MTL - This Star Doesn’t Work Overtime - Chapter 68 67. I am not in the arena! There are legends about me in the rivers and lakes.

Marcella Valemont was a villainess wrapped in silk and thorns.The alluring, selfish daughter of the High Priest, she was forced into a cold marriage with the Black-bellied Duke Berith Montclair. She longed for power and would stop at nothing to claim the crown, even if it meant seducing the incorruptible Crown Prince Lucian and clawing her way to the throne into becoming the Queen.Until it all burned.Her ruthless schemes led to betrayal, rebellion, and ruin-- an empire on its knees, a virtuous king destroyed, and a rebellion led by the man she discarded. Desperate and full of regret, she barters her life with the Duke to save Lucian.In an interesting turn of events, Marcella gets to go back in time to fix her wrongs, save the man who was ruined because of her and hopefully stop the bloodthirsty rebel Duke Berith.She finds herself reborn as her 18-year-old self with a chance for a do-over and vows to do better this time.But the past does not forget. Nor does the devil in her husband’s skin.Secrets long buried begin to surface, and Marcella discovers that her former husband is far more than he seems—a man cloaked in darkness, harboring a purpose that threatens everything she holds dear.They say second chances come with thorns and to fix the past, she must trust the devil who destroyed it.

The world is separated into three realms: Aegaryn, Terranis, and Abyssion.Terranis and Abyssion realms have been in disharmony as the Demon King of Abyssion aims to overthrow all the other realms. In the tackling of this and to help the humans of Terranis defend themselves from the demons,A street orphan becomes a sacrifice in a summoning ritual for an S-rank beast. But he is given a golden opportunity of a lifetime as he is transmigrated into a hyena. Guided by a mysterious system that helps him unlock his boundless potential, he evolves with each rank upgrade, a feat no one of his kind has ever known. His journey is one of transformation, both in form and spirit. Each evolution brings new powers and challenges as he is summoned into deadly wars, cruel betrayals, and battles that threaten the very balance of the realms.Along his journey, he meets a summoner whose kindness and ideals are a stark contrast to all the summoners that he had met previously. Unlike the others, she treated him differently. Gave him a name. Through her, he begins to question his path, torn between his primal instincts and the flickering remnants of his humanity.But as the Demon God stirs in the shadows, threatening to collapse the realms into chaos, he must rise to face his ultimate destiny. To protect those who matter, to shatter the chains of servitude, and to ascend to the pinnacle of power—Ash must embrace his boundless evolution and become a force unlike any the realms have ever seen.

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Isabella Thompson, who was abandoned in a village was suddenly brought home by her rich parents.

Her father: You are different from your sister. She has a bright future ahead and is destined to be a phoenix who would soar the skies! There's no way she would marry a cripple! You are getting off easy here!

Her mother: The Yu family is rich and powerful. Standing in for your sister in marriage is your food fortune! Know what's good for you!

Theodore Yu used to be a famous prodigy, but lost his glow after a car accident and didn't even make it to high school. With one being a poor village bumpkin and the other a well-known piece of trash, they were a match for each other.

But while everyone was waiting for Miss Thompson to make a fool of herself, she and that piece of trash appeared at a banquet where big shots gathered.

Isabella Thompson: I came to work as a waitress.

Theodore Yu: What a coincidence, I'm here to work part-time as well.

Hence, everyone watched as they carried trays around for the whole night.

***

On the day of their marriage, every important figure in the capital attended.

Big Shot One: I'll help make arrangements for Mr. Yu's grand wedding!

Big Shot Two: Welcome back to the capital, Miss Thompson!

Big Shot Three:...

Seeing those big shots who persistently made headlines, Grace Thompson was filled with regretful tears.

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In the world of cultivation, countless tales follow righteous protagonists, fated heroes blessed by destiny, or those chosen by heaven to walk the path of immortality.But what of those who stand in their way?What of the villains? The so-called obstacles to the hero’s journey—do they not bleed, dream, and struggle as well?Xiao Ning was never meant to succeed.From the very beginning, the Grand Dao wove him as a stepping stone—a necessary sacrifice to elevate another. His path, like that of all designated ‘villains,’ was doomed to failure by design.But what happens when that design is defied?After death, Xiao Ning awakens—not in the cycle of reincarnation, but in the cold silence beyond it. There, he is offered the Eternal Paradox Codex—a forbidden artifact containing the hidden truths of the Grand Dao System itself.Rules. Loopholes. Vulnerabilities.Knowledge not meant for those like him.With this power, Xiao Ning is granted a single, impossible choice: accept oblivion, or step outside the Grand Dao entirely—to abandon fate, sever karma, and cultivate a path unbound by heaven or law.It is Xiao Ning’s journey, from ashes to something beyond comprehension.Not to become an Immortal among men.But something even the heavens dare not bind.If fate is a chain…Then let him forge his own path in the void beyond.Welcome to this humble tale.The cultivation world is vast and unkind.Let us begin again—on our terms.