MTL - The Rumored Second Son - Chapter 161 extra twenty-fifth

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.

Xerox Zee had always thought of himself as an ordinary guy—just another face in the crowd. That was until his 18th birthday when his System finally gets Unlocked!.The System revealed a shocking truth: the world he lived in was exactly the same as the plot of a novel he had once read!But instead of being helpful, this turned out to be a big problem.Main Character : “I’m meant to save the world and become the strongest. Everyone else is just there to help me along the way!”Xerox Zee : “Hold on... am I just one of those people there to make him look better?”It seems like I'm just a stepping stones!

Chu Chen, who used to be an ordinary university student from a common family, gets a peculiar system installed in his head one day.The system makes him capable of obtaining all kinds of valuable properties as long as he finishes the various check-in missions it sends out.What's more, a Good-Luck card in his possession brings him enormous luck, allowing him to solve whatever trouble that comes his way with almost no difficulties. Due to his abundant wealth and attractive appearance, Chu Chen receives great attention from the public and the admiration of dozens of pretty girls.But Chu Chen is, after all, a man with honesty and integrity, so with his money and luck, he helps his friends in need and punishes wrongdoers. With all kinds of different character perspectives and situations.This story vividly portrays the realistic and materialistic sides of people as well as the convenience and power of a rich man.-----This book is also known as “Why Am I So Handsome, Still So Rich, You Are So Ugly, Still So Poor”, “Being the Rich Man is Too Hard, I Don't Want to Be One Day”, and “Becoming the Rich Man from Sign in”

Shivam was just a normal guy.A government employee finally living a stable life after surviving an orphan’s hell and fighting tooth and nail through every damn obstacle life threw his way.He love anime, web novels, and his one true obsession light novels.His favorite?Transmigrated as a Third-Rate Villain.The plot? Fire.The fights? Insane.The worldbuilding? God-tier.And the characters? Untouchable—especially Marcus Ardent and Daelen Vorcrest, the last heroes of mankind.But then came the final chapter.Marcus dead. Daelen gone. The entire continent, erased with a single, lazy keystroke.“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!”“What kind of brain-dead garbage ending is this?! You killed everyone for shock value! You threw away the best characters like trash!”Shivam didn’t just hate-comment the author. He cursed them.Then went to sleep.And woke up as Ezra Celestrian.The most forgettable side character in the novel.A man who was supposed to be dead.Only… something’s wrong.Ezra isn’t weak.He never was.He was the strongest human side character in the novel—so talented, the author killed him early to keep the power scaling in check.But now Shivam is him.And the story is no longer in the author’s hands.“Why the hell do I keep talking like a noble?”“What the fuck is this ‘Divine Enemy’ trait!?”The world believes Ezra is dead.But Shivam’s done playing along.“You dragged me into your broken story. You killed my favorite characters. You erased everything I loved for a cheap twist.”“Fine. I’ll fix your mess. I’ll rewrite your story.”“And when I find you, ‘Author’—I swear to god, I’m gonna shove that ending down your throat.”