Eldritch Guidance - Chapter 12: What was gained

[Mature Content!]In the heart of a bustling metropolis where ambition and dreams collide, Ella, a talented yet struggling artist, finds herself facing a crushing blow. Her world shatters as her ex-boyfriend exchanges vows with her former best friend, a betrayal that leaves her feeling humiliated and lost.Desperate for a change, an escape from her heartache, she impulsively agrees to a marriage of convenience with Damien Stone, a mysterious and enigmatic billionaire CEO. Damien, needing a temporary wife to appease his demanding board of directors and secure his position, sees the arrangement as mutually beneficial. As they enter this calculated agreement, both with their own hidden agendas, an unexpected spark ignites between them.Amidst the carefully constructed facade of their marriage, a genuine attraction blossoms, challenging their preconceived notions and altering the course of their lives in ways they never imagined.

As the owner of an ordinary bookstore, Ling PingAn’s biggest wish was to muddle through life and do absolutely nothing.

Lin Yan is a professional car racer who fell from grace after her sister set her up. She becomes an actress for the sake of her boyfriend, who later cheats on her with her sister. Her life, career and relationships reach a slump.

Enter Pei Yucheng, the president of the JM corporation—a multinational conglomerate. He is unfathomable, cold and aloof. At random, he would mysteriously lose control of himself, and Lin Yan is the only one who is able to calm him down. The first time she meets him, she feels an indescribable fear deep within her soul. Unbeknownst to her, they had met each other a long time ago, but she had chosen to forget him…

Soon, something puzzling and strange begins to happen to her. Occasionally, she loses consciousness and ends up in Pei Yucheng’s room the next day, completely unaware of how she ended up there. She suspects that something has possessed her…

In the year 2022, gamers rejoice as Sword Art Online-a VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) like no other-opens its virtual doors, allowing players to take full advantage of the ultimate in gaming technology: NerveGear, a system that allows users to completely immerse themselves in the game world by manipulating their brain waves to create a wholly realistic gaming experience.

But when the game goes live, the elation of the players quickly turns to horror as they discover that, for all its amazing features, SAO is missing one of the most basic functions of any MMORPG-a log-out button.

Now trapped in the virtual world of Aincrad, their bodies held captive by NerveGear in the real world, users are issued a chilling ultimatum: conquer all one hundred floors of Aincrad to regain your freedom. But in the warped world of SAO, “game over” means certain death-both virtual and real…