Return of the Swallow - Chapter 19: Persuaded By Reason But Not Cowed By Force

-- WSA 2025 Entry --“Five… Four… Three… Two… One…”As the countdown towards the new year went on to the last second, Miles looked up to the sky, just as everybody else did.In the middle of the crowded street, Miles for once felt like he belonged. Being a teenage gamer, living with his parents, and trying to build a life as a streamer, he did not feel like leaving his room every day.But there, in the middle of that crowded street, with everyone around him paying attention to the sky, the countdown on the digital billboard, and mostly anything else but him., Miles felt like a ghost.A welcomed ghost, but a ghost, after all.With a smile on his unseen face, he looked up as the countdown reached one, and everybody sang in unison.‘HAPPY NEW YEAR!”But Miles’ eyes widened as he watched in utter horror, and curiosity, even, hovering above him, a holographic screen with a few lines of text written in it.All around him, although he did not pay much attention to it, a few other people seemed to experience the same situation.[Updating home-world 39515’s version][Version 20.25 update brings a lot of fun and games with the new and improved survival mode][Do you want to convert your previous avatar to home-world 39515’s latest version?][Yes] [No]“Survival… Mode?” Miles’ lips quivered.Before he could think of anything else, though, the people around him began to scream…

“You died.”That was what the mysterious figure told him, but then he was given a second chance for the good deeds that he did in his previous life.“Super Prodigal System!”“Cultivate to immortality by wasting as much money as you can!”For the former number one prodigal of Earth, this was the perfect system!

For a million worth of contract, she became a surrogate mother.

He was the chief executive of the Empire and she was of lowly birth. With her adoptive father’s business falling into crisis, she agrees to his contract.

She gave birth to twins: the older brother is healthy, while the younger brother didn’t breathe out. Fulfilling the contract with a huge monetary sum as the reward, she disappeared from his eyes.

Six years later – he was still the cold high-profile president, but when she is accidentally imprisoned in the cage of his golden birds he pressured her harder and harder: “Woman, do not think you can escape my hands!”

The old-fashioned man: “Mu Yazhe, you’d better leave her alone, this is the child’s mother!” The man becomes frightened, questioning the reason this child’s features bears such resemblance to…

“So... well... I died as it seems?Then I woke up as a character from an online science fiction game...And the craziest thing was that I was in my personal spaceship...Aside from that, I have this weird gaming system bugging me with missions and stuff...So... finally, something interesting happened in my life at last.At least now, I am unbound by anything and can do as I wish.”- Acturus Al-Yesod Crawford“In the grim darkness of the endless space, there is only one sole constant that has ruled the space since immemorial, that dictated the life and death, the order and chaos of every single living being.Power.This is the story of one of the most controversial people in the history of the Known Universe, Arcturus Al-Yesod Crawford, the Star Mercenary, Bounty Hunter, Trader and many other titles...”- Prologue Chronicles of the Known Universe: Chapter Star Citizen, Star Date: Unknown***Tags: Aliens, Androids, Army, Army Building, Automatons, Assassins, Artificial Intelligence, Cosmic Wars, Fleet Battles, Futuristic Setting, Male Protagonist, Mercenaries, Monsters, Outer Space, Nobles, Late Romance, Slow Romance, Money Grubber, Supernatural Powers, Psychic Powers, System, Game Elements, Strategic Battles, Strong to Stronger, Transported into a Game World, Wars, Evolution, Genetic Modifications, Industrialization, Military, Politics, Poor to Rich, Strength-Based Social Hierarchy, Time Skip