I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun - Chapter 697: New Heaven (2)

A door unfolded before him.Evil thrived, and whispers spilled from within.The resentful compound eyes flickered and vanished, the presence longing to burst out was blocked inside, and the alluring murmurs echoed in the ear.The sticky, pink brain mumbled something. A figure cloaked in a yellow robe watched from a distance. A dark green presence, smelling of blood, roared. A string of wondrous soap bubbles released friendliness—and many, many guests.They sincerely invited Lu Li to join this mad party.Lu Li stepped in, his stride resolute and unwavering.He had no reason to refuse.

The world’s top level hacker, Shi Lei; due to him hacking the world’s top military powers during a joint exercise and attempting to steal information from them, ultimately leads him to get sold out by his own organization. This act eventually caused his own death by a missile bombardment.

God was playing a joke on him and allowed him to return back to six years ago, the autumn season of when he was still at his university. Being given another chance, plus the fact that he retained his ability as one of the best in hacking technology, Shi Lei decided to change his life! During his previous life, he was only an assassin in the dark. Although such an existence made people afraid of him, he would have to always hide within the shadows. In his new life, not only does he want to be an assassin in the dark, he also wants to stand openly in the middle of the world stage. Creating a world-class super enterprise, he will single handy change the whole world!

- Description from Novelupdates

A conversation with a handsome stranger leaves Ariane chained in a cellar with a strange affliction. She soon discovers that the darkness of the nineteenth century’s Deep South hides many dangers. Mages, wolf shifters and the humans who hunt them play a risky game where to stumble is to die, all under the amused gaze of the apex predators of the supernatural world: vampires.

It is never healthy to attract the gaze of the aristocracy of the night. It takes much to survive in this merciless world, but Ariane will not let that deter her. The southern belle has a bite, and she is willing to learn and to grow in this hostile new world. She will use whatever means necessary to reclaim her freedom, be it guile, charm, or those intriguing new instincts that make blood so delectable.

This is a story of vampires as I believe they should be, with their strengths and weaknesses, with their remnants of humanity and the beast inside. Updates every Friday. Mind the tags.

Cover by Antti Hakosaari: https://www.artstation.com/haco

Special thanks to Svensonsen for getting me started, as well as Omi Nya, Hesketh, Rhaegar, Yaksher, Selkie and Raven for proofreading my stuff. Thanks to my patrons and you dear readers, for the support. I could not do it without you.

Journey is on Amazon, both in ebooks and audio. here is a link to the first one:

https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08DK6G8Y8

The story probably exists in your local marketplace as well of I can tempt you.

I became an extra who confessed to the main character in a female-oriented romance novel but was rejected – an embarrassing history. However, I tried to brush it off as no big deal, until… “…Didn’t you say you liked me?” After you rejected me, why are you now clinging to me…?