Merchant Crab - Chapter 57: A Bit of a Stretch

The year was 2026, and the world wasn't what it used to be. Ever since the Abyss Gates cracked open three years ago, spilling monsters and dungeons across the planet, life had turned into a chaotic mess. Cities were half-ruined, half-rebuilt, and people clung to whatever normalcy they could find. Hunters—those brave or crazy enough to fight the monsters—became the new heroes. Everyone else? Well, they just tried to survive.Fin wasn't a Hunter. He wasn't a hero either.He was just… Fin. A lanky 19-year-old with messy brown hair, a chipped front tooth from a dumb skateboard accident, and a power that everyone called useless. Absorption. Sounds cool, right? Like he could suck up energy or steal someone's strength. Nope. All it did was let him “feel” things he touched a little more than normal. He could tell you the exact texture of a brick wall or how warm a coffee mug was—big whoop. No fireballs, no super strength, no flashy moves. Just a glorified touchy-feely trick.“Fin, you gonna eat that sandwich or just stare at it like it's gonna confess its life story?” Meg's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.He blinked and looked across the rickety table at his best friend. Meg was short, loud, and had a wild mop of dyed purple hair that she swore made her look “intimidating.” It didn't.

In a world intertwining magic, knights, and burgeoning technology, young Leonard grapples with memories of a past life in the modern world after waking up reborn in this new, tumultuous reality. Separated from his family amidst a devastating conflict, Leonard's life takes a precarious turn when he is taken under the wing of Alfonso, a reclusive and somewhat deranged wizard. Under Alfonso's tutelage and the rigorous demands of a daily task panel that rewards him for mundane chores with experience points, Leonard finds himself thrust into a harsh survival regime, far removed from his previous life's comforts. His daily life oscillates between mastering arcane spells, learning the delicate art of Earth Ring meditation, and handling the meager sustenance at the prison-like estate where he and Alfonso reside.As Leonard's skills grow, so too does his awareness of the wider conflicts that plague this world, blend of industrial revolution-era technology and dark magical forces. The task panel becomes a strange companion, guiding him through tasks that blend the mundane with the magical, pushing him to grow stronger. Amidst the backdrop of this grim reality. The complex interplay of power, survival, and the echoes of his former life drives Leonard to not only master his new abilities but to unravel the mysteries of this world and perhaps find a way back to his family, despite the cold indifference of his master. Each experience point earned and each new ring formed in his meditation brings him closer to understanding this world's brutal truths and his own place within it.

[Mommy Villainess (The Lady with the Crab Mallet)]***[Original book cover. Artwork by Artist Michiro for WN Author sola_cola.]***In Tilly's past life, she was a villainess who neglected her husband and son for power. Then, the “real woman of the prophecy” came and took them away from her. When she failed to seize the throne for herself, she was executed for all the crimes she committed.Then, came her rebirth.She wants to meet her son again so she vowed to be a good person this time. Good enough to seduce Captain Kiho--- her husband in her past life.But soon, she realized that flirting with the captain is the least of her worry. After all, she discovered that her “evilness” in the past was caused by the true villain--- someone who wanted her dead to steal the special power that she didn't know she possessed.Power that has something to do with the Four Ancient Beasts of the Moonchester Empire: The Red Phoenix, the Blue Dragon, the Golden Tiger, and The Black Serpent.Apparently, she's the Beast Priestess...... and her lineage isn't supposed to exist anymore.Because of her blood, there are people who want her gone.So now, aside from having a happy life with Kiho and their son, she has a new goal: to burn down the b*tches who want to ruin her family again.***[EXCERPT]***[‘Why am I so horny tonight?’]Tilly thought to herself while sucking the crab leg suggestively. And then, she noticed that Captain Kiho gulped while staring at her mouth.[‘Ah, I’m not the only who’s hot and bothered here.’]She didn’t know if it was the alcohol in her system or her desperation to have a child…… but she suddenly felt like flirting with him.They were bound to get married and have a child together anyway.“Captain,” said Tilly as soon as she pulled the crab leg out of her mouth. “I can clearly see that we’re both attracted to each other. Shall we spend the night together?”Kiho remained pokerfaced but she saw panic cross his now glowing yellowish eyes. Ah, the captain was flustered. “My lady, you seem to be really drunk.”She walked towards him and when he didn’t move an inch, she stood in front of him and looked up at him with a grin. “Captain, are you the type of man who will only sleep with his betrothed?”“That seems to be the case, my lady.”He said that as if he was forcing the words out of his mouth. Plus, she could see in his eyes that he was conflicted– that it was hard for him to reject her.[‘Aw, I didn’t know that I have this kind of effect on my ex-husband.’]Or perhaps she just didn’t pay attention in the past.“Captain, I have a solution to your problem,” said Tilly in a playful voice. Then, she stood on her toes and whispered in Kiho’s ear. “Let’s get married.”

Yi Ti resented her name. From an early age, she couldn’t get away from the nicknames “ET” and “alien”.

But no one thought that one day, she would actually meet an alien.

Scared by the other, it seemed like she screamed……

She fainted, then fell face down or something like that……

She seemed to have gotten a bloody nose from being knocked out……

She doesn’t remember any of this!!!

The only thing she cares about is that after she fainted, the alien actually dragged her, chest down, back home – does the alien not feel ashamed?!

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