Reborn as a Mountain: I Defy the Heavens with a Smile - Chapter 147: Refining The Acknowledgments

Sara Falcone, the eldest daughter of the prestigious Falcone family, has always been bright, ambitious, and determined. Groomed to take over her father’s empire, she quickly rose to prominence as the company’s CEO, earning respect in the business world.But when Falcone Industries teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, her world begins to crumble.Desperate to save her family’s legacy, Sara turns to the last person she ever thought she would, her greatest rival, and once, her secret crush: Luca De Augustino.Cold, calculating, and infuriatingly powerful, Luca offers her a way out, but at a cost. In exchange for rescuing her company, she must agree to a contract marriage with him.Luca De Augustino, heir and CEO of the mighty Augustino Group, was raised to lead without compromise and to never bow to anyone. Yet there was one person who always challenged him, Sara. Years ago, when she confessed her feelings, he shattered her heart with cruel rejection.Seven long years have passed since that day, but fate brings them back together. Now, bound by a one-year contract marriage, Sara must navigate a dangerous game of pride, power, and unresolved emotions while Luca sees this as his chance to finally claim the one woman who once loved him.~~~~~“You think I'll help you just because you pathetically kneel in front of me!” Luca chuckled. “What happened to the woman who always held her head high in pride?”“If you don't want to help me, then just say so!” Sara raised her voice. Standing up, she turned to leave when Luca grasped her hand, thus making her turn to him.“Fine, I'll help you. But there's a condition,” Luca pronounced.“And what's this condition?” asked Sara.“Become Mrs. De Augustino. In short, marry me, Sara Falcone.”~~~~~*All the names and places used in the story have nothing to do with the reality. It's a fiction.*

Monsters and mysterious portals called Gates keep appearing in New York City. and Hunters are treated like heroes for fighting them.Michael's legendary father is now a broken man who forbids him from using his powers. His mother vanished in a Gate disaster years ago.When Michael breaks that rule to save a child, he almost dies, and instead of death, he awakens something far more dangerous than a normal Hunter’s System.This isn’t a basic RPG template. It’s a forbidden inheritance, a glitch in his Arcana bloodline that makes him a Void Reaper – a class that bends the very laws of power.Instead of leveling up through training towers, his strength comes from a terrifying skill: [Soul Devour].To grow stronger, he must consume the very souls of the monsters he kills—absorbing their power and broken memories at the cost of his own humanity. Each level increases his [Soul Corruption], flooding his mind with the whispers of everything he has devoured.His path leads to unlocking a sealed skill tree: [Revenant Calling]—a dark art that lets him drag the echoes of powerful monsters back from the abyss to fight at his side.His greatest summon is Umbraxis, a glitching shadow-dragon forged from the soul of a Gate Guardian, its roar like static and its flames are pure void energy.Now Michael is hunted by a black-ops DGC unit known as “The Ghosts,”the unit brands him “Anomaly Echo-01”, part of the same conspiracy (Project Chimera) that destroyed his family.To survive,To Revenge.He teams up with three outcasts:Jinx – a pink-haired street rat with razor-sharp instincts, raised in the alleys of New York and willing to do anything to stay alive.Chloe – a cold, calculating strategist who treats Michael like a weapon, yet hides fierce loyalty and protective care.Jax –a demolitions 'artist' who communicates primarily through C-4 and swears Michael's void powers would be perfect for “teleporting grenades directly into a monster's stomach.”Together, they’ll dive into the heart of New York’s Gates to uncover the truth about his mother.But every soul he devours makes the monster inside him strongr.and when your greatest weapon is a dragon born of your own sins, how long before you stop being human?

