Emperor of Steel Chapter 772
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Chapter 772: 772
A palace with an old-fashioned design that clearly showed the skill of the dwarves .
Knights of colorful armor walking back and forth through the beautiful garden . On top of their breastplate was a crest of an angel holding a sword of light .
“Prince! Where are you?!”
In the Imperial Palace, the cry of the guards rang loud .
“Haven’t you found him yet?”
“Yes, I think he escaped from the Imperial Palace…”
Hwang Bo-sung, who heard the guards reporting in a low voice, was frowning deep .
“This one! The one called the prince of a nation is running away!”
Exactly 10 years ago .
The year following the fall of the Baroque Empire, the Symphonia Kingdom had declared itself as an Empire, and Luke de Rakan had become the emperor .
The two kingdoms of Irea and Castia, which were destroyed by the Advanced Undead, couldn’t manage the occupied lands of the Baroque Empire .
Eventually, the two nations decided to let Symphonia claim them, and its lands were divided and were given to the Libiya Kingdom and the Volga Republic .
Because of the enormous estates gathered, it wasn’t strange to declare an Empire, but Luke, who hated it, wasn’t intent on claiming an empire .
However, the opinions of his retainers were different .
“When expanding our land, new foundations and columns need to be laid . How long will we hold back, especially after thousands of people have come under us to start a new life?”
“Your Majesty, there was information that the old Baroque nobles are looking for declaring their estates as independent, trying to create their own troops . ”
“To establish a new order, we don’t just need military . We need a new authoritative figure . ”
It wasn’t just the retainers and council members .
Every time Luke moved, people would cheer ‘Long Live the Emperor!’
Eventually, Luke got crowned .
Just like the time when he became a king, the pope had blessed him, even his emperor’s coronation had a pope .
And that was the last thing that Pope Veronica III of the Holy Empire did .
“When I crowned you, this nation was in turmoil and faced death on our doorsteps . But, with all the elements of anxiety done, I think that my need is done, and I am going to step back from being the pope . ”
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Having stabilized the Holy Empire by new and strong reforms and eradicating the corruption, she had given the empire a strong base .
And as her successor, she recommended High priest Luther .
Arch Duke Gregory, and the other High ranking priests and nobles, including Luther himself, didn’t like it .
However, she didn’t back down .
There was no one that managed to stop the pope from stepping down and live her life as a normal woman .
Well, Luke and Karen could have talked her into being the Pope, but they preferred her coming home .
The problem was the people of the Holy Empire .
Not just the residents of Bless, but people from all over the nation gathered around the Holy Palace and demanded her to come back .
Some priests even went on a hunger strike .
“Just because I am stepping back doesn’t mean I am leaving you . I swear on God, I will always look for peace and the well-being of the people in this nation . ”
People eventually understood her words .
Shortly after, the conclave gathered, and Luther formally became the pope .
Reina, who retired, went over to Symphonia Empire, and this time, she was officially declared as the Empress of Symphonia .
The following year, she gave birth to a son .
Her son, Karl, the prince .
Prince Karl was healthy and clever .
The problem was that Prince Karl was the curious kind .
From the moment he began to walk, he would go all around the Imperial Palace, and after that, he would go hiding in places, trying to go undercover to look outside the Imperial Palace .
“No . You are too young to see the outside world . ”
“Ugh, grandad! In technical terms, this is called being over-protective!”
Not long ago, he was scolded by Belik for running away .
However, it didn’t seem like he reflected on it .
“Inform the Imperial Guards right away, so that they can check and look in the right place!”
“Yes, Sire!”
As the turmoil subsided, the security of the nation improved .
As the exchange between humans and other races turned active, the trade between Rhodesia and the Southern Continent increased . Scholars would quote that the Middle-earth was facing a second boon .
However, wicked people were everywhere .
Some people, who recognized the prince, might have wrong intentions .
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That was why Hwang Bo-sung decided to mobilize not just the guards but even the Imperial troops .
“Count, what happened?”
“Ah! Princess, you came . ”
When Karen appeared with priests, Hwang Bo-sung explained the situation .
Karen, an adult in her late teens, was expected to be the next pope of the Holy Empire .
In recent years, on behalf of her mother, she frequently traveled back and forth between the Holy Empire and played an important role in maintaining friendly relations between the two nations .
“Is Karl in trouble?”
“Yes, we don’t know where he is…”
Karen shook her head as Hwang Bo-sung was trying to explain, rolling up her dress’ sleeves, she spoke, “I’ll find him . So there is no need to inform the Imperial troops . ”
“P-princess will?”
