Novels by Lily Monroe

At that moment, Pahsaman charged again, clearly intent on killing Mamaha in the ring.“I’m going to kill you!”Ignoring the pain wracking his body, Mamaha reacted just in time, narrowly avoiding Pahsaman’s stomping foot and counterattacking his lower body.Yet his strikes seemed to have no effect whatsoever.The crowd grew increasingly anxious, their voices rising louder and louder.To Pahsaman, those shouts were like fuel to a fire. His eyes gleamed as he fixed his gaze on Mamaha.A sense of dread surged through Mamaha—but before he could evade, Pahsaman’s powerful fist slammed into his abdomen.He didn’t even have time to cry out.His body shot through the air like a cannonball, hurtling straight out of the ring.Everyone was convinced he wouldn’t survive.That last blow had carried nearly all of Pahsaman’s strength.Already injured, Mamaha had no chance of enduring it.Ignoring the crowd, Adrian walked straight to Mamaha’s side and tapped several points on his body.Medical staff q

With a sweep of the host’s hand, the entire venue fell instantly silent.“For this round, Mr. Maizart and Mr. Angbitai have wagered a jade mine!”As the betting began, the crowd erupted once more.“I’m betting on Mr. Angbitai! He practically never loses!”“I’ll put up $500,000—on Angbitai!”“I’m in for $1 million—Maizart!”“$500,000 for me…”As wagers poured in, both sides’ fighters had already gathered behind the ring. The moment the crowd saw who had been sent out, the odds tipped heavily in Angbitai’s favor.Pahsaman was the first to step forward for Angbitai—a towering mass of muscle, his heavy, brooding expression enough to unsettle anyone.On Maizart’s side, Heypawa was ultimately the first to enter.As the two climbed onto the ring, cheers broke out across the arena.Standing beside Adrian, Mamaha began explaining.“Pahsaman is a power fighter. No one can match him head-on. I didn’t expect him to go first.”On the stage, Pahsaman had already launched forward. Heypawa relied on

Adrian let out a quiet sigh. It seemed that no matter what he said now, these two simply wouldn’t believe him.The other fighter appeared to have finished settling his affairs. He stood up and gave Adrian a firm pat on the shoulder.“Since fate brought us together for one last match, that makes us brothers of circumstance. When you see how we die out there, don’t be afraid—just make sure you’ve said everything you need to say.”Mamaha nodded in agreement.“His name is Heypawa, from the Ganz Kingdom. Kid, you’d better write your will now. If time runs short later, you might regret it.”Adrian offered an awkward smile and, somewhat unusually, extended his hand first.“Nice to meet you. I’m Adrian.”The three shook hands, becoming at least somewhat acquainted.Adrian understood that their intentions were kind, and his attitude toward them softened considerably.Heypawa shook his head with a trace of regret.“You’re far too young. It would be a terrible waste for you to die here.”Then, a

Maizart beamed as he took the contract, visibly relieved.In his elation, he couldn’t resist offering a few extra compliments.“Mr. Angbitai truly lives up to his reputation as a leading figure in the jade world—decisive and straightforward!”“One can tell at a glance—you’re a man destined for great things. I personally admire your bearing immensely!”Angbitai was thoroughly displeased, though he kept it from showing too plainly on his face.“You flatter me. You’ve seen how I conduct myself. I accept this loss wholeheartedly, but in the spirit of friendly competition, I’d like another round.”Another round?Not just Maizart—everyone watching was taken aback.After all, Angbitai had suffered a devastating loss, yet he still wanted to continue.“Is Angbitai trying to win it back?”“Obviously! That’s an entire jade mine on the line!”“I still think Mr. Lincoln, the Heavenly Eye, is the real deal. That kid might’ve just gotten lucky.”“That makes sense… now I’m getting interested.”Adrian

As the stone cutter worked, the rough stone was gradually split open, revealing a crystalline green within.“It’s green! And it’s glass-type jade!”“My God, as expected of Mr. Lincoln, the Heavenly Eye! If the whole piece turns out to be glass-type, that’s a massive win!”“I’m so jealous—if only Mr. Lincoln would pick a stone for me, I’d be smiling even in my dreams!”“Keep dreaming. Do you really think someone like Mr. Lincoln is within your reach?”“This piece alone has to be worth at least $100 million!”Wave after wave of excited exclamations filled the air, and Angbitai lifted his chin high, basking confidently in the surrounding admiration and envy.Though most of the praise was directed at Mr. Lincoln, he himself showed little reaction.Mr. Lincoln stepped forward to the stone and calmly pointed at several spots.“Here, here, and here. Cut.”The cutters dared not slack off. They immediately picked up their tools and carefully followed his ???????, slicing along the marked lines

Once one person voiced it, the murmurs only grew louder.“It seems Mr. Maizart is destined to lose this time…”“I’ve always believed in miracles—but not this one.”“How could Mr. Maizart choose someone like that as his appraiser?”The steady stream of doubt weighed heavily on Maizart, dragging his spirits to the depths.Even he could almost foresee the outcome.Lincoln Ashford felt his heart lodged in his throat.He no longer dared to guarantee Adrian’s victory—after all, the title “Heavenly Eye” alone spoke of formidable skill.The only one who remained composed was Adrian.His calm demeanor made it seem as though none of this concerned him.Maizart let out a sigh, while Adrian simply waved a hand, utterly unburdened.“Until the final moment, nothing is decided. Don’t worry.”Hearing this, Maizart couldn’t help but envy Adrian’s composure.Before he could settle his thoughts, Angbitai spoke again.“Everyone present—today, I’m covering all stone gambling expenses. Enjoy yourselves! Wi

