Longevity Chronicles - Chapter 12 - 11: Fish? The Bait?

“So... well... I died as it seems?Then I woke up as a character from an online science fiction game...And the craziest thing was that I was in my personal spaceship...Aside from that, I have this weird gaming system bugging me with missions and stuff...So... finally, something interesting happened in my life at last.At least now, I am unbound by anything and can do as I wish.”- Acturus Al-Yesod Crawford“In the grim darkness of the endless space, there is only one sole constant that has ruled the space since immemorial, that dictated the life and death, the order and chaos of every single living being.Power.This is the story of one of the most controversial people in the history of the Known Universe, Arcturus Al-Yesod Crawford, the Star Mercenary, Bounty Hunter, Trader and many other titles...”- Prologue Chronicles of the Known Universe: Chapter Star Citizen, Star Date: Unknown***Tags: Aliens, Androids, Army, Army Building, Automatons, Assassins, Artificial Intelligence, Cosmic Wars, Fleet Battles, Futuristic Setting, Male Protagonist, Mercenaries, Monsters, Outer Space, Nobles, Late Romance, Slow Romance, Money Grubber, Supernatural Powers, Psychic Powers, System, Game Elements, Strategic Battles, Strong to Stronger, Transported into a Game World, Wars, Evolution, Genetic Modifications, Industrialization, Military, Politics, Poor to Rich, Strength-Based Social Hierarchy, Time Skip

# SPATIAL # FOOD # FIGUREHEAD # AGRICULTUREThe only daughter of General Dingguo was lost the year she was born, and everyone thought she had very bad luck. Who would have thought that more than ten years later, they would find her? The young master and ladies of various families in the capital gossiped a lot about it, saying this young lady from the General’s house must be stupid, poor, ugly, and unwanted. Hearing this, the new champion sneered, “They call her stupid?” The richest man in Jiangnan mocked, “They call her poor?” The jade-face divine doctor scoffed, “They call her ugly?”The Imperial Army’s commander was puzzled. “They say she’s unwanted?”These men captivated all women everywhere, but when they saw that mountain girl, they were all smitten and had eyes for no other. The blood-stained, cold, and aloof prince held his sword and gave a chilling smile. “Who will you choose, my fiancee?”

On a certain day, a certain thought came to Japan’s Sun Goddess. ——Aren’t there too many Japanese people being abducted to other worlds? It’s true that the large majority of Japanese are diligent and docile and soft-hearted, which makes them pretty much the best people to ask for favors. “But recently it’s just gotten way too out of hand…… Oh, I’ve got it! Whenever a Japanese person is summoned, I just have to summon an otherworlder!” And now, every time a Japanese person is summoned, princesses and elves and beastmen and whatnot are reverse-summoned. Under the acknowledgement of the government, they begin living in Japan. Today, too, Japan is at peace. And so begins this laidback isekai cultural exchange story♪

Melanie Collins was the perfect wife—caring, strong, and dependable. For the last few years, she had managed her husband’s messy family, and business alone while waiting for her husband to return from studying abroad. But when he finally came back, Melanie’s world fell apart—he wasn’t alone. Along with him was his 'best' friend.Broken and confused about the change in her husband, Melanie didn’t know where to turn. And then she stumbled into another cold reality. Everything she had believed was a lie.Seething with anger and humiliation, as she tried to come to terms with the betrayal, an unexpected person steps into the picture, intent on seducing her and conquering her.The only problem? The man was her ex brother in law...And against her better judgment, she is attracted to this bad boy...But as Melanie tried to make sense of the changes, she discovered there was more going on than she ever imagined. Had both brothers loved really fallen in love with her? Or was she just a pawn in a bigger game?excerptSince he had already been leaning against the table, he simply slid onto it, and with one swift motion, he hooked his boot around the leg of her chair and pulled it—pulled her—closer.The sudden movement made her jolt slightly, and when she looked up or rather when she looked ahead, she found herself staring directly at the zipper of his jeans... She looked up then and met his gaze.He caught her chin,“ Would you like to check if I am only pretending, sweet melon?”Melanie stiffened. And then pushed back her chair suddenly, so that Adam almost lost his balance, as she stood up.Before he could balance himself, she placed her hand on his shoulder, her fingers brushing against his neck. Adam stiffened, his eyes glittering as he waited to see what she would do next. And she, of course surprised him as her other hand, slowly settled on the inside of his thigh. And then, the hand on his shoulder started to move. Her fingers tracing the side of his neck before lifting as she shot a glance to the corner of his mouth. The little piece of metal glinting there. She flicked at it lightly, barely a touch, but Adam could feel the heat all over his body, as she leaned in close, her lips barely a few centimetres away...so that they could both feel each other's breaths…She smiled slowly then. “Careful, Adam,” she murmured, her voice playful, but carrying the unmistakable edge of a challenge. “Keep pushing, and I just might call your bluff.”