The Princess And The Lord Chapter 32
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Lory couldn't sleep that night. She was like a kid excited on the eve of a school trip. The chilly night made Lory covered herself with a long knitted dark blue shawl as she left her room. A cold breeze touched her cheeks turning them pale. She could smell the cold air mixed with the scent of the delicate bluebell flower. For a second, it made her think she was back home.
She was alone as Girsha was asleep on her bed. Girsha tended to be a little relaxed when Zhao Li Xin was around. Lory once queried him on this, and he responded with 'Zhao Li Xin is more like me'. When Lory asked him to clarify, the bird only said 'I meant the way I said it…' Lory could only frown at this. She sometimes forgot Girsha was not human and couldn't explain things the way humans did.
"You are awake, again?"
A surprised Lory turned around to find Zhao Li Xin behind her, "Li Xin?"
Zhao Li Xin was happy to hear her call his name without him correcting her, "Why is it hard for you to sleep early?"
"Just a bad habit," Lory smiled sheepishly. He made her feel like a kid being reprimanded by her parents. "What about you? Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Zhao Li Xin's eyebrows rose. He wondered if she forgot the fact that strong cultivators barely slept. An hour or two of sleep was more than enough for them. Zhao Li Xin could function for two days without sleep. He then realized he hadn't told Lory about his high cultivation so he couldn't blame her. "I need to fix my weapon a little."
"Are you a blacksmith?" Lory gasped.
"I'm a little more than that…" Zhao Li Xin chuckled at her innocence as he answered casually. If people heard Lory compare an Armament Master to a blacksmith, they might cough out blood. A blacksmith was someone who can only make normal weapons for ordinary people, yet an Armament Master didn't just create weapons and talismans as they could fuse materials and make the weapons stronger. An Armament Master could also create weapons that were specifically suitable for their owners, increasing their owner's strength. It was this reason that made Armament Master well respected.
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"Can I watch you as you work? I promise I won't disturb you," Lory pleaded. She was curious to see an Armament Master as work.
Zhao Li Xin couldn't refuse her, "I don't mind…but the room is a little hot. Are you okay with that?"
"Yes, I don't like cold anyway," Lory nodded as she smiled with excitement.
"Come…" Zhao Li Xin beckoned for Lory to follow him and she did it like a little chick. Zhao Li Xin led her across the moon gate where she saw a warehouse surrounded by a bamboo tree forest. The warehouse gave Lory a strange vibe, confusing her. Zhao Li Xin offered her his hand, "Take my hand…. or you will get lost."
"Okay," Lory placed her hand in his without hesitation. Zhao Li Xin led her a few steps from the front of the warehouse and crouched. His hand touched the ground where he created a strange symbol blurring everything around them. The scene changed and Lory's eyes bulged in astonishment. It was like the Mirage spell but the energy around her was different. She hadn't felt anything like it before.
"This...?" Lory gasped.
"It is an array formation," Zhao Li Xin calmly said. "I used an array to protect this place. I have also placed an offensive array to prevent anyone from getting inside this place."
"WOW!" Lory's jaw slightly dropped open. She couldn't have guessed people in this world could create something close to a barrier. If she could take the knowledge to Harland, it would alleviate Lucas' task of protecting Harland. If only...
"Could everyone create this...array?" Lory asked. She was still in awe and shocked.
Zhao Li Xin never thought what he did was amazing. Many people praised him before, but he didn't feel happy or proud as it was a necessity like everything he achieved in his life. However, he couldn't help but be slightly proud of his work when Lory looked at him with amazement.
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"No, they aren't many Array Masters in the world. Stronger ones are even fewer," He casually explained. There was a hint of joy in his voice.
"Doesn't that make you amazing?!" Lory squealed in a high-pitched voice. "Li Xin, I knew you weren't an ordinary person, but I didn't know you were this amazing!"
"cough… it's…nothing. Come, let me take you inside," Zhao Li Xin coughed awkwardly as he felt embarrassed. He quickly turned his body. His face was thankfully covered by his long hair causing Lory to miss seeing his red face.
Zhao Li Xin released her hand once they got inside. Lory was stunned once again by the weapon display on the wall and the table. There was a row of swords, daggers, sabers, and many more. They were neatly arranged, and every single weapon was carved beautifully. They sparkled in the silver light. Lory was like a kid in a candy store. Her body spun around while her eyes almost fell from her sockets. Zhao Li Xin watched her from the side as he finally understood what could attract Lory. It wasn't a beautiful dress or jewelry but a weapon. He felt like he could make as many weapons if she demanded it. It wasn't a problem for him.
"Careful… Don't touch the weapons carelessly, Ri Yi. Some weapons are hostile and can hurt you." Zhao Li Xin warned as he watched Lory's hand hovering over a sword with a white jade handle. "This sword is the Thousands Snow Sword. It is engulfed with ice power. Those who don't have high cultivation can be frozen from within if they touch it for too long."
Lory's palm floated above the sword. She could feel the freezing air around the sword, "Incredible… Who made this?"
"Me…" Zhao Li Xin smiled faintly.
Lory's eyes bulged more than possible. She gazed at Zhao Li Xin with disbelief. Zhao Li Xin chuckled as he saw her reaction. He sheathed the sword into a white scabbard. Her admiration for Zhao Li Xin rose to a whole new level. Although she knew he was hiding his true power from the world, she didn't know he was hiding so much.
"Li Xin, you are amazing... What should I do? I want to hug you…"
Zhao Li Xin froze for a moment before he expectantly said, "Mm… I don't mind if you do."
"Really…? That is not appropriated, is it…? "Lory was a little reluctant. This world was so conservative especially with matters concerning how men and women interacted.
