The Genius Mage - Chapter 288 - Meeting the Nine Neonate

In the mobile game Arcane Seoul.The day after I pulled the SSR Heavenly Demon for the first time…I ended up becoming the N-rank character, Warrior Kim.[2023 Grand Prize at the World’s Largest Web Novel Contest]

Ethan Cole was, by all appearances, an ordinary young man navigating the familiar ups and downs of life—until the night everything changed. That was when he encountered the “Unlimited System.” This mysterious system didn’t merely make Ethan wealthy—it granted him unimaginable riches and set him on a path that was both exhilarating and perilous. The catch? Each mission the system assigns doesn’t just test his wit and resolve; it also unlocks incredible powers, elevating him to new heights of strength and influence. But this isn’t just a tale of lavish spending and indulgence—though those moments certainly add flavor! Ethan’s journey is laced with challenges, each step bringing him closer to reshaping his destiny. From building NovaTech Innovations into a technological marvel to buying a football club and even creating an app poised to revolutionize the food delivery industry, Ethan’s rise is nothing short of meteoric. And yet, the further he climbs, the more he discovers the shadows lurking behind his newfound success. Beneath the surface lies a hidden world—a world ruled by the Great Families, an elite group whose wealth is only part of their power. For these families, strength is the ultimate currency, and disputes are settled not in boardrooms but in combat arenas. Whether through sparring matches or life-and-death duels, they prove their dominance with skill, strategy, and sheer might. Drawn into this dangerous realm of secret societies, high-stakes confrontations, and unrelenting ambition, Ethan must use every ounce of his intelligence, strength, and ingenuity to navigate the intricate web of power that surrounds him. Expect a whirlwind of twists, heart-pounding action, and moments of sheer wonder. From outsmarting ruthless rivals to unraveling the enigmatic traditions of the elite families, Ethan’s journey is as unpredictable as it is thrilling. It’s a story where rules bend, reality tilts, and every turn brings something unexpected.

When twenty-one-year-old horror novelist Arden Vale catches her boyfriend cheating with her sister Lira, she runs into the street and is killed by a mysterious bus. She awakens aboard Bus 000, trapped in The Deadline Game a deadly survival competition where 47 recently deceased souls must fight through seven nightmare stations for a chance at resurrection.Each station is based on Arden's own published horror novels, forcing her to survive the monsters she created. Partnered with Kael Draven, a dead soldier who looks exactly like the man she secretly loved and lost two years ago, Arden discovers she possesses The Codebook a mystical notebook where anything she writes becomes reality.But as players die and stations grow deadlier, Arden learns the horrifying truth: Kael isn't real he's a construct born from her guilt and grief. Her sister Lira orchestrated everything for revenge. And The Conductor running the Game is Arden herself from a future timeline, trapped in an endless loop of death and resurrection.To escape, Arden must sacrifice her memories, confront her darkest secrets, and make an impossible choice: rewrite reality and save Kael, or destroy the Game forever and condemn them both to oblivion.Some deadlines end in death. Hers became eternity.

They called me Evelina Hartgrave—the jealous heiress, the scheming villainess, the girl everyone loves to destroy.But I’m not her.I’m Reina Tanaka, a tired college dropout who used to play this stupid dating sim every night just to forget my own life. I killed Evelina hundreds of times—poisoned, exposed, humiliated—all for the heroine’s happy ending.Now I’ve woken up as her.In her penthouse. Wearing her diamond necklace. With a dozen death flags already blinking above my head. One wrong option… and I might die—by my brother’s hand, the male lead’s blade, or even by a bug bite.This whole world is against me.How am I supposed to survive in this game when even the system wants me dead? If I refuse its commands, the system punishes me—and the punishment can be fatal.So tell me… How does a villainess live long enough to change the ending?when both the world and the code are written to destroy her?