Desolate Era: Hatching a Phoenix at the Beginning - Chapter 8

An unsealed condom package shattered her steadfast adherence to and fantasies about love, causing the beliefs she had clung to in her heart to collapse in an instant. Liman discovered that not only had her husband been unfaithful, he had also transferred assets and even tried to frame her to get her to leave with nothing.Facing her husband's betrayal, Liman began to seek vengeance!

The third young master of the Gu household, Gu Ye, had a wooden personality, a stuttering speech, couldn’t remember an answer after being told ten times, didn’t dare to protest after being bullied, was considered the shame of high society. His father, in a fit of anger, sent him back to the old home in the country for the new year. But unexpectedly, he came back like a new person, in half a year testing into the top university of the capital with the highest score in the whole school.

[Ding!][Your pickpocketing skill increased by 5. Reward: your PP increased by 50.]“System, use my Pop-star Points to increase my singing skill!”…[Ding!][You had won 1st place in the Californian Young Star contest. Reward: your CP increased by 400!]“System, put all these Criminal Points into my martial arts skill. Now I will crush anyone who stands in my way!” Tristan was born with everything he needed to become a star: rich parents and musical talent. However, after a car crash destroyed his handsome face and voice, everybody turned away from him.With his dreams burned, Tristan ran from home and became a small-time criminal to survive. Then, his own gang mates betrayed him, throwing him to the cops.But Tristan is saved by a sudden stroke of luck.[Congratulations, Tristan Hayes! You won the Heavenly Lottery. Your prise is ‘Second Identity System’.][Increase skills and status of one identity to obtain 10x rewards for the other one.]Mafia and showbiz may appear far removed from each other, but both are united by money and ruthlessness within.Now it’s Tristan’s time to navigate both realms to become the world’s first mafia superstar!

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.