The Hitting Zone - Chapter 12: The Cages (2)

[You have been slain by an Evil God. Time Reversal initiated.][Save file loaded successfully. Beginning Fifth Playthrough.]In 2030, a game burst onto the scene.And you had already been reborn for the fifth time.Only you knew that in three years, the game would merge with reality.Humans and races from other worldlines would invade Earth through the game.And not long after that, even more unknown horrors would descend upon every timeline![Ding! Congratulations, player registration successful. Please draw your Talent.][Ding! Detected that the player has used a redemption code.][Ding! Redemption code successfully applied. Congratulations! You have obtained the unique Talent: Millionfold Boost!][Talent Description: Millionfold Boost — When selling an item, you may choose to receive a millionfold boost in either quantity or quality!]As expected, the redemption code you had painstakingly gathered during your first four playthroughs was worth it![Detected: Player has sold a Common-grade Bow. Player has chosen Quality Boost.][Ding! Millionfold Boost activated. Congratulations! You have obtained the Legendary-grade equipment: Moon Reaper!][Detected: Player has sold a D-rank Skill Book: Blink. Player has chosen Quality Boost.][Ding! Millionfold Boost activated. Congratulations! You have obtained the SSS-rank Skill Book: God Speed!][Detected: Player has sold a God-grade Pet: Ancient Dragon Egg. Player has chosen Quantity Boost.][Ding! Millionfold Boost activated. Congratulations! You have obtained 1,000,000 God-grade Ancient Dragon Eggs!]Beautiful!You bastards, get ready to face the strongest ancient dragon legion in history!

Fate is a funny thing.

“Who the hell are you!? What are you doing in my room?” Jennifer shouted when she saw the man sneaking inside her room out of nowhere, just a few minutes before the wedding.

Gun was pointed in her direction, straight into her heart with horror evident on her stunned face.

A smirk landed on the man's face when he answered back, “You have two options, Ms. Jennifer, either you die at this point or…escape with me!”

Jennifer Taylor, freshly graduated, was ready to be thrown into an unhappy marriage with the Mafia King of their state, Lucas Smith.

Everyone concluded that the man fell for her beauty and mind but nothing was true. No matter how much others tried to convince her but her heart never melted.

On the wedding day, she was all ready to execute her plan but suddenly, a mysterious man appeared inside her room, threatening to kill her.

Who is he? She is clueless but all she can do is to follow his lead and the adventure he is giving her, to safeguard herself from those who are waiting to take undue advantage out of her.

But later in her life, she discovers that whom she considered a threat all along, was her helping hand who tagged along for a very long period.

Moreover, with this stranger, she walks on the path of unveiling all the truths that were hidden deep in the grave.

*SneakPeak*

The man came near her, with a towel wrapped around his abdomen. But her eyes flew to his abs, those perfect figured abs…

A dangerous smirk passed by his lips when he asked, “Like what you see, Ms. Taylor?”

Realization drew over her when he caught her lingering gaze on his upper naked body. “What?! No! And don't you have any kind of shame? You're standing in front of an unmarried girl!”

“So what? I heard that girls get attracted to men who have good physique. You know it isn't difficult to accept that you like it..” he was still shamelessly provoking her.

“You!! I'm stuck with a shameless pervert for sure! Go and wear something before I hit you with my hands!” Jennifer was burning in the pit of anger but at the same time, her cheeks burned red.

At last, as per her wish, he wore the bathrobe and turned around to come to main point, “What do you wish to ask?”

“Tell me who changed my bridal dress?” Jennifer asked with a straight face, but Javier didn't look shocked. “Do you see anyone else in this house? If your pretty eyes can, let me know.”

“Except you, obviously no one else,” Jennifer answered in a hurry, but then her eyes turned wide when she realized what she just spoke in front of him.

Javier laughed at her innocent expressions, “Bingo! There you have your answer. Who would have changed your clothes except me?”

Akashi was a boy so beautiful it seemed the gods had sculpted him with a touch of mischief and a dash of fragility. He wasn’t handsome in the rugged, masculine way of knights or warriors. No—his beauty was softer, captivating in its innocence. His frame was small, almost delicate, and his pale skin looked as if it had never known hardship, kissed only by the gentle sunlight of his village fields.With wide, striking black eyes that shimmered like obsidian under moonlight, and hair the color of a calm, endless ocean, Akashi possessed a charm that defied age, status, or reason. He didn’t know it, but his very existence pulled at the hearts of those who saw him—like an untouched gem waiting to be claimed.And yet, he had been untouched for a reason. Akashi had never known life beyond the boundaries of his village. He grew up surrounded by warm smiles and familiar voices. Every elder knew his name. Every child wanted to play by his side. His days were simple, his heart untouched by cruelty.But peace is a fragile thing.One night, it shattered.The sky turned crimson. Screams tore through the quiet air. Fires devoured homes. Demons—twisted beasts of shadow and rage—descended without warning. They killed with a hunger that could not be reasoned with.By morning, the village was gone.Ashes, corpses, and silence were all that remained.And Akashi… Akashi was alone.The last heartbeat in a graveyard of memories.He wandered for days, hollow and dazed, until rough hands seized him. Chains replaced freedom. Smiles were replaced by cold appraisals. And so, the boy once adored by all became something else—something to be sold.A slave.At the capital's grand auction house, he was stripped, washed, and displayed like merchandise. His beauty caused a stir. Whispers spread like wildfire.“Look at those eyes...”“That hair... Is it dyed? No, it’s real...”“So delicate... Is he even human?”To them, he was no longer a boy with a heart, but a prize to possess. A fantasy in fragile form.He stood on the stage, trembling slightly, barely able to process what was happening. The voices of the crowd blurred together—hungry, leering, filled with desire and greed. The auctioneer’s booming voice called out the bids as if Akashi were nothing more than a fine vase or a rare jewel.The numbers climbed quickly. Too quickly. Akashi’s knees weakened beneath the weight of invisible eyes drinking him in. He stared at the marble floor, trying not to cry.Then, suddenly, the room fell silent.A voice—deep, commanding, and heartbreakingly beautiful—cut through the air like silk over steel.“Fifteen thousand gold.”Time seemed to pause.Every head turned.At the back of the room, standing beneath the golden chandelier, was a woman unlike any other.She wore a flowing red gown that hugged her form like it was crafted by the gods themselves. Her long, golden hair shimmered like strands of sunlight, cascading over her shoulders with effortless grace. Her eyes, cold and blue as a glacier’s heart, stared ahead with quiet power.Even the nobles drew back. This was no ordinary bidder.It was one of the Princesses of the Three Great Kingdoms.Whispers erupted anew—but no one dared challenge her offer.Who would?She stood like royalty incarnate, a goddess who walked among mortals, and she had just claimed Akashi as her own.The boy raised his head slowly, unsure of whether to feel fear or relief. His eyes met hers—just for a second—and something in his chest shifted. She didn’t smile. She didn’t leer. Her gaze was unreadable.But it was powerful. Absolute.And it made his knees weak for an entirely new reason.He didn’t know her name. Not yet.But she had bought him.And somewhere deep inside, something told him—his life was never going to be the same.