Ambiguous Relationship - Chapter 42 - Cheer Me Up

In a world where power is marked by glowing runes and monsters bleed through the fabric of reality, **Ryu** is nothing—an orphan with no name, no status, and no hope. Beaten down by nobles who wield their divine-given strength like a whip, he survives on scraps and stubborn defiance.But when a black rift—an anomaly unlike any ever recorded—appears in the dead of night, Ryu faces a choice: die a beggar, or risk everything by stepping into the unknown.Inside, he finds a nightmare. Kolasis, a legendary predator, hunts him through a twisted forest. The rules here are simple: kill or be killed. To survive, Ryu must forge himself into something sharper than the claws of monsters and crueler than the nobles who cast him aside.Yet the rift has its own secrets. The same power that could make him a legend might also break him—if the monsters don’t tear him apart first.

They called the Vorrakyns Dragon Riders, but their legacy has crumbled into dust. For centuries, no true Dragon has answered their call.Vacuse Vorrakyn was born into a dying legacy: once-mighty, now feared and cast to the Empire’s edge.A runt. A bastard. Yet he served his family with fierce loyalty, only to be betrayed by the father he once swore to obey. Vacuse died a pawn... a sacrifice to the forbidden magic to call a true Dragon.Discarded like worthless trash.Now, he’s back.Reborn at six, memories of betrayal burning sharp and anger raging in his veins. This time, he’s here to claim what was stolen and everything they denied him.Armed with forbidden knowledge of the Dragon Pathway and the secrets to bond with a legendary beast, Vacuse is determined to rebuild the family legacy—on his own terms.

In the legends that were told, ten thousand years ago the twelve demon kings wreaked havoc upon the world, almost completely destroying it. Ten thousand years later, the late arriving Bella discovered that she had been screwed over by her reincarnation, the ranks of the Saviors are already filled and she has to change teams in order to pass the days. Having her gender changed into a beautiful girl… she endured that, not being able to join the righteous side and obtain cheat abilities… she endured, but what she could not endure, was that the world that she had transmigrated to was toxic beyond belief. No one here does their rightful jobs properly, be they heroes, demon kings, or creator gods… in fact, Bella felt as if they all had also started with the wrong faction!

In a world where fate is dictated by prophecy, heroes are chosen by the gods, and Dark Lords are doomed to fall… Lucian Draeven refuses to play along.Once feared as the greatest Dark Lord in history, Lucian had the world under his iron rule—until the so-called Chosen Hero struck him down in a blinding flash of divine justice. The kingdoms cheered. The world rejoiced.Too bad Lucian isn’t actually dead.Having faked his demise and gone into hiding, Lucian watches from the shadows as a new Dark Lord rises, more reckless and incompetent than ever. Worse, the gods have selected another overly enthusiastic, sword-swinging Chosen Hero to bring “peace” once again.The problem? Neither of them have a clue how to actually rule the world.As kingdoms crumble, wars break out, and the balance of power teeters on the edge of collapse, Lucian comes to a horrifying realization:If the world is going to survive, then it’s up to him—the so-called villain—to secretly fix everything from the shadows.But there's just one little catch…Lucian’s legendary Dominions are still sealed, and the only way to regain his strength is by playing the role of a villain once more—spreading fear, manipulating his enemies, and pulling the strings behind the scenes.Now, as the oblivious Hero and foolish new Dark Lord battle it out, neither realizes that the true mastermind is watching their every move.Because if the world wants a villain…Then Lucian will be the greatest villain it has ever seen.