Bambi and the Duke - Chapter 3 - Ribboned Gift- Part 2

“For a long time, we humans have been like the chosen race, without any natural enemies, and have long been at the top of the food chain. Unfortunately, I have to tell you...” “When there is only one bird in a forest, then the forest is basically fake, and the bird was put there by someone...” “No matter how a fish swims, it can never meet any of its kind, which only means that the fish is kept in a fish tank...” “Yes, we are the birds in the forest and the fish in the tank.” “Yes, the world we live in is virtual!”

Bruised and abused...Life had never been kind to him.Evan, an orphan, was adopted only to serve as a means to accomplish his blood-sucking parents' goals. Just as he was trying to break free from their grasp, his parents offended a celebrity, resulting in them being ganged up on by the celebrity's fans.If all those hardships weren't enough, God played another joke with him.[It's evident that your life is quite sad. The main reason behind your misfortunes lies with your parents, so take these steps to free yourself from your suffering.][Quest: Kill your parents within the stipulated time]- Assets amounting to 1 billion dollarsTime left: 00:00:59“Damn, are you threatening me? Want me to kill others and become a criminal on the very first task? I reject it. Let's see what you can do.”And in the next second, he found himself pushed over the railing and falling down.He thought he would die but...[The Host has passed the test.]

‘He’s so cute I want to kick him flying through the air.’

Bai Yao runs a seafood restaurant in a seaside town. One day, he saw a small sentient sea otter being bullied.

Out of pity, he helped out the little sea otter.

The sea otter acts quite defensively, baring his teeth, all while still covered in wounds yet to heal.

His way of saying thanks, is gifting Bai Yao an oyster in his pocket that’s been sitting there for who-knows-how-long.

Bai Yao ends up bringing the wounded and exhausted little sea otter back to his restaurant, giving him food and a shower.

Though the sea otter is still quite scaredy and defensive. He wouldn’t let Bai Yao rub his cute little face, or even ruffle his fur.

That’s not all the quirks of the little sea otter either. Bai Yao realised he’s a dummy that didn’t even know how to anthropomorphise.

Later that day, Bai Yao wakes up in the middle of the night, when there is something soft he’s holding in his hand.

He looks, and sees the little sea otter has put his paw in his hand. The sleepyhead is also snuggling on him, his head brushing against his chest.

Not feeling drowsy enough to sleep anymore, Bai Yao just props his head on his arm, watching until the otter finally wakes up.

When he finally does, he looks around, and sees that it’s Bai Yao; he squeaks, and then nestles his face against the fingers of Bai Yao.

Amused, Bai Yao asks, “oh? I thought you were a tough little guy that didn’t like petting?”

- Description from Novelupdates

Our protagonist, once a homeless child navigating the city's harsh realities, clawed his way towards a better life. He stole coins to buy knowledge. However, the prestigious university scholarship he craved was a rigged system, awarded to a politician's son who needed the name, not the education.Descends into a life of crime.After being forced to taint his pride his death is ordered with his own making the final blow.god “congratulations you're given a chance at a new life...”him “ why?”god “cause you had a tough life so im being generous... and making you reincarnate in a mana world...”him “ bullshit...”On the brink of oblivion, a dubious offer arrives – a second chance from a strange god. Haunted by the shadows of past 'generosity', Rei struggles with suspicion. Accepting means becoming a pawn, rejecting means eternal damnation. With no good options, Rei plays along, unaware his role thrusts him into a cosmic conflict.