Joking as they ate, Hans suddenly asked, "Li, where's the Chinese farm-style dishes?"
Li Du pointed to a huge stuffed eggplant. "This is it, the other dish is in the pot over there."
Hans bounced with joy and opened the pressure cooker. Then, a scream could be heard from inside the cabin. "F*ck! Oh God, what's inside? A pig's head?"
"Yes," Li Du said triumphantly. "Meat from the pig's head is absolutely delicious."
Many people in America consider pork unhealthy because it's high in fat and low in protein. As for pig's head, they would rather go hungry than eat the pig's head.
Hans returned with his tail between his legs; he was no longer keen on eating anything in the pot.
Luckily, there was the stuffed eggplant dish to comfort him. The Berkeley pork was fragrant and the organic eggplants grown by the Amish were sweet and delicious. Coupled with the batter, which included eggs and butter, it was a delicacy.
The four large eggplants used for making the fried stuffed eggplant dish had all been devoured.
Li Du realized that Victoria had a hearty appetite. The lass wolfed down half an eggplant all by herself, as well as several pieces of roast pork.
After filling himself up with food and drink, Hans was about to run off.
Li Du stopped him. "Help clear the table."
"I've got something to do," Hans said with a hollow laugh.
Li Du sneered, "What is it? Why do you have so many things to do today?"
Wronged, Hans said, "I've really got something going on—official business. I must sort out those electrical appliances. Lu Guan and I have a great idea. Right, Lu Guan?"
Lu Guan pointed to his own nose and said, "I'm the one with the good idea."
Li Du said, "Then both of you stay behind and clear up."
Lu Guan gave Hans a murderous look.
Victoria whispered, "I'll clear it up. I can clean up well."
Li Du smiled and stroked her little head, "You go draw, this is brother Big Fox's work."
Godzilla nodded. "Yes, Big Fox's work."
Hans had no choice but clear up the table.
However, he really was not making up an excuse to avoid the chore. After finishing up, he and Lu Guan were actually preparing to make something.
Lu Guan took out a small board to support a piece of paper and sketched out some lines.
Li Du went up and asked, "What're you guys going to do? It looks like something major."
Lu Guan explained, "We want to combine some of the furniture and household appliances here, as one bundle. It will increase their value—"
"Yes, we have named it 'Men's Secret Hideout," Hans added. "I dare say this will be very popular with men."
Lu Guan glared at him. "Big Fox, I was the one who came up with this name!"
Hans came up to put his arms around Lu Gua; patting his shoulder, he said, "We're a team. We are achieving this together."
Lu Guan snorted and then grumbled, "But you're stealing all the limelight."
Li Du raised his hand and said, "Okay okay, this is your design? Men's Secret Hideout? Why can't I decipher anything from the drawings?"
Hans gave Lu Guan a shove. "Now it's your turn to be in the limelight. You were the one who made the sketch."
Lu Guan pointed to the paper. "You can't tell? See, this is the cabinet I drew. Its position can be adjusted. You can pull it out and fit the oven in there . . . "
Li Du looked at him doubtfully. "This is a cabinet? Do you think you're Picasso or Monet? This is really abstract."
Victoria tiptoed over to look at it before covering her mouth to try and hide her laughter.
She was also holding a piece of paper in her hand, as Li Du had asked her to draw something for him.
Li Du accepted her paper. Drawn using colored pencils, it was an image of him with Ah Meow, Ah Ow, and Crispy Noodles.
It could be seen from the edge that the drawing had first been sketched using pencil before being filled in with color.
The portrait was quite realistic. It was not lifelike in terms of the form, but because of how the form was portrayed.
Victoria's style of drawing was similar to those in comics. In her drawing, he was in a stiff posture, Ah Meow looked domineering, Crispy Noodles looked naive while Ah Ow looked dorky. It was easy to discern the identity of the figures in her drawing.
This was quite a feat, especially for a girl barely seven years old.
"You draw really well," Li Du exclaimed.
Victoria was so shy that she retreated and whispered, "No, I just did it."
Li Du squatted down to ask her. "Do you like drawing? I have a feeling you have a talent."
Staring at her toes, Victoria said, "Actually, I like to work with my hands, but no one does it with me. I don't like to work by myself."
Li Du stood, put his cowboy hat on the girl's head and said, "Well, you can come and do it with us. When you want to work with your hands, you can come to us. We're your good buddies."
Victoria looked up in delight, her eyes sparkling like two sapphires. "Can I?"
"Of course. From now on, you're one of us. Come, you're responsible for drawing."
Li Du waved at Lu Guan. "Tell Miss Victoria your plan. D*mn, who could possibly decipher what it was that you drew? Let Miss Victoria take over the sketching!"
Lu Guan rolled his eyes and said, "Alright, looks like my thunder has been stolen yet again."
He explained everything to the little girl. After she took a pencil out from her backpack, she squatted on the floor. She hugged the drawing board as she started furiously sketching on the paper.
An imaged appeared before them just like the one Lu Guan had described.
There was a tin cabinet, which had been divided into several compartments. There were big or small, long or short—different compartments were stuffed with different things.
At the bottom was an oven. A TV set was above it, while a small refrigerator was on the side. There were stipulated places for a microwave oven, fan, and so on.
In short, this was a hodgepodge of many appliances and kitchen utensils combined together.
Li Du looked at the design skeptically. "Will this thing work?"
Hans said, "Will it work? Are you asking me if it will work?"
"You could put it in a storage unit, or some quiet room, and then do up the space as a man's secret hideout," Lu Guan interjected.
Hans waved his hand resentfully. "Alright, you'll introduce it."
Li Du said, "I know, but why would anyone have any use for it?"
Lu Guan looked at him and said, "Boss, you are not married yet, so you can say such foolish words. When you are married and get into fights with your wife, you'll need to calm yourself down.
"At this time, you'll need to be alone, drink beer, have some barbecue and watch TV. This will give you the space to be quiet and stay happy.
"Sometimes, you might get into a fight over the television. Like you may want to watch the Super Bowl or the NBA playoffs, but your wife wants to watch 'Desperate Housewives' or some d*mn home shopping show. This secret hideout will be where you can seek refuge."
Li Du thought about it, and said, "You may have a point there. Then, go do it."


They love gold, and they love silver. Even more so, they love gems that dazzle, like stars across the skies. 
Firearms, jewelleries, and precious metals; A collector’s world will not be complete without antiques.  
Storage auctions, old goods trade, re-estate sales and gold-digging. But the truth is, if one wants to make money, then the supreme way is through searching for the legendary treasures. 
Holding the fort, there’s an ocelot, a wolf, and an Andes condor. At the side, there’s a loyal hound, an irascible ape, and an African honey badger. Who said that you can only rely on humans when treasure hunting?! 

Jim woke the next day, fully refreshed. He now had a very large number of skills to train and had to think about the most efficient way to do this, and sort out the priorities of which ones to focus on. 

'Magic really gets my heart pumping, but it has almost no usage right now. My strength, toughness, and explosive power are good, but my actual technique in combat is nothing. I can't really use Detection yet, the skills related to mental functions should help with that, right? There's another problem...' Jim opened his wallet, a single 20 dollar bill was inside, he had no job, he could survive on the shop's grocery ability but if he wanted to keep water, gas, and electricity going he'd have to make some cash quick.

'I feel like it's easier to go outside these days, but talking to people is still...no, I just have to bite the bullet.' Going in for a job interview was too stressful, people staring at him and judging him while requiring eloquent speech was simply too high of a hurdle, his anxiety and paranoia had been reduced but were not gone. 'Let's choose something that requires less human interaction.' pondering and searching the web for a while, Jim decided on selling hand crafted goods, he could get tools through the shop and with the system the products would surely come out well.

'Let's go take a look.' Jim headed out to the local hobbyist store, he decided to get some string and beads, then grabbed a set of pencils and a stack of paper. The total was approx $13, handing over the cash he grabbed the change and bag and headed outside, every dollar was precious right now so he counted the bills before placing them in the wallet. 'Hm?' There should have been $6 and some coins, but he had ended up with $10, the cashier had give him back two fivers instead of a five and a one.

