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?”
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
is also known as: "Sword Flying Under the Desk: My School Life" "Balancing Cultivation and STEM Homework" "The System That Taught Me to Take College Entrance Exams While Surviving Heavenly Tribulations" Good news: I got reincarnated. Even better news: I got reincarnated with a system. So, should I chase wealth? Or pursue immortality? Maybe become a superhero for the motherland? But with regrets weighing on this second life, I’d rather fix what I missed before. System: "Host, the cultivation world is full of dangers. You must form your Golden Core immediately!" Lin Mo glanced at the truck he’d just stopped with one hand. "At my level, it’s not like I’ll piss off ‘Little Boy’ or ‘Fat Man,’ right? Whatever—I still have two math problems left. Go play by yourself." System: "How can you still focus on homework at a time like this?! Host! Don’t throw your life away!" Lin Mo stayed silent, burying himself deeper into his workbook.
e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
