The Veiled Man
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The Martial God - Chapter 73
🕑 Added 2025-01-09 16:05:30 +0000 UTCChapter 73: A Promise to the Future
Bandaged like a mummy, I walked beside Solara and Lilian down the academy’s hallways, laughing at Lilian’s endless chatter as she tried to cheer me up. Solara also looked less gloomy than earlier, joining the conversion here and there. But Lilian had been talking for a solid five minutes now, her loud, animated voice filling the corridor.
“That aside,” Solara suddenly interrupted her, “what about that mission you were sent to? You returned injured.”
“Oh,” Lilian's tone suddenly dropped to a hush when the topic of her latest mission was brought up. “It’s a miracle I returned at all,” she looked at Solara and then at me. “So, about that Outer God Cult—”
I raised my good hand. “No,” I said quietly, giving her a gentle nudge. “We’ll talk about that privately. This isn’t the best place.” Whatever she’d found about that thing would require much more attention than I could muster right now.
She nodded quickly, but her eyes burned with the need to tell me all she’d discovered. Solara shrugged on my other side, wings folded back, her expression quietly thoughtful. No one spoke further about cults or dark conspiracies for the next few steps.
Before long, we reached a broad, carved door. I knocked twice, knuckles echoing in the stillness. Amelia’s voice wafted from within, tinted with fatigue. “Argh, did you bring the tea? Come in…”
I exchanged a quick look with the girls. Pushing the door open, I found the chancellor leaning back in her chair, a thick book draped across her face. “Place it on the table,” She said with a soft moan, lifting the book just enough to peer out. The moment her eyes landed on me, she jolted upright. “Ah! Iskandaar!” She sprang to her feet, weariness evaporating on the spot as she started toward me.
I held up a hand. “One second, Amelia.” Then I glanced at Lilian and Solara. “I got a job for you two. Find Nebula and bring her to my dorm if she's free. If she’s still busy with her thing, I’ll go see her myself later.”
The girls showed distinctly different reactions. Lilian cast Amelia a quick scowl. She harbored distrust for authority, but she had known Amelia for a while now, so I was confused about why she was looking at her like that. Solara only gave a nod.
“Don’t be late,” Lilian said, and without any further word, they turned and slipped out of the room, the door closing behind them.
Amelia took two steps to bridge the distance the instant we were alone, throwing her arms around me. Her hug was fierce, and warmth poured off her in waves. “My baby boy…”
Her affectionate voice slightly surprised me and made me laugh. Although my body still ached from the demon incident, I wrapped my left arm around her while summoning my Phantom Hand on the right, letting it rest gently on her back. A shaky sigh escaped her, and her tension melted as she pressed her face against my nape.
“I’m so relieved to see you awake,” she murmured, her voice thick. “Thank you.”
“Uh, you’re welcome…” For a moment, we just stood there, sharing that silence of relief. “I couldn’t just let people die, you know?” She just let out a dry laugh in response.
Eventually, we released the hug when a servant brought tea and then I coaxed her to sit. She insisted on pouring tea for both of us as she settled across from me, her eyes still shining with residual emotion.
I took a careful sip. “So... how are you holding up? I heard parents are boiling with anger and blaming you for this incident. The student casualties…”
She inhaled and released the breath slowly. “We lost a dozen, maybe a bit more if you count those who are permanently maimed. And, oh yes, the parents are furious. Some have threatened lawsuits, or worse—refusing to fund the academy any longer.” She rubbed her temples. “I’m sorry about all this. If I had recognized the danger earlier—”
“I should be the one apologizing.” I cut in, setting the teacup down. “Maybe I could have used that Skill sooner, preventing some destruction.”
She shook her head, a faint tremor in her voice. “Sweetie, no. You warned me about all that, but it was me who failed to take proper measures. It’s not your fault, and that skill nearly ended your life. I don’t want you to use it for me. I... I know it’s unprofessional to say, but I value your life more than those students. I can’t let you kill yourself for them.”
