《Cross Roads: Rebranding Chaos (Book Four)》Chapter 24
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Moments later, still wrapping her head around the psychiatric evaluation, Chloe was in her office along with Rahkaze and discussing their discoveries.
Rahkaze decided to get inside of the heart of the matter, “Chloe, is it possible that we can use her evaluation for the case?”
“Absolutely not,” Chloe denied. “As of right now, her evaluation is sealed even if she fails. In which she will. She is too much of a liability. And insane…”
This made Rahkaze a bit anxious, “I know they are sealed, but how can we unseal them? You said it yourself, she is insane. So, using her psychiatric evaluation--”
“There are different variables at work, Rahkaze,” Chloe wavered as Rahkaze rolled her eyes at the fact.
“I know they are variables, but can we ever indict a variable?”
“If they committed an international crime, then yes,” Chloe discussed.
“Well try this on for size: illegal bounty hunting, soliciting murder, setting off bombs that killed and injured thousands, Chloe. Come on, be creative,” Rahkaze eagerly suggested.
“Proof is the main thing. We still have the whistleblower’s information from five years ago and if we do connect the dots between that and-- along with everyone else who is involved with them--” while Chloe was finishing her thought process, she looked over her shoulder to see a Korean fox girl with long black hair and ocean blue eyes. Her attractive measurements are an example of an hourglass body type, wearing an elegant short red kimono robe with stylish design details with high waisted deep garnet red geo-fire printed leggings and high heel boots.
Both Chloe and Rahkaze were a bit peeved by her barging in. Chloe, however, made the best of it, “How may I help you, miss…”
“I am terribly sorry for barging in your office so suddenly,” the fox girl apologized.
“You know what you’re doing. You wanted my attention, and you got it.” Chloe debunked. “So, what is your business?”
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“My name is Noel Moon, senior royal advisor of I.N.D.,” the fox girl introduced.
Rahkaze didn’t really think twice about leaving the two alone as she left the room. Besides, Rahkaze needed to speak to Chloe’s superiors about what just happened anyway. Noel made herself comfortable by sitting in one of the vacant chairs, as Chloe said her office chair.
“Funny, we currently have dozens of daemon queens and several hundred minor monarchs who are networked with all of them in the nephalem hierarchy tree,” Chloe explained. “Yet, there is no ‘I.N.D.’ in our databases or whatever it stands for.”
“I.N.D. stands for Imperatoris De Neque, Inspector Serpentine,” Noel revealed.
I.N.D. or Imperatoris De Neque (The Emperor of the Nether in Latin) has a relatively new stance in the royalty scene of nephalems. Still, I.N.D. has made quite an impact amongst not only the daemonic monarchs but also elven and human monarchs as well.
Judging by Noel’s appearance, Chloe decides to play off Noel’s false reasons on why she’s here, “there is no I.N.D. in our currently active databases.”
“But there is only one daemon king. Is he active in your database?” Noel contradicted.
“No,” Chloe corrected. “In fact, neither of them is on many lists.”
Noel shrugged at the idea, “All the same, he is recognized, and so should she…”
She wasn’t getting anywhere with Noel, so Chloe decided to get to the point, “Tell me why you’re here, Miss Moon?”
“We do believe that you have evaluated the four remaining members of the Nether Elite, Detective Constable Serpentine,” Noel stated.
“I was the one who conducted their evaluations, yes,” Chloe confirmed, but she didn’t have to be a criminal psychologist to figure out what’s going to happen next. Or in this case, what Noel is about to ask her.
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“Overhearing your conversation with your friend, I do agree with you that the four females are indeed a great liability to everyone, including you. However, his Majesty wants you to at least turn a blind eye and give the four females a chance of redemption. At his Majesty’s request, of course.”
Chloe scoffed at the idea, “I realize that you’re here under direct orders to twist my words to his Majesty’s benefit. That goes against my Hippocratic oath as a psychiatrist and my oath as an officer of the law.”
“‘I do believe in times like these, we all should give those a second chance in life-- especially what they’re good at-- and give them a reason to live.’ I’ve read your book, Detective Constable Serpentine, it was a good read,” Noel proudly quoted.
“Flattery will get you nowhere…” Chloe flatly rejected.
With a sly smile on her face, Noel went inside her satchel and pulled out a brown portfolio with the I.N.D.’s royal emblem on it, “then maybe something at this caliber should make you at least a bit flattered. I think you should look at this, Detective Constable Serpentine.”
Noel hands her the portfolio as Chloe reluctantly takes it from her, “Unless your N.D.I. is recognized by the United Nations, he has no authority over anyone.”
Chloe opened the portfolio images and documents. The pictures itself were horrifying and heartbreaking. Every single image and every single corrigendum, Chloe carefully read over, her face began to turn paler.
