Hidden Desires - Family Secrets - Chapter 205 The scent on Betty now was unfamiliar... Part1

After being torn from the only life she knew, 16-year-old Margo is forced into a new home with strangers who call themselves her parents. Haunted by memories of her past and consumed by feelings of isolation, she struggles to adapt to her unfamiliar surroundings. School offers little relief—until she meets Lucien, a mysterious boy who appears just when she needs a friend the most.Gabriel is everything Margo needs: kind, attentive, and always ready to whisk her away from her troubles. Each night, he invites her to secret places—an abandoned playground, a fog-choked garden, a crumbling train station at the edge of town—each more unsettling than the last. Yet with every chilling rendezvous, Margo feels more alive... more seen.But something isn’t right. Gabriel never comes to school during the day. Her adoptive parents never see him. And when they catch her talking to thin air, their concern deepens into fear. They say Gabriel isn't real—that he’s a figment of her imagination. Margo wants to believe them, but Gabriel feels real. More real than anything else in her life.As the nights grow colder and more twisted, Gabriel’s true nature begins to surface. Shadows move where they shouldn’t. Time warps in his presence. And the places they visit seem to echo with whispers from another world. Margo is forced to ask herself: Who—or what—is Gabriel? Why does he only want her? And what will happen on the final night he asks her to come with him?As the line between reality and delusion begins to crumble, Margo must make an impossible choice: stay in a world where she feels loved, or return to one that barely feels real.But one thing is certain—some friendships never let go.

Author's message to webnovel readers:Hello everyone, I am Morning Star LL, and I am delighted to meet you all in this way!To be honest, I never imagined that my work would have such a large readership outside China. I was absolutely astonished when my editor told me there were thousands of comments. Before this, my writings were primarily aimed at Chinese readers, and it never crossed my mind that my words would one day be translated into another language.I am both humbled and grateful.I am also extremely honored that my recent work, “This Game is Too Real,” has been given the opportunity to reach an international audience.Unlike my previous works, this book is probably the one into which I've invested the most time and effort. It is set in a fictional post-apocalyptic wasteland.The story mainly revolves around a once-thriving civilization that collapses overnight after a disaster. The MC from Earth uses a legacy system to disguise the entire world as a game, leading players on a quest to save civilization. It intertwines the fates of the struggling survivors in the wasteland with mutual redemption, while also uncovering the historical truths buried beneath the dust.This book contains several easter eggs with “Scholar's Advanced Technological System,” but mentioning them might spoil the story, so I'll leave it to the readers to discover!Moreover, the overall tone of the book remains cheerful and light-hearted. Despite the world being harsh and full of danger, I believe that even in the darkest moments, the warmth and resilience inherent in humanity will continue to shine brightly, emitting the power to dispel the darkness.It would be my greatest honor if my words resonate with you! And the word “resonate” is also a major clue within the story itself.Thank you!by Morning Star LL——————————————This game is too freaking realistic!Bricklaying, running errands, picking up trash, delivering parcels... At most, the company lets you experience the hardships of a 996 schedule, but here you can feel the extreme bonus of 007.Alright, enough chit-chat, the great Manager has called me to lay some bricks.That Manager said that as long as we work our livers off, he can get a brand-new set of power armor next month, and then he'll take us to explore a brand new map, picking up even more trash in the vast Wasteland!...After teleporting to the Waste World, Chu Guang discovered that he had unlocked the “shelter system” and could summon creatures called “players” from a parallel world.From that day on, nothing in the Waste World was normal anymore.

At the tender age of five, I tragically lost my parents and suffered a life-altering injury.

Five years later, my stepmother evicted me from my home.

This misfortune, however, gave rise to a new beginning for me.

At age fifteen, I encountered a dramatic turn of events when I received two mysterious blessings.

[You have received the Blessing of Greed]

[You have received the Blessing of Sloth]

I was gifted with the Blessing of Greed from a dragon and the Blessing of Sloth from a human.

[Welcome to the Skill Creation System]

[What skill would you like to create?]

I soon discovered that I might be a Half-Dragon, and unlocked the Skill Creation System, which also allowed me to access my mother's memories and the truth behind their death!

Now, I'm embarking on a quest to become the strongest in multiple worlds.

I must find the answers I seek, protect those I care about, and gain the strength to exact revenge on those who have wronged me.

I intend to use the powers of the Blessings I have been granted to avenge my parents and forge my own destiny.

Possible additional tags:

Adventure, Magic, Fantasy, Action, Dark Magic, Superpowers, Immortality

Monsters, Demons, Gods, Shapeshifters, Dragons, Spirits, Faery, Elves, Dwarves, Giants, Magical Creatures

Kingdom Building, School Arc, Skill Creation, Dungeon Exploration

Romance, Epic Journey, Hero's Journey, Epic Battles, Epic Quest

Curses, Ancient Relics, Ancient Civilizations, Hidden Worlds

Li Wei accidentally obtained a simulator that allowed him to manage a family of cultivators. He discovered that the descendants in the game would offer him strange and unique sacrifices.“Thanks to the ancestor for the gift, our family has become the most powerful family!”“Hurry up and offer a sacrifice to the ancestor. Please accept this spiritual weapon!”“Ancestor, we have already conquered the immortal world!”Then, one day, the descendants of the Li family, who had been in the game, appeared on Earth in grand flying boats. Under the astonished eyes of the entire world, these descendants paid homage to Li Wei in great numbers.“Welcome our ancestor home!”