Jim turned around and headed back in the store, he handed back the five and exchanged it for a one, people were looking at him like he was an alien, it made him feel really uncomfortable. 'I just didn't want to cheat them, what's wrong with that?' He didn't think it was abnormal, if he was in the Cashier's shoes he wouldn't want someone making off with extra money, even if it was only a difference of $4 Jim's mind was churning thinking of getting reprimanded and accused of theft.

Bathing in unnecessary humiliation, Jim sped off back home. "Hah...can't I just stay indoors for the rest of my life? I hate this." He took a few minutes to calm down.

[Mental Endurance Level Up]
[Mental Endurance Has Reached Level 3]

He headed to his room and cleared off the computer desk, heading to an image sharing site he placed down a piece of paper and started drawing, pencil in hand. The result was absolutely terrible, jagged lines made a simple drawing of a human turn into a misshapen blob. 'Didn't my Dexterity reach superhuman levels? Why is my drawing still so terrible?'

Since middle school, Jim had been terrible at anything art related, his hands constantly trembled due to the ever-present anxiety and his handwriting was sloppy. It wasn't like he was astounding in elementary school in the first place, but the harder he tried the worse he got, even holding a ruler down and tracing along it would somehow end up with a bent jagged line.

Waiting for a moment, no notifications sounded. 'So this doesn't even count? Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, let's do something simple.' Jim looked up a guide to drawing stick figures and tried to copy it exactly, activating Focus and very very slowly moving his hand, he finally finished one after several minutes.

[Steady Hands Skill Obtained]
[Drawing Skill Obtained]
[Art Skill Obtained]

'Okay, let's keep going' Jim filled up thirteen sheets of paper with his very basic scribbles, keeping Steady Hands active the entire time, he started doing the math on how long the 500 sheets of paper would last.

[Mathematics Skill Obtained]
[Steady Hands Level Up]
[Steady Hands Has Reached Level 2]
[Drawing Level Up]
[Drawing Has Reached Level 2]

'Even that?' Jim resumed drawing but activated Parallel Processing and Mathematics at the same time. Hours passed, Jim had consumed close to 150 sheets.

[Mathematics Level Up]
[Mathematics Has Reached Level 7]
[Steady Hands Level Up]
[Steady Hands Has Reached Level 5]
[Drawing Level Up]
[Drawing Has Reached Level 3]

Drawing seemed to have stopped progressing, he felt it was due to the simplistic material he was using. Standing up and stretching, Jim decided to practice some magic, he began casting Insect Repel Barrier. It still took nearly 7 minutes this time, but he didn't feel drained of mana, since the barrier covered the entire room he headed to the next room and casted again.

[Barrier Magic Level Up]
[Barrier Magic Has Reached Level 4]
[Verbal Casting Level Up]
[Verbal Casting Has Reached Level 3]
[Somatic Casting Level Up]
[Somatic Casting Has Reached Level 3]
[Magic Circle Level Up]
[Magic Circle Has Reached Level 5]
[Magic Mastery Level Up]
[Magic Mastery Has Reached Level 2]
[Mana Efficiency Level Up]
[Mana Efficiency Has Reached Level 3]
[Mana Battery Level Up]
[Mana Battery Has Reached Level 2]

Insect Repel Barrier's requirements for the chant and hand movements were rather simple, but the magic circle he had to create in his mind was far more complex than Flame's, he felt odd at first as he was able to place barriers in every room in the condo without feeling drained at all, but soon recalled gaining the Mana Battery skill, it must have increased his capacity by a lot.

'Flame now?' He headed out back again and cast flame, he felt like the casting had shaved off a few seconds, but couldn't be sure.

[Fire Magic Level Up]
[Fire Magic Has Reached Level 4]
[Spellcasting Level Up]
[Spellcasting Has Reached Level 4]
[Verbal Casting Level Up]
[Verbal Casting Has Reched Level 8]
[Somatic Casting Level Up]
[Somatic Casting Has Reached Level 8]
[Magic Circle Level Up]
[Magic Circle Has Reached Level 7]
[Magic Mastery Has Leveled Up]
[Magic Mastery Has Reached Level 5]
[Mana Efficiency Level Up]
[Mana Efficiency Has Reached Level 6]
[Mana Battery Level Up]
[Mana Battery Has Reached Level 3]

Hours of casting without rest had greatly improved his skill, he could cast Flame in under a minute now, and the Flame itself was no longer puny, it reached the size of a basketball and the flames were more intense, the speed it shot out at was still embarrassingly slow though. Jim had ended up burning all the grass and weeds growing in the back to ash, the ground was slightly scorched and there was a burnt smell lingering in the air. He decided to head back in and resume drawing.

[Mathematics Level Up]
[Mathematics Level Max]
[Mathematics Derivation Skill - Mechanized Brain Obtained]
[Congratulations Host, Host Has Achieved Maximum Level In A Skill, Skill Max Gift Pack x 1 Awarded]
[Steady Hands Level Up]
[Steady Hands Level Max]
[Steady Hands Derivation Skill - Quick Fingers Obtained]
[Congratulations Host, Host Has Achieved Maximum Level In A Skill, Skill Max Gift Pack x 1 Awarded]
[Drawing Level Up]
[Drawing Has Reached Level 8]
[Art Level Up]
[Art Has Reached Level 3]

Suddenly, it was like something in his brain shattered apart, but it wasn't painful, Jim felt like a heavy weight was suddenly ripped away, his mind was quick, sharp, he could vividly recall memories from long ago as though he was currently experiencing it. His mental arithmetic had reached an astounding level, multiplying 8 or 9 digit numbers would be completed instantly, he had to take out a calculator to confirm he wasn't imagining things. The only problem was that Mechanized Brain was already at max level, he wanted this improvement to continue, a mind that could grasp anything and everything was invaluable.

Testing out Quick Fingers, he could move his hands and digits at a speed fast enough they were like a blur with great accuracy, he decided to put it to the test and draw further. Something that took him half an hour before was completed in an instant, he had to put in extra effort to control his strength as the high speeds caused the paper to rip, upon getting used to it he consumed the entire stack of paper in the blink of an eye.

[Drawing Level Up]
[Drawing Level Max]
[Drawing Derivation Skill - Mystic Portrait Obtained]
[Congratulations Host, Host Has Achieved Maximum Level In A Skill, Skill Max Gift Pack x 1 Awarded]
[Art Level Up]
[Art Has Reached Level 6]

'Mystic Portrait? What does that do?' Jim decided to challenge himself and draw without copying an image from the internet, he recalled a time as a child when he went camping with his father, standing at the edge of a cliff and watching the sunset, the landscape was covered in a brilliant golden glow. When he finished recollecting the scene, he noticed the drawing had completed, but he hadn't touched pencil to paper yet, the drawing was incredibly realistic and had even been fully colored, furthermore it had a strange allure to it, like staring at it brought you to the place and allowed you to feel like you were actually there.

'This...can I sell this?' Jim decided against it, it was drawn on paper after all, the quality of the product was high but the medium was just a sheet of paper, if he wanted something he could sell he'd have to put it on canvas.

'Let's shift gears.' Jim cleared the desk again and placed the string and beads on it, the beads were simple things of varying colors, but didn't have a hole to put the string through. Jim got these type on purpose, he wanted to familiarize himself with tools. Entering the shop, he suddenly noticed there was a new category, [Spells], he put off getting the drill for now and decided to check out the listings.

[Flare]
[Creates Explosion And Condenses It On Target, Extremely High Damage]
[Price - 2,000,000]

[Mass Healing]
[Envelops Surroundings In Dense Magic Energy, Heals All Friendly Living Beings In Range]
[Price - 5,000,000]

[Clean]
[Basic Spell, Removes Dirt, Stains, Grime, Etc.]
[Price - 10]

[Ice Spike]
[Forms A Pointed Shard Of Ice, Good Damage]
[Price - 2,000]

Jim decided on grabbing some low priced spells, He bought Clean for 10, Deodorant for 100, Spark for 50, Light Orb for 75, Create Fire for 15, Create Water for 25, Create Soil for 40, and Small Gust for 70. Heading to the Tools menu, he started browsing for what he needed.

A middle aged man stumbles across an artifact which changes his life in ways he could not imagine.

