MTL - Deep Sea Embers - Chapter 19 underground meeting place

After a shocking reincarnation, our hero opens her eyes to a new (and messy) world the last thing she remembers is reading Lady Viper’s Vow, a dark fantasy novel about a cruel, misunderstood villainess and her path of doom. But when our protagonist finds herself reborn right in the heart of an attack, she’s moments away from a second, way-too-soon death. Just as she’s about to face the end, a mysterious “system” pops up with a single mission: Level Up or Die Trying. It’s bossy, snarky, and her new best friend. As she levels up into a borderline-cheater powerhouse, she discovers her fate isn’t to be a hero, a princess, or even a sorceress, but to protect the one person no one ever expected her to side with: the villainess herself.

Tae-seo, a villain who tormented the main character in an Omega verse novel, suddenly finds himself reincarnated into that very antagonist role. What’s worse, he reincarnates just as he’s about to administer a heat-inducing drug to the main character!Tae-seo, the protagonist of the original story, thwarts Seo Da-rae’s plan to administer the drug and, in order to avoid triggering a dead flag, casually drinks the inducer. Reincarnated not as an Omega but as a Beta, Tae-seo expects nothing out of the ordinary to happen.“Well, causing a cycle right here is quite audacious. Or are you asking just anyone to pick you up?”Unfortunately, due to side effects, Tae-seo manifests as an Omega and experiences the heat cycle. By chance, he ends up sharing a bed with a man named Kang Se-heon.“Don’t expect me to take responsibility later. I have no intention of being manipulated by a bloodthirsty person like you.”“I don’t have any intention of asking you to take responsibility either.”Initially unaware of his relatively minor role in the original story, Tae-seo is surprised to learn that Kang Se-heon happens to be the main character’s cousin. As Se-heon starts approaching Tae-seo in a suspicious manner and even other characters from the original story oddly gravitate towards him, Tae-seo’s confusion deepens.“Yoon Tae-seo, you should choose me, even if it’s for the sake of the child.”Will Tae-seo be able to navigate through the night with Kang Se-heon and escape the grasp of the original story’s main characters unscathed?

This story is about a rookie researcher, who was forcefully dragged away from his restful life, compelled into facing various killers and zombies, always having to risk his life at the brink of death, and finally becoming an advanced researcher that is acclaimed by all. And throughout his adventure, he met an alluring(?) killing machine, who he started to have fantasies on after they had an accidental kiss…

Xiao Yan: Did I fall for him? But he’s a man!

Maya: Who knows…. maybe it’s the other way round?

- Description from Novelupdates

Elias “Grim” Kingsley, a nine-year-old orphan with a hardened heart and sharp tongue, dies alone from pneumonia in an overcrowded orphanage. Known for his perpetual scowl and biting remarks, he's labeled a “problem child” by caretakers and “damaged goods” by potential adopters. Years of rejection have built thick armor around his young heart.In death, he encounters the God of Balance who offers him a second chance at life in a different world—this time as Grim Van Ambrose, son of a noble house. Balance explains that every soul deserves to know love and connection, something Elias was cruelly denied in his first life.Promised the family and belonging he never experienced, Grim begins his new life only to suffer an immediate tragedy: his mother dies moments after his birth. This cruel twist of fate reinforces his belief that loss is inevitable, leaving him with a distant father and the mysterious voice of a “Guidance Assistant” in his head.As Grim grows into his new identity, he struggles with his dual nature—the emotional scars of his past life bleeding into his present one. His difficult personality and sharp tongue remain, now paired with noble privilege and expectations. Despite his outward brashness, he carries the deep wounds of his first life and the fresh loss that welcomed him into his second.What begins as one orphan's second chance evolves into an epic journey through a world of ancient beasts, elemental magic, and deadly political intrigue. As Grim uncovers the truth about the Ambrose Clan's fall from grace and the conspiracy that framed them for treason, he faces increasingly dangerous adversaries—both human and monstrous. His quest for revenge against those who destroyed his family's legacy will challenge him to master forbidden techniques, forge unexpected alliances, and ultimately decide whether to rebuild the Ambrose Clan as it was, or transform it into something entirely new.In a realm where power determines survival and ancient secrets lurk beneath noble facades, Grim must learn that sometimes the greatest battles aren't fought with swords, but with the choices that define who we truly are.