MTL - Unexpectedly, I Traveled Again and Again - Chapter 30 heart-to-heart

In humanity’s final war against the Demon Lord, the strongest heroes fell—not by the enemy’s hand, but by their own, twisted into madness by a cruel illusion. Betrayal. Bloodshed. Despair… and then, silence.Only one person remained: Riley—the weakest warrior of them all. Powerless. Ignored. Forgotten.But he saw through the Demon Lord’s deception. The tyrant was on the brink of death—so weak even a fly could’ve finished him off.And Riley did just that, drawing every last ounce of strength to bite off the demon’s head.Victory? Not quite. A final, desperate strike from the Demon Lord pierced him from behind, killing him instantly.But fate wasn’t done with him yet.Riley awoke ten years in the past—when the online game [Apocalypse] was launched. Before demons descended. Before monsters overran the world.And this time, he wasn’t starting from nothing. He had a decade of experience—and a second chance.Even more shocking, he didn’t awaken his old D-rank Strength Boost talent. This time, he received something far more terrifying: an SSS-Rank Gluttony talent!He could now devour anything—monsters, items, talents, even traits—and gain their power.Ding![You have devoured: Iron Fang Wolf][Acquired: +4 Strength, +2 Agility, Skill: Bite (F-rank)][You have devoured: Goblin ShamanAcquired: +8 Intelligence, Skill: Mana Bolt (E-rank), Talent: Minor Spellcasting Efficiency][You have devoured: Flaming Salamander Drake][Acquired: +22 Endurance, Trait: Dragon’s Resilience, Skill: Flame Breath (C-rank)]Now, there is no demon, no god, no monster who will stand in his way. He will devour everything—and save the world.But the power of Gluttony was a double edged sword. If he wasn’t careful… he could be the one getting consumed.

“I’m a warrior from the alternate universe.”“The Goddess summoned me to this world to defeat the Devil that has imperiled the world and to restore peace to the world.”“I understand that it’s my cardinal duty. Since I’ve been summoned to become a Warrior, I’ll do my best to beat my opponent even if he’s the almighty Devil.”“Don’t ask me why. That’s what the book says.”“But… isn’t this development straying from the plot?!”This is the beginning of a scam in an alternate universe. It is also the story of a warrior with a mission to defeat the Devil. At the end, he realized that he had been duped instead.

Lilac has lived a life of suffering. From being forced to disguise himself as a girl to survive, to being labeled cursed after failing to awaken his heavenly gifts that everyone else could, he is shunned by all.To add salt to his wound, before he turns 18, his father vanishes, and his uncle seizes the throne that should've rightfully been Lilac's as the eldest son. Before Lilac could successfully flee, he is caught and traded to the monsters beyond the kingdom—beasts so feared that no one who sees them returns.But instead of death, Lilac is claimed by Sloan.Born cursed, Sloan is a prince of the Enwulves, an extinct hybrid wolf species. Even though he is a prince, he has lived life as an outcast due to his curse that causes him to forcibly transform every full moon, thus losing his humanity. His life has been mapped out for him, but when he finds Lilac—battered, freezing, and terrified—something shifts. For the first time, his rage stills. It was just a glimpse, a scent, a tiny whimper of fright.And that was it.Humans are meant to be slaves. Enwulves are forbidden from claiming them. Keeping Lilac means war.But Sloan has never followed rules, and Lilac has never belonged—until now.~~~ | ~~~“Are you afraid of me, little human?” Sloan husked out, cold lips grazing my bleeding fingers before his lips parted slightly to release hot breath over them. I trembled, rooted in the spot with fright and unable to breathe.Was this a trick question? Of course I’m afraid of him! Everyone is! Who wouldn’t be? Slaves are never supposed to be in his presence, except they suddenly desire a quick demise. Am I supposed to respond honestly or lie?When cold lips closed around my finger, I gasped in shock, a rush of fright and dread engulfing me. He was gonna bite off my finger right now, wasn’t he? Just because my stupid brain couldn’t come up with a response? The rumors said he was a heartless psychopath, but I didn’t think it was actually true!However, a hot tongue swiped over my fingertips and I sucked in a sharp breath, exhaling shakily while my chest expanded and my brain tried to figure out what was happening, and why my fingers weren't bitten off yet— or why I’m still breathing in his presence.Next, cold, long fingers wrapped around my wrist and my hand was being tugged upward, then a nose was digging into my pulse point, and I almost fainted when cold lips dragged over the sensitive skin there. The sound of a deep inhale filled up my ear next.“Fuck. You smell so good.”Oh heavens.This was worse than I thought.Instead of killing me, was he planning to… eat me… literally???! What the fuck?

He is Xi Liang’s legendary emperor: a decisive and ruthless king; a man of supreme wisdom; a cunning strategist.

According to legend, he once conferred the love meant for the three thousand concubines in his harem onto one woman, while the world watched in envy.

According to legend, he once executed a hundred people for her, turning the palace into a purgatory overnight.

According to legend, he ultimately sentenced that same woman to death by execution…

A conspiracy that swept through the country resulted in her tragic end. This lifetime seems to be a repeat of her past life. Can she escape the clutches of fate to attain true love in this life? In both lives, she was the Emperor’s wife, but is that ruthless man really her true love mandated by Heaven?

Did she really die, just like that?

In the end, beyond the veil of lies and mysteries, who exactly was she? Was she a woman that he truly loved, or was she merely a chess piece to be used in his political machinations?

The stories passed onto later generations remain fraught with conflicting opinions.

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