Gunmage - Chapter 215: Lessons in deceit

Zein was a rogue Guide living in the god-forsaken land of the red-zone, guiding for money and survival. Until the guild he used to work with caused a tragedy. Driven by sorrow and guilt, Zein became a mercenary guide in the land bordering the forbidden Deathzone, working like a suicidal monk. One day, an overbearing Esper suddenly appeared and told him, “If you’re so hellbent to die, why don’t you come with me to the Deathzone?”A strange proposition, a nostalgic smirk. Had Zein actually met him before?Following the man into the deadly zone, will Zein find the respite he seeks, or will he get engulfed in a storm?But there’s no such thing as love in the deathzone...is it?* * *The story is set in a sentinel-verse, so there will be:- Sentinel (Esper) and Guide- Dungeon!- Romance- Action- …smut? ;)It’s a (kinda) love story wrapped in dungeon system shenanigans, with abilities and action and whatnot

At 79, Adom is an old mage who has known nothing but illness and regret. When the world finally burns and all hope turns to ash, at the last beat of his fading heart, a mysterious being appears in the dimming light with a simple question:“If you could try again, would you?”What's left to lose when you've already lost everything?A handshake seals the deal, and Adom wakes up on his old school grounds, sixty-seven years in the past. When everything is still possible. A second chance with all his knowledge intact, his memories preserved, and his youth restored.This time, Adom wants it all: to feast on food he's never had, to travel a world still full of wonder, to finally live the life he dreamed of. There's just, as always, one small catch—he needs to prevent the end of the world first.But as Adom will soon discover, changing history might demand sacrifices even greater than watching it burn...

In the year 2100, global warming has long since made the Earth's natural surface uninhabitable with a new ice age. Humanity takes refuge in huge, closed cities, but life is difficult. Video games are the opium of the people, letting them escape the chaos of life in immense metropolises.

In 2100, the first fully immersive VRMMORPG, "Horus," was released, and the world changed! Entirely coded by an independent AI, "Horus" made all other games look meaningless by comparison.

Megacorporations quickly monopolized on the wealth "Horus" allowed its players to amass, and soon people like Alexander were spending their lives slaving away to make money for the companies who employed them.

But on the day Alexander died of exhaustion, collapsing in his gaming booth...

...He woke up, alive, nine years earlier.

One day before "Horus's" launch.

"This time, I'll do it right! I know everything that's going to happen! I'll become the strongest, and no one will take advantage of me again!"


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///This work takes place in an MMORPG whose main goal is the exploration and conquest of space.///

///my two main inspirations are: The Reincarnation of the Strongest Sword God and the Legendary Mechanic.///

///I care about the coherence of the story, even if the theme of overpowering is present, it is thanks to the reflexive and opportunistic choices of the MC and not a chance to come out of nowhere. ////

I never expected my life to change so drastically. One moment, I was a woman with dreams, deeply in love with a man I thought I’d spend my life with. The next, I was betrayed and heartbroken, walking in on him cheating without a hint of remorse.That night, overwhelmed with pain and too much alcohol, I made a reckless decision, a one-night stand with a stranger who, to my shock, turned out to be my new boss.Arec, the vice president of Denco Groups, was desperate. To secure his future as CEO, he needed a wife, and in a twist of fate, he offered me a contract marriage. It sounded absurd, but his desperation mirrored my own need to escape the wreckage of my life.It was supposed to be simple: no emotions, no strings attached. A business arrangement, nothing more. I thought I could handle it, that I could keep my heart out of it.I was wrong.What started as a deal quickly spiraled into something far more complicated. As our fake marriage blurred into real feelings, the world around us began to close in. Disapproving family, old enemies, buried secrets, scheming rivals, and even an attempt on my life threatened to tear us apart.This is my story, a journey of heartbreak, unexpected love, and a fight to protect what we built together. In a world filled with lies and deceit, can a marriage born out of necessity become something real?---