21st Century Archmage - Chapter 165: Bastards Who’ve Given Jack Shit

Introvert!? Me!? The hell am I an introvert? I stay indoors all day because I am afraid of getting my butt kicked.Until I contract my beast, I won’t be walking freely. This is a promise I made to myself.My name is Ryder, and I am black-marked. The planet where I live is dominated by summoners. If you guessed it, then you are right—we contract beasts from the Astral Shadow Plain and summon them at will after successfully forming a contract.A mark appears on the left shoulder of every human after a period of maturity, a mark given by the beast that chooses you. There are five different types of marks—the brown, the orange, the red, the black, and lastly, the white.Of all the markings, I was marked black. I was chosen by a supreme demon monarch of the Astral Shadow Plain—the Dracogon.There was only a 0.5 percent chance for me to survive the contraction process. However, with a slight twist in the original outcome, contracting a creature from the black-marked plain was nothing compared to the catastrophe I caused shortly after—I opened a link between the beasts of the Astral Shadow Plain and the planet of humans, Terra.Everyone on my planet has been endangered because of me. The fact that no one knows when the link will trigger and cause a breach that pours mindless creatures into my world makes it all the more unsettling.Now, with no other choice, I have to find a way to resolve the mistake I made—alone, just like I caused it.

She thought heartbreak was the hardest battle she'd ever fight. Ending a five-year relationship in 2024 nearly broke her, but she rose anyway. By 2028, she’s everything she once dreamed of becoming. A bestselling author, an admired high school teacher, and a successful businesswoman. But behind her perfect image lies a dangerous secret. She’s also one of the most feared underground hackers in the cyber realm.Then one night in City X changes everything. A book signing. Too many drinks. A stranger with a voice like sin and eyes full of danger. The next morning, no memories, a blurred signature, a hotel room, and a man’s touch she can’t forget. Back in City C, she tells herself to move on. Until someone knocks on her door. And the man from her forgotten night says the words that turn her world upside down.“I’m your husband.”He’s younger, commanding, and far from ordinary. A soldier from a secret military unit hidden in the shadows, where forbidden experiments and enhanced beings redefine humanity itself. Now bound by a contract marriage, they’re forced into a world of covert missions, coded lies, and a war between love and survival.She’s a hacker who steals secrets.He’s a soldier sworn to protect them.And when their worlds collide, love becomes both a weapon and a weakness, the only thing powerful enough to save them... or destroy everything they stand for.

The Virgin Mary system dug out a delicate girl, Chi Ying, from the game world as its host.

Looking at her pure face, it secretly affirmed in its heart that this pure appearance simply best suited the Virgin Mary character!

After binding, it discovered that the delicate flower was in fact the villainess boss of the game!

The system was faintly worried: Yes, it should be fine, right?

The system saw Chi Ying standing in a pool of blood, with the light of the Virgin Mary above her head, holding a zombie’s head and weeping.

She burst into tears, “God, they are so pitiful.”

Everyone: Is this person sick?

Seeing the ever-increasing Virgin Mary value, the system covered its eyes.

Don’t think I didn’t see it! Weren’t that bunch of zombie heads all cut off by her?!

Gu Chi picked out a woman from the pile of zombies, with tears in her eyes and blood all over her body.

He reasonably suspected that she was a dangerous person who had been infected, so he tied her up, and put the gun against her eyebrows, waiting for her to mutate at any time.

The woman he pointed the gun at suddenly turned her head, which seemed to be a sign of mutation. Gu Chi looked resolute, and was about to shoot when he saw her looking at him lovingly, she said, “You are so ruthless, you must have been hurt in the past… It’s okay, I don’t blame you.”

Gu Chi shook his hand.

“…”

Thank you for the invitation, but he didn’t get hurt before.

- Description from Novelupdates

Enemies To Lovers+ Unfiltered Smut + Billionaire Romance + Strong Female Lead.From this:“I’ve slept with every woman in this house. What will it take to get that divorce, Brianna? Do I have to go after your mother next?”To this:“I don’t want anyone if it’s not you, my dear wife.”Brianna thought her nightmare was finally over the night she made her abusive, cheating husband fall to his death.But when he woke up in the hospital, smiling at her with tender eyes and calling her “the most beautiful woman he’s ever met”… she knew something was terribly wrong.This wasn’t the man who humiliated her, mocked her, and destroyed her name.Now, her deadbeat husband has become a possessive, seductive, and obsessed doting stranger—one who claims he’ll cherish her forever.[Excerpt]“Wife, your hands are dirty now. Go wash them. I don't want his scent on you.”That seemed like a good enough excuse to regain her senses with the timeout. Brianna sighed, already turning to limp, but the grip from the bed suddenly became firmer.She tugged further, but to no avail. Sighing, “Lucian, let go. I need to go to the restroom. I need a moment to... to process this.”She tugged her slender wrist again, against his hold, but his fingers were a collar of iron. He didn't even look at the door. His dark, fixated eyes were locked onto the palm Marcus Thorne had just grabbed.Lucian's voice was heavy with the haze of the concussion and a terrifying, sudden possessiveness. “No. I don't want you out of my sight. Someone else might... hold your hands again.”“I am going five feet away. I'm not a child, and I'm certainly not a prisoner. Now, let go so I can get this… this man's sweat off my skin.”“I'll do it,” Lucian muttered.However, before Brianna could ask how, he pulled her hand toward his face. Her eyes widened as she realized his intent.“What are you doing, Lucian? Don't you dare—Don't you dare lick my hand!”Brianna flinched violently, dragging her body backward until she was nearly doubled over the edge of the bed, but he was immovable. His concussed brain had simplified the world: Stranger touched Wife. Stranger's scent must be replaced by mine.“Stay still, wife. It'll be quick.”“What kind of animal are you—! Lucian, stop! This is unhygienic! It's… it's psychotic!” Brianna turned desperately towards the corner where Marcus Thorne was still standing paralyzed by the sight!“Marcus! Well, don't just stand there! Do something! Help me!”Meanwhile, Marcus Thorne looked like he wanted to jump out of the window! He was watching the President of Better Health, the most powerful man in the city, bring his wife's hand to his mouth with the raw intent of a wolf.Marcus stammered, his hands shaking as he took a frantic step toward the door. “I-I think I'll just... I'll leave the couple to their... their private recovery. Yes. Intimate recovery.”“Marcus! Get back here!” Brianna cried out with wide eyes of disbelief.But Marcus refused to look back. He gestured vaguely with a trembling hand, looking as though he'd just witnessed a ritual he wasn't meant to survive, and ran into the hallway. The door clicked shut with a finality that sounded like a prison cell locking.Brianna stared at the wooden door, her mouth agape. “You coward! You—”“Wife, I told you. Stay still.”...From deadbeat to doting, her husband has changed overnight. But if he isn’t the man she married, then something is wrong with her husband!A/N: If you are looking for a story with a cold-blooded yet possessive CEO, a genius female lead who takes matters into her own hands, and a 'he falls first but she falls harder' dynamic with a twist,then this book is for you!This book is participating in the WSA 2026!If you enjoyed the first few chapters, please support me by adding this to your Library, leaving a Review, and voting with your Power Stones and Golden Tickets! Gifts are appreciated too! Your support helps this “Goddess” climb the ranks!