《Crowned King》


 1. Lin Long

    ¡°ROAR!¡±


    Lin Long felt all of his hair stand on end as the deafening roar smashed into his bleeding ears. The tremors that followed the roar shook his body and soul, while a sinking feeling in his chest overwhelmed him. It was horrible, and his disoriented mind barely held onto a bleak thread of consciousness.


    Even without checking, he knew his internal organs had shifted, and his Blood and Qi were completely out of control. And although he was some two hundred kilometers away from the actual battle zone, the roars and blasts still affected him. It was Armageddon.


    The ground kept shaking with such intensity that he thought it might burst open at any moment and swallow him whole, while the blasts gave him the illusion that the sky might fall at any moment. He didn¡¯t know how long the dark cave he hid inside could hold on, and he could only pray for his safety.


    He had gambled with his life, and all he could now do was await the results. If he won, he would be crowned King, but if he lost¡­ well, nothing a shredded corpse need worry about. Curled up on the violently shaking floor of the dark cave, his blood-red eyes gazed at the soft silver glow in front of him.


    Through his blurred vision, he could see a snow-white ball of fur placed in a peculiar, transparent crystal pond. The surface of the pond was calm as if the shaking ground was but an illusion that affected only him. The ball of fur inside, too, didn¡¯t move an inch even after so much movement and noise coming from the outside.


    It was all so strange yet magical. But Lin Long knew it wasn¡¯t as simple as it looked. The crystal pond with the clear surface was some sort of ancient treasure, while the ball of fur¡­


    ¡°ROAR!!!¡±


    Suddenly, an earsplitting beastly roar that seemed to have come from the deepest pit of hell crashed into Lin Long¡¯s ears and mind. His already disoriented mind abruptly crashed and the monstrous roar knocked him unconscious. His breathing almost halted, and he appeared to be dead.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Still, the battle outside kept going.


    ¡­¡­¡­


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Lin Long moaned in pain as he regained consciousness after an unknown amount of time. Immediately, a splitting headache assaulted him, and waves of pain crashed all over his body. He felt as if someone was crushing his bones, and cutting him with blades.


    Clutching his aching head, he opened his blurred eyes to get a hold of the situation around him. Right at that moment, a soft silver glow caught his attention and his body jolted up with a start.


    ¡°Argh!!¡± he growled in pain as he felt his organs shift further, and he spat out blood mixed with torn pieces of his flesh and injured organs. The pain hitting him from the inside made Lin Long fall forward on all fours, and he barely kept himself from fainting once more.


    He looked ahead towards the soft, silver glow of the peculiar pond which previously contained a snow-white ball of fur, and realized that his treasure had disappeared. He could not see the ball of fur in there anymore.


    Thinking that someone took away his treasure, Lin Long felt like howling his lungs out. But unfortunately for him, any big movement of his would certainly be lethal. A look of loss and despair appeared in his crimson eyes, as he accepted his fate.


    He remembered the words his grandmother used to tell him, ¡°If it is yours, not even the Heavens can take it; if it isn¡¯t, then even a God can¡¯t help you!¡±


    Recalling the words of his late grandmother, Lin Long slumped down on the ground and let the weak silver glow of the pond illuminate his despairing face. Soon, he took in a long breath and sat up into a meditative posture, closing his eyes. His weak breathing started to get deeper and longer.


    In just a few minutes, the traces of loss and despair were washed away from his expression. With eyes closed, he lost himself into a trance as he used the Natural Energies in the atmosphere to heal his internal injuries. Small specks of invisible energy in the air made their way over to the meditating Lin Long, disappearing into his body.


    ¡­¡­¡­


    As Lin Long lost himself in his Cultivation, he failed to see the ripples on the surface of the peculiar pond. The pond ¡ª whose surface didn¡¯t even budge when the land shook as if Armageddon was upon it ¡ª now showed visible waves originating from its surface.


    Soon, a small ball of snow-white fur, which wasn¡¯t there just a moment ago, surfaced from inside the pond. All the crystal clear liquid in the pond began swirling around with the ball of fur at its center.


    The rotation of the water got faster and faster, as if it would speed up for an eternity. But then, without any indication, the liquid stopped as if something froze it. Abruptly, all of the crystal clear liquid acted as if it had gained life and enveloped the ball of fur from all sides, disappearing into it.


