Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage - Chapter 39: Bladefanged Doom

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.

Li Xuan traveled through the world of immortality and opened the apprentice system, and both apprentices and apprentices could be rewarded for upgrading.

【Ding! Accepting apprentice Qin Yue, reward you: Innate Divine Power]

【Ding! Accept the apprentice Zhao Tian, ​​reward you: call the wind and call the rain]

【Ding! Apprentice upgrade, reward you: space shuttle]

….

Li Xuan, who accepted a bunch of apprentices, evolved infinitely in seclusion.

Ten years later, the Devil Emperor invaded and wanted to sacrifice the whole world, but no one could stop it. The disciples watched the world fall into despair in pain.

At this time, Li Xuan appeared and slashed a sword against the Demon Emperor under the watchful eyes of the public.

Boom!

The sky fell apart, the invincible Demon Emperor fell on the spot, and the entire dark world was swept away by a sword.

The disciples were horrified. It turned out that the strongest person in the world was actually the master who had been in seclusion for ten years.

- Description from novelbuddy

After years of exhausting work as an editor, constantly meeting impossible deadlines and dealing with frustrating clients, he finally reached the finish line—his long-awaited vacation. No more emails, no more last-minute revisions, just pure, uninterrupted laziness.His perfect plan? Lock himself inside his house, watch his favorite shows, playing video games, sleep to his heart’s content, and embrace a life of pure relaxation.But just as he was about to enjoy the bliss of doing absolutely nothing… he woke up somewhere else.Not just anywhere—but in another world, inside the body of a young noble boy. And not just any noble boy—the second son of a Marquis, notorious for his laziness and bad reputation.Great. Just great.Yet, instead of questioning the absurdity of his situation, he did what he did best—ignored everything and went back to sleep.Unfortunately, the world refused to let him be.---[System installed...][Congratulations, Host! You have been chosen as the new candidate of this world.][Please complete the following task to finish the quest and receive a reward.][Warning: Failure to complete the quest within the time limit will result in consequences.][...][...][...Host?][Didn’t you hear what I said?][WAKE UP!]Zzzzz…And so, his peaceful days were over before they even began.Now, with an annoying system breathing down his neck, a family that already expects nothing from him, and a world filled with power struggles and danger, all he wants is to laze around.But will the world really let him?

What happens when a goddess falls in love with a shifter?Asara; the goddess of love, was punished by her father, the god of thunder.Her crime being falling in love with a mortal shifter Alpha.To pay for her sins she was reborn as Cassandra LeBlanc; a mortal Princess in the magical Kingdom of Speldaria.Her family and kingdom, except her middle sister, shunned her for she was born without any magical abilities and she had no recollections of her true identity.Her betrothed, the powerful mage commander of the Speldaria, was unbothered by her. He wished for someone strong.Cassandra’s life was toppled when she was gifted a warrior slave by the mighty Alpha of Dusartine. She was asked to take part in the Yearly Arena Event by collaborating with the warrior.Cassandra who hated ‘The Arena’ with her very breath. A place where blood flowed like wine and life was cheaper than the very air they breathed didn't understand her purpose in it.On top of that, the mysterious warrior affected her in unimaginable ways.His hypnotic gaze unsettled her.His rare essence overwhelmed her.His muscular bronzed body consumed her with sinful thoughts.Even the dreams of her past life plagued her.When ‘The Arena' began the hidden agendas and underlying truths came to light and Cassandra was played a hand of fate. She was left with no choice but to give in and choose a path.The question would be.How will Cassandra grapple once she learns of the curse placed on her?Will she be able to obtain her magical abilities and stand up to her father?Who will help her along the journey?~Excerpt~Then she felt him, all of him.All his ruggedness.The strength of his arm.The softness of his lips.The grip of his hand.The warmth of his breath.Every muscle in her body went taut at the implications of sleeping in a man’s arms. She had never slept in a male’s embrace before.Her whole skin tingled like tiny sparks dancing on the very parts that connected with him.The crevices of her brain had these memories which weren't hers. This touch somehow didn't seem foreign to her. She felt safe in his soothing embrace and didn't wish to push him away and yet she knew this was far from appropriate.Cassandra tried to wriggle out of his hold, his arms seemed to be built from iron for they wouldn't budge.The light garment she had worn had lifted from her milky thigh baring it as his bronzed muscular one was draped on it.And now she could sense something poking her back. Her eyes suddenly expanded from the realisation and Cassandra fully panicked.“Let go!” She voiced out, heavily.Siroos slowly lifted his leg and slackened his hold on her waist so she could shuffle away. He had awakened when she had stiffened for the first time but wished to behold what she would try.With eyes blown wide she stole a glance towards the man who had her wrapped in his embrace like a precious treasure, his treasure.His molten gold eyes had flickered open and there was this softness and want with which he stared at her.Those soft brown curls cascaded over his eyes as he forgot to blink, watching the timeless beauty that she was. Her one-of-a-kind fragrance was a torture to his senses.How he wished to grab her dainty ankle, pull her from it and have her sprawled underneath him. To kiss the very skin that oozed such scent which was driving him insane.Instead, he bent his arm and placed it under his cheek using it like a pillow to watch her with desire-filled eyes.The awkward lull between them prolonged as Cassandra cleared her throat.“Did you have to climb on me to sleep?”“It wasn't intentional but was certainly enticing and definitely won't be the last time.” His deeply hypnotic voice was even more alluring this early in the morning as it resonated all around her.