Royal

For centuries, the Free Kingdoms of the North stood unbroken beneath the bat-crested banner of House Von Caerstein. But peace shattered the night the enemy kingdoms unleashed a forbidden horror, the Malcor, a vampiric beast born of ancient sorcery. When the Malcor slaughters King Hadrian and his Hungarian-born queen, Isolde of House Zalvári, the realm is thrust into chaos. At the height of the invasion, the four royal brothers, Cassian, Edric, Darius, and Aurelius rode into battle to defend their homeland. Victory comes with staggering loss, and though the Malcor is driven away, only Aurelius discovers the truth of how to wield their family's sacred crest against the creature. Threatened by the revelation that Aurelius may be the rightful king, the brothers conspire in darkness. They use his beloved, Betrothed Maria, as vengeance to claim the crown. but the plan spirals into tragedy when Maria is brutally killed by the Malcor. Consumed by grief and vengeance, Aurelius hunts the beast alone and slays it, but not before he is bitten and cursed by its dying fang. Aurelius returns to the castle forever changed no longer human, but the first of a new breed of vampire. Driven by betrayal, rage, and the Malcor’s corruption burning in his blood, he unleashes a massacre within the castle walls, wiping out his brothers and every living soul who once called him kin. Now, atop the Carpathian Mountains, the ancient fortress stands drenched in the ghosts of its past ruled by a king who was made, not born. A king forged from love, loss, and bloodshed. A king whose legend will echo through the ages. Thus begins the rise of Aurelius the 1st the last prince of Caerstein, and the first vampire of the North.

"DESTROY HIS DANTIAN!" Ma Durung shouted with a booming voice. Immediately, several disciples tightened their grip on Zhao Yun. The command from Ma Durung, the crown prince of the Ma Kingdom and a prodigious disciple of the Black Dragon Sect, was carried out without hesitation by his subordinates. Zhao Yun, forced to kneel with both his hands firmly restrained by two of Ma Durung's followers, was in a dire situation. His mouth was gagged with cloth, silencing any attempt to cry for help. Worse, his qi flow had been sealed by Ma Durung's personal guards, rendering him powerless to resist. With desperation in his eyes, Zhao Yun glanced toward his three closest friends. His gaze pleaded for their help, a silent cry for salvation. But to his dismay, his friends turned their faces away, avoiding his gaze entirely. Witnessing their betrayal, Zhao Yun could only grimace inwardly. Those he had considered friends, those he had always helped, had stabbed him in the back. A young, innocent man, left crippled with his dantian destroyed, the victim of envy from a royal prince and the betrayal of his three closest friends—this betrayal filled Zhao Yun with a profound sense of disbelief and an unquenchable thirst for vengeance. As he fought to survive the despair threatening to consume him, Zhao Yun was unexpectedly saved by a figure he deeply admired, someone he had always looked up to. Unbeknownst to him, this savior would present Zhao Yun with a choice that would shape his future. Will Zhao Yun redefine his purpose in life? What fate awaits him as he steps into an uncertain future?

At seven, my father returned with his mistress and my half-brother, who was only a few weeks older than me. Under my mother's grief-stricken and despairing eyes, my father ruthlessly kicked us out. I always knew that my father wanted a supernaturally awakened and talented heir, however, I didn't fit the bill because I couldn't awaken any special talents and didn't show outstanding academic abilities. Moreover, my uncles and aunts were eyeing my father's position, eager to overthrow him and take his place. Competitors also harbored ill intentions towards our family, watching my father like a hawk. In this treacherous situation, my father rekindled his relationship with his mistress, the second daughter of a noble family from the Royal City. Finally, my father no longer concealed his pre-marital affair. After making it public, he brought his mistress and her talented son back home to replace my mother and me. To survive, my mother had no choice but to take me into hiding, changing our identities and fleeing to a remote town to escape their grasp and settle down. What my father didn't know was that I didn't lack talent; my talent was simply too strong, requiring an immense amount of energy to awaken, energy that my weak seven-year-old self couldn't handle. Eleven years later, I had grown up and finally awakened my superlative talent, becoming a renowned genius in the remote town. I never thought about going back to confront my father or seeking revenge on his mistress because they weren't worth my mother's and my time! My mother and I are doing well now. I believe with my talent and effort, our lives will only get better. However, I overestimated the goodness in people, and underestimated their malice!