Tenebroum - Chapter 18: A Taste of Ashes

Draven is a magic professor in a fantasy world. He is also an earl, notorious for his evil deeds and mistakes since youth. His downfall is due to a curse that hinders his intellectual potential and his talents. Eventually, he becomes a villain, losing everything he holds dear: his siblings, fiancée, house, domain, and more. After a miserable death, he reincarnates in the modern world as Dravis Granger.In his new life, he grows up to be a highly intellectual individual oblivious towards his previous life, becoming a young professor in mechanical engineering and a researcher. However, he harbors a strange obsession with creating a game, fueled by vivid imaginings of another world. This obsession leads him to develop a game that mirrors his previous life. Upon completing his virtual reality world, he regains his past memories. Overwhelmed by intense emotions—rage, sadness, and the realization of his past ugliness—he suffers a fatal heart attack.In his final moments, he hears a voice, seemingly from the world itself, offering him a chance to return to his original fantasy world. However, he would only retain the memories of his modern life, not those of his first life’s mistakes. He agrees and is reincarnated once more, this time with the knowledge of a modern mechanical engineering professor.But one thing about the Dravis Granger, he's not just a mechanical engineer professor. Not just a straight, killer genius professor. He has his ideals, and the world is too full of villains for his great idealism. So he strived, with his great mind, he became a mastermind. But not as a villain, but as a person who has lost hope in police and justice, and decided to help the people by his own hand. Collecting victims and invited those handpicked talents to his side, making several insane stunts, assassinating, trapping, and eradicating the scums from the world.But now in this fantasy world, he has to survive from multiple factions trying to kill him, protect his domain, protect his siblings, protect his fiance, and the most important thing.Protect the world.But he hadn't lost the Dravis from the modern world.As a professor at the morning, an earl at the afternoon, and a dark knight at the night._____________________________“You've hurt my student.” Draven stands still, no mana seems to emit from him, but just a single frown. A frown that is enough to make the room's heavy. “As a teacher, you think I would leave you unpunished?”“You seem to think that I care about your position, Prince Hermit. But believe me,” Draven took a slow step. “Not even your father could protect you from me.”

Earth Online – a virtual MMORPG that takes place in the future year of 2190 – a game that everyone will bet their futures on. Set in a map that is ten times the size of real-world Earth, players battle for supremacy in the first game to feature personal adventure, territory construction, and grand warfare. For every death you experience in the game, your level would drop back to zero. Ouyang Shuo, an above average player, suffered the ultimate betrayal. For merely a piece of equipment, his sworn brother betrayed and backstabbed him. This time, after he reincarnated in the game, Ouyang Shuo swore to exact vengeance.

However, in an unexpected turn of events, Ouyang Shuo found himself back five years before the betrayal – right before the launch of Earth Online. This time, armed with the knowledge from his past life, Ouyang Shuo would venture upon a new path.

How to perfectly complete quests? What historical battle maps would appear? How should one build up their territory? Utilizing the experience from the predecessors of his last life, Ouyang Shuo makes his bid for the top against all odds. Follow his journey as he seeks to lord over the world!

A different kind of tale that blends historical characters and virtual reality gaming, with heavy emphasis on kingdom building and warfare.

- Description from Novelupdates

[MATURE CONTENT]Abigail Snow accidentally caught her fiancé being intimate with her sister. She learned that her fiancé had only used her to advance his business and had never truly loved her.Heartbroken, Abigail called off the engagement and left everything behind to start a new life with nothing. At her lowest point, she met Sawyer, a hidden tycoon who helped her rebuild her life and seek justice against those who made her suffer.As Abigail begins to fall in love with Sawyer, his childhood sweetheart reappears, causing doubt and confusion for her.***Excerpt:Whoever this man was, he was her savior. If he hadn’t held her hand and pulled her, she might have become dead meat and gone straight to the afterlife.“Thank you so much, good sir,” Abigail said softly as she finally looked up to see him.Abigail was stunned.“But I'm not planning to commit suicide. I tripped over my own feet,” she continued, avoiding eye contact. She stared at his chest—her line of sight only reaching his sturdy chest.“It sounds better to hear that, Miss. Because I don’t want to go to the police station to become a witness, or they might wrongly accuse me as a suspect,” he said with a sarcastic tone that caused Abigail to stifle a laugh.“Sir, I’m so grateful you helped me. You are my savior. I owe you my life—” Abigail paused, taken aback by her own words.How could she make such a deep vow to this man!? This man might take advantage of her if he was a bad person. Right?“Alright, young lady, you’re supposed to release your tight embrace on me. You’re safe now.”Abigail was utterly shocked to hear his words. She only realized she was still in his arms, her hands tightly wrapped around his waist, and her entire body pressed against him. They were so close—close enough to hear his loud heartbeat. She quickly took a few steps back.

“It was the year 2030 AD. The origin universe game “Divine Revelation” made its grand debut. In this game, the in-game currency could be exchanged for real money, which attracted countless players. Even countries were getting ready to enter the game. But no one knew that Li Yi who had fallen in the War of the Gods returned to this very day when the game was launched with ten years worth of memories from the game. And this time, Li Yi received the SSS Rank Talent – Blood Devour. [SSS Rank Talent, Blood Devour: After slaying any creature, the player would gain 1% fixed Health Point, and life regeneration speed. The effect of this talent can be stacked indefinitely] [Notification: You slew an LV1 Sika Deer, received 1 HP, 0.01 HP regeneration/second] [Notification: You slew an LV5 Elite Goblin, received 7 HP, 0.07 HP regeneration/second] [Notification: You slew an LV10 Legendary Boss – Aoi Flame Green Dragon, received…...] From them, an invincible being who had a health bar even longer than bosses were added to the game. “Report: Li Yi is cheating, the HP of the entire dungeon’s monsters added together is still less than his!” “Report: We attacked Li Yi with the joined force of a 1000 players army, but he only lost a slither of health!” “Report: Please tell me, how are we supposed to attack the city with Li YI standing in front of its gates?

Many years later, when the game started to fuse with reality, and the War of the Gods began, Li Yi stood at the front alone and faced the gods of the worlds. Only then did the players wake up, “Dear Sir, we’re begging you, please have even more HP!””