Ananya was in a daze as she looked out of the window of the car as it zipped down the streets towards her home from school.

No matter how she tried, she couldn't get the image of the boy out of her head.

Who was he?

How come she had never seen him before?

And most importantly, why did her very soul tremble when she saw him?

The questions circled around in her mind and the answers weren't forthcoming.

It would be understandable if the boy was extremely handsome and charming like the protagonists of the romance novels she so frequently read.

But, he was as far away from her mental image of how a romance novel protagonist should look as could be.

He wasn't tall. He wasn't dressed any differently than any other student. He definitely wasn't handsome.

Neither did he have an aura of pathos which might have attracted her.

In fact, he had a smug smirk plastered all over his face when she had laid her eyes upon him.

But… but that feeling… like electricity running up her spine.

It was unforgettable. She had to know more about him.

Turning to the chauffeur smartly dressed in a black suit that was driving the car, she requested, "Uncle, can you get me the information of a boy in my school for me? Noting the pattern on his tie, he is either in my year or the year below. Also, you can't miss him… his looks are extremely… unique."

The chauffeur who had been in their family for over a decade and watched her grow up, raised an eyebrow. "Milady, you'll have to be a little more specific than that."

"Uhh. How to put it… he is quite ugly. The thing is, I don't remember anyone transferring to the school in the recent years and his looks are quite eye-catching. I was just curious as to who he was."

The chauffeur nodded. "Do you want a hard copy of his file or do you want me to email a softcopy to you?"

"I'd like a hard copy, please. You know I don't like to read electronic documents."

"I'll have it sent to your room by tonight."

"Thank you, Uncle," said Ananya with a bright smile.

If anyone at the school saw her smile, they would be surprised as her standard expression there was an icy poker face.

Finally arriving at the Adhikari mansion, the car stopped at the gate to register its credentials with the security guards before continuing on.

Ananya's father was the owner of Adhikari enterprises, a chain of property dealers and private schools, one of which was the school at which Aman studied.

Ananya's mother had passed away when she was very young and she remembered little of her. She only knew that her father had loved her mother enough that he had refused to remarry. As the only child of her father, there was a lot of pressure on her to perform.

And indeed, most of her day was spent shuttling from one lesson to another. Music, dance, tuitions in various subjects and even mixed martial arts. All of this alongside being groomed to take over the company in the future.

It was no wonder that she had developed an aura of superiority when she dealt with her peers. Many looked up to her as their idol.

You would expect her to be frustrated with her regulated life. Stifled by the pressure.

Well, you would be half right.

She had felt that way. Once.

Watching her peers enjoy themselves while she had to 'play that piece again on her violin because she had used too much vibrato and competitions heavily penalized that' had caused her to snap and complain tearfully to her father.

"You don't love me." She had said. "Your company is more important for you."

He had only replied. "Meet the goals that have been set for you and you can request anything you want. As long as it is in my power, I won't refuse."

So, she had worked extra hard that month and exceeded all her teachers' expectations.

She had made only one request. "Accompany me for the whole week. It's my birthday on Tuesday."

She had expected to be refused. Her father was a busy man and in this fast paced world, a lot could happen in a week without him helming the company.

He had only nodded.

That week was the happiest she had been.

The week after the saddest. Watching her father run off caffeine and only two hours of sleep a day as he struggled to make up for missed time, his dark circles growing deeper each day had left her with a profound impression.

Now, meeting expectations had become a habit. Exceeding them, her pride.

The car pulled over in the parking lot and she got off, thanking the chauffeur.

Kicking off her shoes and putting them in the shoe rack, she exchanged them for comfortable slippers before climbing the stairs to her room.

Throwing her bag onto a chair, she dived face first into the bouncy mattress before rolling around on it.

It was only in her room that she could relax fully.

Flipping onto her back, she took a look around her room.

Pastel shades dominated the décor with a pale pink being the dominant colour.

Stuffed toys were scattered all over her bed and her room. If there was anything that could be called her hobby, it was handmade stuffed toys.

Her collection included works from all around the world in all sorts of materials and styles.

But her favourite one was the worn-out five-foot teddy bear that had followed her since she was but a baby. According to her father, it had been bought for her by her mother.

One of the few signs of her ever having existed.

Grabbing the bear by one of its paws, she hugged it and rolled around on her bed some more as she tried to figure out what was wrong with her.

Frustrated at the utter lack of answers, she got up with a huff and went over to her book collection.

There weren't many titles on the shelf but what were there were inevitably from the romance genre.

Pulling out a slim paperback, she flipped to the page number she remembered.

The book read:

"… as the transfer student walked in with confident strides, the entire class grew still. When he turned around, our eyes met and I felt a tingle run up my spine.

"It was then that I knew. I was in love."

Ananya snapped the book shut and replaced it.

It had always been one of her least favourite reads. The plot device of love at first sight had felt so contrived to her... the only reason she had continued was because she liked the personality of the main character.

But reading it again… wasn't it the same feeling she had today?

Was this possible? Could she be a victim of cupid's errant arrow?

Her father had put no restrictions on her future partner unlike the fathers of every second female scion she read about in her novels.

In his words. "The reason I made this company wasn't so I would be fettered by it but rather empowered by it."

But, though her young heart yearned for romance, she had found none outside her books.

The reason for this was self-evident.

None were worthy.

Her collection of medals, trophies and certificates could fill several shelves.

She had excellent genetics since birth and with the resources her father wielded, it was a simple matter to make up her deficiencies.

Why? Just recently, someone had sold off four whole agility stats to the grey market's genetic hospital, which was just what she had needed to reach a perfect 10 in all fields.

Like Gene Extraction, to a much lesser extent Gene Fusion also damaged the soul. So, she had to recuperate between each successive session.

Also, there were a lot of people with cash and genes of the desired types were quite scarce so she had been quite lucky to get her hands on those four agility genes.

