Not (Just) A Mage Lord Isekai - Chapter 19 - To Be An Archmage

[Female Protagonist Synopsis]:Mia Ginger experienced a trial marriage.Before the trial marriage--Dad said: “Koa Jackson is a postdoctoral fellow, watch your words and deeds.”Mom said: “Since you don't like him anyway, why not let your sister have him.”Brother said: “Shameless, stealing big sister's beloved.”Sister said: “Why didn't you come back a month later!”Mia Ginger didn't understand, she was already seventeen years late, late enough that the whole Ginger Family completely forgot her existence, late enough that the adopted sister occupied seventeen years of affection, late enough that the man she was betrothed to almost became someone else's groom, how much later should she be?Mia Ginger curved her lips: “Grandpa Jackson, I will strive to be worthy of Brother Jackson.”She thought it was out of spite, unaware that upon meeting him again, she discovered he was the big brother lingering in her heart for nearly ten years.At two years old, she got lost, falling from a Rich Family's Daughter to a street beggar, picked up and raised by a masseuse for seventeen years, and upon returning home, she was determined to become the first socialite in upper-class society.[Male Protagonist Synopsis]He is Koa Jackson, the third son of the Jackson Family, elegant and upright, with outstanding looks, the youngest neurosurgery professor in the domestic medical field, known by all.Simply because, at twenty-seven, he remains single.All young ladies want to marry into the Jackson Family, unaware the nobleman was betrothed since birth.In his entire life, he need only remain pure, waiting for one girl to grow up.Before the trial marriage, Koa Jackson had seen his future bride twice.The first time, he was eight, she was eight months. He stood by the bed watching her crawl with her little bottom, finding it amusing, he wrote his name on her sole and said with a smile: “Brother will stamp you.”The second time, he was eighteen, she was ten. He stood by the road watching her sneakily stealing, feeling pity, he took her hand and gave her a hundred yuan, helplessly saying: “Not stealing is a good child.”He's always remembered the first time, long forgotten the second.Unexpectedly, the little girl whose foot he tickled at home always regarded the second time as her life's salvation.[He couldn't partake in her turbulent past, but wholeheartedly takes on her prosperous future; companionship is the most touching confession.]

“I’m alive... again?”Adam died and was brought into a fantasy world. Then he died again, and has been reborn into a new (?) fantasy world. His life, as before, is in the hands of the dice. Come and join Adam as he rolls his way in and out of trouble. The story has a very slow pace, and has elements of really light hearted, wholesome stuff, and really dark, gruesome stuff. Sequel/Reboot of Beyond Average. You don't need to read Beyond Average, but it will explain a lot about Adam.Also, you can start at the beginning of each year (301, 501, 701, 901, 1001, etc), because most of the systems and relationships will be partly explained when they come up, and most others are easy to pick up after a few interactions. Finally, I am also currently in the middle of editing and rewriting the first year, and perhaps other years. A lot of my early chapters are a rough read, and even I cringe reading them.

In the year 2090, technology has advanced to the point where Simulation Boxes, (Sim Box for short) are common place, allowing for the user to link up their brain's neural network to a full dive Simulation. While initially used for educational purposes, recently a large gaming company, Averon, released a fully fledged immersive MMORPG simulation where users can become anyone they desire, level up, choose their class, and become a hero or a villain. The name of this simulation is The Shattered World Online.

Eli Winters had no interest in playing it. His father, a jobless bum who spent his entire life playing games in the hope of becoming a famous player or streamer, was able to use the release of The Shattered World Online to gain wealth and fame, quickly becoming the number one player and a household name as the game took the world by storm. He immediately abandoned Eli and his mother in favor of being with someone from his guild, despite his mother having worked two jobs to support them and raise Eli by herself. Eli had nothing but spite for his father and the game.

When Eli's best friend convinces him to try out the game, his father's fame begins to interfere, culminating in him being singled out and shunned by his peers, and his father offering to pay for his university tuition in return for Eli hiding their relationship and quitting the game. Instead of complying with his father's wishes, Eli decides to prove to everyone how useless a guy his father is by challenging him that if Eli is able to surpass him in the game world he must delete his account and quit his streaming career. His father accepts the challenge believing his son to be useless at games - but Eli will soon show him just how ambitious a spiteful person can be.

15 years ago, his elder brother was killed right in front of him in the middle of the night – killed by their most trusted driver. Since then, Stefan had a hard time sleeping and often got nightmares. He learned not to trust anyone.

Cayenne worked almost all day and all night. She only got three hours of sleep every day. She was the breadwinner of their family since her mother was diagnosed with tuberculosis. She thought she would have a great time working as a receptionist in a hotel.

Until…

“I’ll pay you an additional $3000 a month. Sleep with me.” Stefan placed a signed check on the table in front of her.

Her head was spinning at the large sum of money. She can finally buy her mother’s medication and send her brothers to school without worry. But to sleep with him?

“I’m sorry if I come off rude but, I can’t sleep with you sir.” She tried to refuse politely, afraid that she will lose her job if he felt displease towards her.

Stefan took off his coat and placed on the backrest of his chair. “Think about my offer carefully. It wasn’t so bad sleeping with you after all.”

It was a mistake she made on her part when she fell asleep right beside him on his bed, drunk and dizzy.

Will he make the mistake of trusting someone again? Will he entrust his life to her by sleeping soundly beside her? How will they face each other when they started to unveil the mystery of their identities?