A Novel Concept - He Who Eludes Death - Chapter 192: The Prestige

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.

The Strongest Magic meets the Mightiest Mecha.

I have stolen Golden Mechas from the deepest vaults of the most tightly guarded fortresses in the world.

I have personally destroyed more armies than the top three superpowers have in the span of the Absolute War - combined.

I burned down the terrorist megacity of Habon.

I was expelled from the Union of Heroes at a younger age than people are allowed in.

I have talked to Ancient Gods, loved women, and devoured mechas that would make superpowers cringe in fear.

I have faced demons head on in moonless nights others fear to speak of during the day.

I am deified in a thousand cultures, and labelled as the devil incarnate in the rest.

I am the Mecha Emperor.

You may have heard of me.

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Excerpt from Chapter 1

This is where it all began.

A junkyard.

Oh no, this isn't your clean, mechas-only junkyard that was the 'starting point' of many mecha geniuses out there.

I have seen and heard my share of rags-to-riches stories, and many of them claimed that they had started from 'junkyards' and slowly grew to be where they were right now.

From Zero to Hero, they declared.

You can do it too, they said.

As long as you work hard, everything is possible, they claimed.

I call bullshit.

Life doesn't work like that.

“Reincarnated into the World of Magic as a demon, the last thing Davis expected was to grow up right amidst the arms of angels. Ever since the group of philanthropic angels took pity on his miserable birth and adopted him, Davis has been forced to keep his evil identity a secret while he signed in to the system.

“”Ding! The Host has signed in at Angel’s Pond, ‘The Saint’s Halo’ is rewarded!””

“”Ding! Devil’s blood activated. Sign in error. ‘The Devil’s Curse’ is additionally rewarded!””

“”Ding! The Host has signed in at God’s Throne, ‘Gold’s Holy Axe’ is rewarded!””

“”Ding! Devil’s blood activated. Sign in error. ‘The Devil’s Manifistation’ is additionally rewarded!””

After a thousand years of quietly signing into places in the City of Angels and being rewarded with double the rewards, Davis’s true identity finally came to light! Now as a true Devil, Davis had both the world of angels and demons surrendering at his feet!”

In the legends that were told, ten thousand years ago the twelve demon kings wreaked havoc upon the world, almost completely destroying it. Ten thousand years later, the late arriving Bella discovered that she had been screwed over by her reincarnation, the ranks of the Saviors are already filled and she has to change teams in order to pass the days. Having her gender changed into a beautiful girl… she endured that, not being able to join the righteous side and obtain cheat abilities… she endured, but what she could not endure, was that the world that she had transmigrated to was toxic beyond belief. No one here does their rightful jobs properly, be they heroes, demon kings, or creator gods… in fact, Bella felt as if they all had also started with the wrong faction!