A/N - So this is the rewrite, there's been a few changes, so just read the chapter cause it's beneficial for the future chapters. Anyways while I was thinking of potential plot points, I realised something, I don't know the first thing about writing romance novels!
So like the idiot I was, I tried to see how people write romance novels in the hub of romance and smut novels, you guessed it Wattpad. A horrible decision, like actually, I'm so fucking traumatized now, like how horny do you have to be to write ts.
The werewolves, the dark romance, the lesbian bdsm. It's too much, like I'm thoroughly traumatized, I really need help guys, WHERE ARE THE SUN PATHWAY BEYONDERS WHEN YOU NEED THEM!!, SOMEONE PURIFY ME.
I'm never going to Wattpad again, and I advise you guys do the same. Anyways there's also going to be a few smut chapters, the novel won't fully be smut, just like a few chapters. Yeah that's all I have to say, also do tell me which Pathway you guys want the MC to be on.
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Cryax Lighthold, he was a man with almost no future. Fate seemed to hate him, and his luck, well that was lost somewhere in Tartarus. At an early age, his parents had died in a car accident, one which he was a part of, he barely made it out alive himself but at the price of his legs.
He had been paralysed from the waist down and needed around the clock care, thankfully his aunt, as the amiable person she was, tried to help him by taking him in. Yet, not a week later, she suddenly tripped on her car keys and broke her neck.
The same thing happened with his sister, his cousin and finally his uncle. In the end, every family member of his thought he was cursed, they avoided him, wore gloves when they were touching him and abandoned him in a small apartment when he was 15.
They promised to send a living allowance every month, which they did. But it was still very lonely, he only had games and anime as shelter, he grew a part of the community. On an unremarkable day, he had suddenly got into light novels, he binged read a lot of them, before he finally settled in reading a novel called Lord of The Mysteries.
After watching a youtube recap of it, he was quite excited. 22 Pathways which led you to Godhood sounded like an amazing thing, so he started the novel. When he was 30 chapters in, he suddenly choked on his water and died, just as he thought that everything was over.
Somehow, just somehow. He found himself in the body of Ardus Frey, a greedy and filthy man, how do you know that, you ask? Well it was because he was currently in a Human Auctioning House trying to buy a slave, that and a lot of memories which caused him vomit in his mouth.
He suppressed everything, his years off imagining himself as an anime character coming into hand. Cryax noticed the armed guards and the greedy look of the seller, unsurprisingly Cryax had talked about this deal for a long time and if he backed out now. Well he was pretty sure, there would be an obituary about him in the papers tomorrow.
He had to suppress his inner disgust and buy a slave, maybe he could free him or her later. Cryax carried himself with the confidence and demeanour of Ardus, "Well these are the combat slaves."
The seller—Strenheim announced with a greedy face. Cryax quickly glanced over, three dozen trained men and women were chained down. Their bodies filled with scars, yet their muscles emanated a deep sense of strength.
"I'll pass, I want one for household labour, who's also cheap and obedient." Cryax answered tersely.
Strenheim seemed to consider his request as he turned and walked down, gesturing Cryax to follow him. "These meet your requirements but they aren't much suited for manual labour or combat."
"If I need them for combat I'll train them."
Cryax could see the lot, most were kids whose bodies were beaten and abused. Others were teenagers like him who were profusely bleeding, yet the person at the corner made Cryax sympathetic to them.
Her hands were tied to the floor with purplish scars on her wrists, her hands too were coloured the same, on the edge of being broken. While her skin was crystal white but was covered with scarlet red blood, and copious amounts of wounds.
The girl's eyes made him feel that she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. "You!, raise up your head." Cryax demanded, while inwardly he almost cried tears for her.
She robotically moved her head up, with little response being given. Strenheim sensed it was his time to make his move, "She's a quiet slave, who'll listen to all orders that are given without hesitation. Her previous master loved peace, so he, let's say trained her, to not disturb him. Her previous owner's all were very loving to her in let's say a bad manner so she hasn't learned any basic skills"
"I've decided, I'll take this one." Cryax said with a disgusted look on his face.
"...."
As the carriage rolled around to his apartment, Cryax had resolved a few doubts. He was in the Feysac Empire, currently it was December 26th of 1348. This confirmed something, he had transmigrated into the world of Lord of The Mysteries.
A smile landed on his face, 'This is going to be so fun' Cryax thought with glee. Yet his mind was in a dilemma about the Pathways he wanted to choose. He regretted not being able to read more than 60 chapters, and missing out on the meta knowledge.
Today, Cryax Lighthold has died, now only Ardus Frey exists!, he exclaimed in his mind with giddy, he had always imagined being reborn into a useful body and becoming a famous figure and now it seemed this pitiful wish had been fulfilled.
