The Sovereign's Awakening
When death is just the beginning of a worse story...
Marcus Reeves, a burnt-out 28-year-old IT worker, dies in a truck accident and reincarnates as Caelan Ashborne—the forgotten bastard son of Duke Valorian in a cultivation fantasy world. But this isn't just any world—it's from a webnovel Marcus read, and he knows exactly how this story ends.
In two years, his mother Elara dies of illness. Three months later, he's murdered by his half-brother. Both deaths are footnoted in a single line: "unmourned and unremarked."
Refused to accept this fate, Caelan discovers he has the Apex Sovereign System—a power that lets him grow stronger through combat, achievement, and bonds with others. Dual cultivation with trusted partners accelerates growth exponentially. There's just one problem: the only person Caelan truly trusts, the only one who's ever loved him unconditionally, is Elara—his mother.
As political schemes intensify and assassination attempts begin, Caelan faces an impossible choice. Traditional cultivation won't make him strong enough fast enough to change their fates. But crossing the ultimate taboo—becoming his mother's lover to save her life through forbidden dual cultivation—will make them outcasts even among outcasts.
From forgotten bastard to rising power, Caelan must:
Master the cultivation system before his enemies master him
Navigate deadly family politics where siblings murder for favor
Build a faction from the estate's other forgotten children
Steal away his half-sister from a cruel arranged marriage
Face the novel's "heroic" protagonist who's destined to win
Make impossible choices between morality and survival
In a world where power is everything and family means nothing, Caelan will forge his own path—even if it means rewriting the very story he's trapped in.
Love. Power. Taboo. Survival.
Some destinies are worth breaking. Some bonds are worth any price.
Also Appeals To:
Readers tired of generic isekai
Fans of complex family dynamics
Those who want harem done well (not just collection)
People who appreciate dark fantasy with hope
Readers who like anti-heroes with genuine love interests
Anyone wanting fresh takes on familiar tropes
Content Warnings (Transparency):
This novel contains:
Incest (mother-son romance, central to plot)
Graphic sexual content (R18)
Violence and death (cultivation world is brutal)
Morally questionable protagonist decisions
Dark themes (abuse, murder, political cruelty)
Harem relationships (one man, multiple women)
This novel does NOT contain:
Rape/non-con (all relationships consensual)
NTR/Netorare (MC never cheated on, never shares)
Extreme gore for shock value
Mindless edge-lord behavior
Sexism disguised as "realism"
Reader Discretion Advised: If taboo relationships make you uncomfortable, this may not be for you. If handled maturely they intrigue you, welcome.