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

Faced with the teacher’s insults and provocation, Jones had no intention of holding back.Smack!A heavy slap landed across the teacher’s left cheek.Before the man could recover from the shock and pain, another brutal slap struck the same side of his face.“You—how dare you?! How dare you attack me?! I’m a teacher of Norman Academy!”The teacher’s eyes widened in fury and disbelief.In terms of status, he was a teacher at Norman Academy. Even if he was only an ordinary instructor, the academy’s name alone earned him respect everywhere he went.In terms of strength, he was a Level 7 Hero, someone considered powerful even within Dusk City.And yet now, a slum brat who had awakened a so-called useless Titan had dared to strike him in public.Humiliation and rage shattered his remaining reason.He glared at Jones and growled through clenched teeth,“You brought this on yourself, you filthy little bastard!”Enraged, the teacher suddenly raised his right hand. Violent Titan power surged fr

His mother was in danger.A surge of fury crashed through Jones’s mind. The Titan power within him began to riot, spiraling out of control as his body was forced into a breakthrough.On the very first night after his awakening, tempered by a brutal battle, Jones was already on the verge of advancing to Level 2.Once a breakthrough began, it could not be stopped.He had no choice but to remain where he stood.Meanwhile, Sara rushed out of the car, her face tight with urgency as she sprinted toward the building.“Mom! What’s wrong? I’m coming!” she shouted as she ran.But the moment she reached the ward and saw what lay inside, she froze.Her hand flew to her mouth, eyes wide with disbelief.“Mom—no!”The scene before her ignited instant rage.Their mother had been shoved off the hospital bed, her frail body sprawled across the cold floor. The IV lines tangled around her arm, leaving her in a miserable, helpless state.Several nurses crowded around her, their faces twisted with irritati

Jones shook his head, his face expressionless.Now she wanted to apologize?Too late.The betrayal, the mockery, the vicious schemes against him and his family—each one was etched into his memory. As he looked at Catherine kneeling on the ground, the last trace of warmth in his eyes faded, leaving only a bone-deep disgust.This was the path she had chosen.She could walk it all the way—to the end.To hell.Catherine knelt there, trembling uncontrollably. When she lifted her head, she met Jones’s gaze looking down at her. A faint, cold smile touched his lips.His voice was low.“Spare you? When you betrayed me… when you insulted me just now… did you ever think this day would come?”Let her drown in debt.That was her punishment.Catherine’s breath caught. It felt as if an icy hand had seized her heart. Even her fingertips went numb. She trembled harder, unable to even lift her head again.Then—Sara approached.The sharp rhythm of her heels echoed through the dead silence. With every s

The force of the blow sent Catherine flying. She crashed hard onto the ground.Sara narrowed her eyes, danger flickering within them, her voice cold as ice.“Who do you think you are, daring to defy me?”Catherine clutched her swollen cheek. A flash of hatred crossed her eyes, but reason ultimately suppressed her anger. Gritting her teeth, she swallowed her humiliation and forced a flattering smile.“My deepest apologies, Lady Sara. I meant no offense. But this is a sacred blood duel. Jones has already lost consciousness—so naturally, the result is a draw. After all, he insulted the dignity of the nobles present.”Her words immediately won the approval of the aristocrats.They sipped their champagne and nodded in agreement.“Yes, the boy does have some skill to push Robert this far. But in the end, he awakened a useless Titan—and relied on burning his own life to fight. Trash like him deserves to die.”“I agree. Lady Sara, we mean no disrespect, but a duel is a duel. Out of respect fo

The battle raged on for a full hour.By the end of it, the luxurious banquet hall had been reduced to ruin.Robert lay sprawled on the ground, barely breathing, all traces of a Level 10 hero’s former dominance gone. His nose was shattered, his cheekbone crushed, his eye socket caved in. Broken ribs had pierced deep into his body, and every breath came with a wet, ragged rasp.Jones was no better off—his body covered in wounds, blood staining him from head to toe.And yet, he still stood.Like a war god.He slowly lifted his foot, fury burning in his eyes—and brought it down with crushing force.Robert’s head burst apart on impact, staining the white marble floor with a dark, spreading mess.At the same moment, the familiar voice echoed once more in Jones’s mind:“Chosen One, you have completed Option Two and emerged victorious in the blood duel. Your reward will now be granted.”Then—Jones saw the War God.A towering figure appeared within his mind, vast beyond measure. Its height se

The explosive clash instantly drew every noble’s attention.They turned in unison, eyes locked on the unbelievable sight before them—Jones’s fist had collided head-on with Robert’s axe.God…This was madness.What were they even looking at? A lowest-level hero, wielding what was widely dismissed as a useless Titan, had actually blocked Master Robert’s attack?In the crowd, Catherine’s pupils shrank. She froze where she stood.No matter how she tried to process it, she couldn’t accept that the man standing against Robert… was the same “worthless” ex-boyfriend she had cast aside.“Impossible… This can’t be happening!”Her heart pounded wildly as she muttered under her breath, panic creeping into her voice.“He must have taken some kind of forbidden drug—something that burns his life force to force out this kind of power!”She hurried up toward the platform, her expensive heels striking sharply against the floor, each step betraying her growing anxiety.But in the next instant, her expr