The Empror's Trap - Chapter 7: Ch - A Compromise

They love gold, and they love silver. Even more so, they love gems that dazzle, like stars across the skies.
Firearms, jewelleries, and precious metals; A collector’s world will not be complete without antiques.
Storage auctions, old goods trade, re-estate sales and gold-digging. But the truth is, if one wants to make money, then the supreme way is through searching for the legendary treasures.
Holding the fort, there’s an ocelot, a wolf, and an Andes condor. At the side, there’s a loyal hound, an irascible ape, and an African honey badger. Who said that you can only rely on humans when treasure hunting?!

Ming Luo is a wasted daughter of the Duke Yi’s household. Her father forced her to study medicine but it was not a wise choice since she was of no use. Her sister from a different mother uses underhanded schemes to get rid of her. Out of guilt and frustration, she tries to commit suicide. Everyone thought she was going to die but she miraculously woke up.

[Mature Content]I was born a bastard to the Archduke of Beloria, scorned because of my odd-looking hair and sickly body, maltreated by my stepmother and sister.And my father? He never looked my way. I was the reminder of a mistake he could never accept.My entire life should've been trying to live through my days as a labeled whores daughter and the taint to the noble house but everything changed when my marriage to the Lycan Monarch was announced.Lycans are apex predators, superior beings, beastmen, and originators of those horror stories your parents told you about to make you behave. My father saw fit to throw me to the beasts as a means to reclaim the lost lands.I was the bargain for a better future for the last human kingdom, but I felt more cursed than blessed. Forced into training to please a beast and ensure I was fit to be his wife.I dreaded the day I'd wed the Monarch and be treated no less than human meat. I've heard stories about him, and they are far worse than any combined. They call him a mindless beast, merciless, the ultimate feared being in the entire realm, and the terror that bested the vampires in war and ended it under his rule.My future was bleak.But when the day arrived and I set my gaze on the beast I'm meant to marry... I realized Drevon Balthar was unlike the rumors; they didn't tell the whole story.

competitive career in his sport, and his only solace is the daily training sessions with his coach, Sterling. At school, Winter keeps to himself, focusing on his studies while avoiding any unwanted attention. However, his life is turned upside down when a mysterious phenomenon engulfs the world.During class, an eerie black cloud blankets the sky, and a strange message appears in front of people around the world, announcing that humanity is about to face an apocalypse. Infected beings, known as 'The Stranded,' will rise—mutants, zombies, and other horrors with a single purpose: to eradicate mankind. At the same time, humans will undergo an awakening, gaining abilities based on their potential.As chaos erupts in his classroom, Winter witnesses classmates transforming into horrific monsters, and the world outside seems to fall apart. With survival instincts kicking in, Winter is forced to use his combat skills to defend himself and others, battling through his former classmates-turned-creatures. As he kills the 'walkers' and gains experience points from his victories, Winter realizes the stakes have changed—he must level up, survive, and adapt to a new, brutal world.But as Winter confronts the deadly new reality, he is faced with not only the horrors of a decimated world but the cold truth that his choices, abilities, and past will shape the fate of humanity.*******What's up, Author here. So I plan on releasing a chapter every 1-3 days as to not overwork myself, knowing that if I do, I might drop it the novel as a whole. So be patient with me.