Back to the Past: Kill my Demon Empress Wife - Chapter 44: Puppet

Maple was the strongest player in the game of new world online, however, Kaede Honjou was just your average Japanese lady who just wanted to spend some time with her girlfriend and the rest of her friends.She never imagined she would be summoned to another world so similar to her favourite game as a weapon for war.Join Maple as she fights through a dangerous world, while gaining the attention of the powers that be...Although...“How does a slime create a country? That seems a little ridiculous, even for me.”

Ye Zhen, a female Ph.D. in the Department of Mathematics of Huada University, changed her career to enter the entertainment industry in order to investigate the death of her birth father, Film Emperor Ye Yi. During her interview, she accidentally made CEO Rong Cheng Jue lose face in public. Yet Rong Cheng Jue, unlike what was to be expected, didn’t take old grudges into account and let Ye Zhen join his company. When everyone thought Ye Zhen would become Rong Cheng Jue’s personal secretary, she actually joined the entertainment department. After several twists and turns, Ye Zhen became an errand reporter for Rongcheng Entertainment’s “Treasures of Great Tang”.

Her colleagues’ bullying towards her, the pressure of changing career, and the many obstacles in her investigation all left her confused. Under Rong Cheng Jue’s silent guardianship, she didn’t forget her original purpose, overcame every obstacle, and eventually became an ace producer.

Ye Zhen and Rong Cheng Jue shared a common belief : no matter how bleak the hope is, how thorny and dark is the road ahead, they had only one thought in their hearts: to uncover the truth, and therefore bring peace to the soul of the Film Emperor Ye Yi.

- Description from Novelupdates

Intellectual Villages are old fashioned rural villages recreated with cutting edge technology. Those villages attract the Japanese monsters known as Youkai.

The high school boy Jinnai Shinobu lives in one of those villages and has a Zashiki Warashi living in his house. He tends to run across Youkai with unnerving frequency and this often leads to trouble for him.

In a world torn apart by rifts that release dangerous monsters, Espers—humans imbued with powerful abilities—serve as humanity's last line of defense. But the power of an Esper comes with a price. Overuse of their abilities leads to dangerous corruption, a force that can destroy them from the inside out. This is where Guides come in: individuals with the unique ability to calm the corruption within Espers and restore their balance.Rowan Mercer, an S-class Guide, is one of the best in his field, capable of stabilizing even the most dangerous Espers. He has worked quietly behind the scenes, helping those in need, but his life takes a dramatic turn when he is called to work with Lucian Vaughn, an S-class Esper whose immense power and unstable corruption levels make him a dangerous threat to himself and others.Lucian, a tall, stoic, and enigmatic figure, has long fought against the growing corruption within him. At first, his relationship with Rowan is purely professional—Rowan as his Guide, helping him to stay in control. However, as their interactions grow more frequent, their bond deepens in ways neither expected. What started as a simple duty soon turns into a complex relationship where power, trust, and vulnerability collide.As the world around them faces escalating threats from rifts, Rowan and Lucian must navigate not only their personal challenges but also the dangerous world of Espers and Guides. Their bond will be tested as they fight together against the corrupting forces that threaten them both.In Corrupted Bonds, survival isn’t just about battling monsters from the rifts—it's about fighting the darkness within themselves and finding a way to stay connected in a world that’s constantly pulling them apart.