    At the same time as all the liquid inside the crystal pond disappeared into the snow-white ball of fur, the soft, silver glow of the pond also disappeared ¡ª plunging the faintly illuminated cave into absolute darkness.


    Not only could one not see anything inside the cave, there wasn¡¯t any sound to be heard either. The sound of Lin Long¡¯s breathing also disappeared, as if the void had devoured it all. Still, Lin Long had no idea of the happenings around him as he was lost in his trance.

 2. Fluff-Ball

    After meditating for an unknown amount of time, Lin Long breathed out a long sigh full of exhaustion and opened his eyes. The sight of nothing but darkness stunned him, and just when he was about to shoot up to his feet, he felt something move between his crossed legs.


    He immediately looked down to see what it was, and as soon as he did so, his eyes met another pair of glowing purple eyes full of curiosity. The adorable serpentine eyes that had a unique charm and childishness in them dazed Lin Long.


    At the same time, Lin Long opened his hands and caught a hold of the whoever the eyes belonged to. Immediately, his hands caught something small, soft, and fluffy as Lin Long raised his arms. His actions made the purple eyes tilt a little, but their focus never went away from him.


    Soon, the purple eyes were on the same level as Lin Long¡¯s eyes, and he could look into them directly. An expression of joy appeared on his face as his exhausted eyes turned lively, and his lips curved up into a wide smile, ¡°The Heavens have not abandoned me, grandmother!¡±


    Lin Long already recognized the little fluff-ball in his hands ¡ª it was the same snow-white ball of fur he thought he had lost. Feeling the vitality of the fluff-ball, he knew that not only had his treasure not disappeared, but it had also awakened just like the ancient scroll he found in the cave described.


    There was no limit to Lin Long¡¯s happiness at this moment; he was so euphoric that he wanted to scream his lungs out to the sky. He had gambled with his life, and he had won the gamble¡­


    ¡­


    As Lin Long was lost in his own thoughts, the fluff-ball kept on staring at him with the same curiosity as before. Even though the entire cave was dark as the night, its glowing eyes had no issue seeing the change in the human¡¯s expression.


    It saw him go from utter exhaustion to immense excitement as soon as he held it, and that gave the little fluff-ball a sudden rush of joy as well. The fluff-ball immediately reached forward and touched its face with the face of the human in front of it.


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    Lin Long also felt the movement of the fluff-ball in his hands and brought it forward to see what it was up to. Immediately, he saw an expression of joy fill up the adorable and curious purple eyes. In the very next moment, he felt a softness gently rub against his face, giving him a silly smile.


    He let the little fluff-ball happily rub against his face for a while, then brought it away since it was time he left this cave. But contrary to his expectations, the fluff-ball started to move around in his hands as it tried to reach back for his face.


    Seeing the desire in the pair of those adorable eyes, Lin Long couldn¡¯t bring himself to not let it do as it pleased, so he brought it forward, and sat it on his head. After all, the fluff-ball was no bigger than his hand, nor did it weigh anything.


    And from the movements on his head, he knew the fluff-ball was now happy. With the little ball of fluffiness excitedly moving around on his head, Lin Long slowly stood up and patted the dust away from his clothes.


    Only after standing up and dusting his clothes did Lin Long realize how dark the cave was. It was so dark that he couldn¡¯t even see his hands. The only source of light, the silver glow of the peculiar pond, had disappeared without him knowing where.


    Not seeing anything around, Lin Long couldn¡¯t help but sigh. It was apparent that the ¡°Fairy King¡¯s Bloodline¡± in the ¡°Pond of Eternity¡± was completely absorbed by the little ball of fur while he was meditating. This little fluff-ball turned out to be greedier than he estimated, and now there were not even crumbs left for him.


    Shaking his head, Lin Long raised his right hand and caressed the ring on his index finger with his thumb. Immediately, a small dark crystal appeared in his hand. Without wasting any time, Lin Long activated his Qi and directed it towards the crystal in his hand.


    Suddenly, the dark crystal lit up with a bright white light that illuminated the empty dark cave. Except for the small crystal pond silently sitting in the middle of the cave, there was nothing else. Lin Long walked towards the pond and looked inside, only to find it was indeed completely emptied.


