Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord - Chapter 147: The Eerie Shell

Quinn Winter is a young man from another world. One day, he is suddenly chosen to become the new Demon King. But the Demon Kingdom is in big trouble – it's losing a terrible war against the human kingdom called Gran'le.To help his people, Quinn comes up with a risky plan. He will sneak into Gran'le and learn their secrets. But things don’t go as planned. A powerful noble sponsors him, and he ends up joining Heavenward Academy, the top school for training future heroes.At the Academy, there's a big challenge called the Selection. The best students become Paladins – magic knights who fight demons. Quinn doesn’t want to become a Paladin. He is a demon king! But now, he’s stuck in the Selection… and if he wins, he’ll become the very thing he’s supposed to destroy.He started the day badly. Now, things are getting even worse.

Upon awakening in a parallel world, Lin Yi discovered that not only were Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Ying present, but also veterans like Old Pao, Tou Lao Gao, Qiangzi…He had unlocked an Entry Upgrade System.【Shooting Novice (White) → Hundred Paces Piercing Yang (Gold)】【Superior Memory (Blue) → Photographic Recall (Gold)】【Master of Struggles (Blue) → Supreme Titan of Competition (Gold)】【Martial Arts Grandmaster (Purple) → Mortal Warlord (Red)】【……】As time passed, Lin Yi steadily advanced towards the peak, growing ever stronger.Yet, as he ascended, unexpected figures began to emerge before him—He Chenguang, Xu Sanduo, Lei Zhan, Yan Poyue, An Ran, Long Xiaoyun, Shen Ge…Only then did Lin Yi realise that this was not merely the world of Special One, but a vast amalgamation of multiple special forces universes.

Lady Bertia, who’s become my fiancée, is a bit odd. On our first meeting, she proclaimed herself a villainess noble girl who’s been reincarnated and said that she’s working hard every day to become a splendid flower of evil that’s elegantly put in her place.

I don’t get it.

But she entertains me because I don’t understand.

That’s why I think I’ll observe her for a while.

This is a story of a crown prince who’s so talented and handsome that he’s grown bored of his easy-mode life. A story of this prince observing a self-proclaimed villainess noble girl (who seems perfect at first but is a bit off) who’s become his fiancée as she snatches flags and breaks them into pieces.

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.