I blinked at those words and exhaled a shaky laugh, unsure how to reply. She was really forward today. When she kept staring at me with an earnest look in her eyes, I gave her a small smile and returned to my tea. Amelia looked at me warmly.
We chatted for several more minutes, skimming over smaller details of the aftermath. I got a clearer idea about everything from her. I also asked her about the [Photon Ring], hoping to understand it better. Her senses were more advanced than Solara's, so she’d perceived better. Her words only complicated it for me.
Then I cleared my throat. “I have a question. About… Victor Seraph. Right before Ashvarak clobbered me, I’m pretty sure Victor pulled something. He purposefully withdrew part of his shield, letting me get blindsided.”
Her face darkened. She fell quiet, but a moment of hesitation later, she nodded. “I saw it too. But I can’t prove it. He insists it was some trick of Ashvarak’s illusions, that he did nothing. And right now, with so much blame cast on the academy, I can’t exactly pick a fight with a Duke’s son. The Empire’s already suspecting we mishandled this crisis.”
I breathed out sharply. “I see. Then maybe we should implement my earlier idea. Create a situation where I can handle him with minimal fallout. No illusions, no fancy public show. Just us.”
Amelia leaned back in her chair, silent for a time. Though she didn’t give me a direct yes, she no longer looked so reluctant. “I’ll consider it,” she said at length.
“Thanks.”
“By the way,” she ventured, prompting me to change the subject, “the elves have asked to speak with you. Vaelion… she’s the only person who recognized you amid the chaos when you fought Ashvarak. I don’t know. She wants to thank you or glean some truths about your power. But I can promise she means no harm. Are you up for a visit?”
I drained the last of my tea, thinking. “Sure,” I said eventually. “I can handle the elves. It’s not like I can refuse them, right?”
She gave a rueful smile. “True enough.”
I stood, carefully setting the teacup aside. My body still felt a bit stiff, I was still bandaged, but I felt far better than when I woke up. “Then let’s go see them.” Amelia nodded, following me to the door. Before we could walk out, she gave my hand a quick squeeze.
****
I followed Amelia into one of the quieter wings of the infirmary complex, a part of it that was rarely used except for the most serious cases. My legs felt a little shaky, still adjusting to the fact that I'd awakened just hours ago. Leveling up helped, but perhaps because it was one of the conditions of the Temporal Overdraft skill, or perhaps the damage was just that extensive, the level ups didn’t fix everything. Yet Amelia’s determined stride compelled me forward.
“I’d have held you and helped, but people would misunderstand,” she said as we stopped in front of a door. The room we entered was spacious but dimly lit, a single glowstone illuminating the corners.
Vaelion stood near a low cot while Rhydar, the Elven Prince, lingered a step behind her. On the bed lay Eryndor, face red from burn damage and still bandaged in most places. He looked far from the proud warrior-priest who had arrived at the festival days prior.
Vaelion raised her head when we stepped in, relief plain in her silver eyes. “Iskandaar Romani,” she greeted softly. “I’m glad you’re up. We... owe you a great debt.”
At her words, Rhydar bowed slightly. “Truly. What you did—saving Eryndor—is something none of us can ever repay.”
I opened my mouth to deny it, but Amelia shook her head, pressing a hand to my arm as if to say, ‘Just accept their thanks.’ I was unsure. I thought only Vaelion saw me, but the prince too? Who else knew? I managed a small nod. “I’m happy I could help. But, uh, I heard he’s still unconscious?”
Vaelion’s gaze slid to Eryndor’s sleeping form. “Yes. His injuries are deep, so I doubt he’ll wake up here. We plan to treat him better after taking him back home. The demon’s residual aura corrupted his veins. We purged most of it, but he needs time to heal.”
