Lord of the Mysteries - Chapter 1 - Crimson

As a rising Formula One race car driver, Ye Ci had always been criticized.

“Aloof and indifferent, unable to be reasoned with.”

“Suspected to have a mental illness, is this person really suitable for the track?”

“He doesn’t really love the sport, racing is just his way of venting his violent emotions.”

Huo Tinglan’s demeanor was always elegant and protective in front of the media, and he said that his husband was just quiet and introverted. After five years of marriage, they respected each other and were quite harmonious.

It was not until Ye Ci died unexpectedly during a race that Huo Tinglan gradually realized . . . . . .

He wasn’t quiet and introverted, but instead lifeless. Before finding his refuge, Ye Ci had gone through too many dark and painful moments.

After enduring years of suffering and longing, Huo Tinglan was unexpectedly reborn. Ye Ci was only eighteen years old this year, and everything was within reach.

Huo Tinglan was cheeky and went directly to his door to ask for a kiss.

- Description from Novelupdates

I am currently re-writing the first chapters of this story. They are quite rough and bounce around a lot and I can do better. At some point, I will replace these with the better chapters.Sometime in 2024 Aethon Books will publish the first volume of this story on Amazon, KU, and audible. This will mean the story will be stubbed. I will notify people far in advance of that.In the dystopian world of the future, life is rough when you live at the bottom. Jobs are non-existent. Far too many people live in poverty, crammed into huge buildings called Habitats. With no jobs in the real world, many people can only find work online in VR worlds as servants to the very rich. And it's getting worse. The old internet is unusable and hacked to pieces. The new system needs AI to run things, but all but one of them were destroyed. The last sentient AI is ordered to create a new game world so the rich can have a playground, and the corporations that rule the world can have a new global market place. Everyone wants a piece of the new game. The guilds are competing to be the first to find the dungeons and kill the biggest monster. The corporations are claiming land and putting in their online market places. Ozzy and his friends just want a paycheck.Four friends sign five year contracts as virtual serfs in a small village, and can't go adventuring at all to gain money. They don't have many choices. They can work as a blacksmith, barmaid and shepherd for all those years....or they can cheat and find ways to take advantage of the system and carve out a section of the game world for themselves, and earn a fortune in the real world.When they give you a mop and not a sword, you have to find the loopholes and change the rules.

In a world where life energy fuels martial prowess, Shen Yifan, with a mere mortal lifespan of a hundred years, finds solace in slaying demons to extend his own vitality. Amidst the chaos of a realm teeming with malevolence, he brandishes his blade, striking terror into the hearts of creatures who have roamed the earth for centuries! Yet, amidst his valiant exploits, Shen Yifan sometimes ponders, why does his lifespan seem to dwindle faster with each use of his powers? Sheathing his sword, he gazes skyward, hearing tales of the divine palace in the heavens, where immortal beings dwell, having weathered endless eons. Embarking on a celestial journey, he seeks to beseech the gods for a loan of a million years, to pave his path towards eternal life.

This is actually the story of a teenager who, after the devastating and spartan-like training of his crazy cool/Gong teammate, turned into a super amazing point guard that could blow up the skies even though he may seem low-key on the surface.

Also, Nie Chuan is Reese’s first love.

Nie Chuan: I’ve decided to promote you to becoming my best friend!

Reese: If I can be your best friend, it just means that you have no friends.

Nie Chuan: Hey! How could you say that! Do you know what it means to be my best friend?!

Reese: I’m sleeping.

Nie Chuan: It means that when I get married, my bride may not necessarily be her, but my groomsman must be…

Reese: The groom must be me.

Nie Chuan: What– you want to snatch my bride away?! You’re too inhumane!

Reese: Sleep.

- Description from Novelupdates