Era of Castles: Starting with 99 Dragon Eggs - Chapter 393 - Auction House!

In a world where strength determines one’s future, William, an orphan with no extraordinary talents, faces a grim destiny—until a brutal attack leaves him clinging to life. Instead of death, he awakens to a mysterious and powerful entity lurking within his mind: the Shadow System, a game-like interface that promises him unimaginable power. But this power comes with dark secrets, and refusing it would mean his death. Forced into a pact with a voice that can hear his every thought, William must navigate a dangerous new reality where shadow abilities and celestial power collide. As he enters the prestigious military academy, his newfound abilities draw both allies and enemies, all while a deadly conspiracy brews in the shadows. With the odds stacked against him, William must unravel the mystery of the Shadow System and decide whether to embrace the darkness within—or be consumed by it. His journey from a bullied outcast to a potential god will challenge not just his survival, but his very humanity. Power always comes at a cost—will William be able to pay the price? “What am I?” William asked the system. The system’s voice echoed in his head, cold and indifferent. “You are nothing.”

A man betrayed by a comrade dies a wretched death as a third rate swordsman. His existence, his life, his emotions are all a nuisance in the eyes of society. But wait… What’s this green skin? Reincarnated as a goblin? Wait, I went back in time as well?

“If I don’t die… I swear I will act on all my evil thoughts..”

Not exactly everyone’s typical thought when they’re about to die. What will a cowardly young man do when reincarnated with the evil powers to redefine his destiny? Can the natural kindness of human nature triumph over evil? Will he become the cold-blooded demon king of legend, or will he forge his own path and rain down another kind of terror?

- Description from novelupdates

Lucius was a man born to a pair of lowly servants that worked for the Great Demon worshiping Barrom clan. Growing up in the harsh conditions of the Barrom clan where magic and power reigned supreme, he weathered though humiliation and schemes. Knowing that he wanted to be the oppressor than the oppressed, he began his conquest. Not averse to betraying or scheming, Lucius made use of his allies as mere pawns to be sacrificed.

Learning that a powerful artifact lost eons ago was hidden in an ancient ruin, Lucius betrayed and sacrificed one of his closest people, his lover without hesitation.

But he didn’t know that fate had a different plan for him and the artifact he had yearned for would send his soul hurtling across the cosmos, forcing it into the broken body of a young man called Asher Inanis. Coming to his senses he finds the world to be completely different where the magic of his previous world did not exist, but what did was ‘Gifts’.

Witness how he learns about the world, gains power and reigns supreme against all odds becoming the Demonic Sage.