Ar'Kendrithyst - 266, 1/2

People talk about Kwon Ihyeok and Hyeseong. The two must have been married in a past life. For 6 years, until the gangster became a respectable company CEO, Hyeseong was always by Ihyeok’s side. They were perfect partners. Until Hyeseong dropped a bombshell.“I’m going to become a farmer.”Hyeseong abruptly announced his resignation and left Ihyeok’s side.“Hyeseong. I can’t let you go.”But Ihyeok, unwilling to easily let him go, begins actively investigating the reason for Hyeseong’s departure.“Sir, by any chance…are you living next door to me?”“Yes.”There must be some scumbag who lured Hyeseong to a place like this. Ihyeok is convinced, and even does background checks to uncover Hyeseong’s secret, but he is missing a very important point.“Strange. Why do you smell so sweet?”>> A Taste“How much have you been drinking?”“I don’t know. As much as was given to me?”Ihyeok’s voice seemed normal, but Hyeseong knew. He was drunk now.“I’ll bring you a blanket so sleep here.”As Hyeseong got up to get bedding from his room…“…?!”Suddenly, Ihyeok sat up and grabbed Hyeseong’s arm, pulling him down. Caught off guard, Hyeseong fell onto the sofa.“What are you doing…?”He tried to break free but couldn’t.“Strange. Why do you smell so sweet?”‘Could it be…my pheromones are starting to flow?’That was not a good sign at all.“Sir. Step back for a bit.”Then, out of nowhere, Ihyeok pressed his lips to Hyeseong’s neck. A tingling sensation began burning through his body.“Sir, wait…ah…”Ihyeok, who had been brushing his lips against him, slowly started licking and sucking his neck.

In a world where kingdoms rise and fall, a seasoned player unexpectedly finds himself transmigrated into the very game he once mastered—Caldera. However, his new life as a ruler comes with a crushing twist: severe debuffs and harsh restrictions on his talents make survival nearly impossible. Against overwhelming odds, he fights tooth and nail to carve out a legacy. Despite his brilliance in strategy and marvels in combat, failure becomes his ultimate fate.

Despite having found Mingxi, the Zhao family continued to favor the fake daughter, saying that Mingxi was not as kind nor as graceful as Zhao Yuan.

Mingxi didn’t mind. She continued to work hard to please her family although they would always say that she was trying to rob their attention away from Zhao Yuan.

Until she died because of a terminal illness.

It was then that she realized that Zhao Yuan was the actual lady blessed by luck while she was merely this novel’s evil supporting character with a tragic ending.

Zhao Mingxi who was given a second chance at life was bitterly disappointed. She no longer cared about her family. Screw her family and her fiancé. She immediately packed her bags and left home, off to complete the task given by the system named ‘Becoming Friends With Fashionable and Valuable Characters’.

After she left, the house suddenly became cold and quiet.

By right they should feel at ease, but–

Her parents, her indifferent elder brother, her brash younger brother, Chen Liyao who was used to her pursuits were all successively feeling… unused to it?

Life used to be so simple,

Full of false hope and endless beliefs in one’s ability in wooing that beautiful girl.

But in a single instant,

Everything as you knew it, plummeted faster than a spoken rejection.

What is real and false can’t be determined,

As the world slowly falls into the maws of the apocalypse.

How will our simple friend respond to the call; the summons?

No matter what he chooses,

Chaos SHALL Reign!

- Description from Novelupdates