Dark Fate

The world as it was known ended, replaced by one with a System — levels, hit points, and stats — where monsters preyed on the weak. The Black Knight rose as a champion, striking down warlords and monsters to protect the people. At the moment of his greatest triumph, he was betrayed. The explosion cast him back in time, into his own body before the Apocalypse began. He had been a hero, and all it earned him was betrayal and death. This time, he would become the darkness itself.

The System has come online, and the world has been changed forever. Zayn Greene — using knowledge from his former life as the Black Knight — has become a demon in this new world, hoping to break the chains of fate that bound him last time. As the first night falls, he must grow stronger still, for goblins are the least of what this new world has in store.

Only a couple of days into the System Apocalypse, Zayn Greene already has a trio of women in his newfound harem. Now it is time to inspect the property he won from a rival Slave Master and turn it into a base of operations — because the Apocalypse is only just getting started, and Zayn knows more bad news is on the horizon.

A month into the System Apocalypse, Zayn Greene is thoroughly enjoying his second time through — until a problem arises at the mall downtown. It has become a dungeon, full of zombies. So far they haven't escaped, but no one wants a zombie apocalypse on top of everything else. As one of the highest-leveled people in the city, the police have asked Zayn to brave the dungeon and make sure the undead can't get out.

Having rescued the people trapped within the undead dungeon at Lenox Square Mall, Zayn Greene and his companions are approached by the Atlanta Police Department for help with their investigations. But the first case they bring him hits uncomfortably close to home for the former Black Knight — reminding him of one of his first defeats in the old timeline. Will this time be different?

Zayn Greene has begun making a name for himself as a consultant with the Atlanta police, using his advanced skills and knowledge of the System to handle threats beyond their capability. So far, so good — but when a nearby police department calls him in on missing persons cases, what seemed like another straightforward job turns out to be anything but simple.

Time is running short for Zayn Greene. The projected arrival of the first alien pirates is only months away — and in his last timeline, their arrival was the beginning of the end, as rival warbands invaded and claimed parts of the Earth. This time, Zayn intends to ensure the first scouts never report back. He has a lot of work to do and not much time.

The first pirates to attack Earth have fallen into Zayn Greene's trap. But the next group may not be so foolish — and brawling skills mean nothing against orbital bombardment or an enemy fleet. To compete with an industrial enemy, Zayn will need industry of his own. He cannot do everything himself anymore.

The first batch of pirates has been subdued and Zayn Greene's infrastructure is being built, but he moved quickly enough that his works have been spotted — questions are being asked. Out in the dark, a new force is on the move. The warm-up is over. Will Zayn and his people survive their first real test?

Zayn Greene and his people survived their first test, leaving the pirate fleet in ruins. But the battle in the wider solar system could not be hidden from Earth, especially when pirate ships landed in cities around the world. Now Zayn and the newly formed Kingdom of Ceres have been forced to step out of the shadows. The mask is off — and questions are being asked about whether the world's governments will accept a new power claiming the outer planets as its territory.

The Kingdom of Ceres has been revealed to the world — and a demonstration of its capabilities while destroying a terrorist training camp has raised serious concerns. Turning a portion of desert to glass will have that effect. Now it is time for the Kingdom of Ceres to take up diplomatic ties. But what happens when Zayn Greene lays bare the truths of the wider galaxy to nations that have always considered themselves major players — and they realize they are just big fish in a very small pond?

With the Kingdom of Ceres revealed and open for immigration, the world's eyes are upon this new power. But what is life actually like in the kingdom? How will people adjust to living in a new monarchy, in space, where the old rules no longer apply? And with more ships detected inbound to Sol, what new troubles are coming?

First contact with a non-hostile alien civilization has been made — at gunpoint, as the Ceres Royal Navy asked a Systems Commonwealth warship to stand down while they handled an Incux hiveship trying to claim Sol. Now it is time to ensure the Incux have no base from which to assault Sol, and potentially win allies for the Kingdom of Ceres. What could possibly go wrong?