I exhaled, noticing how the thick hush of the room weighed on us all. “I’m sorry about that,” I said quietly, recalling the brutal clash that forced us to drive out Ashvarak from Eryndor’s body. Well, I didn’t really recall it, but I got the image of it from Solara and Amelia’s explanation. “He should recover, right?”
Rhydar offered a tentative smile. “Yes, the [Healers] are certain. He might have to rest for months or years, but he’ll live.” A moment passed as he glanced at Vaelion, then back to me. “Rest assured, friend. We’re not telling the public about your... involvement. Aunt Vaelion does have to inform the Queen Mother in person—that is her duty—but we trust that’ll remain discreet. I’ll personally request it from the Queen Mother.”
My stomach tightened. A royal head would know about my powers and misunderstand what I was. It was both a good thing and a bad one. My friends would take me more seriously, but my enemies would prepare a cannon to kill mosquitoes. Still, better the Queen than the entire Elven court, which would definitely cause rumors in the human realm too. “I see. Thank you.”
Amelia, standing close enough for me to sense her tension, interjected. “We appreciate your vow of secrecy. Truly.” She gave Vaelion a respectful nod. “The fewer who know the details, the better.”
Vaelion smiled wryly. “I prefer to keep our internal fiascos to ourselves. Humans and elves have enough friction without complicating it further.”
A half-formed question burned in my mind as I asked, “How did he even fall victim to demonic possession, anyway? He’s extremely strong for it to happen easily.”
Vaelion hesitated and then gave me an ashamed look. “It’s shameful to admit, but it’s… internal elven politics. A faction of the dark elves planned this. We found this,” she said, stepping to a small side table. She lifted a black metal band twisted with arcane runes. “This is the Cursed Anklet, which allowed Ashvarak leeway into Eryndor’s mind. An influential dark elf gifted this to Eryndor a few months ago, and he’d been wearing it since then as a form of respect. But it turned out to be a trap. We’ve captured all the suspects, and they’ll receive appropriate punishment once we return.”
It must have been a complicated process to get permission from the empire to take the criminals back to the Elven Kingdom of Sylvanielle. I leaned in, studying the faint carvings etched along its length. Even from a foot away, I felt a dark energy emanate from it. “Interesting artifact to have subdued a peak 7th Ascension warrior.”
Vaelion nodded. “An artifact from the Demon King’s Treasury, no doubt.” She set it down gingerly. “We’ll destroy it once we fully analyze its properties. Ah, speaking of artifacts.” She looked at her nephew, nodding. “My dear, please.”
“Ah, yes. “At that, Rhydar tapped a small pouch at his belt. “This, Iskandaar, is for you.” He pulled out a slender pendant fashioned from pale silver, shaped like a leaf, and offered it to me. “The Elven Spirit Pendant. Since you saved Eryndor, we want you to have it. It’s a gift. Wear it, channel your mana into it, and a spirit familiar will manifest. For as long as you hold the pendant’s authority, you can summon and dismiss the spirit.”
My eyebrows climbed. “A familiar from a single artifact? Are you sure you want me to have this?” Something that let me summon and dismiss the spirit in command, too. It must cost a fortune if one wanted to buy it in the market, and that was considering the elves even sold something like that.
Rhydar’s smile widened. “I’m positive. Consider it our token of gratitude. You saved my teacher’s life and the relationship between our two species. This is small in comparison. Let’s get along in classes from now on.”
So he will enroll in the academy anyway, despite this messy incident. That should save Amelia from the current backlash. I noted as Amelia gripped my shoulder. “They insist. Just take it,” she murmured, shooting me a trusting look.
I hesitated but eventually looped the pendant over my neck. It felt cool against my skin, humming with a faint magical resonance. “So, I just... pour mana into it?”
Rhydar nodded. “Yes. The Waybound Academy is a historical miracle, and the academy grounds are brimming with latent spirits. You might latch onto one lingering here.”
“Go on,” Vaelion urged.
