Contract Marriage: The Replacement Groom - Chapter 22: Questioning Maya 1

The Empire's forces retreated in desperation—trampled by faceless horrors bringing darkness and death to these once beautiful lands.Only the most courageous stood in defiance, forming a last defence to buy the people time to flee—fighting until the final embers of hope burned out.A man stands with a silver sword, like a beacon of hope to those around him. He roared with all his might drawing his blade against the overwhelming enemy!“You face Lancelot, Sword of the Empire! ”These horrors tested the Lord's grit and loyalty in the final moments.“Should my blade break, I will use my body!”The knights had fallen, broken swords for their tombstones, and lords fled, betraying the Empire to survive.“If my body breaks, I'll use my Soul!”Lancelot, the sword of the Empire, fought alone.All hope seemed lost.“And if my Soul fails...”What could a single man and his army do?He fights against the dark tide, blade in hand, heart on sleeve.“I will sell myself to the devil for revenge!”But he was too weak, too fragile.The last Lord of humanity stood against the enemy.Lancelot was a master of the sword, a mortal, neither a God nor a Saint.Miracles were beyond his reach.Now only a broken man impaled on his own destroyed throne.His blade shattered—now, like rose petals, it was scattered across the charred ground.Lancelot's soul was fated for the abyss as the light faded from his eyes.His last ounce of resistance used staring at the man who betrayed the Empire.Now with only the desire to kill, crush and seek revenge smouldering inside him.Now unwilling to die and desperate to fight once again.He desired to fight for the people who supported him.Lancelot refused to surrender, to fall like this.As quietly in the abyss, a voice whispered to him.It tried to entice the Lord, ignite his desire to win and fight again.“If given a second chance, to relive your life with a different choice... Would you Accept?”Blood gathered in his throat, forcing him to reply in his mind.A frail and broken voice'There is no reason to ask, of course!'“No matter the cost?”'Even if I were to lose everything...''If my people can live on. I would sacrifice everything I have!'“You will no longer be the same, a monster, twisted and vicious.”“Will you still accept?”The Lord's heart ached, taking great pride in his humanity.To lose that caused his mind to falter.Finally, out of power, unable to speak or reply with a trembling arm.Lancelot reached out.Towards the raspy voice.Towards the abyss.Towards a new future.[So you would accept after all...]'I must accept.''I must stand tall.''I must not break.''Because...''I am the Lord of humanity![Nay, you are the king of demons]

Zhou Can, an intern doctor, is practicing suturing on a piece of pigskin.

[Congratulations, you have completed 100,000 stitches and triggered the experience system. ]

[Sewing experience value +0.1. The current experience value is 9.9/10. Excellent level of suturing ability practice. ]

A master surgeon is quietly rising.

- Description from novelbuddy

Shishio stared at the beautiful girl in front of him, and he couldn’t look away. Her waist might be the narrowest waist that he had ever seen, and he was wondering how it felt to hug that waist. Finally, he made up his mind and decided to say hello to her, but suddenly…

[Target has been found!]

«Huh?»

[Welcome to Scumbag System!]

[The more woman you have, the more rewards you will receive!]

[As a starting gift, you have received «Japanese Food Cooking Mastery»!]

[As the first target has been found, you also receive 500 million yen on your back account!]

[The journey has only been started!]

[Work hard, young man!]

«???????»

Shishio frowned and said, «I refuse!» without hesitation, but after a while…

«I refuse!.. I really refuse!.. I really try hard to refuse!.. Sorry, I can’t refuse it…»

Shishio tried really hard, but he couldn’t…

***

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

It all started with a Book review…[To Kill A Demon Lord…] had everything; It had Magic, It had action, it had an abundance of interesting characters and—probably most important of all—it had Vampires.Kevin (Username: Kevin_The_Man) enjoyed the read. Stayed up to date with every chapter update and it quickly became his favorite Webnovel… That was until the Author killed off his favorite character, Caius Von Helsing, A Vampire Spawn who spent most of the story frustratingly resisting his Vampirism so as not to ‘become a Monster’.Kevin quickly wrote a review expressing his dissatisfaction so naturally, when the Author replied and asked for Kevin’s help in making a revised edition of the story, he quickly accepted…… Only to fall asleep and wake up in the world of [To Kill A Demon Lord…] as none other than his favorite character, Caius Von Helsing, the Vampire Spawn.Kevin—now Caius—quickly discovers that there is so much more involved in making a ‘revised edition’ of a novel than simply writing it. And that there are powerful forces that especially want Caius to die and stay dead…… But that death is still quite in the future so Kevin—now Caius—is quickly optimistic.He has a mission now;To enjoy the wonders this world has to offer—as the original character never would—by fully accepting and evolving his nature as a Vampire.