Mushoku Tensei - Volume 8 Chapter 9 — White Mask - First Part

In the year 2090, technology has advanced to the point where Simulation Boxes, (Sim Box for short) are common place, allowing for the user to link up their brain's neural network to a full dive Simulation. While initially used for educational purposes, recently a large gaming company, Averon, released a fully fledged immersive MMORPG simulation where users can become anyone they desire, level up, choose their class, and become a hero or a villain. The name of this simulation is The Shattered World Online.

Eli Winters had no interest in playing it. His father, a jobless bum who spent his entire life playing games in the hope of becoming a famous player or streamer, was able to use the release of The Shattered World Online to gain wealth and fame, quickly becoming the number one player and a household name as the game took the world by storm. He immediately abandoned Eli and his mother in favor of being with someone from his guild, despite his mother having worked two jobs to support them and raise Eli by herself. Eli had nothing but spite for his father and the game.

When Eli's best friend convinces him to try out the game, his father's fame begins to interfere, culminating in him being singled out and shunned by his peers, and his father offering to pay for his university tuition in return for Eli hiding their relationship and quitting the game. Instead of complying with his father's wishes, Eli decides to prove to everyone how useless a guy his father is by challenging him that if Eli is able to surpass him in the game world he must delete his account and quit his streaming career. His father accepts the challenge believing his son to be useless at games - but Eli will soon show him just how ambitious a spiteful person can be.

Zephyrine should have died that night. It was her wedding day, but it turned out to be a mourning day for her.She lost her parents, the Alpha and Luna, and worse still, she was framed for their deaths by the fiancé she was expected to marry.Zephyrine barely escaped death and promised herself to avenge her parents death. She became a queen—a fearless queen with a pack.She crushed those who stood in her way, even challenging great Alphas and those of high authority.Despite all this, little does she know that fate had other plans in store for her.She finally found her mate, and he was none other than the Lord of the Grims.She refused to let the mate bond tie her down and chose to grow stronger while protecting her pack.The Lord of the Grims was forbidden from having a mate following the betrayal from the werewolves that happened centuries ago. But despite it all, the Lord couldn't help but fall deeper in love with Zephyrine. He protected her and acted as a shield, refusing to leave her side despite how she pushed him away.Zephyrine and the Lord encountered different situations of life and death, bringing them closer.Unaware of his true identity, she began to fall in love with him.Those from each realm found out about this forbidden love and decided to put a stop to it.Zephyrine discovered his true identity, realizing what the werewolves had done to his kind.She chose to fight for love despite all odds.Because some loves are written in fate.And some must be fought for in blood.Will she be able to stand against the two realms and still fight for the one she loves?What other danger lay ahead in their love story?Excerpt from the book“You carry yourself like you're untouchable,” Caden said, his voice low and smooth. “Like no one can reach you. But I see right through that mask, Zephyrine.”I held my ground, unwilling to let him see how much his presence was affecting me. “If you think you can intimidate me, you're mistaken. I've stood against worse than you.”His lips curved into a faint smile, but there was something deeper in his gaze now—something that felt like fire. “You feel it, don't you?” he murmured.I stiffened, my wolf practically clawing to get out. I did feel it—the pull, the undeniable connection that tied me to him. My mate. The realization hit me like a tidal wave, and I hated how vulnerable it made me feel.“You're wrong,” I said sharply, though my voice wavered. “Whatever this is, I don't want it.”Caden's eyes softened, but he didn't back down. Instead, he took another step forward, closing the distance between us until I could feel the heat radiating from him. He raised a hand, brushing his fingers lightly against my cheek.“Deny it all you want, Zephyrine,” he said softly, his touch sending sparks through my skin. “But your wolf doesn't lie. You can feel it, just like I do.”I shivered, hating how my body betrayed me. My breath hitched as his thumb gently traced along my jawline. “I've been waiting for you,” he continued. “And now that I've found you, I won't let you go.”I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay firm. “I don't need a mate,” I whispered, though the words felt hollow.Caden's smile widened, but it wasn't mocking—it was warm, almost tender. “You may not think you require me,” he said, his voice steady, “but I promise you, Zephyrine, you'll want me. And when that time comes, you'll submit—not because I demand it, but because you'll choose to.”The way he said it made my heart stutter, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.Before I could respond, he leaned closer, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, “You'll see, my queen. You can try to fight it, but you'll be mine in the end.”He pulled back, his intense gaze locking with mine one last time before he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, breathless and trembling.My wolf was practically purring, but I wasn't going to give in.Never.

