The Nine Cauldrons - Chapter 512: Throwing Away All Pretense of Cordiality

Growing up in a place where the rule of the jungle is law, the simple yet cunning Shaar is thrown into the chaotic world of war and political turbulence. After a chance meeting with a mysterious young girl, his destiny is forever changed as he embarks on a journey, joining the Byzantine army and climbing its ranks. With his bizarre beauty standards, will he ever return the affection of the girls that will follow him? Will he ever learn about his real parents? What lies ahead of him is a journey of strange humor and adventure.

Philip never expected his new life to be so… complicated. When a tragic accident in the modern metropolis of Bortinto abruptly ends his struggle for survival, he wakes up as the scandal-ridden heir of a ducal house in a world where magic and science coexist. Any fantasies of an easy, heroic life vanish the moment he realizes that the estate that he is tasked with managing is drowning in debt, and his reputation has been shredded by rumors involving his predecessor’s broken engagement to the socialite Lady Rosetta—the granddaughter of a prince.Even as he scrambles to rebuild his estate’s fortunes—grappling with contaminated land, mounting debts, and shrewed industrialists—he unearths troubling secrets about the original Philip’s heartbreak and suicide. A dark, hidden force seems intent on wiping him out for an unknown reason. As conspiracies emerge linking Lady Rosetta’s departure to these shadowy machinations, Philip struggles to separate ally from adversary, not knowing why this power in high places is so bent on destroying him.Meanwhile, the realm teeters on the brink of monumental change. Technological and social revolutions collide with century-old magical traditions, and war drums thunder on the distant borders. Armed with his modern knowledge of finance—now fused with the kingdom’s burgeoning industrial innovations—Philip attempts to ride the trends and transform his estate into a beacon of prosperity and secure his heirship to the ducal title. Yet each small triumph only attracts more enemies.Tasked by the System with cultivating a supernatural entity while uncovering the real reason behind Lady Rosetta’s canceled engagement and the original Philip’s tragic end, he must also shield those he grows to care about from the looming threats. Will he harness the synergy of magic, technology, and commerce to steer his estate toward greatness, or will malevolent forces quash his second chance at life? Will his second chance at life end the same tragic way as his first?

I thought being laid off from my job was the greatest of my worries but I just had to wake up in a ship's cockpit after my space game crashed. Now I have no map, no friends and no money.But that's ok, I've started from the bottom before! With my starter ship I will scour through space as a Mercenary and maybe even start up a Mercenary Company while I'm at it! This ain't my first rodeo in space after all!Except... Apparently my crew members are weird?The guy who bumped into me yesterday was found sliced up and floating outside the space station.The girl who tried to honeytrap me was reported missing with only a finger found in an alley.And then that merchant who scammed me had his entire ship blasted into bits by unknown vessels the very next day.Some people say my crewmates were behind it but they must be mistaken, right?I only know one thing for sure...In space, no one can hear you scream...

"Your granddaughter claims she likes girls while my grandson is rumoured to be bent so… don't you think they are a good match for each other?"