Later that night, I stood in the middle of a clearing in pitch blackness. An owl hooted, and I rubbed my hands together. How did I get myself into these situations? I suppose, in the end, I just didn't want to be the one left out. It started out so simple and everything just kept spiraling out of control.

"Psst…" I looked around, not quite sure where the voice came from. "I'm over here."

I looked up in a tree. Andrew stood on one of the branches, seemingly without effort. He wore a tight white shirt that seemed to almost glow with light in the darkness. It outlined his pectorals and abs quite nicely if I do say so myself. Why did he keep having to wear tight shirts that showed off his abs? Well, at least it was better than being naked. Or was it? I considered the thought briefly before discarding it. Those were thoughts for my alone time.

"Will you be okay? You don't have to do this if you don't want," Andrew offered.

"Will you stop fraternizing with the bait?" Rune snapped. His voice came from a bush on ground level.

"Hey, you're supposed to be keeping watch, making sure that whatever this is doesn't come up on us without warning!" Andrew replied back.

"If you would both please be quiet, then this plan has a chance of coming to fruition. I apologize, but it won't work if you two don't play your parts," a whisper came from a farther distance away.

Andrew blushed with embarrassment, then leaped onto another branch and climbed away. How was he able to keep his balance like that? He was like a spider monkey. I was expecting him to throw poo next.

"Jane… if you don't want to do this, we don't…" Rune's voice stopped for a second, "What I'm saying is we just want you to be safe, and I don't like using you as bait."

"It's fine Rune," I responded, "But thanks."

However, when he turned to walk away, my emotions were turbulent. What exactly had I agreed to do tonight? I was beginning to think my own curiosity was going to get me killed. At least for tonight, I had three boys here to protect me. One of them couldn't die and the others had their own secrets. Still, what brought me to this point? Oh yes…

"What were you two doing in the closet together?" Andrew tried to keep a cool face as the pair of us pushed through the door and separated.

The pair of them had just seen us in the closet together and I was at a complete loss for what to say. Rune looked a tad angry today. I supposed he had reasons to feel that way after I had tasered him.

"We need to get to class or we'll be late," I tried to explain.

"I think we all need to have a sit down right about now," Rune chided.

Stephan sighed. "Alright, we all have lunch together; let's meet in the art room at lunch. It's empty at that time."

The three of them gave a nod to each other before breaking away. Well, I guess I wasn't going to be consulted on this big private meeting. I don't know why it bugged me so much. We should probably talk things out and the art room would be a good place to meet. Still, it felt almost like I was in a big tug-of-war. Maybe I should bring the taser to the art room. They could all use a little lesson in how to treat a lady.

Lunch came quickly, and I managed to duck out before a shocked Samantha could grab me and subject me to another series of obnoxious questions. I went up to the art room and, surprisingly, all three boys were already there. Andrew and Rune shot angry looks at each other, which was nothing new. However, Andrew seemed to throw a few angry looks at Stephan as well. Rune seemed cautious but indifferent towards Stephan, while Stephan remained politely neutral to the pair of them.

"What did I miss?" I asked, joining the three of them.

"Your friend was just telling us about his little condition," Andrew said, his voice sounding cold, even for him.

"I don't really care one way or the other. He explained himself; we can move on. I'd rather have you tell me why I woke up smothered in cross markings and shaving cream. I still have a pounding headache and a twitch," Rune demanded.

"He's an abomination," Andrew responded vehemently, ignoring Rune.

"Who isn't an abomination to your kind?" Rune snapped back.

I pricked my ears at that, but the pair must have noticed and descended into dark stares instead. Well, it was too much to hope for that I'd hear more.

"Well I don't know about being an abomination," Stephan offered to try to fill the stressful silence, "but I try to use my second life for good. Stopping people that mean harm and the like."

Andrew threw up his hands, shaking his head in irritation.

"Well, I do want to apologize to you, Rune," I spoke up. "I accidentally knocked you unconscious and we sort of fell down some stairs. I left you with Andrew. I don't know what you mean by cross marks and shaving cream."

Rune suddenly turned darkly to Andrew, who started to smirk despite himself.

"Hey, don't look at me," Andrew chuckled, "She's the one who tasered you."

Rune looked back at me. "You…tasered me?"

"I'm sorry! You grabbed me…and I was scared."

"I was just seeing if you were alright!" Rune defended.

"That might have been my fault," Stephan raised his hand calmly. "I might have freaked her out a bit. She found me in pretty bad shape last night."

"Well isn't that just perfect." Rune leaned back. "You scared her within an inch of her life and she rewards you with seven minutes in heaven and she hit me with a taser."

"Rune, that's not what happened," I defended vehemently.

What's seven minutes in heaven?

Stephan seemed to blush a bit and Andrew was a little more irritated. Maybe it wasn't something good. I'd have to ask Samantha later. I checked my twitter feed. Samantha's latest post was 'Jane's getting it on with Stephan in the second-floor closet, reward if you get pictures'. Well, now I knew how Rune and Andrew found me. Samantha, that snake. It looked like I needed to add another to the taser list.

"Please guys, none of this would have happened if it weren't for the creature that got me. I may or may not be an abomination, but this creature thought nothing of ripping me in half and I've been tracking it for months. It's the most active during the full moon, which is tonight. It's been kidnapping people; killing animals; scaring townsfolk. If there is something you want to focus your aggression on, that would be it."

Andrew seemed to think about it for a moment. "If this is as dangerous as you claim, then I'll be willing to help you stop it."

"Well there is no way I'm letting you have all the fun. I'll catch this thing before either of you can blink," Rune spoke up, sounding surprisingly chipper compared to moments before.

