Crownless Kings: Court of Fire - Chapter 27 – Driftlines and Dead Eyes

In humanity’s final war against the Demon Lord, the strongest heroes fell—not by the enemy’s hand, but by their own, twisted into madness by a cruel illusion. Betrayal. Bloodshed. Despair… and then, silence.Only one person remained: Riley—the weakest warrior of them all. Powerless. Ignored. Forgotten.But he saw through the Demon Lord’s deception. The tyrant was on the brink of death—so weak even a fly could’ve finished him off.And Riley did just that, drawing every last ounce of strength to bite off the demon’s head.Victory? Not quite. A final, desperate strike from the Demon Lord pierced him from behind, killing him instantly.But fate wasn’t done with him yet.Riley awoke ten years in the past—when the online game [Apocalypse] was launched. Before demons descended. Before monsters overran the world.And this time, he wasn’t starting from nothing. He had a decade of experience—and a second chance.Even more shocking, he didn’t awaken his old D-rank Strength Boost talent. This time, he received something far more terrifying: an SSS-Rank Gluttony talent!He could now devour anything—monsters, items, talents, even traits—and gain their power.Ding![You have devoured: Iron Fang Wolf][Acquired: +4 Strength, +2 Agility, Skill: Bite (F-rank)][You have devoured: Goblin ShamanAcquired: +8 Intelligence, Skill: Mana Bolt (E-rank), Talent: Minor Spellcasting Efficiency][You have devoured: Flaming Salamander Drake][Acquired: +22 Endurance, Trait: Dragon’s Resilience, Skill: Flame Breath (C-rank)]Now, there is no demon, no god, no monster who will stand in his way. He will devour everything—and save the world.But the power of Gluttony was a double edged sword. If he wasn’t careful… he could be the one getting consumed.

A merciless and unforgiving world where a common cold could kill you, a world where survival of the fittest applied—A world where humans aren't at the top of the food chain.A world where the roar of predators echoes through the wilderness, and the threat of being hunted lingers around every corner. A world where the natural elements are both beautiful and deadly, with raging storms and scorching heat waves that can wipe out entire communities.Every day is a battle for survival, with individuals and groups fighting tooth and nail to secure food, shelter, and water. The weak and vulnerable are often left behind, their fate sealed by the brutal law of the jungle.And in this same age, same jungle there was a young boy, whose fate changed when he heard an unknown voice in his head.Garnt woke up feeling a little better after he was on the verge of death because of a single wound he suffered from hunting, and the first thing he noticed was that everything around him looked foreign to him, even though the cave he was lying in was supposed to be his home.While he was unconscious from the injuries, Garnt saw several things he couldn't even understand.He saw people using brick-like equipment to communicate with each other and flying monsters that happily served humans by taking them inside their bodies. A bizarre world where everyone covered their bodies. He saw giant structures that stood even taller than the largest caves he had seen and suddenly a voice questioned his mind about what he witnessed.[Why do these waters look muddy? Why don't you filter them?]What are you talking about? This is how they are supposed to look.[Why are these weapons so blunt?]They are sharp enough for me.[Where are your clothes, Don't you get cold?]What are clothes, I don't know.[Why do men and women look like they don't feel anything while having sex? Wasn't it supposed to be romantic and sensual?]What do you mean? It is just an activity for procreation.After witnessing such a world, Garnt felt like they were missing something important. His current status looked like a living hell when he compared it with the vision he had. But was that vision real? Does something like that really exist?[Yes, it exists. Do you want to see that world? I will help you, but in exchange, you should make my dream come true.]

“Hai Tang? She's just the Hai family's foster daughter. I was only playing around with her. How could I possibly take her seriously? She can't even measure up to my status!”

Upon hearing these words from Yu Heng's own mouth, Hai Tang finally realized how he truly saw her.

She had liked this person for over twenty years. They had grown up together since childhood, with her always looking out for him, from running errands and doing homework for him to handling company affairs on his behalf. He had always accepted her kindness but pretended to be unaware of her feelings.

Now, the words from his lips directly crushed Hai Tang's hopes.

From that day on, Yu Heng's shadow completely disappeared. Even his friends around him were surprised.

How could she let go so easily after following him for so long?

At first, Yu Heng was nonchalant. In his eyes, Hai Tang's world revolved around him, and she wouldn't be able to survive without him. But as time went on and he waited, she never came back. When he started to panic and wanted to look for her, he realized that he couldn't find her, no matter how hard he looked.

When they met again, his shadow was already entwined with someone else, and she had a radiant smile on her face.

Yu Heng's reddened eyes were filled with tears as he asked the girl who used to belong to him, “Tangtang, I was wrong. Can we go back to the way things were?”

Before the girl could speak, the man beside her stepped forward. His eyes filled with malice as he said, “I advise you to stay away from my wife.”

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A maid who is beaten on behalf of a noble boy.

Some memories of her childhood were cruel, but Yuriel held no resentment towards the boy. Rather, she liked it–The hand that carefully applied medicine to her wounds was always warm.

“M-Master, stop, Raph, sa, save…ah, mm…!”
“That’s why.. I told you.. to wait.. till I returned.”

But the Raphlet that appeared in her dreams showed nothing but passion and lust.

Prophetic dreams.
The ability that was like a stigma drove Yuriel towards an unknown future.

All I want is to be next to you.