Etsusa Bridge - Volume 3, Chapter 3-A: Howl & Low

To pick is to choose. This is a story about choices. Three thousand world full of gods and demons, with a daoist scroll in your hand, you are able to control the entire universe…

At the beginning of time, a mystical meteor came crashing down from outer space and scattered all over the world. A piece of it landed in the Eastern Continent. There were mysterious totems carved upon the meteor. Through viewing these totems, the humankind comprehended the Dao and established the Orthodoxy.

Several thousand years later, the fourteen years old orphan Chen Changsheng left his master to cure his illness and change his fate. He brought a piece of marriage vow with him to the capital, thus began the journey of a rising hero.

“Any who don the title of 'king' or anything of the sort in my presence is nothing more than an ignorant fool. This is my land and I shall be reclaiming it soon. I am Cacophony, the Vampire Empress!”As those words left her lips, every cell in my body reacted. It was unreal—no, it was otherworldly. Her beauty, her power, and her overwhelming arrogance. It might've been then that I realized that my normal life had ended.How did it come to this?Ah, it was curiosity. Yes, a deathly curiosity brought me to that graveyard that day.It was there that I stumbled upon her coffin. I had absolutely no clue what I was doing then, and even now I have no idea what possessed me to touch it—that single moment changed the course of history for the entire world. I found myself delving into a completely unknown world.Should I regret it? Maybe. But the truth is, I don't.Exploring the world’s hidden secrets, forging unexpected bonds, and living alongside the revived empress—it’s exciting.“Even if it's wrong, I think I'm going to enjoy every moment of it.”

The world’s largest VRMMO, Conviction, was almost like a second world for humanity. It had integrated itself into the real world’s economy, with both corporations and individuals seeking their fortunes through the game.

In this game, Nie Yan prided himself in his Level 180 Thief. He could barely be considered among the top experts in the game. Though, that was the only thing he could take pride in. He was penniless and unable to advance in life; a situation he was forced into by the enemy of his father. If it weren’t for the little money he made by selling off items in Conviction, he would’ve barely been able to eat. In the end, he chose to settle his matters once and for all. He assassinated his father’s enemy. He lay dying shortly after being shot in the pursuit.

However, that wasn’t the end of his story. Instead, he awoke moments later to find that he had reincarnated into his past self. Armed with his experience and knowledge of future events, he sets out to live his life anew.

First Arc:“Don't leave me! Just look at me and stay awake!” Words that haunted Ariana's dreams for as long as she remembered. Dying in the arms of her lover as they both are surrounded and engulfed in flames.However Ariana's quirks never stopped her from living her life. Her journey starts from when her adoptive mother sells her at the tender age of 12, afraid that she was stealing her adoptive father's love. A blow to her head unlocks her past life's memories and life skills.Any object she touches relating to her past life unlocks her past skills and education. Using her memories she changes the brothel she's sold to into a maid cafe, and slowly changes her community.While creatures called Lumas are born from her powers to protect Ariana but who are the Lumas really protecting? Especially when she gets her period on her 13th birthday and it morphs her into a humanoid garnet dragon.Second Arc:In a world full of magic, beast men, warriors, adventurers and elementals could there really be something more frightening then a girl with mixed blood? Garnet dragon, child of the jewel eyed priestess and the soul of someone who was summoned from Earth.Ariana is fully awoken to who she is and has started her life in St. Verusha Academy as their perfect score student. She will have to grow into the young lady she wants to be while trying to unravel the mysteries of her life.With the help of Cayden, her childhood friend and the the Lumas, Ariana will discover the roads she can walk down. The only problem is will she choose destruction or human evolution? Love or world dominance? Revenge or forgiveness? Or will she allow her human mind and heart to be devoured by the darkness inside of her because of a massive betrayal from the one person she thought meant the most to her?Third ArcThe bells of war have been wrung and Ariana has now chosen to save all of humanity. Though she has come to know many truths she still trusts in the relationships she's made and is willing to put everything on the line to become stronger. Her Lumas are evolving, Cayden is her true love that she will never let go, the Goddess of Creation needs her to complete the mission given to her and above all else Ariana is determined to survive.Now with her new knowledge she abandons everyone from their own safety and travels to the Animus, the beast Kingdom to learn how to control her garnet dragon powers from her blood family and hoping that they wil aid her in the fight against Lord Romanoff, the robed army and the twisted church.