Codex Null: Simulation Through Madness - Chapter 31: Serah

RATED 18+|

Tinsley Rutherford's life turns upside down when her rich parents are killed in a tragic car accident. To make things worse, her fiance suddenly breaks off their billion-dollar contract marriage engagement.

Sad and lost, Tinsley goes out one night to drown her sorrows in alcohol and meets the mysterious and handsome Kian Wilson at a bar. To her shock, she wakes up the following morning in this handsome stranger's arms. In her panic, she flees his house and leaves him to search for his mystery princess.

What happens when these two fated strangers meet again? Will they get a second chance this time, or will Tinsley make a run for it again?

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)

Xander Nyxon was born with a gift: the ability to lift the veil of sleep and travel to the world beyond. He is one of the few rare individuals who can enter dreams and nightmares at will.

While most Dreamwalkers ply their trade on the Dreamscape, Xander Nyxon is one of the reckless few who travels to the Nightscape seeking answers from the deceased. However, walking through nightmares is a perilous task even for the most experienced Dreamwalker.

A thin veil separates the real world from the realm beyond, holding the terrors of the Nightscape at bay. But things quickly go wrong when a group of cultists cause the wall between the worlds to crumble. What happens when dreams and nightmares merge with the real world and twisted Ethereals start clawing their way out of the Nightscape?

***

Xander was lifted off his feet and pushed back several paces. He desperately tried to get back on the ground, but his legs kept dangling mid-air.

“I knew you’d be coming,” the mysterious figure whispered, pulling his hood back to reveal a hideous face riddled with scars. He was blind in the left eye and all his teeth were grimy black.

“What the hell are you freaks up to?” Xander growled, desperately trying to break free from the cultist’s grasp. “Who are you guys?”

The cultist smiled at this and replied, “Our names are inconsequential, Dreamwalker. But I think you already know what we are up to. Our world is plagued by sin. It is time for it to be cleansed by the Dark Deity’s blessing!”

What to expect?

1. Dungeons.

2. Magic.

3. Creatures from folklore, myth and fantasy.

4. A level-up system with skill upgrades.

5. Mystery and adventure.

……………………………………………………………

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“Rada,” a 23-year-old woman, suddenly died from a chronic illness, and her soul was sent into the body of a 5-year-old girl.In the village of Shen Lin, Rada, now reborn in the body of “Tang Xiaolin,” quickly adapted and set her mind on improving her family's life.Using the knowledge from her previous life, she helped her family gather food from the forest, plant crops, and taught them how to use various herbs they were unfamiliar with!Xiaolin discovered valuable red Lingzhi mushrooms and sold them in the city, earning a substantial amount of money. The Tang family began to continuously improve their lives, with little Xiaolin guiding and assisting them in every way.My family will be filled with happiness and wealth in the end! Little Xiaolin will become a millionaire and live a prosperous life ~