Gilded Ashes - Chapter 2: Holding Hope

Infernal Demon Dragon: A dog like you dare to face me in combat? Do you wish to die so much?

Eighty years ago, an alien war broke out in Earth’s orbit. A powerful fugitive known as Tree was pursued by an extraterrestrial force. In the battle’s aftermath, the fugitive’s heart merged with Earth’s core, giving rise to a massive tree—marking the dawn of superpowers.Awakening. A phenomenon where humans gained extraordinary abilities. Seventeen years later, nearly everyone had awakened… except a few. Those who failed were called Rejecters, the lowest in society.Zane Carter was born into infamy. The son of a fallen superhero-turned-supervillain, he faced discrimination from birth. He dreamed of being a hero, but his father’s sins made him an outcast. Even after rigorous training, his Awakening failed. Rejected by the Hero Academy, ridiculed, and cast aside—his fate seemed sealed.Until one day…[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]Welcome, User. You have been selected as the recipient of the Borderline Supervillain-Slash-Hero System.Generate your first skill? Y/NWith his newfound system, Zane is given a choice: become the hero they never wanted him to be… or the villain they always feared.

This is actually the story of a teenager who, after the devastating and spartan-like training of his crazy cool/Gong teammate, turned into a super amazing point guard that could blow up the skies even though he may seem low-key on the surface.

Also, Nie Chuan is Reese’s first love.

Nie Chuan: I’ve decided to promote you to becoming my best friend!

Reese: If I can be your best friend, it just means that you have no friends.

Nie Chuan: Hey! How could you say that! Do you know what it means to be my best friend?!

Reese: I’m sleeping.

Nie Chuan: It means that when I get married, my bride may not necessarily be her, but my groomsman must be…

Reese: The groom must be me.

Nie Chuan: What– you want to snatch my bride away?! You’re too inhumane!

Reese: Sleep.

- Description from Novelupdates

Maria is a werewolf of the Veilwood Pack, where every woman is born with a gift. But with her twenty-first birthday drawing near and no ability to call her own, her family arranges a marriage that feels more like a cage than a future.On the run from a fate she refuses to accept, Maria narrowly escapes a predator who wants to claim her for himself. Shaken and desperate, she stumbles into the arms of another man whose eyes burn with recognition—her mate.But the predator is still out there, and he wants Maria just as much.Torn between the mate who awakens her heart and the danger that tempts her into the shadows, Maria finds herself desired by two men who will stop at nothing to claim her.Love, obsession, and destiny intertwine, and her choice could cost her everything.