A tidal blaze unfurled between heaven and earth, and within the flames—“Holy Emperor…”The warriors of the Solar Kingdom froze.This moment—This was the end.Their power swelled, vast and violent.From all directions the distant onlookers—those who had kept their distance—felt their hearts lurch.The Holy Emperor had fallen.The great factions witnessing it didn’t even dare show their faces.“Kill!”“Kill that brat!”The Solar Kingdom’s elites were enraged.At once they broke into furious curses.In an instant, the crowd drowned in wrath.The strong of the Solar Kingdom were terrified.No one hesitated.All of them lunged to kill Dragon-Slayer and Anthony.“You really want to die together?”The next moment—Anthony struck once.A swath of top-tier experts exploded, their bodies smashed to pieces.Squelch!Some heads spun off into the air.Dead.The Holy Emperor had been killed.But they… were powerless.They could not keep fighting. If they did, the entire Solar Kingdom might be gro

Dragon-Slayer grunted, swallowed the pain in his seams, and rose into it, the sword-edge cutting a white arc.Beside them, Thirteen Smith muttered a curse. “Stupid kid.” The Holy Emperor only sneered, eyes full of scorn.Dragon-Slayer didn’t answer, his grip biting down. “Hnh. I’ll carve you up.”He fought with everything, every stroke meant to kill. Anthony watched, his gaze shifting—he seemed to read the intent, and held his tongue.Boom—the air rolled like a tide swallowing the field. The Holy Emperor’s rampage had passed understanding; each strike was huge and ruthless.A heartbeat later, the gale rose again. His offense poured like a rain-screen, fists and palms crossing, killing intent spearing the clouds. He was a hammer overfilled with thunderfire—blow after blow grinding down.Dragon-Slayer braced in a flash—swordlight fierce—meeting edge with edge.Boom! He staggered back several steps, heart pounding, a flicker of disbelief breaking through his eyes. Why? What in hell did h

Dragon-Slayer dropped lightly to the ground; a tap of the heel, dust settled. He raised his eyes to the figure standing high above, gaze cold, voice low but heavy enough to hold the field.Though his chest still heaved, he ground out each word: “I’m not afraid of you.”“Today, I’ll defeat you—and kill you.”“The Solar Kingdom will never be a match for Ardenia.”“Your warriors are garbage.”The Holy Emperor laughed softly, a rasp like a blade dragging over stone. “You’re sure? Sure you’re not afraid? Then today, I’ll cut you to pieces.”Dragon-Slayer stepped in instead of back, a short drive of the foot, his body tipping forward, killing intent sliding free like a naked edge. He lifted his head and met the sword-hard gaze above, unflinching.The cold in his eyes cut sharper than steel. “To me, you’re—nothing.”“Today, you die.”“I will kill you.”“You think that boy can really keep you safe?” His words fell like a war banner rammed into open ground, snapping in the gale. Wind licked hi

“Y-you—why are you this strong…”Anthony’s mouth pulled into a cold curve. “It’s not that I’m strong. It’s that you’re useless.”Before the last syllable faded, he surged upward, a raptor cutting through knives of wind and sleet, and stooped.Boom!Explosions flowered across the sky, force scattering like invisible hammers pounding the void. Killing intent poured down like a tangible blaze.He raised another fist. Before it even landed, the gale at its edge flayed the dust to air.Bang!The Holy Emperor’s chest was punched straight through. Blood burst like a flower. His armor shattered; a hideous hole tore open across his front. He was blasted backward, blood running in a steady ribbon from his lips, his eyes wide with a terror that couldn’t focus—grasping at reality’s edge and finding nothing.The rim of the armor writhed, trying to stitch itself—futile against the gaping wound.He lifted his gaze in disbelief, and for the first time, true fear flooded his eyes—the primal dread of t

He pulled a breath, dragging his sight back from the dark. He looked up into the Ardenian youth’s face—indifferent, eyes like a winter lake, unruffled.“Your strength isn’t bad,” Anthony said, mild, with a flat contempt folded into it. “Unfortunately for you, you’re facing me. Which makes everything you do useless.”He tipped his chin, the cold at his eye’s corner cutting sharper. “So this is the Solar Kingdom’s best? No more than this.”Contempt, complete and entire.“In all martial ways, speed breaks all.” He sheathed in one clean motion, his pace itself a declaration. The Holy Emperor was fast—unquestionably. But he was facing Anthony. That alone sealed his tragedy.In a handful of exchanges, Anthony had hammered the Holy Emperor’s confidence to splinters. He had never imagined the man before him could be this absurdly strong. Terror—there was no other word in the minds of those watching.To Anthony, it was nothing. His gaze stayed cold; his killing will drew tighter.The Holy Empe

The heaving air over the four quarters suddenly sank. A darkened silhouette dragged itself out of the heights of the sky, like a deeper thread of night within the night, easing toward them. It had no sound, no scent; even the grain of its aura felt sanded smooth—more secret than a ghost, like a frost-sheathed dagger settling wordlessly to the throat.A heartbeat later, a figure fell from the heights. He touched down without a sound, yet his presence tore the silence around him. It was a tyranny that needed no words; with just an inch of ground underfoot, hearts clenched.“Holy Emperor!!”“The Holy Emperor is here!”“Lord Holy Emperor, a god forever…”“Lord Holy Emperor, mighty and unyielding!”“We can kill these Ardenians now…”“We must kill them…”The boiling shouts surged like oil set alight, raising the temperature of every throat at once. The Holy Emperor revealed himself—a man in his middle years, features unassuming, but a severity honed to lethal stillness. When his gaze droppe