The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary - Chapter 293: From Departure To Encounter (2)

*Book 1 and 2 are available on my new page . It has been written under a new name 'Gilgamesh' and a new pen name Tobascoasako. It features light edits on the original. [wife will be reposting for me]*Book 3 is now updating every week on Sunday!

After an accidental space warp, Xenos finds himself in a place known as the True Universe—a vast cosmos filled with countless races, yet devoid of humans. Longing for Earth and a home he can no longer reach, Xenos trains tirelessly for billions of years, eventually reaching the pinnacle of what the universe can offer.During his relentless cultivation, he uncovers conspiracies, hidden truths, and the devastating reason why the human race is absent among the many races of the True Universe. The weight of this knowledge pushes Xenos to the brink of despair. Refusing to give up, he resolves to take matters into his own hands to rewrite fate itself.However, the ruling powers of the True Universe catch wind of his intentions and launch a brutal attack. Though wounded, Xenos narrowly escapes. After an arduous journey, he finally returns to Earth—only to discover his home universe has been destroyed. Overwhelmed by grief and anger, Xenos uses his knowledge to travel back in time to January 1, 3038.Now in the past, Xenos must act carefully. Using his Paragon-level cultivation risks alerting other Paragon beings, so he remains in the shadows, guiding humanity from behind the scenes. His mission? To lead the human race on a perilous journey through the planes of existence to the True Universe, where they can reclaim their rightful place among the stars.Will Xenos succeed in his quest, or will the forces of the True Universe crush his dreams? Find out by reading his epic journey—one filled with trials, heartbreak, and the burning hope of restoring humanity’s legacy.From the Author (Comedic Edition):Let’s be real, we’ve all had that “Oh, it’s good, but I’ll bookmark it later” moment. Spoiler alert: you’ll forget. Just bookmark it now, save yourself the regret—and me the anxiety of wondering if you’ll ever come back!#Reincarnation, #TimeTravelAdventures, #PowerfulProtagonist #SectBuilding, #ParallelUniverses, #DifferentRealms, #MultiverseJourney, #AncientMysteries, #AncientRaces, #CosmicBattles, #FantasyWorlds.

Zero – Where the End BeginsAfter 100 lives—lived as a king, a warrior, a scholar, a knight, and even a slave—he has finally reached the last.Life number 0.No rebirth. No second chances. Only death… or glory.Thrown into the most ruthless and enigmatic world he has ever faced, he must defy its crushing grip, where power dictates fate and survival is a battle against the inevitable. His ambitions collide with the weight of his past, driving him toward a relentless pursuit of absolute control.In Zero, you either carve your destiny… or vanish into oblivion.

[COMPLETE] Can a royal Romeo and Juliet find their happy ending?

Ayleth, Princess of Zenithra, is secretly trained in hand-to-hand combat, and collects swear words she doesn't know how to use. During the Festival of Peace, in which every royal son on the continent will be at the castle for a month, she is instructed by her parents to find a husband. Yet, Ayleth has never even been kissed—until the very first ball, when she meets the man in the Lion mask.

Etan is a seasoned warrior, and the Prince of Summitras. He attends the Festival hoping to find a powerful wife who will help him conquer the dark sorcery of their bloodsworn enemies, the Kingdom of Zenithra. But at the very first ball, he discovers the masked woman who captures his heart is the Heir to the evil empire.

Ayleth and Etan face an impossible battle. Will their love survive? Or will their parents' dark dealings keep them apart forever?

[Mature content. No sexual violence.]

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“You…” She stepped back. Then back again, her mouth dropped open. “You… You cannot be…”

“I am,” Etan said, and his hair raked back as he pushed his mask off his handsome face. So handsome her heart raced.

His hair was ebony black, his skin a warm brown that threatened to fade in in the winter months. He stared at her with glittering green eyes, over high cheekbones and a noble nose, his jaw tight and shadowed this late in the day. His chin was high over the pillar of his neck that she’d just touched with its hard lines and steel strength, so different to her own. And his chest... She gasped and covered her eyes. She’d humiliated herself revealing her stupid, childish curiosity.

“No, Ayleth. This changes nothing.”

“How can you say that? It changes everything!” She was horrified to realize she was crying.

“Ayleth, please.” His voice cracked on the plea and she stared at him, shoving her mask up and off, despite how it would pull her hair out of the beautiful twist the maid had managed for her.

His eyes locked on hers and she couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe.

She had met her One. And he was the son of her bloodsworn enemy.

She stared at him as he stepped forward again, offering both hands, palm up. “Touch me,” he whispered. “Hold my hands. This is real, Ayleth. I don’t know how it happened, but this is real. Please don’t deny it.”

She couldn’t resist. She raised a trembling hand to his cheek, letting her palm catch on the scruff of his jaw. He blew out a breath and put his hand over hers, and that jolt that happened whenever they touched shivered through her again.

“Please, Ayleth.”

“I cannot deny it,” she whispered.