The Academy's Barbarian - Chapter 57.1 - The Visit (1)

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.

Li Qingming: “Uncle Master, lend me your Purple Gold Eight Trigram Furnace to study alchemy!”Taishang Laojun: “...”Li Qingming: “Master, lend me your Pangu Banner!”Yuanshi Tianzun: “...”Li Qingming: “Uncle Master, lend me your Zhou Xian Sword Array for research!”Tongtian Jiaozhu: “...”Sanqing: “Qingmingzi, return my Eight Trigram Furnace (Pangu Banner, Zhou Xian Four Swords and Formation Diagram)...”Li Qingming: “Waga ga, let me study for a million years, then I'll return them to you!”

“Get your filthy hands off my wife!” Ford’s commanding voice boomed through the room.Mrs. Johnson, stunned, released Elena’s wrist immediately.Ford stepped forward, his eyes sharp and unyielding. “I chose her. I need her. She’s mine. Don’t ever think you have a right over her again. Consider this your only warning—to you and your daughter.”Taking Elena’s trembling hand in his, Ford led her away. His grip was firm yet reassuring, and for the first time in years, Elena felt protected.Sitting in the car, tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn’t believe someone had stood up for her. Then, as her emotions overwhelmed her, Ford gently turned her face toward him kissing her with passion gradually Elena melted to his touch breaking her walls for the only man who stood by her.For a fleeting moment, Elena felt hope.What happens When Ford learns of Elena’s hidden son.As their love shatters after finding Elena’s Secret, he sends her packing.What happens when Ford finds out that the child born was from a mistake he made years ago while drunk.Will he be able to gain back Elena’s love?Would Elena find it in her heart to forgive?

Austin, a young construction worker, falls from a twenty-story building while working on an incomplete apartment complex.Soon after, he wakes up in the body of a fourth prince who had been poisoned by one of his brothers.As though that wasn’t scary enough, Austin later discovers that he has somehow become entangled in a dangerous political situation where his brothers would do anything to become the next emperor.However, this turned out to be the least of his problems because Austin realizes that, unlike his three older brothers, the fourth prince had never once taken a liking to combat or training, making him the weakest out of the four princes.So, how is Austin expected to survive in a world filled with magic, monsters, barbarians, demons, and an internal battle over the succession of the throne?With a long, depressed sigh, Austin groaned as he lay on his bed and stared sightlessly at the ceiling.“Ugh, what am I going to do now?” he pondered. But there was only one thing he could do if he wanted to live a happy and peaceful life in this fantasy world.He had to train as hard as possible.However, training as an exorcist was extremely hard and stressful. But to his surprise, a personal system completely became bound to him, and a screen suddenly appeared in front of him:[Binding Complete!!][Congratulations!! You have obtained The Affection Leveling System!][Through this system, the host has now acquired a quicker and easier way to level up faster than anyone else around him. All you have to do is raise your wives’ affection towards you and build strong bonds with them, and you’ll unlock new skills that will benefit both you and your wives.]Seeing this, Austin realizes that he has a wedding coming up in a month with two beautiful elves as his future brides. So, instead of spending a lifetime training to become stronger, Austin opted to live a peaceful and fulfilling life with his wives.Now, follow Austin as he tries to live and enjoy a happy and relaxing life with his wives, while also having a legion of evil pumpkin warriors ready to fight and protect him and those he loves.