Ye Chuan and Niya had only teamed up briefly to hunt that giant spider before. At the time, she had left in distress, and Ye Chuan never expected to run into Niya again here.
"Well, this is sort of my temporary living space," Niya said, sheathing her dagger and shifting slightly to reveal the structure behind her—a makeshift shelter on broken stone slabs.
"You sleep here?" Ye Chuan asked skeptically. "Out of money?"
"I like it."
"I can lend you some," Ye Chuan offered.
"Why the sudden kindness?" Niya's face flashed with surprise. They were barely more than strangers.
Was he into her?
Niya glanced down at herself and smirked. "You’re not into me, are you?"
"Steel plate with two screws? Not my type," Ye Chuan chuckled.
Niya’s expression remained blank, but her eyes betrayed the mental image of Ye Chuan being pummeled into the ground ten thousand times over.
"Tch. If only I could beat you…" Niya gnawed at her fingernails. "So why lend me money?"
"Nine out, thirteen back."
"Wait, that’s loan sharking?!"
"…"
After a moment of composing herself, Niya scanned the nearby ruins of the coliseum and scratched her head in frustration. "Anyway, you still haven’t told me why you’re here. This isn’t exactly a great place."
"It’s a long story," Ye Chuan replied, not keen on explaining that he’d come for a daily quest.
But right now, Niya seemed like the only one who could spar with him—there wasn’t another living soul around.
Three victories in the coliseum… meaning he just had to beat up the short-haired girl in front of him three times?
"Three times might work. Knock her down, heal her with a potion, then do it again," Ye Chuan mused, stroking his chin. Meanwhile, Niya caught the look in his eyes and felt a sudden chill.
This guy’s not planning something shady, is he?
"Let me beat you up," Ye Chuan said, extending a hand.
"Are you out of your mind?!"
"I’ll pay you."
"That’s even worse!"
Seeing Niya fuming, Ye Chuan didn’t forget to ask why she thought this place was bad news. "You’re staying here—something happen?"
"Something like that," Niya muttered, her gaze drifting back to the coliseum.
"At night… there are strange noises."
"Nighttime…" Ye Chuan raised an eyebrow. "Ghosts?"
"Who knows?" Niya shrugged. "A lot of people died in that coliseum. You’ve heard the stories, right?"
"Once, an adventurer lost control of a weapon, went berserk, and slaughtered a bunch of people."
"After the chaos, that weapon vanished without a trace."
"Some say the coliseum’s still haunted by vengeful spirits."
When Ye Chuan showed no reaction, Niya frowned. "You knew about this, didn’t you?"
"I’ve heard. But I’m more curious why you’re here."
"No money," Niya said, avoiding his eyes. It was clearly a lie.
Ye Chuan didn’t press further. Instead, he walked over to her makeshift camp and plopped down on the sleeping bag.
"Hey!"
"What? It’s almost dark anyway. Just wait a bit."
Niya sat across from him, cheeks slightly puffed in irritation—though she knew she couldn’t win a fight against him.
Ye Chuan used the sleeping bag as a cushion and started tinkering with his magic.
Night deepened.
"Hey, what rank are you as a mage?" Niya asked, leaning against a stone slab.
"Four."
"You don’t fight like a fourth-rank. And you’re way too young." Niya tilted her head. Among the mages she’d met, Ye Chuan was the strongest—and the youngest.
"Actually, I’m cursed. Ageless, deathless. A thousand years old, in truth," Ye Chuan said flatly, staring into the campfire.
Niya’s eyes widened. "No way. How is immortality a curse?"
"Watching everyone you love grow old and die while you endure alone," Ye Chuan sighed. "You wouldn’t understand."
"I…" Niya’s expression faltered, as if remembering something painful. "You… don’t be sad. I get it. Try to forget. Pretend it never happened."
Ye Chuan side-eyed her. "Because it didn’t."
"…" Niya’s jaw dropped. "You jerk!"
"What else?"
"Your personality is the worst!" Niya snapped. "I hope you stay single forever!"
"Too bad. I’ve got someone," Ye Chuan laughed. "And she’s gorgeous and adorable."
Niya felt like talking to him would give her an aneurysm. Her gaze flicked toward the coliseum—then froze. "H-hey, Ye Chuan. There’s a monster over there."
"What, trying to trick me now?" Ye Chuan kept fiddling with his magic, ignoring her.
"I’m serious!"
"Uh-huh."
Niya glared. "Move, now!"
A second later, a crimson streak of light shot straight at them!
BOOM!
The makeshift camp exploded in an instant!
Niya had already dodged to the side, perching on a boulder as she coughed through the smoke. "Idiot. I told you to move."
She turned toward the source of the attack—a blood-red specter floating above the ruined coliseum.
It let out a mournful wail. "Guh…"
"A grudge amalgamation? Nasty business." Niya hesitated, but there was no time to check on Ye Chuan. Gripping her dagger, she sprinted toward the specter!
"Swift Step!"
"Speed Blessing!"
Her movements accelerated mid-run, her body glowing faintly from the buffs.
Closing in, she slashed with all her might—
"Secret Art: Crescent Slash!"
The silver arc sliced through the specter, but the lack of resistance made Niya realize the problem. "Physical immunity?!"
She pushed off the air, flipping backward just as—
"Guh!" The specter fired a crimson beam straight at her!
Niya barely managed to block with her dagger before the force sent her skidding across the ground.
"Whatever. Dying’s fine. Doesn’t matter," Niya muttered, lying face-down with eerie calm. "Didn’t wanna live anyway…"
"Vzzzt—" The specter charged another beam—then paused. The air beside it grew brighter, as if something luminous was approaching.
It turned just in time to see a tree-thick beam of light engulf its form!
When the radiance faded, only a smoldering trench remained.
Space rippled beside Niya as Ye Chuan teleported in.
"Pathetic. You dare shoot at me?"
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
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!" "......"
