Thumbs Up, Level Up - Chapter 23

A world where magic beasts went extinct… until technology revived them!David wakes up in the middle of a Hatching Ceremony in the body of Jethro Merrick, clutching the lowest ranked egg.Now he’s living the life of a poor mechvet’s son, dreaming of adventure as a Riftwalker (think monster taming and dungeon clearing… but with cybernetic beasts!).But dreams crash fast. His egg hatches into a Red Lizard—cute but powerless and only used for pest control. Just as Jethro resigns himself to a boring life, a wrong turn during a Rift Training expedition lands him in a forbidden Rift zone.He barely escapes alive… only to wake up with a supercharged power: he can see the magic and mechanics of every mechbeast, right down to their origins!Here’s the catch: the ancient conqueror who once had this power wants it back, and he’s bringing an army of terrifying mechbeasts to take it.To survive, Jethro must build an army of his own, starting from his powerless frail lizard. But can a pest-control pet (and its rookie human) save the world?Let’s hope so, because our dear world of Nebulon desperately needs saving!

Lady Bertia, who’s become my fiancée, is a bit odd. On our first meeting, she proclaimed herself a villainess noble girl who’s been reincarnated and said that she’s working hard every day to become a splendid flower of evil that’s elegantly put in her place.

I don’t get it.

But she entertains me because I don’t understand.

That’s why I think I’ll observe her for a while.

This is a story of a crown prince who’s so talented and handsome that he’s grown bored of his easy-mode life. A story of this prince observing a self-proclaimed villainess noble girl (who seems perfect at first but is a bit off) who’s become his fiancée as she snatches flags and breaks them into pieces.

The person who was locked away inside the thorn-covered tower was not a princess, but a witch who employed the powers of darkness.

A brave young hero came searching for the tower in order to kill the witch.

– Light would force the darkness to recede, and grant it eternal rest

The witch wished.

That things would end with, ‘and the hero lived happily ever after killing the witch,’ like in the fairy tales.

And so, she had devised everything to happen in accordance to her wishes.

But the boy, who had grown up in but no time at all, would make the unfamiliar face of man’s from time to time.

“You want me to kill you? ……Do you really think I’ll let you go?”

Reality was very different from the fairy tales.

“The people don’t know of the precious treasure locked away in the tower.

I won’t let anyone else have this god given treasure, this crown of god surrounded by thorns that no one else could recognize.”

The hero gave the witch a slow and deep kiss.

“I am the true victor, and no one else.”

The Fourth Brother had squandered his wealth through gambling, leaving their mother in a critical state. To make matters worse, the creditors even asked them to sell Manbao to settle the debts!In the village, whispers spread that the golden days of the Zhou Family's cherished Manbao were over. Their elderly mother clung to Manbao's hand, tears streaming down her face.However, Manbao tightly grasped a system in her hand, a tool that would lead her and her brothers and sisters-in-law to reclaim their fortunes. They ventured into agriculture, cultivating land, growing medicinal herbs, and establishing shops, steadily improving their lives.As their situation improved, concerns shifted to Manbao's marital prospects by the sister-in-laws.“Mr. Zhuang's grandson is an excellent match – educated and well-spoken. He is just perfect for you.”“No! You should consider Mr. Qian's youngest son, who is handsome and well-mannered. You can count on him never to defy you.”Suppressing a smile, Manbao responded, “My heart is already set. I choose Bai Shanbao, my childhood friend whom I've playfully scolded since we were young.”