"A priest?"
Liyana couldn’t possibly associate the hulking mass of muscle before her with the image of a priest.
"Are you sure you’re a priest and not a monk or a berserker?" Liyana eyed Musen’s bulging muscles and gleaming bald head, unable to hold back her skepticism.
Xia Lun’s clothes looked comically small on Musen, straining against his physique as if they might burst at any moment.
Musen grinned, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth. "Being a priest is my profession. Bodybuilding is just a hobby… Besides, enemies tend to target priests first. But if I look like this, they’ll think twice before messing with me."
Liyana blinked. That actually made sense!
Without hesitation, Musen began gathering the equipment scattered on the ground, each piece coated in some foul, unidentifiable fluid.
The gear had been corroded beyond recognition by the stomach acid of the land dragon, rendering it completely useless.
Then, Musen raised a fist the size of a sandbag and slammed it into the ground, sending debris flying and shaking the earth beneath them.
"Is this guy really a priest?" Moke muttered in disbelief.
Soon, several large pits dotted the ground.
With solemn reverence, Musen whispered the names of his fallen comrades and buried their equipment in the makeshift graves.
A few simple memorial mounds stood in their place.
Musen then knelt, closed his eyes, and recited a eulogy for each departed teammate, a faint white glow enveloping his form.
"Now I’m starting to believe him," Liyana said to Moke.
As Musen finished his rites, Aina approached from a distance.
"Thank you, miss… I assume it was you who slew the land dragon and avenged my comrades." Musen bowed slightly toward Aina.
Aina gave a curt nod, offering no words.
Despite his brutish appearance, Musen was surprisingly meticulous and well-mannered.
Unarmed and technically a "frail" priest, Musen humbly requested to join Xia Lun’s party temporarily, asking for their escort back to the city.
Xia Lun had no reason to refuse.
Musen proved to be quite the conversationalist, easily bonding with Liyana and Moke. When something amused him, he’d let out a booming "Hahaha!"
Aina trailed silently behind Xia Lun, her gaze fixed solely on him.
Xia Lun had grown accustomed to it—Aina seemed to harbor some inexplicable obsession with him.
Curious, Liyana asked, "Musen, how long were you inside that land dragon’s stomach?"
Musen shrugged. "No idea. It was pitch black in there—hard to keep track of time. What’s the date now?"
"May 3rd."
"Damn, I’ve been swallowed for two months!" Musen exclaimed.
Moke chimed in, "That thing really took its time digesting you, huh?"
Musen scratched his head. "Who knows? Maybe the bastard was constipated."
Liyana and Moke burst into laughter.
"By the way, Musen, since you’re a priest, you must know healing magic, right?"
Liyana extended her hand, revealing a few shallow bite marks. "I got bitten earlier. I treated it myself, but it’s still a bit itchy… Mind fixing it for me?"
"Of course, happy to help."
Musen examined the wound, then frowned. "What kind of monster left these marks? I’ve never seen anything like it…"
Moke’s eyebrows twitched.
Liyana chuckled. "Don’t worry about that. Just heal it for me, will you?"
A milky-white glow emanated from Musen’s hand, enveloping Liyana’s wound. The marks vanished without a trace.
"Wow! Now that’s a professional priest!" Liyana marveled at her flawless skin before shoving her hand in Xia Lun’s face. "Xia Lun, look! It’s all better!"
Xia Lun sighed. "Yeah, yeah. What’s your point?"
Liyana leaned in and whispered, "Should we recruit Musen into our party? We don’t have a priest, and he just lost his team…"
Behind them, Aina’s brow furrowed.
Xia Lun grimaced. "Just lost his team"? That was tactless.
"You know how rare priests are. Most parties have to pay a fortune to hire one. Extra security never hurts… Right, Aina?" Liyana turned to the mage.
Aina scoffed. "I don’t get injured."
Liyana blinked, unsure what she’d done to upset the noble mage this time.
"Liyana… Whether Musen joins us isn’t just up to me," Xia Lun said, patting her shoulder. "He just lost his comrades—now’s not the time to ask. If you push him, he might agree out of obligation, but it’ll leave a bad taste."
"Got it, Xia Lun." Liyana sighed. "You always think things through."
"Because Xia Lun is the leader," Aina interjected coldly.
Liyana shot Xia Lun a suspicious look, as if questioning what kind of spell he’d cast to make Aina side with him so fiercely.
Once back in the city, the group dispersed—though Liyana stuck with Xia Lun, and Aina lingered nearby.
Watching Aina’s ghostly presence trailing behind them, Liyana shuddered.
"Xia Lun… Did you do something to her? She’s acting weird," Liyana whispered.
"Really? Seems normal to me."
"Come on! She’s been staring at you nonstop. You seriously haven’t noticed?"
"Fine, I’ll ask her."
Xia Lun wasn’t one for beating around the bush.
He stopped in front of Aina, who stiffened slightly.
"Aina… Do you have a problem with me? Or is there something you want to say?" Xia Lun met her gaze squarely. "If there’s an issue, just tell me. I’ll fix it. I don’t want misunderstandings or grudges to drive you away."
"I… I’m fine. You’re overthinking it," Aina muttered, avoiding his eyes. "I don’t have any issues with you. I’m not leaving the party."
"Good to hear." Xia Lun exhaled in relief, flashing a bright smile.
Aina’s pulse quickened inexplicably.
This was new.
Had he noticed because she’d been staring too much? How embarrassing… Was this shame?
As expected of the Hero—her rival. An impeccable man, capable of stirring even her emotions.
Aina's lips curled into a faint smirk.
As expected, sneaking into his team had been the right decision...
Only someone like him was worth defeating.
] [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!"
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?!”
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!" "......"
