The Sound of a Silent Life - Chapter 257: [258]: Ginkgo Sakura High School

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.

In a single day, a global calamity wipes out humanity, leaving their souls adrift in an endless void.An enigmatic entity, responsible for the catastrophe, offers a twisted mercy: reincarnation into a deadly“King's Game.”Every soul from Earth must choose a character card to determine their new form and fate.Chaos erupts as billions scramble for power. Some snatch weak cards in haste, while others luck into formidable ones.Su Ping, caught in the frenzy, watches desirable roles like Goblin King, Blood Goblin King, and even Succubus King vanish.Desperate, he claims the only card left: Dark Dragon King.To his shock, this “lowly” dragon bloodline ranks among the top 1000 strongest. As Su Ping finds himself in a treacherous cosmo's where every player is a king vying for supremacy, he wonders:If a dragon is this low, what monstrous powers lie at the top?

In the year 4 Before the New Calendar, just four years before the arrival of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Lyle finds himself sitting by the roadside, gnawing on a piece of coarse black rye bread. His gaze is hollow, tinged with despair—he has been transported to the world of Overlord.The prospect of facing the devastating events to come chills him to the bone. In just a few years, the Great Tomb will unleash its might, razing nations and reshaping the world. Lyle foresees two grim paths ahead: perishing in the cataclysmic aftermath or surviving to live under the rule of the Sorcerer Kingdom.But as hopelessness threatens to consume him, a unique panel materializes before his eyes: Innate Ability: “Player”.Armed with the same advantage as the feared entities of Nazarick, Lyle resolves to carve his destiny. If they're all players in this grand game, why should he cower before them? The race against time begins as he seeks to grow stronger, navigate the treacherous world, and defy the fate that looms ever closer.

In a blackened world humanity remains oblivious to the existence of demonic monsters and supernatural beings working in the shadows.In all this, Valen’s childhood was stolen by the Shadow Stalker, a serial killer who taught him one lesson: that the world was divided into predators and prey.He strived to live a normal life, despite the fact that he was far from normal, but his plan backfired.Now, trapped in a nightmare gallery, Valen is the subject of a brutal ritual that awakens a primordial hunger within him.To survive, he must embrace the very monstrousness he’d spent a lifetime hiding.[This work contains very adult content, like, seriously; the MC's mother's a serial killer. There's no way not to write this dark. Please don't read this if you're sensitive. I'm responsible for what I write, not what you read.]