Former General Is Undead Knight - Volume 3, Chapter 12: Laughing Clown?

Perla had always felt a longing for adventure, stifled by the rules of her strict upbringing and surrounded by her older brothers free to do as they wanted. She longed to carve her own path, to seek out excitement and perhaps even a little romance along the way. One day, while escaping yet another tedious piano class, she stumbled into the hollow of a massive tree. At its base, a mesmerizing green light beckoned her, and before she knew it, she was transported to a bizarre forest teeming with colossal, long-extinct creatures and menacing carnivorous plants.This was the realm of Beastkin, where men could transform into mighty beasts. Here, the constant threat of war had led to a peculiar imbalance, with most females giving birth to male Beastkin, resulting in a dire shortage of women. The land was a battleground, filled with mercenaries and adventurers seeking glory. While the males formed companies to embark on quests, their females stayed behind, living a life of comfort. But not Perla—she was determined to break free from the mold, to grow stronger, and to join her new love interests on exhilarating escapades.

It was the year 2050. The world had released an online game, “Second World”, that shocked the public beta. Gold from the game could be exchanged for real-life currency, attracting countless players. Every country in the world fought for game resources. The main character immediately entered the game after this wave.

After entering the game as an adventurer (job before job change), he stepped into the first stage of his life. It was a stage that even a child could pass.

He thought that it was a normal stage. However, he did not expect to be locked into the game and continuously repeat the stage!

As time passed, the stage finally let him pass as per normal a thousand years later. He finally left the dungeon after clearing the stage. It was only now that he realized that this was only the second day of the game!

He realized that this was not a dream after he saw his attribute panel. What followed was a variety of system notifications!

“Reached MAX proficiency with the ax—Ax God!” “Reached MAX proficiency with the sword—Sword God!” “Reached MAX proficiency with the heavy shield—Shield God!” “Reached MAX proficiency with all weapons—Almighty Master!”

“As your proficiency as an adventurer has overloaded and you have not changed your job in a long time, you can now undergo a unique job change as we have detected your proficiency with weapons—Battle God!”

A deep crack appeared on the ground when he struck the level 1 wild monster with the small wooden sword in his hand!

The year was 2026, and the world wasn't what it used to be. Ever since the Abyss Gates cracked open three years ago, spilling monsters and dungeons across the planet, life had turned into a chaotic mess. Cities were half-ruined, half-rebuilt, and people clung to whatever normalcy they could find. Hunters—those brave or crazy enough to fight the monsters—became the new heroes. Everyone else? Well, they just tried to survive.Fin wasn't a Hunter. He wasn't a hero either.He was just… Fin. A lanky 19-year-old with messy brown hair, a chipped front tooth from a dumb skateboard accident, and a power that everyone called useless. Absorption. Sounds cool, right? Like he could suck up energy or steal someone's strength. Nope. All it did was let him “feel” things he touched a little more than normal. He could tell you the exact texture of a brick wall or how warm a coffee mug was—big whoop. No fireballs, no super strength, no flashy moves. Just a glorified touchy-feely trick.“Fin, you gonna eat that sandwich or just stare at it like it's gonna confess its life story?” Meg's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.He blinked and looked across the rickety table at his best friend. Meg was short, loud, and had a wild mop of dyed purple hair that she swore made her look “intimidating.” It didn't.

He is Xi Liang’s legendary emperor: a decisive and ruthless king; a man of supreme wisdom; a cunning strategist.

According to legend, he once conferred the love meant for the three thousand concubines in his harem onto one woman, while the world watched in envy.

According to legend, he once executed a hundred people for her, turning the palace into a purgatory overnight.

According to legend, he ultimately sentenced that same woman to death by execution…

A conspiracy that swept through the country resulted in her tragic end. This lifetime seems to be a repeat of her past life. Can she escape the clutches of fate to attain true love in this life? In both lives, she was the Emperor’s wife, but is that ruthless man really her true love mandated by Heaven?

Did she really die, just like that?

In the end, beyond the veil of lies and mysteries, who exactly was she? Was she a woman that he truly loved, or was she merely a chess piece to be used in his political machinations?

The stories passed onto later generations remain fraught with conflicting opinions.

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