Novels by Alaric yang

The pitch-black beam struck Jones.In the next instant, darkness swallowed him whole. Black light wrapped around his body, sealing him inside a void where nothing else existed.—Within the illusion.The trial of the second Dragonblood Awakening was nearing its end. Jones now faced the final ordeal—Gluttony, one of the Seven Deadly Sins.Before him stretched an impossibly long dining table, so vast that its end could not be seen. Countless delicacies covered its surface: sea urchin, prime cuts of steak, bluefin tuna, lobster—every imaginable luxury, each one enough to awaken instinctive desire.Jones was starving.It felt as though he had gone centuries without food. The accumulated hunger was maddening, almost enough to drive him insane.His stomach churned violently as digestive acids flooded it, the burning pain forcing him to grit his teeth and gasp for breath. Beads of sweat dotted his brow.And yet—Jones was smiling.Because he was certain he could endure this trial.He was abou

The Devil Archduke’s projection raised a finger. At its tip, a sphere of pitch-black light condensed, ready to be hurled at Jones.There was no doubt about it—if that orb struck him, Jones would die.And if Jones died, everyone present would become a feast for the vampires.“Fuck! A devil? Grab your guns—kill it!” the sheriff was the first to react. He snatched up his rifle. Feeling the cold, rough steel against his palms, he broke into a grin—the shadow of fear that had clouded his heart vanished in an instant.What replaced it was fearlessness. Courage—the courage to defy a devil born of legend.“Old buddy, I’m counting on you this time,” the sheriff muttered, loading the magazine.Spurred on by him, the stifling despair that hung over the field was swept away. The survivors clenched their weapons and opened fire on the devil’s towering projection, even as their legs trembled at the mere sight of its colossal form.The night remained thick and dark, yet the thunder of gunfire and th

Pain.Pain so absolute that Jones could no longer think clearly.Sweat born of agony evaporated the instant it surfaced, turning into white vapor under the searing flames. When he finally endured this first wave of torment, the next trial followed immediately—Greed.Jones found himself pulled into an illusion.Treasures beyond measure appeared before him, born from the Sin of Greed—gold, silver, jewels piled high. All it would take was the slightest reach of his hand, and they would all be his.An irresistible impulse surged from deep within his soul. A voice echoed in his mind:Take them. Take all of it.This was the greed etched into a dragon’s very nature, magnified to its peak during the second awakening. The boundless desire drove Jones to raise his hand toward the treasure.And the moment he touched it—He would be consumed by greed.The awakening would fail.He would die.“Stop!”Jones forced every ounce of his will against the desire, halting the hand he had just lifted. The

This was a true crisis.Jones had already been gravely injured in his battle with Caesar. Beneath his collapsed chest lay shattered ribs and damaged, ruptured organs.And now, standing before him, was the entire vampire clan, mobilized in full force—among them elders who had survived for over a thousand years.“I never thought I’d end up fighting side by side with these bloodthirsty, filthy werewolves…”The police chief spat, the saliva mixed with blood splattering onto the ground. The dark streaks refused to fade, much like the blood debt between humans and werewolves—inevitable, irreconcilable.“Arrogant human,” the werewolf elder sneered, forcing the bleeding from his severed arm to stop.“You should be grateful the vampires showed themselves—and that this Dragonborn lord stepped in. Otherwise… you’d already be a pile of pulp in our stomachs.”He led his remaining kin to the front lines.“Your human bodies are too fragile. Stay in the rear and provide cover fire with your guns. The

2:00 a.m.Blood soaked the entire street.The Blackblood Tribe’s werewolves had descended into absolute madness, launching indiscriminate attacks against every human in sight.Their king—their revered leader, Caesar—was dead.Caesar had fallen by human hands, slain in a despicable conspiracy. That was the intelligence delivered by that repulsive vampire.And Caesar’s final wish had been clear:Kill every human who betrayed their promise.So they sought revenge.Even if it meant sacrificing the entire tribe, humanity would not be allowed to walk away unscathed.For the first time, the citizens and police of the City of Water tasted the malice of an ancient age—the terror their ancestors had once faced.“Fire! Open fire! Kill these beasts!”The soldier at the front of the formation roared in fury, eyes bloodshot after watching his friend torn apart and devoured by a werewolf.Rifle fire thundered for a full minute.The towering, muscular werewolf was riddled with bullets, its body perfo

In the brightly lit government hall, clerks hurried back and forth in constant motion. Though it was already deep into the night, the noise and bustle here were even louder than the city’s streets during the day.The attack on the City of Water by the dark races had caught almost everyone off guard. The entire administrative system was, in effect, paralyzed.Doing everything possible—giving every ounce of effort—to protect the City of Water had become the shared dream of everyone present.From the very moment Jones stepped inside, countless eyes locked onto him.The young man’s golden pupils, his calm yet lethal features, and those eyes that seemed tranquil on the surface but concealed vast ambition—nearly everyone found themselves drawn in.Men and women alike felt an intense curiosity about his arrival.“Who is this big shot?” someone couldn’t help but whisper.“He’s so handsome—young, yet with a strange sense of world-weariness that contradicts his age. A talent like this… I have t