A curious excitement flared in me. What kind of spirit would I get? “Alright.” I closed my eyes, focusing on my mana. The pendant warmed under my hand, and a subtle pulse rippled outward. The world shifted in my vision for an instant—colors brightened, edges sharpened, almost like seeing a hidden layer of reality.
Then, a sharp screech pierced the air. Everyone stiffened, their eyes darting around. A swirl of white luminescence condensed in front of me, forming a snowy owl. It hovered a foot off the ground, ghostlike in its shimmer. A collective hush fell as it blinked wide eyes at us.
For a second, something about it felt oddly familiar. Then I blinked, “The white owl...?” I felt my thoughts swirl. Amelia’s face had gone slack with shock, and I recalled the easter egg in the game of a spirit owl rumored to haunt all of Waybound’s dungeons.
The hidden boss of all the dungeons here. It was the same boss I’d summoned who killed Sevrin for me! A grin tugged at my mouth. This was no ordinary find.
“Impressive,” Rhydar said, nodding, unaware just how useful his gift was for me. Only Amelia here realized the size of the fish I’d caught. “But be aware, forging a real bond with it will take time. Until then, you can command it by the pendant’s authority.”
I swallowed, suppressing a rush of giddiness. “Understood.” Tentatively, I extended a hand toward the owl. It grumbled, but its head was not quite hostile and not very fond either. I ruffled its head for a good minute and decided to play with it later. I focused, attempting to send it away, and it dissolved into a glimmer of dust. The pendant cooled against my chest as though the spirit had retreated within.
“That’s that,” Vaelion observed, exhaling. “I think you have a talent for it. So over time, your synergy should develop.”
Amelia stepped up beside me. “Ready to go?” She gave Vaelion a nod and Rhydar as well. “Iskandaar needs rest.”
A round of polite farewells followed before we slipped out the door. “This is insane,” she said, holding back a burst of laughter as her breathing grew wild. “I don’t know if you know-”
“Oh, I know,” I said, and she bit her lip. She smiled at me, and all I could see was her excitement as we entered the corridor. She looked furtively around, likely checking if the halls were empty. “What’re you looking for?”
“People.”
“People?”
“Yes, people,” she turned to me, “people who’d cause trouble if they saw what I’m about to do now.” She said, and before I could ask her for details, she caught my shirt and pulled me in. My eyes widened as her lips met mine in a sudden, urgent kiss.
My heart jolted at its warmth and sweetness. No illusions or overshadowing crises this time—just a brief moment stolen in the academy’s battered hallway, lips captured by its chancellor.
When she finally pulled back, my head still swam with shock. “That’s… dangerous,” I managed, stifling a delighted laugh. “But damn. You gave me a cheek kiss after I killed the Vampiric Father, but a lip kiss now? What for?”
She bit her lip, frowning at me even as her lips curved. “You asked what could be a better feat than killing a demi-god for me? It’s saving my school and the lives of my students. Dammit, am I losing my mind?”
“It’s alright, I liked it,” I said, touching my lip. “And what’s a greater feat than saving your school? Asking for reference..”
“Oh, shut up~! That is never happening, you have a fiance.” She chuckled, and another sly look passed between us. “Iskandaar…”
“Yes?” I answered, and she just smiled warmly. Heat rushed through my face, but I couldn’t resist a grin. “Guess I should save the world next.”
She let out a soft laugh, cheeks coloring faintly. Then, she cleared her throat with a last glance up and down the corridor. “Alright. Enough, I need to go now. I have a meeting. Yeah. So we’ll discuss the rest later,” she said, and a quick wave of her hand dispelled the awkwardness, and she retreated down the hallway.
I watched her go, heartbeat still thrumming with exhilaration. I inhaled, placing a hand over the pendant on my chest. The faint swirl of the spirit connected to it reminded me that even in the greatest of dangers, power and possibility lurked in unexpected places.