"I appreciate your willingness to help." Stephan nodded. "but the person whose help I really need is Jane's."

"Why Jane?" Rune asked at the same time Andrew said, "Absolutely not."

Stephan looked at each of them, then me, before speaking. "The creature seems to be attracted to women more than men. I don't know why, but in order to have any chance of catching it before someone else goes missing, I'm going to need some bait."

I shuddered as a particularly cold breeze struck me. Before I knew it, I was in the middle of the forest, waiting for some creature to attack me so they could trap it. It really was ridiculous when you thought about it. A sudden large howl came out from the darkness not too far away.

"It's near!" whispered Stephan.

The three men converged in the direction of the howl, leaving me to nothing but my thoughts. I didn't even know what to think. I didn't know if I was excited, frightened, or what. Perhaps I was an adrenaline junky. Maybe that's what coming out here in the middle of the night to my favorite park was; just my way of getting my next buzz. Maybe there was something seriously wrong with me. Like 50 Shades of Grey wrong with me.

A growling sound came from the direction the three boys had run. I turned in that direction, but I could make nothing out in the darkness.

"Stephan? Andrew? Rune?" I called out.

There was no response. The growling grew louder and closer. Oh no! Whatever it was had gotten past them. I backed up several steps. I kept backing up until I backed right into a tree. When the growling ceased, I let out a sigh of relief. Well, at least there was nothing in front of me to be concerned about. I took in a deep breath. The forest smelled great, like maple leaves. The tree was also quite comfortable. It was warm and cozy; hard yet soft at the same time, it's rhythmic breathing giving me something I could fall asleep to.

Wait… trees don't… The hands grabbed me and I tried to let out a scream, but it was too late. A hand was around my mouth and I was pulled out of the small clearing. My face was covered with the massive hand, making it difficult to see anything, but it was clear that I was being carried somewhere. The enormous monster that was carrying me seemed to run with a steady rhythm, his deep breaths forming a mist in the air. I just couldn't get a good look at his face.

Demons, werewolves, and vampires, oh my! One fateful night, Jane finds out the hottest boy at school is a being with supernatural abilities and Jane’s life will never be the same. Hawtness, a nickname for the ten hottest boys at Fairmont High, each have a deadly supernatural secret more ludicrous than the last. As Jane stumbles into a supernatural world she wasn’t prepared for, she stops wondering which hot guy she should date, and starts wondering how she can make it through high school alive!

