Dimensional Hotel - Chapter 206: Shadow

Ethan's head throbbed violently as he opened his eyes, his vision hazy and unfocused. A dull ringing filled his ears, drowning out his thoughts.“What’s happening…?” he thought, his mind sluggish, struggling to catch up with reality. One moment, he was asleep—or at least, he thought he was—and the next, searing pain forced him awake.His vision swam, shapes blurring together in a disorienting mess. But then, muffled noises filtered through the haze—frantic, panicked sounds. Someone was trying to scream, their voice smothered, choked by something.A cold shiver ran down his spine.As his sight gradually sharpened, Ethan's breath hitched.He was on all fours, looming over someone. A girl.Her body twisted and writhed beneath him, ropes biting into her wrists and ankles. Her mouth was gagged, muffling her cries. Her wide brown eyes, brimming with fear and fury, glared up at him.Ethan's body locked in place, his blood running cold.“What the…?” His mind reeled, thoughts slamming into each other in chaotic disarray. “What kind of bizarre dream is this?”Panic clawed at his chest. His breath came in ragged, uneven gasps as he scrambled backward, only to realize his limbs felt sluggish, uncooperative, like they didn’t belong to him.“Is this… is this some kind of twisted fantasy I never knew I had?” A sickening thought slithered through his mind, making his stomach churn.The girl's frantic squirming slowed for a moment, her gaze flickering with confusion as she took in his expression—his trembling hands, his wide, horrified eyes. But the fear returned just as quickly. She struggled harder, her body arching, her muffled screams rising in pitch.Ethan wanted to speak, to say something, anything, but before he could force out a word, a glowing blue window materialized before his eyes.His breath caught.A translucent, hovering screen?“What…?”Lines of glowing text scrolled across its surface.---[System Activated…][Host Confirmed.][Simulating Previous Data…]Ethan awakens in a mysterious world, shackled by a curse that clouds his judgment and drives him toward choices he never wished to make. Burdened by guilt and responsibility, he must navigate the fallout of his actions while unraveling the truth behind the curse—and his place in this enigmatic new reality.

In the past, there was a small cannon fodder who wholeheartedly dedicated herself to the medicinal path.

Only after dying once did she learned that even if she was brilliant, she could only be an insignificant side character used to emphasize the female lead’s limelight. Any relationship with the male lead and other supporting male characters would bring her bad luck.

When going out to collect some medicinal herbs in Qingfeng Valley, she kindly rescued a male side character. The man woke up and saw the female lead and became eternally grateful to her instead. He thought that the monster that hurt him was brought by the small cannon fodder so she was punished.

The cycle repeated and eventually everyone she saved blindly loved the righteous female lead. Ultimately she was killed by one of the men who was entangled with the female lead.

……

So after her rebirth, she began to firmly adhere to the principle of ‘pay me first, then I’ll cure you’.

Male cannon fodders who love the female lead, charge them triple fee!

Male side characters who ambiguously entangled with the female lead, charge them 10 times!

Male lead, the most important one, charged him 100 times!

She single heartedly insisted on using money to distance herself from those men and drew a clear boundary between them. But her ability was too high, that the male lead and side characters from all over the world always came to her for help…

She finally became the richest person in cultivation world!

From infancy to maturity, what Ye Zhou dislikes the most was “two”.

The reasons were: he was ranked second at home, he had been forever ranked second at school, no matter how diligently he worked and tried, he couldn’t shake off that “second” curse. What was more exasperating was that, at University, not only was he ranked second, but even his appearance that he was proud of had to be classified as second best!

Why can’t I obtain the first place!

The eternal second will rise!

Then, Ye Zhou, after his vigorous efforts finally rises and the result was… the first became his boyfriend.

This is the story of a man who has been forced to be “second” and how he became the first, most popular.

- Description from Novelupdates

I Became Hades, the God of the Underworld from Greek and Roman Mythology