This chaos—demons, illusions, and curses—had wrought havoc on Waybound but also forced the strangest truths to surface. I could only guess what new threads of fate would emerge from the bonds and secrets formed amid the rubble.
Smiling to myself, I turned away. Life at Waybound promised never to be dull.
****
I returned to my dorm, mindful of every ache and bruise, only to find the three of them already waiting inside. Lilian stood near the window, one arm propped on the sill as she gazed out, ears twitching in a restless way. Solara leaned against the wall, wings folded tightly, her face unreadable.
They both turned to me when I entered, their faces lighting up. They weren’t alone. Nebula was perched on a chair, hands clasped in her lap. She seemed dazed, her eyes lingering on the floor. She didn’t even notice that I’d entered.
Looks like Lilian succeeded in bringing her where Solara couldn’t, I thought, stepping in. I closed the door gently behind me, cutting off the bustle of Waybound’s corridors.
“Hey,” I greeted, waving at them lazily with a smile. “What’s with the awkward silence? Did I miss something?”
Lilian and Solara exchanged glances and shrugged. My eyes fell on Nebula, who was startled at my voice. “Ah, you’re here…” she said as her expression flickered. I noticed guilt there, but I didn’t quite understand why. “Sorry,” she said quietly, words almost catching in her throat. “I... I only learned about your injury too late. If I’d known sooner—”
Ah, just that? I waved a hand, cutting her off. “It’s fine. There must have been reasons why Mirella couldn’t tell you. Besides, you couldn’t have changed the outcome anyway. It’s not as if I’d have woken up earlier,” I said, trying to reassure her, but her posture didn’t ease much.
She looked uneasy, as though burdened by a different worry she wasn’t voicing. I was curious but didn’t press. Everyone here, including me, had secrets to guard.
Lilian shifted, arms crossed over her chest. “Still, I don’t like that old woman. If Nebula couldn’t visit, at least she should have. Well, whatever, she’s an Obsidian dog, so it’s not surprising,” she said, prompting Nebula to shoot her a glare which she ignored. I didn’t like the atmosphere. “I brought her back, like you asked,” Lilian said, nodding toward Nebula. “So, what now?”
I hopped onto the edge of a table, letting my legs dangle and scanning their faces. “I wanted to fill you in on a few things.”
Solara stood straight, looking at me with sharper eyes. I took a few seconds to gather my words. “First... I’ve pissed off a high-ranking demon general. Ashvarak isn’t dead. If you guys aren’t aware, he’s one of the Demon King’s top lieutenants. Word of our clash is bound to reach the Demon King himself, meaning the target on my back just got bigger.” I paused, making sure they grasped the seriousness. “My life’s only going to get riskier from here on out. Which brings me to the cult.”
I studied their reactions carefully. Lilian didn’t even flinch, though her brow arched with a silent Yeah, so? That made me smile. Solara looked puzzled as if she feared my next words. And Nebula—her gaze was distant, but she blinked, tuning in.
“I’m giving you three an out,” I continued. “You can leave if you’d like. No questions asked. I won’t hold it against you, and I won’t ask you to join again. The danger we face will only escalate, and I have zero intention of dragging anyone who isn’t ready for it.”
A fragile hush fell over the room. The girls exchanged glances. Lilian gave a half-smile, rolling her eyes in exasperation. “Quit now? You got me into this, young master, and I’m far too into it to just quit,” she said, tone laced with mock irritation. “I’m not letting you off that easy if that’s what you’re planning.”
Solara remained against the wall, eyes flicking between me and the floor. “I... I don’t want to leave, if that’s okay,” she murmured. Her wings trembled slightly. “You’re not trying to push us out, right?”
I shook my head. “Never. I’d hate to see any of you go. I just... had to give you the choice. To avoid any future arguments about this.”
