MTL - Reborn to be a Stepmother - Chapter 371 dispersion

Su Jianan was marrying the love of her life. It all seemed picture-perfect, except for a few catches. One, it was a marriage of convenience. Two, she would be divorced after two years.

With her well-being under threat, Su Jianan had only one choice to keep herself safe: marrying, and pretending to be loved by a powerful man capable of protecting her. Conveniently, her soon-to-be husband was Lu Boyan, a man she had been secretly in love with for fourteen years. She went along with the marriage, knowing full well that her love was one-sided.

Or was it?

Business tycoon Lu Boyan had known Su Jianan ever since she was ten. Back then, the death of his father had plunged his world into darkness, and Su Jianan’s presence had brought a new ray of light into his life. Now, it was his turn to protect her. He would marry her to keep her safe. But two years later, he would divorce her: it would no longer be safe for her to remain by his side.

What fate awaited Su Jianan and Lu Boyan? Would their marriage mark the beginning of a happily ever after? Or would it lead to heartbreak and sorrow? Would their marriage outlast the two years? What kind of secret was Lu Boyan keeping?

Follow along with the twists and turns of this slow-burn, action-packed love story!

- Description from Novelupdates

Arthur Grail, a hardcore player of the VRMMO Trinity Star Online, woke up one day in the body of Gerard Astoria—a petty villain fated to die before the main story even began. To make matters worse, Gerard's death was a crucial event in the game's narrative. If he didn’t meet his predetermined end, it could disrupt the story entirely, leading the universe toward one of the countless “bad end” routes!Unwilling to leave his fate to chance, Arthur decided to take matters into his own hands—recruiting the “player” as his partner to help him clear the game and rewrite his destiny.But wait—“Why is the player not a dude but a sharp-tongued beauty instead?!”Follow Arthur's odyssey, filled with trouble at every turn, as he works to uncover the mystery behind his awakening in a universe eerily similar to Trinity Star Online's setting, all while trying to save the entire universe… without forgetting to enjoy himself!

The cycle of life is not infinite—except, perhaps, for Elijah.At 122 years old, Elijah lived a long and successful life—until he woke up as someone entirely new. Now, an anomaly in a mysterious kingdom sustained by magic, he faces questions about his place in a world that doesn't defy the laws of nature, but take them to an entirely new level.For over six millennia, this isolated realm of 300,000 citizens has thrived, its survival bound to the magic that nurtures its air, water, and food. Yet, some whisper that a kingdom refusing to expand is doomed to fall. How, then, has this kingdom endured?As Elijah uncovers ancient secrets, dives into treacherous cave systems, and grapples with the fatal flaws of magic, he learns the truth about existence itself—forces that shaped the cosmos. New alliances rise to confront an ancient plague, and the kingdom's delicate balance teeters on the edge of collapse.In this world, the vibrant hues of freedom and potential are mere illusions, like sunlight filtered through stained glass. Elijah must decide whether to shatter the illusion—or embrace it.————This novel goes into great detail about the ways of the people and how it will differ from the suspected outside world. What seems like a population of people who do not have much knowledge, show how they found their way by “feeling”, or by anecdotal(personal) evidence.

For as long as he could remember, life had always been cruel.A young man in his early twenties—his name now lost to the past—was dealt a life filled with misfortunes.A cold, empty apartment, a soul-crushing job, and, finally, a terminal diagnosis.With nothing left to live for, his only comfort had been escaping into the fictional world of Path of the Elemental Sage, a story of heroes, magic, and survival.But fate had other plans.When death finally came for him, he didn’t fade into nothingness.Instead, he awoke in the world he had only read about—a world of chaos and danger where death lurked around every corner.The air smelled of magic, the sky was filled with possibilities.{«[Status Window]»}[Name: Lyrium Blackwood][Age: 16][Rank: D-][Skills: None][Elements: None}At first, confusion filled his mind.Who was Lyrium Blackwood?Why was he here?And why did this body feel so different?But as his memories returned, so did the realization: this wasn’t some blessing or second chance.He wasn’t reincarnated as the protagonist.No destined savior.No cheat abilities.No grand fate.He was just another mob, a face in the crowd meant to exist and die without leaving a mark.But this young man—the one who had left his old name and life behind—wasn’t the kind of person to roll over and accept his fate.“This world is dangerous. The protagonist isn’t the only one fighting for survival here,”he muttered, his red eyes deep and sharp.Unlike the naïve characters in the story, he knew the stakes.He’d read the web novel.He’d seen the carnage, the betrayals, the disasters that wiped out entire cities.And if there was one thing he refused to be, it was a pawn in someone else’s game.“I don’t care about glory. I don’t care about saving the world. All I care about is surviving—no matter what it takes.”Lyrium Blackwood wasn’t planning to live quietly or avoid danger.The only way to survive in this brutal world was to rise to the top.To be strong enough to stand above both heroes and villains.Using his knowledge of the story’s events and his iron will, Lyrium sets out on a relentless path to surpass the protagonist.Whether through clever manipulation, brutal training, or sheer desperation, he’ll climb higher and higher, leaving nothing to chance.But the deeper he gets, the more he realizes that this isn’t just the story he once read.As fate pushes him closer to the heart of the narrative, Lyrium begins to suspect that his reincarnation wasn’t an accident—and the world itself might be watching him.“I don’t care who or what stands in my way. If the story wants to kill me, I’ll rewrite the ending myself.”----------------------------------I apologize for any mistakes in this story, as it’s my first attempt at writing a novel.