All the Dust that Falls - Chapter 42: A Pristine Oasis

“You’re the moonlight that lights up the night’s darkness~

Tang Zhou dreamed that he was cannon fodder in a novel.

Because of prejudice, he misunderstood and hurt the villain, and later was framed by his illegitimate younger brother and became impoverished.

After waking up from his dream, he looked at the innocent and harmless young villain in front of him and decided to change his own ending.

*

Fu Shen knew about his past long ago and had been plotting for many years for this reason.

He agreed to Tang Zhou’s harsh demands, pretended to be harmless, and in silence kept a low profile.

The original plan was to turn around and leave naturally after the deed was done.

But unexpectedly, after one night, this person seemed to have changed.

Peeled off the coat of indifference, there was actually a piece of small sugar cake inside.

Fu Shen was born with a sweet tooth, and after having a taste, he couldn’t let go.

- Description from Novelupdates

Kai of the Sorcerer’s Tower is one of the last mages left, barely surviving in a world ruled by creatures of the dark — where the era of mages ended, and most of the lands got contaminated with dead mana. To save his world and fulfil his master’s last wish, he put himself through a forbidden ritual, risking his soul being ripped into pieces to make his way into the past. In an era with abundant mana — an era yet to enter the Golden Era of Magic. Things go wrong, of course, as they always do, and he finds himself thousands of years before the world fell to mana contamination — in the body of a young lord, Arzan. All is not well, though, as the young lord was murdered by someone right at the cusp of a beast wave threatening the territory, while larger threats loom on the horizon. There was a lot to do for Kai to regain his former strength in this time of primitive technology, but then again, he might just be able to change that.

Crimson Vale Academy—where reputation is currency, and failure is a stain you wear on your sleeve.Behind gothic walls and spotless uniforms, students aren't just educated—they're measured, ranked, and pitted against each other in a brutal meritocracy. Privileges are earned, not given. The strong rise. The weak vanish.Enter Kairon Vale, a transfer student marked Rank D—the bottom of the bottom. No badge. Just a stitched black fang, branding him as “Obsidian”—a warning to others.In a system where points dictate your value, Obsidian-ranked students claw for every opportunity to ascend into the prestigious Golden or Platinum ranks—where comfort, power, and influence await. But for most, it’s a losing battle.Yet Kairon isn’t here to fit in, impress, or play by their rules. Cold, calculating, and impossible to read, he watches the system… and waits. Because while the academy judges worth by numbers and names—he understands something deeper:Everyone wears a mask. And every mask can be cracked.Let the games begin.