Marauder of the Apocalypse - Chapter 24: Wave [3]

“Oracle” – A groundbreaking game emerges, silently transforming the world. When the game’s powers can manifest in reality, does it inspire excitement or instill fear?Ethan Carter, an ordinary office worker, falls victim to food poisoning after accidentally consuming expired groceries. However, upon logging into “Oracle,” he unexpectedly acquires a unique ability known as the “Venom Source.” Turning his misfortune into a blessing, Ethan embarks on an extraordinary journey to the pinnacle of power.

The Path to Immortality is elusive, and everyone wants to achieve it even if there's only a glimmer of hope.Tian Yongheng is a person who regained his past life memories after his family was brutally slaughtered. His extreme fear of death and desire to be undying have forced him to step onto this dangerous path of Immortal Cultivation.He is not a Chosen One who is the favored son of heavens, nor is he the reincarnation of a Great Emperor. Armed with a unique system of unknown origins and his obsession with immortality, he sets forth to carve a way of his own in this world where fate toys with one's very existence itself and cosmic horror-like beings devour universes for fun.However, can he really touch the illusory, eternal and ethereal Immortal Dao that is everlasting and everchanging?Will he ever be able to reach the end of this grand path to eternity, establishing himself as a myth and beyond? or will he also drown in the long river of history just like many others?-------The background settings and world building of this story are greatly inspired by Top Tier Providence, Secretly Cultivate for a Thousand Years. the main characters are also pretty similar, so if you like stories where the MC is a hidden powerhouse who, despite being hidden, is still known across the world, then you can give it a try. Please be patient while reading, as this is my first time writing a novel and don't hesitate to point out any mistakes I do in the comments.Also, I'm not a native of China, so there are probably going to be a lot of mistakes in names and history and stuff, please bear with it.Note: English is not my first language and the cover image is not mine.

Mature content:‘You are not my craving my dear, you are my obsession.’“ She was our light and we were her darkness—- and just like every opposites we were obsessed with the idea of having her.”The Evil Empress, the one whose life was filled with debauchery and betrayal to her mates was supposed to die tonight. Being the Empress of the Dragniere Empire and the mother to all dragons, she was supposed to live a life where she lived for her people and the country, her exquisite powers were alone enough to make her the ruler of the entire continent and with her face that was as beautiful as a shining pearl in the moonlight, with hair as fine as Pima, and her curves so luscious that any man would have died of desire with just one glimpse.With powers that were beyond humans, shrouded with the air of aristocracy and with a personality that was as cruel as Medusa, The Evil Empress continued to rule over the people of her Empire with her tyranny.Brianna Cage, nicknamed ‘ Bree, The hellion’ for the convenience of her acquaintances was a rowdy young woman. She had a fierce sense of justice, she was dependable and despite not being the most beautiful woman in her department, she was sought out by a lot of men because of her alluring nature, she rejected them all because in truth she was in love with —— all the Daddies in the comic books she has read. Behind her aloof and dependable persona resided a Weeb who was always cheering on the characters of her favourite books.One day she came upon the book ‘ The Maid’s route of survival of the fittest’ and decided to read it just for the heck of it since the Empress shared the same name as her. But soon Bree found out that the Empress was the Villainess, she even betrayed her mates one by one and what was even more gut-wrenching she was killed by her mates!All for the sake of the maid who reincarnated into the book with a system to help her.Bree though angry decided to throw the book at the back of her head but oddly enough the book vanished and Bree found herself waking up in the room of the Evil Empress just three weeks before she was executed by her mates!Startled but not having the time to freak out, Bree started to take care of everything that the Evil Empress has done wrong. She thought that she would be able to live a peaceful life away from her bloodthirsty mates who didn’t seem too fond of her.But unfortunately, things didn’t go as she planned as five sets of eyes fell on her despite all the precautions she has taken against them. And once those eyes locked on her, they refused to let go of their possessiveness.The Evil Empress was theirs, to begin with who dares take her away?

“Mana to breathe, mana to eat, mana to fucking live,”Inhale: -0.001 MP… oops! You're out of mana points.(Pay-to-breathe RPG.)Humanity's last walled stronghold._____In the world Elio lives, every gasp of air comes at a price.A floating indestructible book for every human, a magical system that turns survival into a pay-to-breathe RPG.Here, poverty isn't just being broke, it's choking.Surrounded by barren land and a sea of monsters on top of it (No water, just literal monsters), each day is a suffocating dance of survival, a balancing act between mana for air and mana for food.In this economy, holding your breath isn't just a game, it's a retirement plan.Driven by desperation (and the city's miserly rulers that don’t cut anyone a break), Elio dives into the Book System’s trials to save his family.Along the way, he unlocks powers he didn’t ask for and starts to figure out... Who he really is.Immerse yourself in an adventure where one young man's stubborn refusal to become a statistic could spark a revolution. Who knew being a pain in the system's rear could change the world?Because in Elio's world, breathing is just the beginning of the revolution and... he's gasping for change.But hey, who said saving the world had to be all doom and gloom? Join Elio as he kicks monster butt, uncovers ancient secrets, and maybe, just maybe, figures out how to grow a tree or two along the way.__________Warning:May contain traces of world domination, an unhealthy obsession with the periodic table, damage points, progression math, and yes, even a sprinkle of that old “power of friendship” magic. Because sometimes, you need a buddy to help you remember which element does what or even help you calculate those sweet, sweet stats.A quick heads-up:Despite what the cover might suggest, this isn’t a hack-and-slash adventure. Think more along the lines of a turn-based RPG, where strategy and choices matter as much as action. Get ready for a different kind of challenge!If you want to know more about the cover:Yep, that's our first FL crying and crossing the transparent barrier straight into a pixelated, indistinguishable sea of monsters. Because why not mix emotions with chaos? She's crazy like that! (Not really... or is she?)Discord to check the visuals: https://discord.gg/W3CjfC2cw4I’m still working on it in the little moments I find between writing, editing, making more character images, etc.Little by little, we’ll have a Poked... uh, a full SummonDex! Meanwhile, you can check out the ones on Fandom with their... funny descriptions? Or at least I hope so... orzWarning 2 (Privilege 4 and 5):I just wanted to stick to the novel’s level system, so I had to add those '0s'!!! Don’t be an elephant... unless you’re an enormous one... A whale! Seriously, nooooo!You’re going to make me die from the pressure, and I’ll feel terrible!! It’s just one chapter!!! You can wait... But if you’re dirty rich and really, Really, REALLY want to support, well... okay, though I’ll still feel bad!!! orz