    His lips twitched, but he could do nothing about it. Now that the ¡°Fairy King¡¯s Bloodline¡± was gone, and his fluff-ball had also awakened, there was no reason in staying here anymore. But before he left, Lin Long decided to try something he had thought of before.


    Taking the crystal into his left hand, Lin Long bent down and placed his right hand on the crystal pond and again caressed the ring on his index finger with his thumb. Immediately, the ring released a massive amount of suction force as the space around the crystal pond warped.


    In the end, though, no matter how much the space warped, nothing changed. The crystal pond still lay there without a single scratch on it, and Lin Long could only look on with disappointed eyes. Just when he straightened up and decided to turn back and leave the cave, he felt the fluff-ball on his head smack him with his little paws.

 3. Long Lin

    ¡°What is it, little one?¡± Lin Long asked out loud as he felt a pair of soft and fluffy paws lightly smack on his head, and pull his hair.


    Raising his right hand, Lin Long grabbed the ball of fur from atop his head and brought it in front of his face. His eyes met with the pair of glowing purple eyes, while he also got to see the fluff-ball¡¯s current appearance.


    Although Lin Long had seen the fluff-ball before it awakened, he had not taken a look after that. He had thought that it would still look the same, but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. It¡¯s current appearance stunned Lin Long on the spot.


    The ball of fur in his hand was far too adorable. Curious serpentine eyes glowing with a soothing purple light, snow-white fur as soft as silk¡­ no, it was softer than silk, small and barely visible protrusions on the back that would probably grow into mighty wings, harmless paws that just asked to be played with, and a wagging fluffy tail.


    The ball of fur that was no bigger than his hand gave Lin Long a strong desire to gobble it up in a single bite. It was nothing like the previous fur-ball that looked just a bit more adorable than a house cat; it had leveled up its cuteness. It somewhat resembled a cat, but it wasn¡¯t a cat.


    As Lin Long was looking at the little fur-ball with shiny eyes, the ball-of-fur tried to reach forward. Looking at the fur-ball¡¯s paws that tried to touch his face, Lin Long brought it forward until it¡¯s little paws could easily touch his right cheek.


    Immediately, Lin Long felt something soft and wet lick his cheek. A shiver ran down his back, and his entire body relaxed. This treasure he dug out was too good. His effort to get it weren¡¯t in vain.


    A silly smile appeared on Lin Long¡¯s face as he let the fur-ball pat and lick his cheek for a few moments. After all, it wasn¡¯t good to prevent someone from showing their affection. And he was sure the little one already treated him as a parent figure since he was the first one it saw right after waking up.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Alright, little one, let¡¯s name you!¡± Feeling that they had showed enough affection for the time being, Lin Long brought the fur-ball back in front of him. He could see the fur-ball pause its action of reaching for his face as it looked at him with an excited expression, ¡®This little one can understand me?¡¯


    Although Lin Long was a bit surprised by the little one¡¯s reaction, he wasn¡¯t too stunned by it. And after remembering where he ¡®found¡¯ the fluff-ball, expectation of the inevitable future replaced his surprise.


    Looking at it for a few moments, Lin Long spoke up with a thoughtful expression, ¡°Since you have the bloodline of a Dragon, and you also got the bloodline of the Fairy King who rules over this forest¡­ Alright, it¡¯s decided! Little one, you will be Long Lin from now on! That¡¯s right, Long Lin!¡±


    Immediately, Long Lin¡¯s eyes started to glow even brighter as it released faint squeals full of happiness. It was apparent that Long Lin liked its name a lot.


    With the name decided, Lin Long flipped over Long Lin, confusing it. Taking a look under the bright light of the crystal, Lin Long flipped the confused Long Lin back over, ¡°From now on, you are Long Lin, and your nickname is LinLin! What do you say, LinLin?¡±


    As Lin Long placed little LinLin back on his head, he felt her smack her paws on his head happily, as if to accept her new nickname. At the same time as his little treasure got her new name, Lin Long also decided to leave the cave since there was no way for him to take the ¡°Pond of Eternity¡± with him.