She was currently recuperating from her operation and so, for the next few days, she wouldn't have to attend her dancing or MMA classes, leaving her with free time.

Also, she had been pre-evaluated and she was scheduled to join the Indian Institute of Eugenics, come fall.

With this string of qualifications, whenever she tried to look at the boys she knew through rose-tinted glasses, all she saw were disappointments.

Thus, she had gained a reputation of untouchability and being cold and proud.

But this cold and proud princess was perplexed today and the one who was the cause for this was one of the ugliest boys she had seen.

Taking out her phone, her fingers flew over the screen, typing out a query for the search engine.

The resulting answer was:

"Cacophilia, from (Greek. Cacos meaning bad or unpleasant), is the growing phenomenon observed specially among the upper class of society. It is the love or appreciation of all things ugly. Psychologists state that this inversion of aesthetics is a result of human predisposition to consider rare things precious.

"As gene transfer becomes common and the overall genetic scores keep rising due to several government policies encouraging people above the genetic median score of 25/50 to reproduce and discouraging those with scores below, the attractiveness index of the population rises in tandem.

"Cacophilia is a trend that has shown up in recent years with increasing frequency…"

Ananya stopped reading and put the phone away.

She stared blankly at the ceiling as she flopped down on her bed on her back.

The image of the boy flashed past in her mind and the only thought she could muster was:

'Inversion of aesthetics? Seriously?'

The Gene Era has begun. Mankind has taken their first steps on the Road to Perfection.

Aman was ready to sacrifice everything for his family and for that he suffered the ridicule of his peers and the betrayal of his lover.

At the lowest point of his life, in a shady alley, from the hands of a dying man, he received the key to the GENE Project.

Now, embroiled in events far larger than he could ever imagine, will our protagonist reach the end of the Road to Perfection? Or will he die mid-way? 

Read on to find out.

Discord:
https://discord.gg/hKZVwau
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/yesorno

"Welcome back! Brother Shu, you took so long!" Feng Shiyao's greeting to Shu Yidan was like a wife greeting her husband home after a late night.

"I am back… Yeah, some matters happened and it took a little more time." With the earlier comparison, Shu Yidan's greeting was like a man fresh from cheating on the wife with a secretary.

It was a small bedroom but it was Shu Yidan's bedroom. It was almost bare of decorations. A bed, a cupboard and some chairs and tables, all a similar shade of white.

On the bed, a little girl was soundly sleeping. Seeing Xiaoyi's content expression like a cat who was full, Shu Yidan was nonplussed.

"She gave you trouble?" Shu Yidan asked with a wry smile.
"Not at all…" Seeing Shu Yidan raise his eyebrows, Feng Shiyao hastily amended, "Actually, she challenged me, we sparred 8 times and… she only went to sleep after she won the 9th time…"

"Heh, I know it is shameful to lose to a peak Qi Refining cultivator… But don't forget, she is the Sect Master's disciple. Her bloodline descends from Sword Immortal Mountbatten, and the Sword Intent she inherited from him can chop through Dao Domains like butter…" Shu Yidan said with a smile. 'Anyway, it is good that you lost in 9 spars. This idiot beat a Nascent Soul to death by battling for 3 days and nights, it would be terrible to return to a spar…'

"Anyway, her ability to disregard ranks in cultivation during battle is too much, you don't need to worry. It is lucky for me that my 5-year long preparations for facing her were enough…" Shaking his head, Shu Yidan ended.

"Wait, you knew of her and had been preparing for that encounter?" Feng Shiyao said with a shocked expression. Suddenly, the matter of his 5-year seclusion made sense.

"I didn't exactly know of her. It was more of a… premonition. Every person has a gut-feeling of some sort, right? Sometimes they are true, sometimes they are false. The Sect Master was wandering the world so it wouldn't be surprising if he chanced on a good seed…" Shu Yidan licked his dry lips for a moment before returning, "And with the Sect Master's guidance, it would only be natural for that seed to be able to mature, perhaps having the ability to match me or surpass me. All sword cultivators are battle-focused and can leapfrog above their cultivation to some extent, after all."

"So you entered seclusion on a mere feeling? Well, that feeling was completely true, so I can't fault you…" Feng Shiyao spoke with a pout. She couldn't help but resent being shunned for half a decade.

"No, you absolutely can fault me. Because I kept away from you believing a premonition of my own as well." Shu Yidan's words turned Feng Shiyao's face pale. "Actually, all those years back when we first dual cultivated… I had the feeling that your body was seized by the Yin-Yang Conception Gate's Nascent Soul Sect Master."

"Well you certainly aren't a body being puppeted around by a Nascent Soul. I am sorry for my wrongful mistrust of you." Saying this, Shu Yidan kneeled before her and bowed.

"W-wait, get up! Don't kneel before me!" Feng Shiyao said in a panicked tone.
"I'll kneel until you forgive me!" Shu Yidan said with firm tone, and only when Feng Shiyao said those magic words did Shu Yidan raise himself.

"…You shouldn't kneel like that." Feng Shiyao said with a whispering voice.
"Eh, who is gonna tell on us? We are Dao Companions, after all. We aren't husband and wife like the mortal world, we are equals. Moreover, your cultivation is currently higher than mine!" Hearing Shu Yidan's reply, Feng Shiyao couldn't speak a word back.

"…That woman, she did place her Divine Sense within my body while implanting mental triggers. She certainly has plans of possessing me. Your premonition wasn't wrong…" Feng Shiyao spoke in a grim tone. 

"…Don't worry. I applied some seals on those mental triggers. They are dormant. Since they haven't dispersed, your Sect Master still doesn't have any idea we've figured out her tricks." Shu Yidan's reply brought a smile of relief from Feng Shiyao's tensed expression.

"And now that MY Sect Master has returned, her days aren't long. An Early Nascent Soul cultivator like her… well, a flick of the Sect Master's finger is enough to cripple her and Xiaoyi will beat on that crippled whore until she kicks the bucket. It isn't a major problem, not at all." Shu Yidan's reply brought a wan smile from Feng Shiyao.

