Contract marriage:Mother for rent, wife for free - Chapter 16: Acting in progress

Eli Turner had perfected the art of coasting through life, gaming, lounging, and vibing with no grand ambitions beyond the next high. But his laid-back existence is upended when his laptop inexplicably transforms into a gateway to another world. What starts as a surreal escape becomes a perilous journey as Eli finds himself wielding a mysterious system that allows him to level up, fight monsters, and gain abilities beyond his wildest dreams.At first, the portal world feels like a haven, offering purpose and adventure Eli never knew he craved. Guided, or manipulated, by Azrael, a mischievous god orchestrating the game, Eli rises as one of the system's chosen players. But as the quests grow more dangerous and Azrael’s true intentions begin to surface, Eli struggles to balance the fantasy world with his life back home. His girlfriend, Sara, and his friends are left grappling with a version of Eli they hardly recognize, as the lines between his two lives blur.When the system expands to players worldwide, Eli crosses paths with others drawn into Azrael’s cosmic experiment: Yumi Tanaka, a fiercely disciplined Japanese student with a perfectionist streak, and Arjun Mehta, a charming Indian playboy with secrets of his own. Each carries their own burdens and ambitions, but all three must face the harsh truth: Azrael’s game is far more than it seems.As alliances are forged, rivalries ignite, and the stakes escalate, Eli must confront not only the dangers of the portal world but the growing rift between the person he is and the hero he’s becoming. In a game where every move is a test and every choice ripples across both worlds, the question remains: can Eli, Yumi, and Arjun uncover the truth before the system consumes them all?

Choi Sunwoo’s life takes a dramatic turn when he wakes up as a character in the very novel that enthralled him for weeks. Working as a publishing company PD for five years, Sunwoo is no stranger to dramatic twists, but nothing prepares him for this surreal twist of fate. Now pregnant and trapped in a cursed narrative, he becomes an integral part of the story he once read. Sunwoo’s character, an ambitious Omega, daringly infiltrates the secretariat under the guise of a Beta, all to be near the enigmatic and dominant Alpha, Kang Jinwook. His bold plan spirals out of control, leading to a scandalous pregnancy and a botched blackmail scheme. As he attempts to extricate himself from this tangled web by resigning, he finds himself the focus of Jinwook’s intense and obsessive desires. Will he outwit Jinwook and break free from the novel’s grip, or will he be forever ensnared in its pages?

Ethan Blackwood wasn’t used to being defied. As the CEO of a global empire, he crushed obstacles with a single glance. But when Lily Anderson stood before him, her chin lifted in quiet defiance, and something in him snapped. “Sign the contract,” he said, his voice like ice. “30 days. You’ll obey every command. After that, you’re free.”She hesitated, her fingers trembling as she gripped the pen. “And if I refuse?”His smirk was cold, but his eyes burned. “Then you’ll spend the rest of your life paying off your father’s debts. Your choice.”Trapped, Lily signed. But she vowed one thing: she wouldn’t let him break her.From the first day, their clash was electric. He demanded perfection; she gave him rebellion. “You think you can control me?” she spat, after he criticized her for being late.Ethan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “I don’t just control you. Lily, I own you.”But as the days passed, the lines between them blurred. Late nights in his penthouse turned into whispered conversations. His cold demeanor cracked, revealing glimpses of a man haunted by his past. One night, after a heated argument, he pinned her against the wall, his breath hot against her ear. “Why do you fight me so much?”Her voice trembled. “Because I’m afraid if I stop, I’ll lose myself to you.”Their connection deepened, but danger loomed. Secrets from Ethan’s past resurfaced, threatening to destroy everything. When Lily discovered the truth behind his obsession with her, she confronted him. “Was I just a pawn in your game? A way to settle an old score?”His eyes darkened with pain. “You were never just a game, Lily. You’re the only thing that’s ever felt real.”As the final days of their contract approached, their bond was tested like never before. Enemies closed in, and trust hung by a thread. Could they overcome the shadows of their pasts, or would their love crumble under the weight of secrets and pride?

Lucas Yohan, originally born in a world filled with magic and mana, gets transmigrated for the second time into an advanced interstellar world that blends strange magic and technology in ways he never thought could be possible. Upon awakening, he discovers that his transmigrations were no coincidences and is now in possession of the Crafts-God System, a system dedicated to creating a new successor to the deceased Crafts-God, who is an existence with the ability to create anything and everything. Lucas decides to fulfill the goal of the system and become the new Crafts-God, but he’s faced with an incredulous challenge; he can’t learn magic.