[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-evil-mc-s-ntr-harem":3,"chapter-evil-mc-s-ntr-harem-evil-mc-s-ntr-harem-chapter-1029":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Evil MC's NTR Harem",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1832178,2438,"Chapter 1029 Time","evil-mc-s-ntr-harem-chapter-1029",1029,"\u003Cp>Ross didn’t blame them—power always came with a price, and none of them knew what that price would be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I won’t force anyone,\" he said after a long pause, his tone softening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is your choice. Whether you take one or not, you’re still my family. You’ll still have a place here, in this bunker, under my protection.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked around the hall, meeting every gaze—one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But remember this: the world outside isn’t waiting for us to decide. It’s changing every day. If we don’t grow stronger, we’ll be swept aside. These stones... they’re our chance to change that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence followed once more, but it wasn’t the same kind as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, it was filled with tension, with the quiet thrum of courage being born in hesitant hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ross watched them closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew this moment would decide everything—who was brave enough to step forward, and who would choose the safety of the familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, the future of his people would begin here, in this hall, beneath the glow of the heart stones that pulsed like living hearts in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll go first, husband,\" Althea said, her voice calm but resolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd fell silent the moment she spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even among the hundreds gathered, no one dared to interrupt her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ross turned to her with a faint smile tugging at his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He descended from the platform, the faint ripple of his power making the air hum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his hand was a heart stone—a bloody crystal so pure that its light seemed to pulse in rhythm with his heartbeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He handed it to her gently, his fingers brushing hers for a brief moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that she needed it, of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nobody but Ross knew the truth: Althea was the strongest being on the planet, second only to Ross himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her strength was already beyond comprehension, her deeds hidden and waited for the perfect timing to show themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today would be the day that everything would be revealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this demonstration wasn’t for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was for everyone else—to inspire, to unite, and to show what the heart stones could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strongest woman alive was willing to take the first step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Althea smiled faintly, understanding the unspoken reason. \"Then let’s give them a good show,\" she said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, she lifted the heart stone to her lips and swallowed it whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reaction was immediate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deep hum vibrated through the air, resonating in the bones of everyone nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faint glow of the stone spread through her body, veins lighting up like threads of molten gold beneath her skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her breathing grew shallow, her expression tightening as if she were struggling to contain something immense within her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The audience leaned forward, some clutching their robes, others holding their breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the heart stone’s power was immense, to Althea it was almost nothing—a drop of water falling into an endless ocean of her already boundless energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, she played her part perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her body trembled slightly, sweat glistening on her skin as she released a soft, strained gasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... I feel strange,\" she said, her voice deliberately wavering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, she raised her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a heartbeat, nothing happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whooosh!\" Flames erupted from her palms. The crowd cried out in awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire was wild at first, licking and snapping at the air like a feral beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heat distorted the space around her, turning the air into waves of gold and crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, under Althea’s control, the chaos slowly gave way to grace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire bent to her will, swirling in perfect harmony around her figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her long hair fluttered in the heat, her violet eyes reflecting the light of her flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gasps rippled through the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She’s controlling fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Incredible! So that’s the power of the heart stone!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Her aura... it’s overwhelming!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground beneath her feet had begun to blacken and melt, yet she remained untouched, poised and calm amid her inferno.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She clenched her fists, and the flames condensed into a single orb that hovered above her palm—then vanished in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then applause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shouts of admiration erupted, and the tension that had gripped the crowd gave way to exhilaration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Althea gave a graceful nod toward her husband and stepped aside, her expression soft but proud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ross met her gaze, a faint smirk playing on his lips. He didn’t need to say a word—she had played her role perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m next, Ross!\" a young man suddenly shouted, unable to contain his excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice broke the lingering stillness as dozens of others immediately followed suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Me too!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me try!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want to know what kind of power I’ll get!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They surged forward, faces bright with anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of them were trembling, others grinning like children before a festival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought that they could awaken power like Althea’s filled them with wild hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ross’s eyes swept over the crowd. The corner of his lips curved upward in quiet satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demonstration had gone exactly as planned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>High above, the ceiling shimmered faintly with the lingering heat of Althea’s flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scent of ozone and smoke hung in the air, mixing with the collective excitement of hundreds of hearts beating in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The age of ordinary men was over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the era of the heart stones had just begun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two hours later, the great hall of Ross’s stronghold had transformed into a place of dazzling chaos and wonder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearly every adult had now taken a heart stone, and the air itself shimmered with power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beams of light streaked through the ceiling as ordinary people tested their newfound abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laughter, shouts, and bursts of energy filled every corner of the immense chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Ross’s undead guards—stoic and expressionless as ever—had stepped forward to receive theirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brandon too had followed suit, though both he and the guards knew it was merely for show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their loyalty and strength were already absolute, gifts that Ross had bestowed long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, the symbolism mattered and everyone had to act in a play.\u003C\u002Fp>",1008,"2026-06-09T06:19:05.005Z",1,"novelbin.me","4d870c7a06510dbd7f0705f25eb62fe2b71e5b7d7e973f0bc3ec62be9e2053ca","evil-mc-s-ntr-harem-chapter-1030","evil-mc-s-ntr-harem-chapter-1028",1212,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fevil-mc-s-ntr-harem-cover.jpg"]