Assassin's Chronicle - Chapter 261: Niya’s Challenge

For as long as he could remember, life had always been cruel.A young man in his early twenties—his name now lost to the past—was dealt a life filled with misfortunes.A cold, empty apartment, a soul-crushing job, and, finally, a terminal diagnosis.With nothing left to live for, his only comfort had been escaping into the fictional world of Path of the Elemental Sage, a story of heroes, magic, and survival.But fate had other plans.When death finally came for him, he didn’t fade into nothingness.Instead, he awoke in the world he had only read about—a world of chaos and danger where death lurked around every corner.The air smelled of magic, the sky was filled with possibilities.{«[Status Window]»}[Name: Lyrium Blackwood][Age: 16][Rank: D-][Skills: None][Elements: None}At first, confusion filled his mind.Who was Lyrium Blackwood?Why was he here?And why did this body feel so different?But as his memories returned, so did the realization: this wasn’t some blessing or second chance.He wasn’t reincarnated as the protagonist.No destined savior.No cheat abilities.No grand fate.He was just another mob, a face in the crowd meant to exist and die without leaving a mark.But this young man—the one who had left his old name and life behind—wasn’t the kind of person to roll over and accept his fate.“This world is dangerous. The protagonist isn’t the only one fighting for survival here,”he muttered, his red eyes deep and sharp.Unlike the naïve characters in the story, he knew the stakes.He’d read the web novel.He’d seen the carnage, the betrayals, the disasters that wiped out entire cities.And if there was one thing he refused to be, it was a pawn in someone else’s game.“I don’t care about glory. I don’t care about saving the world. All I care about is surviving—no matter what it takes.”Lyrium Blackwood wasn’t planning to live quietly or avoid danger.The only way to survive in this brutal world was to rise to the top.To be strong enough to stand above both heroes and villains.Using his knowledge of the story’s events and his iron will, Lyrium sets out on a relentless path to surpass the protagonist.Whether through clever manipulation, brutal training, or sheer desperation, he’ll climb higher and higher, leaving nothing to chance.But the deeper he gets, the more he realizes that this isn’t just the story he once read.As fate pushes him closer to the heart of the narrative, Lyrium begins to suspect that his reincarnation wasn’t an accident—and the world itself might be watching him.“I don’t care who or what stands in my way. If the story wants to kill me, I’ll rewrite the ending myself.”----------------------------------I apologize for any mistakes in this story, as it’s my first attempt at writing a novel.

Qiao Shao, who worked hard to stay up all night and study, was first in class — if you count from the bottom.

I possessed an extra character who is a villainess in a novel.

I tried to live a quiet life without getting involved with the main character.

“If you run away again, I’ll tie you up and take you to the palace.”

The second prince, who only looked at the original heroine, is obsessed with me.

“I didn’t do it for you, so don’t get me wrong.”

My self-proclaimed rival seems to have a crush on me.

“Ahh! She’s so beautiful!”

“If only I had been hit by her magic once!”

Suddenly, there is a fan club.

“Come, let us all pray reverently while looking at the picture of the noble Yerine.”

My favorite heroine became the president of the fan club.

…… Am I really the villainess?

Being a nobody from a poor district of the Federation, Nick is a sixteen year old boy just trying to find his place in the world. When he finally gets his shot to enter the Beast Domain upon turning sixteen, he jumps at the opportunity to finally make something of himself — to carve out his own future.His goal? Survive. Hunt. Earn enough money to finally support his little sister back home and bring them out of poverty.But to a naïve young boy like Nick, the world is far more sinister than it seems — leaving him no choice but to adapt or die.To a poor young man like Nick, though, there was only one choice he could make.Follow Nick as he navigates these obstacles and carves out a future for himself and his sister, all while uncovering the various mysteries that shroud his worldview in darkness.