The Golden Age of Basketball - Chapter 20 - 19 Declarations

The World Tower had unimaginable wealth and treasures inside it. As long as one made it to the higher levels, they would rise above the common folk and enjoy a glorious life.

The tower had 1000 levels. Some said that one could obtain all the wealth in the world if they reached Level 1000. Others claimed that beyond Level 1000 was a beautiful new world or even heaven. Some people said that one could obtain the abilities of a god. Others claimed that any wish of theirs could be granted.

The current most powerful team in the world made it to Level 929, where no one else had ever made it to before. They still ended up being wiped out tragically. The members of the team placed the unique treasure they obtained on the body of their captain, Wang Wen.

Wang Wen managed to survive.

However, he was sent back 20 years ago.

With his previous life’s emotions and experiences in a new life, Wang Wen stood before the World Tower, calm and determined.

Akashi was a boy so beautiful it seemed the gods had sculpted him with a touch of mischief and a dash of fragility. He wasn’t handsome in the rugged, masculine way of knights or warriors. No—his beauty was softer, captivating in its innocence. His frame was small, almost delicate, and his pale skin looked as if it had never known hardship, kissed only by the gentle sunlight of his village fields.With wide, striking black eyes that shimmered like obsidian under moonlight, and hair the color of a calm, endless ocean, Akashi possessed a charm that defied age, status, or reason. He didn’t know it, but his very existence pulled at the hearts of those who saw him—like an untouched gem waiting to be claimed.And yet, he had been untouched for a reason. Akashi had never known life beyond the boundaries of his village. He grew up surrounded by warm smiles and familiar voices. Every elder knew his name. Every child wanted to play by his side. His days were simple, his heart untouched by cruelty.But peace is a fragile thing.One night, it shattered.The sky turned crimson. Screams tore through the quiet air. Fires devoured homes. Demons—twisted beasts of shadow and rage—descended without warning. They killed with a hunger that could not be reasoned with.By morning, the village was gone.Ashes, corpses, and silence were all that remained.And Akashi… Akashi was alone.The last heartbeat in a graveyard of memories.He wandered for days, hollow and dazed, until rough hands seized him. Chains replaced freedom. Smiles were replaced by cold appraisals. And so, the boy once adored by all became something else—something to be sold.A slave.At the capital's grand auction house, he was stripped, washed, and displayed like merchandise. His beauty caused a stir. Whispers spread like wildfire.“Look at those eyes...”“That hair... Is it dyed? No, it’s real...”“So delicate... Is he even human?”To them, he was no longer a boy with a heart, but a prize to possess. A fantasy in fragile form.He stood on the stage, trembling slightly, barely able to process what was happening. The voices of the crowd blurred together—hungry, leering, filled with desire and greed. The auctioneer’s booming voice called out the bids as if Akashi were nothing more than a fine vase or a rare jewel.The numbers climbed quickly. Too quickly. Akashi’s knees weakened beneath the weight of invisible eyes drinking him in. He stared at the marble floor, trying not to cry.Then, suddenly, the room fell silent.A voice—deep, commanding, and heartbreakingly beautiful—cut through the air like silk over steel.“Fifteen thousand gold.”Time seemed to pause.Every head turned.At the back of the room, standing beneath the golden chandelier, was a woman unlike any other.She wore a flowing red gown that hugged her form like it was crafted by the gods themselves. Her long, golden hair shimmered like strands of sunlight, cascading over her shoulders with effortless grace. Her eyes, cold and blue as a glacier’s heart, stared ahead with quiet power.Even the nobles drew back. This was no ordinary bidder.It was one of the Princesses of the Three Great Kingdoms.Whispers erupted anew—but no one dared challenge her offer.Who would?She stood like royalty incarnate, a goddess who walked among mortals, and she had just claimed Akashi as her own.The boy raised his head slowly, unsure of whether to feel fear or relief. His eyes met hers—just for a second—and something in his chest shifted. She didn’t smile. She didn’t leer. Her gaze was unreadable.But it was powerful. Absolute.And it made his knees weak for an entirely new reason.He didn’t know her name. Not yet.But she had bought him.And somewhere deep inside, something told him—his life was never going to be the same.

“What are you doing? ” he asked solemnly

“We kissed ” Lia confessed, finally letting the cat out of the bag. It was better for him to release his anger openly than giving her this silent torture.

“I'm not going to lie, I enjoyed it” She disclosed “It just felt so right like this is what a part of my soul was missing out on all these years but.... ”

She stared him straight in the eyes and asked “But as blissful as that sounds, why do I still feel guilty?”

His gaze remained unwaveringly on her's while

Her voice broke and tears began to slide down her face.

“W-why do I feel bothered? Why does my heart feel guilty when in fact I'm following it? why does everything seem so complicated with you? Why do I feel for you when I've already been destined for someone else? ”

Asher clutched his fist, trying so hard to contain his emotions that were threatening to surface but the girl's words were tearing his heart out

The tears continued to trickle down her cheeks “What is wrong with me ? ” she asked exasperated, and began to wipe her face with her palm obsessively.

At her sixth wipe, Asher stopped her and drew her towards him, staring at her with this odd gleam in his eyes.

His cold, smooth hands cupped her cheek and rubbed away a hot tear with his thumb.

“Nothing is wrong with you” He assured her, his thumb caressing her cheek while his eyes fixed on her's intent.

He was just conflicted, was it right to confess the truth to her now? All this time, he's been careful, what would happen if he becomes careless for once?

Maybe it's time to become selfish after all.

------

Having two Mates?

What an absurd joke

Here comes Lia originally mated to a werewolf but an accident and conspiracy had her mated to a vampire as well.

Now she has to figure out the raging feelings she has for the Alpha of the silver pack and the Alpha of the Nicoli Clan and fighting off dark forces in need of her ability as well.

In the vampire-ruled kingdom of Mildelar, the Blood Games stand as the ultimate form of entertainment—savage battles between familiars, humans bound to their vampire masters through blood pacts. Far more than mere spectacles, these brutal fights determine the prestige of noble families, shaping their power and influence across the realm. Lyon, a young human saved from death by a blood pact with the alluring Arya Valakys—one of the king’s daughters—is unwillingly thrust into this cruel world. Bound to his mistress, he is forced into relentless battles to elevate her standing.Lyon, however, stands apart from other familiars. While they derive their strength from the fear of punishment, he draws his... from having dirty thoughts about his mistress!