MTL - The Phoenix Arises - Chapter 462 Assassination, life and death

Ethan's head throbbed violently as he opened his eyes, his vision hazy and unfocused. A dull ringing filled his ears, drowning out his thoughts.“What’s happening…?” he thought, his mind sluggish, struggling to catch up with reality. One moment, he was asleep—or at least, he thought he was—and the next, searing pain forced him awake.His vision swam, shapes blurring together in a disorienting mess. But then, muffled noises filtered through the haze—frantic, panicked sounds. Someone was trying to scream, their voice smothered, choked by something.A cold shiver ran down his spine.As his sight gradually sharpened, Ethan's breath hitched.He was on all fours, looming over someone. A girl.Her body twisted and writhed beneath him, ropes biting into her wrists and ankles. Her mouth was gagged, muffling her cries. Her wide brown eyes, brimming with fear and fury, glared up at him.Ethan's body locked in place, his blood running cold.“What the…?” His mind reeled, thoughts slamming into each other in chaotic disarray. “What kind of bizarre dream is this?”Panic clawed at his chest. His breath came in ragged, uneven gasps as he scrambled backward, only to realize his limbs felt sluggish, uncooperative, like they didn’t belong to him.“Is this… is this some kind of twisted fantasy I never knew I had?” A sickening thought slithered through his mind, making his stomach churn.The girl's frantic squirming slowed for a moment, her gaze flickering with confusion as she took in his expression—his trembling hands, his wide, horrified eyes. But the fear returned just as quickly. She struggled harder, her body arching, her muffled screams rising in pitch.Ethan wanted to speak, to say something, anything, but before he could force out a word, a glowing blue window materialized before his eyes.His breath caught.A translucent, hovering screen?“What…?”Lines of glowing text scrolled across its surface.---[System Activated…][Host Confirmed.][Simulating Previous Data…]Ethan awakens in a mysterious world, shackled by a curse that clouds his judgment and drives him toward choices he never wished to make. Burdened by guilt and responsibility, he must navigate the fallout of his actions while unraveling the truth behind the curse—and his place in this enigmatic new reality.

Daiki Tsukasa transmigrates to a world of everyday anime crossovers.At the start, he purchases a Special-Grade Cursed Object, activating the Great Collector System.As long as he collects valuable items, he can receive rewards.『 Congratulations, host, for collecting the Special-Grade Cursed Object — Sukuna's Finger. Reward: Innate Domain — Malevolent Shrine! 』『 Congratulations, host, for collecting the Yukinoshita Family. Triggered Triple Bond. Reward: Immortal Dual Cultivation Technique! 』...Miku Nakano: I was here first! Get lost, you vixen!Yukino Yukinoshita: Could you stay away from my sister?!Iroha Isshiki: Senpai! You won't abandon your cute kōhai, right?۞۞۞T/N: Be advised that characters and powers will be used, but not necessarily in the exact order, logic, manner, or arrangement that occurs in the original. Some stories will obviously be changed to fit into this mixed world with so many characters.

Broken-hearted and drunk, Yoshida, a 26-years old salaryman, stumbled upon a runaway-from-home high-schooler on his way back from the bar.

“Hey, you. JK.”*

“What the heck are you doing out here. Go home already.”

“Uncle, let me stay at your place for the night.”

“You can do ‘that’ to me if you let me stay.”

“If you meant that as a joke, it’s not funny.”

“I’m not joking. It’s fine by me.”

“Then allow me to tell you that I have no interest in brats.”

“Hmm?”

“Then, just let me stay.”

Notes:

[*] JK is slang for Joushikousei (high school girl)

Short, rich, and handsome, Lin Feiran was always the center of attention. But after transferring schools in his second year of high school, he discovered that his limelight was snatched by his Adonis classmate, Gu Kaifeng.