As Luo Wei pushed open the door, he was met with the sight of a burly huntress butchering an animal in the courtyard. He couldn’t help but pause in surprise.
“Oh, young man, you’re awake!” The huntress wiped the blood from her face and flashed a friendly smile. “How are you feeling? Any discomfort?”
“I’m much better now,” Luo Wei replied, glancing around the yard. It was hung with freshly skinned animal pelts—clearly, this was indeed a hunter’s household.
“That’s good…” The huntress sighed in relief. “Glad you’ve recovered, or your wife would’ve been worried sick.”
“My wife?” Luo Wei hesitated.
“Yeah?” The huntress looked at him curiously. “Isn’t that pretty girl your wife?”
“Uh… you could say that,” Luo Wei answered vaguely. “How did I end up here?”
The huntress explained, “Three evenings ago, just as my husband and I were about to eat, we heard frantic knocking at the door. When we opened it, your wife was carrying you, covered in wounds. She said you’d been attacked by beasts in the river valley…”
As she spoke, she muttered under her breath, “Strange times lately… more and more beasts roaming the roads. Where are they all coming from…?”
“I see… Thank you, ma’am.” After expressing his gratitude, Luo Wei scanned the courtyard again but saw no sign of Eleya.
“Where is she now?”
“She’s sitting by the river to the north,” the huntress pointed in that direction before adding curiously, “Is your wife troubled by something? These past few days, she’s been sitting by the river whenever she’s free, sometimes for hours on end…”
“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll go find her.” Luo Wei thanked her again.
“Huh? Young man, you’re going the wrong way! That’s south!”
“I know.”
Watching the young man stride off without looking back, the huntress wore a puzzled expression.
…
In the quiet river valley, Eleya silently gazed at her reflection in the water.
As the wind stirred, ripples distorted her image, twisting it into something unfamiliar.
Though it was undeniably her, at this moment, it felt strangely foreign.
“You’ve been tricked. The original purpose of the capital trip wasn’t like this, yet for Luo Wei, you destroyed years of groundwork with your own hands.”
Eleya spoke to her reflection, her eyes cold and detached.
But soon, she shook her head, her expression conflicted.
“No… Emperor Wegener is dead. The greatest obstacle in my path has been removed. Even if the original plan failed, it wasn’t a complete loss…”
“Hah, still lying to yourself.” Her gaze turned icy again.
“The Church was never a match for Wegener. What difference does a peaceful emperor make now? Your spies in the Wegener Church have been rooted out. Infiltrating them again will be next to impossible.”
“There’s still a chance… The spread of the new divine arts can’t be wiped out so easily. We still have time…”
Her emotions shifted once more, and Eleya suddenly smirked mockingly. “As long as Luo Wei exists, you’ll never achieve your goal. He’ll always stand in your way.”
Her eyes flickered as she fell into silence.
“What are you hesitating for? He’s the enemy! The greatest obstacle to your ascension!”
“No, he’s not the enemy. I’ll make him understand. He’ll help me. Just give me time…”
“Foolish! There is no more time. Can’t you feel the call of that unseen will? If you can’t do it, then I will!”
“No!” Eleya struck the water in frustration.
The once-calm surface shattered, scattering her reflection.
But the voice persisted, haunting her.
“You already know the answer in your heart. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have brought him here, would you?”
“No, no…” Eleya clutched her forehead, desperately trying to force the thought away.
“That’s not it. I didn’t bring him here to kill him. I just…”
“Just…”
Suddenly, her expression froze as if she sensed something.
Her eyes snapped toward the southern end of the valley.
“Luo Wei? Where are you going?”
In the sparse woods, Luo Wei turned to see Eleya smiling faintly at him.
“You scared me…” Luo Wei patted his chest.
“Were you trying to run away from me?” Eleya asked.
“No.” Luo Wei shook his head before reaching for his waistband. “Just needed to relieve myself.”
“Oh.” Eleya stared at him without moving.
“Don’t look at me like that…” Luo Wei sighed. “I can’t go with you watching…”
Eleya turned her head away but still didn’t leave.
Resigned, Luo Wei stepped deeper into the woods and forced himself to proceed.
“So, what were you doing by the river?” he asked curiously. “Contemplating life?”
Thinking back to her earlier turmoil, Eleya fell silent for a moment.
“No.”
When Luo Wei emerged from the woods, he noticed something off about Eleya’s mood.
“Are you… okay?” He frowned, realizing her corruption level had spiked significantly.
[Eleya]
[Affection: 100]
[Corruption: 72↑]
The last time she’d been like this was in the square when she transformed into a Throne Angel—her divine side had taken control.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” Eleya avoided the question, her gaze shifting to the hunter’s cottage in the distance, where smoke now rose from the chimney.
“Come on, let’s go eat.”
As dusk fell, the barren western lands were bathed in a rosy glow. The master of the house returned before nightfall, and the huntress brought out steaming pots of stewed game meat.
Having gone three days without food, Luo Wei was ravenous. He eagerly dug into a rib, tearing into the hot meat.
“Slow down, slow down, child…” The huntress chuckled helplessly. “You’ve just recovered—don’t eat so fast! It’s not good for you.”
Eleya watched Luo Wei devour his meal, a soft smile playing on her lips. “You’re acting like Helena now. There’s plenty of food—no one’s fighting you for it.”
Luo Wei scoffed. “Easy for you to say! You’re not the one starving!”
Eleya giggled. Seeing that he was only eating meat, she gently handed him a wooden spoon.
“Don’t choke. Have some soup.”
Luo Wei leaned over and drained the spoon of fish broth.
Eleya’s smile grew warmer.
The huntress watched their tender exchange with a grin. “Ah, youth… One moment you’re bickering, the next you’re all lovey-dovey…”
Luo Wei shot her a glance, but the woman rambled on.
“The key to a happy marriage is mutual understanding—and affection!”
"After all, you're not like us. You still have so much time ahead..."
The smile on Eleya's face slowly faded.
She silently lowered her head and continued eating, avoiding Luo Wei's gaze.
Noticing her shift in mood, Luo Wei nudged her gently under the table.
"What's wrong?" His light golden eyes held a trace of confusion as he looked at her.
"Are you taking me to Blackwater Town?" Luo Wei asked in a hushed voice.
"Yes," Eleya nodded softly.
"What's the purpose?" Luo Wei frowned. "I remember you wanted to meet me there back in the Northern Territories. Why are you so fixated on that place?"
"You'll understand when we get there."
Seeing Eleya still speaking in riddles, Luo Wei scoffed. "What if I refuse?"
That wretched place was where his first life had met its ruin—it carried nothing but ill fortune.
Eleya shook her head. "Then I'm afraid you won't have a choice."
"I hate being forced," Luo Wei said flatly. "Tell me the reason, and I'll go with you willingly."
Eleya studied Luo Wei's stern expression and finally let out a resigned sigh.
"The will of the gods calls to me. A secret lies hidden there—one about the fall of a deity..."
"Going to Blackwater Town is for the story's end."
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."
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
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.
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
