The Return of the Disaster-Class Hero - Chapter 8: Some strange bastard appeared (1)

I closed my eyes and let out a long, shuddering breath. The needle slipped through my numb fingers and clattered onto the rough pavement. Nothingness swirled around me, bringing the first peace I'd felt in my short, miserable life. No one would miss me, and if any did...? Well, there was always someone else to beat or rape. They'd move on quickly.But then...gods? Since when did nothingness have so many gods?Chosen by the goddess of Fate, I'm thrust into a world of magic and wonder alongside nine other heroes. A world where the gods reign supreme, and evil is vanquished before it can spread its blight.Can such a place truly exist? Could life really be worth living?I've heard that the brightest lights cast the longest shadows, but my life has been nothing but darkness. Perhaps this new world will be the chance I need to find the light, to see the other side.

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.

+18 Warning Mature Content - Reader discretion advisedA wolfless ward and an illegitimate dragon prince must overcome immeasurable barriers to free themselves from the stigma they have been placed under.Abandoned as a child Lily Artemis Wolfman was taken in by the Royal Family of the Wolf Clan only to be treated like a slave, working her mercilessly night and day.When her wolf didn't appear, Lily used her only avenue to free herself on the day she became an adult.Finding a mate was the last thing Dimitri De Drago` wanted since his family was hell-bent on killing him, but when he came across a strange female amid a massacred village his dragon stirred for the first time at the sight of her.Turning her away only to find her again caused sparks to fly between the two like they never knew was possible. Facing fatal issues within his Clan, finding his mate came with serious consequences.They knew trouble would follow if they stayed together, but their souls demanded each other risking it all for the chance at happiness.Will their love remain strong through the trials and tribulations they face or will tradition and their families stand in their way of true happiness?