Hollow Ascension - Chapter 124: Subtle Manipulation

Welcome to NecroCorp – Where War is Always in Stock!“Now with 15% off main battle tanks, because peace is bad for business.”Hello, traveler!Looking for a bone-forged sword? A modular mana cannon? Perhaps... a discounted main battle tank for your next kingdom raid?Oh wait, you're not a customer, you're a reader.Right. This is probably where I give you my “tragic backstory.” Fine.I used to be human.Then I died.Now I'm a Lich with a factory in a dead dungeon, a skeleton workforce that doesn't need lunch breaks, salaries, and a magical system that rewards me for selling stuff. So, I did what any sane undead would do: I started an arms corporation.Now I sell weapons to orcs, goblins, elves, humans, anyone with a grudge and a pile of magic stones. Need siege engines? Got 'em. Crossbows that reload themselves? Yup. Flamethrower golems? In development.But here's the trick: you can’t sell weapons if there’s no war.So when the world started calming down... well, I may have encouraged a few border skirmishes. For marketing purposes. Nothing personal. War drives demand, after all.So, if you're here for drama, explosions, undead capitalism, and morally questionable business strategies wrapped in bone and steel, you’ve come to the right dungeon.Just don’t ask about the warranty.There isn’t one that lived to tell and ask about it.

Vainqueur Knightsbane is your average dragon: a giant, fire-breathing lizard who loves to take naps on his golden hoard, kidnap princesses for fun, and make the life of adventurers miserable. Vainqueur's only pleasure in life is to watch his treasure get bigger, one coin at a time.

So when a would-be thief turned unwilling minion tells him about "classes," "levels," and "quests," Vainqueur wonders if maybe, just maybe, he should consider a career change.

After all, why bother hunting monsters for free when you can get paid for it?

[mafia, crazy love, abusive love]She was reborn, returned to the age of 18, when she already possessed a colossal fortune. In the previous life, she was executed on the street and died tragically merely due to a dangerous man she'd encountered once.After being reborn, she decided to change her fate. As she pondered how to avoid him, she unexpectedly discovered his name on the list of beneficiaries of the charity.“Can I kill someone?” She asked her assistant.“No. The law binds you!”So, to survive in this life, she tricked him back home. Initially, she believed it to be a means of repayment.Until one day, she felt his gaze become terrifying. She saved him, but accidentally led him down a more terrifying path. Everything had spiraled out of control…When they meet again, he is already a terrifying demon. With blood on his face, he forced her into a corner and said, “Be my mistress, or let me be yours.”She threatened him with a knife, but he laughed even more brightly and held her hand, saying, “You're afraid of me? Ok, I'll teach you how to hurt me the most.” And he guided her hand to hurt himself.She suddenly understood that she should have left him alone. He was injured, bleeding, but still laughing.She said lovingly, “I am indeed afraid, but I don't deny that I love you...”

Pinning her tall body against the hard wall, he looked into her beautiful emerald green eyes as he spoke in a deep voice, "I have two options for you," his body came closer to hers as he continued, "Be my girlfriend. Or," his lips turned into a sly smile as he whispered close to her ear, "Be my boyfriend." He even dared to wink right before her as his dark orbs glinted amusingly.