Chapter: Chapter 703Across the city, Alex sat at the small table in his flat. His tea had gone cold. A magic book lay open in front of him.All morning, he had been thinking about his decision. And every way he looked at it, the answer seemed right: he should leave her.The engagement was only on paper. It was never real love.And every day he stayed, he hurt her more. Or hurt himself for lying to her.He had secretly paid 50 million dollars and arranged everything so she would be accepted and protected.She didn't know. Last night on the tram, she almost guessed it. He lied to her face, with a smile — and she believed him.That scared him. He was becoming a good liar. He didn't want to become that kind of person.So he made his list of reasons: She was safe now. She was rich. The contracts he wrote protected her. She didn't need him anymore. They were just strangers — a kind woman helped a stranger once, the stranger paid her back, and now everything was even.He repeated this to himself, again and agai
Last Updated: 2026-07-16
Chapter: Chapter 702"Are you the chairman of the Reagent Group?"The tram hummed. Amber rail light crossed his face — once, twice. Feby watched him the way she'd learned to watch her family: for the flicker. The skipped beat. The seam.Alex laughed.Not a performed laugh. A real one, low and easy, and it reached his eyes — and that was what cracked her certainty.Five years cataloguing liars, and not one of them had ever laughed like that."Feby." He turned to face her. "Three weeks ago I didn't legally exist. You fixed that. You, personally."He drew out his identity tile, the battered gray one, and laid it flat on his palm. Nothing up my sleeve. "Issued twenty-two days ago. Provisional class. Guaranteed by the signature of one Febyella Steinmeyer, because no bank in this city would touch a man with no past. I can't open an account without your name under mine. I couldn't rent our flat. The chairman of the Reagent Group is a sealed registry, a vault, a hundred lawyers deep."He tipped the tile toward he
Last Updated: 2026-07-15
Chapter: Chapter 701Rael was mid-toast when the Reagent seal came through the doors.The hall saw the gray livery before it saw the man. Four hundred people rose by inches — him, it's him, the chairman — and the orchestra scrambled for its fanfare.Then the room registered, in one long deflating rustle, that what had entered was a lawyer.Mr. Harrow walked to the foot of the stage without being invited. He opened his case on a table a waiter surrendered to him and spoke at the volume of a man who had learned that quiet reading forces a room to do its own listening."By instruction of the chairman of the Reagent Group, received this evening. Notice of termination." He lifted a single page. "The engagement for the launch campaign of the Reagent Group's forthcoming product line is hereby cancelled. Whole and entire. Effective upon this reading."The silence was total. Even the enchanted constellations seemed to slow.Marta reached the stage's edge in four steps. "Cancelled? On what grounds? We are partners.
Last Updated: 2026-07-14
Chapter: Chapter 700The Grand Aurelian had not seen an evening like it in thirty years, and the Grand Aurelian had seen everything.Every chandelier lit. Every leaf of the gilt doors polished.The full hall, none of the small rooms — four hundred guests under a ceiling of enchanted constellations that wheeled slowly overhead, and every one of those guests belonged to a House or a firm or a fortune that had spent the last decade declining Rydell invitations by return post.Tonight they had all come. Tonight the Rydells had the only thing in the Arcanum State worth crossing town for: the promise of a face nobody had seen.Feby stood near the foot of the hall in her pressed blouse and her mother's borrowed shawl, and watched her grandmother work the doors like a woman collecting on thirty years of debts.Every arriving House got the same radiant sentence, pitched just loudly enough to travel."—yes, tonight, here — our Febyella, the head supervisor of the Reagent Group, arranged it personally. She holds his
Last Updated: 2026-07-13
Chapter: Chapter 699Feby signed.The pen scratched twice — her name, the date — and the room went quiet enough to hear it. Rael pulled the contract off the counter before the ink was dry. Not took it. Pulled it. Like she might change her mind if he left it there one second longer.Four years of sitting below the salt, and her own uncle couldn't wait four seconds for her signature to set."Wonderful," Marta said. The warmth was already gone from the word, folded away like a costume between performances. "Then we move fast, while the city is still saying our name. Tomorrow night. A banquet at the Grand Aurelian — the full hall, none of the small rooms. We announce the Rydell house's partnership with the Reagent Group in front of every family in New Avalon that ever pretended not to see us at the opera."Her chin lifted. "And we announce the new chairmanship of this house. Formally. In front of all of them."Something in Feby's chest unclenched. Formally. In front of all of them. Her father's last words had
Last Updated: 2026-07-12
Chapter: Chapter 698"Show them the letter, miss," Prue said from behind the counter. She hadn't been paid in two months. A woman with nothing left to lose has the steadiest voice in the room.Feby laid the award letter on the counter, seal up.Leon snatched it first. He read it indulgently. Then quickly. Then twice — and the color climbed his neck line by line, like water filling a glass."It's fake," he said. "The Reagent Group does not hand a two-hundred-million expansion to—"He stopped. His eyes had finally caught up with his mouth.The address line.Rael took the letter from him. He read the line once. Then again, the way a man rereads a telegram hoping the words have been persuaded to rearrange themselves.The letter was not addressed to the Rydell Advertising House. It was not addressed to any house at all.Awarded to Febyella Steinmeyer. In her own name and person. Sole awardee. Non-transferable."That's a mistake," Rael said. "Contracts of this class go to licensed firms. Trade seats. Not to — n
Last Updated: 2026-07-11
Return of Overthinker
When the demon finally harnessed human sins and negative emotions to harvest negative energy, it opened a spatial gate to the planets that were already ravaged by monsters and teeming with dark creatures. The beasts and monsters passed through the gate, unleashing havoc upon Earth. These monstrous creatures caused destruction on a massive scale, pushing the earth toward an apocalyptic catastrophe.
