Chaos Era, Year 1813.
Aina frowned deeply as she stared at the man before her.
Something was off. Very off.
She had already joined the hero’s party and embarked on adventures with them. Alongside Liyana, the three of them had successfully conquered an underground labyrinth.
But… she still couldn’t gauge this man’s true strength.
No matter what kind of monster they faced, without exception, he would slay them all with a single strike.
Of course, those monsters weren’t particularly high-tier—Aina could also dispatch them in an instant. But this meant she had no way to test Xia Lun’s limits.
As a result, she remained cautious around him, never daring to truly act against him.
She would have to keep biding her time…
Inside the tavern.
"Cheers!" Liyana raised her mug, trying to clink it against Xia Lun’s and Aina’s.
Xia Lun obliged, tapping his cup against hers, while Aina remained silent, taking a sip of her juice without reciprocating.
Liyana didn’t push it. After spending these past days together, she had already learned that Aina was the aloof type.
"Should we venture into more dangerous dungeons?" Aina proposed bluntly. "Given our strength, the monsters we’ve been facing are hardly worth our time…"
She said this, of course, in hopes of quickly uncovering Xia Lun’s true power so she could formulate a plan to deal with him.
But Xia Lun merely shook his head lightly. "Rushing headlong into danger isn’t wise, Aina. If you’re eager to hunt stronger monsters and gain renown, you could always join a more powerful adventurer party. They certainly wouldn’t refuse a mage of your caliber."
Aina’s voice turned icy. "Are you telling me to leave?"
Xia Lun met her gaze earnestly. "Of course not. I truly hope you’ll stay. Your strength is indispensable to me—you can accomplish things I cannot. I need you, Miss Aina."
He paused briefly before continuing, "But if our goals diverge, I have no right to keep you by my side."
If he wanted her to stay, why say such things?
What a strange man, Aina thought to herself.
She took another sip of juice. "As you wish. You’re the leader."
After all, her objective wasn’t yet fulfilled… If she were truly driven out of the party, things would only become more troublesome.
"You’re willing to stay? That’s wonderful." A hint of joy flickered visibly across Xia Lun’s face.
Liyana downed her mug of craft beer in one go. "Phew— Don’t mind him, Aina. Xia Lun’s just being honest. He really is thinking of your best interests, not trying to push you away."
"It’s fine." Aina’s replies to others remained as curt as ever.
Liyana then blurted out again, "Xia Lun, you know what? You act like you’re totally smitten with Aina."
"Do I?" Xia Lun mused before glancing at Aina. "Strong, elegant, beautiful… Miss Aina is indeed captivating. If I had to choose someone to court, she would undoubtedly be my first choice."
This guy… How could he say such shameless things so casually?
Aina’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn’t respond, continuing to sip her juice, her lips never leaving the rim as tiny bubbles formed on the surface.
"Hey! Xia Lun, what about me?" Liyana pointed at herself, puffing out her chest proudly. "I’m not any worse than Aina, am I?"
Aina’s eyes flickered briefly downward at her own figure.
"Ahem…" Xia Lun coughed as if choking. "Liyana… You’ll always be my best bro."
"Ugh— How boring." Liyana pouted. "Not that I’m interested in you like that, but if you begged me, I might grit my teeth and let you have some fun—"
"Disgusting." Aina, seated across from them, scoffed coldly.
"Hah, Xia Lun and I grew up together." Liyana slung an arm around Xia Lun’s shoulder, shooting Aina a challenging look. "Not like some random newcomer who just joined out of nowhere."
Thud!
Aina slammed her glass onto the table and stood up without another word, striding away.
"Ugh, what a rotten attitude." Liyana grumbled as she poured herself another beer. "Xia Lun, don’t spoil her. That arrogant look of hers… If she weren’t so strong, who’d want her as a teammate? We don’t have to act like her servants—"
Xia Lun sighed. "Liyana… You’re drunk."
"I’m not!" Liyana shouted. "Seriously, what’s her problem? The way she talks is so infuriating… And we don’t even know her background. I bet she’s up to no good—"
"Liyana." Xia Lun’s voice was calm and gentle, yet brooked no argument. "Calm down."
"Fine…" Liyana slumped onto the table, muttering like a scolded child.
"We haven’t known Aina for long. We can’t judge her based on first impressions. It’s natural for her to be wary of us." Xia Lun spoke softly. "She may be a bit solitary, but I don’t think she’s a bad person."
"Alright, I get it, it’s my fault. Stop lecturing me." Liyana waved a hand. "I shouldn’t have provoked her… It’s just the way you side with her that pisses me off. Feels like she’s stealing you away from me. Even if I’m your bro, I’m still a woman. I don’t want to lose to her…"
Xia Lun looked remorseful. "Sorry, I didn’t consider your feelings."
After a moment of thought, he added, "While I can’t see you as a romantic partner… I’m sure any other man would find you quite charming—"
"Whatever. I don’t need men drooling over me." Liyana pushed herself up from the table. "Alright, I’ll go apologize to our esteemed mage princess… I’m good at sweet-talking girls."
Unnoticed by any of them, a blood bat hanging from the tavern’s rafters silently flapped its wings and flew away.
Back at the inn, Liyana knocked gently on Aina’s door.
Xia Lun stood behind her.
The door opened slowly, revealing Aina no longer in her usual robes but a dark, form-fitting dress that accentuated her graceful figure.
"Yes?" Her expression remained as placid as an undisturbed lake.
"Uh… Sorry about earlier. I had a bit too much to drink and acted out of line." Liyana scratched her head. "Ahem, Xia Lun and I were just joking around. There’s no way I’d actually… you know, even if he begged."
"It’s fine." Aina gave a slight nod. "See you tomorrow."
"Uh… Yeah. See you tomorrow."
Aina closed the door softly behind her.
Liyana turned to Xia Lun. "Does that mean she forgave me?"
Xia Lun also seemed uncertain: "Probably."
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?"
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?!”
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
] [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!"
