Age of Adepts - Chapter 1256: The Death God Trap

Book I: Lost ThingsTristan Abrascal is a thief, one of many making their living under the perpetual twilight of the greatest city in all of Vesper. Quick wit and a contract with a capricious goddess have always kept him one step ahead, until one night he crosses a line by accident that burns all the bridges he had left. But not all is lost, as his mentor offers a way out of peril that turns out to be more than a simple escape.It is also an opportunity to get even with the infanzones, the nobles he’s lived under all his life, and it so happens that Tristan has a full ledger’s worth of scores to settle with them.Lady Angharad Tredegar has fled halfway across the world, leaving behind a ruin of a life: her family butchered by a ruthless enemy, their estate torched and their nobility revoked. Yet no matter how far she flees the blades of assassins follow, and she finds herself growing desperate for any protection. She has one relative left to call on, her estranged uncle, but she finds that the safety he offers comes at a cost.Angharad has sworn revenge, however, and her honour will allow for no compromise. She will do what she must to survive so that one day bloody vengeance can be visited upon her enemies.The paths of the two take them to the doorstep of the Watch, but for desperate souls like them enrolment is a lost cause. They will have to do it the hard way instead, by surviving the trials on the isle known as the Dominion of Lost Things.Where every year many go, and few return.Book II: Good TreasonsThe trials of the Dominion are over.The four survivors have become students of Scholomance, enrolling together as a cabal, yet even on those infamous grounds they soon learn none are beyond the reach of their pasts.Angharad Tredegar is returned to a semblance of the world she left behind, but finds her honor sorely tested by bargains offered - every bit as tempting as in the stories and even deadlier.Tristan Abrascal needs answers. Mysterious enemies keep trying to abduct him, his classroom does not exist and he’s now had several conversations with dead people. Worst of all, his carrots keep dying.Maryam Khaimov is going mad, which would worry her less if it were happening on schedule. More frightening yet is the possibility that she is not, and there truly is someone else going around wearing her face.Song Ren must forge the others into a functional unit, all the while fending off enemies on all sides: rival cabals, vengeful countrymen and the deluge of implacable foes her companions simply cannot seem to stop attracting.Failure is not an option, for Song must bring back honor to her family’s name whatever the cost: it is the only way to keep their disgrace from literally eating them all alive.And as the four chase shadows in Scholomance, in the distance looms the greater test awaiting them in the Asphodel Rectorate. Asphodel is a faded power, the rotten carcass of what it once was, but under that rot looms darker things - of which monsters might just be the least dangerous.Besides, is treason really such an evil when you have the best of reasons for it?

I’m a proud NEET who’s devoured every romance novel, manga, webtoon, and otome game out there.Just when I thought I’d conquered it all, a black bunny appeared in my dream.“Congrats! You’ve been chosen to help villains win across multiple worlds!”“Like a game?”“Uh . . . sure.”“Great, I’m in!”And just like that, I became an agent of the Villain System.Time to rewrite some happily-ever-afters—villain style.**[NOTE!]** This novel features multiple short arcs, each exploring different tropes such as ancient China, the modern world, beasts, werewolves, vampires, fantasy, school romance, idol groups—you name it! The twist? Each arc focuses on our MC making the villain (male) triumph over the male and female leads.The story is written primarily in 2nd and 3rd person POV for a dynamic and immersive experience.|| Excerpt ||[WARNING! MATURE Content Ahead!]“Then serve me . . . properly.”The command was both sensual and authoritative, and Xue Li’s pulse quickened under his intense gaze. The air between them grew heavy, her trembling hands faltering as she began to run the sponge across his chest, her touch featherlight against his scars.“Y-yes your majesty.”Xue Li’s hand trembled slightly as she dipped the towel into the warm, fragrant water, her breath catching as she squeezed it out over Han Feng’s shoulders.The water cascaded down his chiseled frame, tracing every ridge and contour of his muscles. She swallowed hard, focusing intently on her task, though her heart raced like a drum in her chest.She began at his shoulders, her touch gentle as the towel glided over his skin. His scars, a mix of old battles and untold stories, caught her attention, and she hesitated for a brief moment before continuing.The warmth of the water mixed with the heat radiating from his body, and the intimacy of the moment sent a shiver up her spine.Han Feng leaned back slightly, watching her through half-lidded eyes, his expression unreadable. “Slower,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble that made her pulse skip.Xue Li obeyed, her movements becoming more deliberate as she ran the sponge across his chest, down the defined lines of his abdomen. Each stroke felt unbearably sensual, her fingers brushing his skin as she worked.She tried to maintain her composure, but the proximity to him, the sheer physicality of his presence, made her feel as though the air had thickened.When she reached his arms, he extended one lazily, letting her clean him as though it were his divine right. Her hand moved carefully, trailing down his forearm to his wrist, her touch so soft it almost tickled.Han Feng’s silence was oppressive yet charged, the pressure of his gaze pinning her in place.As she lowered the sponge to his torso again, her hand faltered briefly near the sharp line of his hipbone. The water ran over his skin like liquid fire, and her breath hitched when she noticed the slight curve of his lips, a hint of satisfaction playing there.“You’re trembling,” he said, his voice velvet smooth, making her flinch.“I-It’s the steam, Your Majesty,” she stammered, though she knew it was a poor excuse.Han Feng chuckled softly, the sound deep and rich. “Hmm . . . Is that so? Then you have no problem cleaning my cock right?”Xue Li's eyes trembled, on the verge of tears, which seemed to please Han Feng. His smile grew wider as he urged her on.“Go on. You're going to serve me properly, aren't you?”