“I know where he went . ”
Answering, Karen immediately used teleport magic .
She moved to the suburbs of the capital .
The place where Gigants were tested—the Gigants of the Katarina Magic Tower .
In that field was a little boy watching two Gigants battle .
“Woah, what good will attacking like that do?! Put a little more swing in that sword!”
When the red Gigant he was cheering for was bushed by the blue Gigant, he jumped up in frustration .
“Ugh, why stab there! Even I would be better than…”
“Yah!”
The body of the little prince, Karl, went stiff .
“S-sister!”
“You have no sense of fear! What is there was an accident . You came here all alone!”
“Ahahaha! It hurts! Hurtsss!!!”
Karen pulled Karl’s ear .
Unlike the Gigant Arena, the test fields weren’t equipped with defense magic circles, so if there was an accident, it would become a huge mess .
And without getting permission, he was out roaming n such fields!
“Because of you, the Imperial Palace has turned into a mess . What are you thinking, running away from home?!”
“I didn’t run away!”
“What?! What are you saying you didn’t run away?!”
As the two were fighting, Karen raised her fist to punch some sense into him .
Right then, someone held her hand .
The identity of the person made Karen go into shock .
“Dad?”
“It has been long, Karen . How is the Holy Empire? It was said that they were worried as it didn’t rain for a long time . ”
Instead of answering her father’s words, Karen spoke back, “Did dad bring Karl out?”
“It was because he wanted to see the new Gigant . ”
Just like Luke, Karl was very interested in Gigants .
His room was decorated with Gigant models .
Luke too thought of putting his son’s interest in a good way .
So, he brought the kid over to the test field of the Gigants . That was why the red Gigant was getting pushed .
Luke was in the blue Gigant, which currently had its breastplate open .
“Even if it was you! How can you take him out without saying anything?! Everyone is worried!”
“I guess that Gigant test took some time . I was in a hurry and didn’t stop to inform them…”
Despite Luke’s excuses, Karen’s gaze was cold .
“Just so you know, I am telling mom . ”
“Ehh, come on…”
Before Luke could think of any other excuse, Karen teleported back .
It seemed like she was really going to tell her mother .
“Ahh, we are in a mess . ”
For Luke, Reina was more terrifying than the Demon King he fought 10 years back .
She was scary when it came to child education .
Unlike the freedom she had given to Karen in the past, she took Karl seriously .
Not because he was the crown prince who had to rule the empire at one point in the future after Luke, but it was because Karl was born in an era of peace and was a spoiled child .
“I am going to hear a lot of nagging today . ”
“Dad, you are a hero who saved the continent . Why do you act so weak in front of mom?”
Luke stroked the head of his son who was grunting and grumbling .
“Because your mom was the one who made me a hero . ”
Without her, Luke wouldn’t succeed .
Think about the past for a moment, Luke and his son went to the Imperial Palace .
The excitement of battles had ended a long time ago . Things of that time were now history .
There was sone tedious and cumbersome things that went on for Luke, but time was too precious that he wouldn’t wish for anything else .
Because of that, he managed to get a peaceful life with Reina .
Even though Reina’s nagging was a little loud, he wished for this peaceful life to continue .
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Borne of Caution
An irritated Pokemon might tell you to stop what you're doing. An irritated animal will probably just attack you. Pokemon, for all their power, would be open books and a breeze to care for to any competent animal handler on Earth. After a fiery death, a professional zookeeper who never outgrew Pokemon games ends up in the world of Pokemon. The entire world is thrown onto its side.
8 205Extermination Order
So it turns out that anime got something right: If you get hit by a truck, you're going to another world. Dennis became subject to that unknown quirk of reality when crossing a busy city street (despite having looked both ways). But that was quite some years ago. He's been around this new world 'Nassur' a time or two and knows how to live a good life. He also knows that adventuring friggin sucks. So, what is a man to do in a fantasy world with a shoddy leveling system that constantly suggests getting more XP, and a condition set by the gods that you must make the world a better place? Pest extermination. But reality is often fickle. Perhaps one day it is only rats, another, mechanical centipedes with lasers. Maybe the Dark Lord needs a shoulder to cry on because his dungeon simply can't be ready in time for the adventurers he likes to do battle against. Another poor soul from Earth could appear just as dazed and confused as the day you'd first arrived, requiring a good long talk about 'hey, what the hell is this, man'. And maybe... just maybe, that thick book of owed favors comes back to haunt you. For a man who desires a peaceful, productive life, Dennis can find it rather difficult for a week to go by where something doesn't go awry. This series originally started on r/HFY, [Link] but I decided to post it here since people are so positive about it! Posting rate is, and likely will continue to be, rather inconsistent. Cover art by SSJLuxray! If you like his art and are interested in commissioning a piece, he can be contacted at [email protected] or PMed on his Reddit account at u/SsjLuxray Please do not attempt to pay him in exposure alone. People die from exposure every winter.