Author's Note: I'm sure you guys have noticed the lack of updates. I don't have writer's block nor are there any events preventing me from writing. I honestly just don't have to motivation to keep going for now. Thus, I'm putting the novel on Hiatus, I hope everyone has enjoyed what I've written, thank you.

Moments after Skye submerged himself in water, a suffocating feeling soon filled his lungs causing him to almost sink like a stone in the water. 

A sharp but pained moan left his lips as he sunk deeper into the lake as he continued to struggle against the pain. 

Soon to Skye's surprise the uncomfortable feeling that plagued him slowly left his body just as his feet touched the rock bed of the lake.

What is a truth is a lie? 
What is a lie is a truth?
Which is the honest you?

Opening his eyes Skye paused as he saw the greeny blue water surround his line of vision.

'What? What is going on?' Skye looked round in confusion as he noticed some of the aquatic creatures swimming near him, this in turn left him more baffled than ever as to how he ended up submerged in water since the last thing he remembered was being at the school courtyard.

'Wh-where is this place?' The prince continued to ponder before swimming up towards the surface. Finally sweet air graced his lungs as his head broke through the surface of the water, parts of his hair now looked darker thanks to being underwater now clung onto the sides of his face. 

Taking grateful gasps of air Skye remained still as he tried to assess where he was, only what he saw made him blanch in horror.

'T-That Rat girl! Why is she here?! Why am I here? What is going on around here!' Skye almost screamed as he continued to ponder, meanwhile he tried to calm down his panicking heart before placing a hand to his face in order to focus. 

Slowly he pushed away the panic thanks to his defence studies and soon made his way towards her, his heart despite looking calmer continued to beat rapidly even as he got out of the lake. 

Eventually as he made his way towards her Skye stared at her almost oddly, wondering if it was really her given how dare he admit it- she looked... different.

Blinking despite the fact his darkened wet hair continued to drip onto his shirt he continued to stare at her, not knowing what to do as she remained focused on what sounded like drawing thanks to the series of scratching noises. 

Gaining a sense that she was being stared at, Anberine rested her pencil and brown leather book on her lap and looked up to see Skye looking... odd?

The pair continued to look at the other without saying anything. Allowing the noise of trees, wind and various creatures to echo in their ears as they remained silent. 

That was until Anberine grew uncomfortable from the unbearable silence.

"What? What are you looking at?" Anberine snapped tersely snapping him out of his daze. 

"Am I so ugly that you want to add more dumb comments?" Anberine asked instinctively thanks to his unnerving look, it was almost as if he was back to being his rude and insensitive self leaving Anberine uneasy at what he would say now. 

Blinking in surprise Skye released a small yelp now realising the question was directed at him, feeling his face burn from the look she gave him.

"N-No!" Skye replied quickly before he could stop himself. Surprise filled his mind at how he could reply like an idiot and to her of all people. Also-

'Did I actually say no?' he felt his stomach drop from realising only to pause as a thought came to him. 

Why did he say no when he truly wanted to say yes? 

Yes she did look stupid and ugly! Yet... staring at her Skye was left perplexed at her appearance. 

She almost reminded him dare he admit it of a socialite which shouldn't be possible given who she is. 

Swallowing he was about to speak except he felt tongue tied stopping him from speaking ill towards her, Skye as he tried to force out words released a few grunting noises that caused Anberine to stare at him oddly.

"Are... you okay?" Anberine asked slowly feeling a little awkward at how he was acting. Skye hearing this felt his face burn in anger and humiliation at how his voice refused to insult her.

"Why can't I say anything negative? Obviously she is-" Skye mentally grumbled at how his thoughts were stopped, almost as if something was stopping him from being completely rude to her. 

His eyes soon caught the book she was resting on her lap, forgetting that he was still drying he grabbed the book to her shock.

"Hey give that back to me!" Anberine snapped feeling upset at how he took her book and without asking no less. 

Only thanks to their height difference she could only try to stand on her tip toes in order to improve her uneven chances of getting the book back. 

Meanwhile Skye being curious about what was inside the book placed one hand on her head and pushed her body down to her horror.

Seeing her hurt look from the corner of his eye Skye paused as he saw how upset she was from his antics. 

Pursing his lips he soon released his hold over her head and resumed looking at the sketch book's contents. 

To Skye's surprise the page she was currently on contained a detailed drawn page of the area they were currently in. 

Each part of her drawing appeared realistic, almost as if the image could come alive at any moment. 

Furrowing his brows he turned another page to see a detailed image of one of the school courtyards that contained a statue of a fairy releasing water onto a pool below her feet. 

To say that the drawing looked so realistic, that one could say it could come alive was an understatement much to his surprise as he continued to look at it unable to mask his surprise.

"This... this is good" Skye marvelled out loud as he remained transfixed by the images. 

Anberine huffed as she frowned at him with her arms folded.

"Yeah, good now can you give it back to me please" Anberine snapped as she gestured for him to give it back using her right hand. 

Turning to glare at her Skye quickly paused as he took in her appearance. 

His cheeks burned without warning leaving Skye wanting to splash his face with water from the lake. 

Surely there must be something wrong with him otherwise why was he feeling odd towards her?

"Tch, fine! Here's your book" Skye passed it back reluctantly to her relief. Checking her pages weren't spoiled by the water she huffed crossly.

"Would it kill you to actually dry up? I am not taking back a corpse because you didn't take care of yourself" Anberine added as she stared up at him with an angry look, his cheeks burned from the comment but instead of snapping he went to the basket and took a towel out.

'What a witch' Skye muttered darkly as he scrubbed the water out of his hair, a wince of pain filled his chest leaving Skye puzzled at how that could even occur. 

All he did was mentally state the truth so why did that statement hurt?

Flashing him a look Anberine sat back on the roots of the tree and grabbed her study book in order to relax from what transpired. Raising a brow at how she would quickly study even in such a place left him perplexed if not annoyed.

'Why am I even here to begin with? And with her of all people? Such a bloody bookworm' Skye muttered before eyeing the lake with a curious look. 

Skye remained silent as he observed it silently before peeking at what appeared her relaxed look from the corner of his eye.



A plan that was supposed to involve saving her friends turned into a full-blown mess that plagues Anberine wherever she goes. 
The worst part is that it's not just any boy, it was the King's Son! 
How will she cope with her bully who now behaves like a puppy on not just any leash- her leash!

Short Except-

"What could you possibly want with her?" Marcus asked coldly only to pause as he saw Prince Skye show Anberine a withered purple flower which had yellow on the bottom petal that he had in his right jacket pocket. 

Anberine's mouth parted while her eyes as she narrowed them showed she was in disbelief, what was he up to?

"Seriously...? A dead flower?" Anberine asked dryly not at all impressed by what he was up to.

"Well it matches your eyes" Skye commented as he saw her newly changed violet eyes which were still not amused, clearing his throat he kept the flower visible "Violets that sparkle, flowers despite withering never suit you anymore than they do now" Skye said mentally blinking at what he was saying.

'Wait what? What did I just say?!' Prince Skye screamed mentally not believing what he had just said. 'Why did I said something so dumb?' he berated himself for the stupid comment.

"What?" Marcus was left baffled while Anberine was even more confused, to prove she was confused she tilted her head and her expression showed she was completely lost.

"What has he been drinking?" Anberine asked still in shock as she tried to observe any features that would have been off.

"Did you sneak a sip from your father's wine cellar? Or did you hit your head when no one was looking?" Anberine asked bluntly now looking at Marcus who shrugged.

"I did drink something" Prince Skye admitted causing the pair to stare at him quickly, that was odd why was he admitting anything and to them no less? 
"I've been drinking in your beauty and for a rat-faced girl, you look cute" he added with a sly smile.

-Author's notes-

Please let me know what you think, feedback and comments are truly appreciated. I hope you enjoy the story and thank you to those who have and are reading it.

On their way out, the teacher unfortunately caught them and gave them a careers forum sheet 

to fill out. Sumire did not understand why Yuhi bothered taking her back to the classroom, but now she knew. She watched as he pulled out his sketchpad and started to draw. Her sweat fell when she saw the poor career sheet on the desk in front of him. 


