Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king - Chapter 6: Small men have great shadows(end)

It's simple. A vengeful wildfire of a woman. A tyrant who begs to be burned.When Aria crashes into Kael’s empire, hellbent on making him pay for taking her job away, she’s met not with defiance—but a dare. “You want revenge?” he taunts, voice dripping with dark invitation.“Then ruin me. Take your pound of flesh exactly where it hurts.” His proposition is a trap laced with sin: As expected he calls the shots in his bed, her contempt is his twisted aphrodisiac.“Hate me until your hands shake,” he growls. “But do it on top of me, where I can watch you savor every cut.”Their arrangement is a collision of dominance and delirium. Aria wields her fury like a blade, determined to break him. Kael? He thrives under her wrath, goading her darker, deeper, hungrier.But vengeance turns slippery when every command she hisses ignites his obedience, and every cold glare melts into bruising kisses. Soon, the bed becomes a battleground—her nails carving victory into his skin, his whispers a serpent’s promise: “Chain me with your rage, darling. I’ll still come back for more.”The rules are simple: No mercy. No surrender. But as their games spiral into something ravenous, who’s destroying whom? And when hatred burns this hot, what’s left when the ashes cool?

After the death of her grandfather, Lu Xiaoxiao, a girl who lived in the 23rd century, lived alone in the villa left by her grandfather regardless of the dislike of relatives.

Suddenly, she found that her grandfather left her a space in Yu Peili. She likes to read novels, fearing that the end of the world will come, and she starts hoarding things desperately.

In the country, it became the body of an 8-year-old girl named Lu Xiaoxiao whose parents both died with the same name and surname. Fortunately, the space has come together, even in this strange era, I can live well

- Description from novelbuddy

Synopsis: System Awakening in Elegia – The System Activates!Jessie never imagined his life would end so abruptly—only to begin again in the world of One Piece. Reincarnated in Elegia, the Land of Music, he finds himself in a peaceful yet melancholic scene. Before him lies a motionless Uta, cradled gently in the arms of the infamous Red-Haired Shanks. Jessie, still powerless and stunned, can only watch as her life slowly fades.Frustrated by his helplessness and lack of strength, he suddenly hears a sound echo in his mind:[DING!][“Supreme Check-In System initializing... 1%... 100% complete.”]A voice rings out in his head, calm and mechanical—but filled with promise. The Supreme Check-In System has fully loaded. Its ability? Every time Jessie sets foot on a new island, he receives a heaven-defying reward.Stunned and thrilled, Jessie asks, “Do I have a novice reward?”[DING!][“Yes. Claim with your mind.”]Without hesitation, he shouts in his thoughts, “CLAIM!”DING![Congratulations! You have received the Sword God Inheritance (MAX)][Congratulations! You have received the 3-Domineering System (MAX)][Congratulations! You have received the One Fruit: Supreme Resurrection System]Eyes wide and heart pounding, Jessie grins with uncontrollable joy.“System, I love you so much! You’re the best! Hahaha!”With unimaginable power now coursing through him, Jessie sets his sights on rewriting destiny—starting with saving Uta, and eventually challenging the very balance of the seas!

Betrayed. Ridiculed. Killed.That was my past life.I trusted the wrong people, and they buried me for it. But fate wasn’t done with me yet. When I opened my eyes again, it wasn’t in my old body—it was in a world overrun by the undead. And this time, I was one of them.A fucking zombie!But I’m not like the others. I think. I feel. I remember.What’s this voice in my head?[Welcome to the Silent Requiem System!]The system feeds me power, unlocking missions and skill buried within this body. I have one goal: rise in rank, take control, and make sure no one ever tramples me again.The humans I move with have no idea what I really am. To them, I’m just another survivor, clawing my way to the top. But in battle, I use my abilities in secret—manipulating the undead, eliminating threats, and turning every fight in my favor.But rumors are spreading. There’s talk of an undead hiding among them, unseen and unstoppable. If they find out the truth, they’ll hunt me down like a monster.And my past? It’s here too. The people who betrayed me in my last life are standing right beside me, unaware of who I am. But I remember them. They turned on me once—I won’t give them the chance to do it again.Then there’s him. The commander of the city, sharp-eyed and ruthless. He’s watching me too closely, asking too many questions. If he figures out the truth, I’ll have to make a choice: eliminate him, outplay him… or pull him into my trap before he can destroy me.Because in this world, power is the only thing that matters. And this time, I refuse to be at the bottom.***“How did you survive when everyone else died?”I guess death just didn’t want me.“Why do the zombies ignore you?”Maybe I just have a face they don’t like.“You were just a nobody yesterday—how are you suddenly so strong?”Hard work, luck… and a little bit of hex.“Why do I feel like I've seen you somewhere before?”Déjà vu’s a funny thing, isn’t it?“What are you?”Wouldn’t you like to know?