Awakened: SSS Ranked Soul king - Chapter 70: Ever-present

In humanity’s final war against the Demon Lord, the strongest heroes fell—not by the enemy’s hand, but by their own, twisted into madness by a cruel illusion. Betrayal. Bloodshed. Despair… and then, silence.Only one person remained: Riley—the weakest warrior of them all. Powerless. Ignored. Forgotten.But he saw through the Demon Lord’s deception. The tyrant was on the brink of death—so weak even a fly could’ve finished him off.And Riley did just that, drawing every last ounce of strength to bite off the demon’s head.Victory? Not quite. A final, desperate strike from the Demon Lord pierced him from behind, killing him instantly.But fate wasn’t done with him yet.Riley awoke ten years in the past—when the online game [Apocalypse] was launched. Before demons descended. Before monsters overran the world.And this time, he wasn’t starting from nothing. He had a decade of experience—and a second chance.Even more shocking, he didn’t awaken his old D-rank Strength Boost talent. This time, he received something far more terrifying: an SSS-Rank Gluttony talent!He could now devour anything—monsters, items, talents, even traits—and gain their power.Ding![You have devoured: Iron Fang Wolf][Acquired: +4 Strength, +2 Agility, Skill: Bite (F-rank)][You have devoured: Goblin ShamanAcquired: +8 Intelligence, Skill: Mana Bolt (E-rank), Talent: Minor Spellcasting Efficiency][You have devoured: Flaming Salamander Drake][Acquired: +22 Endurance, Trait: Dragon’s Resilience, Skill: Flame Breath (C-rank)]Now, there is no demon, no god, no monster who will stand in his way. He will devour everything—and save the world.But the power of Gluttony was a double edged sword. If he wasn’t careful… he could be the one getting consumed.

In a tyrannical world, what is evil? What is benevolence? All living creatures are brutal. Passing through the heaven road to find one’s purpose in life. Struggles to be stronger is not an easy path. The whole journey thistles and thorns, one blade chops open a path, I alone will be supreme!

- Description from Novelupdates

Programmer Tao Zhiyue transmigrated into a cannon fodder in a bloody CEO article. He was the first love in the book that caused the protagonist Huo Ran to become disabled and heartbroken. In the end, he was revenged to death by the protagonist’s husband and wife, especially miserable.

Tao Zhiyue ran away without hesitation.

As a dead house, he firmly squatted at home with the computer as a companion, indulging in the wonderful sand sculpture online world, so unhappy.

Just kidding, even if the plot wants him to meet Huo, there is no chance, okay?

When browsing the forum one day, he saw such a delusional phishing post:

[Title] I was pursued by four people of the same sex, but I am a straight man, how should I politely refuse?

Tao Zhiyue, a gay man, replied with a sneer –

Then he inexplicably had met an old-fashioned netizen.

Tao Zhiyue tried to teach the straight male netizen some coquettish manipulations of rejecting other people’s love, and the effect was remarkable, and he successfully strangled the other party’s peach blossoms!

Later, the netizen, who he had an increasingly ambiguous relationship with, invited him to formally meet him, and he went to the appointment with a throbbing heart.

The tall and handsome man stretched out his hand nervously, blushing: Hello, my name is Huo Ran.

Tao Zhiyue:! ! ! ! ! !

A decisive programmer who loves life and never works overtime × Occasionally the pure love of elementary school chicks straight ball rich second generation attack, double first love.

- Description from Novelupdates

Theodora is the Queen of Polis, a city-state that lost the war against the most powerful empire in the continent.

She is sure that they'll execute her immediately but, somehow, she survives the meeting with the Emperor, and she finds herself... Married?

Tossed in a new world without connections and allies, she has to either accept her fate or lose the chance to help her people once again.

She soon finds out that her new husband knows more about her than she does herself, and that his purposes are often far from what she expects.

A fallen queen that doesn't know how to be anything else. A handsome Duke who's the cause of her ruin. And their efforts to find some happiness in a marriage that's been forced on them.

WARNING: there are contents not suitable for a sensitive audience.

The smut scenes are half-censored at the beginning, but the amount and details will increase after a few dozen chapters (according to the Queen's mood .-. )

***

«I'm sorry for lying to you, your grace...»

«You're a Duchess. No one will dare to consider your words a lie: if you say that you were painting souls, then it's the truth.»

«I will remember it.»

«No, you have to understand it, Theodora. You're not a prisoner, but my wife. I'll protect you when you need it, and I'll help you with any issue you have. You're not just a Duchess in the name. You're my Duchess.»

«It's hard to believe in such a short amount of time.»

«For now, stop shaking like a chicken. I won't hurt you.»

***