The Labyrinth of the Monsters - Chapter 17 – Praying mantis catches cicada

In a world where power defines worth and survival is a privilege earned through strength, Ronan was just another broken soul—bullied, beaten, and forgotten.Until he snapped.[System Activated][You have acquired an S-Class Ability: Starflame][Extreme rage and deep-seated hatred detected][You have obtained the unique skill: Devil’s Covenant]Once a victim, Ronan begins to rise—with a system by his side that grants him power through every action.When he cooks:[Skill Acquired: Home Cook]When he reads:[Skill Acquired: Speed Reading]When he fights:[Skill Acquired: Vital Strike]And these skills?They evolve.[Skill Devil's Covenant has upgraded into Devil's Divine Judgement][Skill Speed Reading has upgraded into Hyper Comprehension][Skill Energy Slash has upgraded into Demonic Slash]Every moment, every breath, every choice brings him closer to power.A hero, or a villain?He stands among them.

An Imperial Scholar by day. An assassin by night.The World of Cultivation has changed.Elemental Mancers. Flux Mancers. Spirit Mancers. Soul Mancers.Raining down fire and splitting oceans. Destroying mountains with a single stomp and calming skies with a glance. Controlling the tides of Karma, while wielding the souls of others like a puppeteer tugging on the Lines of Fate.The most mysterious of them all were Spirit Mancers, a truth that Theron was more than intimately familiar with. Due to one's Tribulation, his life was turned upside down. His family, his rage, his somber sadness becoming nothing more than Bad Karma's fuel for a madman.He was once a gentle young man, a non-combative Water Mancer who wanted nothing more than to read his novels to the sound of the rain and one day become an Imperial Scholar.But now...Everything had changed.He donned a cloak in the silent night as the clouds above gathered. Pulling its hood over his chilling blue eyes, he stalked off into the darkness.The first droplets fell.He would become the nightmare of his enemies, the blade hidden in the shadows of Heaven's tears.The River of the Night.

Elaine Monroe never meant to fall in love with him. She never meant for her heart to betray her like this. But as she watches him stand beside another, hand resting on the waist of the woman he’s meant to be with, she wonders if she was always destined to be the outsider.“You knew,” she says, voice barely above a whisper. “You knew how I felt.”His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t deny it. He never does.“It wouldn’t have changed anything,” he finally says.She laughs bitterly. “I know.”Loving him was always impossible. He belonged to someone else. To his family’s expectations. To a future where Elaine had no place.“Forget whatever you think you feel,” he tells her, voice firm, but there’s something unspoken in his eyes—something that makes it hurt even more. “It will never happen.”And yet, his gaze lingers, just for a second too long.Then there’s her best friend—the one who stands beside her when the world turns its back. The one who sees her pain without asking.“You don’t have to do this to yourself,” he says, handing her his jacket on a cold night. “You deserve more than waiting for someone who will never be yours.”She wants to believe him. She wants to move forward. But some loves are impossible to forget. Some wounds never truly heal. And some desires, no matter how forbidden, refuse to die._____“loving him best decision i ever made” Elaine“you are my world”

Lin Yuan traveled through time.What? The life-saving pill was replaced with a piece of candy by someone?I only want a peaceful life, so why are you forcing me!No martial arts technique? I'll let Jiu Zhang deduce it!No old master by my side? I'll catch one myself!Finally, after swallowing the opponent's ancestor in one go, Lin Yuan sighed: “No one can force me anymore.”