Surviving the Game as a Barbarian - Chapter 33

To rise from defeat; to revive amidst the dissipation.

As the vast oceans turn to dust and the thunder and lightning fade away,

That strand of spiritual mist once again approaches our great world.

With the shackles that bound our world now severed—

A whole new world of mystery and wonder awaits,

As we turn the corner…

——

The Sacred Ruins is a story set in a post-apocalyptic world. A world that has recovered to a state that is roughly equal to our own world in terms of technology and culture, although its ancient history remains largely unknown. The story begins during the post-graduation trip of our protagonist, where he discovers some ancient ruins and witnesses “the great change”, an upheaval that changed everything. The changing earth not only brought about new, unexplored landscape but also sparked the evolution of all organisms. Plants and animals started gaining sentience and some humans obtained unimaginable powers. The legends, myths, and tales of old seemed to have suddenly come to life as the earth entered a new era where beasts and men formed factions, explored new lands and ultimately struggled for supremacy.

We follow the MC as he grows from being an eccentric young man into a badass expert warrior while meeting other funny characters and forming brotherly bonds. We watch as he falls into just as much hilarious situations as he does perilous ones, all the while wondering and slowly discovering the mysteries of this world. Just why was the world destroyed in the first place? Who or what had triggered this earth-shattering “change”? What profundities lie behind the process of evolution?

- Description from Novelupdates

Humanity is caught in a great upheaval after the Intergalactic Union of All Species coincidentally discovers their existence on what they had formerly considered to be the fringe of the universe.Without any say in the matter, they get indicted into the Union as a legal member. Unfortunately, this meant that they were now obligated to partake in the exploration of a new Chaotic Realm parallel to their universe containing rich energies, resources, and essence that the universe itself craved.To that end, the universe has created its own will, which seeks to gather all races and strengthen warriors from them to explore the dangerous but lucrative Chaotic Realm, initiating the Augmented Reality simulation, Essence.In Essence, one can experience a carefully crafted universe similar to an RPG game, either by going in through your soul or going in through VR. The former means that death is true, and the latter is similar to a normal FIVR experience.Those who go in with their souls can freely receive feedback from their 'game characters' to obtain all stats, skills, and items they acquire in Essence, while those who go in with VR do not obtain that benefit.However, those who pay for it in Essence can receive an awakening of genetic talent called abilities. These abilities are graded from F to EX, a total of 10 stages.Not much is expected from the human race when the first 100 participants get chosen at random from the public - a standard protocol - only for each one of them to awaken at least an A-grade ability.Then, there was Damon Arnan, a young Ghanaian politician, who ended up awakening, not one, not two, but three EX-Grade Talents.The human race, which had just entered the galactic playground, was about to experience a storm with Damon smackdab in the middle.

Every drop of this family bloodline is stained with sin. They are the embodiment of contradiction; calm yet maniacal, with great memories yet often forgetful. They pledge themselves to their dreams yet often compromise, are angels that are also devils… It’s why I hate them. And also love them.

Nikolai gets bitten by a vampire and a werewolf on the same night. Their bites cause his hidden blood to awaken as the first hybrid. He grows stronger by devouring the blood of his enemies and lacks the weaknesses of both races.Despite this, he lives a normal life during the day. While at night, he explores a dark, hidden life, working for a spoilt princess and helping his obsessive friend. One is a vampire—the other leads a werewolf mafia group.Lost in this strange world, he finds help from Eliza, the strange pendant his mother created before she died. This helps him realise the world isn’t what he thought as he faces constant threats and danger from those who despise him.In this new world, his growth is rapid, and with endless possibilities, Nikolai fights for his life and to protect what he finds important while rising to the top.