Black Iron Magician - Chapter 538: Philosopher’s Blood

“They said the world would fall without me.”“They said I was the strongest.”“Then they buried me with honors... and a blade behind my back.”Remiel St. Clair, humanity’s strongest exalt, prince of a once glorious empire, was betrayed and buried.Nine centuries later, he awakens in the body of Lucien Callastre, the second prince of a kingdom descended from his own treacherous bloodline.Stripped of powers, but not of pride, he must rebuild his lost strength and rise to power yet again to fend off the ever-growing threats of the spirits.The maw is growing.The spirits are returning.But so is he.And this time, the Exalted Prince is not dying quietly.

The Great Yan Empire exists in a world where respect can only be earned through strength. Within this Great Yan Empire, the four great clans have always stood above the rest. Among them, a particular incident in the Lin Clan resulted in the banishment of a certain individual who went on to start his own family, in hopes of one day being recognized again by the Lin Clan, and rejoining them…

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.

Kai is a broke streamer with nothing left to lose, except his dying sister.When Ascension Online, the most realistic VR game ever created, launches, he dives in to survive. Views mean money. Money means treatment. Treatment means hope.But during his very first broadcast, something impossible happens.A system awakens.Not part of the game.Not part of the code.A system that rewards influence, impact… and domination.> [Milestone Achieved: First Viral Stream][Reward Granted: SSS-Ranked Skill]The stronger his legend grows online, the stronger he becomes in-game.Then the changes begin to follow him offline.And Kai realizes the terrifying truth,Ascension Online was never just a game.It was a selection.