Slow-burn Western fantasy, no System, no invincibility, arcane machinery, dark technology, and a 19th-century setting.
As the Gallic Empire faces defeat, Lake Horn goes from a military second lieutenant content to coast along to an agent thrust into the dark maelstrom of the Defense Intelligence Bureau by a secret order. He must infiltrate enemy-occupied territory!
A Sacred Mark transformation grants him an assassin’s uncanny skills, and even monsters can become his pawns. But he never wanted to be cannon fodder for the Empire. All he wants is to survive under the watchful eyes of the Prussians.
Air cavalry bombardments, a Prussian major keeping close tabs on him, a shocking conspiracy behind a bankers’ liquidation operation, ancient treasures deep in the mines, and a secret manual of Han civilization... Every step brings him to the brink of death, yet in the darkness he catches a scent of opportunity.
From a fugitive dodging pursuers to a dark power broker who controls a spy network and masters arcana and political intrigue, Lake Horn rewrites the rules in blood: “Want to use me as a pawn? Ask the arcane whip and hound legion in my hands first!”
In an age when theocracy wanes, arcana reigns, and old overlords collapse, he will build a dark empire of his own atop the ruins of the three provinces!
