Stray Cat Strut - Chapter Thirty-Six - Sleepy

In a world where Magic reigned supreme, Ruling over the Mythic Elements were the Holy Magicians of the Sacred Elements.

A young prodigy, Gabriel was selected as the Holy Priest in the Church of the Magic of Light. He was the youngest mage to awaken the most coveted element of light; his future was supposed to be bright... But one day, he disappeared as if the darkness had swallowed him up.

As Gabriel walked on the thin line between life and death while fighting for his life, something came in his life... Something that was going to change his life and the world forever...

Step on this unforgettable journey of light and darkness that transcends boundaries of space and time like never before...

A military enthusiast with dreams of serving, shaped by his father’s influence and a bookshelf full of war theories, finds himself unexpectedly reborn into a fantasy world he’d recently read about.Now an orphan, he faces impending destitution in a land governed by strict caste systems. But with the Reich Empire Academy Entrance Exam as his potential salvation, he’s armed not with magic, but with a vast knowledge of military tactics from his past life. As the date of his expulsion from the orphanage looms, he’s determined to leverage his unique skills to change his fate.

In 2177, the world changed forever. The first full-dive VRMMORPG, 'Eclipse Online', was released.With its breathtaking graphics and adventures, countless players and already established guilds flocked to the game, which stunned the entire world and forced the largest conglomerates to act immediately after gold could be bought with money.It was supposed to be the future of gaming.For Yone, it was the cause of his destruction.Starting over once more, he has entered this “living game” again to control his own fate.This time, he will not be controlled by others and will instead walk his own path.“Kill them till they are allies”This was Yone's infamous phrase as he will rise from just an assassin expert to an unprecedented peak in this life.

CONTENT WARNING:/This novel contains mature themes, explicit sexual content, strong language, and adult situations. Reader discretion is advised./---She ran from the devil who raised her…And married the one who wore a crown.After her parents’ tragic death, Lydia Andreyevna’s life became a nightmare. Stripped of her name, inheritance, and freedom by her uncle—Lord Alexander—she was treated like property and promised to a Count four times her age.Desperate to escape, she fled into the cold night… and straight into blood.A stranger. Wounded. Beautiful. Terrifying.She should’ve left him.But she didn’t.She touched him once—and fate branded her forever.Her uncle caught her the next morning. Her escape failed. But when she begged Queen Olga for protection, the Queen offered her a deadly bargain:Marry the masked Grand Duke of Zolotaria.The king’s hunting dog. The butcher of the East. The devil in a crown.The man feared by kings.The heir to the throne.The same man she once saved.Ivan Romanov.They say he bathes in blood. That he kills without blinking. That he conquered kingdoms with a smile behind a mask. That no one sees his face—and lives.Some call him the devil. Others call him Death’s favorite son.But behind the mask is the same man she found dying in the dark.The same voice that haunted her dreams.The same hands she once held.Now, he’s her husband.Her jailer.Her obsession.She doesn’t know if she’s his prisoner, or his weakness.Cold and untouchable, Ivan doesn’t share his bed. Doesn’t share his secrets. But she sees it—the hunger in his eyes. The pain in his silence. The way he looks at her like she’s the only thing keeping his demons at bay.She should fear him.She should hate him.But the moment she dares to take off his mask… it’s already too late.Because Ivan wants her—her fire, her body, her heart.And in his world, what he wants, he keeps.Even if it means burning down the kingdom.She thought she was running from hell.She ended up in his bed.And the most dangerous thing of all?She doesn’t want to leave.