Crown of Thorns - Chapter 81: The Warrior's story

I was reborn into a chaebol family.Into a time with no cryptocurrency, no internet, and nothing else.

There was a time when I used to think, “How nice would it be if I got transported into a novel world?”Yeah, I know, it sounds childish—but who cares?It was just a passing thought. I never imagined those silly wishes would actually come true.And yet, I opened my eyes to find myself possessed by the villain of a romance fantasy novel.Not just fantasy—romance fantasy.The worst part? I wasn’t even the main villain, just a stepping stone for the female protagonist… who also happened to be my fiancée.Thankfully, the engagement was broken off, and I thought I could fade into the background as a mob character, ruined by the plot.…But for some reason, the female lead won’t let me go.

Aric Valerian, the fourth prince of the Valerian Empire, bears many titles: The Forgotten Prince, The Whore’s Child, The King’s Bastard—names that have been spoken more than his own. Born with a crippling illness and devoid of mana or ki, Aric was a disgrace, scorned by his family and the court. But when the gods cured him and gifted him the strength to fight, Aric dared to hope. He sought glory in battle, only to be betrayed by his brother and sent to die in a hopeless war. In his final moments, as death closed in, a mysterious text appeared before him… [Would you like to change your fate?] After being given another chance, Aric embarks on a ruthless journey to claim absolute sovereignty. [Ki Circulation Mastered: Strength +10] [System Upgrade: Advanced tactical planning unlocked] [Hidden Fortress Established: Stronghold security +15%] The forgotten prince claws his way through the treacherous landscape of imperial politics, he is forced to make impossible choices, each decision pushing him further down a path soaked in blood. He learns that true power demands sacrifice, and the price of vengeance may be his soul.

As a corporate drone, Ashu was transported to another world, hoping to live a life free from societal pressures.However, he quickly found that even marrying a village girl would cost him half of his wealth!Fortunately, just when things were looking grim, his childhood sweetheart—who had trained for many years—arrived to fulfill their childhood marriage pact. Not only that, Ashu activated the Crit Refund System, which allowed him to earn rewards by binding with beings rated over 90 points![Binding with the Witch Childhood Sweetheart, 10x Refund on Magic Potion, Host Gains: Forbidden Water (S)][Binding with the Forest Elf, 10x Refund, Host Gains: Infinite Stamina and Infinite Recovery][Binding with the Demon Huntress Nun, 20x Refund, Host Gains: Demon Slayer Holy Crossbow (SS)][Binding with the Imperial Princess, 100x Refund, Host Gains: Sigh of the Heavenly Father Spear (SSS)]Ashu: “The refund multiplier increases as our relationship grows? I’ll definitely have to dive deeper into this!”