He was back.
Joli stood at the village entrance, beneath his feet the familiar dirt path packed solid by the passage of time.
Looking at the familiar village before him, Joli felt a warm current gradually welling up in his heart.
Compared to when he had left, nothing seemed to have changed here. It still bore that peaceful and serene look... as if time had stopped flowing the moment he departed.
Seeing an outsider arrive, the children at the village gates ran into their homes to tell the adults. Soon, people began stepping out of their houses.
"It's Joli!"
"Haha, that boy Joli is back!"
"Show some respect! You aren't even a fraction of Joli's age."
"But he looks so young..."
"Joli has been gone for several months now, right?"
"It's been almost half a year!"
"Folks, let's hold a banquet tonight!"
Joli's return was like a piece of scorching mithril dropping into a tranquil lake; the village quickly bubbled with excitement.
"There's no need, everyone... you don't have to do this..." Joli felt a bit embarrassed that they were going to such great lengths for him.
"Why are you being so polite with us?" a gruff voice interrupted with a hearty laugh.
"Haha, to be honest, we've wanted to throw a banquet for a while now, but we just couldn't find a proper excuse."
"Joli, don't worry about things here. Go back and clean up your house. You've been gone so long, it must be covered in dust."
Amidst the gentle pushing and shoving of the villagers, Joli returned to the front of his own house.
Creak—
The wooden door was pushed open, releasing a stale yet intimately familiar scent. Joli took a deep breath.
He hadn't been gone for too long, but Joli felt as if a lifetime had passed... The experiences of these past few months had been more thrilling than the previous century combined.
Looking at the empty furnishings inside the house, Joli couldn't help but chuckle. The ring on his hand flashed with light, and a massive bundle appeared before him.
Back then, he had packed up and taken everything he could use.
However, it was time to return to his old life.
Joli looked at the ring in his hand, a gift from Aina.
If there is a chance... I will adventure with everyone again in the future.
There definitely will be a chance.
But before that, I need to become even stronger.
...
"Sigh—"
Liana's gaze fell on the empty seat in the carriage, and she let out a sigh.
Joli was gone.
It was a bit of a pity. Joli was a powerful fighter certified by Xia Lun; if they really ran into danger, he definitely would have been useful.
Although she had long known this day would come, now that Joli had actually left, she still felt a bit melancholy.
Little Lan now occupied Joli's original spot, extending a small tentacle and gesturing in the air, as if tracing the departing figure.
The storybook where Musen resided lay open on a soft cushion, its pages gently fluttering, but no figure appeared.
Luo Lun was huddled in a corner. Having just joined the team, she wasn't familiar with Joli and didn't feel any particular emotion.
Luo Lun was a lone wolf most of the time and could not quite understand this feeling.
Mo Lini noticed Liana's dejection. She had the best relationship with Joli... Joli was even her little nephew.
Although Liana was usually unreliable, she was still a companion.
Mo Lini reached out and patted Liana's shoulder, offering comfort, "Liana, um... we are adventurers... we are doggies, we have to keep running, we don't need tombstones..."
She tried hard to recall what Liana had said before, but stumbled over her words.
Mo Lini had somewhat forgotten the exact words Liana had told her previously.
"Huh?" Liana looked up in confusion, temporarily dispersing her sorrow over the parting. "Who wants to be a doggy?"
"I don't want to be one either," Mo Lini immediately nodded vigorously, her round eyes wide open as she declared with a serious face.
This was Mo Lini, she was very cute.
Two hands reached over, one after the other, and pinched Mo Lini's soft, squishy cheeks.
So soft, so squishy.
"Wh-what are you doing!" Mo Lini waved her little hands in grief and indignation, pushing away Luo Lun and Liana's hands that were wreaking havoc on her face.
"Ah, sorry."
"Excuse me."
Luo Lun and Liana snapped out of it, sheepishly withdrawing their hands.
Then, Luo Lun and Liana exchanged a glance, a sudden mutual understanding making them feel like they had discovered a fellow enthusiast.
Mo Lini rubbed her reddened cheeks, feeling that the upcoming journey might be a bit ominous.
"Luo Lun."
Xia Lun's voice drifted in from outside.
"Next, we are heading straight to the Snow Realm, and we probably won't stop along the way. Do you have any matters left to handle in the human territories?"
"No, Your Excellency Xia Lun."
Previously, when passing through a large city, Luo Lun had already delegated all matters to her subordinates in the Blood Pact, and there were no particularly difficult commissions at the moment.
Most of the time, she was the one actively looking for things to do anyway.
"Mo Lini, what about you?"
Mo Lini thought about it very seriously. "N-no, Mr. Xia Lun."
"Musen?"
"I'm fine, Xia Lun. Liana already took me to the church earlier," Musen's honest and good-natured laughter came from within the pages of the book.
Xia Lun: "Alright, then we will take a wilderness shortcut next..."
"Hey, hey, hey! Xia Lun, what about me? You haven't asked me yet!" Liana immediately began to yell loudly. "You asked Musen and the others, why are you treating me differently?"
Xia Lun: "Oh? Do you have something to do?"
"No! Your Excellency Xia Lun!" Liana replied loudly. She had already restocked her supplies back in the city... and had even replenished her milk supply in Joli's village.
"Then there you go."
Outside the carriage, Xia Lun cracked the whip, and the earth dragon quickened its pace.
In his embrace, Aina looked up, rubbing the back of her head against Xia Lun's chest.
"What about me?"
"Lord Demon King, do you have any matters in the human territories?" Xia Lun whispered somewhat helplessly into Aina's ear.
"Of course I do."
Aina pressed herself closer against Xia Lun's body. "We haven't even stayed at an inn yet."
"Aren't we rushing to travel..." Xia Lun stroked Aina's head. "We've been out for so long, that child Mida must miss us a lot."
"No need to rush back, a few days won't make a difference... Mida is very reassuring," Aina murmured softly, her tone then turning somewhat resentful. "Xia Lun, since we left the Elven Forest, it's been exactly three days since we..."
"Then let's pitch a tent tonight," Xia Lun said, holding the long whip, his gaze calmly fixed straight ahead.
"Mhm." Aina nodded slightly, finally satisfied.
Then, as if sensing something, Aina smiled charmingly. "Can't wait already, Xia Lun? Are you sure you can wait until tonight to pitch a tent?"
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?"
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.
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
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?!”