Hesla and Stardragon belonged to the same continent. The more liberal culture on Hesla was perhaps due to the hot and humid climate. Even outside of the beaches, bikini girls and topless guys could be seen walking on the streets.
The train pulled in to the military train station. Looking through the window, a man in shades wearing a loose-fitting flowery shirt could be seen standing on the platform. He was probably the next point of contact.
Han Xiao alighted from the train together with the rest as Qi Bai Jia led the way. Qi Bai Jia walked up to the man and introduced himself. "I am Qi Bai Jia from the Stardragon's Division 13."
The man laughed and removed his shades. He had unshaven stubble and looked unkempt, as if he was a fishmonger from the market.
"I am Ye Fan from the Hesla Intelligence Department."
Han Xiao was in disbelief.
Ye Fan‽
Which Ye Fan was he?
What exactly happened!
The man looked nothing like the dashing and cool Ye Fan that Han Xiao pictured in his mind.
Ye Fan saw the hole-studded train carriage and immediately asked, "You guys encountered a monster?"
"It was just a small worm, no real threat."
Qi Bai Jia gave a dry cough. Despite of the danger caused by the worm, there was no way he would admit that the situation had been greatly perilous. He needed to maintain the reputation of the Stardragon agents and wanted the folks on Hesla to believe that they were strong.
"It must have been really fortunate for you guys to arrive safely." Ye Fan laughed. He did not further probe into Qi Bai Jia's words.
Ye Fan put his shades back on and said, "Let us quickly head to the command center and report in. Our administrative procedures here are less complicated than those in Maple, at least 90% less."
Some agents chuckled to themselves. Maple was known for its inflexible system. Apparently when the Shanuks from Theseus and Maple collaborated to wipe out the Vagrant Warlords, the short-tempered Shanuks were so frustrated with the elaborate reporting procedures of Maple that they almost fought with the officials at the Maple Intelligence Unit's Caroma headquarters.
The administrative pre-requisite for this joint operation required the commanders to submit their operation plans before the actual execution of the mission.
For this operation, the Hesla military was delegated to be the offensive force. The agents were in charge of reconnaissance missions to uncover the enemy's defense blueprints at the Dark Crow Valley Base.
Along the way, one could see the brand-new bulletproof jeeps and small tanks parked in garages. There were also honeycomb missile-launchers and groups of soldiers transporting ammunition.
Zhang Wei, Di Susu, and Ma Qing Yang became really quiet, a stark contrast from their usual chatty behavior. It was their nationalistic sentiments affecting them. Han Xiao realized that he should not do anything overboard at that point in time.
The commanding officer was a muscular Caucasian man by the name of Colonel Carl. Colonel Carl was studying the operation plan hanging on the wall. Upon hearing the door creak, Colonel Carl, who thought that it was his assistant officer entering the room, blurted out, "Do not disturb me when I am thinking!"
Ye Fan coughed and said, "Colonel, the agents from Stardragon are here to submit their report."
Colonel Carl turned his head to face Ye Fan. The tension on his face relieved immediately. He squinted his eyes and stared coldly at the Stardragon agents with distrust. He took out a document from his drawer.
"Take them down to rest, we will set off together in an hour," he ordered.
Carl seemed unfriendly to the agents of Division 13. Ye Fan took the agents to a room and asked them to stay put at the location since they would be moving out shortly.
After Ye Fan left, the agents were left alone. Lin Yao finally dared to speak and asked softly, "Why do I get the feeling that the Hesla soldiers, especially the commanding officer, seem to not like us?"
Ma Qing Yang gave a sarcastic grin and said, "In the past, there were wars between Stardragon and Hesla. Therefore, the people of Hesla are unfriendly toward us. It is really frustrating that we have to face such situations even when we are on a collaborative mission with them. Colonel Carl definitely doesn't look like an easy figure to appease."
The different cliques within Division 13 was not unique to Stardragon. In fact, many countries faced such situations. Maple and Ordina were more conservative. Raylen and Theseus were more assertive. Stardragon and Hesla were more neutral.
Lin Yao remarked in disbelief, "Why did the department send us to Hesla then? What if they make us the sacrificial objects for the mission?"
"Nobody knows what the higher-ups have in mind. I guess we have to count on ourselves to stay safe."
Ma Qing Yang, being a seasoned member of the department, was no longer surprised or shocked by such arrangements.
Qi Bai Jia explained, "Don't worry, every command given to you guys has to gain my approval."
The agents fell silent after a series of discussions to get into the mode for the mission.
"I am going out to take a puff."
Han Xiao stood up and walked out of the room. He lighted his cigarette and took a deep puff, which went all the way down to his lungs, then out of his nostrils in two trails of smoke. He felt a sense of relief.
He ignored the unfriendly stares from the Hesla soldiers and diverted his attention to the mission plan on the screen of the tablet.
_____________________
You have activated [Operation Dark Crow Valley Base].
Mission Brief: This is a small-scale military operation. As a member of Division 13 and participant of the operation, look out for what you can do!
Hint: The mission is a part of the Camp-destroyer series and you can claim these rewards upon completion of the mission.
Reconnaissance 1: Team mission. Monitor the situation in Crow's Forest Town. 3,000 EXP rewarded.
Reconnaissance 2: Team mission. Monitor the situation in Dark Crow Valley Camp. 8,000 EXP rewarded.
Logistics member: Solo mission. Complete 20 tool repairs for your teammates. 8,000 EXP rewarded.
Assassin: Solo mission. Kill 8 sentries. 18,000 EXP rewarded.
Direct conflict: Solo mission. Kill 50 Germinal Organization soldiers. 35,000 EXP rewarded.
Assassination 1: Kill Dormund. Rewards based on contribution.
Assassination 2: Kill Ji Jie. Reward based on contribution.
Assassination 3: Kill Pan Kuang. Rewards based on contribution.
Destroy the Dark Crow Valley Camp: Rewards based on the level of completion of mission and individual contribution.
At the end of the mission, rewards will be issued based on individual stats and performance.
——————————————————————
Initially, Han Xiao thought that it was going to be a normal mission, but instead, the operation was part of the Camp-destroyer series, which allowed for a varied and outstanding performance.
There were many types of missions, and for those belonging to the Camp-destroyer series, as long as one completed most of the objectives, the rewards would be generous. There were also additional rewards based on one's individual performance.
As Han Xiao was smoking, a lady with short red hair approached him and asked, "Are you from Stardragon?"
Staring at her in the eye, Han Xiao nodded. "I suppose so."
Immediately, the lady drew a knife from her waist and stabbed toward the neck of Han Xiao!


What do you do when you wake up and find yourself inside the very game that you love? 
What do you do when you realize you that you have not only become an NPC - you have even been thrown back in time to before the game even launched! 
What will happen when our protagonist's two realities coincide? 
Han Xiao was a professional power leveler before his transmigration. Using his past life's knowledge, Han Xiao sweeps through the universe as he prepares for the arrival of the players. This is definitely not your typical transmigration novel.

