MTL - The Stepmother is Unkind - Chapter 3

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like if your dick exploded? Or if voodoo or black magic actually worked?Axel got a crash course in both after leaving a one-star review for a trashy smut novel where the hapless author-san offed a minor villain. Little did he know that this particular author had some serious power.Suddenly, Axel found himself in the body of the very villain he was lamenting, right at the moment when everything was about to spiral into chaos.Now, with a second chance at life (and a brand-new set of problems), Axel must navigate the wild world of villainy—complete with explosive consequences and dark magic—if he wants to rewrite his story before it ends in disaster.

Five years ago, humanity’s strongest Tower Climber was betrayed at the peak of his conquest.Rael Arden, known only by his codename Phantom, was the silent genius who cleared impossible floors, crushed monsters with forbidden magic, and shaped the rules of Tower exploration. No one had ever seen his real face—yet his legend was feared across the world.But at the Tower’s summit, the teammates he carried to glory stabbed him in the back. For power. For godhood. For fear of what he might become.They thought he died.They were wrong.Reincarnated in secret, Rael awakens in a modern world that’s on the edge of collapse. Dungeons bleed into cities. Monsters evolve. The Tower is no longer just a gate—it’s infecting the world. And the very ones who betrayed him now rule from the shadows, hiding behind titles, guilds, and lies.But Rael isn’t alone. His soul split across hidden clone bodies, each designed to infiltrate, gather information, and prepare for war. As each clone reawakens, his power grows—and so does his rage.With him are three women tied to his fate:Selene, the shadow rogue who never betrayed him.Lyra, a curious researcher drawn to the legend of the Phantom.Aeris, the sword saint who still mourns his death… and may not be as loyal to the enemy as she seems.Now, Rael hunts the seven betrayers who destroyed his past.One by one, they will fall.But revenge is just the beginning.Because deep within the Tower, something else is waking—an ancient force that even Rael feared. And this time, the world may not survive unless the Phantom reigns again.

Born into the Thornhill family, Eliana should have been dealing with succession planning and heiress training. But instead, she’s dealing with the crocodile tears of her cousin Alexa.As if stealing her Fiancé wasn’t enough, she’s out to pin everything onto Eliana.Trust issues - Eliana.Popularity issues - Eliana.Landslide - Must be Eliana.In an attempt to end her cousin’s jealousy-ridden machinations, Eliana is forced into a relationship with a childhood disaster, Lucian Alder Sinclair, her most tempting nightmare.Lucian Sinclair has always been synonymous with perfection, at least to most people. But to his family, finding someone who could handle his aloofness has been the top priority.Forced to return to his home country at the behest of his grandfather, Lucian fortunately encounters Eliana who’s in need of a ready-made partner.Constantly up at each other's throats, then into each other’s arms, may the lies they’ve told hold up against discerning family members and unrelenting pursuers.

Five years ago, Gu Qiqi’s best friend’s boyfriend cheated on her. She helped arrest someone, but she caught her fiancé. When she left, she was dragged into the room by a mysterious person…

Five years later, Gu Qiqi married Yan Haocheng, who had some problems in city A, with twins whose father was unknown. Everyone felt that Gu Qiqi must have married Yan Haocheng by virtue of his “special ability”.

But she didn’t know that it was Yan Haocheng who didn’t want to marry her. She was afraid that he would die alone, so she gave up and married.

Other people’s impression of Yan Haocheng is: cold, scary, and without desires.

Gu Qiqi’s impression of Yan Haocheng is: shameless, shameless, humanoid teddy.

Others rely on beauty to attract men, but Gu Qiqi only needs to wink at the child to turn her man into a puppy.

- Description from Novelupdates