The Archduke's Songbird - Chapter 261: Controlling Narrative

Fate had never been kind to Ji Ning. Wracked by illnesses and infirm his entire life on Earth, Ji Ning knew early on that he would die as a teenager. What he didn’t know was that there really was such a thing as life after death and that the multiverse was a far larger place than he thought.

A lucky twist of fate meant that Ji Ning was reborn into a world of Immortals and monsters, of Ki Refiners and powerful Fiendgods, a world where Dynasties lasted for millions of years. A world which is both greater… and yet also smaller… than he ever could imagine. He would have the opportunity to join them, and in this life, Ji Ning swore to himself, he would never let himself be weak again! The Era he was born into was a Desolate one, but Ji Ning would make it his era.

The Old Gods are gone. Lost and Forgotten, their honor shattered and their kingdoms broken by treachery.The Peace of the Myriad Heavens has been severed. And from the ashes of war and chaos, the Twin Towers of Babel have been created as a beacon of hope.Can Altair, a child born of the Old Gods whose name has long since been forgotten, survive, or will he be cast into the Nine Hells?***“So...” Arsene continued, enjoying his child's flush expression. “I've got a few things to teach you. What I'm about to give you is some peak wisdom. Think of it as my Ten Commandments: One, never trust a bitch with red hair. Trust me on this. Two, the pull-out game is not a real thing. She will get pregnant. Three—”“F-Father…”“ —Never get yourself more than one wife. It sounds fun. It is fun. But it's truly a nightmare. You better be writing this stuff down. This is some grade-A wisdom right here. Four.“...Please stop talking…” The Prince pleaded.“Shhhhh. Just let this happen. Four…Bro's before hoes isn't a thing. The hoes come first. Remember, Booty is more important than Wa— ”“STOP!!!!!”

Charles Manson was just another broke university dropout grinding night shifts at a city bar—until time froze, and a seductive voice whispered into his mind:> “System initialized: Lust Sync. Welcome, Master. Your desires will shape the world.”Suddenly, women around him begin to act strangely—flushed cheeks, lingering stares, unexplainable obsession. It wasn’t luck. It was the system.Lust Sync doesn’t just make women fall for him—it binds them, body and soul, through supernatural “Sync Levels” that unlock hidden power, twisted love, and lust-fueled abilities. The more intense the relationship, the stronger Charles becomes.From seductive professors to dangerous yanderes, spoiled heiresses to lonely MILFs—every woman he touches begins to change… and some don’t want to let him go.But Lust Sync comes with rules, quests, and consequences. The more women he Syncs with, the closer he gets to uncovering the dark truth behind the system—and why he was chosen.Can Charles handle a world where every woman wants him—and some would kill to keep him?> “Desire is power. Power is dangerous. And now, I have both.”

After being killed by a high-velocity tree-hug, Arlo is transported to a new world of skills, stats, and levels where those brave and talented enough to conquer ancient Delves are rewarded with incredible supernatural power. Unfortunately for Arlo, there is no tutorial, and he is immediately forced to tackle a Delve set to the highest difficulty with a party of adventurers who are not only strangers to him, but strangers to each other as well. Arlo has no armor, no weapons, no knowledge of the world at large, and his party is growing increasingly suspicious of his lack of preparation and paper-thin excuses for how he got there.There's also the fact that the System seems to be treating Arlo's situation like a big, cosmic joke.Determined not to die again, Arlo forgoes putting any points into his highest stat, Intelligence, and instead dumps everything he's got into Fortitude. After all, who needs equipment or fighting skills when you can eat fireballs for breakfast and still ask for more hot sauce?Mage Tank is a comedic LitRPG adventure set in an epic fantasy world that is rapidly evolving as new and powerful secrets of the Delves are uncovered. There are strong horror themes, graphic violence, overindulgent use of naughty language, and poorly constructed jokes. Mage Tank features slow progression and intelligent characters who spend time making intentional build choices. It’s not action all-the-time, but Arlo’s life is replete with danger and, more importantly, consequences.Cover art generated with MidJourney and Canva.Maps and world-building support by Sir Raiu Koren.