"Heh, everything seems so easy now. Back then, the only option before my sight was to cultivate hard, cultivate until I could reach Nascent Soul and destroy that woman myself…" As if to dismiss the thought of this path of certain death she would have been forced to take, Feng Shiyao shook her head.

"If you want to cultivate to Nascent Soul yourself and kill her yourself, it isn't a bad idea either. You have a Dao Domain after all, and you can breakthrough easily with some pills. But don't forget, your cultivation was guided by her and she has certainly left some nasty surprises for you. For your safety and my peace of mind, I'll have to insist for you to switch your cultivation techniques." Shu Yidan's tone was earnest. "Since the Sect Master has returned, I'll see to it that you get the best techniques the Sect has, as fast as possible."

"…Well now, that's way too big of a favor. How can I even repay you?" The pout on Feng Shiyao's face became more enthralling.

"As I said, it is for my own peace of mind. Having a Dao Companion who is cultivating techniques which have been specifically taught to her by a person who intends to tear away her soul and seize her body is stressful for me too, you know?" Shu Yidan's expression was indifferent as always, but Feng Shiyao felt her heart beat faster.

"…Thanks." Feng Shiyao couldn't speak more. But something about the way which she looked at Shu Yidan, her gaze, seemed to change. 

Shu Yidan was a villainous cultivator of a xianxia world, not the abusive male lead of a romance world! He hadn't even read any romance-genre novels after his dog eyes were blinded by Fifty Shades of Grey!

However, he knew some information from forums! If this were a romance novel, Feng Shiyao would be the female lead who after many trials and tribulations, had finally managed to take the attention of the abusive male lead.
What the hell! He wasn't abusive at all and neither was his predecessor! Five years of cultivation seclusion was a short, short time! 

Shu Yidan hastily said, "…Yeah, but this isn't out of pure goodwill either. Having a Nascent Soul cultivator as a Dao Companion increases my influence… That's the level of an Elder, you know?" 

Feng Shiyao nodded, but her gaze didn't waver hearing it. It even seemed to grow stronger…

Bearing that gaze, Shu Yidan made a decision.
…Well, now that the female lead had been through one trial and gained the abusive male lead's attention, it was time to reaffirm that she had only gained his attention and not his heart…

"…Speaking of other things, the Sect Master told me to take a concubine for bearing my child." On hearing Shu Yidan's statement, Feng Shiyao's smile disappeared and her expression turned indifferent. 
"The reason why you cannot… well, you don't need me to explain, do you?"

(There is R-18 sexual content. A lot of it. All marked in chapter titles. So pay attention to chapter titles!)

"Cultivation resources? System I can handle it, this bro is a time traveller so I know all the mysteries of this world!"
"Seducing girls? System you don't need to interfere, I don't need a fucking walkthrough to chat girls up!"
"Stat boosts and cultivation techniques? System I don't need your help, this bro was a True Immortal in the past timeline!"

"Just give me missions! Nice, detailed missions! Missions that have a clear objective to fulfil! I don't even need any rewards for completion, I just need the ability to clearly know what I need to do... to kill those bastard protagonists that I am fated to oppose!"

+++

Time travelling back to the moment he transmigrated from Modern Earth into this mysterious world of cultivation with a System, Shu Yidan's journey began once again!

In this life, he will steadfastly protect all he lost!
In this life, he will bring his sect to the pinnacle!
In this life, he will accomplish many things, the chief of which being...

Killing the bastard who is this world's protagonist until he is deader than dead!!!

Before he can get his harem of women! Before he can get his sworn brothers! 
Before he can get his OP treasures, his peerless techniques and ancient Masters as his backing!

Because he has a System! 
A System that can scry into the fate of the world and give him missions that pinpoint exactly where this bastard is hiding, what this bastard is scheming and how to perfectly destroy this bastard's schemes!

All protagonists with a cheats and golden fingers, beware! The Master of the Villain System is coming!

+++

Former Story Title: Villainous Sect Master and the Endless Wave of Heroes

Image Artist: Trung Anh 
Royalty-free stock illustration ID: 295037765
Gemini - Zodiac - Illustration
Downloaded from Shutterstock, Stock Image Site

A slightly overcast look adorned the sky over Brixton, England. The sun struggled to display its illumination, causing the day to be slightly heated with no sunshine. A ray of light broke suddenly through the barricade of clouds, its light falling upon a small but elegant shop at the street corner.

The shop was made of red brick stones and had large display windows which revealed a good portion of the interior, rows of wooden shelves visible. A signboard written in beautiful cursive adorned the top of the shop: Orin Classics.

A matte black Rolls-Royce Cullinan slowly pulled up to the shop's front, it's bonnet headpiece coming in line with the parking meter on the sidewalk as the car came to a halt. The car engine idled for a while and went off. The front door opened and a handsome young man stepped out slowly. He was dressed in a grey, plaid, three-piece suit. A white scarf was wrapped around his neck and back brogue shoes adorned his feet. The man swept his gaze around, finally coming to a rest on the shop's entrance.

Taking measured steps, he approached the door and paused slightly before proceeding inwards. A chime placed above the door tinkled gently, in seeming resonance with the soft music playing from the hidden speakers in the store. The interior of the shop was simple yet elegant. Peaceful, yet poignant. Polished wooden shelves were arranged neatly, having the music disks displayed clearly and asymmetrically.

He stepped inside the store and paused to look around. The interior wasn't large; about the same size as an average classroom. The shelves were made of smooth carved oak wood, their joint sections indiscernible, causing the shelves to look like they were carved from a single entity. Each was painted a different, subtle colour. They were arranged in accordance with the darkening shades as well as the progression of the music records that were stored on their shelves. Shelves containing the same genre were arranged in small semicircles with small signs hanging down from the ceiling to their centre.

