JACKAL AMONG SNAKES - Chapter 5: Bloody Hard Work

Cao Gui: “Well said! System, but do you want to explain why this is not Marineford but Manhattan in New York?”

System: “…”

Cao Gui: “System?”

System: “…”

Cao Gui: “System, say something!”

- Description from Novelupdates

Welcome to The Last Step – A Tale of Fate, Power, and the Unforgiven.In a world where magic defines one's worth, three souls walk a path toward an uncertain destiny—each bearing a power that can shape the fate of nations.Lucas, the God’s Chosen Sorcerer, wields divine magic that bends reality itself, blessed by forces beyond mortal comprehension. A shining beacon of hope—or a harbinger of destruction—his path is riddled with expectations he never asked for.Celia, the Queen of Curses, commands a power feared by even the strongest mages. She carries the weight of a past filled with whispers and condemnation, but where others see a curse, she sees the strength to carve her own future.Kaiser, the Unwanted Void, stands apart. Neither blessed nor cursed, he is the anomaly that should not exist. In a world that measures worth by magic, he is a shadow in the light—yet, the abyss within him holds something far greater than mere sorcery.Together, they are bound by fate yet divided by their own battles. As war brews and forgotten gods stir, the lines between hero and villain blur. In the end, their choices will decide more than just their own lives—they will determine the very foundation of their world.This is their journey. This is their Last Step.

Collecting legendary antiques, retracing the mysterious martial arts. From the moment he activated his cheat, Casio knew that he was no longer ordinary.[Legendary Antiques: Wind Elephant Ivory Pendant]Seventy years ago, in the North Flow Country of the Hong Li Federation, at the Wind Elephant Gate Youth Training Camp.“Li Wei, you are a coward! On the day your sister was brutally murdered, you were trembling in a corner! On the night of the Sect Destruction War, you disgracefully fled! During the many long years of revenge, you missed the opportunity again and again!”“Now let me teach you what bravery is, let me tell you how to turn suffering into your power. I hope at the moment you behead your enemy, you will remember: you are a man, an upright man!”The taboo era, hidden legends. A Foggy continent paralyzed by the sealed land. Countless brilliant antiquities wail in the ruins.I will witness your lost legends in the mist, the knights in the sky, the ghosts in the desert, the rats in the mud. The direction of sword fights points to the light, and flowers will grow where bullets fall. The winds of history will eventually sweep away the rubbish from the era's gravesite.

[Mature content.]

Chloe Carlson, 35, was a married woman living with her cheating husband— Vincent Gray, and their daughter— Mackenzie.

Her failing marriage led her to file a divorce after 10 years, but her husband refused to sign it.

“I know what you want Chloe, you want my money after we divorced. You want to take everything from me and I will not let that happen!” Vincent accused.

“I don't need your Money, Vincent! I just want to take Mackenzie with me and leave!”

At last, she left her bastard husband without taking a cent from him. She was going to carve her own path in life and give her daughter the best in the world.

However, things aren’t working so well with a single mother like Chloe. It was difficult to find job because she was a housewife without qualification for a long time. Thus, in desperation as she needed to care for her daughter, she only had one way out.

She contacted her brother-in-law— Vernon Phoenix Gray, 25, a young, heartless playboy, who happened to be the CEO of a skyrocketing company, asking him for a job in this tough time.

“A job? That's not an issue. You can work as my personal assistant and take care of all my daily needs.” Vernon smirked and leaned in. “Especially in bed,” he whispered in her ear.

—

Would Chloe fall into the hands of her evil brother-in-law and become a slave of his whim?

Or would she return to her abusive scum husband for their daughter’s future?

—

Note: There is an age gap in this story,

Chloe is 35 years old.

Vincent is 35 years old.

Vernon is 25 years old.