The Sword and The Shadow - Chapter 15 – Trauma

“If he’s being badass, I’m gonna plant my own crops. If he messes with me, he will not live past next year.”

The Venerable Xiang Yu, an eccentric villainous half-blood demon King was infamous in both the demon and human realm for being a cold-blooded ruthless devil that could kill with no remorse.Demons and humans feared him, cultivators wanted him as a trophy and the immortals saw him as a thorn in their side.The only reason he didn't get smote by the Heavenly King's searing lightning of divine wrath that could kill all mortals and immortals was because he kept the deadliest demons in check maintaining peace between the two realms.Despite his reputation, he had a small cult following in the human realm. They took him as their deity for his selfless acts of benevolence.Such rare selfless acts led him to rescue the fallen immortal Han Xin. But his benevolence became his downfall. Condemned to death, he faced an impossible choice: serve the Heavenly King or die with no marked grave.Xiang Yu: Hahaha... death isn't so bad after all.Heavenly King: You...Han Xin: Wife, you can't escape even in death. At least when you are alive you have a chance to run.Xiang Yu: QAQ...

Dumped by his girlfriend for being broke, killed in an accident by a truck, only to get transmigrated into a fantasy world as Lucien Goldveil, noble heir of a rich nobility in the kingdom of Edoria.He should be content since he was now filthy rich, but he couldn't, as this world was a world of magic where money without power was only a curse.What he would face next would only be endless conflict and the hounds looking at his wealth with those hungry gazes.---Ding[Debt Collector System has been successfully bound.][Detected failure to collect debt from target: Alchemist Devan.][Automatically extracting compensation of equivalent value…][Congratulations! You gained: Minor Mana Sensitivity (Passive), +1 Intelligence.]---Fortunately, his system came on time, giving him that glimmer of hope. Now, it all depends on his ability to exchange his vast wealth for power by playing his cards right.With the kingdom teetering on the brink of war and the Godveil family surrounded by hungry wolves, Lucien had no choice but to grow stronger and fast.Not to mention finding those behind the shadows hellbent on killing him, or those trying to kidnap him for his wealth. Wealth without power was a curse, and it was on Lucien to change it into a blessing instead.And those dungeons… Wait a minute—why the heck does this world have so many dungeons?

The year was 2026, and the world wasn't what it used to be. Ever since the Abyss Gates cracked open three years ago, spilling monsters and dungeons across the planet, life had turned into a chaotic mess. Cities were half-ruined, half-rebuilt, and people clung to whatever normalcy they could find. Hunters—those brave or crazy enough to fight the monsters—became the new heroes. Everyone else? Well, they just tried to survive.Fin wasn't a Hunter. He wasn't a hero either.He was just… Fin. A lanky 19-year-old with messy brown hair, a chipped front tooth from a dumb skateboard accident, and a power that everyone called useless. Absorption. Sounds cool, right? Like he could suck up energy or steal someone's strength. Nope. All it did was let him “feel” things he touched a little more than normal. He could tell you the exact texture of a brick wall or how warm a coffee mug was—big whoop. No fireballs, no super strength, no flashy moves. Just a glorified touchy-feely trick.“Fin, you gonna eat that sandwich or just stare at it like it's gonna confess its life story?” Meg's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.He blinked and looked across the rickety table at his best friend. Meg was short, loud, and had a wild mop of dyed purple hair that she swore made her look “intimidating.” It didn't.