Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece - Chapter 804: Marcus, Romes Hero

“What exactly is the point of this life of mine?”Lukas Brandt thought to himself as he chugged down a cup of Wheat beer in a local pub in Darmstadt.He had always dreamt of being a professional footballer, he fell in love with the sport when he watched his country Germany beat the Argentine national team in the World Cup final in 2014, with memories of his father hugging him tightly after Mario Gotze scored the goal that gave them the cup.He had been 7 back then, currently 36, but his biggest regret was giving up at the first sight of failure at 15.He had given up his dream of one day representing his country, and died (un)fortunately while trying to save a kid.Waking up 20 years younger and with a system, follow Lukas' journey from an SV Darmstadt 98 academy reject, to undoubtedly the greatest footballer of all time.Set in an alternate universe so some names and events will obviously be changed massively, else it'll just be a biography of a real life player :⁠')

[Mature Content] [Dark Themes]Catherine Lane had the perfect job in Midnight City, secretary to Ares King, the impenetrable billionaire bachelor, infamously known as the devil CEO.To the outside world, Catherine's life was nothing short of flawless, but in reality, she struggles with debts on the verge of ruining her life. To avoid harassment, she decides to quit and get the cut that comes with it.As if that wasn't enough, her long-term boyfriend cheated on her, claiming she's a wreck with no future, and he's better off without her.Heartbroken and devastated, Catherine is grasping at the last straws when her boss, Ares King, proposes a contract out of the blue.“Become my wife for one year.”“Why me, Mr. King?”“Because we work, Ms. Lane.”The last thing she wanted was to make a deal with the devil. But this offer is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.Sell your soul to the devil for one year. How hard can that be?*****“I think that's all...” My heart throbbed as I grabbed my pen. Here comes the hard part.“You're forgetting something, Ms Lane.”“Hmm?”“We haven't looked over the special clauses.”Special Clauses? Shit! I forgot about that.“The next page.”I flipped the paper.Number one: The wife should under no circumstances fall for the husband. Should the wife breach this clause, all compensation shall be nullified and revoked.“Unfortunately, changes can't be made to that clause.”I scoffed. Does he actually think I'd fall for him?“Understood. Emotional attachments should be prohibited.”“This, Ms. Lane, is why I said we work.”A/N: This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental.

Yuzuki thought it was just another pastime from his casework, proofreading a half-finished fantasy webnovel. But when he woke up the next day, he was no longer in his world. He was inside the story… as a disposable extra.The world he now walks is beautiful, brutal, and broken. Its plot is incomplete. And looming over it all is a calamity so catastrophic that even the protagonist would have failed to stop it. Driven only by his cunning and spite towards this twisted fate, his only choice is to stake his existence in a world on the verge of collapse. But how long can a nameless extra outwit the fate of an unfinished novel? How is he going to survive in this ruined world?If the story dies, so does he.“Well, curse the protagonist. Why would I gamble my life on some self-righteous fool who’s just doomed to fall anyway?”#Academy#WeakToStrongMCNo Harem!

“The masterminds are cooler than heroes,” I mutter as I stare at the chess pieces before me. It is easier to be the one who sits in the shadows and moves the pieces, likewise deciding the flow of the game.Heroes will foolishly sacrifice their lives for the good cause and villains will sacrifice the world for their own gain, but masterminds will use both the heroes and villains to their own benefit.Why, you ask? Well, that's because I've lost my life once while trying to be a hero so, I don't want that anymore. I'd rather be a mastermind who molds the world as per my convenience and live peacefully. Because, why not?***[Defender of Divine Glory says you are the hope of this world.]What?[Goddess of Wisdom believes that you will be the one to save the world.]Wait, what?![Propose the Grand Duke the idea of a fake marriage.]And, why would I do that?![Stop the assassination of Prince Eric.]Why would I save him?![The candidates for the throne are:... Who will you choose?]Ah! I give up...It seems like a curse that anyone who wishes for a slacker life in Isekai will have to go through the most troublesome things.In my past life, I died because of one rookie mistake but after being transmigrated in the world of fantasy I've gotten an opportunity to start afresh, but unlike the protagonists who look for their love and glory, I'd rather make money and live a life of a slacker.I have magic, I have power and I have money, what else do I need?Well, that was the plan but this damn system is getting on my nerves. I mean who in their sane mind would want to mess with the complicated royal family and political affairs? But that's not all though.I've also become the saviour of this world. Things just can't be anymore worse!Besides, the penalty of failing this quest is...[Failure: Destruction of the World.]It seems like if I screw up in selecting the right person then the destruction that is going to befall the world won't be stopped.If I speak of my reward then it's this vague thing.[Reward: Fulfillment of any wish.]“If that's the case then, I'd rather choose the person who would be the best fit for the throne.”And that's how I decided that I would become the Kingmaker.