A Soldier's Life - Chapter 17: Sisyphus’ Rock

“Ah, him? He’s just Daeyeong’s acquaintance.” He hated those words. Choi Seolwoo is trying to leave behind his teens and twenties, which he spent as Won Daeyeong’s shadow. Won Daeyeong (gong), the national team captain who became the first Korean track and field athlete to qualify for the Olympics in the 400m, and Choi Seolwoo (soo), a newly qualified Certified Public Accountant, are childhood friends of over a decade. Choi Seolwoo, weary of the pain of his obsessive unrequited love for Won Daeyeong, impulsively enters into a contractual relationship with a sub-seme and declares a break-up with Won Daeyeong, intending to completely remove him from his life and start anew. Won Daeyeong is displeased with Choi Seolwoo trying to end their friendship over a relationship. Just how much attention had he demanded since they were young? Even he himself acknowledged how incredibly well he’d treated him. It wasn’t as if he had expected anything in return for looking after him, but still, this is absurd. To take him for granted and push him aside like this. Won Daeyeong proposes that if Choi Seolwoo appears on five episodes of a segment called “An Acquaintance” on his Xtube channel, which has 1.1 million subscribers, he will agree to the break-up. The filming of a variety show exposing every detail of Won Daeyeong’s life begins. Unexpectedly, the view count explodes due to the spicy and entertaining talk with frequent bleeps, the genuine bromance chemistry and realistically fierce fights, and Choi Seolwoo’s idol-like visuals. Choi Seolwoo, the “break-up guy,” ends up advertising himself to the entire nation as Won Daeyeong’s best friend. Wait, somehow this… seems to be moving further away from a break-up…?

When the enigmatic and overpowered Kieran Drayke awakens in a foreign magical world after a sudden transmigration, he brings along a system unlike any this realm has ever known. The “Sovereign Architect System” doesn’t just make him invincible—it gives him the tools to build something far greater.But Kieran isn’t interested in world domination. At least, not in the usual way.Disillusioned by the world's surface-level glimmer and the rot beneath it, Kieran sets his sights on the forsaken—those discarded by society, lost in the shadows of nobility and corruption. From slums, war zones, and forgotten ruins, he gathers orphan girls of various races—elves, beastkin, humans, and more—each with untapped potential and pain behind their eyes.He trains them in secret. Guides them. Empowers them. Not as soldiers, but as a family. A hidden organization that operates behind the curtains, shaping the world while appearing as ordinary students at the prestigious Aetherion Magic Academy.Kieran himself? Just a carefree, slightly lazy transfer student with a penchant for sweets, sarcasm, and sneaking naps between classes—on the surface, at least.With a slow-burning plot that weaves magical worldbuilding, deep friendships, training arcs, casual comedy, and a cast of unforgettable girls who grow into queens of the unseen, Chronicles of the Hidden Crown explores what happens when an OP MC doesn’t conquer the world with brute force…But builds a legacy from its forgotten pieces.No betrayal. No forced drama. Just the steady rise of a secret kingdom in the shadows of a crumbling empire.

In a not-so-distant future, Earth is thrown into chaos by a weird alien ship that crashes and starts leaking spiritual energy all over the place. This energy messes with the planet’s ecosystem, making everything mutate—animals, plants, even people. It’s like nature’s gone wild, with some folks getting crazy supernatural powers while others struggle to survive against mutated creatures and power-hungry groups trying to take control.In the middle of all this craziness, Amira Hailen—a tough-as-nails ex-special forces assassin with a complicated past—gets a second shot at life. Thanks to a mysterious ally’s Mental Transference powers, she’s sent back in time, waking up with the ability to control ice. Determined to keep humanity afloat, she gathers her old crew and turns them into a reliable team amid all the chaos.Meanwhile, Aiden Emberstorm—a fiery elite operative—gets fed up with the government’s weak response to the crisis. With his own fire powers blazing, he ditches the bureaucracy and teams up with his battalion to protect innocent lives. He becomes a symbol of resistance, taking on mutated beasts and rogue factions while trying to restore some order.When Amira and Aiden cross paths, it’s not exactly love at first sight. Their icy and fiery personalities clash, but they can’t deny the need to join forces. They both want the same thing: a sanctuary where survivors can be safe. So, they decide to work together, hatching a plan to take down the alien ship before it can call in reinforcements for a full-scale invasion.Amid epic battles, unexpected alliances, and a budding romance, Amira and Aiden must face both their inner demons and the alien threat. It’s a fight for survival in a world that’s gone wild, with everything at stake—including their own hearts.

After five years of being together, Gu Qingming thought it was love. Who would have thought it was simply an elaborate scheme? After learning the truth, she decided to exact her revenge on that pair of scumbags! Just as she was about to return and receive millions in inheritance, she died unexpectedly! When she opened her eyes again, she had returned to the moment when her parents kicked her out of the house. She was also pregnant with a fatherless child. She decided to return to her grandmother’s house in the countryside. There, she grew watermelons, peaches, and oranges…

Gu Qingming followed her grandmother to the field and saw a large plot with lush green plants. She asked excitedly, “Grandma, why is there so much leek planted here?” Her grandmother’s expression changed when she heard the question. With a smile, she explained, “Darling, that’s not leek. They’re rice seedlings! When harvest time comes around, they’ll turn into the rice that we eat every day!” Gu Qingming: “…”

An adorable toddler stood between the endless rows of crops, staring at his mother who was busy plucking watermelons. He balled up his tiny fists as he yelled, “Mommy, you can do it! You’re almost there! You can do it!” Everyone: “…”

A certain businessman was on the prowl for investment opportunities in the boonies when he bumped into a little munchkin. Their gazes met. The kid stared up at the bigger version of himself. The little kid clung to the man’s thigh and announced proudly, “This is the hill where my Mommy works. You can’t buy it!” The man picked up the kid and a slight grin broke across his face. “Well, that’s fine. We’ll get your mom to marry me, and you can call me Daddy. This hill, alongside all the assets under my name, shall also belong to your mommy. How’s that for a deal?” The boy: “…” That’s very tempting indeed! The little kid gulped, but he was determined not to sell out his mom! This is the story of a princess who hails from a small family of farmers, who goes on to become an expert farmer, and then an agricultural tycoon!