Duskbound - Chapter 26

Jack Wilson spent his life in a hospital bed — betrayed by his family, forgotten by the world, and kept alive only by the one person he trusted.Then that person put a knife in his chest.He wakes up somewhere else entirely. In a body that can stand. That can fight. That hasn't seen daylight in years.He's inside Savage Awakening, a fantasy VR world he escaped into during every waking hour of his illness.Except it isn't a game anymore.Jack reawakens in the body of a third-rate villain.A Noble Vampire with magic powerful enough to reshape kingdoms — and a hidden curse called A Villain's Fate that guarantees he dies before the story ends.But Jack isn't the Vampire.... He wouldn't die because of some measly 'Villains Fate'Jack knows this world better than anyone alive. He knows every death flag, every hidden mechanic, every secret the game's creators buried in the lore.He also knows the true villain isn't him.The question is whether a man who never had a future can survive long enough to steal one.

During an internal Navy hearing, the top brass conducted a serious inquiry into Rogers Daren, the so-called “scum of the Marines” and Admiral of the North Blue.“You’ve had improper relations with royal princesses and noble ladies from multiple North Blue kingdoms?”“I call it showing care for the people.”Marines High Command: …“How do you explain the absurdly high salaries of the North Blue Marines under your command?”“Well, with what the HQ pays, how else do you expect them to risk their lives?”Marines High Command: (ーー`)“Why is the North Blue fleet equipped with technology from Germa?”“That’s just military-civilian cooperation. Germa 66 was moved by my sense of justice.”Marines High Command: (○_○)“And how do you explain the unusual deaths of a Celestial Dragon in the North Blue?”Daren sighed.“A maritime accident… truly unfortunate. I personally express my deepest condolences.”Marines High Command: (._.?)And so begins the story of a rebellious, unorthodox Marine.

At twenty‑nine, she was the youngest CEO in the tech industry—NetVault Security had gone from small startup to Fortune 500 in just six years. The media called her a prodigy. Her board called her unstoppable.Her therapist called her alexithymic.Unable to understand or describe her own emotions.The elevator chimed. Elara didn’t look up. Only one person had after‑hours access.“You’re late,” she said. “The investor meeting is in twelve hours. Did you review the—”“I’m not here about the meeting.”…“Ugh.”Elara lost her life that day at the hands of her mentor and adoptive father. By the next morning, the same people who once called her a genius and praised her to the sky were calling her a coward who killed herself to escape scandal.Then Elara woke up.Not in her office. Not in a hospital.In a different world. In a different body.She was now Elara, the Fourth Princess of this so‑called great kingdom—only to find that this princess was an utter pushover, completely useless in everyone’s eyes. No one feared her. No one respected her. Even her own palace was full of other people’s spies.How is Elara supposed to survive this palace battle, when seven princesses fight in the shadows and she’s known as the weakest one? And can she ever escape this place… or will she decide to win instead?……“Your Highness, please… ugh…”The leash of light around Mahir’s neck—the head of the knights—tightened with a soft pull. His face flushed red, and not from pain.“Princess, here.” Ken, the strongest beast knight, knelt closer and held out a small pill between his fingers, guiding it gently to Elara’s lips.“Swallow it,” he said quietly. “You used too much power today.”On the floor below the bed, three beastmen knelt in a row, broad shoulders tense, ears twitching, their eyes fixed on her with dazed focus. Thin, glowing leashes of magic ran from their collars to the bands at Elara’s wrists.“Please…” Ken’s voice dropped, rough and a little hoarse. “Put your foot here.” He touched his gloved hand to his chest. “On me.”Elara sighed, half annoyed, half amused, and rested her foot lightly on his armored chest. All three of them drew in a sharp breath at the same time, faces turning even redder as the magic between them flared.Their eyes—gold, amber, and deep brown—looked up at her with the same lost, devoted gaze.

Xia Yue feels her life is as melodramatically convoluted as a novel. The family that raised her for more than twenty years isn't truly hers, and she's merely a counterfeit rich girl.After confirming she's indeed not a child of the Xia family, she takes the initiative and moves out, making space for the real heiress.And then, she gets knocked out by an object in the courtyard of her new home, and ends up being bound to a system.This system has no sense of martial morality, even going as far as imposing tasks on her forcibly.But the system doesn't care about her complaints, constantly pestering her.Xia Yue is so annoyed, it's giving her a headache.So, she decides to get rid of the system.