Ardus departed from the carriage together with that person, turning towards her Ardus gestured her to follow him. Quickly entering his apartment m, Ardus could smell the blood in the room, the filthy trash littering the place was also disgusting.
Turning towards the black haired women, Ardus gave a slight tilt. Ardus gestured to her to sit as he leaned against the door, "Well, anyways you're free to go. I have no use for you, and I really don't like owning a slave. Here's 1650 gold hoorn."
Ardus pulled out about 300 pounds from his wallet as he placed it into her hands, "Congratulations, you're free."
She didn't move or blink, her eyes remained cold, distant even. She turned her head upwards and looked at him with her icy gaze, her lips quivered yet no voice came out.
Ardus's confidence cracked as he bit his lips, 'Goddamn, it's so awkward.' He didn't expect this to be so overbearing.
The girl sat quietly, her hands clutched her ragged shirts as the linen twisted. Ardus gave a slight sigh, "Well you should probably wash up first, we'll figure this out later."
With a slight wave of his hand he showed her the path to the restroom, the girl quietly got up as her body shivered, seemingly afraid that he would hit her for believing she could have such a luxury.
With a silent gaze she moved to the restroom, her presence seemed to be on the verge of fading as a few fits of cough accompanied her.
Ardus rested his head on the sofa as his thoughts wandered, Why doesn't she speak?, trauma perhaps but I did tell her I didn't mind her speaking but she probably doesn't trust my words.
I wonder how I can convey that I only mean well, her refusal to leave is also astonishing. Most slaves would be screaming with happiness if they found out that they could abandon their servitude but she just looked like she didn't care.
She seemed broken, what a poor girl. I really wonder what she has been through. Maybe I should care for her for a bit, teach her a few essentials so she could live on her own.
Ardus seemed to make up his mind as he relaxed on the chair, minutes went by in a blur as Ardus flipped his pocket watch. Almost an hour had passed since she had gone to clean herself up, Do girls normally take this long? He had never interacted with anyone in his previous life, he was confined to his mobile prison, he didn't have the ability to type let alone talk and engage in a relationship with someone from the other gender.
I should check on her, Ardus quietly thought
His footsteps echoed throughout the hall as the lamps constantly flickered, sometimes rising, sometimes falling. Ardus looked at the scratched up teak door as he knocked three times, he waited for a moment nonetheless he hadn't heard a response.
His mind reached the worst conclusion as he burst open the door, he expected her to drown herself. But she was just sitting on the cold tiled floor as the icy water fell on her.
Ardus's cheeks turned red as he quietly looked away, "I just thought something had happened since you were taking too long, I'm sorry I didn't realise you weren't finished."
Could you please close that tap, the water bill is high nowadays. I don't have the money for this, it's been on for one hour! Ardus silently cried in his mind.
Ardus unpleasantly closed the door, as the water bill remained on his mind. He quickly went back to the sofa as he took his place there, his hand ran through his messy hair.
His body was kind of stunning, he had tan skin and disheveled jet black hair which was swept to one side and sea green eyes. He looked gorgeous, borderline divine.
I still can't figure out how such a charming guy turned out to be a literal demon in human skin.
At that instant, Ardus saw a pentagram present on his skin, it was mesmerizing, it kept drawing him in as if he was hypnotised. Ardus felt an innate connection with the symbol, Ardus suddenly snapped as he felt the restroom door open.
Standing in the hall were the previously filth stricken women, yet this time she was stunning. An inside out beauty one might say, she had blackish-lavender hair with bangs hanging on the left side. She had blueish-purple eyes which held a cold gaze and a silent fury hidden beneath it.
Though she was a beauty, she was ridden with scars and wounds. Her abdomen was completely purple, with red wounds all over his body, her back was completely scarred with whip marks running all over. Ardus pitied her, not just her but the countless people who had been tormented by the rotten law called slavery.
Ardus rested his head on his palms as his thoughts quickly snapped back, seeing her shiver in the cold and the wet drops of water falling off of her, "There's a towel in the room, I don't have any clothes for you so just wear my shirt and pants. It's just straight down the hall."
Ardus spoke quietly, he was afraid—afraid that he would scare her if he talked loudly. Anytime Ardus raised his voice, the girl seemed to slightly flinch, he had to help her, so the first thing to do was to accommodate all her needs.
Seeing her scamper, Ardus's attention snapped back to the strange symbol on his hand, murmurs started ringing in his ears as Ardus unconsciously recited them.
"The Grimoire of the Outlanders, Breaker of The Curve.
The Hollow Audience that Gifts help to The Broken
Survivor from a Time Beyond The Epochs."
Instantly a red book emerged into his hands, it had a scarlet red ruby in the middle with a demonic claw binding the page from opening.