Every day for six years straight, from the time he was twelve, Darius Omen hit an anvil ten thousand times a day without stopping. He did not know the reason why he had to, all he knew was that he must. Little did he know that hit by hit, strike by strike, his originally meek body was being refined into something that had never been seen before in the history of mankind. In the war against spirits, mankind had little to be proud of. Yet one day a young man entered the battlefield. He dazzled millions and killed even more, all with merely a rusty old hammer than no one could hold or fathom.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Early in the morning, at the crack of dawn, a young man was hammering an anvil with all his might. Over and over again. As he lifted the hammer, strong winds would blow, circling around him and displacing the leaves nearby, as if to celebrate the incredible feat the young man was performing.
From his initial movements to the grip on the hammer and even to the swing, everything looked perfect. So perfect, in fact, that each swing was exactly the same as the previous ones. Even the sound made by the hammer hitting the anvil was exactly the same each time.
The boy kept hitting the hammer continuously until a loud voice entered his ears.
"Darius! Enough! The matron has called us for lunch!"
"Hhmm... lunch?" As soon as Darius heard the word lunch, he stopped his rhythmic swinging and tossed the hammer aside as if it was weightless. Yet, the moment the hammer landed on the ground, vibrations spread from the impact point.
Darius was an average-looking young man. Short, black hair, black eyes and brown skin that made it difficult to tell what race he was.
Darius completely ignored the visage of the boy who had called out to him and walked straight back home. The other boy stood there befuddled and snorted in disdain.
"Hmph, this is why you have no friends you freak!" Thought the boy as he looked at Darius's shrinking back. The boy looked around and looked at the hammer and anvil. After a moment of hesitation he strolled towards the object and decided to see if he could give it a go.
The hammer itself had a few unusual characteristics. It had a long handle, about one meter long. Its head was also not too common, as either side of the head had a blunt surface one could use to strike with, meaning it was a double-sided hammer. Beside the unusual handle and the head, nothing else was strange about the hammer. It looked old and was rusted in some areas, so it also didn't look too special.
The boy had heard rumours from the other children at the orphanage that no one except Darius could lift this hammer. The boy found this hard to believe and bent over: he steadily gripped the handle... and pulled with all his might!!!
Pull!
Pull!
Pull!
And yet, this hammer, just like Darius himself, would not allow itself to be moved by anyone...
...
As Darius walked down the mountain toward the village, thoughts filled his mind, making him completely ignore his surroundings
"The sound is coming closer and closer to what that expert said was the requirement. Very soon I will be able to get rid of this curse and live my live like a normal person!"
Yoko Village was a small village, with the population not passing five thousands. For a village of this size however, it was nicely developed. Of course, it was mainly due to the fact that it was close to a major city.
Darius walked past a few houses and headed straight for the orphanage. As usual, his hands felt like they wight a ton, his body was feeling hot all over and his mind was dizzy. However, Darius had long gotten used to these sensations. As far as he was concerned, nothing was more important than his life, so some pain was nothing.
The orphanage was a three-story building. In fact, it was one of the larger buildings within the village and had quite a bit of financial support, thus it was able to support a hundred orphans with ease.
As Darius walked in through the front entrance, a myriad of gazes washed by him as many children and workers at the orphanage began to gossip about him. Darius ignored the attention and did what he always did everyday: he walked straight to the cafeteria, took some food and sat at a table that was as far away from the crowds as possible.
One of the new cooks at the cafeteria looked at Darius and noted his strange behavior. A cook beside him saw him: "You must be a newbie right?"
The cook who had been starring at Darius was surprised and shyly scratched his head. "Is it that obvious? I thought I was doing quite well to avoid being noticed as one."
"Well you were, until you stared at Darius like that. Anyone who finds his behavior strange is definitely a newbie." Said the more experienced cook.
"Darius? Is he the legendary Darius? 'Ten Thousand Strikes' Darius Omen? That's him?"
"Yup. That's him."
"I'm surprised. The rumours made him sound more..."
The experienced cook chuckled: "Tell me... what exactly did you hear about Darius?"
With a gulp, the new cook responded, "I heard that every morning he would climb up one of the mountains behind the village. Then, he would lift up an hammer and strike an anvil. He reportedly does this at least ten thousand times a day. I also heard that this hammer weighs more than the average mallet, yet Darius is able to lift it with ease. I also hear that many fear him because of his monstrous strength and that he has a short temper..."
"Haha the rumours get more and more extreme with each day that passed!" Laughed the experienced cook.
"You mean... they are not true?"
"Well... you could say that half of it is true." As the experienced cook dished food for the other orphans he continued: "He does climb the mountain and hit the anvil ten thousand times a day... however the hammer part is false."
"Really? Senior, can you explain more?"
"It is true that the hammer is ridiculously heavy, but the moment Darius touches it it becomes extremely light." Said the experienced cook in a cool manner.