"No. It is alright…as long as it's consensual and no one else sees it," Zhao Li Xin strongly encouraged her.
"Okay then!" Lory hugged him with excitement. It was a friendly hug to her. It wasn't meant to be romantic but Zhao Li Xin who had never made such contact with other humans was stunned to the core. While Lory jumped up and down as she hugged him and praised his talent, the man was frozen like a statue. Her actions affected him more than he thought.
Lory was excited and her mind was all over the place. Her thoughts were centered around words like, 'He's so amazing. I wish I could take him back to Harland. His array is amazing. The armament weapons are awesome! Should I ask him to make me a weapon? Is it appropriate? I'm just a maid… but the weapons here are so beautiful and strong… What should I do? Should I just ask? Should I?'
Zhao Li Xin's thoughts on the other hand were '...'
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Child of the Ancients: An Apocalypse LitRPG
It all started in the middle of Dante's nap. He wanted to sleep his life away, but the system denied his request. Instead, it began to transform the Earth, integrating it into the multiverse by granting everyone stats and skills. He was talented, or so the system thought. And that meant he needed to be challenged. After being sent into a deadly cavern, Dante strives for the future he's always desired. But when he learns about the secrets hidden within him, he's shaken to his very core. He wishes for the nightmare to end until something goes wrong. [The world will end in one year.] Instead of everyone receiving a relatively gentle tutorial, the people of Earth are deemed redundant. Dante makes it his goal to save as many people as he can before the world ends, but with billions of lives at stake, he might have to turn into a monster before he can become a hero. Planned updates (2500+ words): M/W/F. 12pm AEST/ 9am EST. M-F during Writeathon. [participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] Author's Note: All system apocalypse novels seem to jump straight over the apocalypse itself, which I find very sad. I don't want this to turn into a typical fantasy novel in about ten chapters. Instead, I hope to explore the destruction of society and how things would look if superpowers suddenly appeared in the real world. Before the real apocalypse happens, of course. There will be base building, and likely romance once things settle down. Also dragons, because they are awesome :)
8 197The Precursor Paradox
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8 90Eidolon Rebirth
Magic exists everywhere, except for the unlucky few. The myth known as no-mages, sentenced to a fate worse than slaves. Not even privy to memories of past lives. The pattern of history is meant to break, yet corruption forces a displaced sense of normality. Countless memories torment my consciousness as I vow that everything will be different. Schedule: Mon-Thur, Sat. - Will be posted before 10PM KST on those days. Cover Art by chiirex
8 93NEVER SPLIT THE PARTY: The Adventures of The Creeping Bam (BOOK TWO: One Cold Trail)
After their fateful misadventure in the mountainous Norther Reaches of RUNDAO, a dark new threat to all of RUNDAO has been revealed to the mercenary band of THE CREEPING BAM and their newest member, half-orc bandit SHAYLINE SWIFT-KILL. Returning their hard-won cargo to THE SILVER ORDER in their city stronghold in BAVAT, they find their well-deserved rest will have to rest – half-elf wizard GAEL FOXTAIL’s father has disappeared while performing an investigation in the coastal city of UNTERMER, and it’s up to our motley crew to find him. As a son of Untermer, wily bakaneko thief ART OF SHADOWS is the perfect choice to lead the way, but he has ghosts of his own to face as their investigation brings them into the orbit of the THIEVES GUILD. But there are daker forces at work here, and as they uncover a dark conspiracy and form an uneasy alliance with a trio of tough sellswords with their own stake in the game, led by dwarven warrior THELGAEWYNN FROSTFORGE, the Creeping Bam begin to suspect this may be connected to that unfinished business they started back up north … This is a love letter and homage to the high-fantasy worlds of the tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder and Warhammer and the sword & sorcery cinema and literature I fell in love with as a kid growing up in the 80s, from Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian (and the awesome Schwarzenegger movie, STILL my favourite fantasy film EVER), The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and Ron Howard and George Lucas’ Willow, to the more grown-up and edgy worlds of grimdark masters George RR Martin and (my all-time favourite) Joe Abercrombie, as well as a BIG DOLLOP of Terry Pratchett’s immortal Discworld series. IMPORTANT: This story contains material which some readers may consider to be mature, such as battle violence, some strong language and occasional mild sexual scenes. If this is not your kind of thing, this story is not for you. I am also serializing this story on Tumblr, Wattpad, Quotev and Sweek.
8 135Baseball Princess
Lindsey Adams does not want to do a spring sport in her Freshman year. However, she needs something to do with her free time. Then it hits her: manage a team. But which team? Baseball.She finally works up the nerve to talk to the coach, and he lets her manage the varsity team. She has to come to every practice and game, and even join the boys if they go out for a celebratory meal. Sounds great, right? Spending all that time with all the upperclassmen six packs. That's exactly what Lindsey thought.What she didn't expect was sixteen new brothers that watch her every move and beat up every boy who lays an eye on her. Now how is she supposed to get asked to Prom?
8 292Idealism
Why am I even writing this Anyways I woke in a frenzy of enthusiasm and energy much like Karkat whenever he's embarassed or somesuch but whatever I can do whatever I want so I'm gonna write a story fueled by hate and rage and see if you like it becuase I know I sure won't total amateur here but whatever Jane Crocker don't you go and establish either a fascist regime or control the entire political climate but whatever, I can do whatever I want so here you go "Idealism" :the unrealistic belief in or pursuit of perfection The world probably can't be perfect but I shall write an unrealistic story on how it could be driven towards perfection I tagged it as Contemporary but if you look it up it shouldn't be tagged as such because this isn't believable at all
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