Vaudevillain - VV4, 53 - Winding Down

Can't a man maintain his dignity while preparing for the end of the world? Is that too much to ask?

The Tower was all I knew... all any of us knew, and just like that, it was gone. Monsters the likes of which I'd never seen ravaged the land of my ancestors. They burst through the outer walls and stormed the city. No one could have been ready for that. But now... Now I have a second chance.

After the collapse of the known world, I woke up to find myself on the First Floor of the Tower. I was young and healthy, 18 again, and sitting in the same classroom that marked the worst days of my life. Confused and excited, I accepted this gift, deciding to use my vast knowledge of the future to climb the Tower in preparation for the end of the world.

Maybe I'll help some folks along the way? Who knows. Survival comes first.

The clock is ticking, and I'm left with only a century to build a Deck powerful enough to survive the end. Things to do... What's first? I need Essence, and I need power. I'll have to climb the Tower to acquire both of these. Some of the zealots will try to stop me, need to look out for those. What if-

“Hey, kid! Hand over the pouch or-”

Stab

Sorry, where was I? Ah... there's a spot of blood on my suit. What a lousy morning.

In this world of blood and fantasy, century-old Rowan Wilder has to not only survive, but thrive as he powers his way to the top of the Tower. The Demonic Plague that has twisted the creatures on the upper Floors is the least of his worries. Cane in hand and Summons by his side, he'll have to tear his way through the monsters, as well as the humans who want to stop his ascent. Of course, he can maintain a sense of decorum while he faces these trials, right?

“I got transmigrated into a novel because of a bad review?”

Eren found his life turned upside down when he woke up as the character that he had just finished cursing in a negative review!

Not only had he been reborn as an antagonist that he hated, but he was an Elder at a Devilish Sect?

It would've been fine if that was the only problem, but that was just the beginning as he remembered that the Character was a spy sent into the Devil Sect by the Mythical Hero Academy... A character that died within the first fifty chapters?!

25-year-old Albion lived an unimpressive parasitic life of a NEET and otaku, leeching off his loving parent's allowances to enjoy watching animes, reading manga and novels at home.When faced with the cruel reality of contracting cancer through smoking, he selfishly ran away from home and sacrificed his life on a strange day of drastic changes.'Since I'm going to die anyway, let me save another life in exchange.'Those were his thoughts before shoving a person out of harm's way and getting struck by a truck.'If I could get a second chance, I want to live a fulfilling life and not waste it like this.'However, Albion's new life resolution was quickly challenged by a stroke of divine providence.“What? I'm not dead yet? Holy cow, I transmigrated into the body of a notorious hidden boss who controls half the world's wealth in an alternate universe after he failed his heavenly tribulation? I never have to worry about money? I can live forever? Lucky me!”Albion thought he had shot to the peak of life, but he could not be more wrong. The immortal body was too strong for a mortal soul like him to control. He can only move for 5 minutes a day!He became immobile and paralyzed for the rest of the time! The Four Horsemen of the Dark Emperor thought he was crippled and turned on him! They couldn't kill him physically due to his invincible body so they dropped him to the bottom of the ocean to drown!His body was immortal. He could not die.Thus, he lived the following life in the dark depths of the ocean before being swallowed into the stomach of a giant sea serpent!Before he could enjoy his new life, he had sunk to the lowest point of his life, literally!However, the world rapidly changed after the notorious True Immortal disappeared for two years! The Apocalypse arrived, and so too, the System!Ding![You have slain a Lv.1 ancient sea serpent. 100 EXP has been gained.][You have leveled up.][You have become a Lv.2 Hunter.][Title acquired: Hunter.]Albion: ???“Did the sea serpent get food poisoning and died from eating me or something?” Albion wondered in the pit of the sea serpent's stomach.[System calibration complete. Goldfinger has been activated.]“Never mind, my time has come! With the system in hand, I will take back everything and rule the w–wait, what? This body's cultivation needs to be sealed in order for me to move freely without impairments?”“Sigh, forget it, ruling the world is too hard. I'm a wanted man anyway. Let's just hide somewhere, watch my animes, and reading my manga and novels…”Albion was nerfed harder than the Big Bang at the beginning of time. However, what's his, will still be his.“Until my soul becomes strong enough to fully wield this power, I'll just treat it as a 5-minute Super Saiyan mode I can enjoy once a day…”He was not the Dark Emperor, but the Dark Emperor was now him. The Four Horsemen that turned on him, their day of retribution will come!Little did Albion know, the world had more things in store for him than his quest for vengeance. The dimensional rifts that appeared everywhere and the interdimensional creatures that spilled forth from there are actually…!Find out on the next episode of drag–Ahem, to be continued.

Set on a giant, almost finished bridge between Sadogashima and Niigata. Abandoned by the government, the bridge, and the giant man-made floating island at the center, has become a city of criminals and societal drop-outs.

Set in the same world as Durarara, but 15-20 years later. There is almost no overlap between Etsusa Bridge and the other novels.