A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law - Chapter 116: The Shadow Witch (2)

Behind the calm smile lies a heart riddled with scars.Beneath the weight of fate burns an unyielding gaze.A body trapped in the abyss of despair—if it reaches out, can it grasp the light called hope?A soul locked upon the rack of destiny—if it prays sincerely, can it embrace the future called redemption?

Cairn is a prince who is already tired of ruling. Faced with an imminent coronation and an overbearing father, he wants nothing more than to drown his responsibilities in cheap liquor and poor decisions. With the help of his sister, he hatches a plan to escape the clutches of the throne once and for all. It all goes terribly wrong, and Cairn finds his priorities shifting in the face of unimaginable tragedy. The change of heart comes too late, however, and Cairn dies. He reawakens to find himself transported ten years in the past. He immediately begins to plan for the future, only to discover his killer has somehow followed him. To succeed, Cairn must unite the kingdom and discover the motivation of his killer, using as many tries as it takes. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++I exhausted pretty much every time loop story ever written and decided to write my own. You'll see a few similarities here between this story and some existing stories, at least initially. There's a lot of inspiration drawn from both MoL and Re:Zero, though in terms of pathos and darkness, this story leans more towards the latter. Be warned, it is something of a slow burn. The main character will grow and become powerful, but a theme of this story is that power comes slowly and often at great cost.

[WPC April Entry] Check out my second book: Born from stardust! Support the novel with your reviews, power stones, collections, etc. It will be greatly appreciated.

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In a fantasy world shrouded in a veil of mystery and darkness, a sinister threat lurks among the shadows, weaving its plan from the depths of a forgotten past. In a realm where magic and wonder coexist with the persistent presence of an ancient evil, Anthony finds himself immersed in an intricate web of mysteries that seem to intertwine around him.

The emergence of this voracious darkness threatens to devour everything in its path, and as Anthony embarks on a desperate quest for truth, he faces moral dilemmas that tear at his soul, betrayals he never imagined, and sacrifices that defy all logic.

On his journey, every shadow seems to hide a secret, every step towards the light reveals a new layer of darkness. Who is friend and who is foe in this dangerous game of power and deception? What ancestral forces stir beneath the surface, waiting for their moment to emerge and lay waste to everything in their path?

With each discovery, Anthony delves deeper into a maze of intrigue and danger, where the very future of his world hangs by a thread, and the only certainty is that the truth is even more elusive than the shadows that conceal it.

The course of commitments never did run smooth.

After dying on Earth, the King of Mercenaries is reborn as Su Mo in the Firmament and Continent. In this brand-new world, Martial Art is the way of life, and the strong set the rules.

Having awakened a Martial Soul of the lowest rank, possibly meaning he will never go far as a Martial Artist, Su Mo is determined to rise to the top again nonetheless.

However, misfortunes never come singly. The love of his life is soon taken by one of the most powerful forces in the world. With no time to spare, watch as Su Mo overcomes all odds and struggle on the verge of death countless times, in order to meet his love again.

As the protagonist reaches the top in that world, he has to take on more responsibilities and face new challenges.

Follow Su Mo on his relentless journey to become stronger for the sake of those important to him, and uncover the deep, dark secrets and plots in the vast universe.

- Description from Novelupdates