[Mommy Villainess (The Lady with the Crab Mallet)]***[Original book cover. Artwork by Artist Michiro for WN Author sola_cola.]***In Tilly's past life, she was a villainess who neglected her husband and son for power. Then, the “real woman of the prophecy” came and took them away from her. When she failed to seize the throne for herself, she was executed for all the crimes she committed.Then, came her rebirth.She wants to meet her son again so she vowed to be a good person this time. Good enough to seduce Captain Kiho--- her husband in her past life.But soon, she realized that flirting with the captain is the least of her worry. After all, she discovered that her “evilness” in the past was caused by the true villain--- someone who wanted her dead to steal the special power that she didn't know she possessed.Power that has something to do with the Four Ancient Beasts of the Moonchester Empire: The Red Phoenix, the Blue Dragon, the Golden Tiger, and The Black Serpent.Apparently, she's the Beast Priestess...... and her lineage isn't supposed to exist anymore.Because of her blood, there are people who want her gone.So now, aside from having a happy life with Kiho and their son, she has a new goal: to burn down the b*tches who want to ruin her family again.***[EXCERPT]***[‘Why am I so horny tonight?’]Tilly thought to herself while sucking the crab leg suggestively. And then, she noticed that Captain Kiho gulped while staring at her mouth.[‘Ah, I’m not the only who’s hot and bothered here.’]She didn’t know if it was the alcohol in her system or her desperation to have a child…… but she suddenly felt like flirting with him.They were bound to get married and have a child together anyway.“Captain,” said Tilly as soon as she pulled the crab leg out of her mouth. “I can clearly see that we’re both attracted to each other. Shall we spend the night together?”Kiho remained pokerfaced but she saw panic cross his now glowing yellowish eyes. Ah, the captain was flustered. “My lady, you seem to be really drunk.”She walked towards him and when he didn’t move an inch, she stood in front of him and looked up at him with a grin. “Captain, are you the type of man who will only sleep with his betrothed?”“That seems to be the case, my lady.”He said that as if he was forcing the words out of his mouth. Plus, she could see in his eyes that he was conflicted– that it was hard for him to reject her.[‘Aw, I didn’t know that I have this kind of effect on my ex-husband.’]Or perhaps she just didn’t pay attention in the past.“Captain, I have a solution to your problem,” said Tilly in a playful voice. Then, she stood on her toes and whispered in Kiho’s ear. “Let’s get married.”

Vahn Ryker died watching Earth burn, harvested by the Galactic Market, only to wake up days before the “Convergence”…the moment the digital world of Aetheria merges with reality.Determined to change the future, he enters the tutorial and selects a “glitched” Hidden Class with 0 base stats: The [EXP Architect].During the Academy’s mandatory Awakening ceremony, he uses his powers to disguise himself as the lowest possible tier: an F-rank Magic Apprentice, becoming the laughingstock of the entire school.As the arrogant “Golden Lion” elites and corrupt instructors mock his “trash” status, a cold mechanical voice suddenly rings through his mind:[Ding! Hidden Class: EXP Architect Selected!][You killed a Level 1 Green Slime.][Ding! 10,000x EXP Multiplier has been triggered!][You received 10,000 EXP!]Instantly, he gains enough EXP from a single trash mob to surpass the stats of a Level 10 Elite!————————[You practiced the basic skill [Flashpoint]][10,000x EXP Infusion Activated! Congratulations on mutating it into the Epic-Tier [Temporal Step]!]While others grind for weeks to learn a basic movement skill, Vahn bends the laws of physics and stops time with a single thought!While geniuses celebrate clearing a dungeon in a 40-man raid, Vahn solo-clears the World Boss in seconds![You used [Architect’s Domain] on an enemy spell.][10,000x Conversion Activated!]Congratulations on converting the [Rank 3 Firestorm] into raw EXP! You have leveled up!Armed with a system that treats the universe like editable code, Vahn's path to the throne is paved in data and blood!Mocked for his 0 base stats? He converts EXP directly into agility, moving faster than the eye can see.Laughed at for his F-Rank class? He mutates a basic fireball into [Inferno Nova], a spell capable of melting cities.Challenged by the “Alpha” protagonist? He deletes their skills and rewrites their reality.But the Architect’s greatest power is [Evolution].He doesn't just hoard items; he evolves them.From turning a rusted dagger into a [Soul-Bound Shadow Blade] to hatching a dying egg into Kora, the [Devouring Dragon Goddess].Follow Vahn Ryker as he transforms from a “glitch” into a System Administrator!He will stabilize the Chronos Spire, gather a legion of powerful beauties like the Priestess Aria and the Shield Maiden Sia, and rewrite the laws of the galaxy!