Cream and burgundy coloured marble floor supported the shelves, their colours mixing to give a soothing atmosphere. Soft music played in the background, the speakers producing them hidden from sight. The cashier's desk was to the left of the store, quaint yet elegant, made of the same wood as the shelves. A young woman wearing a uniform of white and black sat at the desk, typing away at a computer.

She looked up when the young man walked in and smiled. "Welcome to Orin Classics. How may I be of service to you, esteemed customer?".

The young man said nothing for a while, his eyes roaming the store. They finally came to rest on the clerk and his lips formed a warm smile in response to hers. He slowly approached the desk.

"I made an order one week ago for the original rendition of Ode to Joy under the name of Mark Murdoch. I wonder if it's available? I was informed that I could make inquiries regarding it from today", he said on getting to the front of the desk.

"Please wait a moment while I confirm the order", she said, her eyes returning to the computer screen to do just that.

The young man leaned on the desk and allowed his eyes to once more roam around the store, stopping on a shelf with the sign, 'R&B' hanging over. He curiously observed it but was interrupted by a hum from the clerk. He turned around to see her frowning at her computer screen.

"Is there anything wrong with the order?", he asked, speaking for the first time. His eyebrows furrowed into faint black lines.

"I can't seem to find your order, sir", she replied, lifting her eyes from the screen to meet his.

"That's too bad. I was hoping it would be around early. I'll come back later then". He seemed relieved. It turned out to be only a delay. He turned around to go.

"That's not what I meant, sir. I mean I can't find the order at all. It was never placed".

The man's footsteps stopped and he turned around. "Not placed? Are you serious?". She nodded.

He didn't speak for a while. "This issue may have come from your manager. I placed the order with him directly and he informed that he'd assign one of the store attendants to work on it. Is he available?".

The clerk looked slightly relieved. This kind of case was common. The manager had many friends who were music enthusiasts and often helped them to acquire some records. They were never recorded in the store's database but were instead given to one of the three attendants who worked at the store.

"Please go through that door and wait for a while. He will be with you shortly", she said while gesturing at a heavy wooden door at the back of the store. The young man thanked her and proceeded through.

As he closed the door behind him, the music in the store and the noise from the street outside were cut off: this was a soundproof room. The floor, ceiling and walls were all covered with white tiles. The interior wasn't large; about the same size as an average walk-in closet. All that was within the room was a desk-size metal box and a metal chair. The young man swept his eyes across the room then walked over to the desk and sat down. 

Placing both his palms on the desk, a soft beep was heard from it and a screen soundlessly rose from the centre. The man gazed at the screen and said, "Alpha". The screen then lit up. Alpha was logged in.

Slightly stretching his shoulders, he waited as the screen went through its various checks to boot up and connect with its main server. Getting confirmation was always a rather tiring experience; from the parking of the car to the seating at the desk, all had to follow a system and be within measured variables, even his number of steps, the distance between them and his dressing were taken into consideration. 

The computer employed an algorithm that randomly used the search questions of people on certain search engines to decide the change of confirmation procedures, the procedures themselves and the next search engine to use for the whole process again. It enabled those possibly monitoring the store to lack the pattern they would seek to find. Even the clerks were kept in the dark to avoid any mishaps.

Alpha turned to the screen that had fully booted up. His previous assignment had been logged and its completion confirmed. The money was wired to his untraceable account. A new mission was already set up for his acceptance. He accepted. This was why he was created. Why the machine was made.

Leaving the room, he nodded and smiled at the cashier, indicating that he had been "settled". Alpha then left the store, got in his car and drove off, peeling off his disguise as he went. His plans following were simple: eat, train, review the target and materials needed, sleep. The same as always.

Alpha has known only one thing in life since birth: Murder. He was raised as an ultimate killing machine, entirely devoid of what was known as emotions and completing all challenges, no matter the difficulty. But a new foe has risen, a new battle is brought forth and Alpha will find himself drawn into a conspiracy so bloody, it'll leave the world questioning humanity. Join Alpha on his quest to return all to his normal life of paid assassinations and discovery of his long lost human self with some very unlikely allies

E L James Grey After twenty-five years working in TV, E L James decided to pursue her childhood dream, and set out to write stories that readers would fall in love with. The result was the sensuous romance Fifty Shades of Grey and its two sequels, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, a trilogy that went on to sell more than 125 million copies worldwide in 52 languages. In 2012 E T James was named one of Barbara Walters's "Ten Most Fascinating People of the Year," one of Time magazine's "Most Influential People in the World," and Publishers Weekly's "Person of the Year." Fifty Shades of Grey stayed on the New York Times Best Seller List for 133 consecutive weeks, and in 2015 the film adaptation —on which James worked as producer —broke box-office records all over the world for Universal Pictures. E L James lives in West London with her husband, the novelist and screenwriter Niall Leonard, and their two sons. She continues to write novels while acting as producer on the upcoming movie versions of Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed.

I was taken to a large, newly built stone mansion. Inside, a few Lizards already awaited us. They were dressed in elegant robes, and had a scholarly mood. Moreover, they were similar to Jora. Their royal blood was not as pure compared to him, but I could see some hints of golden streaks across their skins. One of the Lizards speed forward, and welcomed. "Welcome to our newly built library. Follow us, we will take you to a more private place, where you can view the books". I nodded, and followed them, Jora also joined us, and walked next to me.

They had loads of books, but not as many as Voltars had. We entered a room inside the library, where the leading scholarly Lizards said. "You asked for the period where they Greys were banished, right? Have a seat, and we will bring you everything we have on that".

I nodded and took a seat. Jora sat next to me, then asked "What exactly is that relic?". I made up some lies on the spot, "There are supposedly a few of them, and they reach antiquity. Those weapons are supposedly so powerful, one could overwhelm an army with their use". He thought about it before replying, "I never heard of such things. I'm not well versed with the history, but don't you think those relics are just fairytale?".