Seeing this reaction saddened Noel as she sincerely spoke from the heart, “these are only four victims that were identified by us, Miss Serpentine. I would ask if you’d recognized them as well, but you do. The benefits of the Oleander Syndicate being destroyed was indeed one of the best selfless acts supporting all forms of life by one man. With Alastair creating awareness, he unknowingly built a bridge of understanding them and us.
“You know more than anyone about them being sexually assaulted and brutalized. On top of them killing countless of nephalems and nether users, they have a lot to answer for. Where many of the simplest solutions, they fail to grasp. It pains me to see not only those four females but for everyone to become obsolete and archaic in our time. Instead of casting them aside, we should learn from them…”
Chloe sat back in her chair and set the portfolio aside as Noel continued, “Despite everything you have lectured the past about redesigning, rebuilding, and reclaiming oneself, it goes both ways. Yes, they don’t want to change anything about themselves on the surface. They think they are fine the way they are. Yet, the whole world has evolved while they had stayed the same.”
Chloe closed the portfolio and tossed it aside out of disgust.
“Evolution has passed them by, and they know it. Whether it fits Ryoko’s failed attempts of rehabilitation from alcohol and sex or Kayla’s apathy and delusions of heroism or Gideon digging herself in a hole or Ayeka’s failed attempts at making up from her ancient past. Whether people want to accept it or not, Detective Constable Serpentine, the best help, and the best things in life are those you do not want or plan for,” Noel concluded.
Chloe looked up at Noel with tearful eyes. She realized the horrifying truth about the wolf girls and what she has been through. Although she has seen many cruel things in life, nothing really pales in comparison to what they had endured.
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Dreams or Another World - Not a Zero (Update 09/19/21)
(Updated 09/19/21) Hello and welcome. If you made it this far and the book title sounds interesting, I'm hoping you'll read a few chapters. Here's a sample from chapter 1 of "Dreams or Another World - Not a Zero."Slowly starting to wake up, I become aware. It's like coming out of a fog.Head hurts.Body hurts.There's a conversation in the room. This isn't my bed. Someone is touching my arm. I crack my eyes to look. She doesn't notice. Is she praying for me? Her hands do feel good…do feel... Slipping back unconscious, my eyes slowly close. I didn't notice the soft green glow under Jenn’s hands.*******************"It does look like he saved them or at least stalled them long enough for us to get there." says the man dressed more like a park ranger than an officer of the law. "I did think he was part of it at first" he continues "but the evidence shows he wasn't there and they were certainly fighting on that back road where we found them""I don't care who he is." says a woman as she enters the room. "He saved and protected my Jenn. I will make sure there's not a mark or a scar on him before he leaves". As she continues the few steps over to the men speaking, even though dressed simply in common clothes, there is no doubt the race of elves is in her heritage. The grace and lines of her form. The elegance and lightness of her step. She glances at her daughter, still watching over the young man in the bed. "Do we know who he is yet?" she asks no one in particular."Not yet dear" a man in a white coat responds. A handsome middle-aged man. Fit, but not that of a fighter or ranger. "I asked Talon to bring another identification stone with him. I was hoping ours was just broke, but it's reading the same.""What do you think is wrong?" Talon asks."I'm thinking we just have to wait until he recovers. I have heard of cases where the stone didn't work. Powerful spells can hide or wipe a person clean. I doubt he's a spy or a criminal. Spells like that are just too high level if, they're used at all. My best guess is, there is just some disconnect with him being unconscious. When he wakes, we can ask him or use the stone again then."I find myself waking up in a hospital bed. The attending Doctor finds it odd that he cannot identify my class. An Officer says I’m a Hero for saving a girl from being kidnapped, but he’s asking too many questions for my liking. I know an accusing tone when I hear it. I don’t remember any of it and I need to find my way home.Author’s notes. Original work. First draft and update of chapters 1-16. Inspired by various fantasy games and books. Written with a focus on character development and interaction. Combat, progression, leveling, classes, but no numbers or stats. I’ll try to keep the language clean, PG-13, no smut. I’m in the US, writing in English. Almost fifty chapters are completed as I pen this introduction. I intend to complete this story or at least bring it to a proper ending. I have a destination in mind. I find as I write, doors and ideas open, while others close and are discarded. The tentative release schedule will be once a week. I'm new to creating. My apologies now while I learn. I have not settled on a book cover or artwork, still looking for something that fits. Registered & Protected #20VjeKDv2U6nynW6
8 494Statless