8 176I Was Summoned To Have Tea With The Demon Lord [Rewrite]
Hiyori Chiba, age sixteen. An aspiring cop who finds herself in another world solving the mystery of why girls keep disappearing -- to have tea with the Demon Lord?! This can't be legal. Cover art by Awan. Now rewritten with some GameLit elements!
8 76Of Righteous Evil
To wield the magical Arts. The power to manipulate nature itself. Follow Silas on his journey as he learns what it means to be a Mage. With war brewing on the horizon, Silas' plan to become a hero clashes with the harsh reality of conflict. Torn between contradicting emotions, he will have to reconsider his perceptions of both good and evil. Does the end truly never justify the means? Note from author (13.09.20): Sentences have been shortened, less commata used. Paragraphs have been split up. Meant to be "realistic" fantasy, with no overpowered protagonist or evil sorcerer trying to destroy the world. The focus lies on the characters, their progressions and their inner conflicts, coupled with an intricate magic system. Constructive criticism is highly appreciated! HIATUS Updates: 12.12.20 Chapter 1 & 2 are written together. The backstory of the parents will be integrated into one of the later chapters. 20.12.20 Prologue has been rewritten, fight added. Will now continue writing the chapters until the first arch is finished. 19.01.21 Chapter 15 is written. Will hopefully be able to write more from now on, university has been kinda rough these days. 08.04.21 Chapter 16 & 17 has been written. Beginning will be rewritten (again) to start with chapter 3. Chapter 1 & 2 will be shown through reocurring dreams / nightmares. 10.08.21 Rewriting of the first arc is complete and has been proofread twice. Plot of rest of book one is 80% complete. Will publish chapters once first book is finished and proofread. 06.12.21 Second arc is finished (chapter 24/31-33). First draft will likely be finished around February, after which I will edit a few suggestions of my beta readers and publish it on RR. Release schedule: Once a week on Sunday, chapters are around 3000 words long. (HIATUS, see last chapter for more info) Cover art by Riverman09
8 71[Semi-Webtoon] Shifters 2230
In the 21st century, an event known as the Great Shift of 2030 destroyed 90% of life on earth. A new race known as the Shifters emerged. 200 years later, countless wars divided what was left of civilization into two areas: The city-states controlled by the crime fighting SPA, and the badlands controlled by lawless bandits. Axel, a powerless Shifter in 2230, has vivid dreams of future events that never seem to come true. He has dreams of Joining the SPA academy and becoming an agent, but he is unable to deal with a bully at his local school. As Axel progresses and becomes stronger he begins to wonder, if his dreams are just dreams, or are they warnings from the future of a destiny he cannot escape? This novel was originally posted as Shifters, and now I am bringing a rewritten version here. I am the original author. This story occasionally features images and manga panels. [participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] Updated daily The illustrator, Mo's Instagram is below@degamishirohttps://www.instagram.com/degamishiro/
8 94The Humanity Initiative (discontinued)
Virtual gaming has been around for ages. Many live their entire lives online, not caring about what’s left of the real world. The few who do, fear nuclear annihilation. The risk of an unfortunate chain reaction is too large to ignore, but as of now, prevention is impossible. Humanity, in its biological form, would never survive as it is. That’s why the UN has its full focus on “The Humanity Initiative”. The field of genetics shows promising results, but are years from ready. If bombs were to fly tomorrow, something must survive. Recent VR technology has a potential candidate for that something.Farah Al Farzha never plays online, she loathes the very idea of it. She is in love with reality, and competitive fencing is her way to prove it. But when she reluctantly went online, she couldn’t exit, or at least a copy of her consciousness couldn’t.Human, but juridically speaking no more, Farah struggles in a game that would’ve been illegal. To her only consolation, the game is modeled after reality, a place foreign to the gaming brats around her. But what demands do the UN put on potential ‘human’ survivor candidates, and how will natural selection be replaced, when reality is no more? _______________________________________________________________________
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