Second World - Chapter 1739 Taken the Bait

[Sweet Baby + Parenting + Doting In-laws + Light-hearted + Redemption]Xu Wan became a widow right after her marriage, initially hoping to enjoy a carefree life as a Marquis’s wife.Unexpectedly, on her very first day at the mansion, that notorious troublemaker of a stepson, infamous throughout the capital, tried to intimidate her twice.Xu Wan grabbed a knife and rushed out, instantly becoming the talk of the entire capital!Though she thought her dreams of being the Marquis’s wife were over, her in-laws surprisingly retaliated by entrusting the little devil to her care for reformation.Xu Wan: “???”Little Devil: “???”At first, no one believed it would work…But later, the maids would exclaim in amazement every day:“The young master who never studied is actually going to the study room!”“The young master is even bringing foot-washing water for the old Marquis!”“The young master actually saved all the children in the slums!”…The Marquis’s mansion was shocked, the entire capital was shocked, even His Majesty in the palace was shocked.Word spread that the Marquis’s wife had a special talent for reforming troublesome children. Soon, court officials began sending their rebellious sons to the mansion, and the mansion’s “elite class” kept growing!Three years later.The Minister of Rites, responsible for the imperial examinations, wailed to the heavens: “It’s impossible to choose! They’re all top candidates!”

“Mana to breathe, mana to eat, mana to fucking live,”Inhale: -0.001 MP… oops! You're out of mana points.(Pay-to-breathe RPG.)Humanity's last walled stronghold._____In the world Elio lives, every gasp of air comes at a price.A floating indestructible book for every human, a magical system that turns survival into a pay-to-breathe RPG.Here, poverty isn't just being broke, it's choking.Surrounded by barren land and a sea of monsters on top of it (No water, just literal monsters), each day is a suffocating dance of survival, a balancing act between mana for air and mana for food.In this economy, holding your breath isn't just a game, it's a retirement plan.Driven by desperation (and the city's miserly rulers that don’t cut anyone a break), Elio dives into the Book System’s trials to save his family.Along the way, he unlocks powers he didn’t ask for and starts to figure out... Who he really is.Immerse yourself in an adventure where one young man's stubborn refusal to become a statistic could spark a revolution. Who knew being a pain in the system's rear could change the world?Because in Elio's world, breathing is just the beginning of the revolution and... he's gasping for change.But hey, who said saving the world had to be all doom and gloom? Join Elio as he kicks monster butt, uncovers ancient secrets, and maybe, just maybe, figures out how to grow a tree or two along the way.__________Warning:May contain traces of world domination, an unhealthy obsession with the periodic table, damage points, progression math, and yes, even a sprinkle of that old “power of friendship” magic. Because sometimes, you need a buddy to help you remember which element does what or even help you calculate those sweet, sweet stats.A quick heads-up:Despite what the cover might suggest, this isn’t a hack-and-slash adventure. Think more along the lines of a turn-based RPG, where strategy and choices matter as much as action. Get ready for a different kind of challenge!If you want to know more about the cover:Yep, that's our first FL crying and crossing the transparent barrier straight into a pixelated, indistinguishable sea of monsters. Because why not mix emotions with chaos? She's crazy like that! (Not really... or is she?)Discord to check the visuals: https://discord.gg/W3CjfC2cw4I’m still working on it in the little moments I find between writing, editing, making more character images, etc.Little by little, we’ll have a Poked... uh, a full SummonDex! Meanwhile, you can check out the ones on Fandom with their... funny descriptions? Or at least I hope so... orzWarning 2 (Privilege 4 and 5):I just wanted to stick to the novel’s level system, so I had to add those '0s'!!! Don’t be an elephant... unless you’re an enormous one... A whale! Seriously, nooooo!You’re going to make me die from the pressure, and I’ll feel terrible!! It’s just one chapter!!! You can wait... But if you’re dirty rich and really, Really, REALLY want to support, well... okay, though I’ll still feel bad!!! orz

The Apocalypse is in full swing. Defiled - powerful creatures corrupted by the Great Collision - prowled the lands in search of prey. Unfortunately for them, the human race had long since retreated behind the secure walls of the Sanctuary of Everlast. During one of his regular excursions outside the Sanctuary, Alden is separated from Celeste. - his childhood friend and crush. In that moment, he came to regret never summoning the courage to confess. Somehow managing to survive thanks to some trickery, Alden awakens as a mage. Instead of receiving a normal power, he gains the ability to decay. What’s more, during his ascension, he received a vision from his future self advising him not to trust the Asterons - celestial beings who had saved his race from inescapable doom. Normally... such a revelation wouldn’t faze Alden. However, there was only one major problem with the declaration, though. Celeste was bound with an Asteron. And not just any normal Asteron... She had made a pact with one of the Divine Sovereigns.

When I woke up after a pretty crappy death, what greeted me was one of those famous fantasy worlds! I didn’t expect anything like becoming the strongest with a common job, or rising to the top with the weakest class…All I wanted was to live a slow farming life, but the world just wouldn’t leave me alone! And so I equally backstabbed good people and bad people alike, becoming a villain with a true sense of equality and just when I was about to retire and enjoy a proper life on a farm…“Master!”My former disciple at the evil organisation, currently the hero of justice came looking for me. Can’t you all just leave me alone?