The Archduke's Songbird - Chapter 249: Glimmer of Hope

Darius had nothing going for him. Ever since he could remember, he had been treated as absolute trash by his boss, who was one of the greatest scouts for actors, singers, idols, and anything you could think of.However, everything changed one day when a truck rammed into him and sent him back in time to start his career as a nobody. But, this time, he hadn’t returned empty-handed. He received a great talent that would make him the best Manager the world had ever seen.【Talent Booster: You can increase the talent of those close to you. The closer and more intimate they are, the better the skill's effects will be.】You can’t sing? Sleep with me, and you’ll win a Grammy.You can’t act? Sleep with me, and you’ll win an OscarYou’re talentless? Sleep with me, and I’ll make you whatever you desire.

The Strongest Magic meets the Mightiest Mecha.

I have stolen Golden Mechas from the deepest vaults of the most tightly guarded fortresses in the world.

I have personally destroyed more armies than the top three superpowers have in the span of the Absolute War - combined.

I burned down the terrorist megacity of Habon.

I was expelled from the Union of Heroes at a younger age than people are allowed in.

I have talked to Ancient Gods, loved women, and devoured mechas that would make superpowers cringe in fear.

I have faced demons head on in moonless nights others fear to speak of during the day.

I am deified in a thousand cultures, and labelled as the devil incarnate in the rest.

I am the Mecha Emperor.

You may have heard of me.

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Excerpt from Chapter 1

This is where it all began.

A junkyard.

Oh no, this isn't your clean, mechas-only junkyard that was the 'starting point' of many mecha geniuses out there.

I have seen and heard my share of rags-to-riches stories, and many of them claimed that they had started from 'junkyards' and slowly grew to be where they were right now.

From Zero to Hero, they declared.

You can do it too, they said.

As long as you work hard, everything is possible, they claimed.

I call bullshit.

Life doesn't work like that.

In an era where humanity has long conquered the stars, a girl with a restless heart yearns for more than the predictable comforts of galactic life—she wants to explore the cosmos for herself. But her dream is torn apart when she’s stranded on a forgotten planet, a dumping ground for criminals with no way out.Left to rot among the desperate and the damned, she stumbles upon a strange machine buried in the scrap heap of discarded tools by higher classed planets—one that fuses with her psyche and grants her access to a system unlike anything in known space. It doesn’t just guide her. It evolves with her. It builds. It changes everything.Now she’s on the run, pursued by the relentless interstellar police who want back what she stole. But with each escape, each discovery, and each battle, she pushes further into the unknown, reshaping the wreckage of the past into something new.Blending the inventive spirit of technical progression with the high-octane energy of cinematic battles, this is a story of survival, rebellion, and rebuilding—one shattered world at a time.

When Zhaozhao was ten years old, she was brought back to the Marquis household as the true daughter. Her parents doted on her, her brother was close, and even the fake daughter treated her with warmth. Zhaozhao once thought she was dreaming, and she treated them with all her heart.Until they personally sent her into the Tomb Guard City, a place that devours people whole, she realized she was merely brought back to exchange and protect the fake daughter.For five years in the city, the Marquis household ignored her.They let the sons of nobles from distinguished families use her as a punching bag, abusing and beating her, leaving no part of her intact.She died in despair the day before she was to leave the city.At the moment of her death, Zhaozhao awakened.—A hundred years ago, the ghostly gate opened, and the Ghost King led thousands of ferocious ghosts out of the underworld to wreak havoc on the world.She was originally King Yan of the underworld, descended to experience trials due to dereliction of duty.Once Zhaozhao opened her eyes again,The world changed colors, and she held the Book of Life and Death, transforming into King Yan to claim lives.Judging good and evil, slashing enemies.Once she gathered eighty-one evil souls and captured the Ghost King, she could return to her position.—On the day she left the city, the Marquis couple and her brother came personally to pick her up.Zhaozhao didn't even glance at them, turning to get into Prince Su's carriage.Her parents cursed her as an ungrateful ingrate, and her brother sneered that she would come crying back to beg them.Later, all of them knelt on the ground, crying, begging her to return home.Zhaozhao watched coldly.She would no longer want anything tainted.—Prince Su was born shrouded in Evil Qi, and anyone close to him would either die or be injured. Everyone thought he would be lonely for life.He had a delicate young lady by his side.She appeared to be pitiful and charming, but was ruthless and decisive behind the scenes.Once she absorbed the Evil Qi and gathered the evil souls, Zhaozhao planned to pat her butt and leave.Prince Su's eyes reddened, saying, “Zhaozhao, take this prince with you!”