The Desolate Era (Web Novel) - Book 38, Chapter 27 - Emperor Melobo

Isabella was supposed to be sipping champagne at a luxury spa, not waking up in the middle of a forest. Worse, a SYSTEM had attached itself to her like some clingy ex, spouting nonsense about survival, quests, and—oh, hell no—manual labor.“System, I was NOT built for the wilderness! My ideal ‘roughing it’ experience involves a five-star hotel with bad WiFi!”Now, instead of lounging in silk robes, she’s being ordered to farm? To hunt?“A farming quest? You want me—a city girl—to grow food? System, I once killed a cactus by overwatering it. This is NOT my calling!”And don’t even get her started on the hygiene situation.“You want me to bathe in a cold river? Darling, I require warm water, scented oils, and an ambience! What do I look like—some barbarian?!”Unfortunately, the locals—big, muscular beastmen—don’t seem to understand the concept of self-care. The women? Neglecting their skin like it’s a crime to be radiant. The men? Walking hygiene disasters.“Ladies, if your man can smell you before he sees you, we have a problem.”“You see this? This is lotion. It exists so you don’t look like a dried-up leaf. Use it.”“A beard should be majestic, not tragic. Let me fix it.”And the beastmen? They don’t just stare at her like she’s an oddity. No, they hover. They smirk. They lean in too close, fangs flashing with amusement.“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” she huffed, crossing her arms.The panther grinned, his tail flicking. “Because you’re fascinating when you’re annoyed.”No, absolutely not. She was not here for this nonsense.“If you have time to stare, you have time to moisturize.”She didn’t ask to be here. She didn’t ask to be their savior. But if she has to suffer through this world, she’s making everyone around her suffer less—through skincare, style, and some serious attitude.“If I hear one more ‘We don’t season our food here,’ I’m launching a war.”“If you have time to gossip, you have time to do squats.”“You want to impress a woman? Start with not smelling like the battlefield.”Survival isn’t just about fighting monsters; it’s about looking good while doing it. So what if the System keeps throwing impossible quests her way?“What do you mean ‘you can’t skip quests’?! Since when?! Where is the skip button?! I demand a skip button!”But somewhere between dodging ridiculous quests and fixing these people’s tragic grooming habits, Isabella found herself in situations. Uncomfortable, heart-racing situations.Like being trapped against a tree by the red python, his red eyes half-lidded as he murmured, “You talk too much, little star. Should I silence you?”Like waking up with the lion lord’s fur-lined cloak draped over her shoulders, his deep voice gruff, “You shiver in your sleep. I’ll fix that.”Like the phoenix watching her every move, his burning gaze searing into her skin as he mused,“You cause chaos wherever you go, but I find that I don’t mind.”Oh, hell. No. She was not about to fall for four beastmen. She was too pretty for this much stress.“If you insult me again, I’ll make sure your soul needs a beauty upgrade.”“I refuse to be disrespected by anyone who dresses like an unwashed tree branch.”And yet, when a rival tribe came to challenge her, when danger lurked too close, those same beastmen stood beside her—smirking, taunting, fighting for her.“A beastman growled at me today. I growled back. He ran. I am the alpha now.”Isabella isn’t just surviving. She’s thriving. And this world better keep up.

At a low point in his life, Xia Ruofei discovered that a scroll that was passed down in his family had a hidden secret: it contained its own independent world.

In the space, there was a spiritual pond that enhanced the growth of plants. There were mysterious spiritual flowers that could cure illnesses. Time in the independent world flowed at a pace ten times that of the outside world. Everything he planted there was of supreme grade and grew at a rapid pace. Everything he raised gained sentience.

From that day forth, Xia Ruofei began a different, brilliant life of planting succulent plants and vegetables, raising animals and flirting with beauties.

He lived like a king, died like a grandpa... and woke up as a bratty villain inside a fantasy novel.Nice.Born into the mighty Arkanveil family, he’s expected to grow up spoiled, arrogant, and doomed. But sorry, fate — he’s got better plans.Armed with a broken Proficiency Panel, two god-tier Traits, and the mind of a seasoned conqueror, he’s here to rewrite the script.Demigods plotting. Councils scheming. Demon Emperors laughing.They’re all just EXP waiting to happen.Pretending to be a clueless baby genius, he secretly trains, conquers, and stacks power like a final boss.Because this time, the EX-Rank Villain isn’t playing to survive.He’s playing to win.The world’s greatest families have no idea what’s coming. But hey... they’ll find out soon enough.“EX-Rank problems require EX-Rank solutions.”

The protagonist transmigrates into a novel and gains a system where they grow stronger by simply writing in a diary.July 7th, sunny: “The boss’s outfit is hideous again. Wouldn’t it be better to wear something cooler?”July 7th, evening: “I’m about to have my engagement called off. So excited! How should I act?”July 7th, evening: “Lin Qingyue, the female lead, is probably going to drown her sorrows in alcohol.”The protagonist thought it would be easy—just jot down daily musings, record life’s events, and earn rewards. All while playing the part of a villainous, bootlicking second-generation rich kid, moving along with the original plot.But unexpectedly, the female leads gain access to copies of the diary entries.One by one, they stop following the script, and the plot spirals completely out of control.July 10th: “The female boss is an idiot—no one would want her.”Soon after, the protagonist gets punished at work, all because they entered the office with their left foot first.