Hollow Ascension - Chapter 16: Splintered Trust

A young man with an extraordinary mind is off on an exciting adventure when he mysteriously wakes up in the body of a feeble slave-guy in a different, rich in quirks world.

The main character, a selfish jerk, would use extreme means to achieve his goals. However, he never allows his base instincts to overrule his sense of decency. He always pays back both good and bad deeds.

Will his (terrible/excellent) mentality help him make a fresh start? Will he get through misfortunes and hardships of the new world?

On their wedding night, she gnashed her teeth, yelling, “Your Highness, that’s shameless!”

Set off by the flickering light of red candles, he curved the corner of his mouth into a wicked grin, “Actually, I can be more shameless…”

…

When they met for the first time, he was the young prince who lived in his day of brilliance, while she was the pampered princess of the adjacent state.

When they met again, he became the crippled underdog suffering from frustration, while she became the lackluster hostage stranded in an alien land.

In his mid-life, he was defeated in the fight and had his legs broken; his wife passed away and he didn’t have anything left except his father’s detestation… After constant blows took the edge off his spirit, all he wanted was nothing but serenity.

In her teen-age, her state perished and her home lost; she lapsed into an awkward situation after being abandoned and having her marriage annulled… As endless hardships isolated her from happiness, everything she wished for was no more than peace.

…

“Lu Zhishan, when I first met you, I didn’t think I’d marry you…too old,” after years passed by, one day, she lay on his laps mumbling, with a kind of hazy beauty on her boozy face, “and lame.”

“Mu Nanzhi, you have the wrong memory. At our first meeting, I’m neither old nor limp.”

“…When was that?”

“When people were celebrating your first birthday,” that man assumed all gentleness and joy crept on his eyes and brows, “On that day, you were ‘drawing lots’ in the rear hall. I also sneaked there to have a look. But, out of my expectation, you directly grabbed my true-love knot.”

…

How vivid the red love pea is embedded in the exquisitely carved dice,

Just as my feelings for you deep in my bones.

- Description from Novelupdates

Oscar, a destitute young boy, died in a tragic accident and was reborn in the forgotten realm. As a member of the lowly Birch tribe, his solace comes from the fragments of a guardian's spirit, residing in his soul. After the decimation of his family in the hands of a powerful race known as the dreads, he embarked on the part of revenge, leading him to the path of transcendence.

The summer I was 17. A painting I created was sold. For 1.4 billion won.