MTL - It’s Not Easy Being a Master - Chapter 16 Ascending Order

I was the awakened on the path to become the strongest, but instead, I became the final boss of an Eroge.Pushed into the body of Eugene Hall who was but a petty villain that somehow spelled the end of the World, I had to live again in a world of demons and gods.Moreover, the main characters were all regressors who wanted me dead.Now I was stuck as a villain with heroes and villains, demons and gods all coming after my life. And even beyond them were the oncoming outer gods that wanted the world gone.And honestly? I didn't care.My path was the path to the strongest! Nothing else could come in my way!!

“H-Haru.... please... go...”In the midst of the sudden and ongoing Apocalypse, which had turned their lives into a complete hell, Haru embraced his loved one amidst the sadness and despair, watching helplessly as her bitten neck turned black.The person who meant the world to him was turning into a zombie, and he felt helpless to save her.“Why... Why... Why...” Tears fell as he held her tight, not wanting to let go. He was afraid, not of death or turning into something else, but afraid of losing her once more.Yet, amongst tears and desperation, a bit of unexpected hope appeared out for Haru.[Ting! Ting! Ting!][System has now finally initialized!!][Assigning a designated Class suited for the User!!][3][2][1][Congratulations! You acquired the EX Class – Zombie’s Husbando!!][First Quest – Choose a Zombie to be your Waifu!]

The teenager Long Ao, ten years of silence, was reduced from genius to waste, and was ridiculed and mocked.

Ten years of persistence, ten thousand failures, and finally won mysterious Dragon Seal.

With Primal Chaos Saint Body, cultivation invincible cultivation technique, refining Heaven and Earth, devouring endless stars, sweeping the wasteland! Ask the vast stars, who dares to fight me? Boundless Starry Sky, War God! …

- Description from Uukanshu

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.