It seems like he has no intention on filling that out today.


Graduation huh? It felt like it was just yesterday where she entered high school, to think two years have passed already. Back when she first entered high school, she was filled with many doubts and uncertainties. She did not have any confidence and often tried to run away from her problems.


When she dated Sano she was in her first year of high school. She thought then that older men were better. If it is someone older, surely they would treat her better and have a better out look on life. That was the most stupid thing she ever thought of. Just because the other person is older and more mature, it does not mean they are better than any other guy.


All guys are the same, no matter how old they are. Older guys are just better at concealing their true nature. 


She was a fool, but everybody around her accepted him so she did not suspect him.


On the other hand Atushi and Asuka did not hesitate to show they dislike. The two gave her subtle hints whenever they could. But it was hard for her to understand those hints since Sano stuck to her like glue.


Sumire recalled a time where she thought Sano did that because he cared for her, because he wanted to protect her from harm. But that was naive of her, it was naive of her to think that she could have a normal love story. 


"Hey, your not moving your pen anymore."


At that comment Sumire sighed. "Your not even filling yours in."


"That's because I haven't decided."


"Do you think I have?" Sumire retorted back.


Yuhi chuckled. "Well no, I dont think so." He picked up her paper. "What are these? You dont want to do art in the future?"


"Yuhi-san, please be more realistic..How many percentage of the population become artists? How many continue to pursue art?" She shook her head and answered her own question. "Only five percent. Such a small percentage of the population."

Her sentence fell short when he brushed his fingers across her lips. "You're among that small population."

That's the only thing he said and yet it was enough for her.


.....

Iro Road High School - Two days later -


Ever since she came to this school, it feels like the days pass by so quickly.


Her thoughts break when she feels someone remove her headphones. "Only you could paint so well with music on." A male voice said.


Her face turned red, once she looked up and saw the owner of the voice. It was none other than Terashima Yuhi. Today he wore a simple white collar shirt and black trousers. But she could not look away.

The distance between them was small. 

"So what are you painting?"

Y--uhi??!!


It really is him but she recalled what was said about Yuhi's girlfriend during the after party. If he still has someone who he likes, then he really shouldn't have done any of those stuff with her. As far as their conversations concerning the matter came, she assumed that he no longer had a girlfriend. However the others told her that is not the case. 


"It is none of your business." Sumire replied coldly.


She wants to confirm it with him, but a part of her is afraid to do that.


Yuhi took her sketchbook from her. "Ha? What is that? Let me see?"


When she saw that he would not leave. Sumire knew she could not give him the cold shoulder for long."It's Torika "


"All you do is draw.." Sumire watched him scan the drawing. "Hey Torika come here."


The bird perched on the window looked over at Yuhi before flying inside the room.


"There is nothing wrong with your drawing. But when it comes to animals you can't seem to draw them as detailed huh? See if you want to make the bird more real you do this."


Sumire watched him and in a few seconds, he transformed her bird drawing into something amazing. " See?".


Her violet orbs sparkled. "Wow, how did you do that?"


Yuhi lifted it towards her. "Examine this drawing again and try again."


She tore it off and placed it in front of her, as she got a blank sheet out. Alright, this time round she should be able to do it. Though Yuhi drew it so fast, Sumire had been completely mesmerised the entire time.  She found herself to be completely engaged in the drawing, that was until she realised how close the black hair boy was. 


Yuhi laughs. "You're too serious idiot."


This guy, she was supposed to hit him with all her strength. Yet she can't find herself to do so now. Somehow her heart is pounding even though she doesn't want it too, as a result she lets go of her pencil.


"Sumire?" Yuhi called out.


This feeling is so strange.


It really is quite illogical, when she found out too that him and his girlfriend hadn't actually broken out. For some reason she felt bothered by it, though she doesn't know the exact reason why. " Your face is red. Are you alright?"


This person is quite sly. Does he have any idea what kind of effect he has on her?


"I--m alright." She managed to say.


Yuhi stared at her for a few minutes. "Huh well if you say so. You have the ball tonight, can't exactly pass out now can we?".


At that comment her expression turned unpleasant. She unknowingly puffed her cheeks up. So that is the only reason why he came over here, to remind her about the damned ball. The pre marriage dance, that's right. She's already of marriageable age and soon she would be wed to Soujiro. The preparations have begun already, but because he has only just 


"If you're only going to be worried because of that, then you shouldn't have said anything." Sumire said annoyed as she pulled away from him.


"Ehhh? Why are you so mad?"


Gee and he is oblivious too.


For a genius he really can be an idiot sometimes. Does Yuhi understand her feelings?


Sumire averted her gaze and for the rest of the time didn't say anything. That's right, there's no need to say anything anymore. Because eventually she will be wed to that person officially, when that time comes she can no longer turn back or run away. No, running away had never been an option from the beginning.

      

Yet even now when she closes her eyes, she can see that person's radiant form and the colours that surround him. Ah, what colour was it? Sumire however could not ponder on this for long since Yuhi suddenly slumped his head on her chest.


"Hah, I am sleepy after all."


"Yuh-"


"Sumire, hey give me a kiss."


At that comment her eyes widened. "What are you suggesting?" Sumire mumbled and looked away from him. "I thought you wanted me to attend the ball tonight."


Yuhi raised his head and cupped her cheeks. "Are you upset?"


"Of course I would be. You don't care?"


Yuhi sighed. "Of course I care. But you have to meet with him eventually. Ever since you came here, you avoided meeting with him correct?"


Sumire no longer saw any need to meet with Soujiro, since she started dating Yuhi. If she were still single then she would have met him. A marriage for convenience sake. But it is different now. "I dont want to lose you."


She watched as a tint of red appeared on Yuhis cheeks. Clearly he did not expect this from her. Sumire realized a moment too late.


"Uh.."


His gaze softened. "I see, then you dont have to attend."


Sumire blinked when she heard those words from him. She does not have to attend?


"But did Soujiro not contact.."


"He did and I told him we were dating already so he should get lost."


At that comment she burst into laughter.


"Hey don't laugh."


To think Yuhi did something like that for her sake. Then again they are dating, she extended her hand out and tugged on his sleeve. "Then, make sure to tell him okay?" Sumire said.


Even if she does not want to attend, she still wants to give him some face at the end of the day.


Yuhi frowned and turned to her with a serious expression on his face. Sumire had to avert her gaze when she saw him like that. Why does he suddenly look so serious? Whenever Yuhi got like that, Sumire did not know what to think. It never occurred to her that Yuhi was actually a serious guy. Judging from his behaviour in the past anyway.

[The year 2015] A drop of ink can penetrate the walls, even the walls you took too long to build. 

"I think I'm tired of falling in love."

After losing her first love due to a traffic accident, Ibuki Sumire transfers to Tokyo. She wanted to escape, to run away from everything that happened. To start over in a place that didn't have him. 

There she learns about the masks people wear. The masks people wear to disguise their feelings. Sometimes you have to look past what you see on the surface. 

There she meets him, the person who helps her move forward. But Sumire quickly learns how alike they are. His cold personality is different than the kindness she is used to. However, he is the only one who understands this feeling. 

It keeps going around in circles, like a drop of paint. Round and round - an endless stream of pain and lies. But, that stream ended the moment she laid her eyes on his paintings. 

Such rich and vibrant colors, it felt like his emotions exploded. Yet, in the corner of his studio, she found it. The real him, a sakura painting of two people walking hand in hand. 

A gentle and sweet feeling, something she has never felt before.

___

Join me on discord: https://discord.gg/9Cwt9Jz

When Li Ming entered the 'Black Jade Inn', she was greeted by Wei Rong and at least 12 more males surrounding him around his table. 

The normally silent and peaceful main room was completely filled with the chatters of this group. 

Wei Rong noticed Li Ming standing at the entrance door and stood up in excitement. 
"Ming, here you are! We have been waiting for you. As I promised, I am back with my friends." 

Li Ming came into the room and stood in front of the group. She noticed that all the men were of high statuses and most of them were older than her by four or five years. 

"Master Rong, you sure have a nice amount of friends!" Li Ming said with a smirk. 

It took Wei Rong a moment before he realized that she was mocking him. 

