"The Golden Lion has retreated to Atalia with the remnants of his army. An anxious calm has settled over war-torn Bergonia, but it doesn't seem likely that things will stay quiet for very long.
With the burden of command finally removed from his shoulders, Max is headed to northern Bergonia. To the lands of the Margraviate de Valier, which were conferred on him by King Carl III.
Frequent ebbs and flows, raids by Shadow beasts, mysterious ghosts—there are good reasons why the place known as Shadow Pass is considered one of the most dangerous regions in all Mainland.
Sworn enemies, unexpected meetings, secrets from the past . . . Max is about to face a whole range of new trials."
"A new ruler is ascending to the throne of Vintervald, and his army is heading to the North to give battle to the Frost Knights. And meanwhile, Princess Astrid is desperate to find new allies.
The King of Astland dreams of an Imperial Crown, and he's waiting for the right moment to hurl his legions into Vestonia.
In Atalia, a shift in the balance of power is already well underway, and the Golden Lion is hungry for revenge.
The King of Claron, Olgerd III the Proud, has fixed his eyes on Bergonia and the Margraviate de Valier. Carl III's illness seems to have subsided temporarily, leaving him frantically trying to collect new legions.
The Duke de Bauffremont is returning to Herouxville from Atalian captivity, while his rival the Duke de Gondy continues to strengthen his influence.
Meanwhile, Max is returning to Fort de Gris, after vanquishing one of the Elder Hrimthurs.
This world is home to everyone Max holds dear, and he can't let them destroy it. Whether his appearance was Predestination at work, or the result of some sort of complicated web of intrigue, is still a mystery. But one thing is clear: defending his loved ones will require him to act quickly and decisively . . ."
"The remnants of Duke de Clairmont's army are surrounded by enemy legions under the command of Ricardo di Lorenzo, otherwise known as the Golden Lion. Marshal de Clairmont himself is badly wounded, and already at death's door.
Duke de Bauffremont and Duke de Gondy have assembled their forces on the border between Bergonia and Vestonia, and now, under Prince Philippe's leadership, this army is about to march off to rescue the surrounded Vestonian force. But that won't be enough to beat the Golden Lion in the field. They're going to need help from another army—one which, against all odds, has managed to defeat the Atalians in three separate battles, and take control of the old Imperial road.
Max already has what he came for: his path to the Margraviate de Valier is clear. And he has enough people to take control of his new lands. But the war in Bergonia isn't over yet . . . And while Max has his own mission to attend to, he also knows exactly where the Golden Lion will turn his attention once he defeats Prince Philippe's army.
That means there's really only one option for Max: he needs to destroy this threat once and for all . . ."
"After receiving the title of Margrave de Valier, Max has set off on campaign as part of the royal army commanded by the Duke de Clairmont, Marshal of Vestonia. Max's assignment is to take control of his new lands, which are known popularly as Shadow Pass and which are being held by the Knights of the Order of the Scarlet Shield.
Max's path will take him through Bergonia, a land wracked by the chaos of war. The Atalian legions dominate this land, under the command of Ricardo di Lorenzo, the Golden Lion, the most renowned and successful of all Alfonso V's commanders.
To make it to his destination, Max will have to travel a road fraught with danger, where any misstep could be the last step for him and his entire unit."
"Having returned to Herouxville, capital of Vestonia, Max Renard has found himself drawn into the dangerous game of courtly intrigue.
King Carl III is ill and weakened by his wounds. This leads to tensions between the various princely parties at court. The struggle for influence inside the country is spilling over onto a whole new level. Carl III's foreign enemies are taking advantage of his weakness and ramping up their pressure.
The stakes are high, and Max has to find a delicate balance between his own personal interests and those of the powerful people in this new world. He'll have to use all the cunning and mastery at his disposal if he's going to raise his own profile and stay alive at the same time.
Besides that, Max has a powerful new enemy, one against whom the usual methods are useless. Max will have to remember everything he learned from his adoptive mother if he's going to win this fight."
"Konung Bjørn Sharptooth, ruler of Vintervald, has announced a Great Trial. Whoever emerges victorious shall be wed to the konung's daughter, Princess Astrid.
In accordance with ancient custom, for the duration of the Great Trial, a ceasefire is declared in Northland. Sworn enemies in the midst of bloody war must put down their weapons, and all those worthy of the princess' hand may come to the capital to try their luck.
Carl III, wanting to impede Northlander raids into his northern borderlands, decides to conclude an alliance with the konung and sends his youngest son Prince Louis to Vintervald to take part in the Great Trial.