    He decided to visit this place once more in the future when he was strong enough. He would then take away this ancient pond as it seemed to have a lot of uses.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave this place, LinLin!¡± Lin Long said as he turned around. Just a few dozen steps ahead of him was the exit of the cave, a dark tunnel. Lin Long slowly walked towards the tunnel with little LinLin sprawled over his head.


    ¡­¡­¡­


    ¡°Did you feel that, Azera?¡± Inside a dark cave, a weak and ancient voice that seemed to have come from an era long gone echoed.


    ¡°But no matter how you look at him¡­¡± a crisp and melodious voice sounded in reply, but the ancient voice interrupted it before it finished.


    ¡°That¡¯s the terror of them,¡± the ancient voice said in a stern tone, ¡°They aren¡¯t what we see!¡±


    Once finished speaking, the ancient voice quietened down. For a while, neither of the two voices spoke up. It was only after a long while that the second, melodious voice echoed again in the cave.


    ¡°If he¡¯s really one of them, then what will become of the Fairy King¡¯s bloodline?!¡± The crisp and melodious voice sounded out again, but this time, there was an apparent sense of urgency in its tone.


    ¡°Only time will tell,¡± replied the ancient voice with a rueful tone, ¡°If it¡¯s meant to be, it will be. Their fate has nothing to do with us lingering souls!¡±


    ¡°Are we supposed to sit idle then, Xergzes?¡± the melodious voice questioned once more, but this time, it received no reply even after waiting for a prolonged time.


    With a long and forlorn sigh, Azera, too, quietened down. Just like that, the dark cave plunged into a cold quiet.

 4. Dark Wolf-Lord

    ¡°What a beautiful moon,¡± Lin Long whispered under his breath as his right hand reached for the silver crescent adorning the dark, night sky. The breathtaking view of the moon, and the stars that seemed to surround it in worship fascinated him.


    For years, the darkness of the night, the moon in the sky, and the stars circling it were his only companions; he loved them! He wished to reach them¡­ to touch them. But alas! he was too weak to achieve his dream. [Note: Stars don¡¯t circle the moon. Just using it figuratively.]


    Still, he never once thought of giving up on that dream. He knew time would never stay the same, and his turn would come. He might be weak now, but one day, he would stand at the very summit of the Heavens. What was once his would again return to him¡­


    Suddenly, a faint ¡ª almost inaudible ¡ª sound of footsteps brought Lin Long out of his daze. His body tensed up, and he immediately looked down to see if an enemy was trying to sneak up on him.


    Looking from behind the leaves and thick branches he used for camouflage, Lin Long saw a thin, shadowy figure carefully sneak past the tall tree he was sitting on.


    As he looked around carefully, Lin Long saw a dark wolf in the distance that seemed to be chasing the shadowy figure. At the same time as he was looking down at the scene, the shadowy figure leaped forward and went behind a nearby tree that was caved in.


    The wolf used its strong sense of smell to find clues about its prey, but something seemed to be preventing it from finding the shadowy figure. Since it couldn¡¯t find its target, the wolf started to sniff around randomly.


    Lin Long could clearly see the 5 meters long and 3 meters tall wolf. The wolf¡¯s crimson red eyes seemed to contain a peculiar light that blinked every now and then, while its sharp fangs dug into the ground it walked upon.


    ¡®A Dark Wolf-Lord,¡¯ a name immediately came to Lin Long¡¯s mind as he saw the wolf¡¯s appearance and actions. The Dark Wolf-Lord was a Tier 7 Beast in the ¡°Ancient Forest¡±, and it always hunted by itself, completely different from other wolf-type beasts that hunted in packs.


    It wasn¡¯t a very strong beast, when put in front of Lin Long, that was. But to the shadowy figure hiding nearby, it was a life-threatening calamity. Lin Long wondered just how that person even managed to escape a Dark Wolf-Lord¡¯s pursuit.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    With how the shadow tried to prevent itself from panting, he could tell that the person wasn¡¯t that strong. He estimated that the moment the Dark Wolf-Lord got hold of that person, that person would be dead meat.


    A Dark Wolf-Lord loved to tear and eat its prey alive; it was an eccentric beast. And according to what Lin Long had heard, the Dark Wolf-Lord were actually spawns of Demons, and had a certain level of intelligence that no other Tier 7 Beast of the Ancient Forest could match.