"Hey! I thought I am helping you!" Wei Rong said defensively. 

"If that is your intentions then I'm really grateful towards you. But I just can't stop wondering why you all came here just one hour before lunch break? Will you all be leaving to eat your lunch soon?" Li Ming's expressions were really very innocent. 

"Ah!...Ming....We've heard a lot about your cooking skills. Everyone in the black market is talking about your amazing and delicious food and even the Fourth Prince is your fan. So...we are thinking that maybe....you can...." Wei Rong saw the murderous glare of Li Ming and stopped at once. 

Although the girl was so much younger than him but there was something about her that assured him that she could kill him without even blinking her eyes. 

"If I had any idea that my act of goodness will become such a trouble for me, I would have never done that. But it's already too late to regret." Li Ming muttered bitterly. 

"How long you all are going to stay here?" She asked the group. 

"Don't worry Miss Li, we all will be staying here until you will kick us out yourself." Wei Rong's younger brother and General family's fourth young master, Wei Min said and everybody laughed. 

"Alright then! You will help me with something then we all will have lunch prepared by my cooks. Then we will start our game. I will treat you all with my personally cooked dinner in the evening. Okay?" Li Ming asked them. 

"Why the dinner, Miss Li?" Yan Jhong, the only son of the Duke Yansheng, asked while taking a sip of the coffee. 
"By the way, your tea is really nice." He said and everyone else also nodded their heads in agreement. 

"Thank you. And to answer your question if I'm not wrong then the Fourth Prince will also be coming for his dinner. So, it will save me from working extra time and you all will get a chance to meet His Highness." Li Ming said while taking out some drawing sheets and pencils. 

"It sounds like a good idea, but what if  Fourth Prince doesn't like it?" Wei Min asked. 

"Don't worry about that, I will take care if that happens. Other than that, do you all agree with my plan?" She said as she placed the drawing sheets neatly on the table.

"We are all happy to comply, but what are these things Ming?" Wei Rong asked as he picked up one of the pencils. 

"Didn't I asked you to help me with something? Or your entire focus was on the dinner that you even forget that." Li Ming said with a sad tone. 

"Of course I remember! But what are these things?" Wei Rong asked again as he passed the pencil to others to take a look.

Li Ming picked up a drawing sheet and said while showing everyone, "As you all can see, it's a piece of a paper. The only difference is that it is of a very high quality and it is completely white in color rather than yellow."

"Oh....!"

Then she picked up a pencil and said, "It's called a pencil. It is much more convenient for writing than a brush & ink. Let me show you!" 
After that she wrote down all of their names on the drawing sheet. She made sure that all of them could see clearly what she was doing. 

"Don't we have to use any ink?" Yan Jhong asked with pure curiosity in his voice. 

"Of course not! You can see this sharp tip right?" She asked while pointing at the tip of the pencil with her index finger.

When the others nodded their heads, she said, "Whenever this tip broke down or finish completely, you just have to sharp it again with a sharpener."

Then she gave Wei Rong a sheet and a pencil and asked him to write something. 

It took her some time to teach them how to exactly hold the pencil. But after 10 minutes everyone in the group had wrote at least one line using the pencil. 
By this time the sharp tip of the pencil had shortened and it was impossible to write with it anymore. 

Then she took out a sharpener and showed them how to sharp the pencil.

"See! We have again a sharp tip to write." She passed the pencil and sharpener to them to take a look. 

All of the men were fascinated. "Ming, where did you get these things from?" Wei Rong asked. 

"I'm not selling away my secrets. Now enough of the fun. Let's start with the main task." She told Elder Fu to ask the Huang sisters to prepare the lunch. 

Then she looked at the sheets with an evil smile. The look in her eyes was like she was going to devour something alive while enjoying each second of it. 

"Sometimes, you give a very evil feeling." Snowy said through their bond as he came running down the stairs and jumped into her lap. After giving her a few licks on her face, he finally settled down on her lap. 

"..." Li Ming wanted to kick the idiot out of the door. 

"Is he yours? He's so cute." Wei Min said. 

"Thanks! His name is Snowy." Li Ming said with a little smile. 

"I like him." Snowy said through their bond while looking at Wei Min. 

"What are you doing here?" Li Ming asked while pondering weather to push him away or let him stay. 

"I'm bored." Snowy said in a weak voice. 
This was enough to make her stone made heart melt. She stroked him lightly on his head, then finally looked at the group. 

"I want you all to help me organize a few things." She told them. 

"As long as we can help. What are you planning?" This time it was Bai Liang, the second master of the Marquis manor, who spoke. 

"Tell me what is the price that the Breezing flowers charged for one night?" She asked while she picked up a pencil and a sheet. 

When she looked up at the others, she found all of them looking anywhere else but at her with different states of embarrassed looks on their faces. 

It took her a few seconds to realize the reason. "You... ! I'm asking about the price of a normal stay, without any special service." She wanted to curse at all of these stupid morons. 

When the males heard what she said, they finally relaxed. 

"Oh!.....They charge 15 silver coins for one night stay. The tea and the snacks were also included in it." Wei Rong answered. 

"Then I will charge.....50 silvers for one night." She said and wrote down something on the sheet. 

"...." The others looked at each other with confusion. 

"Why are you charging 50 silvers? Isn't it too much?" Bai Liang asked with surprise. 

"Are you forgetting that I'm also providing three times meal to my customers. Not only that, the tea and most of the dishes are only available in here. The decorations and the comfort is also a bonus. Calculate yourself, that if you have to eat your three meals in a restaurant it will normally cost you almost 80-100 silvers. But I'm providing the three meals and a place to stay only in 50 silvers." Li Ming said while pointing out all the facts. 

After hearing her words everyone agreed that she was not asking too much. In fact, she was the one who was in the loss. 

When Li Ming saw that all of them agreed with her point she continued, "Also I'm going to charge 50 silvers for each plate, if someone wants to eat the dishes prepared by me."

The color on their face paled when they heard what she was saying. Li Ming laughed and said, "Don't worry I'm not going to charge you today for the dinner but you have to pay for the lunch and the game."

"Just don't ask for too much price for the game. Otherwise we all will become poor just in one day." Wei Min said and all of them laughed.

She, a 21st century woman, was the leader of a Supernatural Clan and also one of the most important member of the Supernatural Council. Only at the age of 28, she was one of the most powerful mage in the world. 

But on a mission against rogue vampires, she died and woke up in the body of an orphan who had a body of a trash. She realized that she transmigrated in an ancient world where people cultivated some sort of spiritual energy. In this world power mean everything. 
So, she decided to get powerful and due to some miracle she was still able to use her magic. 

It's a journey of a female mage who shocked everyone with her talents and unseen & unheard powers. 

But just like every story, this one also had a fun part which came in the name of Five hot as hell male leads...............

This story is meant to be a Reverse Harem Transmigration romance. If you guys don't like such things then you can ignore this one. 

Happy reading!!

