Delve - Chapter 10: Broke

Can you get used to dying? Not really.

When a particular universe was born, its seven primordial Concepts acquired an ego. Omniscient and omnipotent, they seek since to enrich their home. To do so, they plunder other universes, capture young civilizations and plagiarize ideas. Many monsters, gods, civilizations, and races are competing for the eighth throne.

Eons later, it is Earth's turn to be torn away from its Sun.

Humanity begins its integration by participating in a Tutorial. Priam has the luck and the misfortune to finish the Tutorial first. Luck because his reward is a form of pseudo-immortality. Misfortune, because as the champion of his civilization, he is transported to Elysium, the most dangerous world created by the Concepts. Nine out of ten champions lose their lives there on their first day. Fortunately for Priam, he has many lives.

“In the depths of eternity, where darkness and light entwined, the universe was born from the dreams of the gods. From the celestial harmonies of creation to the discordant melodies of destruction, the cosmic symphony echoed across the expanse.Within this grand tapestry, a world emerged, forged from the essence of duality. Earth, a terrestrial haven, became the stage for an epic drama, as forces of creation and destruction converged. The fate of the universe hung in the balance, as two goddesses, Stella and Khaos, wove a narrative of light and darkness, life and death.Their story, a testament to the eternal dance between opposites, would give rise to a new era, one where humanity would inherit the earth, and the delicate balance of the cosmos. Join us on a journey through the ages, as we explore the celestial ballet, the birth of life, and the eternal struggle between creation and destruction.”

Riven was nothing but a powerless runt until necromancers razed his village and butchered his sister before his eyes. As his blood soaked the dirt, his Sigil ignited, granting him a gift. He can die and reform, a cycle that resets with every rank he climbs.But fate wasn’t done screwing him.In the catacombs beneath the ruins, he found the Death Ledger—a death contract that bound him against his will to hunt those who’ve cheated death across dimensions. Historical legendary heroes and villains.From the noble King Arthur to the conqueror Genghis Khan and the fabled king of Uruk, Gilgamesh, together with Ivan the Terrible and Vlad the Impaler.Every mission is a gamble. Fail once, and the Ledger brands him a death-cheater, turning him into prey for the same immortal fugitives he hunts. And the reward? He gets to keep them as his undead summons.His enemies will not stop coming. They want the Ledger, the Sigil, his power. To survive, he will wield death itself, growing stronger with every soul he claims, because in a world this savage, only the relentless rise.[-Congratulations, you have successfully killed Alexander the Great and claimed him as your summon...you can start on the path of evolution-] The words, scrawled in blood, burned across the page of the Death Ledger.

Theodora is the Queen of Polis, a city-state that lost the war against the most powerful empire in the continent.

She is sure that they'll execute her immediately but, somehow, she survives the meeting with the Emperor, and she finds herself... Married?

Tossed in a new world without connections and allies, she has to either accept her fate or lose the chance to help her people once again.

She soon finds out that her new husband knows more about her than she does herself, and that his purposes are often far from what she expects.

A fallen queen that doesn't know how to be anything else. A handsome Duke who's the cause of her ruin. And their efforts to find some happiness in a marriage that's been forced on them.

WARNING: there are contents not suitable for a sensitive audience.

The smut scenes are half-censored at the beginning, but the amount and details will increase after a few dozen chapters (according to the Queen's mood .-. )

***

«I'm sorry for lying to you, your grace...»

«You're a Duchess. No one will dare to consider your words a lie: if you say that you were painting souls, then it's the truth.»

«I will remember it.»

«No, you have to understand it, Theodora. You're not a prisoner, but my wife. I'll protect you when you need it, and I'll help you with any issue you have. You're not just a Duchess in the name. You're my Duchess.»

«It's hard to believe in such a short amount of time.»

«For now, stop shaking like a chicken. I won't hurt you.»

***