Love & Redemption - Chapter 11 - Demon Hunting (Part 2)

“Money doesn’t buy happiness. It buys crazy ahh happiness.”[Ding!]
⟪ You have cleared the 100th Floor of the Tower of Beginning. ⟫
⟪ As the requirements for the completion have been met, the game will now undergo a maintenance period. You will be logged out safely. ⟫
⟪ Rewards for completing the floor will be made available after a maintenance period and a following content will be made available. ⟫
⟪ You will be rewarded the permanent title: Conqueror of the Tower of Beginning, after the maintenance period. ⟫
⟪ Your achievements will be highlighted in the [Akashic records]. ⟫
⟪ May the fortune be on your side. ⟫Kaizen, ID:KiRA, a 24-year-old streamer and obsessive gamer, etched his name as the only player to conquer the brutal Tower of Beginning, a VRMMO notorious for its punishing difficulty.Living in a modest two-room apartment, he poured over half a decade into the game, finally conquering the impossible.But on December 12, 2052, the world flipped: blue countdown screens bearing the tower’s runes appeared globally, and colossal Towers of Cessation erupted, tearing through cities and integrating the game’s system into reality.[Time remaining until Tutorial: ][00:54:51][After the conclusion of the tutorial, clear the first floor of the Tower of Cessation within or else your world will be terminated.]Earth became a chaotic battleground of monsters, dungeons, and players.KiRA, armed with unparalleled expertise, his companion Unity, and a wealth that dwarfs all others, dived back into the fray—- not just to relive the adrenaline of the climb, but to cement his legacy as the richest and most dominant force in this new, perilous reality.

One night of spring breeze, stirring the white window screen fluttering in the air.Only a nightstand lamp is on in the room.The light is a soft, dim yellow.......

One scam package,That's all it took to drag the 17-year-old Cail into the world of the void....He thought he had ordered a limited-edition sneakers. But what came was a shady-looking package on his front gate. It smelled like rotten egg and sulfur. Inside the package was a strange box.It's filled with eccentric junk. They looked very intricate and mysterious. He thought, “I probably got someone else's package, a package from someone that was very interested in mysticism.”An old coin, a cracked compass, a ring with an ugly center stone, and some other weird looking trinkets.So he did what any broke student would do:He sold it. He figured someone might want them for cosplay or something. Well, except the gold-rimmed glasses that seemed to fit him very well.“Damn, I paid 7,000 nu for that sneaker; I better get something out from this scam package.”Then all hell broke loose. Strange people started approaching him.People brought that junk. Very strange people wearing suspicious get up trying to buy those stuff in the sketchiest manner possible.As he kept selling, he realized that the box was refilling, it seemed to have an endless supply of those strange stuff. Those people called it 'artifacts'.Then one day he woke up with a strange tattoo on his arm; inside the tattoo was an independent space containing the box. It is basically inseparable from him.“I didn't ask for any of this to happen. But now, strange people come to me with desperate offers. Money, memories, and even soul.”He's just trying to survive high school while earning some money!He had no idea what was going on, but apparently, this thing that he got? It's not just an artifact. It's a contract.As Cail navagates school life, part-time jobs, and otherworldly clients, he starts asking the real question:When did I become an artifact dealer?!By day, he is just an ordinary student, a NPC character.And by night? He is The Dealer. Selling ancient items and dealing with people that he probably shouldn't be talking to.“Since I'm already in this mess, might as well profit off of it.”

Ethan Blackwood wasn’t used to being defied. As the CEO of a global empire, he crushed obstacles with a single glance. But when Lily Anderson stood before him, her chin lifted in quiet defiance, and something in him snapped. “Sign the contract,” he said, his voice like ice. “30 days. You’ll obey every command. After that, you’re free.”She hesitated, her fingers trembling as she gripped the pen. “And if I refuse?”His smirk was cold, but his eyes burned. “Then you’ll spend the rest of your life paying off your father’s debts. Your choice.”Trapped, Lily signed. But she vowed one thing: she wouldn’t let him break her.From the first day, their clash was electric. He demanded perfection; she gave him rebellion. “You think you can control me?” she spat, after he criticized her for being late.Ethan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “I don’t just control you. Lily, I own you.”But as the days passed, the lines between them blurred. Late nights in his penthouse turned into whispered conversations. His cold demeanor cracked, revealing glimpses of a man haunted by his past. One night, after a heated argument, he pinned her against the wall, his breath hot against her ear. “Why do you fight me so much?”Her voice trembled. “Because I’m afraid if I stop, I’ll lose myself to you.”Their connection deepened, but danger loomed. Secrets from Ethan’s past resurfaced, threatening to destroy everything. When Lily discovered the truth behind his obsession with her, she confronted him. “Was I just a pawn in your game? A way to settle an old score?”His eyes darkened with pain. “You were never just a game, Lily. You’re the only thing that’s ever felt real.”As the final days of their contract approached, their bond was tested like never before. Enemies closed in, and trust hung by a thread. Could they overcome the shadows of their pasts, or would their love crumble under the weight of secrets and pride?