In a little more than an hour and thirty minutes later of sketching, Yujia was already working on the finishing touches to the sketch. It was a rough sketch, but it took a lot of time since she made the mistake of not bringing her steamed bread to act as an eraser. She had to be extremely careful with all the lines she drew, starting with the lightest pencils and moving on to the darker shades last, when she was finally confident with what she was doing. 
Her lack of an eraser meant that she did make a few mistakes, though. Some things, like the angle of Yunhe's nose or a stray line of hair on his head that wasn't supposed to be there, popped up throughout her drawing process. The problems weren't enough to destroy the overall accuracy of the portrait, and she was sure that her master and senior brother weren't going to notice either. Despite all that, Yujia knew of the present mistakes and they bothered her. 
As she finished blending the shades of the robe that he was wearing, Yujia decided that the portrait was a pretty good rough sketch. She was impressed by the fact that her portrait drawing skills seemed to be getting better.
Satisfied with adding in one last touch with the hairpiece that Yunhe wore in his hair, Yujia set the pencil in her hand down and leaned back, handing the portrait to her senior brother. 
For the first time, Ye Yunhe got a good look at what she was working on for the past hour or so. Yujia witnessed how the image of the portrait registered in his eyes, along with the pure shock at what she managed to create. 
"This— I've never seen anything like this before!" Yunhe held the painting in his hand closer, observing all the small details that Yujia managed to capture. 
It was as if he was looking into a mirror reflection of himself. The only thing that it lacked was color, but other than that, he had to admit that the portrait was absolutely accurate and on point. He hadn't seen his reflection too much in the past. Maybe he would catch it in the shining waters of a calm lake or the smooth bottom of a metal basin, but seeing the person on the paper right now, he could still tell that it was on point. It was as if the paper was a bronze mirror, capturing every feature on his face exactly. 
The strangest thing about it wasn't the accuracy of the work, but rather the media used to create it. His junior sister's invention was certainly strange and unique enough, and it created something that was completely different than all the other painting portraits he had seen before. There were both harsh lines and smooth blended shadows. All the layering shades made the entire piece realistic and gave it a new sense of depth. 
He didn't look flat and lifeless in the portrait either. It was as if he could see the person on the paper as another version of himself. In it, his mouth was curved into a faint smile while his eyes looked off in another direction. There wasn't any teeming, restless energy in the work, but there was definitely a type of calm energy threaded through it. 
For the first time, Ye Yunhe began to view portraits as a sort of true art as well. Previously, he didn't see how portraits could be actual art. There was definitely skill to it, but the lack of depth and energy in all the illustrations of people made him believe that only nature itself could be considered as a subject of true art. Yet after seeing what this junior sister of his created, he could spot the energy that previously, he was incapable of with his own painting of the lotus pond that he was so proud of. 
At that moment, Yunhe acknowledged that Junior Sister Yujia had skill. Even though she was a girl, he wouldn't be ashamed to call her his junior sister. From the start, he was always hesitant and skeptical, but now, he could see what his master meant before. 
In the midst of all his analysis, his master leaned forward, trying to take a look at the finished product too. 
At once,Yujia leapt out of her seat pushing the piece of paper forward so that her master couldn't take a look. "Master!" she asserted, "You can't look at it!" 
"Why?" he snapped back, "I thought that once you were finished, I could see it!" He paused. Seeing that Yujia didn't seem to want to relent, he asked, "Is it because of before with the duck? Are you still hung over that? The only reason I acted like that was because you deserved it, making it your fault in the first place. Don't you have at least basic respect for your master?"
Yujia bit her lip. She supposed that she had to let her master see, despite her unwillingness after he denied her of meat. Childish fights weren't supposed to last forever, and in the end, her master showed her plenty of compassion in the past. It was only right to let him see. 
With that thought, she gave up. "Alright then. After Senior Brother finishes looking at it, you can. He's the subject of the portrait anyways, so he should be able to look at it first." She turned to her senior brother and smiled brightly. "How is it? Do you like it? Is it good?"
"Yes." Yunhe nodded and smiled back, setting the paper down on the table. "Junior Sister, I apologize for the words I've said before. It was impolite for me to say those things to you. Your invention and work are both great." 
He clasped his hands and gave a solid nod of acknowledgement. 
Yujia was happy to hear this. She didn't want to set off on the wrong foot with her senior brother, so it was nice to personally hear those words from him. She folded her hands and nodded back. 
Once the portrait was set on the table, their master immediately grabbed it and took a long, wordless look at it. Yujia glanced over at him and analyzed his expression, trying to decipher how he felt about it from his face to no avail. 
He was the true master of art, after all. If she could impress him, Yujia would really enjoy a boost of confidence over her work. Even if she didn't pour her heart and soul into art anymore, it would still be nice to get some confirmation that her work was still decent, since she didn't like to create and call herself the owner of mediocre and second-rate content. 
A lengthy pause later, her master said, "It's pretty good. Good job. I haven't seen anything like this before, but the slant of his nose is slightly off, and next time, give him just a little less volume to his hair and pay more attention to the shading and details there. Oh, also, the shadows underneath his chin are a little too intense, damaging the calm aura of the picture. In fact, if you took away the shadows over there and added more darkness where the eye and nose meet, it would be much better. But overall, it's not that bad. Not bad at all." 
That was all the confirmation she needed. Her master was truly a master at art to notice the things that she didn't expect him to notice. He also noticed things that she didn't think were wrong, like the intensity of the shading. Hearing this, Yujia knew that she had plenty of room to improve, but for a master at art to call her work "not bad", that was good enough of a compliment that Yujia would take. 
She also saw that even with her master being someone who joked around frequently, when it came to matters like art, he was much more serious. 
"Thank you, Master! Next time, I'll pay more attention to the things you said." Thinking about how much time had passed, Yujia decided that her scheduled meeting with Bo Zhizhong was coming up soon, so she pointed out, "I still have to go talk to my acquaintance, so I think I need to leave now, if that's alright?" 
"Go ahead." Her master waved his hand. "I still wanted to experiment with your invention myself, but if you have things you need to do, I won't delay you."
Yunhe agreed too, but he seemed to have a question. "Junior Sister, who are you meeting up with to get an investment?" 
This wasn't something that Yujia needed to hide with them. "He's the Third Young Master of the Bo family, Bo Zhizhong." 
The instant he heard that, Yunhe frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. "Did you just say… the Third Young Master?" 
"Yep." Yujia frowned too. "Third Young Master. Is there something wrong with that?" 
Yunhe pressed his lips together. "The Bo family… has no Third Young Master!"


At 24 years old, Yang Yujia is an unemployed art major, living off heavy debt and instant noodles, both of her irresponsible parents refusing to support her. During a high-school reunion, Yujia gets drunk, does stupid things, and when she wakes up again, Yujia is no longer in the correct world, time-period, or body. 

Unfortunately, as a transmigrator, Yujia does not seem to have much luck either— instead of transmigrating with a set of stunning martial arts skills, knowledge that would aid her in troubling situations, or a position of royalty that would make her life much easier, Yujia is the fourth (illegitimate) daughter of a small merchant. And what skills does she have to help her survive this world?

A pretty face, witty mouth, and useless artistic talent?

Good enough. 

...

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The thick vines in the shape of a bridge slowly ascended until it reached the side of the cliff and attached itself on it, the little fawn slowly walked off the vines and straight into the cliff face and disappeared into it.

'why does this scene feel so familiar?' Leo thought as he scratched the back of his head but gave up realizing he couldn't remember where he saw this before. 

Leo walked closer to the cliff and faced the wall the little deer had walked into. 'Everything looks like normal stone so how could he tell where entrance was here?' however a light bulb instantly lit up above his head. Leo closed his eyes and felt the flow of mana in the air 'so thats how it was!' he could feel the mana moving into the cliff as if there was nothing there, he first put his hand into it and then walked through,

"why are you taking so long? dont you want the things grand master left you??" the little fawn asked a little annoyed.

Leo looked at him and said "oh i found something interesting outside do you want to see it?" the little fawn became a little curious so he nodded and watched as leo reached into his pocked and pulled out his closed fist, while the fawn was wondering what could he have found outside that was so small it could fit in his fist was, Leo lifted up one of the fingers while he looked at the little deer with a mocking smile.

it took the fawn a second before he finally got it, he then narrowed his eyes at him and said "rude" before turning around and started trotting down the long hallway.

Leo laughed at his reaction and started to follow him down with a smile on his face however it quickly dissipated as time passed and started to becoming more and more tired, he had forgotten how long this bloody hallway was.

Once they reached the white room Leo could barely walk anymore, he slumped down on the floor as beads of sweat rolled down his body.

"We've only been walking for an hour why are you so weak?" the little fawn said with a smile on his face, he had upped the pace of the walk to tire Leo out on purpose as revenge and it seemed like it had worked perfectly.

Leo didn't have the energy to argue with him so he laid down on the floor for a few minutes to catch his breath before he was finally able to stand up.

"where's the stuff?? there is nothing here just like when i woke up. Don't tell me you were messing with me???" he started to crack his knuckles as he started walking toward him staring at his chubby cheeks

the little fawn was startled and jumped backwards and said " I wasn't lying! its here you just cant see it! put your mana into your hand and try touching the wall and it should react, all the powerful people would have something that could read mana signatures so as to not have their things stolen!" he said as he was already against the wall from backing up.

