The Black Scepter

The Black Scepter is a full-length Western fantasy novel by the web author Deathwing Neltharion, once serialized on Zongheng Chinese Network under the English alias The Black Scepter, totaling about 1.58 million words and now complete. The work sets its stage in a fictional world modeled on medieval Europe and featuring three planes—Heaven, the mortal world, and Hell. The main plot follows the rise of the descendant of the Windsor family: the family's young heir leaves the ducal mansion amid conspiracy and blood feud, is drawn into a large-scale war between the Holy Gabriel Empire and hostile forces, and advances step by step into the center of power. The author describes his approach as "pure Western fantasy": there is no time travel, no system, and no stat panels. Instead, the narrative builds in fine detail the class system, magic system, aristocratic culture, geography, and battle scenes, while a dual narrative alternates between frontline slaughter and court power struggles. The core question posed by the title runs throughout: when war must be launched, is war itself justice; when weapons become the only hope, do weapons become sacred? And how should the one who truly stands above all else face the power he holds in his own hands?