The Desolate Era (Web Novel) - Book 42, Chapter 20 - The Autarchs Arrive

In short: an old lover gave me a little piglet.

Qin Zhuopu, a workaholic, has been single for many years. As he reaches middle age, his family is desperate for a child.

Until one day…

“Mr. Qin, your son is already in primary school!”

“???” I have only had one boyfriend!

Seven years after the breakup, the old lover returned to the wealthy family with a little fat pig in his arms: “Zaizai is a big eater, I can’t feed him. Zaizai’s primary school homework is too difficult, I can’t do it. I’ll give you guardianship from now on! Will you let me go to your construction site to move bricks? Son, say ‘Mommy’!”

Mr. Qin: (No, I couldn’t give birth to such a fat kid!)

Later…

Onlookers: I heard that Mr. Qin has adopted an illegitimate child born to his old lover by some woman?

Mr. Qin: Let me introduce to you, this is my own cub!

- Description from Novelupdates

Seeing the cause of justice, the student Ning Tianlin, who was strangled, accidentally gained a combat system in the local government and returned to Yang.

What the hell, your fighting power is only fifty, then you still pretend to be me! I’m sorry to tell you 10,000 points of combat power!

What are you doing, have you been boiled down, trained in martial arts, and practiced iron gear? The fighting power is five hundred? That has something to do with me, I won’t tell you, the clothes I wear, but combat equipment! Just a single underwear, can add a thousand fighting power to me!

Hey, why do you say my combat power has increased so fast? Can I tell you that if I step on an ant and destroy a cockroach, can I increase my combat effectiveness?

- Description from uukanshu

I can see ghosts. Even the ghosts inside games. But then…”Ah! Not there, over that way! My family heirloom is hidden there.” The ghosts in the game keep revealing hidden pieces to me.

Elias “Grim” Kingsley, a nine-year-old orphan with a hardened heart and sharp tongue, dies alone from pneumonia in an overcrowded orphanage. Known for his perpetual scowl and biting remarks, he's labeled a “problem child” by caretakers and “damaged goods” by potential adopters. Years of rejection have built thick armor around his young heart.In death, he encounters the God of Balance who offers him a second chance at life in a different world—this time as Grim Van Ambrose, son of a noble house. Balance explains that every soul deserves to know love and connection, something Elias was cruelly denied in his first life.Promised the family and belonging he never experienced, Grim begins his new life only to suffer an immediate tragedy: his mother dies moments after his birth. This cruel twist of fate reinforces his belief that loss is inevitable, leaving him with a distant father and the mysterious voice of a “Guidance Assistant” in his head.As Grim grows into his new identity, he struggles with his dual nature—the emotional scars of his past life bleeding into his present one. His difficult personality and sharp tongue remain, now paired with noble privilege and expectations. Despite his outward brashness, he carries the deep wounds of his first life and the fresh loss that welcomed him into his second.What begins as one orphan's second chance evolves into an epic journey through a world of ancient beasts, elemental magic, and deadly political intrigue. As Grim uncovers the truth about the Ambrose Clan's fall from grace and the conspiracy that framed them for treason, he faces increasingly dangerous adversaries—both human and monstrous. His quest for revenge against those who destroyed his family's legacy will challenge him to master forbidden techniques, forge unexpected alliances, and ultimately decide whether to rebuild the Ambrose Clan as it was, or transform it into something entirely new.In a realm where power determines survival and ancient secrets lurk beneath noble facades, Grim must learn that sometimes the greatest battles aren't fought with swords, but with the choices that define who we truly are.