A Record of Ash & Ruin: The Grieving Lands - Chapter 21Book 1: : A Change of Circumstance

This story is about the romance that blossomed between a beautiful princess and several courtiers, told through the various positions they experienced together.

-- WSA 2025 Entry --“Five… Four… Three… Two… One…”As the countdown towards the new year went on to the last second, Miles looked up to the sky, just as everybody else did.In the middle of the crowded street, Miles for once felt like he belonged. Being a teenage gamer, living with his parents, and trying to build a life as a streamer, he did not feel like leaving his room every day.But there, in the middle of that crowded street, with everyone around him paying attention to the sky, the countdown on the digital billboard, and mostly anything else but him., Miles felt like a ghost.A welcomed ghost, but a ghost, after all.With a smile on his unseen face, he looked up as the countdown reached one, and everybody sang in unison.‘HAPPY NEW YEAR!”But Miles’ eyes widened as he watched in utter horror, and curiosity, even, hovering above him, a holographic screen with a few lines of text written in it.All around him, although he did not pay much attention to it, a few other people seemed to experience the same situation.[Updating home-world 39515’s version][Version 20.25 update brings a lot of fun and games with the new and improved survival mode][Do you want to convert your previous avatar to home-world 39515’s latest version?][Yes] [No]“Survival… Mode?” Miles’ lips quivered.Before he could think of anything else, though, the people around him began to scream…

Yu Linglong is the shu (born of a concubine) daughter in a general’s family. Since her mother was only a tribute dancer, her position is the lowest of the low. She used to live with her mother outside the father’s residence, and they only received some monthly money from him. He didn’t bother seeing them. But when her mother dies, she moves into the general’s residence.

The general is a very irresponsible and violent man. He doesn’t really get attached to women, just letting his lust dictate his actions. His wife is a jealous woman, who killed one of his previous concubines, because he doted on her too much. She similarly wants to get rid of Yu Linglong, in part to vent her frustrations over her husband’s cheating habits.

Because the sixth miss – the general’s legitimate daughter, was bitten by a snake, she needs detoxification. The cure was apparently getting poisoned by scorpions, to fight one poison with another. But since she’s already weak, they decided it would be better if she drank the blood of someone poisoned by scorpions instead. The general’s madam naturally decided to use Yu Linglong’s blood. During the process of getting bitten by the scorpion, the original timid Yu Linglong died of fright (and maybe poison? it’s never made clear). Then Yu Mei takes over her body.

Yu Mei is a modern woman. She was some mafia boss, so she’s very capable with fighting and overbearing attitude. She died because the man she fell in love with betrayed her and killed her. So she doesn’t trust easily afterward.

Since she took over Yu Linglong’s body, she refuses to adapt to the circumstances of a lowly illegitimate daughter, and uses her violence to fight for a peaceful life, where no one will challenge her and plot against her. Basically, she beats them up into submission. In the meantime, she acquires a tail – a very persistent prince, who only seems to stick to her harder, the colder she treats him. Did ancient men have such heavy tastes, she wonders.

- Description from Novelupdates

The protagonist of the world where Lev Razanov lived had already achieved his happy ending. Meanwhile, the world continued to move forward. Until the protagonist betrayed humanity.[You have been killed by the main character.][Hero’s System successfully installed.][Do you wish to return to the past?]Lev was given a chance to return to a time when the story of his favorite novel had just begun.Although he was destined to become an extra villain—a pawn of the pawns serving the real villain, he vowed to end the lives of anyone who had caused him suffering.[Hero’s System inherits your desire from your life on Earth—the desire to do good.]“Who said killing your enemies is an evil act?”[You gain +10 kill points.][You gain +10 heroic points.]***Additional Tags: Second Chance, Past Play a Big Role, Game Elements, Handsome Male Lead.(Third Person Limited Pov.)