Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord - Chapter 167: The Heretical Steam Engine, Activate!

Welcome! If you want to jump in without any spoilers, feel free. Otherwise, here's a story primer, with a list of more specifics on what to expect from my work further below.Our story follows a fallen knight haunted by his past, in a world afflicted by war and supernatural wounds. Alken is the Headsman of Seydis, an executioner tasked by the divine powers of his homeland to hunt dark sorcerers, warlords, and traitors of all varieties, lest they drag the world into calamity.Once a paladin, this role ill suits him. Forced to cross lines that shake his beliefs, tempted by dark forces, and seen as an ill omen wherever he wanders, his path is often a bloody one. The longer he spends in the shadows of his world, the more he comes to realize just how many have been disenfranchised by the existent order. During his lonely battles through a land haunted by the restless dead and ancient magics, his journey becomes increasingly strange and personal.Enter a realm where the dead stir in every shadow and brooding demigods wage a millennia long war for a ruined heaven, where blessed knights wield gilded flames and sorcerers battle with weapons forged of their own souls. Enter a world of faustian alchemists, of saintly demons, and of time-weary elves.From Oathbreaker you can expect— A setting heavily inspired by Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Fromsoft games, and authors such as Michael Moorcock and Kentauro Miura. — A first person POV from an older protagonist who already knows a lot about his world’s history and cultures, who shares this information with the reader as it becomes relevant.— A mix of action adventure and quieter moments where the focus is on character development. Lore is shared piecemeal, usually only as it relates to a particular arc or character beat.— A heavy focus on mystery, both with the setting and the protagonist. The main character’s backstory isn’t shared up front, and a lot of the narrative involves learning about him a bit at a time, either from his own narration or other characters interacting with him.— A semi-soft magic system where many mages manifest unique powers tied to their own soul, or gain unique powers through eldritch pacts.— Romantic elements. These don’t crop up much until later in the story.— A variety of supernatural beings, such as elves, vampires, gargoyles, chimera, and trolls. Many are familiar, some are not, and most of the familiar ones have my own twists put on them.—Nobledark fantasy. This means that the world is often themed around tragedy and horror, but it’s not dedicated to being gritty. There are elements of high fantasy intermixed with the scarier stuff.—Episodic arcs. Each story arc usually has a specific locale and antagonist or set of antagonists, but certain overarching plots tie them together.— A long running narrative. I don’t have a specific projection of how long or how many arcs or books, but you should expect this to be equivalent to a long running serialized work.This is my first web serial! I hope everyone enjoys it. For trigger warnings, readers should beware that there are some heavy topics in here. When I think something might upset certain readers, I’ll put a warning in the author notes above a chapter. If I miss or overlook anything, feel free to let me know in the comments! I am currently publishing the same story on my wordpress, which is linked below and in my profile. I release three chapters a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Thanks for reading!(I originally had a link to a wordpress, but I'm in the process of overhauling that space. It's not a priority since my readership is all here, but just in case anyone noticed and was wondering)

Kakashi has lived a sheltered life within the protective confines of a barrier, which shielded them from the dangers that lurk outside. Raised by his devoted mother, Ako, and loving sister, Tokah, he only know a world of happiness and joy. Living in a world where he thought nothing could go wrong.But when a group of men invades their home, everything changes. In the brutal assault, Kakashi witnesses his mother's tragic death, a moment that shatters his naive understanding of safety. While his sister manages to escape, Kakashi is captured and subjected to experiments designed to exploit his hidden powers.Years later, amidst the ruins of a collapsing facility, granting Kakashi a chance at freedom. Rescued by an academy dedicated to training gifted individuals, he discovers not only the extent of his abilities but also the resolve to seek vengeance against those who tore his family apart.Driven by the desire to reunite with Tokah and avenge his mother's murder, Kakashi embarks on a journey filled with action and self-discovery.As he navigates the treacherous underbelly of a world rife with superhuman conflicts, he must confront his own problems while mastering the very powers that once made him a target.

I ended up transmigrating as a third-rate extra in a game I like, but worst of all this character has already fallen and been disowned.

I have no ambitions. I just want to graduate, but the world won’t let me.

Lin Fu's biggest regret was being born into a military police family, yet due to physical limitations, she could only sing and dance in the cultural troupe, serving as a qualified vase.Accidentally traversing to the interstellar era three thousand years later, she was thrilled to discover she possessed a rare S-level psychic power, inherently cut out to be a fleet commander.She would attend the military academy, join the Marine College, command a cosmic fleet, and become a gallant female general.**However, her new identity was just the daughter of a remote star system's farm owner. To achieve her dream, she aimed to marry into the family of the empire's youngest space fleet commander.Commander His Excellency was cold and abstinent, with an imposing presence, yet devastatingly handsome enough to break hearts. Lin Fu fell for him at first sight.She wanted to have him, and even more, she wanted to stash him away secretly.**Later on, the whole interstellar space finally learned that the always ridiculed incompetent bumpkin was actually the commander of the Empire's Third Fleet.She was also the former most noble and adorable Princess Freya of the royal family, as well as the fearsome star thief that made people tremble.The entire interstellar was boiling with excitement.The handsome and noble commander His Excellency was not happy: What happened to the promise of stashing me away privately?