SSS-Class Profession: The Path to Mastery - Chapter 255: Culling Fire

[The time-travelling heroine who never turns around when speaking vs. the aristocratic self-effacing hero who always gets slapped in the face and is reborn]

Everyone said that sooner or later the second wife of the Shen family would be killed by the adopted daughter.

The melon seeds and benches are all ready, just waiting to watch the show.

Who knows——

Not only is he not dead, he is also getting better and better!

The eldest son became a well-known miracle doctor; the second son became a general; the younger son was smart and well-read, and became the number one scholar at the age of fifteen…

As for Shen Nian, that was even more remarkable.

She is the legitimate daughter of the Duke of the country, and everyone dislikes her for living in the countryside.

The boss of the apocalypse has traveled through time.

He has strange powers, possesses three types of supernatural powers, and is extremely lucky.

Her biological father is the Duke of Jian Zai’s heart, the leader of the Golden Scale Guard is a poor little boy she saved casually, and the bad old man who follows her is a weird doctor known to the world…

–

When they heard that Prince Xiao was leaving Zhongdu, the elite circle went crazy with joy. They prayed to gods and Buddhas in the hope that this man would die outside.

But not only did he come back fine, he also brought a girl who was even more arrogant than him.

Everyone laughed at Shen Nian for being a vulgar farm girl.

The Holy One sneered, “…you call a person who makes a people rich, vulgar?”

The prince chuckled, his eyes flashing with a ferocity that made people feel heartbroken.

The next day, the person who gossiped behind his back either had his face ruined or his leg broken…

Shen Nian stuck his head out to watch the show, “Tsk, I told you that you would be punished if you spread bad words about me, but you didn’t believe it. You should believe it now.”

Xiao Shizi, who deeply concealed his merit and fame, nodded and smiled warmly and harmlessly, “…I think everyone believes it.”

If they didn’t believe it, he could make them even worse.

- Description from novelbuddy

Lucian Bowcott only wanted a quiet life. He met up with old friends, made a wish, and died after one drink.Now, he awakens inside a coffin—summoned by the Half-Dead Queen of Atraeum and surrounded by restless souls.Armed with the Death Grimoire, Lucian must embalm corpses, repair brittle bones, and help the dead find peace… before something ancient finds him.As his powers grow, so do the whispers in the dark. If he wants to survive, Lucian must unravel the Queen’s grief, discover why a mortician hasn’t been summoned in over a century, and confront the entities haunting his every step.A/N: It doesn't deal with dungeons, Lucian's system is a magical book, and he slowly unlocks powers to help him with his next assignment. He travels to different places around Atraeum, and in the future, another kingdom.This is a character-driven gothic isekai about an introvert learning that sometimes, peace is more than just embalming a body and preparing it for a funeral. He's more of an undead therapist now

The snake, Yu Yaoyao, transmigrated into a third-rate actress who was only a pitiful cannon fodder in the novel.

This little actress met a dark accident, her diamond husband was robbed, her son died miserably, and she was at the lowest peak of her career. Ultimately, she became paralyzed in the end.

Yu Yaoyao is determined to change everything!

From there on, she became a mistress, a loving mother and practiced the art of acting through multitasking!

At the other end of the line…

The male lead looked patiently at Yu Yaoyao straddling his waist: Get off!

Yu Yaoyao: I won’t! Husband, that film emperor is extremely ugly! I’m so scared I can’t even sleep at night properly ~ let’s make a second child—calm down, don’t be frightened!

Yu Yaoyao: …Isn’t that me?

Director: As an actor, when I say ‘start’ your tears should immediately fall…oh, that’s enough, there’s no need to cry more.

Yu Yaoyao: It’s nothing.

- Description from Novelupdates

Akashi was a boy so beautiful it seemed the gods had sculpted him with a touch of mischief and a dash of fragility. He wasn’t handsome in the rugged, masculine way of knights or warriors. No—his beauty was softer, captivating in its innocence. His frame was small, almost delicate, and his pale skin looked as if it had never known hardship, kissed only by the gentle sunlight of his village fields.With wide, striking black eyes that shimmered like obsidian under moonlight, and hair the color of a calm, endless ocean, Akashi possessed a charm that defied age, status, or reason. He didn’t know it, but his very existence pulled at the hearts of those who saw him—like an untouched gem waiting to be claimed.And yet, he had been untouched for a reason. Akashi had never known life beyond the boundaries of his village. He grew up surrounded by warm smiles and familiar voices. Every elder knew his name. Every child wanted to play by his side. His days were simple, his heart untouched by cruelty.But peace is a fragile thing.One night, it shattered.The sky turned crimson. Screams tore through the quiet air. Fires devoured homes. Demons—twisted beasts of shadow and rage—descended without warning. They killed with a hunger that could not be reasoned with.By morning, the village was gone.Ashes, corpses, and silence were all that remained.And Akashi… Akashi was alone.The last heartbeat in a graveyard of memories.He wandered for days, hollow and dazed, until rough hands seized him. Chains replaced freedom. Smiles were replaced by cold appraisals. And so, the boy once adored by all became something else—something to be sold.A slave.At the capital's grand auction house, he was stripped, washed, and displayed like merchandise. His beauty caused a stir. Whispers spread like wildfire.“Look at those eyes...”“That hair... Is it dyed? No, it’s real...”“So delicate... Is he even human?”To them, he was no longer a boy with a heart, but a prize to possess. A fantasy in fragile form.He stood on the stage, trembling slightly, barely able to process what was happening. The voices of the crowd blurred together—hungry, leering, filled with desire and greed. The auctioneer’s booming voice called out the bids as if Akashi were nothing more than a fine vase or a rare jewel.The numbers climbed quickly. Too quickly. Akashi’s knees weakened beneath the weight of invisible eyes drinking him in. He stared at the marble floor, trying not to cry.Then, suddenly, the room fell silent.A voice—deep, commanding, and heartbreakingly beautiful—cut through the air like silk over steel.“Fifteen thousand gold.”Time seemed to pause.Every head turned.At the back of the room, standing beneath the golden chandelier, was a woman unlike any other.She wore a flowing red gown that hugged her form like it was crafted by the gods themselves. Her long, golden hair shimmered like strands of sunlight, cascading over her shoulders with effortless grace. Her eyes, cold and blue as a glacier’s heart, stared ahead with quiet power.Even the nobles drew back. This was no ordinary bidder.It was one of the Princesses of the Three Great Kingdoms.Whispers erupted anew—but no one dared challenge her offer.Who would?She stood like royalty incarnate, a goddess who walked among mortals, and she had just claimed Akashi as her own.The boy raised his head slowly, unsure of whether to feel fear or relief. His eyes met hers—just for a second—and something in his chest shifted. She didn’t smile. She didn’t leer. Her gaze was unreadable.But it was powerful. Absolute.And it made his knees weak for an entirely new reason.He didn’t know her name. Not yet.But she had bought him.And somewhere deep inside, something told him—his life was never going to be the same.