Empress Running Away with the Ball - Chapter 1002 - Bending with the wind

They hunted my kind for extinction but I came back as their nightmaresnon human mcDarian once the strongest Dragon Knight in the Empire, died protecting the last dragon from extinction. Betrayed by his comrades and burned alive by holy fire, he vowed vengeance with his last breath.But the gods answered—with a curse and a gift.Darian reincarnates hundreds of years later... as the last dragon egg hidden in a cave deep beneath the earth.Now, inside a fragile shell, he remembers everything. The betrayal. The genocide. The lies told by the human kingdoms. And as his body slowly grows, so does the power of ancient draconic magic—and the System embedded into his very soul.> [Draconic Evolution System Activated]Choose Your ElementUnlock Ancient MemoriesDevour Magic Sources to Accelerate GrowthHatch When Power is ReadyHe must hide from dragon hunters, manipulate desperate adventurers, and absorb mana from the dying world to hatch once more—stronger, darker, and more terrifying than ever.And when he emerges?> The world that burned him will feel true fire.

The mysterious force known as the Essence Record finally descended upon Earth, tearing the world asunder and reshaping it through chaos and evolution.Cities turned to ruins. Animals mutated. Some humans lost their minds, others became monsters. Only a few survived the Awakening… and were granted the right to evolve.A new world was born, where the old rules meant nothing. The only law that remained was survival—where hesitation equals death.Adam, an ordinary college student, finds himself alone, far from home, in a world no longer built for the weak. His only goal: to find his family—if they’re still alive in this broken world.No god, beast, demon, man or zombie shall stop him. As long as he draws breath, he won’t stop.

Lu Mingshu had never believed in fate.

She hadn’t believed in it when her father had remarried and caused her family to break into pieces, nor had she believed in it when she’d been thrown into a valley to perish.

She hadn’t believed in it when she didn’t have any resources to cultivate with, nor had she believed in it when she’d been condemned by everyone.

She climbed up little by little from dust, while her reign soared into the sky, which caused the world to look on in fear!

If justice doesn’t come, I’ll personally obtain it.

If fate disregards me, I‘ll open up a way to survive.

No matter what fate throws at me, I will surely become a phoenix!

“What a ruthless woman. I’m willing to risk my life and limbs for you, willing to be calculative for you – I’m even willing to be an enemy of the entire world for you. Aren’t you moved even a little?”

“That’s right, since I‘m such a ruthless woman, what exactly is it that you like about me?”

- Description from Novelupdates

Ethan Cross was just an ordinary college student in his past life—until he died trying to save a banker playing hero. Now, he finds himself reincarnated in “New World”, a realm plagued by Dread Beasts, where only those who awaken Aethermarks can become Heroes.But there’s a problem.Ethan has awakened as an E-rank Hero, the weakest tier, cursed with only one ability slot—a death sentence for any aspiring warrior. With no powerful clans willing to recruit him and the world already looking down on him, his future seems bleak.Until he discovers his Innate Talent: Sanctum of Beasts.This mysterious power grants him access to a personal dimension, where he can hunt endless waves of Dread Beasts. Unlike the real world, slaying them in this space drops Ability Fragments, which he can combine to gain abilities without slot restrictions. Even better? Time flows differently—he can train for days, yet only an instant passes in reality.Determined to rise from nothing, Ethan embarks on a secret journey to accumulate power. But as he completes missions and unravels the truth about the Black Pits, he realizes there’s something far more sinister lurking beneath the surface.The Hero Association hides dark secrets. Villains roam freely in the shadows. And Dread Beasts may not be the mindless creatures everyone believes them to be.With powerful enemies watching his every move, Ethan must play a dangerous game—remain unnoticed or become the hunter of both beasts and men.But one thing is certain:In this world, strength is everything. And Ethan Cross will carve his own path to the top—no matter the cost.