    Saying the Dark Wolf-Lord were the smartest Tier 7 Beasts wouldn¡¯t be wrong, and one could even say they could rival a Tier 5 Beast in intelligence when fully grown.


    Looking at the enthusiastic Wolf-Lord carefully search for its prey without making a single sound, and then looking at the shadowy figure that would clearly be found in not too long, Lin Long wondered whether to stay on his spot, or help.


    After all, the moment the Wolf-Lord found that person, their fate would be pretty messed up. This disgusting beast would definitely not just let that person die a painless death. What¡¯s more, if that shadow turned out to be a woman, which Lin Long guessed was the case, then¡­


    Just imagining the fate a woman would go through at the mercy of a Wolf-Lord sent a shiver down Lin Long¡¯s back. Truly, the Dark Wolf-Lords were the spawns of Demons. Their disgusting actions proved it all!


    Finally, Lin Long came to the decision that he should lend a helping hand. After all, it was as the ancients said, ¡°Do good, and good will follow you!¡±


    He was a good person at heart, once who would never abandon someone in need. The feelings of helplessness and solitude were something he knew well. If he could save someone, and he could do it easily, then there was no reason not to do it.


    Remembering the wise words of the ancients, Lin Long decided to act at once. But right before he could move forward and kill the Wolf-Lord, Lin Long felt a small movement near his chest. He immediately remembered that his fluff-ball, little LinLin, was cuddled up near his chest.


    The little ball of fur ate too much and then fell asleep at once. But before she went to sleep, she made sure to climb inside Lin Long¡¯s clothes. As Lin Long looked down, he saw the head of the little fluff-ball pop out from under his chin as she stared at the Wolf-Lord moving around below.


    Seeing the pitch-black beast in the distance, little LinLin started to release faint squeals as it moved around excitedly. It was apparent that this gluttonous thing that already ate meat thrice its weight wanted the Wolf-Lord for its next meal.


    The Wolf-Lord no longer appeared as useless as it did just a few moments ago. With how much meat it had, he could easily feed this little thing for a few weeks. Lowering his chin, Lin Long rubbed the small head of little LinLin, so as to calm her down.


    With the decision made, and preparations¡­ well, there was nothing to prepare. Lin Long raised his right hand, and a small blade appeared between his thumb and index finger. Tightly holding onto the blade, Lin Long took aim, and threw it with a little force.


    In the very next moment, the Wolf-Lord twitched and froze on its spot. Its pupils constricted for a moment, and then they slowly dilated. At the same time, its body started to lose strength, and it fell to its right side.


    Something strange took place in front of Lin Long¡¯s eyes at that time; even though the Wolf-Lord¡¯s body was falling to its right, its head didn¡¯t go along with it. Instead, it slowly slid off its neck and fell to the ground.


    The place where the Wolf-Lord¡¯s head was decapitated from appeared to be as flat as a mirror, and an almost invisible layer of ice covered it, prevent blood from gushing out. The Dark Wolf-Lord, a mighty and smart Tier 7 Beast, died without even knowing or understanding what transpired with it.


    Seeing that the Wolf-Lord was taken care of, Lin Long turned his head towards the place where the shadowy figure hid. Immediately, his eyes met a pair of dark-blue eyes that seemed to pull at his soul.


    Just one look sent Lin Long into a momentarily daze, but he immediately shook his head and cleared his mind. He now understood how that person escaped from that Dark Wolf-Lord.

 5. Dead Log

    Turning his head towards the fallen Dark Wolf-Lord, Lin Long jumped down from the tree and rushed towards its corpse. His swift and agile movements made him appear as light as a swallow, and his quick actions when dismembering the corpse showed that he was quite experienced in hunting.


    ¡­


    The shadowy figure keenly looked at her savior¡¯s actions, and wondered how long he had been doing this for. Throughout the process, from the moment he killed the beast to the moment he dismembered it and stored it in the Spatial Ring on his right hand, not a single drop of blood fell from the Dark Wolf-Lord¡¯s corpse.


    His actions were well thought-out, and every cut he made would leave an almost invisible layer of ice that prevented blood from gushing out of the dismembered corpse. Just watching him deal with his prey like that sent a chill down her spine.