Nebula didn’t speak; no, she looked like her attention wasn’t even here. I was starting to get worried. Only when she realized I was staring at her did she look up, her blue eyes flickering to mine. Whatever weighed on her mind, she kept it locked behind a polite silence. “I’m also staying,” she said.
“Alright,” I said, exhaling a breath. “Then we continue together. But the path ahead isn’t going to get easier. My enemies are the Demon King, the 72 Devil Pillars, and perhaps the 12 Gods themselves. They’ve been invincible for millennia, honing their craft and leveling up, while I’m just a young man who’s busy playing school.” A humorless chuckle escaped me. “I’ve tried hard, I won’t put myself down on that, but it is not enough if I want to stand a chance. We need to step up our game.”
They listened silently, tension coiled in the space between us.
“For the next two weeks, I’m stuck under a penalty—my gains from combat or training are throttled by ninety percent. That’s the price for tapping into the powers I used against Ashvarak. I plan to focus on cultivation during that time. Once the penalty’s lifted, I’ll be focused on a leveling spree, and that’s when we’ll start recruiting new members for the cult. We’ll need to expand our numbers. Expand our influence, grow stronger, and face these threats together. Things will not stop at Ashvarak. We’re in the Demon King’s crosshairs now.”
A current of intent swept through my words—full of purpose that felt oddly invigorating after so many days of helplessness. “We’ll be busier, and we’ll be in more danger,” I said. “But if we succeed, we won’t just protect ourselves; we might actually change something in this world… That’s my plan, anyway.”
I hopped off the table, crossing the short distance to them. “So that’s the dream. If you’re still in after hearing all this, I thank you for staying by my side, and I welcome you,” I trailed off, my voice steady as I took in their gazes, “to the next phase of our Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
Lilian snorted, smiling at me. Solara also smiled with a nod, a quiet resolve lighting her eyes. Nebula, though subdued, offered me a tiny nod of agreement of her own. Whatever weighed on her mind, she remained at my side.
Relief spread through me, though I tried not to show it too openly. My people had to see me as a strong leader who’d never waver under anything. As their cult leader, was I not practically their God? I’d have to carry myself better.
I squared my shoulders, feeling the battered weight of the last few days settle into something tangible—maybe the end of one chapter and the start of a bigger one. I decided to take a look at my status as the evening sunlight poured through the windows.
°°°°°°
Name: Iskandaar Romani
Age: 19 years
Race: Human
Qi: 10550/10550
Level: 59 | 44% EXP
°°°
Class: Myth Slayer
Class Level: [3/10]
Class Skills:
Mythrend [Active]
Void Step [Active]
Soul Sever [Active]
Legendbreaker [Passive]
Veil of the Slayer [Passive]
Astral Rend [Active]
Fate Unraveled [Active]
°°°
General Skills:
The Heavenly Demon Skill Tree [41.62%]
Insight [Intermediate]
Swordsmanship [Master]
Kickboxing [Master]
Inner Focus [Intermediate]
Mana Manipulation [Master]
°°°°°°
It looked like a good foundation, but it was far from enough.
My academy life had barely started. I had a lot coming to my plate soon; I’d to deal with Victor, visit the Shan Gui Highlands in the east, travel further west, explore the Tome of the Ancients, meet up with the Lunewolf Tribe again, scout some new recruits, take over some factions, make deals with this world’s demi-gods… Finally, I had to deal with the Outer God Cult. I had to be prepared.
There were many plans spiraling in my head, and I’d have to go through them all to reach the peak of this world.
My thoughts flickered to the very beginning of my life in this world. A year ago, when I opened my eyes as Iskandaar. I wasn’t sure what I was fighting for back then. I was just excited to be able to walk again and be able to fight again. I knew the Quest wanted me to save the world, and I fought for self-survivability. But now? Now I was too deep into this with my loved ones to half-ass it. Now I felt a tangible purpose to stride forward.
