Ancient Godly Monarch - Chapter 13: Showy Display

For as long as he could remember, life had always been cruel.A young man in his early twenties—his name now lost to the past—was dealt a life filled with misfortunes.A cold, empty apartment, a soul-crushing job, and, finally, a terminal diagnosis.With nothing left to live for, his only comfort had been escaping into the fictional world of Path of the Elemental Sage, a story of heroes, magic, and survival.But fate had other plans.When death finally came for him, he didn’t fade into nothingness.Instead, he awoke in the world he had only read about—a world of chaos and danger where death lurked around every corner.The air smelled of magic, the sky was filled with possibilities.{«[Status Window]»}[Name: Lyrium Blackwood][Age: 16][Rank: D-][Skills: None][Elements: None}At first, confusion filled his mind.Who was Lyrium Blackwood?Why was he here?And why did this body feel so different?But as his memories returned, so did the realization: this wasn’t some blessing or second chance.He wasn’t reincarnated as the protagonist.No destined savior.No cheat abilities.No grand fate.He was just another mob, a face in the crowd meant to exist and die without leaving a mark.But this young man—the one who had left his old name and life behind—wasn’t the kind of person to roll over and accept his fate.“This world is dangerous. The protagonist isn’t the only one fighting for survival here,”he muttered, his red eyes deep and sharp.Unlike the naïve characters in the story, he knew the stakes.He’d read the web novel.He’d seen the carnage, the betrayals, the disasters that wiped out entire cities.And if there was one thing he refused to be, it was a pawn in someone else’s game.“I don’t care about glory. I don’t care about saving the world. All I care about is surviving—no matter what it takes.”Lyrium Blackwood wasn’t planning to live quietly or avoid danger.The only way to survive in this brutal world was to rise to the top.To be strong enough to stand above both heroes and villains.Using his knowledge of the story’s events and his iron will, Lyrium sets out on a relentless path to surpass the protagonist.Whether through clever manipulation, brutal training, or sheer desperation, he’ll climb higher and higher, leaving nothing to chance.But the deeper he gets, the more he realizes that this isn’t just the story he once read.As fate pushes him closer to the heart of the narrative, Lyrium begins to suspect that his reincarnation wasn’t an accident—and the world itself might be watching him.“I don’t care who or what stands in my way. If the story wants to kill me, I’ll rewrite the ending myself.”----------------------------------I apologize for any mistakes in this story, as it’s my first attempt at writing a novel.

The overbearing top-notch beauty CEO wife turned out to be the terrifying and formidable War King!!A voice rose in Wu Jie's mind.Ding![Host becomes familiar with the system rules, sparking the first task: Earn a hundred thousand energy points within a week][Task Reward: One hundred thousand bonus points, unlocking the shop, one lottery draw][Failure Punishment: Clear all the host's bank savings]...“Damn it, I'm going all in!”“If I win, I'll get the beauties; if I lose, I'll work my hands to the bone! What's there to be afraid of with such a small task? I'll take it!!”

# scumtorturing # rebirthShe was a daughter of the general’s family and a gentle woman. She fell for Prince Ding and offered to be his wife. After supporting him for six years, she became his empress.After risking being a hostage in a foreign country, she returned five years later to find that she no longer had a place in his imperial harem. Lying in his arms, the new consort said with a sneer, “Sis, now that the country is stable, it’s time for you to die.”Her daughter died a tragic death and her son was removed as crown prince. The Shen family had been loyal, but they ended up being slaughtered.Shen Miao never thought that their marriage and mutual support all this while would end up being just an act Prince Ding put on! Prince Ding said, “On account that you’ve been with me for twenty years, I’ll allow you to die with your entire body intact. Now you may thank me and hang yourself to death.”Before she hung herself, Shen Miao made a resentful oath, “When I perish, I will haunt you day and night!”She was reborn as her fourteen year old self when the tragedies had yet to occur and her family was still intact. She was still the delicate and elegant daughter of a general’s family.Her relatives were evil, her cousin sisters were vicious and ruthless, and her aunties were eyeing her possessions. She had to protect her family, take revenge, and get back what belonged to her. In this life, she would be the last one standing!However, the Xie family’s young marquis, an unruly youth, pushed her up against the wall and said arrogantly, “Remember, the world belongs to you, and you belong to me!”The thirteen cities of You State… belong to you.The city of Dingyuan in Mobei… belongs to you.Yuzhou by the Yangtze River, the East Sea of Dingxi, the Green Lake of Lin’an, and Luoyang City… they all belong to you.If they all belong to me, what will you take, Xie Jingxing?Hmm… you.At first, he said impassively, “There has always been a clear distinction between the Shen and Xie family. For the Shen family’s daughter to suddenly show us goodwill, she must have ill intentions!”Then, he said calmly, “We're all on the same boat. Shen Miao, behave yourself. Who would have the audacity to force you into a marriage while I’m around?”After that, he said proudly, “Overthrowing an empire isn’t that hard. My dear, how shall we divide this great piece of land?”Finally, he waved his hand domineeringly. “Sweetheart, dividing them is too much work. Forget it! They’re all yours, and you are mine!”Shen Miao yelled, “Get out!”A domineering empress who was reborn and a young delinquent marquis. Both leads are righteous and they dote on each other.

Ahn Seung-hyun, a college student who lived hiding his identity as a gay man. While on his way to meet an acquaintance he met through a gay dating app, he discovers that the acquaintance is a college classmate trying to out him.He tries to run away but gets into a traffic accident. Just when he thought he had died, he finds himself possessing ‘Han Seung-hyun’, the villainous character from the novel he was reading, and continues living that life.However, there’s a problem: ‘Han Seung-hyun’ is someone who has been given a life sentence with a time limit.Feeling wronged for a moment, Seung-hyun thinks, ‘Since I’m dead anyway, can’t I fulfill my dream of being a rich unemployed person for a little while?’ and resolves to do everything he wanted to do with his remaining life.Can’t he have s*x at least once before he dies? With that thought, Seung-hyun boldly goes to a gay bar to find a one-night stand partner, but ends up getting involved with the one person he absolutely shouldn’t have.“Ju-, Ju-, Ju Jae-young-ssi.”“Yes. I am Ju Jae-young.”What will happen to Seung-hyun’s terminal life after spending a night with Ju Jae-young, the sub-male lead in the novel who dislikes Seung-hyun?