The Phantom's Gambit - Chapter 35: Ambushed

Bestselling author Elias Vayne has spent years writing stories to escape the horrors of his past. As a child, he was the sole survivor of a massacre that wiped out his entire orphanage. He doesn’t remember how he survived—only that when the slaughter ended, he was the only one left standing.His latest work, The Arcane Academy Chronicles, takes place in Veylin Academy, a prestigious school of magic and combat. But one night, after finishing the final chapter, Elias wakes up inside his own book—not as the hero, not as the villain, but as an extra. Worse, he’s been reborn as Kael, the very same orphan who survived a similar massacre in the story.But something is wrong. The academy isn’t as he wrote it. Characters are acting off-script, unknown forces are rewriting events, and the mystery surrounding Kael’s survival mirrors the one in Elias’s real life. The more he tries to regain control of the narrative, the more he realizes this world may not be his creation at all.

[Farming]+[Space]+[Heartwarming]+[Prosperity]+[Defeating Scum]Mo Yan, reduced to ashes by an explosion, was reborn in ancient times,becoming a little farm girl on the run from famine!Above her, a kind and handsome Scholar father - not bad!Below her, a lively and adorable pair of younger siblings - very good!But really, she felt like dying all over again, you know?On the run, going without food, drink, or shelter was one thing,but to always guard against bad guys who might capture her to fill their bellies was another!Luckily, her upgradable Space from the previous life followed her,but what the heck -that amazing Space with mountains, water, and meat to eat had been formatted!Faced with a desperate situation, Mo Yan reignited her fighting spirit:So what if it's formatted, I'll still make a fortune and build my wealth right at the foot of the Imperial City!Carving out mountains, planting orchards, buying shops, building houses... not one less!But... there are so many green-eyed troublemakers!Your farm is yours? Here, I'll trap you to death without discussion!Want to be my stepmom? Fine, I'll send you a bunch of widowers!Mother looking for you? Here, take the divorce papers, keep them, don't thank me!...What? A handsome man is proposing? Uh, this... should I throw myself at him?

It was a life without regret. My parents were in good health, and I wasn’t homey enough for me to combine my studies and part-time jobs.

I like fantasy, martial arts, games, fiction movies, cartoons… I’m a normal high school student who likes these things.

That was certainly true until ten years ago.

This is not the earth.

A fantasy world dominated by powerful people. Savage utopia. It is a world where you can take anything with you if you have physical strength.

Ten years after her parents’ divorce, the grandmother who raised Chu Tingwu passed away, leaving her to be shuttled back and forth between relatives.At this moment, an entity claiming to be a “Cub Rearing System” suddenly appeared, wanting to bind itself to her and cultivate her into an outstanding graduate of its program.Just as Chu Tingwu was about to refuse, she saw her personal attributes on the system interface—[Name: Chu Tingwu][Species: Cat]Chu Tingwu: Something’s not right here…Due to a bug, the system had identified her as a kitten.Her stats were those of a cat, but her appearance remained human.How should an exemplary human-cat be raised? Sleeping, causing mischief, eating until she became as round as a pig?However, the reality turned out to be quite different: extreme sports, expert bird-catcher, master mouse-hunter, catching invasive fish barehanded with dynamic vision, using camouflage and tracking skills to film documentaries of rare birds, nearly making the social news as a suspected retired special police officer.For the first lesson in cultivation, the system said gravely:“A cub cannot live alone. We need to find you a cat mother… I’ve already detected a suitable candidate nearby. Go to the target location quickly, little one, and let the cat mother adopt you.”Chu Tingwu looked up as an advertisement fluttered into her hand:[Sunshine Pet Hospital: Limited-time half-price pet neutering, one month of free food with every pet adoption]Chu Tingwu: Who exactly is adopting whom here?