Before the Fall: Rise of the Apocalypse King - Chapter 45: The Billion Dollar Window

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.

Lin Bei reentered the “Second World” and awakened an SSS-grade talent, the Unlimited Buff.

[Unlimited Buff: SSS-grade. The duration of the buffs that the player has received will not expire.]

With that, Lin Bei embarked on a path of god-sealing.

When he used a health potion, his health would permanently recover by 100 points every second.

When he used the Earth Escape Technique, he permanently gained the effect of Earth Escape.

When he used the Stealth Technique, he permanently gained the ability to stealthily move around.

When he used the Speed Scroll, his speed was permanently increased by 25%.

When he used the Berserk Spell, his critical rate increased by 30%, and his critical damage increased by 100% permanently.

“Hah! With this talent, the world is mine!”

Hace 24 años, el mundo colapsó. Un virus conocido como Eclipse transformó a la humanidad en criaturas mutantes, llevando a la sociedad al borde de la extinción. Las ciudades se convirtieron en ruinas, los asentamientos luchan por sobrevivir, y la verdad sobre el origen de la infección se ha perdido en el tiempo.En este mundo roto, Kai, un viajero solitario y mercenario de intercambio, sobrevive negociando Obsidianos, la única moneda de valor en la nueva era. Su vida cambia cuando cruza caminos con Lía, una misteriosa joven perseguida por mercenarios. Su única posesión es un antiguo colgante de Obsidiano, cuyo secreto podría cambiar el destino del mundo.Juntos, se ven envueltos en una conspiración que los lleva hasta el Laberinto Ancestral, un lugar prohibido que esconde la verdad sobre el Eclipse. Perseguidos por un ejército liderado por el despiadado Voss, enfrentándose a infectados más allá de la comprensión humana y descubriendo que su pasado está conectado al desastre, Kai y Lía deberán decidir si la verdad merece ser revelada… o si es mejor que permanezca enterrada.Cuando la última puerta del Laberinto se abre y los ecos del pasado despiertan, solo una pregunta queda en el aire:¿Es el Eclipse el fin de la humanidad… o su evolución?

As Orson read the novel written by the girlfriend who had left him, he gently remarked on how terrible the story was. But then, noticing a foul smell coming from the kitchen, he went to investigate. He realized there was some kind of gas leak. Already furious about being dumped, Orson became even angrier at the state of his kitchen, and in his rage, he hit the light switch with a powerful punch. Naturally, the explosion that followed killed him instantly, and Orson passed into the afterlife.After spending some time in limbo, he found himself reincarnated in an unfamiliar world. However, he quickly realized he had been reborn inside the cliché-filled novel written by his ex-girlfriend. As if that wasn’t enough, he had ended up in the body of Neonidas, a useless duke who was also the fiancé of the story's villainess.____There may be a bit too much swearing and slang in the first chapters, but it gets less afterwards.There will be no yuri, bl or ntr in Neonidas(MC) harem