Awakening - Chapter 42 School Festival

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.

--WSA 2025 ENTRY--Neraxis saved the people and wiped out the monsters, but instead of cheers, he faced silence and a glowing blue text:[Task Failed Successfully!][Rating Generated: SSS-Rank]“The hell does that even mean?” he muttered, finding the situation a bit strange.Before he could process, the so-called heroes—who had hidden while he fought—emerged. He waited for gratitude, only to feel a dagger pierce his back.The only girl he loved stood behind him.She betrayed him.The crowd and heroes? They were staring at him with disdain and contempt.“You...” he groaned as a spear and sword headed for him, ending his life.But instead of dying, he was sent back to the past—specifically, to the first day of the academy, year 2367, 8 years before his death.However, many things had changed. One of the most significant was the sudden appearance of a Tower, a mysterious structure that had appeared across all the continents, granting power to those brave enough to contest its challenges.“Not again... With this chance I will end you all” Neraxis vowed to himself, embarking on his path of revenge, while also trying to give his life new meaning.

Why is it “Hero” that “Savior” that? Why is it always the same happy ending? “Happy” “Good” “Perfect” endings? You know what? SCREW IT. I will give you all the worst possible ending possible? Why? Because I’m an asshole!

The 27-year-old Wei Han is a slightly fat, slightly chicken-livered, and slightly foolish, pure-hearted and besotted top, and his sweetheart who had been together with him for seven years, in the end, was stolen away by Qi ZhiFan one morning.
Deeply broken-hearted and in despair, he went overboard with binge eating, and ended up pathetically choking to death…