MTL - Age of Empires From Scratch - Chapter 13 Cold Winter Village was contracted by me, Laura

When Lu Ming’s biological father and stepmother came looking for him, he didn’t feel happy or excited.

A long time ago, Lu Ming’s father, Lu Yaohua, abandoned his wife and son and married his lover.

For 18 years, Lu Ming had not seen his father, even when his mother passed away.

Now, Lu Ming’s father came looking for him because his half-brother was sick and needed a kidney transplant. The first thing his father and stepmother said to him was that they wanted a kidney from him.

“We are a family. You’re his older brother. It’s your responsibility to save your little brother. If you can help Ze, we’ll give you 10 million yuan,” offered Lu Yaohua.

“A human can survive with one kidney, right? How can you not save your brother when he’s dying? You’re just like your useless mom!” scolded the stepmother.

“Heck! I would never have agreed to dad spending the 10 million if the donor center has a suitable kidney for me!” cursed the younger brother.

[Option 1: Agree to the request. Reward: A halo for enduring humiliation.

Option 2: Decline the request. Reward: 51% of the shares of Wanke Real Estate—one the top 500 listed companies in the country.]

Lu Ming stared coldly at the three visitors and scoffed.

“I don’t have a brother like you, or a family. Get lost!”

Eli Turner had perfected the art of coasting through life, gaming, lounging, and vibing with no grand ambitions beyond the next high. But his laid-back existence is upended when his laptop inexplicably transforms into a gateway to another world. What starts as a surreal escape becomes a perilous journey as Eli finds himself wielding a mysterious system that allows him to level up, fight monsters, and gain abilities beyond his wildest dreams.At first, the portal world feels like a haven, offering purpose and adventure Eli never knew he craved. Guided, or manipulated, by Azrael, a mischievous god orchestrating the game, Eli rises as one of the system's chosen players. But as the quests grow more dangerous and Azrael’s true intentions begin to surface, Eli struggles to balance the fantasy world with his life back home. His girlfriend, Sara, and his friends are left grappling with a version of Eli they hardly recognize, as the lines between his two lives blur.When the system expands to players worldwide, Eli crosses paths with others drawn into Azrael’s cosmic experiment: Yumi Tanaka, a fiercely disciplined Japanese student with a perfectionist streak, and Arjun Mehta, a charming Indian playboy with secrets of his own. Each carries their own burdens and ambitions, but all three must face the harsh truth: Azrael’s game is far more than it seems.As alliances are forged, rivalries ignite, and the stakes escalate, Eli must confront not only the dangers of the portal world but the growing rift between the person he is and the hero he’s becoming. In a game where every move is a test and every choice ripples across both worlds, the question remains: can Eli, Yumi, and Arjun uncover the truth before the system consumes them all?

A dungeon core novel. But with bees. A bee dungeon, if you will. Oh, and something about a young man finding his place in the world and maybe learning about the deadly calamity that threatens all of humanity. But mostly the bee thing.

Talent? Unnecessary! Wealth? Doesn’t matter! Brain? Eat it!

Even if one was the greatest of gutter trashes with zero redeemable qualities, as long as they had a System, they are bound to reach the pinnacle of life.

Compass Carburettor, a dirt-poor orphan with absolutely zero f**king qualities managed to reach the peak of the business world by the age of 35, all while relying on his Money-Making System like a blinded barnacle.

But at the peak of his life, he was betrayed by his System.