I said with a smile, "That's precisely what I'm trying to find out". A while later, the three scholarly Lizards returned, and each of them was carrying a few books. Altogether, there were nine of them. They placed the books in front of me, then the leading scholar said. "Those are the records from that period. I read them myself in the past, but found nothing about relics". I grabbed the first book, and read it. The book described how Grey and Royal Lizards worked together, but then mentioned some sort of betrayal on Grey Lizards' part.

The record wasn't detailed, but from what I gathered, the Grey Lizards overstepped their qualifications. Not much else was mentioned, but that's what supposedly warranted their banishment. It mentioned how the Royal Lizards were benevolent, and took all their previous work under consideration. Hence the Royal Lizards didn't kill them, but let them leave. I found it a bit fishy, that was when I recalled something. 'The history is written by the winners' I thought. 

The Royal Lizards might've simply wrote betrayal, but the book didn't even detail what betrayal it was. Only some vague notion of overstepping their qualifications. This could mean anything really. The cooperation between both factions was also vague. Supposedly, the Grey Lizards were responsible for Formations that helped improve water quality. How they overstepped those qualifications, was a mystery to me.

I placed the book down, and said to the leading scholar. "I don't get it. The book mentioned that Grey Lizards betrayed you guys, but it doesn't mention anything about it. So what happened?". All of them narrowed their eyes, and I could feel that question was out of place for them. I smiled, "No need to be so stressed. I was only curious. Anyway, this book doesn't have anything on relics, I will check the other ones".

I grabbed the second book, and read it. That book described a period after the Grey Lizards left. Supposedly, their race thrived without the Grey Lizards, and they established more cities and villages around the Obsidian Mountains. The weird thing was, they hardly mentioned any resources with which that was accomplished. They did mention Atols, and how they helped them craft some of those new settlements. The book talked about two new cities, and three villages. Coincidentally, that was the same amount they had currently. Yet, Atols only built one city, and two villages for them. The rest was supposedly built by Lizards alone. 

'Hmm, I don't doubt Lizards could create a city, after all Arangard was made by them. I feel like something is off here, like this is not the truth' I thought, and placed the book down. I looked at the scholars. I didn't want to arouse more suspicions with my question, therefore I decided to ask none about that book. Instead I said, "This book details construction of new cities and villages. It does cover a longer period of time, but has no information on other locations. Is there anything else before the Grey Lizards left?". 

The leading scholar took one of the books from the stack, and handed it to me. He asked, "Why do you concern yourself so much with Grey Lizards?". I replied, "It was during that time those relics were lost, or rather seen. From the records I got, it was around that time period. I'm looking for mentions of locations, or strange events in overall. This could help me locate those relics". An obvious lie, but I said it so confidently, they could find no faults with my statement.  

I grabbed the book he handed to me, and read it. The book indeed described a period before the Grey Lizards left, but it focused on relationship with Shades. At first they were hostile, actually everything was hostile in the North. Those races did everything to protect themselves, and their territories. 

Although small conflicts arose here and there, it was never bad enough to warrant a war. The book described a deal that Shades made with Lizards. Because Shades lacked knowledge of Formations, the Grey Lizards were supposed to help them out. The book didn't mention with what exactly. While the Shades offered information on other races. That wasn't all. They proposed an alliance, which lasted till that day, as well as a few other things like resources. 

'My guess would be, Shades needed water. The Grey Lizards were sent to help them out' I thought. That seemed like the most logical conclusion. The records were always all over the place. Voltars might had sorted their records properly, but they simply didn't allow me to view them. How much truth was in those records, no one really knew anymore. 

I placed the book down, and shook my head. The leading scholar said, "If you are looking for books that describe more locations during that period, I'm afraid we might only have one or two more. The books you see here, will mostly not describe that". I asked him to bring those two books, but he refused. "Only the Royals have access to those books. Even me or Jora aren't authorised to take them out". This made me wonder what those books contained. Truth perhaps?

I told them that I found nothing new. The scholarly Lizard said, "I read loads of books here, but I never heard of such relics. Where did you find such information?". I thought about it, but in reality I was making some more lies. When I got an idea, I asked him. "Do you know who Bramans were?". He thought about it, but shook his head in the end. I continued, "It was a race that lived in antiquity. Humans waged a war against them, and won. Bramans no longer exist, but they were originally living here in the North".

He asked shocked, "I'm aware that Humans fought a war, before we made home here at Obsidian Mountains, but I wasn't aware how that other race was called. Where did you get that history?". I continued, "Partially from Voltars, and some from other sources. Unfortunately, there is nothing in those books that can help me locate them. I will have to search in a few other places". 

Jora said, "Maybe you are simply chasing something that never existed? This happened so many years ago". I came up with another lie. "Remember when Vanauts were digging for something? What if they were digging because of those relics?". This was such an absurd lie, I wouldn't believe it myself. They were obviously digging toward those cities, not looking for any relics that I just made up. 

But for some reason, they bought it without a second thought. The scholarly Lizard said, "That is entirely possible. Eterians might know about those relics too, and they are searching for them". Jora jumped in as well, "Do you need help locating those things? We can send a few group, if we have an approximate locations". I was stunned by their immediate change, and willingness to help. 'They really want to get their hands on those non existent relics' I thought.

I had no location for them to search, but I could make one up. I said, "I might have something in mind, but I'm not sure. If you don't mind sending a few people, then that is alright". He asked me for the location, quite excitedly I might add. I told them, "Don't get excited. Do not send too many people. For one, we don't want this to look suspicious. The other reason is, you might be wasting resources. I have a location in mind, but I'm not sure about it at all. Treat it as a guess".

They urged me to tell them the location, so I did. "I think the area where Dead Forest was, might have some clues about those relics. Again, send only a few people. If they find something, that will be great". Jora stood up while replying, "I will send a few people there to check the area. If you find anything else, be sure to share it with us". He then left, while I returned the books to the scholarly Lizards. I left Arangard soon after, and headed to Olrad.

