Phoenix Rise: XieRong - Chapter 40 - The Duchess in the Shadows

Due to his own carelessness, Duanmu Huai finds himself transported into the world of the game “Star Ocean Online.” Starting from a humble core capsule, Duanmu Huai ventures across the starry sea to countless worlds. He awakens powers that have long been dormant, confronts threats lurking in the depths of the universe, and sets his sights on dominating the galaxy!

Humanity's end came without warning when a crimson fog swallowed the sky. Zhao, an ordinary man, watched in horror as a celestial voice declared their fate: their Planet had reached its limit, and its people would now atone for their sins. An otherworldly force crushed resistance, and in an instant, every human was teleported to the Central Land, a vast and hostile realm.The voice from the heavens promised trials that would shatter their wills, but also power beyond imagination for the fortunate. Only those blessed by luck would awaken unique Lord Talents, granting them the means to survive and dominate:In a world where strength lies supreme Zhao will do whatever it takes to get stronger.Zhao awoke in an isolated area near a forest. As despair set in, a voice echoed in his mind:Ding… Million Times Multiplier System has been activated.Just as the rest of the players had known of the world Zhou's subjects were clearing out every resource.When others were building their base he had built a kingdom.And by the time they knew of his threat, HE HAD ALRDY BECOME GOD!

The formless ancient world was infested with despicable demons. They hunted and feasted on mankind, keeping the human civilization constantly in a weak and suppressed state.

“When you think everything is going well, the world will flip you the middle finger.”__I had a fantastic life: a loving family, amazing friends, a stable job... I had it all.But that wasn’t everything—I was also a writer. Writing was my passion, and my novel *'The Land of Survival'* had achieved remarkable success...Little did I know back then that it would become the very reason my life would be turned upside down. I was reborn inside my own novel, and to make things worse... inside the body of the utterly despised villain, *'Fray.'*That pathetic villain who dies right at the start. If the novel had 100 possible outcomes, he’d die in 99 of them... and I’m not exaggerating.But who cares about that? I don’t want this life... I already had everything... Save me the cliché of second chances... because one life is enough for me.Screw this world, and screw the son of a bitch who brought me here , I’ll find a way back to my world... to my life... no matter what it takes.