MTL - The Infinite Journey of Cruelty - Chapter 252 : Devil and Sheep

Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon chronicles the story of a futuristic civilization returned to Earth after constant warfare hindered them from traveling beyond the post-Apocalyptic Earth. At this stage, a small archipelago called the Divine States were the only hospitable land on Earth. In order to regain the space-faring technology they had lost after many years of war, they decided to recreate history with a book called the Testament as a guide.

It is the year 1648 in the Testament Era. Toori Aoi, Chancellor and Student Council President of the only academy on the airborne city-ship Musashi, faces the ten-year anniversary of the death of his childhood friend Horizon Ariadust in an accident. As he prepares to celebrate the occasion by proposing to P-01s (an automaton who looks exactly like Horizon) he discovers that his suspicion about P-01s’ appearance actually has a basis in truth; P-01s is in fact Horizon Ariadust, reborn into a robotic body. In addition to this, Horizon’s emotions had been stripped away and are now stored in eight powerful weapons called the Mortal Sin Armaments; which are now in the possession of key people in various established countries in the Divine States.

To retrieve the emotions of Horizon Ariadust, Toori Aoi along with his friends and allies begins a crusade against different obstacles as key events in history are recreated in a futuristic manner.

Accidentally reborn as the son of the distant cousin of the Squib, the mother of Harry Potter’s friend Ron, and lived in this world as the second generation of Squib for eleven years.

He originally planned to be an accountant like his father in the future, but he didn’t expect fate to play a joke on him, and he didn’t know the slightest bit of magic, but he received the exact same envelope as his sister on his eleventh birthday.

Due to the expectations of his parents, he reluctantly accepted the reality, but inadvertently discovered another secret…

- Description from novelbuddy

The Fourth Brother had squandered his wealth through gambling, leaving their mother in a critical state. To make matters worse, the creditors even asked them to sell Manbao to settle the debts!In the village, whispers spread that the golden days of the Zhou Family's cherished Manbao were over. Their elderly mother clung to Manbao's hand, tears streaming down her face.However, Manbao tightly grasped a system in her hand, a tool that would lead her and her brothers and sisters-in-law to reclaim their fortunes. They ventured into agriculture, cultivating land, growing medicinal herbs, and establishing shops, steadily improving their lives.As their situation improved, concerns shifted to Manbao's marital prospects by the sister-in-laws.“Mr. Zhuang's grandson is an excellent match – educated and well-spoken. He is just perfect for you.”“No! You should consider Mr. Qian's youngest son, who is handsome and well-mannered. You can count on him never to defy you.”Suppressing a smile, Manbao responded, “My heart is already set. I choose Bai Shanbao, my childhood friend whom I've playfully scolded since we were young.”

Isabella was supposed to be sipping champagne at a luxury spa, not waking up in the middle of a forest. Worse, a SYSTEM had attached itself to her like some clingy ex, spouting nonsense about survival, quests, and—oh, hell no—manual labor.“System, I was NOT built for the wilderness! My ideal ‘roughing it’ experience involves a five-star hotel with bad WiFi!”Now, instead of lounging in silk robes, she’s being ordered to farm? To hunt?“A farming quest? You want me—a city girl—to grow food? System, I once killed a cactus by overwatering it. This is NOT my calling!”And don’t even get her started on the hygiene situation.“You want me to bathe in a cold river? Darling, I require warm water, scented oils, and an ambience! What do I look like—some barbarian?!”Unfortunately, the locals—big, muscular beastmen—don’t seem to understand the concept of self-care. The women? Neglecting their skin like it’s a crime to be radiant. The men? Walking hygiene disasters.“Ladies, if your man can smell you before he sees you, we have a problem.”“You see this? This is lotion. It exists so you don’t look like a dried-up leaf. Use it.”“A beard should be majestic, not tragic. Let me fix it.”And the beastmen? They don’t just stare at her like she’s an oddity. No, they hover. They smirk. They lean in too close, fangs flashing with amusement.“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” she huffed, crossing her arms.The panther grinned, his tail flicking. “Because you’re fascinating when you’re annoyed.”No, absolutely not. She was not here for this nonsense.“If you have time to stare, you have time to moisturize.”She didn’t ask to be here. She didn’t ask to be their savior. But if she has to suffer through this world, she’s making everyone around her suffer less—through skincare, style, and some serious attitude.“If I hear one more ‘We don’t season our food here,’ I’m launching a war.”“If you have time to gossip, you have time to do squats.”“You want to impress a woman? Start with not smelling like the battlefield.”Survival isn’t just about fighting monsters; it’s about looking good while doing it. So what if the System keeps throwing impossible quests her way?“What do you mean ‘you can’t skip quests’?! Since when?! Where is the skip button?! I demand a skip button!”But somewhere between dodging ridiculous quests and fixing these people’s tragic grooming habits, Isabella found herself in situations. Uncomfortable, heart-racing situations.Like being trapped against a tree by the red python, his red eyes half-lidded as he murmured, “You talk too much, little star. Should I silence you?”Like waking up with the lion lord’s fur-lined cloak draped over her shoulders, his deep voice gruff, “You shiver in your sleep. I’ll fix that.”Like the phoenix watching her every move, his burning gaze searing into her skin as he mused,“You cause chaos wherever you go, but I find that I don’t mind.”Oh, hell. No. She was not about to fall for four beastmen. She was too pretty for this much stress.“If you insult me again, I’ll make sure your soul needs a beauty upgrade.”“I refuse to be disrespected by anyone who dresses like an unwashed tree branch.”And yet, when a rival tribe came to challenge her, when danger lurked too close, those same beastmen stood beside her—smirking, taunting, fighting for her.“A beastman growled at me today. I growled back. He ran. I am the alpha now.”Isabella isn’t just surviving. She’s thriving. And this world better keep up.