Time seemed to freeze.Jones stared into Karina's face, countless emotions churning in his eyes."That necklace... was it really you who gave it to me?"Karina slowly nodded.In an instant, a flood of emotions crashed through him.Shock.Guilt.Regret.He remembered that winter.He had been wandering the streets with a high fever, hungry and alone. He had always believed that Katherine had "happened" to pass by and given him the coat and necklace. Jones had been deeply moved, thinking it was the beginning of love.But he had been wrong all along.It had been this girl.This girl who had always stood quietly behind him, never asking for recognition.She had braved the freezing night to help him, giving away her warm clothing and the only valuable necklace she owned.And he had never known.Jones lowered his gaze to Karina's battered body.The bruises.The cuts.The deep marks left by backpack straps digging into her flesh.Sweat and dirt stained her skin. Her hair clung to her pale che

The monsters charged with savage roars.The first Water Ghoul raised its claws. Karina barely had time to lift her dagger in defense before the tremendous force sent her flying. She slammed into the ground, her back shattering against a protruding rock. Agonizing pain exploded through her body.She struggled to get up, but her arms refused to obey.Another Water Ghoul was already upon her.Then a second.Then a third.Their razor-sharp claws and fangs were inches from tearing open her throat. Foul-smelling saliva dripped onto her face.Death was only a heartbeat away.Meanwhile, Katherine was leading her team toward the treasure chests.She didn't even spare Karina a glance.The girl who had drawn away the monsters for her was dying, yet all Katherine cared about was what rewards might be hidden inside those two chests.It was disgusting.Karina closed her eyes.Her Titan Power had long been exhausted. Her dagger had been knocked several meters away.She had no weapon.No strength.No

Just as Jones was about to charge forward with his sword, he suddenly stopped.Something was wrong.A Hero squad of more than a dozen people had entered his field of vision.Jones's eyes sharpened instantly as his gaze swept across the group.Then it froze.His pupils contracted slightly.Karina. And Catherine.Why were they together?"Damn it!"A shrill curse tore through the air.Catherine swung her hand backward and slapped Karina across the face with enough force to send the girl stumbling several steps. Blood appeared at the corner of Karina's mouth."You bitch!"Catherine's face twisted with fury, her eyes blazing with anger."You're the one who brought all this bad luck on us! Your cursed luck is poison!"She glanced around at her battered and wounded followers, her chest heaving.Just an hour earlier, she had unexpectedly captured Karina.She had been delighted, already imagining how she would punish the servant who had dared run away from her, when they encountered a monster

Lucy stood before Jones, her lips trembling and her eyes reddened.“I’m sorry.”The words seemed to drain every ounce of strength from her body.“I shouldn’t have said those things. Calling you a coward. I shouldn’t have... spat at you.”She lowered her head, fingers twisting together so tightly that her knuckles turned white.“You saved Bob. You saved all of us. And I…”Her voice faltered.The other heroes had all turned their attention toward them.There was no longer any contempt in their eyes.No scorn.No ridicule.Only a heavy sense of guilt, mixed with a gratitude that bordered on reverence.Jones looked at the blushing young woman before him.His expression remained calm.“It’s fine,” he said. “Given what you knew at the time, your judgment wasn’t unreasonable.”Lucy abruptly raised her head.Her eyes grew even redder.“Jones…”Bob stepped forward, his voice trembling slightly.He studied the young man in front of him, still struggling to believe what he had witnessed.“I neve

“Cover me! We have to save Jones!”Bob’s eyes were bloodshot as he roared the order, desperately trying to break through the encirclement of monsters.But it was already too late.The horde unleashed a chorus of shrill screeches and lunged toward Jones all at once—Then the flames rose.Jones merely lifted a hand.BOOM!With him at the center, everything within a hundred meters became an inferno.Crimson fire surged like a raging ocean, swallowing every monster that charged him.The zombies’ flesh curled and blackened beneath the blazing heat as they released agonized screams. Ghouls twisted frantically, trying to escape the hellscape, only to have flames coil around their limbs and burn their bodies apart. Poison spiders attempted to retreat into the shadows, but the searing temperature forced them out, their eight legs twitching violently before they were reduced to charcoal.At the heart of the sea of fire, Jones remained perfectly calm.Sword in hand, he strode forward at an unhur

"Charge!"Bob's roar tore through the air.Titan power erupted from his body as a towering ape phantom nearly sixteen feet tall materialized behind him.A-Rank Titan — Titan Great Ape!But even more monsters surged forward.Zombie claws ripped open the first shield wall.A hero screamed as he fell, his throat torn apart, blood spraying into the air.Ghouls hurled themselves forward without fear of death. Even after spears pierced their chests, they clawed desperately at their enemies, determined to tear away flesh before dying.Venomous spiders darted through the shadows.Every appearance was followed by another agonized scream.Bob swung his warhammer relentlessly.Each strike exploded into a shower of blood and shattered bone.The phantom Great Ape rampaged through the monster horde behind him.But the giant silhouette was gradually fading.His Titan power was running out.Seven monsters surrounded him at once.Another ghoul lunged.Bob twisted aside to avoid it, but the movement to