Ashen Ascension: The Divided Flame - Chapter 39: The Gathering Storm

Vampire Queen Shang Yu awoke at the auction house after a ten billion bid for her corpse.A gunfight broke out during transport and she stood up from her coffin.The scent of blood in the air was truly delightful!Her eyes fell upon the injured man and she tilted his chin, lightly kissing his wound:“You taste sweet.”…It’s said Shang Yu’s meteoric rise relied on men, but deeper digging revealed her aliases were all shocking, plus nine elder brothers and sisters who doted on her.She was known as the business world’s foremost abstinent queen.Yet she was photographed eagerly pressing a certain tycoon in a car, kissing him as he let her have her way.

Eighteen. The age of Awakening. An important moment where every human in the desolate maga-cities unlocks their Talent, a unique ability to carve a path in this monster-plagued apocalyptic world. Alister Hazenworth, a graduating student, and a rising star at the prestigious Aegis Academy, was destined for greatness. His exceptional athleticism and magical aptitude promise a powerful Talent – a guarantee for a secure life and social status.But fate had different plans. During Alister's Awakening ceremony, it's revealed that he's a Summoner. Instead of admiration, he faces mockery. His once bright future turns bleak as his “friends” desert him for Talents they see as more “useful.”left alone, Alister awakens a system.[Host found, system binding...][System binded successfully.][Congrats, you have gain the status of 'player'.][Ding!! Congrats to the player for awakening The Dragonforge - an overlord system.][Ding!! it has been detected that the player possesses a latent draconic aspect, and as such will only be able to summon dragons!!][Will the player like to proceed with their first summoning?]Cast aside and underestimated, Alister becomes a force to be reckoned with. He embarks on a journey, building his own dragon army – a crew of majestic wyverns, fearsome drakes, and ancient wyrms. He raids the wastelands, reclaims lost resources, and dismantles the prejudice against summoners. Every day, his power grows, his bond with his dragons deepens, and his legend spreads like wildfire.

When our protagonist becomes the game character Jun Karentia, she thinks she has it made. She may be just a lowly support mage, but with her knowledge of the game, she knows she can finagle her way to the good ending following around the main character, Fabian. The problem? This game doesn’t end after one playthrough. Jun is prepared to guide Fabian through the second playthrough to the true ending when… Fabian abandons her. Now the Grand Duke Mayer Knox—captain of the Dark Knights and the secret final boss—is determined to have her join his party. Can Jun turn the final boss into the main character? Why is Mayer Knox so intent on having her in his party? And when will these rumors about being his lover stop?!

How long I’d been here, I couldn’t quite recall. From this sorry situation, I as always raised my eyes to the sky; a sky in which the great, massive sun was clad in levity. Sunlight poured gently upon all. What a blessing it would have been for the world if only the skies could remain clear. For tomorrow too, and for all days to come, I was to continue to pray for calm. To endure for those who cried, with desperation I remained in prayer.

And then, one freezing, forlorn, soulless, stagnant, drizzly day we died. Or so I thought…