Predatory Marriage - Chapter 345: True Identity (1)

I am currently re-writing the first chapters of this story. They are quite rough and bounce around a lot and I can do better. At some point, I will replace these with the better chapters.Sometime in 2024 Aethon Books will publish the first volume of this story on Amazon, KU, and audible. This will mean the story will be stubbed. I will notify people far in advance of that.In the dystopian world of the future, life is rough when you live at the bottom. Jobs are non-existent. Far too many people live in poverty, crammed into huge buildings called Habitats. With no jobs in the real world, many people can only find work online in VR worlds as servants to the very rich. And it's getting worse. The old internet is unusable and hacked to pieces. The new system needs AI to run things, but all but one of them were destroyed. The last sentient AI is ordered to create a new game world so the rich can have a playground, and the corporations that rule the world can have a new global market place. Everyone wants a piece of the new game. The guilds are competing to be the first to find the dungeons and kill the biggest monster. The corporations are claiming land and putting in their online market places. Ozzy and his friends just want a paycheck.Four friends sign five year contracts as virtual serfs in a small village, and can't go adventuring at all to gain money. They don't have many choices. They can work as a blacksmith, barmaid and shepherd for all those years....or they can cheat and find ways to take advantage of the system and carve out a section of the game world for themselves, and earn a fortune in the real world.When they give you a mop and not a sword, you have to find the loopholes and change the rules.

A story about a history teacher gaming-addict with familial trauma, and a peculiar woman seemingly stuck out of time and beyond out of touch.The two have been thrust into the weird and whimsical world of Altros, a planet with divides born of very real superhuman strength cursory of an odd ranking system, and, naturally, species differences.Not exactly the best of news for our resident Scottish history teacher whose ears have changed into fox ones alongside his nine new fluffy tails.First though, Darren, or Lone, or whatever else the weird system claims he's called, has to figure out how to live with his new companion Sofia, for seemingly forever while also just barely managing to survive being stranded on a monster-infested island with a self-proclaimed former-immortal who can see despite being blind, can freely teleport, and who also, of course, seems prone to experience bouts of extreme depression.Not an ideal situation when he himself hasn't been in a great headspace for over a decade now. But hey, at least there's an incredibly expansive litRPG system to keep the both of them entertained, right? That'll fight off the fear of death, surely.

His will is tough and he is unwilling to be normal. However, his pathway was destined to be that way, being born in a small sect’s branch.

However, one day, his left eye merges with the eye of an Ancient God in an accident. From that moment on, he turns from a fish into a dragon.

He rises up like a star, walking the path of a legendary cultivator.

From being a tiny, small ant at the bottom of the world, he rises step by step, into a place full of powerful sects, strong ancient clans and countless geniuses.

This is an era of legends.

- Description from novelupdates

Elijah unexpectedly travels back to the day when the virus broke out. Confronted with his zombified roommate and the perilous situation of the roommate's girlfriend, he decides to take action. In this post-apocalyptic world, he vows to become the strongest man and create an incredibly secure refuge.

The story begins with Elijah's rebirth as he discovers the opportunity to change the future. He becomes close companions with his roommate Bella and her husband Alexander. However, when Alexander is infected and turns into a zombie, Elijah must act decisively to protect himself and Bella.

Elijah awakens to a supernatural ability called the “Seed of Consciousness,” which allows him to control zombies, becoming his weapon for survival. He uses this power to strengthen himself continuously and seek the path of survival. However, his relationship with Bella starts to undergo subtle changes, forcing him to confront emotional challenges.

As the story unfolds, readers will immerse themselves in gripping plots and complex character relationships. Elijah's growth, struggles, and emotional development with numerous women in the post-apocalyptic world form the core of the story. It's a world full of challenges and opportunities, and Elijah's narrative is about continuous growth and overcoming oneself, showing readers the hardships of surviving in the apocalypse and the complexity of human nature.