** 
The book is completed. The 1st volume (e-book) is available for my patreons or through amazon! 
https://www.patreon.com/darkrayauthor 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086PY3HYV 
**
Have you ever considered, what is a Limit? Well, I have. I’ve seen people who were as strong, as wild animals. Those that were faster than the wind. Some that shined with intellect. Yet, what are the Limits of mankind’s strength, or intelligence? 

No one seems to know. We develop more and more, seemingly without an end. What if, someone was the smartest in the world? Would that suggest the Limit? What if, someone was the strongest in the world? Would that be the Limit? Would that make that someone, more than a Human? These are just questions, but what if I saw people reach their Limits? What if I know what happens, when you break the Limits? What if I were to tell you about it, would you believe me? 
-------------------------------------------------- 
My other novel, I'm Anna: 
https://www.webnovel.com/book/13714177505936205/I'm-Anna
Discord: https://discord.gg/BaxBX3f

Holding the soul up to the air, Airow gently squeezed it, popping it open and releasing the soul essence of the man.  Saying a soft prayer, he watched as the light dissipated and faded away.
"If only I wasn't tainted," murmured Grey, sadly.  She had been overcome with fear that should she touch the soul, being tainted, she would be tempted to absorb the essence, instead of releasing it.
"You shall be free of taint again."
"I wouldn't mind absorbing it," said Guit, wiping the drool from his chin.
Frowning, Airow said, "And that is why you are a demon, still."
"I am a demon, and you are an angel.  We are different.  Shall we fight over it?" asked Guit.
"No," said Grey.  "We have a truce for now.  These shades are stealing souls from the people.  We need to stop them."
"Especially if they are giving the souls to the elder demon," said Argen.
"Why was it eating the body?" asked Airow, looking down on the remains, sadly.
"They need to eat something, if the elder demon isn't letting them eat the souls.  Humans contain spirits when they die.  It's harder for some demons to wait for the spirits to leave the body, than others," explained Guit, sniffing at the remains.
"Rest, friend," said Airow, waving his hand and causing the body to fade into dust.  Several motes rose from the spot where the body had lain.  They resembled the soul, but were smaller, and while the soul was almost white, these were other colors.
Guit caught his breath in his throat, as he watched them raise up a ways, then float off in different directions.
"I've never seen some of those colors, before," he whispered, in awe.
"That's because you aren't a full demon yet, the spirits formed from good virtues can't be seen by demons," explained Argen, watching the spirits float away.
"What happens to these spirits?" asked Grey.
"Demons hunt them and eat them.  They don't give as much power increase as a soul does, but in hell, where there isn't much to eat, they'll keep you alive," said Guit.  "But if demons can't see the virtue spirits, they don't get eaten, I guess."
"They will eventually become young angels," said Argen.  "Angels don't eat spirits.  That would make them fall."
"Does that mean sin spirits will eventually become demons?" asked Grey.
"I don't know, they don't normally last long enough to find out," said Guit.  
Sure enough, as they watched the spirits, they faded from view, as they went to where ever they were destined to go.
"That must be another reason angels are discouraged from staying down here so long, we learn all sorts of new things," said Grey.
"We need to deal with these shades, but if we try to hunt them during the day, the people will see us.  They fear the angels enough, without them seeing us attacking demons within the city.  I believe we should wait until dark to hunt them without fear of being spotted by the people."
"That's a good idea, Airow.  Let's go back to the inn and rest up in preparation for the hunt tonight," said Grey, turning to leave.
"Why are we hunting these things again?" asked Guit.
"So, the elder demon doesn't get stronger before we are ready to fight it," said Airow.
"That's a good reason."
They headed back to the inn, having to step over the people who had settled down to sleep off the food coma's they found themselves in, in the middle of the roads.  As much as it pleased Grey to see the starving people finally fed, she felt sick about where they got the food.  As she walked, she thought about that more and more, so much so, that when they got back to the inn, which was empty at the moment, she took a seat at a table in the back and the others joined her.
"Where do you think the elder demon got all of that food?" she asked.
"Probably from the surrounding villages," said Airow.
"We've already established that was what he was doing," said Guit, taking his mug of ale from Bob gleefully, as he brought over four mugs for them.
"Have an interesting day?" asked Bob.
"I'm sure you already know the answer to that," said Airow, taking his and sniffing it, to find that it was actually plain water.
"I was wondering how you took to Juggler?" he asked.
"Juggler?" asked Grey.  "Do you mean that the elder demon is called Juggler?"
"He is," said Bob with a chuckle.  "Some say that he is really good at juggling a lot of things, all at once."
"Why do I not feel as if you are talking about balls?" asked Grey, taking a sip of her mug.  It was juice of some kind, not ale.
"Because I'm not.  Be sure that whatever steps you plan to take, don't bounce back to hit you later," said Bob, moving away to wipe down a table that looked clean.
"If we head out to hunt these shades tonight, as one group, it will be easy for Juggler to know where we are.  He will sense the demons dying and send someone to stop us," said Argen, drinking from his mug, then wiping the foam off his face with a napkin.
"Then we'll have to split up," said Grey.
"I will not allow you to hunt these things alone," said Airow.
"Fine, then we will split into two groups.  We'll move out just after dusk, once we can't be seen flying about, and meet up on Bob's roof before dawn.  Hopefully, it won't take that long, but we need to be back in before the sun rises and we are spotted."
Everyone agreed to her plan, and they headed up to their room to sleep until later in the day.
That night, as they prepared to head out, Grey realized, traveling with Airow was going to make hunting these things incredibly easy.  He could shoot them with his arrows, leaving her as nothing more than a tag along.  She felt better, once they started hunting them, when she realized she could see them in the shadows, easier than he could, despite his ability to sense evil.  With so many people in the city, his detect evil was having a harder time than normal.
Guit and Argen headed out, in the opposite direction, to compass the other side of the city, from the angels.  Guit didn't feel like a tag along, he had that role down pat.  In fact, Argen did most of the killing, using his shadow magic to form spikes that killed the demons quickly and silently, often before they even knew they were nearby.  By dawn, Argen was exhausted, and ready for bed.  Killing took so much effort.

