MTL - Magic Chef of Ice and Fire - Chapter 207 Before the Battle of the Ice Tower (below)

As a successful villainous BOSS, in addition to having ideas and aspirations, one must also keep in mind three points:First, grow sneakily, don't act rashly (once a villain acts rashly, they basically won't survive past three chapters).Second, you're not a good person, so be ruthless (becoming more evil will make you three times stronger, while redemption weakens you by seven times).Third, remember the two points above. The moment you forget them, your end is probably on its way.

In a world where mana nodes inherently decode spells, acting as the pre-built magical processors of all mages, Zephyr awakens with just a single node, putting him at a disadvantage.Unconcerned with fame or glory, he initially shrugs off this profound limitation, even dismissing his father's final and seemingly useless gift. But when a relentless spiral of uncontrollable events threatens his very existence, Zephyr has to figure out a way to utilize his inherited legacy.His survival now depends on understanding the fundamental nature of mana nodes and how they tick in a world that takes the process for granted. His method of conscious processing pushes the boundaries of conventional magic and draws the attention of formidable world powers and ancient noble houses. As Zephyr delves deeper, he begins to uncover disturbing truths about their world and the very origins of magic itself. How would he navigate this treacherous landscape where every discovery could be his last?What to expect:- Unique power system that draws inspiration from modern processors.- Extensive character development and world building.- MC starts out weak and capped... until he figures out how to process better. Power is earned.- Mana cores, mana nodes, spell processing, noble houses, knowledge gatekeeping, great world powers, hidden factions, a touch of sci-fi, multiple worlds, soft kingdom building...

There was war in hell. The flames of hell turned against itself and the demons tore each other apart. It was a terror to behold; one that the devil himself could not escape. Every other terrestrial being was against him, trying to take his power and throne.Knowing that he wouldn’t survive it, Lucifer fled from hell into the earth feeling regretful. His fall came from a woman whom he thought he had grown to love. But at that point, it all didn’t matter….he needed someone to will his power to…it was much better than leaving it in the possession of those demons. And while he was running out of time, he immediately gave it all to a prince in his mother’s womb before he vanished into eternityThe prince; Francis was born and he grew just as powerful and as fierce as the devil himself. He was a devil, but he ruled on earth…unstoppable and strong willed. He was hardly referred to by his name and was mostly called the devil, right from when he was a child after a powerful seer revealed the reason behind his power.But even though Francis had all the power he wanted and would ever need, he had one restriction. To keep history from repeating itself, he was given just one rule, never to love a woman.****But on the far side; in a village, lonely princess lived with no hopes of survival even though her father, the king was still alive. But it wasn’t much of a surprise since the royal family itself was the reason behind the princess’s tight chances of living. Even her mother the queen couldn’t save her because she was very much afraid of her husband, the king and his second wife who bore him sons.They lived their lives in fear, not until one day, the queen was about to take her last breathe. She was poisoned by the king’s wicked wife. But before she died, she had just one wish: that her daughter Aurora avenges her death and take over the village by attaining a level of power and authority that could only come through one means….and it is to “Marry the devil” the strongest, ruthless, merciless and powerful king that lived.She knew she needed him to love her if she ever wanted to access his powers and make him revenge for her.And so, Princess Aurora was set on a journey to marry the devil who was warned to never love a woman.What happens when the devil falls in love?Would he receive the same fate as the previous Devil?Or will love change his fate?Will Aurora's determination lead her to a world of power, love and strength?Or will the devil's fate cause her a life time of peril and pain?

At home, she was invisible; after marriage, she was a decorative vase; in the end, a sea of flames buried her, and not even her corpse remained. This is the portrait of Han Yuxi’s previous lifetime.

Given a chance at rebirth, she strives to improve herself, wishing only to no longer serve as a foil or a pretty face. Then, she will seek out an exemplary husband and live a life of peace and prosperity. Alas, things turn out contrary to her wishes—she marries a man who bears a blood feud and hatred as deep as the sea.

She turns the world upside-down, but her road to happiness is strewn with setbacks and the sweetness that comes after bitterness.

- Description from Novelupdates