In this dark time, The Creator granted certain humans the ability, marked by symbols on their right hands, to wield the power of gods and angels to combat these dark creatures.
My ability was 'Overthinking,' the weakest, but with hard work, I persisted for 60 years to become the most powerful and the savior of the world. However, in my final moments, I was betrayed by a friend who was born rich and noble, who forced me to die to obtain everything I had worked so hard for. Nevertheless, before my demise, I sent my memories back to my younger years.
This time, I will obtain everything: the best items, the finest women, and the most potent abilities. All will be mine!
Read
Chapter: Chapter 204I was a bit surprised. "Isn't down there a place where the dead rest, and there is nothing but cold and barren land?" "At first, it was a place full of beauty, but those who did not like it destroyed everything in it, making it cold and barren. I hope you can help those suffering down there find kindness and peace. In truth, you can build a place far more beautiful than the palace of the gods because hell was initially a very beautiful place for those in need." "I accept it wherever You send me." *** In a temple where knowledge was usually shared, several humans who were teachers of various schools gathered to discuss important matters about knowledge. "Hey," said one human to another, "Why did the gods stop sharing their knowledge with us?" "Haven't you heard that the King of the gods, or God Indra, has been replaced?" "Really?" "God Indra is now angry after finding out that knowledge was given to humans by the previous Indra," said another human. "He stopped all knowledge fro
Last Updated: 2024-07-23
Chapter: Chapter 203After 1,000 years had passed, the three worlds experienced their golden age. There was no poverty or hunger throughout the three worlds. Everything was going very well. All dimensions entered a golden age because kindness became the most important thing in the three realms. Humans, gods, ashuras, and all beings were directed to continue giving kindness to all creatures. During my reign, everyone competed to do good so that there was no poverty, hunger, or lack. During that time, those who came to me, whether gods, ashuras, or humans, would get what they asked for. I did this as my way of doing good to all beings.One day, a dwarf-bodied brahmin came to my palace. The brahmin, called Vamana, had a body that was only waist-high to an ordinary human. He wore white clothes that wrapped loosely around his small body. However, considering that he was a human and came from the third dimension, being able to ascend to the twelfth dimension where the gods' palace was located was alr
Last Updated: 2024-07-22
Chapter: Chapter 202"I don't remember that part," I said. "Because each life makes you forget. I just want to say, if you give the gods' knowledge to humans, won't the gods lose their power? Haven't you humiliated them all? Your strength has made you not understand the feelings of the weaker gods." "Guru, if what you say is true, is my current strength because I was a strong spirit in the past?" He looked at me and weakly shook his head. "No, all spirits start from the same place." "Then why did I become strong?" "You had no fear, and your enjoyment of playing made you keep striving for something greater without caring for your own life." Brihaspati continued, "However, what placed you as King Indra is something else." "What is that?" "A sense of responsibility to protect the weak and make life better for all beings." Brihaspati sighed. "Those who have that sincerity will always be carried by karma and the will of God to re
Last Updated: 2024-07-21
Chapter: Chapter 201"Boss, you've become weak," said Raindo, one of the Ashura generals, approaching me. He looked enormous compared to my now smaller form. "You keep spending time in that school and library. You never fight anymore. You're going to become weak, and the previous Indra will soon return to reclaim his throne." "You just don't understand, my brother," I said, still reading a book. "Right now, I am ten times stronger than I was before." "I don't believe it," said Raindo, one of the strongest generals. "Let's test it." "Of course," I said, seemingly unconcerned. "Get ready." "I'm always ready," he replied. As soon as he said that, a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, striking his body. He was thrown far, crashing into the palace walls and severely injured. "What happened?" he asked, looking confused and trying to stand up. He didn't know what had hit him. "I just attacked you. I gained the power
Last Updated: 2024-07-20
Chapter: Chapter 200“Oh,” I shouted. “That's easy.” Suddenly, I felt very smart. “I have plenty of wealth in the treasury.” Quickly, I ordered several Ashura to bring as much treasure as possible from Indra's vault and distribute it to all the Ashura. All the Ashura were happy. “Look, Guru, haven't I done a good deed? I shared my wealth with them.” I felt pleased. “Fool!” he shouted. “You haven't done a good deed at all. You should have given the wealth to those in need.” I fell silent. Quickly, I ordered all the Ashura to return the treasures they had received. The Ashura didn't need wealth; if there was one thing they needed, it was weapons. They all grumbled, and I quickly asked, “Do you want food and drink or wealth?” “Food!!!!” “Drink!!” None wanted wealth. Suddenly, it dawned on me. Who needs wealth? The Ashura don't need wealth, the gods already have plenty of wealth. The only poor creatures needing wealth are humans
Last Updated: 2024-07-19
Chapter: Chapter 199“Prepare all the food and drinks. All the gods must order their servants to bring all the food from their palaces. Call the apsaras, the heavenly maidens, and beautiful dancers. Call the singers and musicians. We will have a party.” So, a grand feast was held for days in the courtyard of Indra's palace. Music, dancing, and food never stopped. After that, the Ashura were left drunk in the palace courtyard. The gods had returned to their respective duties. I moved around to see the entire palace, and suddenly, an old man appeared before me. “What have you done to this place?” the old man asked, looking at the palace's new weapon-laden decor. “Who are you?” I asked, confused. This old man wore the simple clothes of a Brahmana, a single piece of cloth. The Brahmana do not fight, so we never touch them. If they get angry, we could get the worst curses of our lives. But if they are pleased, they could grant us many new and exciting powers. We prefer to appease them and wait for the
Last Updated: 2024-07-18
