Way of the Knights - Chapter 167 - Phantasm

After being torn from the only life she knew, 16-year-old Margo is forced into a new home with strangers who call themselves her parents. Haunted by memories of her past and consumed by feelings of isolation, she struggles to adapt to her unfamiliar surroundings. School offers little relief—until she meets Lucien, a mysterious boy who appears just when she needs a friend the most.Gabriel is everything Margo needs: kind, attentive, and always ready to whisk her away from her troubles. Each night, he invites her to secret places—an abandoned playground, a fog-choked garden, a crumbling train station at the edge of town—each more unsettling than the last. Yet with every chilling rendezvous, Margo feels more alive... more seen.But something isn’t right. Gabriel never comes to school during the day. Her adoptive parents never see him. And when they catch her talking to thin air, their concern deepens into fear. They say Gabriel isn't real—that he’s a figment of her imagination. Margo wants to believe them, but Gabriel feels real. More real than anything else in her life.As the nights grow colder and more twisted, Gabriel’s true nature begins to surface. Shadows move where they shouldn’t. Time warps in his presence. And the places they visit seem to echo with whispers from another world. Margo is forced to ask herself: Who—or what—is Gabriel? Why does he only want her? And what will happen on the final night he asks her to come with him?As the line between reality and delusion begins to crumble, Margo must make an impossible choice: stay in a world where she feels loved, or return to one that barely feels real.But one thing is certain—some friendships never let go.

Ren Zhu: Quiet! Quiet! Look at the blackboard! I’m going to start teaching!

Bear child 1 [1]: Hahaha! Who is this weak chicken!

Bear child 2: May as well dance than listen to class. Why start the class!

Fake good child: Sit upright.

Ren Zhu: ……

Bear child 1: You received the class teacher’s quiet gaze x 1. Physical strength -500. Entered the weak state!

Bear child 2: You received the class teacher’s deep gaze x 1. Intelligence -50. Entered the mentally retar*ed state!

Fake good child: You received the class teacher’s gratified gaze x 1. Intelligence and physical strength +50. Entered the excited state.

Ren Zhu: My goal is to teach and educate people, and bring love to every bear child. Thank you.

- Description from Novelupdates

Liam, a socially awkward college student, spends his days immersed in anime, video games, and hentai, escaping the monotony of his real life. Despite his fantasies, he’s never experienced a real relationship or intimacy. But when he is mysteriously transported to the fantastical world of Eryndor, Liam’s life takes a dramatic turn.In Eryndor, Liam is hailed as the ‘Lustforged Hero’, a legendary figure destined to save the realm from the tyrannical sorcerer, Maltheris. But there’s a catch: in this world, power is drawn from desire and intimacy. To grow stronger and unlock his true potential, Liam must navigate a delicate balance between his newfound responsibilities and his own untapped desires.Joined by a group of fiercely loyal followers—each with their own unique abilities and personal struggles—Liam embarks on a journey to master his powers, unite the fractured kingdoms of Eryndor, and confront Maltheris. Along the way, he forms deep bonds with his companions, including the enigmatic warrior Lysandra, the cunning mage Erynn, and the rebellious rogue Selene. But as Liam’s power grows, so does the temptation to lose himself in the very desires that fuel his strength.

Abigail’s only crime in life was being born as the mute daughter of the deceptive maid, who drugged her boss and got pregnant for him… or so she thought.All her life she had to serve her stepsister, Genevieve, attending to her every whim. While Genevieve used every opportunity she got to make Abigail’s life hell, even to the point of seducing Abigail’s boyfriend.On the night she resumes college, Abigail crosses path with Jamal Jonas, a heartbroken elusive billionaire, who leaves behind a stuffed animal that belonged to his first love. Abigail keeps the stuffed animal, which stirs her long lost memories.Five years later, Jamal shows up again, but this time as Genevieve's new live-in driver.Working for Genevieve quickly places him near the supposedly mute and intelligent Abigail who he doesn’t immediately recognize, and soon enough, Jamal finds himself pulled in by Abigail's charms.Jamal quickly realizes there is more to her than meets the eye, and there might be more connecting Abigail to his first love than Genevieve.