the animals in the galaxy had evolved tremendously, and little furry cute ones only lived in textbooks. When Tang Wan and his cute little ones appeared, they became the treasures of the whole universe! The pet shop soon became famous in the interstellar world, and the whole universe lined up to be cat slaves~

Finally surviving past the compulsory marriage period, Tang Wan happily took off the diamond ring worth billions: he can finally sell it for money!

However, Tang Wan could never have imagined that when he sat down at the dining table on a blind date with some fresh meat, the vegetative partner that he had come to an agreement with would suddenly open his eyes.

Gong: I heard you sold your wedding ring for one billion yuan?

Tang Wan reached out and pushed him down on the bed: Open what eyes, quickly close them.

- Description from Novelupdates

Waking up from a nightmare several hours before dawn, Belle fetched a drink of water.

She paused in front of her kitchen’s window when she noticed a lit lantern in front of her mansion’s garden. Her butler stood there, shovel in hand. This was no hour to be gardening.

Curious, she made her way outside, but when she had gotten close enough to see a large and hollow pit next to her eternally-stoic and polite butler, she saw him pick up a rotten body.

A DEAD BODY!

Her eyes widened fearfully when she saw her handsome butler drop the rotting body into the fresh hole. She asked in horror, ”What are you doing?!“

Surprised to see his young miss awake at this hour, he stared at her with the same expression he had been keeping up for all these years. He had made sure she was asleep before coming here.

“Gardening.”

“And the body?!”she looked at him in disbelief.

“Fertilizer,” he answered her before picking up the shovel that was on the ground. Belle was now certain something had possessed her butler. Who gardened dead bodies?!

She then heard him ask her, “Want to help me in planting it, Miss Adams?” he gave her a sweet smile.

Note: If you enjoy a book of comedy with light-hearted romance and a gothic background. This book is for you~

Zhao Du'an, a government official leading a cautious life, finds himself transported to another world where he becomes the favored 'pretty face' of a female emperor and an oppressive, power-abusing villain. Before he can relish the moment, he faces mortal danger for releasing a national criminal. Cornered and desperate, he plans to soothe the female emperor to seek mercy, only to discover his 'leading gigolo' role is a sham.Worse still, his notorious reputation prompts officials and heroes alike to impeach and eliminate him; and martial artists and clerical magicians consider him a disgrace. Overwhelmed, Zhao Du'an decides it's better to stop being human to survive.Starting by betraying his allies, he becomes the Emperor's top lackey. Years later, amidst heavy snowfall in the capital, the female emperor Xu Zhen Guan sighs atop the city tower, 'It was supposed to be a pretend companionship, how did it turn real...'Also known as 'Deceiving and Flattering at the Court of Great Yu', 'The Record of a Villain Going White'.