Black Iron's Glory - Chapter 516 - Clash in Polyvisia (4)

Welcome to the world that has shed its old skin.

It's an age of avant-garde technologies that break common sense. Science that transcends fantasy. And yet, it has lost its charm in the face of something even more fantastical.

The presence of mana is for those who are blessed by their origins. The Rankers are the true elites of their circles.

A long lifespan is possible. Gaining superhuman powers is feasible. But what use is personal power when the entire existence of your species is on the line?

Things on Earth are much more serious than the general populace is aware of. A threat of the unknown looms over the existence of everything living and otherwise.

Humanity may soon need to leave the only place it calls home. And seek shelter somewhere else in the infinite universe.

Who would find the Oasis for humans who have never been so powerful or as helpless as they are now? Will it be the hero they asked for? Or will it be the not-a-hero they need?

What happens when that not-a-hero gains one of the most broken powers?

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I am lost and found

In the world of dreams

My serenity awaits

Amid the banshee screams!

Within mayhem, I'll find my reason

Within sorrows, my bliss

In the darkness, I'll see my light

In the desert, my oasis!

- Grayback

Qin Yi was reborn half a month’s time before the apocalypse. In this life, having already seen the true colors of her scumbag sister and father, she swore to let them have a taste of their own medicine—an eye for an eye. She disguised herself as a man and kept improving, getting stronger day by day. Common people hailed her as «Prince», making countless people bow in homage.

One day, Su Qi suddenly discovers he has a peculiar ability: he can see Easter eggs hidden in the world around him.These aren’t just bits of extra information; by performing specific actions, he can unlock hidden rewards.While everyone else is fleeing in terror from a vengeful female ghost, Su Qi is already setting the table for a candlelit dinner, chatting amiably with her.[You acquire her husband's hat, a mysterious artifact that, when thrown, locks onto enemies and delivers a devastating mental shock.]When zombies overrun the streets, and survivors scramble for axes and kitchen knives, Su Qi confidently strides in, wielding a sound system in one hand and a heavy-duty machine gun in the other, casually clearing out the neighborhood.[No one can defeat me in my BGM.]This is the Abyss—the birthplace of despair and decay, where worlds crumble under fear and madness.This is also a paradise where countless seekers pursue the footsteps of gods.Myths of the past and epics of the future are written here in grand and tragic splendor.Until Su Qi shows up.With a mop soaked in the blood of a recently stunned god, Su Qi scrawls a few bold words onto the epic tale:“The Abyssal Garden: No Room for the Idle.”

Anton is a great-grandfather. He is living quite a happy life, despite his advanced age and declining health… until a group of cultivator bandits moves into the area. The nearby guardians of the area, the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars, are unable to track them down as they continue to ravage nearby towns. During one desperate winter Anton is out on a hunt when his family- his entire village- is killed or taken as slaves by the bandits. He lacks the strength to fight them, and he wasn’t even present for their arrival to die with his loved ones. At the pit of his despair, he wonders if he ever had any chance to change things. What could he even do? He cannot even pull his best bow, and his eyesight is failing. If he had been a cultivator… perhaps there might have been a chance, but he was decades- perhaps even most of his life- too late.Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge (2022)Notes on cultivation levels:There are five general stages of cultivation, though the fifth is extremely rare. Each cultivation style might have their own name for the stages.1. Body Tempering2. Spirit Building/ occasionally System Creation (Ninety-Nine Stars)3. Constellation Formation (Ninety-Nine Stars)4. Life Transformation/Galaxy Construction (Ninety-Nine Stars)5. Ascension