Standing Next To You - Chapter 22: Miserable and Shabby

He shattered the heavens… and got isekai’d into a crazy desert survival game!Xu Tao cultivated for ten thousand years, defying death and destiny to reach the Divine Heaven Immortal Stage.But just as he touched the heavens—The heavens kicked him into a world based on a full-dive VR game.Now he’s got no Qi. No weapons, no cultivation… and no pants.Just a desert full of monsters, a glitchy “Lost System” that won’t shut up, and knowledge forged from millennia of clawing his way to the top.Enemies? Weaklings.Mystic beasts? Drop garbage loot.Level caps? He’s Xu Tao.He didn’t spend ten millennia chasing immortality just to get wiped by a scorpion in a tutorial-zone!But he’s definitely not here to play. He’s here to ascend—again.Even if this time, he has to grind EXP and punch sand beetles to do it.But wait... That's not all...? He could also... What?!

I watch him, his green eyes brimming with concern as he gently massages my scarred leg. The sensation is both soothing and a stark reminder of my own inadequacy. The once-feared Crimson General, a symbol of power and invincibility, is now nothing but a frail shadow of his former self. I’ve been abandoned, left to decay in this forsaken place, my family and comrades long forgotten. Darkness had become my only solace, and I had resigned myself to it.Then he arrived, a beacon of light in my endless night. His presence, his care—it’s more than I ever deserved. Yet, I find myself clinging to him with an intensity that borders on madness. I hate that I need him so desperately, that his every action and word have become my lifeline. It consumes me, a torment I can't escape.“You don't have to do this. Please, don’t do this. I’m nothing. You deserve better. Leave. Please,” I beg, my voice trembling with raw anguish, the very words tearing me apart.He continues his work, seemingly unaffected by my pleas.“Why are you here? Look at me! I’m nothing.”Desperation and anger swell within me, mixing into a maelstrom of anxiety. I can’t comprehend the emotions coursing through me.“You're my alpha, where else would I be?” he responds softly, his gaze unwavering, as if my pleas were mere background noise.My heart races, torn between overwhelming relief and paralyzing dread. In that moment, I realize the truth: you would have to tear him from my cold, lifeless arms. I’m never letting go.General Thorne, betrayed and broken, finds new life and love with Omega Noelle, who nurses him back to health. Their deepening bond reveals Thorne’s softer side, offering a chance at happiness. Unfortunately, Thorne’s past soon catches up with them, threatening their newfound peace.

A 13-year-old deaf teenager living in the 21st century suddenly found himself as a young boy in Japan during the early 1900s. With two World Wars, two nuclear bombs, Hitler and many other disasters awaiting his future, he thought things couldn't get worse.Except it did.He found out later on that he had actually reincarnated into the world of Demon Slayer where man-eating demons ruled the night. He thought things couldn't get worse.Except it did.But hey! At least he had unparalleled talent, incredibly special eyes and future knowledge.How will the story of Demon Slayer change with the addition of this unique character? Will so many still die if the Hashiras had one more pillar in the final battle?Or will the story end on a much happier note?

It's hard to win when your competition is small, cute, and calls your (future) wife their mommy.Lara spent six years doing odd jobs to sustain her five-year-old kids. She fled from her birth town after noticing some of her children's weird habits.They growl when they fight, and their teeth can cut the skin like it's nothing. They prefer meat when it's cooked raw. They howl at the moon when they don't want to sleep.However, they're her children.She's been on the run ever since to protect them. She knows nothing about the stranger she met that day and whom she spent the night with. Even the details are blurry in her mind, except for that weird, compelling attraction that brought them together.When she scores an interview at the most prestigious company in Norwich City, she thinks her life will turn for the better. Until she meets him again.Nathaniel Woods, Alpha Nate, is the CEO of LY Corp. A fated night of six years ago, he found his true mate. Unfortunately, that woman fled after their passionate night, leaving no traces for him to follow.A twist of fate makes them meet again, and he's settled on not letting her escape.But this time, she's not alone. There are two pups with her, growling and fighting, firmly set on not letting him get to their mommy.WARNINGS:Possessive male lead and even more possessive little buns.Slight misunderstandings, not too annoying (hopefully). The male lead is doting, but life is difficult with two jealous pups preventing him from wooing his (future) wife.The story follows other characters along with the leads.Smut content (signaled at the beginning with a warning).Werewolves are a little different from usual, so please bear with my version of the trope ;)If you can't stand too much cuteness, do not open this book.If you're allergic to dog fur, stay further away. Characters here are wolves, but some of them grow ears and tail when they're excited (or claws when they feel threatened).This book is dedicated to all the parents single-handedly raising their cubs