With the Incux threat at Ulora eliminated for now, the Ceres Royal Navy continues its mission of delivering diplomats to the Systems Commonwealth capital of Quel'thalas. How will the Commonwealth react to the Kingdom of Ceres — and how will King Zayn Greene react to the Commonwealth?

King Zayn Greene came to Quel'thalas seeking a peaceful introduction to the wider galaxy. Political grandstanding forced him into an honor duel, but the outcome advanced him to Tier 2 and granted him the class of Demon King — so he can hardly complain. With trade deals set and military agreements made, it is time for the King to give himself some shore leave. But is the Commonwealth ready for what happens when a Demon King goes out on the town?

The Kingdom of Ceres led an expedition to the Systems Commonwealth capital — rescued a world from the Incux, made diplomatic contact with a foreign interstellar power, and had a great deal of cultural exchange. But every trip must end, and a King cannot stay away from his throne forever. How many fires will the Demon King have to put out when he returns — and how many will he make worse?

The Demon King of Ceres put down the fighting in Israel in the most brutal and efficient way possible, ending the conflict by destroying much of the nation. Such actions normally have consequences — but Ceres is too far for military reprisals, and no court can prosecute him. As political games simmer in the background, the Demon King turns his attention to one of his pets and her debut in the Ceres Slavefight League.

With the Middle East conflict forcibly quelled, King Zayn Greene is set to turn his attention to the Incux and the growing threat they pose. Before that, two very different visitors arrive: an envoy from the Ouran, the lizard-like aliens who once attacked Earth, and a ship that defied sane thought ripping its way out of Hellspace to seek him out. How will he manage both — and keep a fight from breaking out between them?

With the crisis of the two alien visitors settled, life on Ceres gets back to normal — as normal as it can be when you are the Demon King of an up-and-coming space kingdom, your lead starship designer now lives with her tentacle-catgirl hivemind controller, and your closest relationships are with a harem of slave girls and a succubus daughter. Even so, the world keeps moving, and it may be good to be King, but there is still all the 'fun' of actually ruling.

In the wake of a successful state visit from the Leader of North Korea, King Zayn Greene sets his eyes on his next target: addressing the UN General Assembly, with all eyes of the world upon him. With North Korean help, the Demon King of Ceres prepares to speak. Surely nothing bad can happen.

King Zayn Greene's visit to the UN began with an assassination attempt before he even got to speak. The aftershocks are already being felt — nations overlooked or used as pawns by major powers responded well to Ceres treating them as equals. One nation barely hanging on after the Initialization now looks to Ceres for aid. But what form will that aid take, and what will other countries have to say about it?

The addition of Panama to the Ceresan Empire was interrupted by a literal Giant Kraken — and it was clearly no random encounter. The Kraken had been altered with System Shop supplements and was chasing eggs planted in the Panama Canal as a lure. The trail leads to Russia. How will Emperor Greene pursue those responsible, and what will it mean for global relations?

With the Russian situation settled for now, the Ceresan Empire turns its attention to the exchange program with the Iscand Clan of the Ouran Huntworlds. Ceresan Marines and Special Forces travel to the Huntworlds while several hunters come to Earth to learn from the Empire's troops — and not everyone on the exchange is a warrior, opening up intriguing new possibilities.

The Ceresan Empire's exchange program with the Iscand Clan is going about as well as anyone expected — people of wildly different cultures bonding over the shared values of finding dangerous creatures and removing them with applied violence. Meanwhile, the Ceres Royal Navy is deep in Incux space. Two of three cattle worlds have been eliminated and the Incux are gathering forces around the third. Will the battle group be enough to break them?

The Ceres Royal Navy destroyed the cattle worlds that sustained the Incux's relentless advance through the Systems Commonwealth. Now they have returned home, and the Empire has expanded to bring much of South and Central America into the fold. In Russia, the old regime has fallen as a figure known as Baba Yaga takes control. The world is shifting, and the Empire is leading the changes.