JACKAL AMONG SNAKES - Chapter 51: Hothouse Flower

An alien abduction romance. Updates Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.Grant has a tolerance for boredom. Late shift in a middle-of-nowhere facility? Sign him up. If the money's good, he'll happily take the peace and quiet of a long night watching an empty cell.And then he meets Subject B-31. Blue, beautiful, and completely inhuman. Her captors call her Batty, thanks to her big ears and the way she hangs upside down by her tail.He's told not to talk to her. He's told to think of her as a test subject, not a person. He's told to cash his checks and live his humble life. He's told to ignore the sorrow on her face and the desperation in her crimson eyes. Maybe he should have listened. When he finally busts her out, the rescue isn't a rescue at all: it's an abduction.Batty is Princess Sykora, of the tyrannical Taiikari Empire. She commands the Black Pike, a massive voidship on the imperial frontier. Grant must learn a new life, in a firmament filled with ambitious nobles, deadly rivals, and the sinister smiles of the Taiikari Imperial Court. And he'll have to learn fast.Because when the Princess of the Void looks at Grant, she doesn't just see a savior—she sees a husband.And she isn't asking.

She’s somehow ended up transmigrating into the book as the supporting female lead, who was beaten to death! Deeply in love with the male lead, she’s fated to be beaten to a bloody pulp before even holding hands with him?!

First things first, she needs to survive and latch onto the big thigh of a patron. But the supporting male lead is a true gentleman and feels nothing for her stunning, alluring body. That’s alright! She’ll latch onto the old madame or the male lead then!

But why does the supporting male lead look at her with increasingly odd eyes? And what of that Wulin Alliance Head with the personality disorder? You’re just a random bystander, what are you getting involved for??

Finally, the male lead could bear it no longer and dragged her back to the Prince Li Manor…

[Group Pet + Farming]

The little ginseng essence was finally shaped into a human figure, but was smashed to pieces by Wang Baojiao who slipped and fell into the pool. When she woke up, she was lying on the earthen kang of the Wang family, and many people around the kang looked at her distressedly.

The shrewd woman put her hands on her hips: “My Jiaojiao, who the hell pushed you into the river!”

The strong man’s father cried and cried: “Jiaojiao, if you don’t wake up, Dad will go with you.”

Eldest brother who is frail and sick: “Little sister, I won’t go to school anymore, I will always be by your side to protect you in the future.”

The black girl with sky braids: “Little sister, be good~ Second sister will buy you a hair tie.”

The silly third brother sucking snot: “Sister~ I will give you all the bird eggs my little brother digs out.”

Facing poor and decrepit family members who are plagued by bad luck, the small ginseng essence waved its fat hand, and the century-old ginseng spirit whiskers, one for you, the other will remove the bad luck, bring good fortune, and cure all diseases!

A family of six, the days are getting more and more prosperous.

…

Many years later, Jiaojiaobao reached the age of marriage. Everyone in the Wang family was very worried, thinking that no one could match their own Jiaojiao.

Unexpectedly, Jiaojiao brought back a beautiful boy by herself, and said that he was her future husband-in-law.

…

The master of the national teacher who retired from the world was not close to women, but he didn’t want to be disturbed by a little ginseng spirit.

- Description from novelbuddy

In 2173, the world’s first Full-World Virtual MMORPG game ‘Astral Online’ went on sale globally, forever changing the blue planet Asteria!

With its revolutionary Digital Capture System, astonishing graphics and ability to scan yourself into the game with up to 20% beautification, countless defenders rallied to play the game.

Fifty million players logged in on launch. There were no queues or lag on launch, leaving countless critics impressed and willing to try the game. Because the game used a 6-hour play limit a day, it allowed even working adults to keep up with young students and the unemployed.

A resounding success, as more people poured onto the game servers, families and friends alike. Astra Online became a household name overnight.

One month later, the game opened its first RMT system, which made earning a living from the game easier... Thus began the Astral rush!

Professional players formed guilds and factions to increase their profits, but nobody could know this prosperity was a mere joke.

One year later, players fused with their avatars, gaining powerful abilities in the real world, which tipped the power and caused chaos.

Two years later, demons and monsters from inside the game invaded the real world.

Three years later, over 90% of humanity perished, leaving the rest to hide like rats, unable to fight back in fear.

Four years later, this world is no longer ours. The demons march on our last bastions, one by one. They exterminated us.

Zell was an average player who liked to collect beasts in the game and evolve them into humanoids, as they were primarily females.

He spent most of his life working two jobs to make ends meet.

Thanks to the excellent healthcare of his country, there were no crippling debts. There was only emptiness.

When the end came, he was powerless and alone. His only companions were his cute pets and Rika, his cherished Flame Rabbit.

She was the only beast he evolved to a humanoid form after his late start to the game.

He died saving the life of a strange girl with white wings and his pet Rika, the sad eyes of Rika and the girl’s sorrow floating through the air as he slowly passed away.

However, instead of dying, he awoke inside an empty white room with a single computer and a strange, game-like screen that allowed him to edit his IRL avatar and persona.

Who offered him this second chance?

For what reason did they help him?

Can he meet Rika again?

Zell could never know; he only knew his second life’s goal.

Survive!