The Archduke's Songbird - Chapter 29: Confusion

Anton is a great-grandfather. He is living quite a happy life, despite his advanced age and declining health… until a group of cultivator bandits moves into the area. The nearby guardians of the area, the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars, are unable to track them down as they continue to ravage nearby towns. During one desperate winter Anton is out on a hunt when his family- his entire village- is killed or taken as slaves by the bandits. He lacks the strength to fight them, and he wasn’t even present for their arrival to die with his loved ones. At the pit of his despair, he wonders if he ever had any chance to change things. What could he even do? He cannot even pull his best bow, and his eyesight is failing. If he had been a cultivator… perhaps there might have been a chance, but he was decades- perhaps even most of his life- too late.Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge (2022)Notes on cultivation levels:There are five general stages of cultivation, though the fifth is extremely rare. Each cultivation style might have their own name for the stages.1. Body Tempering2. Spirit Building/ occasionally System Creation (Ninety-Nine Stars)3. Constellation Formation (Ninety-Nine Stars)4. Life Transformation/Galaxy Construction (Ninety-Nine Stars)5. Ascension

Raphael Sorus is a person who life hasn't been very kind to, after the death of his family his life has been on a downward spiral with nothing good going on for him.The only thing that kept him from losing his mind was [Arcane Days], an Immersion game that served as an escape for him, that was until the game company shut down the fame server.Not knowing what else to do, Raphael decides to do something stupid which lands him an audience with the Goddess of Fate.She sends him to a world that is a replica of Arcane Days, except there is a twist to it.Readers can expect a large world as well as interesting situations and a unique power system, as well as a laid-back plot.

Coming to my senses... I find myself a desperado.In the depths of azure, black sails flutter.Treasure gleams, blades ring out.Pillage, slaughter, irreverence towards the gods.Youth fades swiftly, all but meat and wine for pleasures.[Slice of Life][Romance Simulation][Business Simulation]

Song Fengwan was dumped by her fiancé, who had been dating her for a year, and an illegitimate daughter appeared out of nowhere to ruin her family.