Summary Alexander Weiss, an intelligent and slightly unusual man, always dreamt of becoming a mage. Sadly, reality is harsh and even his best efforts never allowed him to achieve his goal during his lifetime... or did they? One has to be careful what they wish for, lest they might live to see it fulfilled. Description Follow Alex, a man whose pursuit of magic could not even be stopped by his non-magical reality, going as far as to create it himself, only to encounter an unsurmountable obstacle shortly before achieving his lifes goal, denying him all access to these powers. His journey will take him through a miraculous world, full of wonders, magic and manic beasts trying to devour him! He will learn much about this world during his adventures, exploring individual aspects of the System and the various monsters that came from it... or did they? Strong points What you'll get from this novel is the following (read with overly enthusiastic salesman-voice) : • An ending! I'll complete it, no matter what. Well, not "no matter what", but as long as I don't unexpectedly end, this novel won't either! • Good grammar! Might not be perfect, but it's definitely good enough to not detract from the story in the slightest. I'll also fix any reported mistakes as soon as possible, be they grammatical, syntactical or just inconsistencies. • No plot-armor! Or plot-weapons! Or plot-... potions? And no plot-holes! If you see some, it's most likely information that is being witheld for future revelations! But in the (hopefully) very unlikely case of such a vile beast being encountered, please inform me immediately and I'll see to slaying it without grace! (Translation: If you see plot-holes, tell me and I'll fix them) • Logic! [Hidden : Spoilers][Hidden : More Spoilers] [Moved to Chapter [Hidden Spoiler]'s Author's Note] Marvelous, I know! • Blue Boxes! And maybe something more! • Sensible retroactive edits! Not to be confused with radioactive edits! You'll not have to re-read previous chapters, even if they get some major edits. If they were to receive new information, I'll add that very information to the newly released chapters too, in a reasonable way. • Realism! Shocking, I know! Especially considering the tag related to that and the point about "Logic!". This also means that the story will be... well, realistically depicting a pretty messed up world. Don't expect bunnies... at least not cute ones. • Relatively faster paced! No long and boring descriptions of irrelevant stuff. There will be some longer descriptions about important things, but that's gonna be necessary world- and/or character-building! • Short action! Might not be a plus for some, but you won't have to look at a whole (or, god forbit, multiple) chapter describing a fight against the same enemy... • Strategy and hard progression! It's a dog-eat-dog world! No grinding/power-creep! If you're up against three enemies of your level at once, you've already lost! • Understanding! It will be mostly about discovering the wonders of this new world and how it became like that, all while trying to survive. So there will be enough action nonetheless! • Humor! Sometimes dark, sometimes light, always at the worst moment! • Constructive critics, welcome! Destructive critics, nope... I can handle criticism though, so don't go easy on me! Just make sure it's really a mistake when complaining about something. • Will add more in the future! If I can think of more stuff...
8 169Serpent's Kiss
Duty to the clan is the first lesson every Serpent child learns. Yeijiro, born with no gifts and lacking the skills most valued by the Serpent, has turned his back on that duty, joining the Imperial Marshals to offer direct service to the Emperor herself. As daughter of the Prime Minister of the Dragon clan, Corinne knows her duty as well, but when a fight with a demon puts Corinne on leave from her beloved Phoenix Guard, her mother takes that opportunity to drag Corinne into the political landscape Corinne has worked all her life to avoid. A conspiracy against the life of the Emperor sees Corinne and Yeijiro working together, both thrown into the deep end of the Imperial Court, a world of intrigue and sex where all five clans vie for power. Yeijiro’s loyalties are put into question as he must now prove himself to both the Lord Marshal and to Miyōshi Tōru, lord of the clan Yeijiro renounced. While Corinne is drawn into a world of desire and decadence by a mysterious patron who is quite certainly more dangerous than she appears. Yeijiro and Corinne must find a way to balance the duty they owe their clans against the growing desires of their hearts, or risk not only their own lives, but the life of the Emperor herself. READ THIS BOOK IF YOU WANT: BL; yuri; lots of hot, steamy sex embedded in an exciting space opera story; epic stories with many points of view; romances that play out over years, with all the ups and downs you'd expect; a rich, complex fantasy world of intrigue and adventure; fancy clothes; swordfights; demons; sex parties Updates every Monday and Thursday.
8 138The Price of Power
Payten is an outcast, harassed and bullied at every turn. However, everything changes when a powerful necromancer offers him the chance to escape his miserable life. But is he willing to pay the price for power? *On hiatus*
8 105Infinite energy in the distortion world
Let me ask you What would you do if you encounter a supernatural event that may shake your peaceful and dull life? Would you delve upon it? or would you rather forget about all of it as if it never happened at all? Well as for me, I can only say that I don' t have much of a choice but to go on So will you go with me? Go with me as I unveiled the secrets of this mystery?
8 148Perpetuo Servaturum
Это мир, в котором каждому человеку суждено быть со своим "истинным". Неважно, сколько лет пройдет, они все равно будут вместе. Если до совершеннолетия "истинные" не наши друг друга, они перестают стареть, так как старость они должны встретить вместе. История об учителе, который сотню лет ждал, как оказалось, своего ученика.
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