Although Aina and Xia Lun had taken their relationship a step further, their interactions… didn’t seem to have changed much.
Life went on as usual—venturing out, completing commissions, and quietly raising their adventurer team’s rank.
After the incident in Olie City, the Adventurer’s Association had investigated and made an exception to promote their team directly from lv.1 to lv.3. Now, they weren’t far from reaching lv.4.
“Xia Lun, have you thought about recruiting more members?” Liyana suddenly asked. “Someone approached me earlier, asking if our team needed more people.”
Most high-ranking adventurer teams grew stronger and expanded their numbers—typically, a lv.5 team would have hundreds of members.
Dawn’s Wings was gradually gaining some reputation, with much of the attention focused on Xia Lun. Many had heard that he possessed the blessing of a goddess, making him exceptionally powerful.
“Honestly… I still prefer the current atmosphere,” Xia Lun replied after a moment of thought. “With more people, issues like uneven resource distribution and conflicts could arise… What do you all think?”
The others nodded. Their team’s roles were already well-rounded, with everyone fulfilling their duties and familiar with one another.
They were still in contact with Lady Ankula as well. Though she didn’t join them on adventures, she played a significant supporting role.
Xia Lun sat down beside Aina.
Aina’s expression remained unchanged, and Xia Lun didn’t make any further moves.
“Need some water?” Xia Lun offered his waterskin.
“No,” Aina replied flatly.
Xia Lun: “The weather’s nice today.”
Aina: “Yes.”
“Hope we’ll find something good in the dungeon today.”
“Good.”
The rest of the team exchanged glances.
It was hard to believe these two were a couple.
Not that they could blame them—neither Xia Lun nor Aina had any prior experience with romance, making it easy for their conversations to hit dead ends.
“Hey, hey, Xia Lun, just talking won’t cut it… You need to take more action,” Liyana, the most experienced in love among them, advised. “Holding hands, at least—that shouldn’t be too hard, right?”
Xia Lun glanced at Aina beside him.
It should… be fine, right? They’d already kissed before…
Carefully, he reached for Aina’s delicate hand.
Slap!
Aina swatted his hand away instantly.
Like a startled cat with its fur bristling, she scratched Xia Lun sharply.
Xia Lun withdrew his hand sheepishly, a bright red mark now visible where Aina had struck without holding back.
“Don’t mess around,” Aina said coolly.
The others pretended not to notice, turning their heads away, clearly struggling to hold back laughter—though none dared to actually laugh.
After all, Xia Lun was their captain, and Aina was their mage… both were pillars of the team.
Who would’ve thought these two had such a side to them?
“Something’s approaching.”
Xia Lun’s gaze sharpened instantly. Playful banter aside, he knew when to get serious.
“I’ll handle it,” Aina said, rising slowly.
“I—” Xia Lun started to stand but was immediately cut off by Aina’s command.
“Stay seated.”
Xia Lun obediently sat back down.
Though Musen had treated his injuries, the wounds from the Chaos Dragon Clan weren’t healing so easily, still throbbing faintly.
He’d hidden it well—the others hadn’t noticed anything amiss—but nothing escaped Aina’s eyes.
The Chaos Dragon Clan was far beyond ordinary monsters… the fact that Xia Lun had managed to retrieve the Dragonblood Flower and escape unscathed was a testament to his strength.
Aina took a step forward, her figure blurring into nothingness.
“If you two ever get married, you’re definitely going to be henpecked, Xia Lun,” Liyana sighed, patting his shoulder. “If you’re like this now, you’ll be hopeless if you don’t toughen up.”
“We’re just dating normally right now. Who knows what’ll happen in the future?” Xia Lun waved it off.
“Liyana, don’t say that about Captain Xia Lun,” Moke chimed in, as always taking Xia Lun’s side. “Being able to date Lady Aina… Captain Xia Lun is already amazing.”
Liyana clicked her tongue. True, with Aina’s overwhelming presence, trying to outmatch her was nearly impossible.
“As long as you’re happy, Xia Lun,” Musen said. “Everyone has their own definition of love and happiness. We shouldn’t impose our views on others.”
“I see…” Liyana nodded, though not entirely convinced. “So Xia Lun’s into this kind of dynamic… Tsk, who’d have thought a straight-laced guy like you could be so twisted.”
Aina returned at some point, sitting back down silently beside Xia Lun and startling Liyana.
Her robes were pristine, as if she’d never left.
“No injuries?” Xia Lun asked with concern.
“Of course not.”
Aina tossed a fist-sized magic core into Xia Lun’s lap, the faint scent of blood still clinging to it. “For you.”
“This is your spoils, Aina,” Xia Lun tried to return it.
“Take it,” Aina ordered, her tone brooking no argument.
Xia Lun hesitated but still seemed reluctant.
“It’s a return gift,” Aina added, softening her tone slightly. “The flower… I liked it.”
After all, the Hero was now her partner—different from the subordinates she’d had in the vampire clans. She shouldn’t be so domineering. Aina quietly reminded herself.
She’d never had an equal to converse with before, and now she was still struggling to adjust.
The Dragonblood Flower sat in a prominent spot in her spatial ring, displayed in a small pot.
Naturally, it was just a memento of her conquest over the Hero—nothing more.
“Thank you,” Xia Lun smiled, finally accepting the magic core.
Liyana watched the exchange with envy.
Well, now she understood—Xia Lun wasn’t just in a relationship; he was practically being spoiled!
That magic core would fetch an astronomical price if sold. If someone gifted her something so valuable, she’d gladly endure cold shoulders every day too.
“Here…” Xia Lun suddenly offered his waterskin again. “Want some water?”
This time, Aina didn’t refuse. She took it from him, opened it, and took a small sip.
Xia Lun: “Ahem… The weather’s really nice today.”
Aina: “Mm. The sun is warm.”
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
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?!”
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
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?"
