A Precious Pearl in the Imperial City - Chapter 36

...[Inside an underground basement]“You are going to die for nothing, hahahaha,” the old man's voice thundered through the room, sending chills down my spine.Step.With a swift and ruthless motion, he lunged forward, his sword slicing through the air and slashing my throat, crimson droplets staining the darkness.“We'll see,” I whispered defiantly, my final words escaping as a mere breath against the impending darkness.Slowly, inexorably, my consciousness slipped away, and I descended into a deep, unfathomable slumber.“Huh!?” My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself seated in a bustling tavern, the air thick with laughter and the clinking of glasses.In front of me stood a captivating lady, her beauty juxtaposed with an angry furrow upon her brow, threatening to shatter the harmony of the jovial scene.“Don't follow me around!” Her words pierced the air like shards of ice, the intensity of her emotions palpable as she cast a resentful glare in my direction, before swiftly departing from the tavern....Am I trapped within the confines of a game? The fragments of my shattered common sense scattered before me, leaving me to question the very fabric of my reality.

Yu Youyao had a nightmare. In her dream, she was married to the Marquis’ son, Song Mingzhao, and had become a mere medicine-human for her third sister, Yu Jianjia. After having blood extracted from her heart for three years, Yu Youyao’s life was nearing its end, so her wrist was slit and she died just like that.

Upon waking up, her heart thumped wildly and she decided to choose the first man she saw to escape that tragic fate. Thus, she clung onto the leg of her maternal cousin who had come all the way from the You Kingdom. “Cousin, I’ll be good to you for the rest of my life.”

Zhou Linghuai looked at the girl nestled in his arms. She had a lovely face and puppy eyes. Despite his usual ruthlessness, he suddenly found himself unable to reject her. And so, he became Yu Youyao’s protector, helping her to take revenge on those who bullied her, fend off the schemes of others, and reject all of her suitors. He even helped her attain glory and magnificence.

Once Yu Youyao reached adulthood, events started to progress according to her dream. The Marquis’s son, Song Mingzhao, had indeed come to request for her hand in marriage. However, Zhou Linghuai pressed Yu Youyao against the wall and said in a low voice, “You’re mine. You can’t marry anyone else!”

Excerpt:“Are you satisfied?” he asked, walking to the fire where she already sat. “Can you yet call yourself the greatest knight?”“Not until I can beat you,” Irene argued.Despite how serious he looked only moments before, he cracked a smile.“But you saved my life,” he insisted.Synopsis:With a second chance given to her after a pathetic ending to a life she didn’t want, Irene Litharion decides that she will follow in her father’s footsteps and become a knight.Waking up in the body of her eleven year old self, she’s reinvigorated to follow her heart. She has the rare blood of ancient warriors in her veins and promises to not turn her back to it anymore.Prepared for the sacrifices she will have to make to live the life she wants, a new challenge is presented when the only way she can become an apprentice knight is to turn her back on femininity altogether. The years she spent being forced to attend etiquette lessons go out the window and instead, daily sword practice takes place.Her father does all he can to get her into the knighthood, but it’s up to her to show her strength and skill to stay in it.However, it’s different than she expects when the Monster War ravages her homeland, she learns the sting of loss, and secrets of her own blood present themselves the more she leans into the thrill of battle.

Naofumi Iwatani, an uncharismatic Otaku who spends his days on games and manga, suddenly finds himself summoned to a parallel universe! He discovers he is one of four heroes equipped with legendary weapons and tasked with saving the world from its prophesied destruction.

As the Shield Hero, the weakest of the heroes, all is not as it seems. Naofumi is soon alone, penniless, and betrayed. With no one to turn to, and nowhere to run, he is left with only his shield. Now, Naofumi must rise to become the legendary Shield Hero and save the world!