I am the Monarch - Chapter 4 : First battle (2)

Ethan Blackwood wasn’t used to being defied. As the CEO of a global empire, he crushed obstacles with a single glance. But when Lily Anderson stood before him, her chin lifted in quiet defiance, and something in him snapped. “Sign the contract,” he said, his voice like ice. “30 days. You’ll obey every command. After that, you’re free.”She hesitated, her fingers trembling as she gripped the pen. “And if I refuse?”His smirk was cold, but his eyes burned. “Then you’ll spend the rest of your life paying off your father’s debts. Your choice.”Trapped, Lily signed. But she vowed one thing: she wouldn’t let him break her.From the first day, their clash was electric. He demanded perfection; she gave him rebellion. “You think you can control me?” she spat, after he criticized her for being late.Ethan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “I don’t just control you. Lily, I own you.”But as the days passed, the lines between them blurred. Late nights in his penthouse turned into whispered conversations. His cold demeanor cracked, revealing glimpses of a man haunted by his past. One night, after a heated argument, he pinned her against the wall, his breath hot against her ear. “Why do you fight me so much?”Her voice trembled. “Because I’m afraid if I stop, I’ll lose myself to you.”Their connection deepened, but danger loomed. Secrets from Ethan’s past resurfaced, threatening to destroy everything. When Lily discovered the truth behind his obsession with her, she confronted him. “Was I just a pawn in your game? A way to settle an old score?”His eyes darkened with pain. “You were never just a game, Lily. You’re the only thing that’s ever felt real.”As the final days of their contract approached, their bond was tested like never before. Enemies closed in, and trust hung by a thread. Could they overcome the shadows of their pasts, or would their love crumble under the weight of secrets and pride?

Riku Hayashi was a high school student who was addicted to playing mobile games. During his free time in the school, he was playing a zombie apocalypse game known as Armory: Dead Zone Protocol.While playing it, there was a scream from the outside. Zombies came out from nowhere and were on a rampage, killing every student on sight. As he was attempting to flee, he tripped and knocked himself out.When he woke up, he found himself inside of a bloodied classroom and a floating holographic interface. And it was familiar. It was the same interface in the game he was playing.There, he realized that he had somehow gained access to an in-game system where he could level up, gain experience points, and purchase a variety of weapons, from handguns to military vehicles. And he is going to use it to survive and possibly save humanity from extinction.P.S: This is my first time writing a novel, so if there's a mistake you found, grammar, punctuation or any errors, please comment it so I can fix it. I was inspired to write this novel because I binged-watch a lot of zombie series like All of us are Dead, Zom 100, High School of the Dead, World War Z, and other related apocalypse story like the Alice in Borderland.I hope you guys enjoy!

When the rifts between worlds opened, countless monsters flooded through, engulfing human cities and plunging the world into chaos. Faced with this apocalyptic crisis, humanity was forced into a new era where every individual had to choose a profession. Nations now compete to cultivate elite practitioners, striving for supremacy in the rankings of alternate world conquests.But as the world teeters on the brink, the first and greatest champion awakens after a million years of slumber—armed with untold buff amassed from his millennia of AFK grinding.The bosses of the otherworld tremble in fear. Global T0-ranked powerhouses bow down, offering their loyalty...[Disclaimer: Here countries fight against each other and this is adapted into a Manhua.][Schedule: 2 Chapters/Day]

Ye Qiu transmigrated to a world of barren wastelands. He obtained the 10,000 Fold Return System.