A Saint Who Was Adopted by the Grand Duke - Side Story 14: Permission (I)

Skyseal Emperor Gu Taxian is perhaps the greatest Emperor in all of history. He crushed the Hundred Empires and brought them to heel, built the vast Great Stone Wall to keep out the deadly wilders, relocated mountains and rivers to promote commerce, set up roads and highways, and even promoted free academies of learning for the common man in an attempt to uplift them. But the Skyseal Emperor’s ambitions involve more than just this – he is preparing to launch a great campaign to stamp out all pagan religions, wishing to allow all men to become like gods instead of merely worshiping them. Deities, demons, and immortals alike tremble and rage at the Skyseal Emperor’s ambitions.

On Terra, everyone has a 58% chance to “Awaken” as a Traveler—a chosen few who can access mystical portals called Flumes, allowing them to travel to Genovia, a world filled with unimaginable power, chaos, and danger. But not everyone gets to be a hero.Born into a struggling family with nothing but ragged clothes and a bleak future, Aoni Thurston, a total nobody with a humiliating One-Star Potential and G- stats across the board, knows his only chance at survival hinges on unlocking his hidden ability, something which all Traveler’s are gifted “Attributes.”But Aoni’s Attribute, “Progression,” holds a secret—a power to bend the rules of his ruthless reality. Each small victory, every step forward, earns him mysterious Progress Points, enabling him to transform his weaknesses into strength. Surviving the unforgiving snows of his desolate Territory, he faces isolation, despair, and near-death, all while unraveling the potential of his Attribute.In a world where power is everything, can Aoni claw his way from obscurity to greatness, or will the system grind him into dust? His future is uncertain, but one thing is clear—everything in his world can change through his Attribute: Progression.

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)

After she noticed she was being chased after by a certain beauty, she bound herself to a System and started her quick transmigration journey…

After a countless number of worlds, the beauty was finally driven to villainy, and his long, elegant fingers pulled at his black tie…