What is love?Love has a lot of meanings.To scientists, it is something that arises as a result of hormonal changes in the human body. To philosophers, it Is something that is triggered in human consciousness when two souls connect. it means a lot of different meanings to different people. Love is happiness to some, it is pain, sadness, ecstasy. It is an emotion that cannot really be explained. It is something that is meant to be felt.You also choose to be in love.But that didn’t happen to me. I didn’t get the opportunity to pick who I wanted to explore these crazy feelings with.It was chosen for me.I had no choice but to love him and he had no choice but to love me.Our love story is the strangest but also the most beautiful ever told.This is our chosen love.

[Disclaimer:This is not a story for the faint-hearted. It explores the darkest aspects of humanity—where morality is shattered, and power takes its place. Most readers won’t have the courage to face this unrelenting descent into shadows.I'm once again telling you if you can't handle deaths and violence and you seek happiness then please do not even touch this Novel.But maybe, just maybe, you’re different. Strong enough to confront the abyss and see what lies beyond.if so Prove it.][Synopsis]:In a world teetering on the edge of chaos, seven empires vie for dominance, each more ruthless than the last. At the heart of this dark tapestry lies Narzan, a nation feared and despised, where cruelty is law and ambition a deadly game. The lands of mortals are but a fragile sanctuary, bordered by forbidden realms—the infernal Demon Realm, where nightmares are born; the accursed Lost Soul Realm, where the damned wander endlessly; and the enigmatic Elven Kingdom, shrouded in secrets and ancient power. These realms whisper of horrors and treasures that could reshape the very fabric of existence.Above it all looms the Weave of Magic, an ancient force that binds life, death, and destiny. It stirs ominously, its threads tangling with shadows of betrayal, vengeance, and destruction. In this world where the strong devour the weak, hope is a fleeting illusion, and mercy is a tale for the foolish.Veythor is a man cursed by the fates, his existence a relentless cycle of suffering. Across three lives, he has endured betrayal, torment, and death. On Earth, he was a man broken by those he trusted—betrayed by family, ruined by love, and condemned to die in despair. In his second life, he met an even crueler fate, falling prey to monsters in human form. But Thalvoria, his third life, is the cruelest of all.A vast and merciless world, Thalvoria is ruled by beings of unimaginable power. Here, mages can sunder mountains with a thought, empires rise and fall in rivers of blood, and forgotten gods slumber beneath the earth. Mythical beasts stalk cursed forests, and the lands themselves seem to hunger for suffering. In Thalvoria, even the heavens cast shadows, and every choice is a gamble with damnation.Yet Veythor, battered and scarred, refuses to succumb. Haunted by memories of his past lives, he begins to weave his pain into something more dangerous. Every betrayal fuels his resolve, every scar sharpens his will. As the balance of power begins to shift and the Weave of Magic tightens its grip on the world, Veythor sets his sights on a singular goal: to seize control of his cursed destiny, no matter the cost.But in a land where salvation and damnation are two sides of the same coin, what will remain of a man who refuses to die?When the world itself hungers for blood, Veythor will rise—or he will drag all of Thalvoria into the abyss with him.