An Alchemist's Path to Eternity - Chapter 104: Spirit Botanist, Perfect Mastery Fasting Concoctions (I)

“No one looks at you. No one touches you. You’re a Whitehall now... And you’re mine.” Roman’s voice was a low, dangerous growl against her neck.She tilted her chin, meeting the predator in his eyes with her own cold fire. “I belong to no one, Roman, certainly not a beast in a jersey. If you want to claim me, you’ll have to do better than your father’s signature on a contract.”She spun her wheelchair to leave, but he was faster. His hand locked around her waist, dragging her back as his palm slammed against the wall beside her head.“Don’t you fucking dare me, Estelle.”—Estelle Rutledge was the Ice Queen of the Rutledge sports dynasty: national treasure, global brand, and the financial backbone of her family’s empire.Until one catastrophic crack on the ice shattered her career… and left her in a wheelchair.In the elite world of the one percent, a broken asset becomes a liability.With the Rutledge legacy collapsing under a mountain of debt, Estelle’s own mother did the unthinkable. She sold her daughter to the highest bidder, trading Estelle’s freedom for a check from Magnus Whitehall, the ruthless billionaire owner of a professional hockey empire.But Magnus didn’t buy Estelle for himself. He bought her to be his son’s leash.Roman Whitehall is the NHL’s most dangerous beast. A volatile heir with a scandal-soaked reputation and a temper that threatens the family’s billions. To the league’s board, he’s a loose cannon. To his father, he’s a problem that needs a wife to clean up his image.The command was simple: “Be the one thing he can’t avoid… or lose your legs.”Now Estelle is legally bound to a man who sees their marriage as a cage, and her as the bars holding him in. Roman believes she’s a fragile burden. Estelle thinks he’s a monster fueled by rage and secrets.But inside the Whitehall mansion, built on power, money, and lies, Estelle discovers a terrifying truth: she is not the first “Ice Queen” Magnus Whitehall has broken.Trapped in dynasty politics and a contract signed in blood, Estelle faces an impossible choice. Will she let the Whitehalls destroy what’s left of her… or join forces with the beast she hates most and burn their empire to the ground?Because even though she hates it, Roman Whitehall may be the only man who can help her stand again.Even if he has to break her first.

[Warning! Slice of Life at Core!]“Are you trying to tell me that the man who made the entire Northern continent tremble works in a flimsy bar? And he's a Water Mage???” The Emperor asked his knight.“Yes, sir. I saw him with my own eyes. He has two pet dragons and—”“Good gods! The legendary dragons that historically disdain humans as his pets?! We must have this man as our own at all cost!” The Emperor screamed in amusement, “Say, when you approached this man to speak with him, what was his reaction?”The knight gulped.“He... offered my men and I drinks, and told us to tell you, the Emperor, to visit his bar sometime.”The Emperor's eyes widened, and narrowed back as he smiled. “Well, I just might.”______Maxwell Duvon Belognia was once a reject, kicked out of his noble house for his lack of talent.His noble family was one that had produced reputable flame mages for ages, and Maxwell, who had an affinity to the water element, was a good-for-nothing.Disowned by his family, he ventured out into the world to build his own solid ground, and discovered that his talent in the path of water was much more than his family had ever imagined.Along his journey, he made friends that he loved more than his own blood, allies that could give their lives up just for his sake, and the best of all — he fell in love with a woman who gave him her heart and her soul.Until an unfortunate, world ending disaster struck on his world, ending everything dear to Maxwell in just a few seconds, including the love of his life.Luckily — or unluckily — Maxwell and his friend barely survived, thrust into a different, ruthless world where they had to grow stronger and struggle to survive.Years later, they became transcendent beings who ventured into the vast cosmos where they still fought to claim a place.They became gods.During all his years of constant struggling, fighting and ascending, Maxwell never the love he lost.Regret ate at him. If only he was strong as he was now that he steadily approached the end of his being.Just when he thought his soul would fade away without ever seeing his love again...“Why don't we break one of the ten absolute rules proffered by the Celestial King?” His friend suggested.Maxwell's eyes widened.“What rule?”“Regression.”And so, after fighting to go against the will of fate and the heavens themselves, Maxwell's soul finally regressed with eons worth of knowledge to the time when he was just a mortal, kicked out of his noble house.The best part?All his divine authorities as a god — although weakened — were still linked to his soul, including his pocket dimension which held his treasures.And because of this, to the eyes of everyone in his world, Maxwell was a ridiculously overpowered being.As news of this enigmatic, overpowered water mage spread amongst the four continents of the world Cryst, every monarch and every major power desired him for themselves.But the man in question?“I've lived a life full of suffering, battles and wars. Now, with this second chance, I just want to live a calm life. To do that, I'll have to stop the world-ending disaster coming in a few years. But for now...” He opened the door to his bar, smiling as he gazed at his customers which consisted of legendary mages, legendary mercenaries, divine healers, knights and the rest, all waiting to recruit him. Finally, his warm gaze rested on his wife, waiting for him behind the counter. “This is enough.”

A cursed CD game falls from the sky. I boot it up, build a ridiculously handsome villain with broken talents, and just as I hit “Start”—boom, I get electrocuted.Now I’ve reincarnated as Lucien Caelum Valebrandt, a six-year-old noble and the infamous villain who helped the Abyssians win the last war.Every 500 years, the Abyssian King is reborn. But when the 16 chosen heroes of this generation lost against the battle of the Abyssian King because of my character, the Goddess panicked—and rewound time.Now those same heroes remember everything… and they want me dead.Even though I just got here.All I wanted was to play a game. Now I’m the villain blamed for destroying the world.

The true daughter of the Everett Family, who wandered in the countryside for eighteen years, Lynn has returned. Everyone says she is a rural bumpkin with no talent or virtue, and crude beyond compare.However, she accidentally drops her aliases one by one—The Phantom Hand, top hacker, genius designer, Alliance Hierarch of The Netherworld Syndicate, and others—causing their faces to be slapped resoundingly.She is further spoiled by her wealthy parents and five influential brothers, and also cradled by Imperia's “The Living Reaper,” a man feared by everyone, who holds her in his arms and pampers her.“My little friend is timid, so don't frighten her,” he warns.Everyone: “...”