The Duchess and the Devil - Chapter 30

[2022 Science Fiction Starlight Award Word-of-mouth Good Book]

[Third Prize of 2022 Science Fiction Essay]

When a photo of the North Pole taken by a satellite was sent back to various countries, people on earth were shocked by the content of the photo.

They saw thousands of wolves in the North Pole, including hundreds of polar bears and arctic silver foxes, all bowing their heads in unison.

On the top of the snow-capped mountain, a giant arctic wolf whose size exceeds everyone’s imagination is overlooking the arctic ice sheet.

- Description from novelbuddy

After dying from exhaustion in his dreary corporate job, Riku Sakamoto awakens to find himself reborn in the world of his favorite game — EverRealm Online. But he’s not just any adventurer — he’s The Grand Maximus, a max-level legend with every class unlocked and stats that break the system.Yet instead of battles or kingdoms to conquer, he’s greeted by something far more unexpected: the Peaceful Life System — a mysterious power that rewards him with modern comforts for every act of kindness he performs.Help a farmer? Get a fan. Heal a wild animal? Receive electricity. Solve a village crisis? Unlock hot baths, fridges, and fresh-brewed matcha.Armed with nothing but infinite power and zero ambition, Riku settles in a sleepy starter village to live the slow life he always dreamed of. But as he helps the villagers, befriends forest creatures, and lazily reshapes the world around him, his actions begin to ripple far beyond the village borders…After all, who needs war when you’ve got peace, pancakes, and a weatherproof roof?

Avery Carter discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child.After living with them for so many years, she discovered she was separated from her twin sister, during a fire at the hospital where they were born. In the chaos, the twins were switched, and she was sent home with the wrong family.She was a fake heiress.When their real daughter returned, she was abandoned and she was sent away to her barren birthplace.After returning to her real family, many people expect her to fall from grace, but she surprises everyone by lifting her biological family out of poverty.Rising to the upper class, she befriends celebrities and engages in battles of wits and courage with bitches and jerks.Now the most important thing for her is to draw a clear line with this dangerous billionaire, Alexander Moran, a businessman who arrived in the City on a mission to secure a deal with V Group and find medical help for his sister. However, meeting Avery turns his attention to her. He is fascinated by her strength and the way she handles everything thrown her way. The more he interacts with her, the deeper his admiration grows.What starts as a business venture soon takes a personal turn. Alexander is not only impressed by Avery’s professional abilities but also her charm. As they get closer, he finds himself wanting more than just a business deal – he wants to win her heart too.

In one moment, he was walking down the street with his little sister—In the next, he had traveled to the world of One Piece, carrying a system that could extract, record, and fuse genes to cultivate powerful lifeforms.Thus began a leisurely and carefree life in the most chaotic world imaginable.When bored, he’d snatch a bit of heavenly tribute meant for the Celestial Dragons.When curious, he’d raise a few cute kittens and bunnies just for fun.When restless, he’d wander through the territories of the most fearsome powers in the New World.Life is beautiful—so why bother taking anything seriously?