Crown of Thorns - Chapter 80: The Warrior's story

I never thought I had meaning to my life, but I guess I have a talent too.

「Get ready. The duel will begin soon.」

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.

Good news: someone found a sheepskin that emits text when picked up.Bad news: that person is not me.Good news: the old man downstairs can see the death countdown above people's heads.Bad news: the old man is about to die.Good news: the landlord's daughter has been reborn with memories of the future.Bad news: I am still clueless.As reality becomes more bizarre, the game's situation continues to evolve.The 'Seeking Demon' game service begins, and Fang Yu enters the game, only to discover that this game does not display health bars.Yet, he is able to see them!”Big Demon King: 1/21999.“”Let go of that demon, let me handle it!“”Sky Fang Tiger: 29481/29482.““Brothers, charge! Massive blow! Whoever gets a kill, it counts as theirs!”Fang Yu retreats while shouting loudly.

Three years after entering the palace, Yongning Palace’s Beautiful Lady Yan Shu, has still never met the Emperor.The palace full of concubines tried to win his favour, only she, immersed in a melon eating system, has no time to spare for him.[The heir of Marquis Lin Wu isn’t his son, tsk tsk.] [A high ranking official in the conservative Ministry of Rites is unexpectedly taking part in a taboo relationship with his own daughter-in-law!!!] [Grand Princess Yi Ma’s prince consort has unexpectedly raised several concubines outside!]Everyday is filled with gossip, who would still remember who the Emperor was?How would she know that one day, she actually ate a shockingly big melon——[The iron-blooded Emperor who seems cold and aloof on the surface actually suffers from an unspeakable unmentionable disease.]Yan Shu, “!!! No wonder he never enters the harem!”Wait…There seems to be something wrong somewhere… then what did she enter the palace for?!!The new Emperor, Yu Wen Lan, has two secrets.Since his ascension to the throne, he has gradually lost his male functions; yet at the same time, he can read minds.Getting used to seeing their false words and hypocritical faces every day, he grew all the more unfeeling.That was, until one day, he heard a special heart’s voice——[Isn’t this a f*cking waste of natural resources?]Yu Wen Lan paused, narrowing his eyes to look in the direction of a delicately pretty and pure looking girl.[God, for you to make such a handsome hunk unable to XX, doesn’t your conscience hurt at all?] [Is there any way to revive it???] [Ten-fold complete rejuvenation of spring pill, restoration of a man of character pill; if those don’t work, then have you tried return of the yang acupuncture?]Yu Wen Lan, “???”Until she ascended to the position of Empress, Yan Shu also didn’t know how she had jumped unreasonably on the Emperor’s bottom line repeatedly, yet had jumped straight in, becoming the first person to be in his heart.Perhaps, it was just her good luck.