Echoterra: Rise of the Verdant King - Chapter 123: Veins of the enemy

Transmigrating to a lawless person and then directly upgrading to a little brat’s stepmother. Xiao Ting said, “Crap, there’s no need to even give birth to a child. God, I love you so much …”

- Description from Novelupdates

The God of Charm was scorned when he got to the top. On his way to the top, he has lied, betrayed, and abandoned everyone who stopped being of any use to him. Eventually, he gets tired of being isolated by the other gods and decides to prove a point – anyone with the ability would choose power over moral code and values. He picks a young, sick, and good-natured boy and gives him the blessing of the God of Charm. Gale Stormborn was talentless in magic until the day the God of Charm summoned him. His powers work best when he hurts others, otherwise, his future is quite limited.Will he get corrupted in his chase after power? Will he keep his values?

Rules exist to be broken, and every loophole is a weapon. Trust no one, and annihilate those who deserve revenge.Granger Reiner never asked to be a champion, but fate chose him as the 101st contender for the goddess of Ascension—a deity mocked as the weakest among the pantheon, with 100 failed champions in just five months.Armed with a unique system and the ability to create barriers, Granger is thrust into Agrasia, a world teeming with treachery, to compete against other champions and conquer the Endless Dungeon.What he discovers is far worse than he could imagine: betrayal lurks at every corner, allies are fleeting, and the game is rigged.Learning the hard way that fairness has no place in a world built on lies, Granger transforms his weakness into his greatest strength. With vengeance as his driving force, he sets out to destroy the system, expose the truth, and turn the goddess’s mockery into triumph.In a world where everyone is an enemy, the 101st champion will stop at nothing—even if it means taking on the world itself.

He’s her stepbrother, her sin and her biggest mistake waiting to happen.Catherine Brown thought moving in with her mother’s new husband couldn’t be harder until she met the cold, arrogant and sinfully attractive Julian Vaughn, her stepbrother.He hates her, teases her and gets under her skin everyday. He’s everything she should stay away from, off-limits and untouchable.But when his anger turns into something darker and hungrier, when he looks at her like he wants to ruin her innocence, Catherine realizes danger has a new name.And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t stop wanting the one man she’s not supposed to have.When hate turns to desire, who’s really in control?EXCERPT✨“You’ve never had sex before?” Julian asked, disbelief flickering in his eyes.Catherine hesitated, then nodded, staring at the floor instead of him.He bit his lower lip, trying to rein in the thoughts crowding his mind. Goodness, she was too innocent for her own good.“So all you did with your previous boyfriends were just kisses and smooches?”She immediately stood, her cheeks flushed. “There are no boyfriends,” she blurted. “I’ve never even been kissed. Please don’t laugh at me.”Laugh? Hell no. Julian wasn’t laughing. He was fighting the urge to pull her close. Knowing she’d never been touched only made his hunger worse.She didn’t realize he’d moved until his breath brushed her ear, his voice dropping low and dangerous.“Catherine, just say the word and I’ll show you what it means to be touched by a man.”Her heart stuttered in her chest and he could hear every beat.