"Alright then, Rose, just like that, we've added each other on our Pads," Mare smiled.
There was one more thing. After the girl had walked her through the uses of the Pad, and how to go about navigating it, Rose asked her question.
"You're an homunculus right? Lux. . .told me you couldn't be ordered?"
Mare laughed, her childish face brightened and she eagerly leaned closer as if she had remembered something hilarious.
"He tried to command me for a freebie! He thought getting the info needed to enter Alos again was that easy!"
Rose raised a brow, "So, it's true? You can't be ordered?"
"Of course!"
"And. . .how is that possible?"
"Oh, that? Simple, 50 Lixels."
". . ."
Rose's curiosity overtook her. She wanted to know if she had found someone just like her, and she paid for that chance at companionship.
"S. Series N. 23, created by Wizard Grey," Mare smiled after the money came through.
"Listening to another human goes against the orders my father gave me. You can try and command me if you don't believe it. It won't work."
It wouldn't work even if she were lying.
As she left the place, Rose thought about that loophole, was it not simply listening to one order over another. Did that make a difference? Either way, she was now down to 700 Lixels within the course of one sitting. Burning money, but she thought it all worthwhile.
* * *
A screen projected in front of her. On the left side was the image of a woman smiling smugly to the viewer with arms folded, and a piece of chocolate between her lips. A head of golden hair flapped behind her, and pale-blue eyes like that of the sky gazed with serenity. She had sharp ears, pointed but thin, looked like she was in her early twenties with luscious skin, and Rose was sure she was thus an Elf.
It felt odd taking a peek at her creator. The soft hum of her Core reminded her that this woman was why she was a being breathing in this world.
'The Silent Witch. . .' The texts began next to the image. The name didn't suit her at all.
Their was a slew of information but, essentially, the Silent Witch was amongst the most famous Mages. One part was due to her status of Sage level while being a half-bred of Elf and human. The other part was her expert level control of mana and variety of work—she had traversed all sorts of fields in Magecraft—from Mechanics to Homunculi. Another important part was the fact she was young for her level of expertise and experience.
'Hmm,' Rose dwelled on her own then closed that window and opened another. There was a soft glow of a keyboard at her front, and after some typing. . .
'Silent Witch, location.'
The screen bleeped with a speed unknown to the naked eye and a page came up. There were a couple links, but she simply tapped the one at the top. Oddly enough, it led her right back to the same page as before—oops on her part—and with a swipe of her finger after she realized her blunder, the page scrolled down to a new section.
'Status: Alive, age 32
Current Location: Tross
Crafted Products: 357 Homunculi (41 Noble Series, 125 Private Series, and 191 Soldier Series), 1,300 Magic Armaments, 11,374 Robotics, a personal low-grade Air Ship, 3 contracted medium-grade Air Ships, and 1 City Core.
Gear: <Frozen Petal>
Spirit: [7]'
Rose hardly understood the contents of the profile. She had no idea what half of those products were, but she did find the location of her creator. The city of Tross.
More research revealed that her world had 9 domed cities, each at the site of what was called a 'Great Dungeon'—which she assumed had been what she saw shooting out of Alos. Her world was huge, and there were many more, smaller, settlements besides those 9. However, Tross, her findings brought to her, could only be reached by riding one of those Air Ships from another Great City.
It looked like, no matter what, she would have to find a way into Alos.
'For now,' She thought, 'Safeguarding myself takes priority.'
She continued her search, however, mostly on Alos and the slum surrounding it. The slums, which she now knew had no name besides The Slums of Alos, was actually divided into several segments that formed an almost perfect circle around the city's structure and she just happened to be within that which was under Walker's jurisdiction. Rose studied the maps she found online, they matched very well with the program on her Pad, and that was when she learned that it was possible to turn the 2-d map into a 3-d, heavily simplified, hologram. She looked at it and found that her shack wasn't all that special.
Then, her curiosity piqued and she searched the word 'Mana' — the current source of all her monetary problems. And, that, led into a rabbit hole.
Mana had three forms, she learned. It could store memories, it could be shaped, and it could be used as pure energy. However, those three simple things had been bent to their rightful limit by humanity after the energy was discovered—excelling them right past the Elves that once ruled it.
Memories allowed mana to be given information and instructions, and to send it as well, creating 50% of the technology her world held, like Artificial Intelligence and the Mana Web—an unrestricted space of information anyone could access and build upon at anytime with the right tools—the thing she was currently using. Shaping it allowed one to turn it into what they needed, creating things like the displays on her Pad, the 3-D maps, and so much more. While its energy powered everything from cars to cities and—since any form of energy could be turned deadly—weapons.
Combine all forms with the right materials and essentially anything could be made. That was the basis of their world. Mana. And that was why Mages, who could learn to control all forms of it, were above everyone else.
'Did the Silent Witch give me the ability to control Mana?' She thought as her Core hummed. Mulling. If so, she certainly must be the one that gave her information on Cores and Homunculus's. But why?
There was a lot to uncover about the world but she had a few pressing matters at hand. Closing the interface, a small orb blinked away on the bracelet, she stood up and set out.
Her destination was within the shack itself. There was another room that acted as a bathing place, a container within it was filled with water, there was a bucket floating there, and there was a drainage. She took off her clothing, washed herself with a soap bar located on a platform and dried with a hanging towel. Completing that, she proceeded to wash the rest of her clothing, save for the dark sweater she wore, and left them to dry.
"That's better," The girl smiled at herself, the prickliness of her skin was gone, returned back to its perfect smoothness, and she begun back toward the workshop.
Yet, as the shack around her shook, she was forced to deter.

Rose, a broken doll tossed out into the world with the carelessness befitting her status below humans. However, acquiring a power beyond what she should be able, she fights and Rose Against The Heavens.

The story of a homunculus fighting against fate with a piercing wrath. Raging, an adversary to a cruel world. And taking place in a techno-fantasy.
--
Discord server: https://discord.gg/vwKhVUR
Current schedule: Bulk Releases on Fridays.
--
This story is also available on RoyalRoad and Wattpad.

This book is the sequence of my little mate, and one of the books of little mate series.
It's a stand-alone book but reading my little mate before reading it is recommended.
There are a total of 5 books in my little mate series.
The chronological order of this book is as follows:
1. My little mate.
2. My abused mate.
3. My Indian mate.
4. My mate is a vampire.
5. The Hybrid mate
This book is about Cole grey and Nikki Walker's son Ashton Grey and Chloe Raymond.
Thank you.
I hope you liked and enjoyed my book.

Cole is the alpha of the strongest and most fears pack the red moon pack. He has everything he wanted in his life; good looks, fame, wealth and strength. But the one thing that he wanted most was not there with him and that is his mate. He has been finding his mate for 10 years when he becomes 16 years old and has his first shift but still failed to find her. And that thing makes a grumpier and easily annoyed person. He almost lost every hope to find her and give up on her and he take that frustration out on Everyone he gets his hands on. Everyone in his pack was scared of him even his own family is scared of him because of his hot temper and easily; getting angry issues. One day he goes for a run and on the way while returning from the run he smells the most intoxicating smell in the world. Mate, Mate, " the beast inside him said when his eyes meet with the baby's eyes and his whole world come to stop and his whole world comes up's and down. What happens when a two years old baby is the mate of alpha of the strongest pack. Follow them on their journey to know what happens after that. Read the book to know the after story.

