Reincarnation of the Celestial Bastard - Chapter 22 - : Rising Star Tournament

Michael, formerly a military veteran turned mercenary, was living quite a peaceful and slightly eventful life. That was until an accident happened that caused him great misfortune, rendering him unable to continue being a mercenary. After that point, his life spiraled into that of an alcoholic, eventually leading to his demise. Before he died, he saw something odd; it was a blue hologram with the words ’Do you wish to start anew?’ Michael readily accepted and was thrust into a fantasy world with a mysterious system companion that seemed to be hell bent on making him the best healer in the world. However, as he began unraveling mysteries, he found out his identity was not as simple as it seemed.

There is a famous fairytale. A kindhearted girl whose father and stepmother got married and became a family of five with her two stepsisters. The poor girl who was condemned by her stepmother and stepsisters when her father died. The very fairytale, Cinderella.

After being torn from the only life she knew, 16-year-old Margo is forced into a new home with strangers who call themselves her parents. Haunted by memories of her past and consumed by feelings of isolation, she struggles to adapt to her unfamiliar surroundings. School offers little relief—until she meets Lucien, a mysterious boy who appears just when she needs a friend the most.Gabriel is everything Margo needs: kind, attentive, and always ready to whisk her away from her troubles. Each night, he invites her to secret places—an abandoned playground, a fog-choked garden, a crumbling train station at the edge of town—each more unsettling than the last. Yet with every chilling rendezvous, Margo feels more alive... more seen.But something isn’t right. Gabriel never comes to school during the day. Her adoptive parents never see him. And when they catch her talking to thin air, their concern deepens into fear. They say Gabriel isn't real—that he’s a figment of her imagination. Margo wants to believe them, but Gabriel feels real. More real than anything else in her life.As the nights grow colder and more twisted, Gabriel’s true nature begins to surface. Shadows move where they shouldn’t. Time warps in his presence. And the places they visit seem to echo with whispers from another world. Margo is forced to ask herself: Who—or what—is Gabriel? Why does he only want her? And what will happen on the final night he asks her to come with him?As the line between reality and delusion begins to crumble, Margo must make an impossible choice: stay in a world where she feels loved, or return to one that barely feels real.But one thing is certain—some friendships never let go.

【Host, host! I might be late, but I, the Femme Fatale Conquer System, am here to accompany you!】

【Now, let’s first conquer Momoana, a legendary female emperor who boasts looks and wits.】

Shu Yichao: “Charge, my nomads! Show them our unrivaled archery!”

And so, Momoana died.

【My host, I’ll assume what happened earlier was an accident. We have to succeed for the next one. Our next conquer target is Purin, a lofty and cold sorceress.】

Shi Yichao: “Clear the mobs and stack skeletons! I shall bring the undead calamity upon the world!”

And so, Purin died.

【…Maybe you didn’t hear me clearly, my host. I said court her, not cull her. Our next target–】

Shu Yichao: “Build the hive and spam the worms. My hive mind shall devour the world! Who can compete with me?”

【…】

Shi Yichao: “Halleluyah! I have finally gotten rid of every single one of them! Speaking of which, System, it has been a long time since you last spoke to me?”

【I’m tired. Just go and destroy everything.】