JACKAL AMONG SNAKES - Chapter 673: To Kill and Be Killed

[#lovesosweet][WARNING: Mature content 18+][WPC #AUG2023Entry]« Is it not enough that I have been 'sold off' as a catalogue bride but also have to compete with a dead woman for favour? »Shelby looks like she has it all. The perfect family and all the perks that come with it. But she must go through a 'forced contract marriage' and also compete for the attention of the man she had been unwillingly tied to...Ian lost the love of his life so suddenly that his mind still refuses to accept that reality. He gave up everything and secluded himself until his mother found him a bride. His one task was to give the family an heir but how can Ian do this when the air he breathes all revolves around the one woman he can never have. However, he finds himself in a predicament and dilema when the new contracted bride is thrust into his life unwittingly... especially, when he finds out that she is more than meets the eye.

A world where awakened individuals with special powers emerge due to a system. At the New Spring Kindergarten infant class, Gru awakens as an S-rank Hunter at the age of 4. Along with this, there is a quest assigned to her… [Quest: A child needs a strong guardian!] Why is a guardian needed? That is because Gru has no mother or father. Gru, who had no family, is adopted by the greatest Hunter in South Korea after many twists and turns, and along with that, new skills are developed… [Let’s try registering a new guardian in the slot!] [Children can earn ‘filial piety points’ through various activities, which can be used in different areas.] Gathering guardians enables faster growth? ‘That’s amazing!’ Alright, I’ll gather all the S-rank guardians!

Ananya never expected death to bring her into another life.One moment, she was running her parents’ restaurant in the modern world.The next, she opened her eyes in silk robes, surrounded by hostile stares — the Queen Consort of the empire.But this body was cursed in everyone’s eyes.The Emperor loathed her.The mistress laughed at her.And the court whispered behind her back.Only she wasn’t truly alone.> “Finally, someone can see us!”“What kind of Queen Consort are you, so calm even with ghosts in your chamber?”“Shut up, Wei Rong, let her breathe. She looks like she’s about to faint.”Three ghosts — a stoic scholar, a brash general, and a mischievous noble girl — lingered at her side. They were invisible to all but her. And with them, she learned to survive the poisonous palace.When rumors spread that she was cursed, Ananya stood before the empire’s court.Instead of tears, she offered proof. Instead of fear, she offered dignity.> “If Heaven believes I am cursed, let the fire and smoke betray me. I will not hide.”And Heaven sided with her.Outside the palace, crises struck — starving soldiers, missing supplies, merchants growing fat from stolen grain. Inside, Lady Zhen, the Emperor’s favored mistress, grew bolder by the day, flaunting her beauty and mocking Ananya’s quiet grace.> “Sister, do you still dream of winning His Majesty’s heart? Look at you — plain, dull, unworthy.”“If simplicity is a crime, then let it be mine,” Ananya answered, unshaken.The Emperor indulged Lady Zhen openly… but in the silence of night, he tasted Ananya’s food, lingered at her table, and found himself unsettled by her calm.> “This is not palace fare,” he muttered.“It is lighter,” Ananya replied softly. “Easier to sleep after.”Step by step, conspiracy thickened. At a grand banquet, a poisoned cup was placed in Ananya’s hand. But a ghost’s laugh echoed in her ear — and the cup was swapped. A dancer collapsed instead.From that night on, the Emperor’s gaze changed. He began to notice the woman who never begged for favor, never fought for attention, yet always endured.Still, war brewed at the borders. Betrayals reached even the throne. Assassins crept through the palace halls. And the one person who seemed weakest became the calm at the center of the storm.Through whispered secrets, mischievous hauntings, and quiet resilience, Ananya carved her place in the empire.She would not simply survive.She would rise.And the Emperor who once despised her would one day whisper only her name.

Lieutenant Jack Fritz is a self centered American man of German descent. He like many joined the United States Navy in hopes of getting an easy life and easy money. In fact getting money and taking it easy is all he has ever really wished for in life.However life seems to have other plans in-store for Jack as he suddenly finds himself at the beginning of World War 3. Though his fight does not last for long as he is suddenly blown to bits by a missile and sent into the afterlife, but instead of going to heaven Jack is dragged to another place where he is given another chance at life by some fiery demon for a price.Having been given no other chance Jack does as the demon says and earns himself life again. Though he doesn't return to his original world, but a medieval one. With no guidance and no higher purpose given to him he simply decides to do the best that he can within this new world of his. This time he will for sure earn that perfect life of his and possibly a lot more.But little does Jack know his fate is not his own and there are many sinister things in-store for him. Also the world he finds himself in is not a safe or simple medieval world, but one beset by dangers from all sides that are already little by little driving humanity towards its extinction.