Starting from Zero - Book 2 - Chapter 4 – NPC Friend

[Warning: Mature Content and a ruthless, villainous, badass mc!]Kael Draven was once the feared leader of an underground mafia empire. A shadow ruler who pulled the strings behind the scenes.But power comes at a price. Kael learned that the hard way when a bullet pierced his ear, and his trusted ally betrayed him, bringing his life to an end.Bang!As his empire crumbled and his body hit the cold floor, all he could think was, ‘What a pathetic way to go.’Instead of hell, Kael woke up in a far more dangerous world, with a body stronger than ever—youthful, shredded, with muscles for days and an ego that could crush mountains.His title? Master of the Crimson Maw.He now led a bandit group that had angered a mysterious force and been wiped out—except for one survivor: a strong, silent gladiatrix who wanted nothing to do with him.To make things even more interesting, his body bore a glowing tattoo that whispered in his mind: “Bond. Through body. Through soul.”But Kael wasn’t one to back down. He didn’t like losing.So what if his base was a dilapidated shack? So what if his army was just one extremely voluptuous warrior?Kael wasn’t here to play small. He was going to turn this ragtag bandit group into a force feared by all, with a harem of deadly beauties who would bow to no one but him!Welcome to the Crimson Maw. Where the training is brutal, the beauties are overpowered, and the only thing more dangerous than an enemy is the bandit king himself.Let the grind begin!

Ripped from a dead-end life and plunged into a world where danger lurks behind every smile, Xiulan must learn to thrive in a realm ruled by ruthless ambition and deadly secrets. When Li Mei dies in a traffic accident after another soul-crushing retail shift, she awakens in a familiar yet dangerous world—inside her favorite game, . Now inhabiting the body of Lin Xiulan, the scorned second daughter of a noble family, she finds herself thrust into a nest of vipers where her very existence is an offense to those around her. Armed only with her knowledge of the game and the wounds from a lifetime of dealing with entitled customers, Xiulan refuses to play the role of the family’s punching bag. Determined to rise above, she’ll need to master immortal alchemy, tame arcane spirit beasts, perfect her martial arts, and face off against her scheming sisters and stepmother. But in Arinthia, a land where power reigns supreme and the weak are swept aside, Xiulan must do more than just survive and fade into the background. With the knowledge of a devastating future that awaits the realm’s beloved Crown Princess, she’ll need every ounce of her modern wit and growing abilities to prevent a catastrophe that would ruin the entire realm—assuming she can survive her own family long enough to do anything about it. Only by transforming herself into a force of reckoning can Xiulan hope to protect those she comes to care about—and survive the darkness that awaits.

This is the first part, the second part is “Playing Fish Trapped in a Secret Room (密室困游鱼 Mi Shi Kun You Yu)”.

In 2007, at the WCG Asian Tournament in Singapore. In just a few hours time, between left and right hands, there goes a life and death battle. In the Chinese team that year, there is a professional player who’s only 15 years old, nicknamed “God’s Left Hand”. At that match, he sits right next to her.

Their professional lives start from 14 years old until they retire, disappear, at 25 years old.

In these non-mainstream tournaments, where a small niche of the population follows closely, their only possessions are a mouse, keyboard, and headphone each. There they won gold medals one after another for China.

“So, what do you want?” He Xinyan quickly glanced up into Gu Yechen’s face and frowned. Why did he look so familiar? Where did she see him before?

“I want you.”

“. . .” Well, that was direct.

He Xinyan opened her mouth to speak but she couldn’t form the right words.

“Let's make a deal. You become my girlfriend and you can ask for anything in return.”

“Anything?” He Xinyan repeated.

Gu Yechen nodded his head, “Anything.”

He Xinyan thought about what could help her but realized that there wasn’t much she needed as of now. However, she would definitely need support in the future.

There were many things she couldn’t do by herself, but Gu Yechen would definitely be able to do.

“How long would this deal last?”

Gu Yechen leaned back against the couch casually, “However long I feel like.”

“And. . . that is about how long?”

“Forever.”

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He Xinyan’s life was in ruins.

After being cheated on by her fiance, her life went downhill as she lived under endless rumors and hate comments. Her stepsister framed her for things she never did, her fiance betrayed her, and her father kicked her out of the house for being an unfilial daughter.

At the lowest point of her life, she died. . .

A car accident killed her, and also brought her back to eight years ago, before everything started going downhill. With a second chance, He Xinyan was determined to take back what was rightfully hers and also take revenge on those who hurt her in the past.

He Xinyan thought that she was already prepared for all the lies and secrets from her past, but she realizes that her first life was only a joke as more secrets get uncovered.

In her twisted life and story, He Xinyan couldn’t possibly defeat everyone’s schemes and achieve her goals by herself.

Through an unexpected encounter, she met Gu Yechen, the cold and powerful CEO of the Gu Corporation.

With a powerful and cunning man protecting and helping her this time around, He Xinyan was certain that her second chance would be successful!

However, success doesn’t come easily. . .

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