God of Crime - Chapter 107: Pieces of the Puzzle #4

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)

Under the vast immortal sky, the brilliance of an era is nothing but fireworks blooming at the fingertips.

Overlooking the earth, for thousands of years, life and death, where are they all? The Immortal Gate, the Dynasty, and the Supreme Holy Land are all just a handful of loess under the Immortal Vault.

A thousand years of splendor, and a smash into ashes.

Cinders sprout in the depths of the ruins, and you and I strive to be the trees that reach the sky.

What the hell is on the other side of the Immortal Firmament?

- Description from novelbuddy

Su Jianan was marrying the love of her life. It all seemed picture-perfect, except for a few catches. One, it was a marriage of convenience. Two, she would be divorced after two years.

With her well-being under threat, Su Jianan had only one choice to keep herself safe: marrying, and pretending to be loved by a powerful man capable of protecting her. Conveniently, her soon-to-be husband was Lu Boyan, a man she had been secretly in love with for fourteen years. She went along with the marriage, knowing full well that her love was one-sided.

Or was it?

Business tycoon Lu Boyan had known Su Jianan ever since she was ten. Back then, the death of his father had plunged his world into darkness, and Su Jianan’s presence had brought a new ray of light into his life. Now, it was his turn to protect her. He would marry her to keep her safe. But two years later, he would divorce her: it would no longer be safe for her to remain by his side.

What fate awaited Su Jianan and Lu Boyan? Would their marriage mark the beginning of a happily ever after? Or would it lead to heartbreak and sorrow? Would their marriage outlast the two years? What kind of secret was Lu Boyan keeping?

Follow along with the twists and turns of this slow-burn, action-packed love story!

In the past when someone mentioned getting married, Du Lei Si (Durex) would feel fearful enough to flee.

What is so good about getting married? Organizing a wedding ceremony is akin to spending money like running water. After giving birth, you must also raise the child. If you don’t maintain yourself well, you will get out of shape.

As a result, maybe a vixen will grab your husband and take your baby away.

Not getting married! Definitely not getting married!

However, fate is like this. Whatever you are afraid of, unfortunately, it will be given to you.

I was walking on the street, minding my own business, yet, impossibly, I encountered a stranger proposing marriage. He placed a dazzling diamond ring right in front of me. This handsome guy knelt down on one leg and looked at me with such a sincere expression: “Miss, would you please marry me?”

This, isn’t this like some drama?

After pondering over it, I decided that this surely must be a stunt from some television station’s new program. Invite a celebrity to pretend to be a passer-by who proposes marriage. This year, with the economic crisis, being a producer is not easy.

Thus, out of kindness, I accepted the diamond ring. Only to find out that all of this was actually real! The diamond ring is really and truly a genuine diamond from South Africa. Moreover, the groom is also a genuine rich man!

Actually, wasn’t this just like the legend of marrying into a rich and powerful family? I always feel that in front there is the belly black President who is like a ruthless wolf watching me attentively, and if I am not careful, he will tear me apart and swallow me into his belly. Whereas behind there is the crowd who do not know the truth, standing in a circle and watching as the drama unfolds. I still have not explained clearly but Mrs. President’s fame has already spread quickly from mouth to mouth.

This time, Du Lei Si really feels regret.

Who can tell me, can I not marry ah?