I am that male friend in the harem story - Chapter 317: Crafty

When Aria turned five her grandmother told her that their family has never been blessed with a mate and not having a mate doesn't mean they won't find love.When Aria turned eighteen, her desire to have a mate became stronger because her best friend whom she had a crush on found his mate and the pure joy in his eyes when he told her about the mate bond, place a emptiness in her heart.“You are special, Aria. You have the power to turn back time.”That was what her grandmother told her when she claimed she was cursed and even though she was not satisfied with that answer, she never asked again.Two years later, Aria got a call from the hospital and found out that her grandmother has been poisoned and the only way for her to save her grandmother was to accept this deal made by the Alpha of the Shadow Moon pack“Marry Alpha Tristan, have him fall for you and then kill him.”It was the only way to saved her grandmother so she agreed despite knowing that she was walking into a lion den, because how was she going to kill a man who despite losing both his sight and his mate, command enough power and authority to still be called a Alpha.How will Aria feel when she realized that the man she has been task to kill has been waiting for her for five lifetimes and have just two years left to live?What situation will Aria find herself that will require her to turn back time and what price will she pay for altering time itself?-----------ExcerptAria felt uneasy by his silence and wondered if it was the right moment to use the techniques, Hailey has taught her.Taking a deep breath, Aria stepped closer and closed her eyes as she brushed her lips against Tristan's.Tristan stiffened when he felt her lips on his and without thinking, he immediately pushed her away.Seeing the angry look on his face, Aria felt like it was all over; she was definitely going to be killed now.But Tristan expression was shadowed by more than anger. How had she gotten so close without him sensing her? And why--why was his heart racing like this?

I am currently re-writing the first chapters of this story. They are quite rough and bounce around a lot and I can do better. At some point, I will replace these with the better chapters.Sometime in 2024 Aethon Books will publish the first volume of this story on Amazon, KU, and audible. This will mean the story will be stubbed. I will notify people far in advance of that.In the dystopian world of the future, life is rough when you live at the bottom. Jobs are non-existent. Far too many people live in poverty, crammed into huge buildings called Habitats. With no jobs in the real world, many people can only find work online in VR worlds as servants to the very rich. And it's getting worse. The old internet is unusable and hacked to pieces. The new system needs AI to run things, but all but one of them were destroyed. The last sentient AI is ordered to create a new game world so the rich can have a playground, and the corporations that rule the world can have a new global market place. Everyone wants a piece of the new game. The guilds are competing to be the first to find the dungeons and kill the biggest monster. The corporations are claiming land and putting in their online market places. Ozzy and his friends just want a paycheck.Four friends sign five year contracts as virtual serfs in a small village, and can't go adventuring at all to gain money. They don't have many choices. They can work as a blacksmith, barmaid and shepherd for all those years....or they can cheat and find ways to take advantage of the system and carve out a section of the game world for themselves, and earn a fortune in the real world.When they give you a mop and not a sword, you have to find the loopholes and change the rules.

Ruan Yingyin is a silver hamster who inexplicably transmigrated into the novel 《After the rebirth of the villain》she had read.

The villain Jiang Xingyuan had a girlfriend named Ruan Yingyin in his previous life, but Ruan Yingyin later betrayed him, causing Jiang Xingyuan to go bankrupt, and finally ran away with money.

Jiang Xingyuan’s ending in the novel was miserable. He regressed back to high school and retaliated against Ruan Yingyin. Ruan Yingyin’s ending was much more miserable than Jiang Xing Yuan.

After remembering everything, Ruan Yingyin: As a silver hamster essence who transmigrated into the book, I just want to concentrate on studies. QAQ

Ruan Yingyin felt that she had to study hard to catch up with her classmates. But when the results came out, she was the first.

Ruan Yingyin felt that she could not sprint, but when she ran, she crossed the finish line first.

Ruan Yingyin felt that she wasn’t good at singing. As a result, at the school party, a small video of her singing was posted on the Internet, instantly gaining countless fans. Even people from the recording company came to invite her to debut as an idol…

The villain who bullied her at first, he stepped on her chocolate, kicked her stool, and forced her to eat mustard, finally, hugged her tightly in his arms and whispered to her, “baby, help me…”

- Description from Novelupdates

“Evil God of the Universe, You are in every space and time. Present in every dimension of reality and govern the darkness of our world.Oh, almighty Atticus! Hear our plea and grant us your presence tonight, awaken my Lord!”The rain had completely stopped and the strong gale had subsided into the fading raindrops. The night had turned eerily silent and only the sizzling and cackling of the fire entered their ears.Suddenly, they all felt like floating from their feet despite setting foot on the watery, hard ground, as if they were traversing into space. The darkness of the night gradually turned darker, enveloping them, morphing into everyone, like a void eating them slowly. Sequentially, their breathing turned oddly slower. Despite exaggeratedly inhaling air to breathe, it was to no avail, as if a higher entity was limiting them from breathing.Nolan felt his throat and tried to open his mouth to gasp more air but failed. Everyone but him was in a state of indignation and panic as they struggled to breathe to fill their lungs with air. Nolan tried to calm his heart. He closed his eyes and stopped inhaling air in pure panic, instead, he put his heartbeat and breathing into a rhythm. It was hard at first, but after a minute, he found his breathing gradually went stable.His whole being was in pure anticipation of what was going to happen next.After a couple more minutes, the storm completely subsided, the night turned to normal. Nolan remained standing, taking in his surroundings with his eyes closed. Everything turned silent. The eerie atmosphere and the crackling of the fire from the hay figure didn’t even enter his ears. Nolan waited for a couple more minutes, his breathing turning normal. He was reluctant to open his eyes, afraid he might ruin their ritual.“It’s alright now, Young Master. You can open your eyes now.”Nolan’s breathing hitched. He jolted on his feet as he fluttered his eyes open.“Atticus? W-why are you here?”The butler, standing in front of him, a raincoat hung on his arm, smiled. “I am everywhere, Young Master, in order to best serve you.”****Atticus, a demi-god from the underworld, was cast out of his parents' realm and banished to the human world. The reason? He had yet to give them any grandchildren.Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is purely the product of my imagination. Any resemblance to real people, events, or beliefs is entirely coincidental. The intention is not to disrespect or diminish any faith or tradition, but rather to explore ideas within a fictional context. Reader discretion is advised.