The Substitute Bride - Chapter 172

Eli Turner had perfected the art of coasting through life, gaming, lounging, and vibing with no grand ambitions beyond the next high. But his laid-back existence is upended when his laptop inexplicably transforms into a gateway to another world. What starts as a surreal escape becomes a perilous journey as Eli finds himself wielding a mysterious system that allows him to level up, fight monsters, and gain abilities beyond his wildest dreams.At first, the portal world feels like a haven, offering purpose and adventure Eli never knew he craved. Guided, or manipulated, by Azrael, a mischievous god orchestrating the game, Eli rises as one of the system's chosen players. But as the quests grow more dangerous and Azrael’s true intentions begin to surface, Eli struggles to balance the fantasy world with his life back home. His girlfriend, Sara, and his friends are left grappling with a version of Eli they hardly recognize, as the lines between his two lives blur.When the system expands to players worldwide, Eli crosses paths with others drawn into Azrael’s cosmic experiment: Yumi Tanaka, a fiercely disciplined Japanese student with a perfectionist streak, and Arjun Mehta, a charming Indian playboy with secrets of his own. Each carries their own burdens and ambitions, but all three must face the harsh truth: Azrael’s game is far more than it seems.As alliances are forged, rivalries ignite, and the stakes escalate, Eli must confront not only the dangers of the portal world but the growing rift between the person he is and the hero he’s becoming. In a game where every move is a test and every choice ripples across both worlds, the question remains: can Eli, Yumi, and Arjun uncover the truth before the system consumes them all?

An RPG gamer who played the realistic VRMMORPG ‘The Amber Sword’ for years, finds himself teleported to a parallel world that resembled the game greatly. He takes on the body of an NPC who was fated to die, and with the feelings of the dying NPC and his own heartrending events in the game, he sets out to change the fate of a kingdom that was doomed to tragedy.

Balthazar was just a random giant crab enjoying his life in a fantasy world full of bothersome human adventurers, but then he had to go and accidentally discover the secret of attributes and levels. And also pie. With baked goods and coin as his new life goals, he turns to the competitive business of trading the random junk adventurers loot every day.Follow Balthazar as he does everything to find a baker... except leave his pond, because exploring the dangerous world out there is for suckers. Witness how adventurers just can't seem to stop dying around his home. And cheer for a crab who makes great new friends by simply buying them.Book 2 is out now, with new chapters every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, fresh off the bakery!What to expect from this story:- No harems, not unless they're a harem of gold coins.- Silliness, lots of it. The story doesn't take itself too seriously, so you shouldn't either.- The only kind of OP here is how “overpriced” the crab's deals are.- A system simple enough for a crab to use, but still conveniently complex when necessary, for some odd reason.- Proper realistic adventurers: they're not very bright, and they make very poor decisions.- Did I mention there will be pastries?

PLEASE ALSO READ THE SEQUEL MY EVIL CROWN PRINCE[WARNING: MATURE CONTENT]Margaret Miller is the only daughter of Benjamin and Catherine Miller. Not known to everyone, she's actually a Princess, her mother is the daughter of the King of Flousia, a small country north east of Japan.Although her father was rich, the king was against the marriage of her parents and stripped off her mother's title. Her mom died giving birth to her. She was left alone in their mansion because her father can't stay with her as she looked exactly like her deceased mother.She grew up rebellious and dominant to get the attention of her father. She was known in Golden Oak High School as a flirt, a slut and a whore because she changed boyfriend every week.Today is the last day of the week and she need to dump her latest boy toy, Jayden. She met him at her friend's house a week ago. She became interested because he was disguised as a girl.“Hey Jayden, we're over.” I said. I thought he was just like the other boys I've dated. I'll play with them for a week then we're done.I looked at Jayden and he smirked. Then he suddenly grabbed my arm and pushed me down on the bed. He was now on top of me.“We're over? Do you think you can just bugged me for a week then leave? No! That's not how I play.” His eyes became dark. It was the first time I saw him as a man.I felt his knee between my thighs, he was holding my arms on top of my head. I can't move. He moved his face closer and started to kiss me. I froze. He frowned and stopped when he saw me crying.“Is this your first kiss?” He asked. I felt a tear dropped from my eyes. I was scared. I thought I'm going to be raped. To my surprise, he stood up and stared at me.“If that's your first kiss, then you're still a virgin?” I sat on the bed and started sobbing.“So what if I'm a virgin? That's the reason I changed boyfriend every week so they won't be able to touch me.” It's true. I was never a slut or a whore. I dumped every guy I dated after a week so they wouldn't have a chance to take advantage of me.“Stop crying. I won't rape you for god's sake. If that's what you think! But you're not going to dump me. I won't allow that.” He said annoyed.“Why? You can get a real girlfriend in campus. You don't need to stay with me.” From his face, he can easily get a girl. I heard he's popular with the girls in the bronze class.“Because I'm going to take all your first time. Your body is mine, I won't let any other man touch you.”