The Phantom's Gambit - Chapter 86: Pawn

He fell, but he did not die.At least, not in the way he expected.The world he hated spat him out into another, a place where the sky bleeds, where gods are fractured, and where names weigh heavier than lives.Here, he is someone else.Someone cursed.Someone forgotten.Yet in the ruins of memory and the echo of laughter that was never his, a strange truth coils:that death is not an ending,but a beginning far crueler.A book without pages.A family without love.A body that doesn’t belong to him,and a voice in the dark that whispers of eternity.

Who, in the ancient mythology, held an artifact and killed the first emperor of the human race?

Who, at the beginning of ancient times, closed the gate of the God Realm, Jedi Tiantong?

Who set a lifespan limit of only one hundred and thirty years for the people, and even the Great Emperor was not spared?

Who, turned into a black hand that covers the sky for eternity, shrouded the world?

…

Yang Shou on Earth: “Yes, yes, I did it all, I just want to live.”

- Description from novelbuddy

[Warning: r18, smut, MC does morally questionable things][Disclaimer: The Gods and Goddesses in the story's world have absolutely no relation to any Gods that are worshipped in the real world. The purpose they serve is also entirely different.]~Even if you're someone who typically doesn't enjoy works with smut, I request you to give this novel a chance (provided you're 18 or older of course). It would be awesome if you could at least read Volume 1 before deciding whether or not this is your cup of tea.~This is an action + kingdom-building story where the MC and his kingdom (Realm) are metaphorically powered by his lustful acts.The story begins with Hiro's (the MC) transmigration into a magical world. At first glance, this “World” might look quite similar to many other fantasy worlds that you've come across on your reading adventures. Status screens, levels, classes, gods, kingdoms, elves - all that good stuff.But it will soon become clear that this World has its own “Rules”. These (mostly) game-like Rules will bring out unique character interactions. They will be what differentiates the World in my story from other similar fantasy worlds.Now about the characters - specifically the main character.The MC (Hiro) will be thrust into the role of Ruler in the new World right off the bat. He starts with a bottom-tier, barebones realm and makes his way to the top.I'm going to say this right away - Hiro is a deeply flawed character at the start. Yes he might be overpowered and good at getting things he wants, but that does not make him flawless.Hiro has glaring emotional flaws at the beginning. He is intelligent but not in the emotional sense. He is lustful but not truly loving. He is apathetic towards death (both of himself and of others).The women who surround him will also have their own problems, both internal and external.As the story progresses, it won't just be the MC and his realm growing in power.Hiro and his harem will also mature emotionally. Hiro's character growth will be a slow, grueling burn. It isn't going to be a smooth straight line from point A to point B.But when it finally does happen, it will be worth it.That's all from me, your author. I hope you enjoy the ride.P.S - Power stones, golden tickets, gifts, adding this to library, reviews, comments, paragraph comments - all these things help immensely and are greatly appreciated.Thanks and Enjoy! :)

In the late years of the Daqian era, tyrants roamed freely, war erupted endlessly, and the people could not sustain their lives.After transmigration, Chen Jie finds himself as a drunken gambler with a pair of unfortunate sisters at home.The elder one, Su Yunjin, is his wife, and he also has a five-year-old sister-in-law, Su Yunrui.Their family is so poor they can barely make ends meet.Then suddenly, his beautiful wife comes smiling, bringing him a bowl of hot porridge.“Husband, I was wrong yesterday. Please have some porridge while it's hot.”Seeing the bruises on his wife's face, Chen Jie feels something is amiss.Ding~[Daily Information has been updated][1. Yesterday, you gambled away the last three acres of good land, beat Su Yunjin while drunk, and planned to sell the five-year-old Su Yunrui, to recover your losses.][2. The Su sisters rely on each other. Su Yunrui is Su Yunjin's only hope.][3. Su Yunjin, having lost hope, traded her mother's hairpin three days ago for a pack of arsenic.]...Arsenic!Staring at the hot porridge brought to his lips, Chen Jie looks up at his wife, seeing the faint bruise on her face and her eyes shifting away, avoiding his gaze.“Honey!”“Yes?”“You're not going to kill me, are you?!”