The King's Gambit: The Bastard Son Returns - Chapter 51: Etched Like Scars...

In the tenth year after the new era, the world finally came to an end. Zhang Mu truefully waited for his death, but unexpectedly found that he had returned to ten years ago. With his memory about the future, he swore that he would change the calamitous history, saving the earth from being destroyed! Walking dead, zergs, evolvers, and various mutated animals… nothing can stop him! The first step is to retrieve his identity as an era merchant , then find all the treasures he can remember to enhance himself!

- Description from Novelupdates

Yi Tianyun woke up from a sleep, and found that he awakened this Upgrade System. Crippled meridians preventing you from cultivating? No problem! With the Crazy Upgrade System, do quests, kill monsters, devour others' Spiritual Power, or refine some Elixir Pills, inscribe great arrays, and you can gain experience!Experience Value is too low? Don't be afraid, I have Double Experience Cards, Tenfold Experience Cards! Experience Value will explode, explode, explode, and levels will rise, rise, rise!“Huh, I've leveled up again?”

It’s been 11 years since I’ve lived for others and not for me.

The moment I cried out wanting to get away from my exhausting life, I opened my eyes in the body of some Count’s 20-year-old daughter.

Since this happened, I decided to live my life freely as a single woman.

But…

“I need a lady to act as my fake wife for a certain period of time.”

“A contract marriage?”

“The term is one year. When the time is up, I’ll give you divorce with no strings attached.”

The Duke of the Empire whom I had happened to meet at a ball was hitting on me.

Turns out he’s no other than the Emperor’s beloved brother, Duke Scade!

Hold on, it’s just going to end in a clean divorce with no strings attached?

“You should also give me alimony. Give me one of the best lands of the Ducal household with 10 years’ worth of profit.”

“…..What?”

“If you don’t want to do that, then we cannot get married.”

This time I’m going to live a life taking care of the things I need first!

***

“I’ll escort you since it’s late.”

Where to? My bedroom is just around the corner.

“Tonight, I’ll do my best.”

No, I don’t need you to do that.

“Did you just look at that man?”

Excuse me, Duke, you said it’s for a limited time only, so why do you keep obsessing over me?

A child was born unable to cultivate Inner Strength. In order to gain his father's attention and regard, he resolutely chose the painful and difficult path of cultivating Outer Strength. As spring gave way to autumn, time flew by, and the child grew up... he became a young man. What truly changed his destiny was a mysterious Crystal Stone formed from a meteor—the Meteor Tear. This Meteor Tear, unbeknownst to the young man, merged into his body, and like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, the young man metamorphosed... And with that transformation, everything changed. And his father finally came to realize the astonishing strength of the son he had never truly invested his Heart Power in...