Purgatory Artist - Chapter 287: Breaking the Game

As part of the imperial family, every move by Chu Yuan in this game of chess is made with apprehension, fearing that with a moment of inattentiveness, the whole match will be lost in a single move.

Ascending to the throne at eighteen, not half a year passes before civil strife erupts in Yun Nan. Though the thoughts of the old guard at the imperial court are not exactly identical, they are all waiting to see how the new emperor will put an end to this.

Unexpectedly, before this side could make a move, a few thousand miles away, the King of Xi Nan, Duan Bai Yue, had already personally commanded troops to attack in all directions; not half a year had passed when peace was restored.

Sparse moonlight shines into the palace; Chu Yuan stamped the wax seal himself, and had a secret letter sent urgently to Yun Nan 800 miles away — this time, what must we(1) give in exchange?

Brush marks passed through the back of the paper; it almost can be seen, when writing this line, how angry the young emperor was.

Duan Bai Yue spread out a piece of paper unhurriedly, replying with only one word.

You.

Notes:
(1): Chu Yuan is using the royal ‘we’ here.

- Description from Novelupdates

“Hey monster, you're not ready for this blow, but I don't give a shit!!” said Lian as he drew a circle inside another circle in his mind.Then, a few seconds later, a fireball as big as a house hit a monster just over 4 meters tall...It was a waste of resources, but it was damn fun!“BOOM!!!” he said as the fireball reached the monster, covering it entirely.The excitement on his face was palpable as his clothes and hair fluttered from the power generated by the impact.[Accuracy: 97%]“Tsk, it's really hard to achieve 100% accuracy when casting spells... that just means I have to do better!”Meanwhile, the monster and the entire area around him was destroyed. The crater was huge, flames burned the ground, and ash mixed with dust covered the air.---In a world full of Gates, Mages and Knights work together to defend humanity from extinctionLian, a boy from a small town, awakens a very... unique system.Casting spells by drawing strange shapes in his mind had become normal for him by now.Thanks to the system, he had become a Mage, a human capable of using mana to cast spells.Facing monsters from the Gates had become routine. Studying magic was a pastime. After all, he had the System, he didn't need to study classical magic. Or maybe not...

Guo Zhi: Damn it! All blind date partners are weirdos! I would rather go back to the photo studio to look at the abs from the little fresh meat.

Alex: Hm? This lady’s gaze while looking at me seems a little… ravenous?

Guo Zhi: Change the manager, change the project, change the photographer!

Alex: I’ll listen to you! To everything you say!

Guo Zhi: Hey, hey, I’m too tired already today.

Alex: You just need to lie down and enjoy.

Serious and strong mighty sister VS Little pitiful guy who no one wants

- Description from Novelupdates

Set in the Shadow Slave world...a time before Sunny was born...this story follows a simple soldier who must survive in a dystopian, apocalyptic landscape where magic and gun warfare collide.In a far-off Quadrant known as North America, a young soldier named Hope is 16 years old when he gets infected by the Nightmare Spell. He passed! But...he feels a bit scammed...?A flaw that makes him fade from people's memories...A cursed attribute that makes him remember everything endlessly in eternal wakefulness...It's as if the Spell is twisting his future and existence into an almost improbable one.All he has ever known his purpose to be was to serve as a simple soldier. Not too powerful. But not so weak either. And maybe, just maybe like some others, become an Awakened. Although he never dreamt of being one.Now that his whole life is compromised after his First Nightmare, his first objective is to survive on his own. But as he tries to escape his fate, his actions seem to lead him further from his goal.He struggles against obstacles that slowly grow bigger and out of proportion.Maybe the Dream Realm and the Real World aren't so different than one may think.Hope's journey involves uncovering secrets and gaining knowledge about his true nature and his new role in the world.Is he fit to be a hero?Could he redefine it?***Please read the READER DISCLAIMER in Volume 0.This is my spin-off novel of “Shadow Slave” by Guiltythree.But please don't expect the same writing style, setting, and characters, especially the main character.This story reveals more about how people/cities/governments operate after the Spell’s arrival. I always find it interesting how maybe one country handles it fairly, but how others handle it with desperation to the point that you question humanity.There will be easter eggs pointing to the original novel either intentional for the plot or unrelated to it, but all for fun.I am a new author so props to all who bear with me and helps me improve my writing. If it is not for you, please don't leave outright hate comments. Eat wassabi instead if you want pain. Critique and advice would be great too.