Shadow Slave Cinema (reaction fanfic) - Chapter 25: The Funny Bone

Twenty years ago, she was taken in as the Lin family’s young heiress through a twist of fate. But mistakes would eventually be corrected one day. When the real daughter of the family returned and her foster parents begged her to stay, she obliged. Unbeknownst to her, this was actually a scheme disguised as familial affection. They only kept her around to squeeze her dry of all her value!

Ethan Cole was, by all appearances, an ordinary young man navigating the familiar ups and downs of life—until the night everything changed. That was when he encountered the “Unlimited System.” This mysterious system didn’t merely make Ethan wealthy—it granted him unimaginable riches and set him on a path that was both exhilarating and perilous. The catch? Each mission the system assigns doesn’t just test his wit and resolve; it also unlocks incredible powers, elevating him to new heights of strength and influence. But this isn’t just a tale of lavish spending and indulgence—though those moments certainly add flavor! Ethan’s journey is laced with challenges, each step bringing him closer to reshaping his destiny. From building NovaTech Innovations into a technological marvel to buying a football club and even creating an app poised to revolutionize the food delivery industry, Ethan’s rise is nothing short of meteoric. And yet, the further he climbs, the more he discovers the shadows lurking behind his newfound success. Beneath the surface lies a hidden world—a world ruled by the Great Families, an elite group whose wealth is only part of their power. For these families, strength is the ultimate currency, and disputes are settled not in boardrooms but in combat arenas. Whether through sparring matches or life-and-death duels, they prove their dominance with skill, strategy, and sheer might. Drawn into this dangerous realm of secret societies, high-stakes confrontations, and unrelenting ambition, Ethan must use every ounce of his intelligence, strength, and ingenuity to navigate the intricate web of power that surrounds him. Expect a whirlwind of twists, heart-pounding action, and moments of sheer wonder. From outsmarting ruthless rivals to unraveling the enigmatic traditions of the elite families, Ethan’s journey is as unpredictable as it is thrilling. It’s a story where rules bend, reality tilts, and every turn brings something unexpected.

What would you do if your entire world were turned on its head? A Primordial System buzzing in everyone’s heads, displaying strange screens and other displays in their visions. Being thrown into a tutorial before entering your first System Event broadcast across the universe. Returning back to your home after the System Event to realize that it’s been filled with Gates leading to monster-filled domains, a good number of which have already broken and released their monsters into the world. And learning that the abilities every human being has – abilities that have led to the current structure of society – are nothing but the root of their Skill Trees. The very first skill in their Skill Tree out of many. Well, Ashley doesn’t know. She doesn’t remember anything other than some basic common knowledge from before waking up at the start of the tutorial with amnesia. So why should this change anything for her? Other than her finding out about the blood bestowed upon her by a certain primordial and her own Skill Tree. One with just a single skill. A skill to unlock the skill trees of those she kills. To assimilate. What to expect: Skill Trees, LitRPG Apocalypse, Skill Tree Assimilator(the ability to take the skill trees of those the MC kills that she can unlock through Skill Points without getting the skills right away), Livestreamed Dungeons, Livestreamed Public Battles and Events, Chaos Magic, Varied Magic due to Skill Tree Assimilator, and the MC does not start off strong in the start and only grows strong as she assimilates more skills from those she kills, the MC starts out without any memories and few emotions and slowly gains them throughout the series. What not to expect: I do not write romance(for the main protagonist), there will be no harem, there will be no reverse harem, and do not expect a really strong MC at the start of the story as she has to grow into that role.

All Chu Lian had done was to read a book where the female lead had cheated on her wonderful husband. While wondering why, before she knew it, she was waking up in the body of that very same female lead!

Wait, did that mean the handsome husband from the book was hers now? Chu Lian decided to welcome him with open arms!

However, what she got wasn’t the kind husband she had been expecting. Instead, his personality seemed to have been completely flipped! He left her all alone on their wedding night… and just five days into their marriage, her dear husband abandoned his loving wife and left to enlist in the army!

Fine! Be that way! She could pass her days perfectly well somehow, even if she had to do it alone!

Chu Lian put her household in order, charmed the rest of her new family, and did a little business on the side. She even opened up some new trade routes! Her days passed peacefully and leisurely… Until her dear husband got into trouble at the frontline of the war.

Hmph, isn’t he crawling back to me for help in the end? Forget it, I’ll go save him myself!