Novels by Chidera Udeh

The First Step to True PowerThe Varelis estate had long since become a shadow of its former grandeur. The once-stately mansion, perched upon the cliffs overlooking the valley, was now a decaying relic, silent but for the creak of its timbers and the occasional sigh of wind through its cracked windows. The halls, once teeming with the energy of the house’s illustrious history, now echoed only the faintest footsteps of Riel as he moved through the narrow, dust-choked corridors. The estate was dying, and with it, the legacy of his family. Yet, in that oppressive quiet, he could still feel the weight of their long-forgotten secrets pressing down on him.His gaze was sharp, honed over the years of constant survival, of never quite fitting in with the rules of nobility, of always being at the edge of the game. His eyes caught the smallest details —the cracks in the walls, the faded tapestries that hung like ghosts of a better time, the faint outline of a doorway that had been bricked up lo

The Coming Crisis – Three Months LeftThree months. That was all the time Riel had.He sat in his dimly lit chamber, his body sore from the previous night’s encounter. The wound on his shoulder pulsed with a steady throb, freshly bandaged and still tender to the touch. The assassin’s attack had made one thing clear — he was still too weak.The system’s interface flickered before his eyes, its white text appearing as if from the void, cold and stark against the darkness of his mind.[Main Quest Activated: Survive the Noble Purge.][Countdown: 90 Days.]His fingers clenched into a fist, nails biting into the palm. Ninety days. Ninety days before everything would burn to the ground.He took in a sharp breath, forcing himself to steady his racing heart. It wasn’t just his life at stake.His father. His mother. The Varelis household.They would all be wiped from existence if he failed.The past week had been a blur of whispered secrets and overheard conversations. He’d spent every moment l

The System’s Darker SideThe candle beside Riel flickered, struggling against the weight of the darkness pressing in around him. The flame trembled, its glow barely stretching beyond the cold stone walls of his chamber. Shadows loomed in the corners, stretching unnaturally, shifting when he wasn’t looking directly at them.He sat at the edge of his bed, fingers absentmindedly tracing the deep bruises along his ribs. The dull ache in his muscles was a reminder of the day’s exertions, of the slow and grueling process of reclaiming the strength that had once come so easily. His mind, however, was more restless than his body.The System’s words still rattled around in his skull, heavy with implication. Every conversation, every lesson, every warning — it was another step forward, another piece of the puzzle he was trying to reconstruct before time ran out.But fate, it seemed, did not wish to be rewritten.A chill ran down his spine. The hairs on the back of his neck rose.Something was w

The First Political MoveThe flickering candlelight cast a delicate glow across the room, its weak flame dancing as though trying to escape the cold grasp of the evening air. The shadows on the walls stretched long, creeping like silent witnesses to the quiet despair of Lord Edgar Varelis' study. Riel’s fingers brushed against the brittle pages of an old ledger, ink smudging as he flipped through them with a mix of urgency and frustration. His arms throbbed from the grueling training session earlier, yet this task — this study of the past — demanded his full attention. It was a duty that transcended mere physical pain.If he wanted to change fate, he needed to understand how it had unraveled the first time.The Varelis family, once a proud house, now lay on the verge of obliteration. His father, Lord Edgar, was a minor noble, the last living branch of a house that had seen its better days long ago. Over the generations, the family’s lands had shrunk, their influence had waned, and the

Training The bruises on Riel’s ribs throbbed with every shallow breath. Pain pulsed beneath his skin, deep and dull, like the echo of a war drum. Each movement sent a fresh jolt through his body, a harsh reminder of just how pitifully weak he had become.In his past life, strength had been a given. A blade in his grip, the fluid precision of combat, the way opponents fell like reeds before a storm — these were things he had once understood as naturally as breathing. Now?Now, a simple beating had left him gasping like a fish dragged onto dry land.The humiliation of it gnawed at him.The System had given him a second chance — but what was the use of a second chance if he remained fragile? A chime echoed through his mind, clear and artificial.[New Missions Available.]A translucent menu flickered into view, its glowing letters forming two distinct tasks:[Mission: Begin Physical Training]Objective: Train the body through consistent exertion.Reward: Strength +1, Endurance +1.[Missi

First DuelThe challenge came at midday. Riel sat in the small courtyard of House Varelis, his legs stretched before him. He had spent the morning testing his limits — walking, pushing his body past the frailty it had suffered for years. His muscles screamed in protest, but he endured.Then, the summons arrived.Alek stood in the center of the courtyard, arms folded, a smug grin plastered on his face. “You humiliated me,” he said, his voice thick with venom. “So, we’re settling this now.”Riel said nothing. Alek’s attendants loitered behind him, grinning, eager for the spectacle. One of them tossed a wooden training sword at Riel’s feet. Riel stared at it.[System Alert: New Mission Triggered][Mission: Fight With Honor][Objective: Do not lose without resistance.][Penalty: Attribute Reduction]A sharp warning echoed in his mind. If he simply let Alek win, the System would punish him.He exhaled slowly.Alek expected an easy victory. He had no intention of giving it to him.He bent d