Steady Cultivation: Starting With the Perk 'Work Hard, Rest Hard' - Chapter 22: Taking Over a Shop

In this world, there are those that are fortunate and those who are not.

Ethan Bellrose is neither; he is cursed. At nineteen, he has lived his entire life sheltered in his home as his fragile body blisters under sunlight, breaks under the slightest impact, and falls to any sickness.

However, the arrival of a world-changing digital service catches the hopeless young man’s eye: “Reincarnation Online”--a virtual reality experience that gives a new fantastical life to those who are unfulfilled with their current path.

For Ethan Bellrose, the choice is simple. Without hesitation, he orders the virtual reality headgear, choosing to abandon his current life and live forevermore in the world of fantasy, magic, and endless adventure–”Arcadius.”

Though what he finds is a world not full of leisure and trivial triumph, but a world just as alive and full of darkness, glory, and grandeur as Earth–if not greater.

Starting from square one as an infant, given a new name and family, this is the eventful life, full of dreadful lows and exhilarating highs, of “Emilio Dragonheart.”

[...Booting System…]

[Welcome to Reincarnation Online.]

[You will henceforth by the recipient of the Dragonheart System.]

[Please, enjoy your stay.]

“What are you doing, Logan?”Jean’s voice was sharp, but her body betrayed her leaning into the warmth of his breath as his lips traced a sinful path down her neck.“You promised me a kiss every day, remember?” Logan murmured, his smirk curling against her skin.“Or should I read the contract to you again?”She should pull away. She knows this is wrong.But resisting Logan Kingsley?That was never in the plan.------------------------------------------------------Jean Adams has spent her entire life under the suffocating control of her powerful family, molded into the perfect daughter, the flawless businesswoman, and the untouchable heiress. But when her parents cross the final line, demanding she marry the very man who once shattered her, she refuses to be their pawn any longer. If they want a marriage, she’ll give them one. But on her terms.Logan Kingsley, her sworn enemy. A self-made billionaire with a reputation for winning, Logan has spent years battling Jean in boardrooms and beyond. They have never seen eye to eye, their hatred simmering since childhood. But when Jean offers him a deal, a contract marriage that benefits them both, he doesn’t hesitate.For Logan, marrying Jean is a strategic move. For Jean, it’s her ultimate revenge. Tying herself to Logan is the perfect way to break free from her family’s grip, humiliate them, and destroy the future they tried to force upon her. But as their fake marriage plays out under the public eye, their carefully crafted plan starts to unravel.Old wounds resurface. The line between pretense and reality blurs. And the one thing Jean swore she’d never risk, her heart, may become the biggest casualty of all.In a game of power, betrayal, and unexpected passion, Jean and Logan must decide: Is their marriage just a weapon for revenge, or has it become something far more dangerous?

This is a story about a young man who sought to fight against his destiny. With the help from billions of Dragon Energies trapped on the Rising Dragon Pillar in his body, he emerged from the dark and quenched himself with the blood of ancient dragons. He fought the heaven with the Buddhist Art for the people he loved and built the Eternity Kingdom with his own hands. This is a story about the rise of the Martial Emperor who will rule both earth and heaven.

- Description from Novelupdates

I was betrayed in my first life.A cripple, broken and discarded—I died after catching the one I loved in bed with the only person I ever called a friend.That was the start of real torment.When I woke up, it was in another world.A goddess stood before me.She told me I could go back.Back to my world.Back to everything I lost.All I had to do… was play my part.The side character.And I did.I followed the script.Played my role to perfection.They hated me.Mocked me.Used me.Again and again.But I kept going. Because I believed her.Because I wanted to go home.Then one day, I found out.The hard way.It was all a lie.There was no going back.There never was.She used me.Again.Just like everyone else.Thrown away like trash once I outlived my usefulness.That was the day something inside me snapped.And so, I made a vow.I would take everything from her.I would enslave every single heroine she chose.And I would kill the hero she placed all her hopes on.If she wanted to protect this world…Then I would burn it down.But the more I tried, the more things started to change.And then one day—I found one of the heroines.One of the hero's yanderes I had enslaved.She stood there, trembling, a knife in her hand.“You’re not going anywhere,” she whispered, eyes wild.“I won’t let them have you. You belong to me.”...What. The. Fuck. Is. Happening?!