The Hidden King's Stolen Wife - Chapter 9: Crystals

After years of exile, Marcus is coming back home. A powerful mage with few equals, Marcus lives in a world full of monsters and powerful adepts, many of which have bad histories with him. But he has not come back to pursue vengeance or start a fight. All Marcus wants to do is reconnect with old friends, build himself a house, and maybe train a successor or two.Alas, the world didn’t stop just because Marcus went into exile, and not everyone is content to let go of old grievances. Strange things are happening in the world at large, too, hinting at a looming disaster of unknown nature. Still, where there is a will, there is a way.If nothing else, Marcus has a lot of magical power to throw at problems.+++Zenith of Sorcery is set in its own original setting and isn’t related to Mother of Learning… beyond being written by the same person, of course. This is a more classical fantasy story than my previous one, with a lower level of technology and stuff like elves and dwarves, but it has a lot of worldbuilding effort put into it and its own complex magical system. The story has significant xianxia influences, but isn’t meant to be a xianxia story.For those of you not familiar with my previous work, I write relatively slowly. I intend to publish chapters at the rate of one chapter every three or four weeks, subject to further delays as life intervenes.

Genius, antisocial, solitary, intractable , maniacal.

At the turn of every era, it is he who raises the flag of the rebel cross.

Winners take it all, losers take the fall.

He who brings order to a chaotic world, assembles talents and masterminds.

He who hides among the crowd, yet stands on the top of the world.

— The one and only, him.

- Description from Novelupdates

A young surgeon, who is struck by a system, embarks on a bizarre journey of life.

The empire encompassed endless twinkling stars, but in this dark and terrifying distant future, there were only endless wars.......Gu Hang became the governor of a wasteland planet, where previous governors had all been executed for failing to deliver the tithe on time.Monsters and Low Energy Storms rampaged, survivor factions schemed against each other, technological regression, low productivity, the resurgence of Evil Gods, Green Skin Orcs taking root and sprouting...“Don't panic just yet, let me check the panel below.”[Military Tokens], [Heroes], [Technology], [Events]...Starting as the planetary governor, he would build fleets that traversed the Star Sea, suppressing all alien forms, heretics, traitors, and demons of chaos!Although I formed battle groups on my own, funded Battle Nuns, diverted the imperial tax, and disregarded deployment orders... I knew I was fiercely loyal!Traitors? This is clearly the Third Empire!