    ¡®Is he from the Dark World?¡¯ This thought crossed her mind, but she immediately blinked and shook her head in denial, ¡®He wouldn¡¯t be kind enough to save someone¡¯s life then!¡¯


    And to add to her thought process, someone from the Dark World would never let someone see their face; whoever saw their true appearance would be a cold corpse before they could expose their identity.


    She had seen his face, yet he had ignored her and focused on dealing with the Dark Wolf-Lord¡¯s corpse. If he was from the Dark World, he would have dealt her a killing blow before doing anything else.


    And with how weak she was, just an ordinary attack from him would be more than lethal to her. Someone who could kill one of the strongest Tier 7 Beast with such ease could also kill a person as weak as her in one swift attack.


    As the shadowy figure lost herself in her thoughts, Lin Long finished storing the entire corpse in his Spatial Ring. Done with the work, he lowered his chin to rub the head of the excited little LinLin, and started walking towards the oblivious woman who had her head lowered and appeared to be in a daze.


    ¡­


    ¡®Is she confident in her ability to escape, or confident in the belief that I won¡¯t attack her?¡¯ Lin Long wondered as he looked at the pondering figure standing completely oblivious in front of him. Looking at her from head to toe for a moment, he turned around and jumped back on the tree he was previously sitting on.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Taking a comfortable position on a thick branch, he reclined back and closed his eyes for rest, waiting for the sun to rise. Little LinLin, who was moving around his neck also shrunk back into his robes and closed her eyes for a pretty sleep.


    After some half an hour, Lin Long felt some movement close to him as the leaves rustled and the branches shook. He opened his eyes and saw the deep-blue pair of eyes stare at him with vigilance and some curiosity.


    At the same time, a faint and melodious voice with a strange sort of attraction to it came from the completely cloaked figure in front of him, making his eyes twitch, ¡°Brat, are you an Accursed from the Dark¡­¡±


    But before the cloaked woman could finish her words, the man in front of her moved like the wind and appeared right next to her. At the same time, the cloaked figure felt a coldness on her neck, as a deep and malevolent voice entered her ears, ¡°Try that again, and I will cut your head off!¡±


    Saying those words, Lin Long jumped back and returned to his resting spot. The cloaked figure, on the other hand, quietened down and thought to herself that she had guessed correctly. After all, why else would he get so triggered when she hadn¡¯t even completed her question?


    Having received her answer, she also reclined back on her branch and no longer released a sound. Closing her deep-blue eyes, she unknowingly fell into a deep sleep¡­


    Hearing the faint sound of rhythmic breathing from the cloaked woman, Lin Long opened his eyes and looked at her as if he was looking at a retard. At the same time, he wondered if this woman had no sense of danger?


    After all, there were only two types of people who could sleep so casually in a place like the Ancient Forest ¡ª those who were unimaginably strong, and those who were unimaginably stupid. And it appeared this woman he just saved was the latter.


    Although her skill to confuse someone¡¯s senses with her gaze and voice wasn¡¯t that bad, she couldn¡¯t make use of them in her sleep now, could she? Shaking his head, Lin Long again closed his eyes and decided not to bother with her anymore.


    There was nothing in the outer perimeter of the Ancient Forest that could hinder his path, or endanger his life¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­


    As the bright rays of the sun tore through the dark curtain of night, Lin Long opened his eyes and looked towards the bright golden celestial rising from the west. Looking for a moment, he turned his head to the right and saw the cloaked woman still sleeping there like a dead log.


    Straightening up, Lin Long stretched his limbs and stood up on the branch he rested through the night. Looking around, he realized that there were no beasts that roamed out here in search for food.


    In his heart, he thanked the woman for she brought a Tier 7 Beast all the way out here, or else he would have had to search for and make do with a lower tiered beast for breakfast. After all, he wasn¡¯t in the mood to go deeper into the Ancient Forest after that insanity from before.


    Immediately, Lin Long jumped down from the tree and started preparing for a hearty meal. He presumed that little LinLin, and that woman would be awake by the time he finished cooking. Since the Wolf-Lord was brought to him by that woman, there was no reason not to share some of it with her.