Leveling Up Alone - Chapter 263: Second Awakening (3)

Ethan Blackwood wasn’t used to being defied. As the CEO of a global empire, he crushed obstacles with a single glance. But when Lily Anderson stood before him, her chin lifted in quiet defiance, and something in him snapped. “Sign the contract,” he said, his voice like ice. “30 days. You’ll obey every command. After that, you’re free.”She hesitated, her fingers trembling as she gripped the pen. “And if I refuse?”His smirk was cold, but his eyes burned. “Then you’ll spend the rest of your life paying off your father’s debts. Your choice.”Trapped, Lily signed. But she vowed one thing: she wouldn’t let him break her.From the first day, their clash was electric. He demanded perfection; she gave him rebellion. “You think you can control me?” she spat, after he criticized her for being late.Ethan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “I don’t just control you. Lily, I own you.”But as the days passed, the lines between them blurred. Late nights in his penthouse turned into whispered conversations. His cold demeanor cracked, revealing glimpses of a man haunted by his past. One night, after a heated argument, he pinned her against the wall, his breath hot against her ear. “Why do you fight me so much?”Her voice trembled. “Because I’m afraid if I stop, I’ll lose myself to you.”Their connection deepened, but danger loomed. Secrets from Ethan’s past resurfaced, threatening to destroy everything. When Lily discovered the truth behind his obsession with her, she confronted him. “Was I just a pawn in your game? A way to settle an old score?”His eyes darkened with pain. “You were never just a game, Lily. You’re the only thing that’s ever felt real.”As the final days of their contract approached, their bond was tested like never before. Enemies closed in, and trust hung by a thread. Could they overcome the shadows of their pasts, or would their love crumble under the weight of secrets and pride?

The world has changed, and so have the people.

“When you see this line of words, the world game has begun.”

“This is the [Live Action Global Live Game] to redeem Zhai Xing.”

“Here, all players travel through the world together. You can become hope in the crisis-ridden apocalypse, witness reincarnation in the future controlled by androids, and fight for the camp in villages where werewolves and gods confront each other…”

“I’m Su Ming’an, and I have the only death rollback skill.”

“The eliminated players became viewers. In the hundreds of millions of live broadcast rooms, they said that I was the strongest [number one player], and that I was the one who existed forever.”

“Some people say that I am a traitor sent by the organizer, an incompetent leader.”

“…but it doesn’t matter.”

“Those who hold wages for everyone should not freeze to death in the wind and snow. Those who open the way for freedom should not make them suffer from thorns.”

“—I will bring [Brilliant Future] to all those who have looked at me.”

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“…whether they were well-meaning or malicious.”

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Labels: original world, heaven, infinite flow, human nature flow, long-term foreshadowing, reverse plot, HE, BE, TE and more short endings.

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[Fake Game Begins: Prologue, Real Game Begins: Chapter 14]

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