"Master, you are going out to sea to watch the whales again?"
Early the next morning, Wang Qian saw Zhang Zian carrying a heavy battery and walking towards the Wuling Hong Guang MPV. He guessed what he was going to do.
"En, you're right." Zhang Zian nodded and pulled open the trunk of the car. He connected the battery to the motor to confirm that the battery was fully charged.
"Uh…" Wang Qian was puzzled. While whale watching was elegant, watching them every once in a while was enough. Why did he have to go every day? Was whale watching really that meaningful? It was not like he was looking at beautiful women…
"What's that?" He picked up a long, stick-shaped, grey object from the trunk of the car and started fiddling with it. He had never seen it in the car before; it had to be something that was just put in.
The long stick-like object was rough, and from touching it, it seemed like the KTV microphone had a component that picked up sound. A long grey wire was coiled behind it, and the surface of the grey wire was covered in plastic.
"It's used for recording sounds underwater." Zhang Zian was scared that he would be careless and drop the precision instrument and ruin it, so he snatched it back from Wang Qian's hands and put it back into the trunk. "All of you can watch the shop. I'm going to go, but I'll be back soon. If I don't come back, remember to call the police!"
Wang Qian watched as Zhang Zian drove the car off into the distance. As he sent him off, a look of constipation crossed his face.
Li Kun came back from next door. He walked closer to Wang Qian and said, "Older brother, Master has been driving his car a lot. We haven't touched the steering wheel in so long, and my hands have become quite itchy… Right, what is Master going out to do again?"
"He claims that he is going to record some underwater sounds, but I saw that Master's manner was a bit suspicious. I suspect that he just said that to pacify me… I think he is hiding some kind of secret that he doesn't want to tell us…" Wang Qian frowned and was deep in thought, his expression serious.
"Oh? What secret?" Li Kun suddenly perked up. "Is it the correct way to read and understand that Advanced Veterinary Control book?" he asked nervously.
"That's not it… I saw that the trunk of Master's had an object that was both thick and long, and seemed very high tech. It could be… the uranium rod from legends."
"Uranium rod?" Li Kun was so shocked that he became dumbstruck. "What does Master want to do with a uranium rod? Could it be that he wants to cause trouble?"
Wang Qian looked to the left and right and saw that there was no one, so he lowered his voice and said, "Perhaps Master is secretly keeping a Godzilla in the sea…"
"Godzilla? Are you sure it's not that he's secretly keeping a Kraken?"
"Ga ga! What kind of rod were you both talking about just now?" Richard flapped his wings and flew over to them. It was especially excited for some unknown reason, only because it had heard R instead of Y…
Zhang Zian was driving very carefully, especially after he reached the beach. He had lowered his speed in order to prevent battering around the expensive instrument in his car.
The component that picked up sound that Professor Wei Kang had lent him was not an ordinary quality good; rather, it was a legitimate, high-quality instrument for actual scientific research that was used by the Binhai University Underwater Acoustics Engineering Faculty.
The instrument to pick up sound underwater was not only able to record underwater sounds. If it were that simple, then he could buy it from Taobao which had everything. Instead, it also had a complete set of functions that included a signal processing system. It could change the underwater sound signals to light signals, and through optical fiber conduction, enter the system. After modulation and strengthening, it could come up with a sound chart, changing sounds that could originally not be heard by the human ear to something that they could hear and that researchers could analyze. The whole system was very expensive, but even if the ordinary person wanted to buy it, they could not.
Like yesterday, Zhang Zian pumped air into the assault boat. He checked to see if there was any air leakage––one could not afford to be careless on the sea. Any mistake could cause eternal regret.
After checking that there were no problems, he carefully carried the equipment into the boat, then pushed the boat into the sea.
With the heavy equipment pressing down on the boat, the waterline of the assault boat was even deeper than the day before. The steadiness of the boat was also higher. He was glad that he did not buy an assault boat that was too small, otherwise it would be too cramped.
He used his naked eye to gauge the distance, and stopped the boat closer to the shoreline than he did the day before. He picked up the grey, rod-shaped sound device. He did not instantly throw it into the water. Instead, he wet the surface and ensured that there were no bubbles stuck on the surface, which would cause the distortion of the sound waves. He slowly released the optical fiber line.
There were scale markings on the optical fiber line, but Zhang Zian did not know how deep the sea was below him. He temporarily released 50 meters, estimating that it could reach the bottom of the sea. If it was too shallow, all it would detect was the noise from the water's surface.
After he finished preparing the device, he hastily put on the headphones that came with the equipment.
As expected of high-quality, professional earphones, the thick foam layer pressed tightly against the ear contour, and after a slight adjustment, they practically kept out every sound from the outside world.
He switched it on, and the small monitor showed the real time waveform.
The underwater sounds strengthened. The instant they sounded through the headphones and into his ear, he was so frightened that his hair stood on end. As if he was suddenly surrounded by cold currents, he tightly shrunk into himself and shivered excitedly!
It was very hard to describe the sound he heard; it was just like standing in front of an incomparably thick, stone door that was also very wide, and as the stone door opened there were numerous angelic choirs singing a magnificent hymn.
His two legs shook. If it was not for the fact that he was sitting in the unsteady boat, he might have knelt down on the spot.
The professional sound device and the monitoring headphones sent all the sounds from underwater in a circle spanning several kilometers, then they traveled finely into his eardrums. There were sounds from animals and sounds from the currents; there was the sound of the propeller and the motor; and the sound of harsh winds and thunder and lightning from a distance. The sounds coming from the high energy storms could travel thousands of kilometers in the sea and be detected and picked up by the device… Besides that, there could be the sounds of hidden submarines, it just depended on how well the human's brain could handle it. All the sounds were mixed together––it was like morning bells and evening drums repeatedly sounding in his brain.
The developed hymn would occasionally have some strange noises, as sharp as a loud howl, or as low as someone weeping and complaining. No one knew who made the strange sounds, it could just be that two currents of different warmths and densities met each other, or it could be crustal movements at the bottom of the sea; however, they were all mere guesses. No one could confirm what exactly what happening.
On the other hand, it was the sounds of the animals that were not worth mentioning. Often, one could only differentiate the animal sounds when they were very close to the animal. Most of the underwater animals did not make much noise. In terms of the sounds by animals, the sounds of whales and dolphins were the ones that dominated.
Zhang Zian adjusted the lever on the instrument towards the low-frequency direction to strengthen the sensitivity of the device towards low-frequency sounds. He did so in order to remove the high-frequency sounds from the dolphins, toothed whales, and storms, and instead focus on sounds of a lower frequency.
Following his movements, the sounds in the headphones changed. In general, everything quieted down and changed from a magnificent hymn to long, drawn out breathing sounds.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump…
A series of anxious knocking sounds kept ringing two or three times every second; it sounded like the sonic boom from an inferior horn. The sound was occasionally loud and occasionally soft, which showed that there was one––or a few––minke whales that were traveling back and forth in the nearby waters.