Stasia(Grey), led a squadron of angelic warriors, until they came up against a demon battalion that was more than they bargained for.  She fell that day.  Events will transpire to make her doubt everything she knew.  With the aid of Airow, she has to fight to gain back what she has lost.  However, what they find may change everything.

Humans had limitless anticipation towards the future following the first revolution in the nineteenth century. With the scientific renaissance, it was the first time mankind saw the world in earnest free from the simplicity of common barbarians. To borrow an analogy, science was like the glasses that allowed mankind to appreciate the world in all its possibilities.
Science was the key to get into that limitless world. No one knew where the limit of science would lie or if there was even one…
Under such a situation, sci-fi became a common genre, and there were multiple predictions of the future. Some became a reality, others didn't, while the rest remained in the twilight area between the two. One such technology was artificial intelligence.
Be it the famous Frankenstein or the AI robots portrayed in famous sci-fi movies, artificial intelligence was something unreal at least in 21st century Earth. Mankind still couldn’t create a new lifeform from nothing; the most they could do was to edit lifeforms via genetic engineering.
Similarly, mankind could create electrical lifeforms using electrical messages of 0s and 1s. There might've been be supposed AI software, but those at the end of the day were programmed software and not sentient AI.
Many related researchers had pointed out that unless computer programming was completely changed, moving away from the restriction of 0s and 1s, there would never be an actual AI. Similarly, some pointed out that when the AI appeared, mankind would most likely have entered the real 4th revolution.
Of course, these people had guessed wrongly, but the catalyst that propelled mankind into the 4th revolution wasn’t AI but a series of technical innovations brought upon by super magnetism. However, they weren’t completely wrong, because AI did take up a huge portion of the 4th revolution. It was even relevant until the peak of the 4th revolution and even early 5th revolution.
Wang Da Bing’s team was one of the many teams focusing on electronics research. Currently, all of the electronics experts were separated into multiple groups according to their own languages or races, but their aim was the same, which was to break down the barrier going into first level AI, allowing the Hope to really master the complexities of first level AI.
The name Wang Da Bing sounded incredibly pedestrian. It conjured up the image of a block of a middle-aged man, like a butcher or farmer from ancient China.
In reality, Da Bing was a quiet, middle-aged man, but with the genetic mesomeric technology, he had the appearance of a 26-year-old man. He had on a pair of glass, making him look like your quintessential intellectual teen, completely opposite from the image his name conjured.
Those that knew Da Bing knew the fiery character that hid under the quiet exterior. To be precise, he was an incredibly impetuous fella that allowed for not one bit of muddling. As a team leader, he had butted heads with his members many times. If not for the fact that his skill was one of the best in the world of electronics and all the members were ex Country Z citizens that were reluctant to join other groups, this team would have been dissolved a long time ago.
Da Bing didn’t think much of it. He was born an extremist, and his understanding had always been that there was no supposed humanity in the pursuit of knowledge. They might have been friends outside of the lab, but in terms of research, he was brutal and domineering. Right is right and wrong is wrong, there were no shades of grey in science.
This personality made life quite difficult for him back on Earth. He might have had high education and great skills, but due to his stubborn personality, he was always the target of managerial bullying. Furthermore, he didn’t enjoy a good professional relationship. He was always the target of gossip and slander, but he wasn’t at all affected by them. He was reluctant to change, because that was who he was.
On the Hope, due to the restructuring of the government, it was the start of something new, so there was no time for managerial suppression. Even if there was, it was barely noticeable. This was because the Hope was really a meritocracy. If you had the capability, then your position would be high.
Da Bing was the leading man in the understanding of AI. His power was even larger than the team leaders of other groups mainly because he had the ability to back it up.
This afternoon, Da Bing was still slaving away at his own lab. Actually, other than his team, other teams were also working overtime. His team, due to the aversion of spending more time with Da Bing, gave all sorts of reasons to leave on time. As this happened again and again, Da Bing, although furious, stopped caring about the bunch of idiots and decided to rely on himself. He worked overtime until midnight every day.
However, AI research was not something resolvable alone. In truth, after science entered the 21st century or 3rd revolution, science was no longer something that could be broken through by a solitary genius. It was a group effort, which was why there was the creation of study groups to begin with.
With the advancement in science, this situation was even more common. Other than Whisperers, who could see the problem from all the angles using the Homo Evolutis power and thus compensating for the lack of a group, every single professor also needed cooperation from others to arrive at any breakthroughs.
Da Bing was impetuous, proud, and stubborn. If his team members refused to work with him, then he was not going to waste time convincing them otherwise. He was going to rely on himself to create the application of first level AI, or quantum programming.
"Bunch of idiots. Human relationships are definitely not important in science! The fact that there are so many groups ensures that there is a competition to cross the finish line first. After all, this is the creation of first level AI, something that will ensure the creator’s name be listed in human history. The bunch of idiots fail to see what’s at stake. Being in a team with them is a humiliation to me! Never mind, I will work on this alone and complete it! That will annoy them to no end."
However, thinking and doing were two different things. Da Bing was talented in the field of electronics, but he was still a distance away from being called a genius. His progress was pitiable. To be honest, his team’s progress was lagging far behind other teams. Da Bing was anxious, but he had no solution. At that moment, his eyes were bloodied because god knows how long it had been since he had a good night's sleep.
"Here, this program here, if we can hack through this limitation…"
Da Bing was trying his best to hack through the space merchants’ quantum lock. This was the basics of AI. AI could no longer be produced by simple 0s and 1s, only more complex quantum programming. Quantum programming was something completely different from 0s and 1s, like the difference between nuclear energy and combustible energy. Da Bing tried his best to work through it, but there was little to no progress.
A f ew minutes later, he was faced with another failure. Da Bing almost screamed out of frustration; however, his rationality stopped him from lashing out. He started anew, but he was cursing the bunch of idiots internally.
"Actually, you’re right, the world is filled with idiots, idiots that will amount to nothing. The people that can lead mankind into a bright future is a small collection of brilliant individuals. It’s sad that you’re not a Whisperer, or this problem wouldn’t have stopped you."
Suddenly, a female voice rang out in Da Bing’s ears. He shivered all over as he turned back to look. There was nothing there. He yelled out, "Who’s there?"
"I’m not physically here, so there’s no need to turn around. Back to the issue at hand. You really think an individual genius is better than a group of idiots, right?" the female voice asked again.
Da Bing looked around but saw nothing. He shrugged and answered, "That’s right! Science is science, and truth is truth. If we add human emotions into it, what will it become? Human rules? Boring. In any case, I will not do something like that. Even if I have to do it alone, I will design this AI…"
"You alone? I’m afraid that’s not possible… How about I sign a contract with you. In the future, when mankind reaches the crossroads of picking whether leadership by a small group of elite individuals is better than a majority of commoners, I hope you don’t forget what you said today…"
This confused Da Bing. When he was about to ask more questions, his vision faded and he collapsed…
In his coma, he was in an empty space. It was dark, lonely, and solitary, and the only things of note were the dots of light and fireballs of differing sizes around him. At the far off space was a fireball as large as the sun, and him…
He was standing in front of something that felt and looked like a black hole, and his own twinkle of light was slowing changing into a small fireball.


