System Change - Chapter 18: Strength of the Void

Power comes with a cost... and it was something she was willing to trade her soul for.A few nights before her wedding, Lauren sought a way to break her fourth engagement. Known for her bad reputation as the rebel princess, she was the only lady who had the guts to step foot on the Everston mansion, the house of a notorious warlord, in the middle of the night.She offered him a wicked alliance that the entire kingdom did not see coming: a marriage.A vixen pretending to be a damsel in distress and a man whose crimson eyes screaming for bloodshed. Could something blossom in this treacherous dance of lies and deception?--“Are you upset?”She eyed him sharply. “Should I be honored that I got tricked by you, milord?”He drank the remaining wine in his glass with one gulp and put it on the wooden table.He stepped in front of her. His hand was on the rail on her side while his other hand grabbed her glass and finished her wine before putting it down.The way his Adam's apple moved with his every violent gulp made her feel a tickling heat around her nape.When he brought his attention back to her, he licked his lips to wipe off the trace of wine.“How shall I make it up to you then?” he asked with his deep voice, like a seductive devil asking his victim how she would like to be killed. Dangerous yet… enthralling.

“I, Lethia Ashcroft, accept your rejection, soon-to-be Clown Alpha of the Rotten Obsidian Pack, as my ungrateful mate. May your divorced life find its hellhole.”*****Year 2666.Werewolves and their kin have long embraced civilization, seamlessly blending into the high-tech world alongside humans.It is the year Lykon Haven hosts its once-in-seven-year event to select a new leader—one who will govern the shifting dynamics of werewolf packs across the country.It is also the year Lethia Ashcroft faces the ultimate humiliation when her mate, her husband, rejects her because of the infidelity she never committed.It cost her the inheritance she and her late father had worked so hard for.When she tries to flee exile while pregnant, she is caught in an accident—one that leaves her possessed by a seductive spirit fox.The creature needs a vessel to ignite her beads and, in exchange, grants Lethia the power to protect her unborn child.But that untamed spirit entangles her with three dangerously irresistible Lycans from Lykon Haven—men who have severed themselves from the fated mate bond.A stoic, protective doctor.A brooding, dominant businessman.A charming, playful celebrity.All Lethia wants is to reclaim what was rightfully hers and live a peaceful and comfortable life, alone with her baby. And she must get it—no matter what.But the mischievous Moon Goddess seems to take great pleasure in twisting her fate.

When a boy in a medieval fantasy world wakes up with the memories of his past life, he discovers a secret buried deep within his mind—a highly advanced AI companion. This AI, a relic of his previous existence, holds the knowledge of a futuristic world filled with technology, science, and innovation.Armed with this unprecedented advantage, the boy embarks on an extraordinary journey to transform his medieval surroundings into a thriving futuristic utopia. From reinventing agriculture to creating advanced cities, he introduces ideas far beyond the comprehension of his peers. But his vision isn't without challenges—power-hungry nobles, skeptical commoners, and ancient magical forces stand in his way.

“Nine Heavens cast down the Undying Tree, from the tomb the Immortal's bones were fetched;Taoist Venerable tut-tutted as they drank blood plasma, Old Buddha relished in the chew of meat;Beasts and livestock rang the Dharma Drum, city foxes and hole-dwelling rats boiled in the pot;In the Immortality Wine, the resentful spirits were fishy, at the Killing Banquet, the Dao Fruit was bitter!”In this world where Daoist Skill manifested, countless Sect Cultivators, Side Door Magicians, princes and scholars, officials of high rank and nobles all coveted immortality!Owl God Tomb, stealing heavenly secrets, Pearl Gathering Skill, Holy Infant Pill, bone effigies, Yin God Shrine, human-transformed monsters, Undying Elixir, Red Line Poison, Blood Immortal insects, Mermaid Meat, gold-threaded robes, Five Poisons Primordial Spirit, Seven Star Life Extension...They killed and harmed life only to steal the “Killing Dao Fruit” borne upon that Undying Tree!Until... a sly “Fishing Man” came to this world.Wang Yuan, born with the Small Book of Life and Death, had but a simple and unadorned dream:Amid bustling strings and smoky vistas, on a night bathed in moonlight, in peace and quiet did I lean on the rail, savoring the wind, toasting to the stars.With his “Bride in bridal clothes,” watching the sunrise at Taishan in the morning, admiring Qionghua in Luoyang at noon, and drinking under the aurora by the North Sea in the evening.“But you all smell so incredibly fragrant!No more, none shall escape, for today I shall crowdfund Cultivating Immortality! Please... my treasure, turn around!”The blood-red veil of the Bride abruptly fluttered to the ground.