1. Download a suspicious game
2. Catch a few magical pets as partners
3. Go through interesting daily routines and lead the pet shop to a whole new level

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 followed her upstairs in silence, until she spoke herself. "The higher ups can be a bit stubborn. Fortunately for you, I met Oren on my way, and he explained the situation. Otherwise you wouldn't gain entry". I smiled, "I'm not so sure about that". She turned around "Yes, Shak would help you out, maybe even for free. I don't doubt your abilities either, Mr Dark Traveller. But, don't assume Voltars are that weak". This sounded more like a warning to me. I would receive what I came for, so I didn't mind.

She faced forwards again, and said "You will be allowed to browse through the history of North alone. No other knowledge will be accessible to you. Please bare that in mind, as I will not repeat this warning". I replied, "That is all I'm interested in". She nodded while saying, "I'm glad to hear that then".

We climbed more, and more stairs. Until we arrived at what looked like the top floor. There were ten guards stationed there, all at the Inner Limits stage. They greeted the woman with respect, and allowed us to enter the only room on that floor. I was a bit surprised by the amount of strong Voltars the city possessed. I saw at least fourteen of those Voltars. 'Sedon has at least eight Shades at the Inner Limits stage. At least one that passed the Half Step as well. That woman should've passed that stage too' I thought.

I shouldn't be really surprised. Voltars, Shades and Lizards were the major races of the North. Their population was large, compared to other races. This meant, more people had a chance to reach such stage. Humans had a lot more of such people, due to the amount of us in the world. Avians were not a major race at all, they didn't even have one person at the Inner Limits stage. The same was true with Atols, although the Warrior Faction Leader reached that stage, as well as few other warriors. Their race was small in comparison to others. At best one or two thousands Atols existed in the North. Golems were not that different, but they were much stronger comparably.

This begged a question. Why was the North so diverse, while the rest of Perival Continent belonged to Humans? While we entered the room, I realised it was a huge library. Books, scrolls and whatnot, filled the shelves. Before she said anything, I said "I have a question". She replied, "Sure, go ahead". I asked, "Why is North so diverse? You are trapped inside here, while Humans roam the rest of the continent. Who exactly trapped you here?". 

She smiled, "That you can find out, if you read about the Northern history. We don't have the exact accounts for the history of the North to be honest. But, I'm sure we have the most extensive collection of books, that the North has on offer. Not all books here are about North. There are loads that concern Endrosians and Elysians. Yes, we know about them too. We have books on all races known to us, or those that existed". She shot me a glance after the last sentence.

She continued, "The tables are to your disposition. Tell me what exactly are you interested in, and I will bring you the books concerning that subject". I nodded while saying, "I need books about the beginnings of the North. Any old book you can find on Lizards is also great". She asked interested, "Lizards?". I replied, "Yes Lizards. Their history, past events and stuff like that. I don't need anything recent".

She told me to sit down at the table, and wait for her to bring the books. Once I sat down, I took a more detailed look at the library. The wood was old, very old but in good shape. The whole place smelled like old books and dust, while dim orbs of electric energy illuminating the whole room from above. There were different sections spread throughout the whole library. Some concerning recent events, while others concerning specific races. The section for Humans was not small, it probably detailed a lot of stuff about both Endrosians and Elysians.

She returned after a while, and presented a few books to me. "Those are the books you asked for. You are not allowed to copy anything. When you're done reading them, let me or someone else know. We will return them to their original place". There were a total of four books. Three of them about Northern History, while only one about Lizards. 'I hoped to get more books about Lizards, but whatever. After all, I asked for the oldest records they had' I thought. 

I began from the book about Lizards. The book described how Lizards struggled in the beginning to set up their home at Obsidian Mountains. It described how they built Arangard, their main city, and how they later branched out to other volcanoes. Apparently, the Obsidian Mountains was much more deadly back then. Lava would spew out of volcanoes, and the Lizards sustained a few losses in the process of creating Arangard.

They didn't have help from anyone else either. All of that was built by their own hands. As the book describes, it was crude in the beginning and not what it became later. There was no mention of Grey Lizards in that book, the book referred to them collectively as Lizards. I put the book down, and looked around me. The woman was sitting further away, reading something herself. I asked her, "Can I got something a bit more recent on Lizards? This describes how they built Arangard, I would like to read about something that concerned a bit more recent history".

