The Labyrinth of the Monsters - Chapter 55 – Rune circuit

What does it feel like to be betrayed by the person closest and most trusted?Having been reborn, Hua Mi says that the first priority in surviving the apocalypse is to have sufficient supplies, stay away from the crowd and the White Lotus, and lay low until the end.Just as she rolled up her sleeves, ready to make a big effort, she suddenly activated a supermarket space and the Cashier System?!Tsk, why struggle in life when you can just stock up on goods and breeze through it?However, looking down at her increasingly large belly, Hua Mi carried baby formula in her left hand and a Chopper in her right.Where did this kid come from?!The plan had gone a bit awry, the first priority was to ensure the baby’s safe birth, and, to be wary of the man who kept staring at her belly every day.Man: Honey, why do I feel like you're getting fatter recently? You look like you're pregnant.Hua Mi: It's not like...

“Ugh…enough with the threats, sourpuss.” I huffed. He wasn’t the only one that was good at giving people funny nicknames. “And in case you don’t know…having to be in a fake relationship with you is already making life a living hell for me.” I dropped my voice to a small whisper just in case anyone was eavesdropping.We were in an open place after all.“Speaking of our relationship, I’m not sure if you know who Naomi is but she’s already suspecting that something’s off so you better do something about it. If you would have listened to me when I told you how ridiculous this idea was then maybe we wouldn’t have to be dealing with all of this.” My eyes drooped.“What are you talking about?” His brows dipped as he took a step back.Oh wow, he couldn’t even understand a few words. Who would’ve thought that he’d be so dumb?“Naomi thinks it’s unusual for us to be in a relationship.” I drawled with air quotes. “You better do something about it if you don’t want people to doubt you.” I said sizing him up and I was just leaving when I had barely even taken a few steps and something yanked me back.My back hit the wall, and before I could even process what just happened, a warm hand landed on my waist, fingers pressing just enough to make my breath hitch. My eyes snapped up…only to find Liam’s face hovering way too close to mine, his blue eyes sharp and calculating.“What…” My voice came out weak. Embarrassingly weak.“Where do you think you’re going, four eyes?” His voice was low, his breath tickling my cheek.My stomach flipped and I swallowed hard. “Liam, what the hell are you doing?”He didn’t answer.Instead, he leaned in…his lips nearly grazing my ear.Panic surged through me. He was too close. Way too close.“Didn’t you just say I should do something about this girl’s suspicions?” he murmured, his voice dropping into something almost dangerous.I blinked, confused. “What?”He ignored me completely, his fingers tightening slightly against my waist. “And what better way is there to clear someone’s doubt than not giving them room for it?”My heart stuttered and I suddenly became hyper aware of the way we looked…his body caging me in, my hands pressed flat against the wall, his head dipped low, his mouth close enough that if I moved even an inch…Oh, crap.~~~~~~Eleanor is a 23-year old woman who was involved in a car accident on her way to her interview. Unfortunately she doesn't make it and assumes she's going to find herself in the afterlife but instead finds herself in the body of a college student named Theodora. And this college student happens to be a side character in one of the books she read in her past life.Having found herself in this body, she decides to find out why she's there and try to return to her old world. On her quest for answers she realizes she has to play her part as Theodora in this world which however lands her in a lot of problems.

Lucinda Perry, a social recluse and a workaholic, makes a pledge to herself to go all wild on her twenty-fifth birthday and even score a one night stand if she gets her long deserved promotion at work. Few days to her twenty-fifth birthday, she gets promoted to not just a higher position but to the head office in a different city.

Having to spend her birthday night in a new city, she goes to the club where she meets a very handsome stranger, Thomas Hank, who offers to be her one night stand after catching a glimpse of her dare-to-do list, which included having a one night stand.

Thomas Hank, after having been used by several ladies in the past, is bent on getting the lady of his dreams who would love him for himself and not his wealth. So when he meets the cute and naive Lucinda Perry at the club, he decides to keep his true identity from her and find out if she was worth keeping.

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***Excerpt***

“What are you doing here?” Lucy asked in alarm when she walked into her boss' office and saw Tom standing by the window,

“Who let you in here? Come with me, you should leave now before he comes in and sees you here. He can be really mean.” Lucy said reaching out to grab his hand, but he made no move to reach for her hand, and just kept staring at her with a slightly amused expression.

“I came to fulfill your fantasy.” Tom said looking into her eyes with an unreadable expression.

“Fantasy? What fantasy?” She asked with a frown as she hurried to the door to shut it so her boss wouldn't walk in on them.

“You've forgotten? You said you would love to have sex with me on your boss' table. I want to make it happen.” Tom said making her heart skip a beat.

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?” She half yelled as she took his hands and tried to drag him to the door, “I could lose my job if my boss finds you in here.” She snapped at him.

“Nevermind about that. Tell me the thought of this doesn't turn you on? I'm here, you're here, and the table is right here. I could have you on your back in a second and you'd be crying out my name...” Before Tom could finish, the office door was pushed open.

“Sup Tom? Can I talk to you for a sec?” Harry asked as he walked in, his eyes on the documents in his hand. He stopped when he raised his head and realized Lucy was in the office. He almost kicked himself when he saw the frown on Lucy's face, “Shit!” Harry muttered, and gave Tom an apologetic glance when he realized he had just screwed up.

“I thought you were going out?” he asked her with an awkward smile.

“Tom? You know him? I mean... other than him being my driver?” She asked both men, looking from one to the other when she noticed Harry didn't look surprised to see Tom in the office.

What was going on here? What was she missing? Lucy asked herself as her gaze shifted from Harry to Tom who was glaring at Harry. There was no way Tom could be her boss, right? All the pieces of the puzzle was beginning to fit now. It was all beginning to make sense now, she thought as she glanced at Tom one more time before walking out of the office.

“World conquest was never part of the plan.”Yu Chen was just an ordinary programmer, slaving away at his desk, fixing bugs for a popular kingdom-building game.His life was a cycle of endless work, sleepless nights, and little appreciation. One fateful night, while struggling to fix a game-breaking bug that granted players an absurd amount of upgrade points, his exhausted heart gave out.But death wasn't the end for Yu Chen. He awoke in a world strangly familiar... he had transmigrated into the very game he had been working on, now inhabiting the body of a notorious tyrant emperor, Arkanos Bloodbane, whose empire was on the brink of destruction.Surrounded by enemies, with rebellions simmering within and war on every front, Yu Chen, now Arkanos, quickly realizes the gravity of his situation.But to his shock, he discovers that he still has access to the game's system interface—complete with the million upgrade points from the bug he had tried to fix!With his knowledge of game mechanics, strategic mind, and a wealth of upgrade points, Arkanos sets out to turn the crumbling empire into an unstoppable force. He begins by summoning legendary heroes, deploying advanced technologies never before seen in this world, and revolutionizing his military and infrastructure.As he pushes his empire to greatness, Arkanos must navigate the treacherous politics of the imperial court, fend off treacherous factions, and outmaneuver the rival nations that seek to destroy him. But with each victory, he realizes that this world is not just a game—it's his new reality. The stakes are higher, the dangers more real, and the consequences of failure more dire than ever.[Reminder, contented intended for mature audiences.]