In this lifetime and every other, I promise to only be loyal to you. Even if I have to crawl back from Hell, I will do so gladly. Wow, you just broke all the cold CEO fantasies.

Like every romance novel, Yun Qian Meng faced the evil stepmother and negligent father. On top of that, she was arranged to marry a scum man who manipulated her, stole from her, and finally... killed her.

When she woke up, she found herself back at the top of the world. It was all a dream, she told herself and moved on... until the scum fiancé made an appearance.

Who was she? Yun Qian Meng. Twenty-five. Founder and CEO of a company worth billions of dollars. The world was at her feet. How dare this scum man think he was worth her?

“My fiancé wants to usurp my company? I’ll bury him alive.”

“My father wants to marry me off for his gain? I’ll find a husband he will never approve of.”

“Of course... He needs to meet my conditions first.”

Who would have known that her arch-nemesis, Mo Qingchen, would present himself in front of her as a potential suitor.

“Lunatic! I wouldn’t marry him even if he were the last man on Earth!”

Ants surrounded Mo Qingchen. He was twice as powerful as her. Twice as wealthy. And the conditions he was offering were top notch. He'd lit the fire and she swarmed to him like a moth to a flame.

“Well, a contract marriage never hurt anyone.”

She was looking for financial and social gain but she ended up on a path to finding herself and things she never knew she wanted.

The curtain rose. Shots were fired. The play began. The broken girl started her journey towards the woman she was destined to be.

All the world’s a stage. And a play is only entertaining when chaos ensues.

**Mature Content**[I hope the day never comes when I can’t find a reason to keep loving you, for you are my every reason.]*********************Yoon Haeun, a quirky 27-year-old chaebol heir and who runs a game company, is often pestered by his unconventional mother about settling down and having children. As an omega who has never experienced his heat cycle, Haeun is constantly set up with alphas by his mother. Unfortunately, the pheromones of these alphas usually make him nauseous and disgusted.Everything changes when Haeun meets Cheon Yeongsoo a third-generation heir whom he has previously disliked. When Haeun encounters Yeongsoo’s pheromones, he is unexpectedly enveloped in a sense of safety and comfort—a feeling he’s never experienced before. As Haeun’s heat cycle arrives, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to Yeongsoo.Three days later, Haeun wakes up disoriented in Yeongsoo’s bed, his mind racing with confusion and a surge of panic. The room is unfamiliar, and the scent of Yeongsoo’s pheromones is overpowering. He tried to piece together the fragments of his memory from the night before, only to realize the gravity of his situation. The man he’s long disliked is now his unlikely savior, and the last thing Haeun wanted was to admit how much he had grown to need Yeongsoo.**Excerpt**Haeun looked up at Yeongsoo with a pout, his hand resting on his pregnant belly. “Will you still love me if I weigh 200kg and become very ugly?”Yeongsoo chuckled, pulling Haeun close and gently hugging his bulging stomach. “You’re already displeasing to the eyes, so it doesn’t really matter.”Haeun’s eyes welled up as he looked at Yeongsoo,obviously hurt. “Are you saying I’m ugly?”Yeongsoo’s smile softened as he held Haeun, brushing his fingers through his hair. “Whether you weigh 200kg or become ugly, you’ll always be the prettiest person in my eyes. Why? Because I love you. You’re my everything, Haeun. And no matter what, that won’t ever change.”Haeun’s heart swelled, a tear slipping down his cheek as he snuggled closer. “You really know how to make everything feel okay.”Yeongsoo kissed his forehead tenderly. “That’s because being with you is the best part of my life.”