Ascension Through Skills - Chapter 238: Fourth Return, Earth (5)

She, the top goddess in the showbiz, officially announced her marriage, with her husband's identity remaining a mystery.One day, a news story went viral claiming that she was seen entering a villa with a strange man in the midnight and didn't leave until morning.Someone recognized the man as a financial tycoon, who is mysterious and low-key, and no one dares to offend him.That day, she clarified the rumors during a live broadcast, “It's all rumors. Please don't misunderstand. We are just friends.”Just then, he himself stepped up and said, “That's right. We're just friends for now.”...Everyone knew that their marriage was just a commercial arrangement devoid of any real emotion; otherwise, he wouldn't have left his wife to go abroad for two years right after their wedding.Just when everyone was waiting for their divorce, a secretly shot video suddenly went viral online.In the courtyard, the man who was always casual, proud, and superior, knelt on one knee in a pious posture, massaging the woman's ankle. His low and sexy voice captivated everyone watching the video as he said, “Sweetie, would you like to remarry me?”Damn! It's so sweet!

What was originally an ordinary day, suddenly became a historical turning point. Enormous, mysterious Cubes appeared all over the world without warning and as if Judgement Day’s spears, inserted themselves into the blue planet.

From inside the enormous Cubes, endless streams of monsters gushed out alike raging tides, utterly defeating the unguarded armies of each state in the blink of an eye.

In order for humanity to preserve its final embers, the heads of states issued orders of retreat, to no longer attack the Cubes but rather to cling to remote cities, which they turned into self-sufficient survivor bases and around which they built 100-meter-tall Walls of Life!

Many years later, while bearing the heavy weight of history, the first expeditionary force brought back a world changing piece of information. The Cubes possessed exceedingly high intelligence and they regularly transmitted mission instructions to humans nearby. The mission rewards were incredible.

Since then, humans rushed out of the confines of the walls and once more set foot on the wasteland!

- Description from Novelupdates

Can't a man maintain his dignity while preparing for the end of the world? Is that too much to ask?

The Tower was all I knew... all any of us knew, and just like that, it was gone. Monsters the likes of which I'd never seen ravaged the land of my ancestors. They burst through the outer walls and stormed the city. No one could have been ready for that. But now... Now I have a second chance.

After the collapse of the known world, I woke up to find myself on the First Floor of the Tower. I was young and healthy, 18 again, and sitting in the same classroom that marked the worst days of my life. Confused and excited, I accepted this gift, deciding to use my vast knowledge of the future to climb the Tower in preparation for the end of the world.

Maybe I'll help some folks along the way? Who knows. Survival comes first.

The clock is ticking, and I'm left with only a century to build a Deck powerful enough to survive the end. Things to do... What's first? I need Essence, and I need power. I'll have to climb the Tower to acquire both of these. Some of the zealots will try to stop me, need to look out for those. What if-

“Hey, kid! Hand over the pouch or-”

Stab

Sorry, where was I? Ah... there's a spot of blood on my suit. What a lousy morning.

In this world of blood and fantasy, century-old Rowan Wilder has to not only survive, but thrive as he powers his way to the top of the Tower. The Demonic Plague that has twisted the creatures on the upper Floors is the least of his worries. Cane in hand and Summons by his side, he'll have to tear his way through the monsters, as well as the humans who want to stop his ascent. Of course, he can maintain a sense of decorum while he faces these trials, right?

The night before her coronation, Princess Elara of Dravara made a mistake she could not take back. Her friends begged her to enjoy one last night of freedom before duty tied her forever. So she escaped the palace in disguise. One night. One party. One stranger whose touch she could not forget. She left before sunrise, thinking no one would ever know.But secrets always return. Weeks later, Elara finds out she is carrying the child of the man she cannot even name. And on her coronation day, as she prepares to wear the crown, fate plays a cruel trick, the same man comes back, not as a lover, but as an assassin sent to kill her.He almost ended her life that day. His blade touched her throat. But instead of striking, he whispered that it would not be today. Then he disappeared into the dark, only to return again, this time hiding among the men who wished to become her bodyguards. Now he stays close to her, walking beside her every day, guarding her in public, while secretly waiting for the right moment to finish the job.Elara now carries a dangerous secret: she is a queen with a crown on her head, a child growing in her womb, and an assassin always by her side. His hands once held her in passion, but those same hands were trained to spill her blood. Surrounded by enemies and trapped in lies, Elara must wonder, has she given her heart to her protector, or has she trusted the man who will one day destroy her?