Sleeping With My Step Daddy - Chapter 40: "Good News"

Eric Langley, an eighteen-year-old boy whose parents passed away three years ago, had no known relatives and was left to fend for himself. To support himself, he worked in a bakery, using his earnings to cover his daily needs and indulge in his favorite pastime—reading chapters of the novel “Humanity's Strongest Mage,” which had recently gone on hiatus.Eric had a love-hate relationship with the novel. While he was captivated by its world, he despised the Protagonist, Alex Whiteheart. Alex had it all from the start: strength, fame, money, and of course, a harem. He never faced any real challenges, effortlessly overcoming every obstacle, which made the story lack something Eric craved....... Chaos.One evening, while taking a walk with his headphones on, Eric was lost in thought. The music drowned out the world around him, and he failed to notice a car losing control and speeding toward him. The last thing he heard was a screech before everything went dark.When Eric woke up, memories flooded his mind, and he quickly realized something was wrong. He wasn't in his own world anymore; he had somehow ended up in the world of “Humanity's Strongest Mage.” To his shock, he found himself in the body of Arin Vale, an insignificant character never mentioned in the novel—a true extra.Now, armed with the knowledge of future events and driven by a desire for chaos, Arin had one goal: to disrupt the smooth journey of Alex Whiteheart, the Protagonist. He was determined to introduce Chaos into the story, making it far more interesting than it ever was, and in the process, he'll also find out that there's more to his character than just being an Extra.Let the Chaos begin!

He was confused, so he asked, “I have a car, a house, good-looks and money. What am I lacking in?”

Nora is shattered a month before her wedding when she uncovers her fiancé's deceitful affair. As she manages this betrayal, she discovers a deep ploy to hinder her from claiming her rightful inheritance. Devastated but determined, Nora takes a daring step to regain control of her life. Enter Demetri 'The Demon' to those who know him, a formidable man barely known to her, who offers her protection and support in return for a contract marriage to satisfy him. In a twist of fate, Nora marries Demetri to claim her inheritance and fight those who plotted against her. But as she battles her own family and Demetri's many rivals, will she be able to keep from falling for the man known to crush people beneath his booted heel.Excerpt:She had forgotten that the man was intimidating and directly challenged him.Rather than speaking, Demetri rose from his seat and approached her deliberately. Although it was a mere few steps, time seemed to stretch for Nora. When he was almost within touching distance, his hand gently landed on her knee, moving it sideways. His touch moved with a hint of a caress, and he stepped between her open legs. Nora sat there in frozen silence, her eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights.Catching her chin between his fingers, he tilted her face upwards and spoke unhurriedly,“ You are my wife.”She nodded her head slowly in affirmation while his thumb slowly traced her lip. “I have given you time to gather your emotions.”Another nod. Nora's nervousness made her lick her lips, acutely aware of his intense gaze fixed upon them.“Your reason for the marriage was to secure your inheritance and get away from under your mother's thumb.”“Yes...” Nora whispered in confusion. Her confusion was not about his statement but about the bewildering sensations coursing through her. What was happening with her?”It's time for you to fulfil your end of the contract, yes?“ He continued.”Yes,“ Nora whispered breathlessly. Why was she breathless? Had the oxygen level in the house dropped? Was the air suddenly thinning?Abruptly, his hand left her face, and she watched as he drew closer. It was then that Nora comprehended what was unfolding. All those tantalizing, heart-pounding kisses she had read about in novels were about to possibly become her reality.But the anticipated kiss didn't happen. Instead, he paused near her and commanded, ”Kiss me.“

In a world where mana nodes inherently decode spells, acting as the pre-built magical processors of all mages, Zephyr awakens with just a single node, putting him at a disadvantage.Unconcerned with fame or glory, he initially shrugs off this profound limitation, even dismissing his father's final and seemingly useless gift. But when a relentless spiral of uncontrollable events threatens his very existence, Zephyr has to figure out a way to utilize his inherited legacy.His survival now depends on understanding the fundamental nature of mana nodes and how they tick in a world that takes the process for granted. His method of conscious processing pushes the boundaries of conventional magic and draws the attention of formidable world powers and ancient noble houses. As Zephyr delves deeper, he begins to uncover disturbing truths about their world and the very origins of magic itself. How would he navigate this treacherous landscape where every discovery could be his last?What to expect:- Unique power system that draws inspiration from modern processors.- Extensive character development and world building.- MC starts out weak and capped... until he figures out how to process better. Power is earned.- Mana cores, mana nodes, spell processing, noble houses, knowledge gatekeeping, great world powers, hidden factions, a touch of sci-fi, multiple worlds, soft kingdom building...