Captured Hearts: The Substitute Bride's Gambit - Chapter 409: He’s Not a Beast

I was just your average student—no special talents, no grand dreams, and most importantly… no girlfriend. My days were spent grinding through life, with my only true passion being games, mangas, and web novels.Every day, I’d see couples walking by, holding hands, whispering sweet nothings, and I’d think, Hell yeah! When's it my turn?! I mean, I deserve a cute girlfriend too, right? Someone to hold, someone to kiss—just once, please!But, of course, life had other plans.One second, I was daydreaming about romance. The next? BAM! Truck-kun hit me with the ultimate rejection letter—straight to another world. When I opened my eyes, I realized I had reincarnated... but not as the hero, not even as the sidekick. Nope. I got stuck as some low-level villain—a total extra—the kind that exists just to get one-shot by the protagonist in the early chapters.The good news? I know this game inside out.The bad news? The whole world is out to kill me.But if they think I'm going down that easily, they're in for a surprise. Using my game knowledge, I'll dodge every death flag, exploit every loophole, and rise to the top! And hey, if I end up with a harem of gorgeous girls along the way? Well… let’s call it a happy bonus!This is my story—where I rewrite my destiny, break the game, and maybe... just maybe... finally get that kiss!Support this Shameless Author with Power Stones Gifts and Golden Tickets

Tae-seo, a villain who tormented the main character in an Omega verse novel, suddenly finds himself reincarnated into that very antagonist role. What’s worse, he reincarnates just as he’s about to administer a heat-inducing drug to the main character!Tae-seo, the protagonist of the original story, thwarts Seo Da-rae’s plan to administer the drug and, in order to avoid triggering a dead flag, casually drinks the inducer. Reincarnated not as an Omega but as a Beta, Tae-seo expects nothing out of the ordinary to happen.“Well, causing a cycle right here is quite audacious. Or are you asking just anyone to pick you up?”Unfortunately, due to side effects, Tae-seo manifests as an Omega and experiences the heat cycle. By chance, he ends up sharing a bed with a man named Kang Se-heon.“Don’t expect me to take responsibility later. I have no intention of being manipulated by a bloodthirsty person like you.”“I don’t have any intention of asking you to take responsibility either.”Initially unaware of his relatively minor role in the original story, Tae-seo is surprised to learn that Kang Se-heon happens to be the main character’s cousin. As Se-heon starts approaching Tae-seo in a suspicious manner and even other characters from the original story oddly gravitate towards him, Tae-seo’s confusion deepens.“Yoon Tae-seo, you should choose me, even if it’s for the sake of the child.”Will Tae-seo be able to navigate through the night with Kang Se-heon and escape the grasp of the original story’s main characters unscathed?

“You died.”That was what the mysterious figure told him, but then he was given a second chance for the good deeds that he did in his previous life.“Super Prodigal System!”“Cultivate to immortality by wasting as much money as you can!”For the former number one prodigal of Earth, this was the perfect system!

The narrative follows a gamer who, after selecting the “Awakened Cinder” class in the game Fractured Dawn, finds himself transported into the game's world. However, this version of the game is devoid of its usual interfaces—no UI, no tutorials, and no second chances. Each death strips away a part of his memories and identity, immersing him deeper into a perilous reality.The protagonist, now known as Riven, must navigate the treacherous Witherlands, confronting formidable foes like the Gravemare and Dreamborn Horrors, while uncovering the mysteries of Emberlight, Grace, and Cindershrines. His journey is one of survival, self-discovery, and challenging the very fabric of this fractured world.