Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord - Chapter 138: I Am Actually a Member of the Candlelight Church

The Fourth Shinobi World War is over. All enemies are defeated. Finally, a long peace reigned in all countries. The Seventh Hokage laid down his arms and lost all his Youth Power. One dream, the goal for which he spent his whole life, has been achieved. His path is over. Is this really the end? Could it end so easily? What if the Savior of this World turns into an arrogant and cunning ruler?Perhaps no one would ever have been able to predict such a result. On that day, everything changed ... Countries, riches and power, the most beautiful women and their young daughters - he will subdue them all! The Seventh Hokage with the strength capable of conquering the heavens chose a different path, now he will take everything for himself and pave the way to absolute world domination!

The well-off little salted fish transmigrated to a poor era, where her grandparents valued boys over girls, leading to a miserable life for their granddaughters.Fortunately, her dad, though lazy, slippery, and illogical, shamelessly relying on his parents and taking advantage of his siblings, was protective of his daughters.Her drama queen mother, who was lazy but liked to eat, often tried to coax food off of her, yet she always left a portion for her.There was also the Scholar Tyrant System that pressured her every day to strive for progress, capable of using high-tech to hunt and allowing her to eat meat!!It wasn't until her cousin from her second uncle's family changed drastically after nearly drowning that Jiang Mianmian realized she was in a reborn female protagonist novel of that era, and her family of three was destined to meet a tragic end as reprehensible relatives.However, Jiang Mianmian, who knew the plot well, was fully capable of avoiding the tragic deaths of her parents and was not afraid of the seemingly strong but actually hollow protagonist. Her only worry was the powerful ally backing the protagonist.Then she discovered that the protagonist’s powerful ally was none other than the beautiful young man her father had rescued from the icy river last month!So Jiang Mianmian was completely reassured. With this life-saving favor, the young man would definitely not side with the protagonist against her family in the future.Moreover, Dashan took the initiative and said, “Little Lamb, I’d like to court you with the intent of getting a marriage license, is that okay?”As someone obsessed with good looks, Jiang Mianmian struggled and then reluctantly refused, “No, I plan to have a son-in-law who will marry into the family.”The powerful ally didn’t hesitate, “Then I’ll be the son-in-law who marries into the family, and the children will take the Jiang surname!”Jiang Mianmian: “Let’s go, get the marriage license!”

For his sake, she was willing to abandon her career as the best actress and be his wife. With her own network, money and unscrupulous methods, she helped him rise to the top of the world. He, on the other hand, held another woman in his embrace and kicked her away with no mercy. It turned out that all he ever wanted was her rare blood type, her six-month-old child’s cord blood. It was her life… When she opened her eyes again, she returned to her 20-year-old self. Time repeated and her life rewound. In this life, she would live well.

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.