Aina originally didn’t want to buy that dress, as she rarely had any occasion to wear it. But Liyana said that if Aina didn’t take it, she would buy the dress Aina had tried on and gift it to Xia Lun… So, in the end, Aina purchased it anyway.
However, when Aina went to the counter to pay, she was told that the gentleman accompanying her had already settled the bill.
“How enviable, madam, to have such a gallant and handsome partner,” the clerk couldn’t help remarking.
Aina gazed at the dress in her hands, lost in thought.
Did he really think such a trivial gesture could sway her?
How naïve, Hero.
With a flick of her wrist, Aina stored the dress in her spatial ring.
Well, since it was a gift from the Hero, she wouldn’t just toss it into some forgotten corner… She’d place it on an unused shelf, at least.
Not that it meant anything. It was simply so that in the future, after she had vanquished the Hero, she could reminisce about this worthy adversary.
Yes, just as humans preserved their hunting trophies as specimens, this would be her first spoil in the conquest of the Hero.
Aina silently reaffirmed her resolve.
She was the cold and ruthless Demon King—how could a mere dress shake her conviction?
Her treasury overflowed with gold and jewels; such a garment was beneath her notice.
But since it was a gift, basic courtesy demanded she treat it with some respect.
In the end, Aina placed the dress in a slightly more visible spot.
That way, when she cleared out unnecessary junk from her spatial ring later, she could easily spot it and discard it without a second thought.
That was what Aina told herself.
……
In a shadowy corner of Olie City, a dark figure flickered in and out of sight.
“To think… the world where the ‘Goddess’ resides is even more formidable than we anticipated,” Death Praise murmured, tightening his black robes around himself.
Merely wandering into a random city, he had encountered two beings of immense power—both of whom had faintly sensed his presence.
In his world, such mighty figures could be counted on one hand… Yet here, in a city that wasn’t even particularly prosperous, there were two.
Fortunately, they hadn’t come after him, likely assuming he was merely passing through.
Death Praise further suppressed his aura, his heart swelling with exhilaration.
To bring death to such a powerful world… What an unparalleled honor!
“Hey! Who are you? This is my turf.”
A ragged beggar stumbled into the alley, startled by the stranger’s presence.
But seeing how emaciated the figure beneath the robes was, the beggar regained his confidence—this wretch was no match for him.
“Scram! Get the hell out of here, you eyesore!”
“How pitiful,” Death Praise sighed. “To live as insignificantly as an insect… Your death, too, shall be meaningless… To perish in this filthy alley, forgotten by all—what a wretched fate.”
“The hell are you babbling about? I’m warning you, if you don’t get lost, I’ll beat you senseless!” The beggar rolled up his sleeves.
Death Praise: “Wouldn’t you prefer your death to hold greater meaning? I can make it shine brilliantly.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?” The beggar spat, too irritated to waste more words, and swung his fist.
Yet the moment his hand reached for the robed figure, his arm began melting like heated wax, flesh dripping in thick globs to the ground.
“Aaaah! My hand! My hand! What’s happening?!” The beggar shrieked in horror.
But his voice soon grew distorted and muffled.
His entire body was liquefying, flesh turning gelatinous, sliding off his bones like overcooked stew meat.
“Guh… ack…”
Within moments, the living man had dissolved into a puddle of slop, leaving only a bare skeleton behind.
Crack—
With a brittle snap, the bones crumbled into dust upon hitting the ground.
“How pitiful… But such a worthless, ugly death is the perfect punishment for vermin like you.”
A wisp of dark energy seeped from the beggar’s remains, vanishing into Death Praise’s billowing robes.
“Pathetic…”
……
“Besides brewing potions, I have other skills too!”
Ankula declared earnestly. “For example, I can divine the future—even summon powerful entities to possess me!”
Xia Lun sat across from her and nodded.
Well, she was a witch… It wasn’t surprising she dabbled in the occult.
“Then why didn’t you use that against the Red Dragon…?”
“Invocation rituals are complicated! There was no time to prepare back then… Plus, it’s risky. If some being decided to hijack my body and refuse to leave, I’d be in serious trouble…” Ankula stuck out her tongue.
“Then why not divine whether Xia Lun will let you join our party?” Liyana asked curiously.
Ankula: “Divining matters related to oneself is forbidden!”
“I’m sorry, Miss Ankula… I don’t think you’re a good fit for our team,” Xia Lun finally rejected her application.
“Why not? We’ve already adventured together! I know I can contribute!” Ankula protested. “With me around, you’ll never run out of potions!”
Hiss—
Xia Lun was admittedly tempted.
But there was no way he could accept.
Earlier, Ankula’s father, Angelie, had approached him, insisting his daughter not become an adventurer.
Normally, Xia Lun disapproved of parents dictating their children’s futures.
But Angelie’s offer was simply too generous.
While Xia Lun could resist temptation, Liyana couldn’t—she agreed instantly, leaving Xia Lun no choice but to comply.
So it was better for Ankula to stay home.
Besides, if she truly wanted to be an adventurer, her skills could easily land her a spot in a higher-ranked party later.
After all, Dawn’s Wing was still just a fledgling Level 2 group.
Seeing Ankula’s stubborn refusal to give up, Xia Lun sighed.
“Well then… Miss Ankula, how would you feel about being our reserve member?”
y came from. The chests contained supplies, currency, class-change scrolls, skills, talents… and even godhood! The laws of the world were completely rewritten. This became a world where everyone gambled with their fate! Some people, despite having nothing, opened a divine artifact and rose to the top, eventually ruling the world. Others went bankrupt, opened nothing but worthless junk, and leaped from skyscrapers in despair. Lin Ye arrived in this world from another reality, utterly bewildered. “What is going on? Why is everyone a gambling addict?!” “Opening chests? No way. I refuse to gamble. I’ll start with myself!” Until— On his first chest, he obtained a Mythic Talent: Void Incarnation! He could become completely intangible, pass through all things, and reduce everything to nothingness! … On his fiftieth chest, he obtained a Mythic Weapon: Blade of Karma! With a single slash, karma shattered, twisting the universe and overturning the myriad phenomena of creation! … On his ninety-ninth chest, he obtained a Mythic Divine Treasure: Primordial Purple Energy! It could split open the heavens and earth, create all things, and evolve countless worlds with a single thought! Lin Ye: “Now that I think about it… shouldn’t someone have told me that every chest is guaranteed to contain something Mythic?!”
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
