MTL - Studying Science in the Alternate World - Chapter 16 Gouging

Cairn is a prince who is already tired of ruling. Faced with an imminent coronation and an overbearing father, he wants nothing more than to drown his responsibilities in cheap liquor and poor decisions. With the help of his sister, he hatches a plan to escape the clutches of the throne once and for all. It all goes terribly wrong, and Cairn finds his priorities shifting in the face of unimaginable tragedy. The change of heart comes too late, however, and Cairn dies. He reawakens to find himself transported ten years in the past. He immediately begins to plan for the future, only to discover his killer has somehow followed him. To succeed, Cairn must unite the kingdom and discover the motivation of his killer, using as many tries as it takes. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++I exhausted pretty much every time loop story ever written and decided to write my own. You'll see a few similarities here between this story and some existing stories, at least initially. There's a lot of inspiration drawn from both MoL and Re:Zero, though in terms of pathos and darkness, this story leans more towards the latter. Be warned, it is something of a slow burn. The main character will grow and become powerful, but a theme of this story is that power comes slowly and often at great cost.

# SCANDALOUS GIRLFRIENDZhou Yun was just a newly debuted actress, but because she happened to stay in the same hotel as the top male celebrity, Song Chi, she became “Song Chi's underground girlfriend” that the entire nation had their eyes on. She was now trending on the internet.“She's taking advantage of my big brother's popularity!”“My big brother would never fall for a woman like her!”“Zhou Yun, you should get out of showbiz!”…There were curses all around. Facing such an undeserving calamity, Zhou Yun had a hard time saying anything.At this moment, a stranger suddenly sent her a friend request.He asked, “I heard that you're my girlfriend?”“Who are you?” Zhou Yun asked.He replied, “Song Chi.”

[Simulation shall commence.]On this fateful day, the world was stunned by the appearance of ancient animals that were supposed to have gone extinct for millions of years. Huge sinkholes appeared in every corner of the world, becoming a tunnel for the ancient animals to emerge to the surface.Humans have found an answer to one of the biggest mysteries in human history. Hollow Earth is real. Here, humans will wrest their lives to explore this new world that has existed for thousands, if not millions, of years underneath them.Before the start of his exploration, Clovis came across a place called ‘Another World Mall.’Dwarven Sword, Magical Elven Clothes, or Giant Race Toy? Everything can be found in this ‘Another World Mall.’As an aspiring Subterranean Explorer, how would he utilize this ‘Another World Mall’ to become the greatest explorer of all time and find the truth about the simulation?

Nora is shattered a month before her wedding when she uncovers her fiancé's deceitful affair. As she manages this betrayal, she discovers a deep ploy to hinder her from claiming her rightful inheritance. Devastated but determined, Nora takes a daring step to regain control of her life. Enter Demetri 'The Demon' to those who know him, a formidable man barely known to her, who offers her protection and support in return for a contract marriage to satisfy him. In a twist of fate, Nora marries Demetri to claim her inheritance and fight those who plotted against her. But as she battles her own family and Demetri's many rivals, will she be able to keep from falling for the man known to crush people beneath his booted heel.Excerpt:She had forgotten that the man was intimidating and directly challenged him.Rather than speaking, Demetri rose from his seat and approached her deliberately. Although it was a mere few steps, time seemed to stretch for Nora. When he was almost within touching distance, his hand gently landed on her knee, moving it sideways. His touch moved with a hint of a caress, and he stepped between her open legs. Nora sat there in frozen silence, her eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights.Catching her chin between his fingers, he tilted her face upwards and spoke unhurriedly,“ You are my wife.”She nodded her head slowly in affirmation while his thumb slowly traced her lip. “I have given you time to gather your emotions.”Another nod. Nora's nervousness made her lick her lips, acutely aware of his intense gaze fixed upon them.“Your reason for the marriage was to secure your inheritance and get away from under your mother's thumb.”“Yes...” Nora whispered in confusion. Her confusion was not about his statement but about the bewildering sensations coursing through her. What was happening with her?”It's time for you to fulfil your end of the contract, yes?“ He continued.”Yes,“ Nora whispered breathlessly. Why was she breathless? Had the oxygen level in the house dropped? Was the air suddenly thinning?Abruptly, his hand left her face, and she watched as he drew closer. It was then that Nora comprehended what was unfolding. All those tantalizing, heart-pounding kisses she had read about in novels were about to possibly become her reality.But the anticipated kiss didn't happen. Instead, he paused near her and commanded, ”Kiss me.“