"You mean... it's enchanted?"
"Yup. Darius was the son of a village chief within another village. Him having an enchanted hammer isn't a surprise. Because it is enchanted to only work in his hands, that hammer is useless to everyone else. As for his temper, you couldn't be any farther from the truth! Darius is a coward before anything else. He couldn't fight to save his life! Look." The experienced cook pointed in Darius's direction with his chin.
The young cook looked to Darius's table to see what his companion meant, only to be surprised: Darius was being bullied by the other children! They were throwing food at him and he was not retaliating at all. Darius meekly covered his head with his hands and waited for it to stop.
The other children laughed at him, and once they felt that they had had enough fun they walked away. Darius looked up and, noticing that the bullies were gone, resumed his meal as if nothing had happened.
"My word! I... I had no idea." said the new cook with a helpless expression.
"Well, if you feel sorry for him I have one piece of advice for you. Don't waste your time. Today will be his last day here anyway." Said the experienced cook as he took out his old pipe to smoke.
"Senior, why is today his last day?" said the young cook with a curious look in his eye.
The older cook took a puff of smoke: "Today, he is coming of age."
After a failed suicide, 16 year old Artillian Skye wakes up as an armoured soldier. With only a spear in hand, he is thrust in the middle of a battlefield with thousands of soldiers. Somehow he had entered the Gaia domain. A place were spirits, demons and demi gods run rampant in their quests for power. Artillian learns that he was given a second chance by the fallen goddess Hestia, she had given him the last of her divine essence to bring him back to life. Thus he makes it his life's mission to restore her to her former glory, however to do that he needs to get stronger himself. He needed to become stronger than the gods! For her he would kill any god, do anything, even searching all from the heavens to the nine levels of hell if need be, for she had given him something he had never had...A reason to live. So he made her a promise: "I shall make the bottomless sky your ground, the boundless universe your domain and the unending infinite your sky!"
One thousand years ago, a man that would come to be known as the "Evil Saint" in the future, Xu Ling, started a rebellion against the Lord, and cruel Tyrant, of the Nine Heavens, Lord Tian. Gathering companions and allies in his long journey through countless worlds, after two centuries of struggle, Xu Ling together with his massive armies of humans, monsters and beasts finally lay siege upon the Nine Heavens of Tian... only for him to fall in battle at the hands of the Tyrant. With the death of Xu Ling, the rebellion halts and the massive army stops its advance, with most dispersing through the Planes of Existence, and only few choosing to keep fighting from the shadows. ... Mortal, Ageless and Immortal, such are the three big "Realms" of cultivation. Spanning for six, five and four "Stages" respectively, and adding up for a total of fifteen "Stages", cultivating each stage to its peak and ultimately ascending to the next is a pathway leading to immense power and even eternal life! Magical and mysterious, cultivation is how mortals, bound to their lifespan, can change their destiny, live forever, and achieve ultimate power! In a world where unique Primordial and Heavenly Beasts, world-defying treasures, secret tombs and dungeons, and fearsome individuals at the peak of cultivation are all but commonplace, even then outstanding or shocking events would still happen... and are about to happen! One thousand years after the death of the Evil Saint, in a small village under attack by a group of bandits, a boy opens his eyes... and clears the small town of the attackers single-handedly before disappearing. Six months later, the same boy steps on the grounds of the esteemed Mysterious Light-Shadow Sect, where countless cultivators gather to share and practice cultivation methods! And it will be exactly in this cultivator's Sect, with the arrival of this youth, that our tale commences... the tale of Cheng Hao, Wielder of the Immortal Ascension Tower!
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .
What happens when a hook-up gets complicated by a baby? Can she hide the secret from him? Or will he show her how possessive he can be when he learns she's carrying his child? "Seven years ago, I had a one-night stand with my brother's best friend, who also happened to be my lifelong crush. The next day, he vanished leaving me pregnant. Now, I am a single mom raising our son in the same small town. Recently, he returned to attend my brother's wedding and the truth about our son was finally revealed. As he reclaims his place in our lives, the sparks between us reignite. However, danger from his past threatens to shatter our newfound connection. I am torn between my love for him and my fear of getting hurt again, especially now that I have two hearts to protect - our son's and my own."
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
Life was perfect until she met her boyfriend's big brother. There was a forbidden law in the Night Shade Pack that if the head Alpha rejected his mate, he would be stripped of his position. Sophia's life would get connected with the law. She was an Omega who was dating the head Alpha's younger brother. Bryan Morrison, the head Alpha, was not only a cold-blooded man but also a charming business tycoon. His name was enough to cause other packs to tremble. He was known as a ruthless man. What if, by some twist of destiny, Sophia's path were to intertwine with his?
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul—her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband’s entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I’m out of your league."
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."