Chronicles of the Hidden Crown: The System's Gentle Tyrant - Chapter 7: Interlude: The Commoners’ Camp – Hope Beneath the Stars

He’s her stepbrother, her sin and her biggest mistake waiting to happen.Catherine Brown thought moving in with her mother’s new husband couldn’t be harder until she met the cold, arrogant and sinfully attractive Julian Vaughn, her stepbrother.He hates her, teases her and gets under her skin everyday. He’s everything she should stay away from, off-limits and untouchable.But when his anger turns into something darker and hungrier, when he looks at her like he wants to ruin her innocence, Catherine realizes danger has a new name.And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t stop wanting the one man she’s not supposed to have.When hate turns to desire, who’s really in control?EXCERPT✨“You’ve never had sex before?” Julian asked, disbelief flickering in his eyes.Catherine hesitated, then nodded, staring at the floor instead of him.He bit his lower lip, trying to rein in the thoughts crowding his mind. Goodness, she was too innocent for her own good.“So all you did with your previous boyfriends were just kisses and smooches?”She immediately stood, her cheeks flushed. “There are no boyfriends,” she blurted. “I’ve never even been kissed. Please don’t laugh at me.”Laugh? Hell no. Julian wasn’t laughing. He was fighting the urge to pull her close. Knowing she’d never been touched only made his hunger worse.She didn’t realize he’d moved until his breath brushed her ear, his voice dropping low and dangerous.“Catherine, just say the word and I’ll show you what it means to be touched by a man.”Her heart stuttered in her chest and he could hear every beat.

A thousand years ago, a Rain of Evolution fell, and the world entered the Era of Evolution.Animals, plants, and humans all gained the potential to evolve into higher-level life forms.However, the human method of evolution is unique; they must absorb the extracts of higher-level life forms to complete their evolution, and each time they absorb an extract, they also acquire a skill from the extract's original owner.Absorb the extract of an “Undying Salamander” and gain the ability of limb regeneration;Absorb the extract of an “Iron Armor Oyster” and possess a flexible gender;Absorb the extract of a “Forest Giant Cockroach” and transform into an unkillable cockroach;Su Ze has come to this world, but before he can begin his evolution, he must solve his life-and-death crisis.“My name is Su Ze.”“I originally thought I had transmigrated and become a scion of a powerful official, but I never expected that I was just his clone, a scapegoat for him to escape punishment, a tool used for him to fake his death and get away.”“What's worse is, I'm scheduled to be executed tomorrow, but my cheat has not yet arrived...”

A young Japanese man inherits his parents' grape farm after they impulsively bought it during retirement but couldn't handle its physical demands. Though initially reluctant, he finds success farming for three years until market oversaturation causes prices to plummet. While playing a new video game called “Immortal Order: Origin” about historical secrets, he is mysteriously transported to 16th century North America, where he encounters starving English colonists from the lost Roanoke Colony. His grape farm has been transported with him, complete with modern equipment and a secret gift called 'Immortal'.

Neo was on the verge of achieving his dreams, set to graduate with flying colors and secure a bright future. But fate had other plans.One moment, he was lounging in his apartment, enjoying his simple and ordinary day. The next, he found himself in a nightmare—a brutal game orchestrated by the hidden rulers of the world.But Neo wasn’t just another victim. When he was pushed to the brink of death, something awoke within him—an ability unlike any other. God-Tier Adaptive System .Every injury made him tougher. Every battle made him smarter. Every encounter shaped him into the perfect survivor.Now, he isn’t just fighting to escape. He’s evolving. And soon, those who once saw him as prey will learn to fear him.'To kill those sick monsters, I must become something far worse.'