MTL - Empress True Colors - Chapter 48 Reluctant (2)

Eli Turner had perfected the art of coasting through life, gaming, lounging, and vibing with no grand ambitions beyond the next high. But his laid-back existence is upended when his laptop inexplicably transforms into a gateway to another world. What starts as a surreal escape becomes a perilous journey as Eli finds himself wielding a mysterious system that allows him to level up, fight monsters, and gain abilities beyond his wildest dreams.At first, the portal world feels like a haven, offering purpose and adventure Eli never knew he craved. Guided, or manipulated, by Azrael, a mischievous god orchestrating the game, Eli rises as one of the system's chosen players. But as the quests grow more dangerous and Azrael’s true intentions begin to surface, Eli struggles to balance the fantasy world with his life back home. His girlfriend, Sara, and his friends are left grappling with a version of Eli they hardly recognize, as the lines between his two lives blur.When the system expands to players worldwide, Eli crosses paths with others drawn into Azrael’s cosmic experiment: Yumi Tanaka, a fiercely disciplined Japanese student with a perfectionist streak, and Arjun Mehta, a charming Indian playboy with secrets of his own. Each carries their own burdens and ambitions, but all three must face the harsh truth: Azrael’s game is far more than it seems.As alliances are forged, rivalries ignite, and the stakes escalate, Eli must confront not only the dangers of the portal world but the growing rift between the person he is and the hero he’s becoming. In a game where every move is a test and every choice ripples across both worlds, the question remains: can Eli, Yumi, and Arjun uncover the truth before the system consumes them all?

Jiang Ning was the true heiress of the Huo Family, lost and living outside. After being brought back by her family, her birth parents didn't like her, her cold-faced brother despised her, and her twin brothers would tell her to get lost from the home at the drop of a hat.Waking up alone in the hospital, she was diagnosed by the doctor with a terminal illness, yet her own family was busy throwing a party for the fake heiress. Jiang Ning was furious!She kicked these so-called family members one by one, sending them all flying!If they didn't accept her, she didn't care for them either!......Jiang Ning participated in a rural countryside live stream variety show.Her haters caught wind and came to greet Jiang Ning's entire family in the barrage of messages.But what they found was:Day one: Shock! Jiang Ning catches a thief on the street! A golden retriever runs over to help her.Day two: Jiang Ning snatches a child back from human traffickers with her bare hands! A bird publicly defecates on the traffickers' heads!Day three: Jiang Ning fights a criminal in a life-and-death struggle! A goose mocks them at the scene.Thief: “I had already finished stealing, and she still caught me. It's absurd.”Murderer on the run for sixteen years: “You might not believe it, but I just came to buy a bottle of water, and she came up to me with a big right hook.”A nice countryside live stream somehow turned into a legal synergy.The online audience crazily tagged the official police accounts:“Let's be honest, isn't she an undercover agent you dispatched?”“Jiang Ning's side job is entering the entertainment industry, but her main role is catching criminals, right?”A certain big shot attached a wedding photo: “Wife, mine.”

Xi Wan transmigrated into a novel! The system tied to her notified her that there had been changes in the major roles in the story!

Firstly, the female protagonist was tied to an external hacking system! Secondly, the male protagonist was aware of the entire novel’s content! Thirdly, the villain in the novel was reborn and returned! Meanwhile, she had become an enemy to all three of them.

As a major character in the novel, she needed to appear at fixed intervals to maintain stability in the world.

‘So, did you send me here to die?’ Xi Wan wondered.[You can choose to appease the female protagonist, fight for the male protagonist, or join forces with the villain. You have three options to change your fate!] The system announced.

Xi Wan snorted and rolled her eyes.

She would not choose from any of these three options. Hence, in the face of a tricky situation, while the system tried persuading her to clear her name, Xi Wan decisively backed out. She became an investor instead. Xi Wan smiled at the female protagonist’s friend.

“It’s my pleasure to inform you that you have been kicked out!”

[She’s the female protagonist’s friend. You can use her to win the female protagonist over! But... Nevermind. Since you don’t want to suck up to the female protagonist, you can choose to win the male protagonist over instead,] the system responded. When the male protagonist suddenly appeared in front of Xi Wan, she raised her brows.

“Do you know why I haven’t reached out to you all this time?” Xi Wan asked. The male protagonist shook his head.

”It’s because I don’t want you to become someone who ruins another person’s marriage. Be a good boy, and forget about me.”

Xi Wan gently touched the male protagonist’s face and walked away.When the system saw Xi Wan getting rid of two leading characters in quick succession, it instantly realized what she was up to.

“I get it now. You want to join forces with the villain!” However, Xi Wan whistled as soon as she met the villain for the first time.

“Hey, handsome! When are you free? Shall we get a divorce?”

Just as the system believed this world could not be salvaged after seeing Xi Wan’s behavior, it realized Xi Wan not only escaped from her original fate, which was a terrible one, but she also became increasingly popular!

The villain, reborn and waiting for Xi Wan to betray him, fell deep into thought after seeing Xi Wan live her leisurely life.’

Who am I? Where am I? I feel like a joke for being so defensive against you...’ The villain thought.

Knights of the Round Table, Dino Fighter, King of Fighters, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Metal Slug, Street Fighter, Samurai Shodown, Journey to the West, countless arcade games, have made their debut in the form of special copies.And the adventurers who take risks in these games are destined to have every journey as a life-and-death contest, except…A white dagger and a white pistol are fused to a green pistol.A green pistol and a green pistol are fused to a blue revolver.A blue revolver and a blue BOSS exclusive equipment are fused to Terhune’s wife… Hey?!Looking at the upgraded new equipment in his hand, Qin Ming was a little dumbfounded.No! Director! This is different from what was agreed!