She seemed surprised for some reason, and asked "You already read it?". I shrugged my shoulders while replying, "Is that so surprising?". She only smiled, and took the book. "I will bring you something more recent, but if you tell me what you are looking for, it would be easier". I simply replied, "Grey Lizards". She was stunned again, but then smiled. "So I see why you need the knowledge of the old times. We have nothing on their whereabouts, if that is what you are looking for. Grey Lizards would be forgotten, if not for a few appearing every so often. We have some records on the Grey Lizards, but that was before they were banished". 

I asked, "What about Hatmandor?". She narrowed her eyes, and replied "I'm not allowed to discuss them. We are not allowed to keep records on them either. It has been like this since ancient times, that is all I can say". I nodded and didn't push any further. Instead, I read the other three books she brought. 

The first book answered the previous question I asked her. It told the story of why North is the North, and how it came to be. From what I gathered, North was not isolated in the past, and all those races were not prominent there. Almost all the major races of the North, originate from around the Perival Continent. There were two exceptions. Golems and Eterians. Even Furians were not part of the North in the past, they used to live alongside Humans. Back then Shades, Lizards, Avians and a few other minor races, were considered monsters. The world was ruled by Humans, Furians, Eterians and another race I had never heard of. 

The race was called Bramans. The book had no picture of that race, but from the description it provided, I gathered they were a sort of humanoid dogs. They had tails, and head that looked like that of a dog, but they were intelligent and had their own society. This was the race which Humans exterminated, but the book didn't describe the reason.

Supposedly this prompted Humans to fight others, and wars erupted left and right. Voltars existed during that time, but they were a very minor race that avoided most humanoid races. Reasons were not stated again, therefore I didn't know why. The book described that due to the wars, a lot of minor races who were considered monsters, asked someone or something for help. The book wasn't specific on that either.

The help came in the form of a barrier. The barrier that surrounds the North wasn't placed there to trap all those races inside, but to protect them from all the wars. Although this seemed to be the case, I felt something was wrong as well. The barrier prevented those races from leaving, but allowed strong Humans to enter. This was under the condition of course. That condition stands till this day. Humans had to pass trials, in order to enter North.

The book argued it was a trap, to make Humans fear the new North, and leave it in peace. Eterians and Furians also had the ability to cross the barrier just like Humans, but the restrictions placed on them were not that severe. I found it weird, but the book didn't describe that in detail either.

This was when Eterians also fought against Humans, and Furians joined them. This was the great war all Humans told me about, and where the hate of Eterians as well as Furians comes from. The book didn't describe any events in detail or even at all. It was mostly generalisation, probably due to second-hand information. Voltars at that time were a minor race. Minor race which didn't interact with others much as well. This suggested to me that, they couldn't be the original owners of that knowledge.

The record was really hazy, and I extrapolated a lot when I read it. Nevertheless, one thing was clear. The barrier was created by someone or something to protect the minor species. My instincts pointed towards Hatmandor. Strangely, the book mentioned nothing about Elysians. Maybe due to generalisation, or perhaps for other reasons. 'Although I still don't know exactly how the barrier came to be, but I know the reason it exists' I thought. 

There was another thing that I recalled. 'You started it' I thought. That's what the Eterian told me, before I killed him. I wasn't sure how everything tied in, I required more information.

