Second Chance: A Dark Tale of Urban India - Chapter 65: Infiltration

After living as a famous Korean vlogger-slash-mukbanger, Neoma died a (shameful) death and regressed to her tragic first life— the life where she has to live as a hidden princess with a tyrannical father and a yandere twin brother.

She died at the hands of her psycho brother in her first life. But luckily, she charmed her “big brother” this time. Her father remains a sc*mbag, though.

But a blessing in disguise happened when her twin brother got “sick.” Because of that, she has to pretend as the “Crown Prince,” forcing her father to treat her well.

She thought she was finally on the road to becoming a lady of leisure.

But, despite her laziness, she still ends up completing royal duties that put her closer to the throne than her sick twin brother. The next thing she knew, they already prophesied her to be the first empress of their very patriarchal empire.

Now Neoma finds herself in the middle of the succession war she never wanted to be involved in!

Starting life as a college student is hard, but not as hard as dying on your very first day. Ali Asad was just your average guy, ready to start fresh in a new city for college. But when he jumped into traffic to save a mysterious woman, his good deed got him killed—fast and painfully. Just when he thought it was game over, he woke up alive... sort of. Turns out, the woman he saved, Carrisa, had a few tricks up her sleeve. Now resurrected as an immortal being and renamed Alicarde, he’s thrust into a world of ancient power struggles, dark magic, and impossible expectations. Bound to Carrisa’s fate, Alicarde quickly learns that being immortal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Instead of focusing on classes or meeting new friends, he’s dodging dangerous foes, navigating Carrisa’s high-stakes supernatural battles, and trying to figure out just what his role is in all this madness. All while struggling with the fact that he really didn’t sign up for any of this. Thrown into a fight for survival with powers he barely understands and a fate that’s now intertwined with Carrisa’s, Alicarde has to adapt fast—or risk dying all over again, this time for good.

He is Xi Liang’s legendary emperor: a decisive and ruthless king; a man of supreme wisdom; a cunning strategist.

According to legend, he once conferred the love meant for the three thousand concubines in his harem onto one woman, while the world watched in envy.

According to legend, he once executed a hundred people for her, turning the palace into a purgatory overnight.

According to legend, he ultimately sentenced that same woman to death by execution…

A conspiracy that swept through the country resulted in her tragic end. This lifetime seems to be a repeat of her past life. Can she escape the clutches of fate to attain true love in this life? In both lives, she was the Emperor’s wife, but is that ruthless man really her true love mandated by Heaven?

Did she really die, just like that?

In the end, beyond the veil of lies and mysteries, who exactly was she? Was she a woman that he truly loved, or was she merely a chess piece to be used in his political machinations?

The stories passed onto later generations remain fraught with conflicting opinions.

- Description from Novelupdates

[Warning: r18, smut, MC does morally questionable things][Disclaimer: The Gods and Goddesses in the story's world have absolutely no relation to any Gods that are worshipped in the real world. The purpose they serve is also entirely different.]~Even if you're someone who typically doesn't enjoy works with smut, I request you to give this novel a chance (provided you're 18 or older of course). It would be awesome if you could at least read Volume 1 before deciding whether or not this is your cup of tea.~This is an action + kingdom-building story where the MC and his kingdom (Realm) are metaphorically powered by his lustful acts.The story begins with Hiro's (the MC) transmigration into a magical world. At first glance, this “World” might look quite similar to many other fantasy worlds that you've come across on your reading adventures. Status screens, levels, classes, gods, kingdoms, elves - all that good stuff.But it will soon become clear that this World has its own “Rules”. These (mostly) game-like Rules will bring out unique character interactions. They will be what differentiates the World in my story from other similar fantasy worlds.Now about the characters - specifically the main character.The MC (Hiro) will be thrust into the role of Ruler in the new World right off the bat. He starts with a bottom-tier, barebones realm and makes his way to the top.I'm going to say this right away - Hiro is a deeply flawed character at the start. Yes he might be overpowered and good at getting things he wants, but that does not make him flawless.Hiro has glaring emotional flaws at the beginning. He is intelligent but not in the emotional sense. He is lustful but not truly loving. He is apathetic towards death (both of himself and of others).The women who surround him will also have their own problems, both internal and external.As the story progresses, it won't just be the MC and his realm growing in power.Hiro and his harem will also mature emotionally. Hiro's character growth will be a slow, grueling burn. It isn't going to be a smooth straight line from point A to point B.But when it finally does happen, it will be worth it.That's all from me, your author. I hope you enjoy the ride.P.S - Power stones, golden tickets, gifts, adding this to library, reviews, comments, paragraph comments - all these things help immensely and are greatly appreciated.Thanks and Enjoy! :)