DxD: System of the Harem King - Chapter 163: Akane Nanao (Part 2)

Derek McCoy was a man that since his youth had to face many adversities. Often forced to settle with surviving rather than living, had finally found his place in the world, until everything was taken from him one last time. After losing his life to avenge his brother, he reincarnates until he finds a world worth living for, a world filled with magic and monsters. Follow him along his journey, from grieving brother to alien soldier. From infant to Supreme Magus.

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Tags: Transmigration, Male MC, Western Fantasy
Schedule: 1 chapter per day
Chapter Lenght: 1700 - 2000 words but usually are even longer
Warning: The MC is not an hero nor an anti-hero. He is a broken, cynic and misanthropic person looking only for his own gain. If you are looking for a forgiving, nice, MC that goes around saving people in distress, this is not your cup of tea.
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I don't own the cover but wasn't able to find the author.

Elementals, Enhancers, Beast Tamers, Artifact Nurturers – These four pathways define the magical world of Arcanists. But Finn, a former university student from earth, wakes up in a body treading a whole different path…A forbidden path: The path of a Soul Mage.Soul Mages are the ultimate parasites. They lack the ability to use magic themselves, but instead, wield the power to assimilate the mana-saturated souls of the dead.From every Great Arcanist that once lived, to every Calamity Beast, to every Mythic Grade Spirit Artifact… So long as they were dead, they were simply chaotic souls waiting to be claimed.​But this kind of power does not come without cost. Madness, frenzy, mania, innate wills and primal desires of assimilated souls threaten to drive Soul Mages to total corrosion.In this new world, ​Finn finds himself thrown into the deep end, waking up as a Vessel already housing a full Parade of Chaotic Souls. Now, his body is a battlefield. The souls demand immediate payment, stacking Soul Debts that steal his senses, his consciousness, and his very humanity.​But yet… it is this same overwhelming corrosion that causes the ultimate truth and uniqueness of his soul to surface…

“After every fire, ants survive.”

…

Mysterious anomalous biological metals have polluted the world, and the world has undergone tremendous changes. Metal sickness is like a key that opens the door to evolution. Under the tide of evolution, there are no innocents.

The choice is up to you, do you want to be the surviving ants after the fire, or do you want to risk your life, step on the glorious long steps to the gods, and glimpse the supreme glory of the mother goddess?

…

Touch the totem in your heart, follow the inspiration, and step on the long steps of ascending to God:

[Amphibians] → [Atlantic Glory] → [Ningen]…

[Eight Arms] → [Nightmare in the Sea] → [Deep Divers]…

[Eagle Eye] → [Owl Ghost of the Night] → [Jersey Demon]…

[Living Dead] → [Grave Digger] → [Death Ferryman]…

…

“On that day, the world was polluted, and I was the source of pollution. Human desires are endless, desire is the best food on the way to evolution, and I am the embodiment of desire.”

– Joe Tour.

- Description from novelbuddy

[Mature Content:]Alaric was too close to Nicolette.Her mouth was just inches away from his.He could smell the lavender on her skin, the heat radiating from within her.But he held back, refusing to be carried away by her charm…“Mr. Allens…” she purred, and he looked down at her.Her eyes widened with desire, and he knew, in that moment, that if he wanted to kiss her, she would let him.The last thing he wanted was commitment. He knew that Nicolette didn’t want that either.But why was she this tempting?So willing?It was that willingness that confused him.She blinked, then swallowed as she pulled the jacket off her shoulders. His eyes lingered on her exposed neck.God.He just wanted to bury his mouth in that hollow spot.“Here,” Nicolette said calmly, extending the jacket to him.He took the jacket, his hand brushing hers just a second. She flinched, her face turning pink as she clutched the towel against her chest.His stomach flipped at the sight.If only that towel would give way to…Before he could stop himself, Alaric pressed his arousal against her stomach, pushing her against the wall, cornering her.She gasped at the sudden movement and for a moment, he lost his mind.“Cole…” he breathed, crushing himself against her.Her eyes gleamed with desire and a vulnerability that rocked him to his core.He would be foolish not to give in to this feeling.But he would also be a fool if he did.She had chosen to marry him.Not her boyfriend.And definitely not Lucian Crawford.Yet, he couldn't help it.She was only his for a year.But still…***************When her business and the gallery she inherited from her mother burn to the ground, Nicolette Voss is determined to rebuild—and get revenge on her father.She turned to her father’s rival, Alaric Allens, for an alliance.Alaric is willing to help, but on one condition—she must be his wife for a year.They called him Ruthless Alaric after an infamous incident 6 years ago. Alaric is back in town, and so are the crumbs of his past. But he is determined to change everything with a wife.He has his hidden agenda.She needs her revenge.But will this marriage between storm and steel survive the heat? And what will they do when deep secrets threatens to destroy them both?