** 
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

The next day.
The nine-star flag waved above the Pannu Islands and the citizens celebrating the new regime walked onto the streets as if they were celebrating New Year or Christmas. The cheered on the new birth of the country.
Noontime.
In the cafeteria of the presidential palace, Jiang Chen and Zhang Yapin sat on the two sides of the table.
Lunch was curry lamb with rice along with an odd coconut smell. It certainly tasted like south Asia. In front of Zhang Yapin was a piece of steak along with coconut juice. With the shift in the regime, only the chef was the most indifferent in the entire presidential palace.
"UA extended their welcome to us wishing us to join forces with them. They indicated that if we continue to extend the pro-UA policy like the previous regime and announce declaration that favors their political view internationally, they would increase their funding to support us," Zhang Yapin spoke about the country's affairs while working hard to cut the steak.
Jiang Chen didn't even raise his head as he said without hesitation. "Reject."
"But… That is ten million USD," Zhang Yapin seemed to be unwilling to give up the money as he said with difficulty.
It was ten million USD. If it were split among the citizens, it would be 500 each. They only needed to speak a few sentences in front of the media, and no one listened to them anyways. This place was just a tiny country, the entire islands combined together was not even bigger than a province in Australia.
Jiang Chen raised his head as he rolled his eyes at Zhang Yapin. "Someone hires you to curse at your mother, why would you agree?"
There was no need to think. They wanted to drag a bunch of Southeast Asia countries to curse about the Han threat theory. Pannu Islands was located on the southeast side of Country F, they could be stretched to a surrounding country of hua.
Zhang Yapin fiercely shook his head, but he added one sentence in his mind, [That depends on how much…]
"It's only ten million USD, my Future International has an income of two hundred to three hundred million USD per month, I'll loan you the money if you need it," Jiang Chen put a spoonful of the rice in his mouth while saying this slowly.
"Just pay me back with the land."
"Ahem, could I interpret this as showing off?" Zhang Yapin smiled bitterly.
Pannu Islands just recently introduced a tax cut measure to stimulate economic recovery, but there were still significant holes in funding. The mess created by Edward now had to be cleaned up by the successor.
"I am only giving you some confidence. I chose Pannu Islands because I believe in its future prospects," Jiang Chen said.
"Johnny Group declared bankruptcy. The ten billion dollar project is now down the drain. What prospect is there?" Zhang Yapin's expression was bitter.
He initiated the uprising because of the passion in his blood, but now that he has become the president, he began to feel the difficulties of managing a country.
"No, I am going to take over that project."
Zhang Yapin looked at Jiang Chen in shock.
"Ten billion USD, do you have that kind of money?"
"I believe a lot of banks are willing to lend to Future International," Jiang Chen said confidently.
That was true. Even when they were in Hua, a lot of banks went to Xia Shiyu, begging her to take a loan from them. The current liquid cash of Future International is 1.5 billion which was the earning of five months. Although ten billion was rather daunting, with Future International's equity as collateral, it would be easy to obtain.
Especially since he didn't even need to borrow the full ten billion.
"You are really willing to … borrow ten billion for a small island country?" Zhang Yapin looked at Jiang Chen in disbelief.
"Of course, I believe this will generate more than one hundred billion in return."
Zhang Yapin held his breath.
He could not imagine how the country with less than one hundred million USD GDP and a population of fewer than twenty thousand people would generate more than one hundred billion in value.
"Excuse me for being honest, but it is hard for me to imagine… Although the Pannu Islands have a vast sea territory, it doesn't have oil. Could you point it out to me? Even if it is just painting a picture for me." Zhang Yapin smiled bitterly.
"How should I say this? Hmm… Okay. First, Pannu Islands is near the equator."
"Near the equator?" Zhang Yapin's eyes widened, "Do you mean tourism? Even with tourism, it is still hard to generate ten billion return in ten years right?'
"It is hard to explain to you. All in all, just remember what I said." Jiang Chen put down the fork in his hand as he slowly got up.
There were plenty of advantages of being near the equator, it was not as simple as tourism. With space elevator for example, to non-equator countries, it was something they couldn't even think about. To the technology that appeared in 2150, Jiang Chen had the confidence of bringing them into the modern world.
"Are you planning to go?" Zhang Yapin also put down his fork as he looked at Jiang Chen leaving the table.
"I have something to take care of and I am also full."
"Also, if other countries –"
Jiang Chen stopped, turned back, and smiled. "Maintain neutrality and friendliness. You know what I mean."
Zhang Yapin helplessly let out a sigh. "I know."
"Do a good job and maintain your current diligent image. Once your term ends, I will give you a retirement fund."
"I don't need your retirement fund, I just want you to keep your promise and lead this country to prosperity."
When he heard this, Jiang Chen looked at Zhang Yapin in surprise.
There was not a lot of people that could refuse money in this era.
After a moment of pause, Jiang Chen said lightly, "Of course, I promise."
If everything proceeds smoothly, in less than five years, this would become an island that the world desired to be.
…
Under the shade of the trees outside the presidential palace, a blue Lamborghini was waiting and Ayesha was sitting in the driver's seat. A grey sports bra drew out her beautiful curvatures and a pair of shades was clipped on the collar. The view was certainly a beauty with a nice car as it made the passersby turn their heads.
This Lamborghini was previously Johnny's, but now it belonged to Jiang Chen.
Although he died, he could not escape this crime. The court prosecuted Johnny with 17 charges and confiscated all personal assets to the country's treasury. The cars he had on Pannu Islands, the mansion, as well as two boats were all auctioned off in Australia. There, Jiang Chen took it all over as his own possession, needing only to bid twice.
Since it belonged to the deceased, there may be some misfortunes attached to the things of the people who died of an unnatural cause. On top of that, the rich mostly feared death, but Jiang Chen didn't mind as he was an absolute materialist.
Jiang Chen pulled open the door as he sat in the passenger seat.
Ayesha put the shades over her eyes and put her hands on the steering wheel while turning to look at Jiang Chen.
"Where are we going?"
"Linhua Group's construction site."
Ayesha nodded as she started the car.
Leaning on the comfortable chair, Jiang Chen looked at the scenery flying by as he tried his best to snap the beauty in his mind.
It was an indiscernible feeling. Before he had to work for his next meal but now he has become the hidden owner of a series of islands. This was his kingdom. No deceit or trickery would work against him here. No one would be able to plot against his company.
Perhaps he was bored, but he turned and looked back into the car at Ayesha concentrating on driving.
The shades and sports bra was a beautiful set. Any style of clothing seemed to look great on her.
Ayesha sensed Jiang Chen's gaze as she began blushing with her lips carved up.
She enjoyed his gaze.
Although they were yet to be married, she considered herself the wife of her husband. As a traditional wife, in her perspective, the husband was everything…


After the nuclear war, ruins stretch across the landscape in the apocalypse.
If you accidentally survived on the wasteland, then you must be ready to face the endless hunger, ceaseless dangers, the mad zombies at night, and the peculiar mutant creatures that are the aftermath of constant radiation.
But for Jiang Chen, this place is heaven.
Mansions standing tall, luxurious cars parked on the street, high tech products and gold abandoned everywhere.
What? You were the president of a game development company before the war? You were responsible for the development of the 3D virtual reality online multiplayer game? Well, that’s great, why don’t you come work for me. Your salary is two pieces of bread a day.
iPhone? Ultra thin design? Don’t you see that the phone I invented is thinner than a condom?
Aircraft carrier? Fighter jets? Oh, I have those things as well, but they are designed for space combat.
Watch the story of Jiang Chen, who possesses the ability to travel through space and time, as he witnesses the creation of an empire stretched across space and time... 


50 shades of grey series order

50 shades of red

50 shades of color

Hawtness: A Supernatural Teen Romance

The Legendary Mechanic

Rose Against The Heavens

My Little Mate

Pet King

grey as told by Christian grey

Limits

I have a Mansion in the Post-apocalyptic World

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