 Leo turned his palm towards his face and tried to put some mana into it, it wasn't very hard as it was not something as complicated as strengthening his muscles like the knights could. Leo then touched the wall with his palm and waited, after a few seconds of nothing happening he turned his head to the deer and was about to complain when he started to hear some noises.

It sounded like little metal pieces hitting each other in a pattern, as he was wondering what it was when the three walls slowly opened up and something like a bright trophy shelf moved out from inside of it. There were three shelves all together, on the first one there was a large purple robe that looked very comfortable and expensive and under it there was a pair of black shoes which looked strangely normal. Next was a shelf with a large Staff however at the end of it there were large bristles making it look like a large paintbrush instead. Lastly there was a whole collection of thin dark blue crystals the size of his palm that was shaped like an oval they all looked exactly the same.

Leos first instinct was to move towards the crystals however he could feel that the robes and shoes were very special by how the mana around it was reacting, so he moved towards them first.

"ho ho you have a good eye, both the robes and the shoes are magic items indispensable to both sages and dream masters! try putting them on and see if you can tell the difference" the little fawn said as he watched him. 

Leo took the robe and put it on over his clothes, he thought it would feel stuffy but once he had it on it felt cool to the touch and the soft fabric made him very comfortable.

once he had put on the robe he saw something shiny at the corner of his eyes and when he turned his head to it he was frozen on the spot, it was a mirror under where the robe was!! he could finally see what he looked like! 

Leos face looked a lot younger than he thought he was, he had long inky black hair that reached his shoulders and his eyes were what stuck out the most. His eyes were violet and if you looked closely it seemed to be transitioning between different shades of purple making him look very mysterious. Since Leo had no memories he obviously didn't know what he himself looked like however he though that his look was a bit strange, he wanted to ask the little deer but since it never reacted to his look at any point before, he thought that maybe it wasn't as strange as believed it to be so he decided not to ask. he spun around while staring at the mirror 'hey i look pretty good if i do say so myself!' he thought as he imagined himself being surrounded by women before a voice broke him out of his delusions.

"stop playing around and try on the shoes as well, trust me its cooler than the robes" the little deer's said from behind him.

'cooler??' Leo become a little excited and he quickly grabbed the pair of simple black shoes and put them on, at first he didn't notice any difference however once he tried moving he became very surprised! the shoes would eat up some of his mana with every step he took and as he did it would push him off the ground depending on the force he used to move allowing him to move a lot faster and with much less effort. 

'Amazing!' he though, he was happier with the shoes than the robes, his body was very weak and these shoes would be extremely helpful. 

As Leo was running around the room excitedly trying out the shoes the little fawn stopped him and said "why don't you try the staff next? don't you want to try and use your powers?" as he said that Leo immediately stopped what he was doing and turned to the giant brush, he walked up to it and grabbed it.

The wooden staff felt like it was made of very expensive wood and it smelled brand new however it strangely didn't weight as much as he thought it would. Leo put mana into the brush before the little fawn was able to say anything and he tried using the knowledge he gained from the star of creation as he used the brush to draw something on the wall, the little deer saw what he was doing and decided to watch quietly as learning with experience would would be much faster.

Leo first decided to first draw something small and easy. As he moved the staff he also realized that the colors of the paint that were coming off the brush were changing as he willed it which made him pretty happy. Once he finished there was a small round shield drawn on the wall.

"looks like you do have some talent in drawing as well but why are you drawing on the wall for? weren't you going to create something? this isn't art class you know" the little fawn said with a hint of mockery in his voice. 

Leo noticed that although he finished drawing nothing was happening, he went over all the knowledge he had gained and realized his mistake, he had to draw in the air not on a surface! thankfully he had his back towards the little fawn so he couldn't see him blushing. 

He decided to try it one more time and this time he drew it in the air. After every stroke the paint would fix itself in space looking very magical. Leo quickly finished his new drawing and it was a pencil the size of his staff. When the last stroke was finished and he removed his brush he felt his mana being sucked out him at a very quick pace and as it did his drawing started to fill up like a balloon until it became 3 dimensional, it however still looked very strange since there was no sense of depth, you could see it as a 2 dimensional image no matter what angle you looked at it from but when you touched it you would realize it was indeed a three dimensional object.

When it filled up to the right size and shape the mana that was being sucked out of Leo stopped, he felt lightheaded from losing so much mana so fast, but he wasn't really worried since his core was extremely large he could make 1000 of these these before he even got close to running out.

*Thud* the pencil that was floating in the air fell to the ground while leo was lost in his thoughts, it seemed very heavy from the sound it made as it hit the ground.

Leo went and picked it up and showed it to the little deer,  he was proud of his first item.

"don't get too happy now, items created with the staff can only stay in this world temporarily depending on how much mana you gave it as you were drawing it, though you can manually insert mana afterwards to allow it to stay in for a longer amount of time" the little fawn carefully explained 

"Though you only used a bit of mana to create it, the pencil you just made should last around a couple of hours max by itself since its just a normal object. A normal object is the thing that least requires the least amount of mana, if you wanted to make a magic item it would've required a lot more depending on what it does the same thing goes with living beings however, to create a living creature depends alot on the stats you give it, the higher the stats the beast you made has, the more mana is required to create it. Oh and you should be careful creating creature with low intelligence because they sometimes wont listen to y-" while the little fawn was talking he realized that Leo wasn't listening at all and that he had already started to create something.

It first looked like a brick however as Leo kept drawing he realized it was a sponge instead, but it wasn't a normal sponge since it had legs, arms, pants, a tie, a mouth with 2 buck teeth, and pair of big eyes that were not symmetrical as the right one was larger than the other. There was no color used as it was strangely gray and its unfocused eyes made it look a little creepy. Once Leo finished that mana that was sucked out of him this time was so large that it made him dizzy to the point he had to sit on the floor so he wouldn't fall over..

The little fawn looked concerned at what was being created and asked Leo "what is that?"

"hmm, i'm not sure, it just felt like it was something that was best at wielding the pencil i had created before"  Leo said while on the floor as he shrugged.

they waited until the creature fully materialized and fell to the ground, it was very light so it barely made any noise, it seemed a little confused at first as it raised his head and looked all around however he stopped when he noticed the big pencil lying on the floor and a light flickered in his unfocused eyes.

The strange creature bolted towards the pencil and grabbed and hugged it in front of his chest as if it was scared it would disappear at any moment, and as he did all this Leo and the little deer were closely watching it.

"you did at least give it some intelligence right?" the little fawn asked doubtful as it was watching its every move

"he he he" Leo only laughed as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment "i thought giving it intelligence would use up too much mana" he said 

"well is it at least able to talk?" the little fawn asked concerned however before leo was able to answer they noticed that the creature had started looking towards them, its plain face made it look very creepy. It raised the pencil and started drawing on his own face and once he was finished leo and the little fawn noticed that it now had a pair of eyebrows however, they were very slanted downwards towards his round nose.

"Oh No" said the little deer as he started to have a bad feeling.

The creature suddenly raised the pencil above his head with both arms and screamed "BAGA YAGA HAWAGABA" then bolted towards both Leo and the little fawn with the sharp pencil raised above his head.

When god created everything the Excess of his powers were left behind and after thousands of years humans have learned how to harness and use that power which they called "Mana". Unfortunately the human vessel was too small to inherit the complete powers of god so they separated it into three equal parts. The power to Destroy, to Change, and to Create. From these powers the three main jobs were born into the world. The people who inherited the power to destroy were called "knights", the ones who inherited the power to change were called "Sages", and lastly the ones who inherited the power to create, they were called "Dream Masters"

The greatest dream master that ever existed ran out of his lifespan before he was able to achieve godhood so he decided to leave everything behind as an inheritance to his last disciple however, he would never have thought that this disciple of his would take thousands of years to inherit all he had, not only that but thousands of years later Knights, Sages, and Dream Masters have long disappeared from the world and became mere legends that people would tell their children. 

This is the story of Leo the last Dream Master and his path to godhood.

