HUNTED - Chapter 16 - An Early Start

As 21 years old Noah closes his eyes for what he thinks will be eternity, he wakes up in the body of a girl 7 years younger than him.Vasilisa, as she is known, is hated and mistreated by the people around her because of the Muddy Tongue curse which not only impedes her speech, but makes her magic unstable.This effectively makes her the harder than hard mode when it comes to reincarnation, and, of course, fate made her his “avatar” in this new world full of mechanics he only ever saw in video games.Despite this, Noah as decided…Whether as Vasilisa or himself, this time he will find a way to exist for the world.

Li Zhizhi was taken back to the capital at the age of fifteen to recognize her ancestral roots. As the true eldest daughter of the Li family, she should have been cherished. However, everyone preferred Li Suwan, who was knowledgeable, polite, and clever. As for Li Zhizhi, she grew up in a remote and impoverished village, ignorant of the ways of the world, and her name even carried a sense of disdain.

Rita Oreira, a fun-loving radio host known for her girly gossip, met a tragic end during a home burglary while trying to save her pet parrot.Surprisingly, she transmigrated into a fantasy novel as Lirian Nightwind, a quirky villainess from an evil family, destined to marry the wicked northern duke, Gabriel Sylcrest, who planned to take over the crown.In the original story, Lirian was set to betray Gabriel, leading to her own death by his hands.Fortunately and unfortunately for her, the new Lirian was protected by her two mischievous brothers, who were supposed to die alongside the duke.Their loyalty complicated her plans to escape the dark fate that awaited them all.In this new world, she had to scheme and do unspeakable things with the lunatic duke to protect her true identity and prevent anyone from discovering that she was not the real Lirian.Not only were the tasks out of line, but they were all for pure entertainment rather than any real purpose.As she accepted her life as his wife, she learned that her parrot, which could only say modern phrases, had special powers that made others believe it could see the future.If the parrot said, “Slay, b*tch!” Gabriel would kill a person on the spot.If the parrot said, “Let it cook!” the male lead would banish or imprison the chef, thinking the food was poisoned.If the parrot said, “Sus, very sus!” Gabriel would tear his advisors apart.As Lirian tried to change her destiny and save them all, she discovered surprising truths about those around her, especially Gabriel Sylcrest.Motivated to survive, Rita had to find a way to save them all.“The crown prince—!!!”“Say one more word about another man, and I’ll let my beasts tear him apart.”“You know, my Lord, for a duke who seeks power, you certainly have a way of making a girl feel… vulnerable.”“Vulnerable? No, my dear. You’re mine, and I’ll make sure everyone knows it. If another man even dares to look at you, I’ll unleash my wrath. I’ll have him begging for mercy, and then I’ll enjoy every moment of his despair.”“You can’t just claim me like that.”“Watch me. I’ll mark you as mine in blood and shadow. You’ll be a warning to anyone who thinks they can touch what belongs to me. The moment you’re within my reach, I’ll ensure no one else can ever have you.”“Is that a threat or a promise?”“Both, Lirian. And trust me, the line between love and possession is razor-thin. Cross me, and you’ll find out just how deep my darkness runs for you.”

“Send me to the past.” That’s how the first step toward revenge began.