Hard Enough - Chapter 20: Calling home and making plans

Sue Kirin was a loser. Thirty years old with no hope for advancement at his job and no redeeming features except one, Magic. For as long as he could remember Kirin had dedicated his life to practicing the Arcane. Unfortunately, when he was passing down his knowledge to his niece, she lost control of her power resulting in a backlash of vicious energy that resulted in her being sent to the hospital, her life in critical danger.

A chilling air swept across the desert as a figure in a black cloak and obsidian crown walked toward the advancing army of House Elyria.With a raise of his hand, the sun turned black, plunging the battlefield into darkness. The wind ripped away the sand, revealing an ocean of skulls, and from it, thousands of undead surged, surrounding the army.Blood spilled, and with each death, the army grew—undead rising even before their bodies hit the ground. The figure stepped onto the shoulder of a massive giant, its molten eyes burning as it crushed entire squads with a single swing.As the black sun set, only the general remained. Kneeling, he glared.“You think this will go unanswered? House Elyria is one of the strongest forces on the continent!”The figure smirked. “Your House will answer soon enough. I’ll be visiting it tonight.”With a wave, the undead surged, swallowing him whole.--After his death in an accident, Roye awakens in the midst of a dark sacrificial ritual, surrounded by hundreds of lifeless corpses inside the body of Roye Valdrin—a disowned noble, the forgotten younger brother of a ruthless villainess, and the discarded ex-fiancé of a destined heroine.Worse yet, he has transmigrated into the world of Valoria, a dark fantasy realm where humanity began reclaiming its place on the surface only eight hundred years ago, after living underground for millennia with no idea why they were forced to hide in the first place.A world where gods and ancient emperors still influence the living from their graves.A world where politics run amok.A world where evil hearts and questionable morality lurk beneath a beautiful facade.Could he even survive in such a brutal world?Core Bloodline Acquired—Special Inheritance Gained: Apostle of Death.(Rank- Unknown)Roye doesn’t know if he will survive, but he knows one thing: he’ll do whatever it takes. Messing with the plot, killing main characters—nothing is off-limits.If the world wants to destroy him, he’ll burn it down first.

Zhou Yu was ordered to enter the city and get married. Even though my wife didn't like me, my father-in-law disapproved of me, my colleagues always wanted to bully me, and the bad guys were always looking to take me down, but touch me, that's fine, touch my wife, that's not. Whoever lays a hand on her, I'll take down. I fought until the whole world bowed down, then returned to the village with my wife in glory!

In humanity’s final war against the Demon Lord, the strongest heroes fell—not by the enemy’s hand, but by their own, twisted into madness by a cruel illusion. Betrayal. Bloodshed. Despair… and then, silence.Only one person remained: Riley—the weakest warrior of them all. Powerless. Ignored. Forgotten.But he saw through the Demon Lord’s deception. The tyrant was on the brink of death—so weak even a fly could’ve finished him off.And Riley did just that, drawing every last ounce of strength to bite off the demon’s head.Victory? Not quite. A final, desperate strike from the Demon Lord pierced him from behind, killing him instantly.But fate wasn’t done with him yet.Riley awoke ten years in the past—when the online game [Apocalypse] was launched. Before demons descended. Before monsters overran the world.And this time, he wasn’t starting from nothing. He had a decade of experience—and a second chance.Even more shocking, he didn’t awaken his old D-rank Strength Boost talent. This time, he received something far more terrifying: an SSS-Rank Gluttony talent!He could now devour anything—monsters, items, talents, even traits—and gain their power.Ding![You have devoured: Iron Fang Wolf][Acquired: +4 Strength, +2 Agility, Skill: Bite (F-rank)][You have devoured: Goblin ShamanAcquired: +8 Intelligence, Skill: Mana Bolt (E-rank), Talent: Minor Spellcasting Efficiency][You have devoured: Flaming Salamander Drake][Acquired: +22 Endurance, Trait: Dragon’s Resilience, Skill: Flame Breath (C-rank)]Now, there is no demon, no god, no monster who will stand in his way. He will devour everything—and save the world.But the power of Gluttony was a double edged sword. If he wasn’t careful… he could be the one getting consumed.