Edge of the Dark - Chapter 73 - 72: A Conspiracy With No Hiding Place

A broken prince, a shadowy scheme, all that amidst a bloody fight for a throne wrongly succeeded. Join a group of youngsters as they take their first steps into the martial world, towards the grandest adventure of their lives. It all begins in a certain inn, set against verdant mountains and facing a scenic lake.

“Bring us your finest wine and best meat!” Yelled a hulking man who seemed to be the leader of the dozen strong group.

“How much?” The waiter anxiously nodded his head.

“As much as you have!” The hulking man yelled back.

“That’s…”

“HUH?” The hulking man shot the waiter a furious glare.

“Dear guests, our inn operates on the principle of ‘pay first, dishes later’. As such, it will be better if you tell us exactly how much meat and wine you need.” Xiao Se returned their furious stares with a thin smile.

“Who are you supposed to be?” The hulking man eyed him with bulging eyes.

“This humble one is known as Xiao Se, the owner of this inn, the Fallen Snow Villa.” Xiao Se replied with the same smile and with a level of courtesy worth a solid 12/10.

“Well, we have no money.” The hulking man stabbed his blade into one of the nearby tables.

“Oh?”

“But I’m sure you have some!” The man pointed his finger at Xiao Se.

At that, Xiao Se furiously shook his head. “I’m sorry to break it to you but our little inn hasn’t made a single sale in almost a month. I’m about to owe them salaries myself…”

“Like hell if I care!” The hulking man smashed his palm down on the table. “Even if you have no money, that fur coat of yours should at least be worth a hundred odd silvers.”

“NONSENSE!” Yelled Xiao Se, eyes wide open and gaze as sharp as daggers.

The hulking man was stunned, his body even shivering involuntarily for that split second.

“I, Xiao Se, ride only the finest horse and wear only the richest threads! This fur coat of mine was specially sewn by some of the finest seamstresses in the imperial capital in the August Threads. Just sewing it took three whole months, shipping it, another one. Hmph, a hundred silvers? That’s not even enough to buy the sleeves of my coat!”

A new emperor rules each year in Yohuachanca.Only the most delicious of food graces his palate; the realm’s most beautiful women fill his harem; his palace dazzles the mind in its beauty; and four priestesses counsel him in all matters. The life of an emperor is good, luxurious, and short. For at the year’s end, he is sacrificed to the Nightlords under the light of the Scarlet Moon.I am Iztac. A pisspoor orphan and the year’s emperor. A sacrifice bound for the altar. But the vampires have made a mistake this time. For I am a sorcerer, whose soul journeys into the secret underworld to plunder the secret spells of the dead. There, in the darkness, hides the power to drag the Nightlords off their throne. I have a year to find it, or perish for good.I may not be the first emperor, but I will be the last.

Julian D’Aurelius was never meant to live.In this world, villains exist for one reason—to fall. They scheme, they rise, they steal the spotlight… and then they die. Betrayed. Abandoned. Erased so the hero can shine.Julian knows this.Because he remembers every timeline.Every backstab waiting in the dark.Every “loyal” ally destined to sell him out.Every romance scripted to end in blood.The moment he awakens inside the body of the story’s doomed antagonist, he’s bound to the hidden Tyrant System—a cold, calculating force that demands one thing:If villains always die… then become the kind of villain fate cannot kill.So Julian reshapes himself.Cruel when necessary.Charming when useful.Untouchable when it matters.He plays the monster perfectly—while secretly tearing apart the threads of destiny from the shadows.But here’s the problem.The more he tries to distance himself from the female leads…The more they drift toward him.The innocent campus beauty.The sharp-tongued heiress.The aloof genius meant to stand beside the hero.One by one, the women who were supposed to orbit the protagonist begin circling Julian instead.And there’s something even more dangerous— All of them can hear his inner voice.Every cold calculation.Every sarcastic thought.Every hidden plan.All heroines hears it all.But Julian has no idea.This is an urban-fantasy battlefield of ambition, romance, power games, and fate rewritten. The protagonist is trying to avoid the heroines. The heroines? They’re slowly falling anyway.And the more Julian resists destiny…The more destiny seems obsessed with him.

Rurik, a young man from the 21st century, gets transmigrated to the past—to the 9th century, one of the most savage and bloody eras in history. He awakens as a 15-year-old Norse farmer. Well aware of the harsh life of farmers during this period, from exploitation by lords to constant Viking raids, he chooses to leave the farming life behind.Rurik embarks on a journey of sailing with the Vikings and commanding raiding parties. This is a slow, somewhat realistic story of rising from a farmer to a Viking lord, and later becoming a noble with territory in Great Britain. Rurik’s most outstanding abilities are his intelligence in handling situations and his strong management skills.The story also introduces historical figures such as Ragnar, Ivar, Olaf, Björn, Harald, Eric, and many others whose names are recorded in history.---Viking tales, while bloody and brutal, are among the most entertaining to read, and I am sure you will have a great time reading this tale.