Sovereign of the Ashes - Chapter 1268: Seeds of Potential

I couldn’t even clear the 2D version, now to clear the game in reality?Maybe I’ll have to live here for the rest of my life.Well, even that won’t be easy.– A player found himself in the game, Dungeon and Stone, as a savage barbarian.To keep his secret, he must become the mask – must make himself be seen as more savage, more fearless than any others – a paragon of his race in the eyes of the whole world.Back on earth, in the empty darkened room, the quiet computer again began to whir. Text began to appear on the black screen.「Synchronization complete. 」

Akashi was a boy so beautiful it seemed the gods had sculpted him with a touch of mischief and a dash of fragility. He wasn’t handsome in the rugged, masculine way of knights or warriors. No—his beauty was softer, captivating in its innocence. His frame was small, almost delicate, and his pale skin looked as if it had never known hardship, kissed only by the gentle sunlight of his village fields.With wide, striking black eyes that shimmered like obsidian under moonlight, and hair the color of a calm, endless ocean, Akashi possessed a charm that defied age, status, or reason. He didn’t know it, but his very existence pulled at the hearts of those who saw him—like an untouched gem waiting to be claimed.And yet, he had been untouched for a reason. Akashi had never known life beyond the boundaries of his village. He grew up surrounded by warm smiles and familiar voices. Every elder knew his name. Every child wanted to play by his side. His days were simple, his heart untouched by cruelty.But peace is a fragile thing.One night, it shattered.The sky turned crimson. Screams tore through the quiet air. Fires devoured homes. Demons—twisted beasts of shadow and rage—descended without warning. They killed with a hunger that could not be reasoned with.By morning, the village was gone.Ashes, corpses, and silence were all that remained.And Akashi… Akashi was alone.The last heartbeat in a graveyard of memories.He wandered for days, hollow and dazed, until rough hands seized him. Chains replaced freedom. Smiles were replaced by cold appraisals. And so, the boy once adored by all became something else—something to be sold.A slave.At the capital's grand auction house, he was stripped, washed, and displayed like merchandise. His beauty caused a stir. Whispers spread like wildfire.“Look at those eyes...”“That hair... Is it dyed? No, it’s real...”“So delicate... Is he even human?”To them, he was no longer a boy with a heart, but a prize to possess. A fantasy in fragile form.He stood on the stage, trembling slightly, barely able to process what was happening. The voices of the crowd blurred together—hungry, leering, filled with desire and greed. The auctioneer’s booming voice called out the bids as if Akashi were nothing more than a fine vase or a rare jewel.The numbers climbed quickly. Too quickly. Akashi’s knees weakened beneath the weight of invisible eyes drinking him in. He stared at the marble floor, trying not to cry.Then, suddenly, the room fell silent.A voice—deep, commanding, and heartbreakingly beautiful—cut through the air like silk over steel.“Fifteen thousand gold.”Time seemed to pause.Every head turned.At the back of the room, standing beneath the golden chandelier, was a woman unlike any other.She wore a flowing red gown that hugged her form like it was crafted by the gods themselves. Her long, golden hair shimmered like strands of sunlight, cascading over her shoulders with effortless grace. Her eyes, cold and blue as a glacier’s heart, stared ahead with quiet power.Even the nobles drew back. This was no ordinary bidder.It was one of the Princesses of the Three Great Kingdoms.Whispers erupted anew—but no one dared challenge her offer.Who would?She stood like royalty incarnate, a goddess who walked among mortals, and she had just claimed Akashi as her own.The boy raised his head slowly, unsure of whether to feel fear or relief. His eyes met hers—just for a second—and something in his chest shifted. She didn’t smile. She didn’t leer. Her gaze was unreadable.But it was powerful. Absolute.And it made his knees weak for an entirely new reason.He didn’t know her name. Not yet.But she had bought him.And somewhere deep inside, something told him—his life was never going to be the same.

The world has never been perfect but it was a million times better than what it is today!

Blue meteorites rained upon the world and changed everything. That very night thousands of lives were lost and many thought the worst had passed, little did they know something worse is about to happen!

The world was covered with blue mist and by the morning it was all gone. The genes of the human race was mutated and a select few had their mutated genes, activated, granting them power and today they are called deviants.

‘With great power comes great responsibilities’

If many understood what this meant, the world wont be as messed up as it is right now. With the governments biased towards the deviants, the powerless humans are discriminated against and crime rate has risen exponentially.

Deviants swagger about, doing what they want with no one to keep them in check, the world was thrown into chaos, animals were affected by the blue mist and mutated as well! it was only a matter of time before the human territories was taken over by the mutated beasts!

The mess we are in right now is because of the deviants and someone has to make them pay for their actions. This is where I come in!

I am Alex Briggs, member of the Briggs family!

I will become the strongest!

I will become the absolute!

I will fix the cruel world by whatever means necessary!

Author : Antihero protagonist who’s a scheming mastermind & doesn’t trust anyone. MC is smart & quick witted person who knows how to adapt to situations quickly.

“What are you doing? ” he asked solemnly

“We kissed ” Lia confessed, finally letting the cat out of the bag. It was better for him to release his anger openly than giving her this silent torture.

“I'm not going to lie, I enjoyed it” She disclosed “It just felt so right like this is what a part of my soul was missing out on all these years but.... ”

She stared him straight in the eyes and asked “But as blissful as that sounds, why do I still feel guilty?”

His gaze remained unwaveringly on her's while

Her voice broke and tears began to slide down her face.

“W-why do I feel bothered? Why does my heart feel guilty when in fact I'm following it? why does everything seem so complicated with you? Why do I feel for you when I've already been destined for someone else? ”

Asher clutched his fist, trying so hard to contain his emotions that were threatening to surface but the girl's words were tearing his heart out

The tears continued to trickle down her cheeks “What is wrong with me ? ” she asked exasperated, and began to wipe her face with her palm obsessively.

At her sixth wipe, Asher stopped her and drew her towards him, staring at her with this odd gleam in his eyes.

His cold, smooth hands cupped her cheek and rubbed away a hot tear with his thumb.

“Nothing is wrong with you” He assured her, his thumb caressing her cheek while his eyes fixed on her's intent.

He was just conflicted, was it right to confess the truth to her now? All this time, he's been careful, what would happen if he becomes careless for once?

Maybe it's time to become selfish after all.

------

Having two Mates?

What an absurd joke

Here comes Lia originally mated to a werewolf but an accident and conspiracy had her mated to a vampire as well.

Now she has to figure out the raging feelings she has for the Alpha of the silver pack and the Alpha of the Nicoli Clan and fighting off dark forces in need of her ability as well.