Trapped In Elysium: A Virtual Reality Nightmare - Chapter 176: Plan in motion

It’s been 11 years since I’ve lived for others and not for me.

The moment I cried out wanting to get away from my exhausting life, I opened my eyes in the body of some Count’s 20-year-old daughter.

Since this happened, I decided to live my life freely as a single woman.

But…

“I need a lady to act as my fake wife for a certain period of time.”

“A contract marriage?”

“The term is one year. When the time is up, I’ll give you divorce with no strings attached.”

The Duke of the Empire whom I had happened to meet at a ball was hitting on me.

Turns out he’s no other than the Emperor’s beloved brother, Duke Scade!

Hold on, it’s just going to end in a clean divorce with no strings attached?

“You should also give me alimony. Give me one of the best lands of the Ducal household with 10 years’ worth of profit.”

“…..What?”

“If you don’t want to do that, then we cannot get married.”

This time I’m going to live a life taking care of the things I need first!

***

“I’ll escort you since it’s late.”

Where to? My bedroom is just around the corner.

“Tonight, I’ll do my best.”

No, I don’t need you to do that.

“Did you just look at that man?”

Excuse me, Duke, you said it’s for a limited time only, so why do you keep obsessing over me?

Guys here is my pitch.....In the sprawling world of fantasy, we’ve often been treated to tales of heroes reincarnated with divine blessings, legendary powers, or cheat-like abilities, thrust into magical lands as shining saviors—or chaotic terrors. But what happens when the very concept of reincarnation becomes a curse? When the divine boon is a big fat joke, and the “cheat system” doesn’t quite… cheat?Enter John, the unluckiest reincarnate. Blessed by a god and thrust into a fantasy world, he dreams of glory, power, and adventure—only to wake up as a normal, utterly powerless bird. Not a mythical phoenix, not an ancient thunder eagle. Just… a bird.To make matters worse, this world is no ordinary realm. It's a land scarred by the devastating legacies of past isekai’d heroes and villains, whose reckless exploits piled skeletons into mountains and turned their cheats into harbingers of chaos. Fed up with these unruly intruders, the ancients of the realm banded together to create a world-shaking seal: all reincarnated souls are trapped in the bodies of harmless animals, confined to isolated sanctuaries that function more like fantasy zoos.Here’s the twist: this isn’t mercy. It’s a resource grab. The powerful beast tamers of this realm have turned these reincarnated souls into exotic pets, prized for their cheat-like potential.John finds himself at the bottom of the food chain in every sense. His cheat doesn’t work. His human form is gone. And his world is filled with predatory cultivators who see him as either a snack or a tool.But John isn’t one to give up so easily. What starts as despair quickly turns into cunning survival. With wings and wit as his only tools, John must navigate layers of misfortune, dodge fate’s sharp talons, and cheat his way through a world determined to keep him grounded.Get ready to join John on a wildly unconventional journey—one where reincarnation isn’t a ticket to greatness, but a death sentence he’s determined to rewrite. His story is one of humor, wit, and persistence, as he explores a world where he is the joke and his survival is the punchline.Main tags: reincarnation/isekai, beast taming cultivation system, comedy, action, adventure.Of course No-harem!

After years of longing, Mu Chenyan was finally going to marry the man of her dreams — Yuan Xuan. However, on her wedding day, the tragic death of Shu Qinger, her well-known romantic competitor led to Mu Chenyan’s prison sentence.

Just after retiring, Gu Xiyan was entangled by King Qin again.

King Qin looked down on Gu Xiyan, but he was greedy for her body and planned to take her as a concubine.

Gu Xiyan had a smile on her face, MMP in her heart. Becoming a concubine to an ex? It’s a joke, isn’t it good to make money?

I don’t want the peach blossoms to bloom, the second son of Yongcheng Hou and the third son of Qi Anbo all fall in love with her.

Zhou Mu, with [long legs], [buttocks] and [unbelievable appearance], was even more simple and rude, and went straight to the door to ask for marriage.

*

On the day Qin Wang got married, Gu Xiyan also got married in a grand manner.

On this day, there were not a lot of guests in Prince Qin’s Mansion, all the dignitaries in the city went to Zhou Mansion for a wedding, and the emperor condescended to officiate the wedding ceremony for Zhou Mu and Gu Xiyan.

Everyone knows that Zhou Mu is the emperor’s eldest son raised among the people.

Later, Zhou Mu became the emperor, and Gu Xiyan became the queen just by lying flat.

*

Zhou Mu is a man of unrivaled beauty, unique in the world, attracting the hearts of all the girls in the city, but he doesn’t understand amorous feelings, what love is.

Gu Xiyan, who was reborn and returned, knew that Zhou Mu was a non-marriage advocate, and never dared to have unreasonable thoughts about him.

Unexpectedly, on the day when she met with the third son of Qi Anbo, the noble and self-respecting man suddenly went berserk in the street, dragged her into the carriage, and asked her to marry him with red eyes: “My girl’s reputation has been ruined by me, so she can only marry me!”

[Rebirth, Overhead, Double C, Sweet Pet]

- Description from novelbuddy