Impressed by Max Renard's mastery as a swordsman, Prince Louis invites him to join the northern embassy, to which Max Renard agrees. After all, the trip to the north with the embassy will serve as a great cover story for him to complete a secret mission from the Duke de Bauffremont.
And while the powers that be think they've found an obedient agent, Max Renard will put his own plan into action."
"Heinrich de Gramont's petition to the king to release Max Renard from his duty to serve at Westerly Fort has been signed. Max's debt to the crown has been paid. And now his 'doting' uncle expects his wayward and petulant nephew to come to the capital at once so he can be wed to Viscountess Aurélie de Marbot.
Max knows there's no getting out of a trip to the capital this time. Also, beyond personal affairs, he has a lot of questions both for his father's brother and a number of maternal relatives. And so, Max decides to make for Herouxville to see with his own eyes just how far blood ties can take him."
"No one knows for certain what caused the Shadow to come into existence. Clerics say it was the gods laying a curse upon this world. Philosophers maintain that the Shadow of Strix is nothing short of a blessing and new milestone in human progress. But both sides agree that the Shadow will eventually swallow up this world and change it beyond recognition.
However, there are also the mages, and they think the whole debate is just so much hot air. They accept the Shadow as is with all its horrors and wonders. Furthermore, for the last several centuries, mages have risked their lives attempting to harness the Shadow's Power for themselves.
Unsurprisingly, only a select few have access to knowledge about the Shadow's magic. Max Renard understands that, so he chooses a different and more hazardous path. He decides to head for the frontier himself to experience the Shadow's Power firsthand."
"For Olgerd, the month in recovery which followed his month-long full immersion stint in Mirror World may have felt like a single day. But while he relaxed in the bosom of his loving family, in-game events progressed in leaps and bounds.
The clans of both Light and Dark continue their lightning expansion into No-Man's Lands. Reports of violent clashes between clan scouts—both with other contestants and local top-level monsters—fill the pages of game and multimedia news feeds as everyone is trying to win the juiciest morsels of these new territories for themselves.
Olgerd knows that the Dark players still have a grudge against him—and that their rickety truce with the players of Light might be broken at any moment. Then the valleys of the Silver Mountains will fall prey to new invaders.
Olgerd needs to help the Calteans mount defenses for their new settlement. Which means it's time for him to get back into the game."
"In a former life, Jack was gifted, meaning he possessed peculiar abilities. If rich folks found themselves in a jam, Jack could use his talents to get them out of it. Where others were sure to fail, Jack's aristocratic clientele could always count on him to finish jobs cleanly, efficiently, and leave no trace, for which his services commanded a hefty fee.
But one day, Jack picked a fight with the wrong man and his old life came to an end. But, as it turned out, his story was far from over.
A mysterious supernatural being whisked Jack's consciousness away and into the body of a young nobleman living in a different world in the multiverse—a magical one.
In it, he must play the part of Max Renard, illegitimate son of a traitor who was recently executed on orders from the king, which caused Max to lose his home and be forced to dwell in a small town on the western outskirts of the kingdom.
And now this new life—his last life—is the one he must lead . . ."
"The battle with the horde of necromorphs is lost. Foreston has been overrun by Dark fiends. The foxfolk have been forced to abandon their homes and seek salvation on the far side of Narrow Lake.
Its main city lost, the Order of Monster Hunters finds itself on the brink of destruction. And now deprived of their chief ally, the gnomes are left all alone to take on the army of the Steel King.
Eric's attempts to halt his foe's advance have all come to naught—Alrak the Heartless and the other Dark primordials are simply too powerful.
To cover his friends' retreat, Eric makes use of forbidden magic, for which the Great System strips him of his rank as magister and declares him an apostate.
In spite of the crushing defeat and grievous wound, Eric's will is not yet broken. And although he has become a renegade in the eyes of yesterday's friends and allies, Eric will keep up the fight against Darkness!"
"The skies of the Dark Continent teem with ravening beasts. Thousands of refugees are at the gates of Foreston seeking salvation from a mysterious scourge.
The Wastes are infested with herds of bloodthirsty necromorphs that devour every living thing in their path. A Dark Gateway has opened in the Stone Forest, allowing a horde of otherworldly monsters to come flooding through.
Adversaries from time immemorial are gathering armies and amassing forces. Ancient enemies are forming alliances. The world of the Great System stands once again on the precipice of change. A new war is coming."
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