Steel and Mana - Chapter 24 – Pig

I died in my world… and woke up in someone else’s story.But not as the hero. Not as the villain. Not even as a side character who mattered. I’m… an NPC—a nobody, a background observer, invisible to everyone.At first, I thought I was powerless. But then I discovered something strange: I could leave notes, whisper hints, move objects… small nudges that subtly changed the story. Every tiny action rippled through the plot, shaping outcomes, saving lives, and altering the fate of heroines, heroes, and even villains.The catch? The story is alive. It resists interference. Push too hard, and accidents happen. Plot twists turn against me. Minor disasters loom. The more I try to influence, the more the story fights back.So I play carefully. I study. I manipulate quietly. I watch the heroines, heroes, and overlooked side characters, weaving invisible threads that guide them. I don’t fight. I don’t cheat. I survive—and maybe, just maybe, I can change the story from the shadows.From an unnoticed NPC to the hidden hand behind the world, I’ll prove that even a nobody can rewrite the story.

Shenlu, a mysterious game that descended on Bluestar 20 years ago.

Only one million places are open each month.

Once you become a player, you can gain extraordinary power and become a superior person.

……

Ling Yi awakens the super mutation system.

From consumables to artifacts, they are all his mutant objects!

Once the mutation potential reaches perfection, multiple abilities comparable to golden fingers can be mutated!

Mutate the talent of lucky +1 to get the golden finger – the probability is reversed!

The original 10% probability flipped to 90%!

A 0.1% shipment rate is 99.9% for him!

Mutate the Eye of True Sight to get the Golden Finger – the Eye of True Sight!

Not only invisible units can be seen, but hidden information of items can also be seen!

In addition to these, there are “Malicious Appearances” that can turn other people’s malice into voiceovers, and “Intelligence Aura” that continuously reduces the enemy’s intelligence…

One year later.

Ling Yi, who holds honorary titles such as “The Fastest Leveling Speed ​​Holder in History”, “The First Full-Level Player”, and “The World’s Strongest Man”, reluctantly said, “Actually, when faced with an unknown number of interviews, I’m just a normal person…”

- Description from novelbuddy

Derek Carter never asked for a System, an apocalypse, or the pressure of being humanity’s so-called “last hope.”He was just trying to survive the daily struggles of being an orphan in Paleview City—dodging bullies, scraping together meals, and lying his way into school. Life was already hard enough.Then, one day, a blue screen pops into his vision:[Warning: The world is doomed. Try not to die.]Yeah, great. Just what he needed—cryptic doomsday messages and no instruction manual.Now, monsters are creeping into the city, reality is unraveling, and Damien’s “legendary” starting stats are barely above zero. The System promises him power, but there's just one tiny problem—he’s never won a fight in his life.Armed with sarcasm, questionable decision-making skills, and the sheer refusal to die, Damien is about to embark on the worst (and possibly last) adventure of his life. Because if the world really is ending… he’s at least going to make it someone else’s problem first.After all, heroes are overrated—survivors get to tell the story.

Mediocre is a common characteristic of the majority. But when someone outstanding appears beside you, your life will change because of him. That’s the principle of ‘who you mix around with is a reflection of yourself.’ The doctor in charge of the Three Flavour Hall will change everything. You can raise a campus belle, a CEO beauty…