The Phantom's Gambit - Chapter 85: Not the king

Noah Brown had a gift for fighting. Unfortunately punching things didn't pay the bills, at least until he died and an Eldritch god found his soul. The encounter led him to a new world, summoned by bloody cultists, with nothing but the shirt on his back, and a strange item in his system menu.

[???] : A source of infinite potential.

Perhaps he'd finally get to put his gifts to good use.

As the eldest daughter of Marquis Xuanping Mansion, Xie Wanqing grew up under the care of her parents and elder brother.Since childhood, a marriage was arranged for her with the Princely Heir of the Wuyuan Marquis Mansion.The two were childhood sweethearts, a perfect match celebrated by everyone.Everyone praised her for her blessed life, born into fortune without ever having to endure a hint of hardship.She thought so too.Until she had a dream, in which her fiancé brought back a mistress.That mistress was of maidservant origin but possessed a stunningly beautiful appearance.He cherished that mistress like a treasure, even at the risk of going against his mother’s wishes.He wanted to break off the engagement and marry the mistress, and it was only due to his mother's threat of her own life that he was forced to marry her.They shared tenderness and affection, giving birth to a firstborn, while she was merely a decoration with no power or favor, placed in the backyard and subjected to humiliation.Later, she awoke from the dream…

(Escape from the end of the world + cute baby + the heroine is not the Virgin + 1v1 Shuangjie)

Lin Xiajin woke up after sleeping in the women’s dormitory to find that it was still dark, and her mobile phone had no signal.

The originally lively university campus has become a paradise for zombies, and there are strange roars and screams from time to time…

Lin Xiajin, who was too late to escape, found out that she was pregnant!

Looking at my growing belly, prenatal education, nutrition, and toys are indispensable.

Others killed zombies to snatch food, Lin Xiajin killed zombies to stock up on toys and diapers! Stock up on baby supplies!

But suddenly a man appeared and wanted to be with her? ! I thought I was going to grab supplies from her!

This guy suddenly told her that this was for their son!

Lin Xiajin looked at this serious and handsome face, I regarded you as a teammate, but you regarded me as my wife? ?

- Description from novelbuddy

Year 2035. A groundbreaking game—“Glory Lords: Arcane War”—takes the world by storm.With cutting-edge VR immersion, players can feel the pulse of magic, the tremors of battle, and the weight of every decision. But more than just a game, it becomes the ultimate stage for global esports. Elite teams rise, billion-dollar prize pools emerge, and the entire world is swept into the frenzy.But for Ethan Parker, this isn’t just a game. It’s a gamble with fate itself.Las Vegas. Midnight. A secret high-stakes game.On the table lies the world’s only Legendary-tier artifact—the Stone of Glory.Its value? Far beyond a billion dollars. Because hidden within it is a secret—one that can rewrite the very rules of reality.Ethan bets everything. And loses.In that moment, he doesn’t just lose the artifact—he loses his future.Then, the world changes.The game and reality merge.Earth is no longer the world it once was. Society collapses, replaced by a brutal new order where a person’s rank in “Glory Lords: Arcane War” determines their status in real life.The strongest players become kings.The weakest? Slaves.And the one who won the Stone of Glory—Griffin Musk—rises to absolute power, ruling over this new world as its supreme leader.As for Ethan? Once the #1 player in the world, he loses everything—his account, his status, his freedom. Reduced to the lowest class, he suffers, tortured until his final breath.But now—he’s back.Reborn with the memories of his past life, he returns to the moment it all began.This time, he wins the gamble.This time, he won’t let the world fall into Griffin’s hands.But fate has more in store for him…When he logs into the game, he realizes something is off.Not only is he the first player in the world to own private territory, but he also acquires something unheard of—the only Legendary-tier unit in existence: the Green Dragon.And then—something even more shocking.These two Green Dragons aren’t just powerful units. They’re heroes. With growth potential and combat abilities surpassing even top-tier players, they have the power to change the course of the entire game.At that moment, Ethan knows—his path to the top has begun.But the real world isn’t done with him yet.Governments, military forces, corporate giants, secret organizations—and even Griffin himself—are now watching his every move.This time, it’s not just about revenge.This time, he’s taking control of the future.The war of heroes has only just begun…