I’d have to go all out from here on, with no holding back on leveling, and perhaps have to make some necessary sacrifices even if I didn’t like it. Starting with the midterm exam very soon, ugh…
I wasn’t a hero. I’d come to realize that a long time ago. So I didn’t know if I could truly save the world like the Quest asked me to, but before even considering that, I knew I’d need enough power to keep my people safe. A cult leader couldn’t be weak, after all.
So I’d need strength and lots of it. And if I turned out to have enough by the very end?
Maybe then I’d create something only I could do. Such as a world free from anarchy.
**
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The Veiled Man: That is the ending of Book 2! It’s 163k words. I had to ponder a lot of stuff about it, that’s why I couldn't release this chapter yesterday, sorry!
This was a ride, a fun one at times and a busy headache-inducing one some others. Such as moving the ending of Book 1 from here to there, confusing me like crazy as that affected the readability of Book 2 too. Ultimately, this is a pretty satisfactory ending to Book 2 for me!!
Please let me know your thoughts on Book 2 as a whole, what you liked, what you hated, and what you think could be improved. All that is important to know since Book 2 will also go through Dev Edit soon!
Now, I just returned from a week-long break, so I’m unsure if I want to take a break to plan things up, but I know it’d help. A planned start to Book 3 is better than an unplanned, bad one. So I’m taking this Friday off. Really sorry, I know you’re excited to read more!!
Ah, and I think good news will accompany me the next time we see each other. Look forward to it, and thank you for reading, everybody!
Comments
The Hand Behind the Veil
Thank you for your honest thoughts! I was really worried about the pacing of Book 2 among other things, but your positive thoughts have made me appreciate the book more. True that it made the world flesh out a lot more compared to Book 1. I've tried my best on fixing the initial pacing problem too (in the edited manuscript of Book 2) so it should read much better to new people. And I believe harem or non harem the character depth is a really big factor. The story always had a lot more female cast around, but yes it's not a Pokémon Harem where the MC has to catch them all, but rather a power fantasy where the fantasy of multiple romance is also included. All that said, thank you for supporting me from practically day 1, detective!
Detectivetrap23
I quite liked book 2. It introduced a lot of interesting characters and moved the plot forward in a nice direction. The cultivation and new powers stuff was good as well. The battles have been fun and easy to follow what's going on. The power system makes sense and the path to gain power seems pretty clear. I was expecting a bit more in school time given the school setting, but the out of school stuff has been entertaining too. As far as the romance goes, I think it's been good so far. As you said earlier, it's not the focus of the story but it is part of the story and having some development for it enrichens the story. It helps us care more about the characters and enhances the stakes. We're looking at 4 harem members and they're all distinctive characters, which is nice. One of the things that make a bad harem story bad is when there are too many love interests or when they become interchangeable and that's not an issue here. Overall i'm quite excited for the next book! Keep up the good work :)
IdolTrust
I would think like 5-6 in the harem. Wolf, Phoenix, vamp, dragon, then a demon and elf. He has to get all the major powers in check unless he get blood brothers with the prince and other male characters. Then the harem doesn’t have to go off the rails.
James Faulkner
Hm, maybe I’m just not remembering the early chapters so it feels more out of context than it actually is. I’ll reread and re-assess 👍🏼
The Hand Behind the Veil
To be fair, she was the very first romantical development. Nebula was an arranged marriage (engagement) so if we don't count her, the next one's been Amelia. From chapter 7, 8, 10, and more importantly, that kiss scene in Chapter 19. She has the most development before anyone else, although it had been halted so far. And I don't think it's going to be 8+ women, that's a crazy big number
James Faulkner
I don’t think I’m a fan of involving Amelia romantically tbh. I get this is harem but that doesn’t mean every woman he meets needs to fuck him right? Also it just feels weird and contrived since their past dynamic was more like colleagues. I figured the story would stay centered around the core group but if it gets to like 8+ women or just every girl he meets I think I might drop. Tftc
