Steel and Mana - Chapter 381 – Winter in Avalon (1)

Untolerated by heaven, a boy was restricted by the most powerful spell.

He accidentally acquired a painting inhabited by nine souls that claimed to be immortal.

Then, the legend of a strong young man who violated heavenly principles against the course of nature began.

- Description from Novelupdates

Kim Taejong once believed that death was the only true end—a final mercy.He was once a rising star in the game Rise of Legacy, hailed as the prodigy who would one day dominate esports.But at the peak of his career, a hand injury ruined everythingThe championship title he had spent his entire life chasing slipped away.Taejong blamed himself. The pain, the regret, the endless cycle of what-ifs—it was unbearable.So when an accident took his life, it felt like mercy.But death wasn’t the end.Taejong woke up in the body of Seunghoon—an unknown and struggling player who was desperately chasing the dream Taejong once had.But Seunghoon had neither the talent nor the skills. Just desperation and a working computer.

Ever since she was a child, Ye Jiao was treated as trash in Chen Kingdom. Suffering from countless beatings and endless humiliation, Ye Jiao endured the harsh life without being able to do anything. Only a rare few cared for her and showed her warmth in this cruel world.But the Heavens didn’t give her the chance to live peacefully.It took the little things she had and pushed her over the edge into the bottomless abyss. Filled with despair and sadness, she had to hide and bide her time as a lot of people wished for her death.“I have lost everything; you can’t take anything else from me. But I will gain much from this in my path as Eon Energy Master---I’ll not give up and someday, I’ll reach the peak.”Her small hand plucked the stem of the white lily flower and gripped it tight, with determination flashing across her eyes. Trash? Her small lips curved up, tinged in mockery.Even if everyone around her wished to kill her, she would never give up.She will show them who the real trash was and become the greatest genius in the world!Even if the entire world was against her, she would not cower.She will reach the peak.

Year 2035. A groundbreaking game—“Glory Lords: Arcane War”—takes the world by storm.With cutting-edge VR immersion, players can feel the pulse of magic, the tremors of battle, and the weight of every decision. But more than just a game, it becomes the ultimate stage for global esports. Elite teams rise, billion-dollar prize pools emerge, and the entire world is swept into the frenzy.But for Ethan Parker, this isn’t just a game. It’s a gamble with fate itself.Las Vegas. Midnight. A secret high-stakes game.On the table lies the world’s only Legendary-tier artifact—the Stone of Glory.Its value? Far beyond a billion dollars. Because hidden within it is a secret—one that can rewrite the very rules of reality.Ethan bets everything. And loses.In that moment, he doesn’t just lose the artifact—he loses his future.Then, the world changes.The game and reality merge.Earth is no longer the world it once was. Society collapses, replaced by a brutal new order where a person’s rank in “Glory Lords: Arcane War” determines their status in real life.The strongest players become kings.The weakest? Slaves.And the one who won the Stone of Glory—Griffin Musk—rises to absolute power, ruling over this new world as its supreme leader.As for Ethan? Once the #1 player in the world, he loses everything—his account, his status, his freedom. Reduced to the lowest class, he suffers, tortured until his final breath.But now—he’s back.Reborn with the memories of his past life, he returns to the moment it all began.This time, he wins the gamble.This time, he won’t let the world fall into Griffin’s hands.But fate has more in store for him…When he logs into the game, he realizes something is off.Not only is he the first player in the world to own private territory, but he also acquires something unheard of—the only Legendary-tier unit in existence: the Green Dragon.And then—something even more shocking.These two Green Dragons aren’t just powerful units. They’re heroes. With growth potential and combat abilities surpassing even top-tier players, they have the power to change the course of the entire game.At that moment, Ethan knows—his path to the top has begun.But the real world isn’t done with him yet.Governments, military forces, corporate giants, secret organizations—and even Griffin himself—are now watching his every move.This time, it’s not just about revenge.This time, he’s taking control of the future.The war of heroes has only just begun…