The Desolate Era (Web Novel) - Book 2, Chapter 9 - The Traceless Talisman

Six years ago, he was the peerless God Ye, who had his entire memory wiped by a sinister plot. Six years later, his daughter was bullied and on the brink of death. With a single utterance of “God Ye,” the king returned! All his foes were utterly crushed! Starting as the War God, goddesses from all over the world sought him out...

Ou Renjin likes keeping beautiful young men because he likes watching the drama.

Watching them be arrogant and conceited; watching them be obsequious and sycophantic; watching them have ulterior motives and fight with each other, seeing all the evil side of human nature.

Until, he picks up a poor little guy.

The poor little guy is ignorant and helpless, treating Ou Renjin as his whole world, spending all his salary to buy him gifts, standing in front of him in times of danger without hesitation, even…

…saying to him in the calmest and lightest of tones after knowing that their heart matching is successful, “I am very grateful that you have been hiding it from me, but I have long been ready to give my heart to you.”

* * *

036 was born as a test subject, without parents or friends.

As the only successful “petri dish of renewable organs”, he had every organ in his body cut out and transplanted to the rich and powerful countless times.

After getting used to the pain, he met the most special person in the world.

This person was so good that he wanted to cut out his own heart immediately.

- Description from Novelupdates

When the enigmatic and overpowered Kieran Drayke awakens in a foreign magical world after a sudden transmigration, he brings along a system unlike any this realm has ever known. The “Sovereign Architect System” doesn’t just make him invincible—it gives him the tools to build something far greater.But Kieran isn’t interested in world domination. At least, not in the usual way.Disillusioned by the world's surface-level glimmer and the rot beneath it, Kieran sets his sights on the forsaken—those discarded by society, lost in the shadows of nobility and corruption. From slums, war zones, and forgotten ruins, he gathers orphan girls of various races—elves, beastkin, humans, and more—each with untapped potential and pain behind their eyes.He trains them in secret. Guides them. Empowers them. Not as soldiers, but as a family. A hidden organization that operates behind the curtains, shaping the world while appearing as ordinary students at the prestigious Aetherion Magic Academy.Kieran himself? Just a carefree, slightly lazy transfer student with a penchant for sweets, sarcasm, and sneaking naps between classes—on the surface, at least.With a slow-burning plot that weaves magical worldbuilding, deep friendships, training arcs, casual comedy, and a cast of unforgettable girls who grow into queens of the unseen, Chronicles of the Hidden Crown explores what happens when an OP MC doesn’t conquer the world with brute force…But builds a legacy from its forgotten pieces.No betrayal. No forced drama. Just the steady rise of a secret kingdom in the shadows of a crumbling empire.

Today, I am a substitute for your fiancee. Tomorrow, I’ll become your sister-in-law!

Mu Mingtang is the substitute of the male lead’s first love. After she lost her family, she was adopted by the Jiang family and eventually became engaged to the male lead, the Prince of Jin.

Understanding very well that she was only a substitute, she removed her claws and fangs and turned herself into an imitation of the Prince of Jin’s first love. She couldn’t speak or laugh as she wished, she was prepared to live in the shadow of another woman for her entire life… until one day, the real Miss Jiang returned.

The real Miss Jiang was reborn. When she learned that she was the male love’s first love, she immediately returned to fight for her engagement and identity.

In order to please his first love, the Prince of Jin gave the substitute to the Prince of Qiyang, who had become a dying madman. She was just a low-quality fake, anyway. If she dared to anger his first love, he would turn her into a childless and powerless widow for the rest of her life.

Mu Mingtang, the target of their mockery, finally snapped: Okay, since you gave me to another man, I’ll make you bow and call me sister-in-law!

However, none of them expected the Prince of Qiyang, the God of War, to actually wake up!

—

Xie Xuanchen is the son of the late emperor. The whole world once trembled beneath his feet, but one day, for a reason unknown to even Xie Xuanchen himself, his nature suddenly changed. He became cruel and bloodthirsty, leaving his father with no choice but to pass the throne to his uncle.

Eventually, Xie Xuanchen was unable to resist the illness and fell into a coma.

When he woke up again, there was a beauty standing before his bed, looking at him in surprise. Then, for the sake of his domineering little princess, he revived his name as the God of War, reclaimed the throne, and united the world.

I once captured the world to satisfy my own ambition. Now, you are the reason for my ambition.