Ouroboros Record ~Circus of Oubeniel~ - Chapter 69: Provocateur (3)

In a world where power is dictated by gangs, cities, and families ranked from Tier 1 to Tier 6, only the strongest survive. In the Tier 4 city of Blackridge, fifteen-year-old Elijah struggles to find his place. With his mother working tirelessly and his younger sister depending on him, he has always kept his head down.Determined to rise above the chaos, Elijah and his best friend Kai decide to create their own gang from nothing. But strength in this world isn’t given—it’s taken. The gangs that rule Blackridge won’t tolerate competition, and even the weakest gang has more resources, manpower, and experience than they do. With no money, no reputation, and no clear allies, they must navigate a brutal world of betrayals, violence, and ambition, where every decision could mean life or death.But Elijah is different. He possesses a mysterious system that offers him power—at a cost. As he slowly uncovers its secrets, he realizes that survival is not enough. To protect those he loves, he must become stronger than anyone else. He must climb the ranks, crush the opposition, and seize control of Blackridge’s underworld.But in a world ruled by kings, warlords, and ancient families, the price of power is steep. And when the past comes back to haunt him—when whispers of a forgotten night resurface—Elijah must confront not only his enemies but the truth about himself.In the gang world, the strong rise, the weak perish, and only the ruthless reign supreme.And Elijah? He plans to reign at the very top

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.

[Dazzling Beauty × Aloof Tycoon] [His Deliberate Plan]That night, abandoned by the man she had loved for ten years, she was deeply saddened and sought solace in alcohol, but accidentally drank the drugged liquor. Then, he appeared. With a lazy posture and a relaxed tone, he asked, “How about being with me?” He was a big shot feared by all and stood atop the pyramid of society. She knew he was a handful, yet she was still somewhat captivated by him. Thus, she agreed, “Fine.”From then on, it became widely known that he had taken a woman under his wing, doting on her excessively and granting her every wish. Some were jealous and said, “How long can he spoil her? They're just acting and will break up soon.” In fact, she thought the same, so she never dared to fall in love and awaited the day when she would be cast aside. Later, when rumors of a new companion in his life reached her ears, she prepared to leave, but he refused, saying, “You are the only one I have loved all along.”Little did she know, he had loved her for ten years...

Nan Yu was brought by the Nan Family back from the countryside to pretend as the fake heiress, being forced to marry the paralyzed and tyrannical young master of Huo Family on behalf of the real heiress.Before the marriage, she was just a fake heiress who had been abused since childhood, despised by everyone, and had nowhere to call home.After the marriage, she became the heiress who was coveted by many, lavished with love, and had countless brilliant hidden identities.Such a perfect person, the only pity was having a disabled husband.Everyone advised her to kick him out and find someone better.But a few days later, they saw the man who had been in a wheelchair stand up and become the rich and powerful ruler of the Huo Family.He then pinned Nan Yu in a corner, held her by the waist, and with a hint of red in his eyes, and said, “Sweetie, I heard that you want to divorce me?”Remembering his wildness in bed, Nan Yu shook her head violently, “No! Those are all rumors. You are the only one I want to spend my life with!”