Not only did Shen Lingshuang speak up, but she also consoled Yang Sitong, "Don't cry now…Even if you cry here, it's useless."
Xiao Bai, who was listening from the side, opened his jaws wide in shock.
'To think that this bad woman would even be thinking of getting together with Little Uncle!'
He scolded angrily, "My Little Uncle will never fall for a bad woman like you! You're so bad that no man would like you at all!"
The moment she heard that, Yang Sitong bawled out even louder.
Shen Lingshuang twisted her head and faced Xiao Bai. "Go back to your room first. If you continue being so rude, you'll get no dinner."
In a huff, Xiao Bai glared at Yang Sitong angrily before stomping his feet upstairs. He turned around and looked at Shen Lingshuang one last time. When he caught sight of how his grandma was forgiving that bad woman, he could not help but sigh.
He hoped that his mummy wouldn't be an innocent vanilla sweetie like his grandma.
Shen Lingshuang turned around and looked at Xiao Bai as well. Naturally, she knew what Xiao Bai was thinking about. For an adult to get into a conflict with a child, that was enough to tell of the character of that adult.
However, this person was Yang Sitong. Back then, she was arranged to get married to Yanchen. After he had broken off the arrangement, he had ignored her for the past few years as well, causing her to be the laughing stock of many people behind her back.
It wasn't easy being her as well.
At the end of the day, Shen Lingshuang was only forgiving her for the sake of guilt…
But, she could finally understand why her Little Chen didn't like this girl at all. At the same time, she was thankful that he didn't.
But, that swimming coach…just what was going on with her and Yanchen?
Why did Xiao Bai call her mummy?
…
Shi Guang spent her entire day at home. In the past, this was how she had spent her rest days as well, feeling especially refreshed with just reading novels and watching dramas randomly.
However, she felt especially bored today, even having an inexplicable sense of frustration.
Leaning on the sofa, Shi Guang looked at the drawing board leaning against a cupboard beside. She stretched out for it and took out a pencil from her pencil case before starting to sketch on the topmost piece of white paper on the drawing board.
Slowly, she began to calm down.
Each time she felt a little uneasy, she would draw.
Drawing was something that helped her find tranquillity.
Her sister was the reason why she had learned to draw; the former was a genius in drawing who could bring life to images with a few mere strokes. From her sister, Shi Guang had learned to do some simple speed sketches. However, she wasn't all that great, and was still way too far off when compared to her sister.
As the memories of her learning to draw from her sister reeled around her mind, Shi Guang continued drawing with an exceptional focus. By the time she placed her pencil down, she realized that she was actually sketching Lu Yanchen…
It had been two years…To think that she would sketch him again.
Shi Guang really felt that she must be sick in the head as she immediately wanted to tear off the paper before crushing it into a ball and throwing it away.
But, just as she was about to do so, her phone rang.
She turned her head around—it was Lu Yanchen.
After hesitating for a moment, she picked it up.
"Hi…" The voice of the man on the other end was deep and gruff, "Open the door!"
Shi Guang held up her forehead and gritted her teeth before asking, "What do you want again?"
"We'll talk after you open the door."
"No, we'll talk on the phone," Other than teaching him to swim, Shi Guang did not want anything more with him right now.
"Don't make me repeat myself," The voice of this man was one that did not permit her having a say. She could not help but roll her eyes. Even though she did not wish to open the door, she didn't seem to have a choice.
She then placed the drawing board down and went for the door.
The tall man stood outside, wearing a white t-shirt, long pants, and black military shoes. Even though it was a casual way of dressing, he exuded the cold aura of a natural king.
"What do you want again?"
Now that Xiao Bai was already gone, what was he here for?
'Did he come just to pick a fight with me?'


After a delirious first night together, Shi Guang found herself waking up to a cruel reality… a breakup initiated by him, ending their relationship!

What? Why? How? These were the questions that bugged Shi Guang’s mind in the two years after he left without a trace.

Just as she thought that she had finally managed to get over him, Lu Yanchen suddenly appeared before her and before she knew it, she had to get married to this man who had dumped her two years ago?!

What? Why? How? These were the questions that Shi Guang were faced with after his mysterious appearance once more.

Just what are Young Master Lu’s motives? Why is he always watching out for her even though he was the one that had dumped her? 
And worst still… 
What’s with that tsundere attitude of his…?! 

Translator’s Review:
This is a really sweet novel about a couple that just annoys one another in the cutest ways. 
Lu Yanchen is a descendant of a powerful aristocratic military family. Cold, aloof, genius and sharp, this is a man that has it all – status, smarts and looks. But none of that matters when it comes to affairs involving his silly woman as everything melts away into an encompassing warmth.
Purple-Red Beauty is someone that spends a lot of time building the settings of her novels. Earlier on, I too was rather annoyed at some of the things that Lu Yanchen did. But once the story gets on track… everything suddenly seemed even sweeter than before!  
If any of you have heard of the Japanese manga Itazura na Kiss or have caught any of the many Japanese (Mischievous Kiss), Chinese (It Started With A Kiss) and Korean (Playful Kiss) drama reboots made for it, you will definitely love it! :P

The lounge was crowded as usual, but Cal claimed the corner table and pulled out her sketchbook. It had been far too long since she had put pencil to paper.
Her fingers hadn't forgotten their skill. She put the patrons on paper. The older gentlemen drinking whisky and playing cards. A woman Cal guessed to be Crysabel's mother, looking around with a faint frown. The servers dancing between tables placing a drink there, a plate there. They all wore smiles, real ones, as Meireka had said.
Pentam and Crysabel came in and sat, leaning toward each other as they talked. Cal's pencil flew across the paper. Her art never lied. Cal looked at the finished drawing and wiped tears from her eyes. She should be happy for him. She was happy for him, but damn, it still hurt. Sir Shillingsworth walked into the lounge with the aid of a cane. Cal picked up the pencil again. Pentam waved him over and introduced him to Crysabel. Her father greeted them, and at their urging sat with them.
He looked unerringly across the room at Cal. She shook her head slightly. He lifted a shoulder a miniscule amount. Cal couldn't remember how they came to communicate so much with so little. She kept drawing, turning page after page. Capturing the angle of a face, the depth of a glance. Crysabel's hand reaching then pulling back.
Baroness Dimant saw her daughter and came over to haul her away, back to a table of people all the mother's age. Pentam looked bereft. Cal sketched his sorrow, how everything in his being yearned in one direction.
It was no longer toward Cal. She told herself it was a good thing. All part of her plan to save Pentam from himself. Cal put the sketchbook away. She picked up her satchel and sauntered over to Pentam.
"Hello, Pentam."
"Oh, hi." He turned away, then flushed red. "I'm a terrible person."
"Let's take some air on the terrace." Cal pulled him away from the table, catching a glimpse of Crysabel staring forlornly at them before turning back to her mother. 
The terrace sat mostly in shade in the evening. Cal walked to the stone rail and leaned on it, so much like a ship's rail. Pentam stood beside her. 
"Cal, I..." He stopped and looked down.
"Pentam." Cal took a deep breath and plunged in. "I love you, really. I always will. But I think you fell in love with me because I was the only woman on the ship you could protect. It wasn't really me, but your idea of who I was. This doesn't mean you don't love me, it means you need to love someone who wants adventure, and needs you to make them feel safe."
Cal handed him the sketchbook. Pentam took it, a frown on his face and flipped through, seeing the patrons, the servers. Stopping at the page which showed a man and a woman so clearly in love to anyone with eyes to see. He ran a finger across the page. 



Author:
Alex McGilvery has been reading since before he can remember, and writing almost that long. He has published 18 books and is author and editor at his imprint Celticfrog Publishing. He lives in Kamloops with his dog and the stories clawing their way out of his head.

They’re chasing a myth in the name of science.

Calliope works for her explorer father as an artist, recording what he brings back from his journeys in her sketchbooks. When she’s given a chance to go along on a trip to capture a sea serpent she doesn’t hesitate.

Life at sea isn't what she expected, and she ends up fascinated by the engine room of the steamship HMRV Peregrine. A tragedy makes her assistant engineer, but Pentam, her father’s protégé, is even more determined than her father to make Cal a fine lady. That means protecting her from danger, even if it drives her crazy.
When science and legend collide, Cal is the one who must take up the challenge of survival, even if it means risking her new-found feelings for Pentam.

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