The Archduke's Songbird - Chapter 20: Guarded Secret

When I woke up, my father was a nouveau riche whom everyone despised, and I had five great brothers: a black actor in the entertainment industry, a useless lawyer in the field of law, a sickly quack in the medical field, a plagiarizing dog in the design industry, and a school bully.

Ethan Cross was just an ordinary college student in his past life—until he died trying to save a banker playing hero. Now, he finds himself reincarnated in “New World”, a realm plagued by Dread Beasts, where only those who awaken Aethermarks can become Heroes.But there’s a problem.Ethan has awakened as an E-rank Hero, the weakest tier, cursed with only one ability slot—a death sentence for any aspiring warrior. With no powerful clans willing to recruit him and the world already looking down on him, his future seems bleak.Until he discovers his Innate Talent: Sanctum of Beasts.This mysterious power grants him access to a personal dimension, where he can hunt endless waves of Dread Beasts. Unlike the real world, slaying them in this space drops Ability Fragments, which he can combine to gain abilities without slot restrictions. Even better? Time flows differently—he can train for days, yet only an instant passes in reality.Determined to rise from nothing, Ethan embarks on a secret journey to accumulate power. But as he completes missions and unravels the truth about the Black Pits, he realizes there’s something far more sinister lurking beneath the surface.The Hero Association hides dark secrets. Villains roam freely in the shadows. And Dread Beasts may not be the mindless creatures everyone believes them to be.With powerful enemies watching his every move, Ethan must play a dangerous game—remain unnoticed or become the hunter of both beasts and men.But one thing is certain:In this world, strength is everything. And Ethan Cross will carve his own path to the top—no matter the cost.

When Demon Lord, Syryn Nigh'hart, found that he had gone back in time and turned into his child self, he had assumed to do better with his second life. Commit smaller crimes, keep away from burning villages and inciting other demons, contribute to society, abide by most laws, you know? But then the hero, his old friend, had to fall in love with him and ruin his plans.

Goddess, I cannot take responsibility for your champion, Rowan Windwalker, getting bent. Please don't strike me down!

#Gold Tier winner of WPC (forgot the contest number)#y'all this shit gay so don't go walking in expecting it to not have men sucking faces#N̶o̶ ̶h̶a̶r̶e̶m̶(my dumb self thought harem means mc marries many lovers)#Reformed and immature demon lord (but he's nice now okay. He isn't psycho.) #Hero is an extremely patient man for putting up with the demon lord's nonsense # MULTIPLE POTENTIAL LOVE INTERESTS #Slow Romance#Slow like you have to wait for around 40 chapters (smut too) before it starts #Patience is needed #Lots of it#alternate day updates because I have to study#english is neither my first nor second language so bear with me#The cat is not the ML ಥ‿ಥ some of you are getting the wrong idea.

Luo Ning, a cannon fodder female supporting character in a celebrity circle's group pet novel, gets a rerun of life—this time she refuses to be the cannon fodder!Haters clamor: “Luo Ning is just a vase, bad at singing, dancing, and acting; always riding on top celebrities' coattails to generate heat, first-class in everything but talent except for her looks.”Later, when Luo Ning who excels in singing and dancing, skilled in musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, and painting, survival skills, gourmet cooking, and also proficient in drawing talismans and fortune-telling appears before the public—extremely beautiful, highly intelligent, and with explosive acting skills.Haters are convinced: “Sister, I can do it!!!”Suddenly, one day a bombshell hits social media.A photo of the mysterious film emperor Lu Xun kissing Luo Ning's cheek surfaces, igniting a whirlwind of scandals across major headlines.Fans and onlookers do not believe it, “Impossible! The photo must be positioned in a misleading way, Luo Ning wants to cling to the film emperor for hype again, shamelessly chasing for popularity and traffic!”Before Luo Ning could respond, the usually low-key Lu Xun clarifies first.@LuXunV: The photo wasn't positioned misleadingly; the shameless one is me!Following this, everyone witnesses the film emperor changing styles daily on social media, showing off his love; either showcasing the cuisine made by Luo Ning or her beautiful photographs.Fans and the public are stunned, never expecting such a demeanor from the film emperor...