The Desolate Era (Web Novel) - Book 37, Chapter 14 - Bait

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.

“Master, Xingchen Zi said his master refined a treasure—a huge boat that flies in Heaven—and only his master knows how to do it. Is that true?”“It's true.” Cao Zhen glanced at the super-large flying peak beneath his feet and nodded.“Master, have you heard? The Jiao dragon on Azure Dragon Peak seems to have the potential to become a Golden Dragon!”“Just scoop up an Azure Dragon from our family's Fengshui pond and play with it. Don't interrupt me while I'm cooking.”“Master, I've heard that...”“No matter what you've heard, go to my room and look around, everything... ah, wait a moment, let your senior sister come out first.”

It started off peculiarly; first, his domestic cat refused to let him cuddle it.

Lin Qiushi soon found that a sense of disharmony and incongruity began to pervade everything around him.

Then, one odd day, he pushed open a door, and he discovered that the hallway he was familiar with turned into a boundless corridor.

At both ends of this corridor were twelve, identical iron gates.

Thus, the story began.

Ruan Nanzhu said to Lin Qiushi, “When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes back at you.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Qiushi sank into deep contemplation. He then pulled down the zipper of his trousers and aimed at the abyss…

Ruan Nanzhu: “…Put your pants on properly!”

Super shameless, ill, pampered gong X Shameless, calm shou; a combination of double [or extreme] shamelessness.

- Description from Novelupdates

Suddenly, a huge earthquake occurred all around the globe, throwing everyone into a desolate world.

The humans of the new world were primitive. They lived their lives facing all sorts of dangers every day, from hurricanes to attacks from huge beasts.

The humans that were brought to this world all received a totem and an egg.

Placing the totem on a certain land would turn the place into the person’s new tribe. Everyone could expand their tribes according to their strengths.

The eggs contained various beasts that would grow into humans’ most loyal companions. Humans would have to struggle to live in the desolate world with their companions and protect their own lands.

Just as Ye Chen was about to hatch his egg, he noticed he could read hidden hints.

[Monster Egg: Place a drop of blood to hatch.]

[Hidden Hint: Hatching the egg now will reward you with a Rank E Mutated Beast, Spiny Turtle.]

[Hidden Hint: Hatching the egg in 1 minute will reward you with a Rank D Mutated Beast, Dangkang.]

…

[Monster Egg: Place a drop of blood to hatch.]

[Hidden Hint: Hatching the egg now will reward you with a Rank E Mutated Beast, Yellow Horse.]

[Hidden Hint: Hatching the egg in 30 seconds will reward you with a Rank C Mutated Beast, Tiger Fish.]

[Hidden Hint: Hatching the egg in 60 seconds will reward you with a Rank SSSSS Mutated Beast, Immortal Phoenix.]

…

A few years had passed since then. Ye Chen led a group of Rank SSSSS Mutated Beasts and said confidently, “My success is the result of my hard work!”