Saving the Heartthrob Frenemy - Chapter 13: "Absolutely not."

After years of exile, Marcus is coming back home. A powerful mage with few equals, Marcus lives in a world full of monsters and powerful adepts, many of which have bad histories with him. But he has not come back to pursue vengeance or start a fight. All Marcus wants to do is reconnect with old friends, build himself a house, and maybe train a successor or two.Alas, the world didn’t stop just because Marcus went into exile, and not everyone is content to let go of old grievances. Strange things are happening in the world at large, too, hinting at a looming disaster of unknown nature. Still, where there is a will, there is a way.If nothing else, Marcus has a lot of magical power to throw at problems.+++Zenith of Sorcery is set in its own original setting and isn’t related to Mother of Learning… beyond being written by the same person, of course. This is a more classical fantasy story than my previous one, with a lower level of technology and stuff like elves and dwarves, but it has a lot of worldbuilding effort put into it and its own complex magical system. The story has significant xianxia influences, but isn’t meant to be a xianxia story.For those of you not familiar with my previous work, I write relatively slowly. I intend to publish chapters at the rate of one chapter every three or four weeks, subject to further delays as life intervenes.

Owen, an ordinary high school student at Saint Aya Academy, finds himself and his classmates mysteriously transported to a world filled with magic and bizarre creatures during a school event.

In this world, arcanergy saturates the land, and all intelligent beings can harness it.

The more adept one is at utilizing arcanergy, the more noble their race is considered.

Upon arriving on this new continent, the students from Saint Aya Academy immediately attract the attention of various powers.

They are referred to as Saints and are chosen by powerful races to be groomed as successors.

However, Owen seems to be as inconspicuous here as he was at school, with no races showing interest in him.

Even as his classmates find their places, no one extends an olive branch to Owen.

Just when everyone thinks he will be left behind, a dragon's roar echoes across the sky.

The ancient and mighty Dragon race, in an unprecedented gesture of high ceremony, has the twelve Great Dragon Elders personally welcome Owen, choosing him as the “Saint of the Dragons.”

As everyone is stunned by this dramatic turn of events, Owen hears a “ding” sound beside his ear...

[Host binding, the most powerful Prophecy System is activated!]

……………………………………………………………

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“Shit... Why did it have to be this?”I thought I had time.Time to explore this brutal, unforgiving world.Time to understand the soulsborne death game novel Echoes of Agony.But no. Fate had other plans.I woke up to a realm of madness... a cursed world where death is just another beginning.And worst of all, I woke up as an Extra that died right in the first chapter.The rules are stacked against me. The world is out to crush me.Everywhere hides an enemy, every step could be my last.How can I change it?How do I survive This Forsaken World...In a world where only one rule reign supreme“ Evolve.. ”Or you're nothing good but Dead....

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.