MTL - Dianxia Qingcheng - Chapter 171 here you go, snack food

Rise Lee, a well-known A-rank esper in the federation. He was even ranked as one of the strongest among the A-ranks and recognized as one of the hopes for humanity. However, he wasn't only famous because of his prowess or his attractive appearance; Rise was more infamous because of his terrible personality. He was called a villain by most guides and espers for a reason.And who would guess that Rise Lee was really a villain, in a literal sense? The terrible truth then unfolded to him. He, Rise Lee, is one of the main villains of the novel. Rise Lee spat out a mouthful of curses and swore that if he had a second chance, he would mess up this damn novel until everyone went down with him. If the author was in front of him, he too would be destroyed with him! And a second chance did come! Rise Lee, the villain, woke up five years before the main storyline! Heh. So what if he was a villain destined to die? That protagonist who killed him, and the author... He would screw them over. Being a villain, be damned. In this rebirth, he would take and mess up everything. What did you say? The protagonist’s love life? Heh. That too. Rise would take his lover. The male lead... will be his.

Chen Qizhao was reborn and returned to the age of 18 when he was still the wicked little overlord of the Chen family.

At this time, his brother hadn’t experienced a car accident while his parents were in good health and weren’t seriously ill. The Chen family was still the prosperous Chen family and everyone thought he was a good-for-nothing who was useless and easily taken advantage of.

“He only knows how to quarrel with his older brother every day. He is arrogant and willful!”

“He looks good, but unfortunately, he is an idiot.”

“Isn’t he a useless person? Just serve him well.”

“It is a pity about that child of the Chen family.”

There were the group of scoundrel friends who were full of thoughts, the rats eyeing him covetously and the old, cunning people who were secretly scheming.

Chen Qizhao put on a mask of arrogance again. ‘Do you like acting so much? Why don’t we act together?’

It wasn’t until later that everyone discovered that at the end of the play, they would either go bankrupt or be imprisoned.

- Description from Novelupdates

Lacking a pocket dimension, lacking a power, lacking a thigh to hug onto and the three life advantages (money, power, and looks), he had been cautiously living in the apocalypse for ten years, getting closer to falling inside the zombie’s mouths. But unexpectedly, he had the terrible luck, to be caught in a fight between two gangs and die, it really left people feeling disappointed.

In a world torn apart by rifts that release dangerous monsters, Espers—humans imbued with powerful abilities—serve as humanity's last line of defense. But the power of an Esper comes with a price. Overuse of their abilities leads to dangerous corruption, a force that can destroy them from the inside out. This is where Guides come in: individuals with the unique ability to calm the corruption within Espers and restore their balance.Rowan Mercer, an S-class Guide, is one of the best in his field, capable of stabilizing even the most dangerous Espers. He has worked quietly behind the scenes, helping those in need, but his life takes a dramatic turn when he is called to work with Lucian Vaughn, an S-class Esper whose immense power and unstable corruption levels make him a dangerous threat to himself and others.Lucian, a tall, stoic, and enigmatic figure, has long fought against the growing corruption within him. At first, his relationship with Rowan is purely professional—Rowan as his Guide, helping him to stay in control. However, as their interactions grow more frequent, their bond deepens in ways neither expected. What started as a simple duty soon turns into a complex relationship where power, trust, and vulnerability collide.As the world around them faces escalating threats from rifts, Rowan and Lucian must navigate not only their personal challenges but also the dangerous world of Espers and Guides. Their bond will be tested as they fight together against the corrupting forces that threaten them both.In Corrupted Bonds, survival isn’t just about battling monsters from the rifts—it's about fighting the darkness within themselves and finding a way to stay connected in a world that’s constantly pulling them apart.