Arc of Fire - Chapter 671: The Meaning of Victory

“I can clear all your debts, but you have to substitute me in my marriage…”

When Liang Dou Kou was diagnosed with cancer, she formed a contract with Qin Zhi Ai to substitute her in the time she would be absent, including her marriage with Gu Yu Sheng.

Initially, Qin Zhi Ai suffered under the cold and harsh attitude of Gu Yu Sheng, who mistook her for Liang Dou Kou. But his heart gradually softened and he fell in love with her.

Just when he thought that he could live happily ever after with her, it is time for Qin Zhi Ai and Liang Dou Kou to revert their identities, and Qin Zhi Ai evaporated from Gu Yu Sheng’s life.

Months later, Gu Yu Sheng meets someone who possesses the gaze of Qin Zhi Ai who captured his heart…

- Description from Novelupdates

An old MMORPG called Live Dungeon. Before the service was terminated, Kyotani Tsutomu made full use of 5 notebook PCs to clear the game and was invited to a different world. And then, Tsutomu was speechless when he saw a live relay of a dungeon capture in the different world. They bulldozed through without any thought of strategy. The misfortune of getting the healer position. Tsutomu reinstated the White Mage that had always been his favorite in games and aimed to conquer the dungeon to find the key to his escape from the different world.

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.

Rael screwed up badly. One reckless gamble later, and his guild's entire emergency fund was gone. With debt collectors ready to harvest his organs, his only hope was a single, desperate gacha pull.Ding![Congratulations! Player: Quarterpounder69 has obtained the (Divine) Grade item, Eye of the Beast!][Divine Grade item obtained! All Stats +250][First Divine Grade item obtained! All Stats +100][New title unlocked! [Heavenly Attraction] (Divine)]With no other choice, he consumed the item—only to be thrown into a situation no player had ever faced before.[To ensure fairness, please select a random number. This will determine which boss monster variation you become.]'Uh, I don't fucking know? 69... hmm, maybe not...'[Confirmed.]'Wait—'[Congratulations! You've chosen the Special-Type Boss Monster Variation: The Pay-to-Win Boss.][Congratulations! You've become a Boss Monster!]Armed with broken perks like [Premium Leveling], [Premium Evolution], and [Premium Shop], Rael was thrust into the world of the VRMMORPG game he had been playing.The issue was, he went back in time, specifically, 150 days before the launch of version 1.0.