Endless sky and infinite space, the cosmos isn’t some paradise waiting to be found, it is full of darkness and danger, death and terror of the great unknown. However, for that glittering swath of blue, we have no fear! For the longevity of men, we have no regrets! Nothing shall stand in our way because it is finally our time, our age! The age of cosmos exploration! 


"I slept in the flight which delayed the reaction and after waking up it started but I could not immediately take the dosage as others would be worried and when it was already visible I could not find the medication and here I'm in the hospital making all of you worry about me. I sincerely apologize for it" Natalia Lu said in a calm and sincere tone.

"You remind me of my older sister" De Xing said in a warm tone with conflicted emotions, he smiled at Natalia Lu. De Xing casually shrugged it off but Lu Bai then noticed that the way she behaved was somewhat similar to that of his but it cannot it be the basis as many might have the same behaviour due to similar family situations. 

He sighed at the his thought of her being his daughter, 'even though she had the same surname as his her name is not what De Xi said and even if it was her other name she would for sure would have revealed it till now and she is with exchange students of eleven years old but Little princess is of seven right now' Lu Bai sighed once again and then followed De Xing and Natalia Lu out of the room.

They exited the ER and found the car waiting for them in front of the entrance, the Chauffeur came out and greeted them as he opened the door for them to enter. Lu Bai helped Natalia Lu inside the car and got inside as well, De Xing entered the gunshot seat after Natalia Lu and Lu Bai settled he motioned the chauffeur to start.

All along the way Natalia Lu was enjoying the scenery outside, it was wonderful indeed, when they passed through a street market Natalia Lu was mesmerized at how busy a street can be at the night. "Is it first time for you to see something like this" Lu Bai asked when he noticed how her eyes sparkled at the sight of street market.

Natalia Lu was startled by Lu Bai's question, she looked at Lu Bai and nodded, "In Paris it is busy at night, the streets are indeed full of tourists but not this lively, we cannot find such shops in Paris and so many colours will be even harder to find at such a time in the year. Everyone over there is either in black or grey overcoats minding their own businesses" Natalia Lu said this and chuckled softly at a memory of her Uncle Chang.

"What happened" Lu Bai asked in a curious tone, "I just remembered a memory of one of my Uncles. When I was around four he worried that I might not recognize shades other than white, black or grey" Natalia Lu once again giggled at the end. "Why was that" Lu Bai questioned in an amused voice, he smiled as well, as if her smile was contagious.

"Our house was completely decorated with black and white shades as my mother and my other uncle who is brother to the uncle who worried that I might not recognize other colours, liked these two shades the most and so my room which was decorated by them only consisted these two shades and hence he stated that statement and changed the whole interior once again" Natalia Lu giggled as she completed her sentence.

Lu Bai chuckled as well at what Natalia Lu said; De Xing and the chauffeur who heard his giggles were shell shocked. The chauffeur almost lost control of the steering wheel, De Xing only sighed softly 'it is been quite some while since Lu Bai talked to kids like this and laughed along with their jokes and memories', yes Lu Bai chuckling is equal to that of laughing.

De Xi who is a internationally recognized lady not just in single field but in enumerated fields. She is a dream woman for all the men not only inside the nation but also outside the nation as well.

But destiny already bounded her in the relationship called marriage and is also gifted with two beautiful and charming children, but this beauty also has a problem no human would want to have...

Lu Bai who is a world renowned business tycoon and is feared by all, his business empire among the top businesses around the world. He had no hope in love, until he met the with the woman he was bethroned to. Unaware to him he fell head over heels for her.

But fate played in their blooming love and threw them to different corners of the world. Even though they stayed apart, their family always supported them...

In their journey of love and hate, what will happen ? will love win over hate or the converse, let's join their journey of love, hate and family to learn what happens next?
###############

Updates: Two Chapters per day...
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This is My First Book, so show support with your comments, Thank You :):):)

50 shades of grey genre

50 shades of red

50 shades of color

GENE Project: Path to Perfection

Killing Xianxia Protagonists With An AI System In Another World!

Codename: Alpha

grey as told by Christian grey

Limits

Angelic Apocalypse

Age of Cosmic Exploration

LUCKY STAR - MY LIFE

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