Of Arms and Arcane - Chapter 33

Prince Heixinggen from the Swabia branch of the Hohenzollern family sees the turmoil in Europe and the impending war, deciding it's better not to stay.He embarks on land acquisition in East Africa, focusing on immigration and development, laying the foundation with agriculture, taking one step at a time, and leveraging the crisis to achieve industrialization.

For ten long years, Adam was a prisoner within his own body, paralyzed and helpless, silently observing a world he couldn't interact with. As his life finally ebbed away, connected to hospital machines, his last conscious thought wasn't one of peace, but a desperate, burning wish hurled into the void: If I get a second chance, let me be the strongest.The universe, in its mysterious ways, answered. Adam was reborn, not into light, but into an infinite, suffocating darkness. Yet, within this void, he discovered an astonishing truth: he possessed unimaginable power. Reality itself seemed to bend to his mere thought; he could conjure wonders or horrors with a whim. He was, by all measures, the most powerful entity imaginable. But this godlike power came with a cruel twist – he was utterly trapped, unable to escape the encompassing darkness.His prison, he soon grasped, wasn't empty space. It was the consciousness of another being. He was an unseen passenger, a silent god locked within the mind and soul of Eric, the unassuming Third Prince of a kingdom unknown to Adam. Eric, frail and seemingly ordinary, was completely unaware of the cosmic powerhouse dwelling within him.Adam's initial goal was simple: escape or seize control. But a chilling revelation halted his plans – his existence was inexplicably tethered to the prince's fragile life. If Eric died, Adam's own newfound power, perhaps even his very being, might shatter. A reluctant protector was born from a desperate prisoner.Now, Adam walks a razor's edge. He subtly guides and shields his unwitting vessel, Eric, from the dangers of court intrigue and hidden enemies, intervening with earth-shattering displays of power only when Eric faces certain death. These brief, terrifying moments where the “weak” prince unleashes godly might leave the world baffled and fearful, whispering legends of the prince's hidden potential.To navigate this precarious existence and perhaps forge a path to his own freedom or dominance, Adam devises a unique tool: a 'System' granted to Eric. Is it a gift to empower his host, a means to strengthen the vessel for eventual takeover, or a dangerous gamble with unforeseen consequences?As Adam fights unseen battles, protecting Eric while plotting his own endgame, questions linger. Can he ever break free? Will Eric discover the terrifying truth of his inner 'guest'? And what will happen when the world realizes that the power shaking kingdoms doesn't belong to the prince, but to the ancient, godlike entity trapped inside him? His journey is one of immense power bound by frustrating confinement, a hidden war fought within a single soul, where the fate of a prince and the ambition of a captive god hang in the balance.

Five years ago, she left behind an egg and said, “This is the son I bore for you. When he comes of age, that will be the time of my return.” He thought she was joking, but months later, the son hatched out of the egg, looking like a normal baby but with two shiny, adorably cute little dragon horns on his head. However, she remained far away with no signs of returning.Later, she disappeared for five years, and he went mad for five years, until Little Dragon brought home a woman, and he instantly came to his senses... But Little Dragon said, “Daddy, even though you don't have a wife, you're about to get a daughter-in-law soon. She saved me, and I want to dedicate myself to her in return!”From then on, the father and son found themselves in an open and covert struggle for her affection.“Your Excellency, Miss Si's medical skills have amazed the entire globe, and all the bigshots are busting their heads to court her. Your heroic rescuing act is of no use...”Mo Yinhe suddenly collapsed to the ground, coughing violently, “Quick, go call her to save me!”“Your Excellency, the seven arch-rivals whom you beat until their livers exploded are all Miss Si's biological brothers. They want to take Miss Si back to inherit the throne...”Mo Yinhe immediately announced his abdication, pulling his son to roam the streets: “Sonny, from now on, Dad can only follow you to seek refuge with your wife-to-be.”Little Dragon shook the shiny, adorably cute little dragon horns on his head, “Daddy, I've already arranged a retirement home for you, guaranteed to secure your peaceful old age~”

Somebody once told a joke.A man ran in place all his life. He worked a job he didn't love for people he couldn't stand. But at the end of the day, the number in his bank account went up.That man got a second chance at life. He woke up in another world, full of adventures and romances and monsters and gods. And floating above his head he saw the number “1”. So what did he say?“Gosh I better make the number go up.”Not today. Not for this old soul. Reborn as a beast of battle meant to live a short life and die screaming, Garek refuses. He puts the madness of skills and levels behind him and sets out to found a little farmstead. He grows crops. Maybe someday he'll get a pig, and have bacon.It's a shame the world won't let him be. It's a shame that the warmongers and level-grinders hate nothing more than a soul at peace.He put down his sword for a plowshare, but when trouble comes calling, he'll pick it up again.