Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation - Chapter 99 - 94: Ling Qiyue: As If I’d Believe You

2029 was supposed to be the year humanity moved forward.Instead, a failed military experiment tore open a gate to another dimension unleashing creatures that could shatter mountains with a single strike.From the wreckage, a new era began. Technology forged from energy crystals found beyond the gate and soldiers wielding beast infusions fuels humanity’s last defenses.Soldiers, mercenaries, and the desperate are sent to hunt the beasts... and one day, to face the terror that waits Beyond the Crimson Gate.But every step closer to the gate brings one truth into focus. What waits on the other side may not be killable.

How would you react to waking up in a completely new body—one pulled straight from a game you used to play?That’s the unexpected reality our protagonist, Licht, now faces.Trapped in the body of a character he once defeated and killed, Licht inherits not just the appearance, but the karma of the original. Branded a villain, he’s burdened with the consequences of sins he never committed.As a first-act antagonist in the eyes of the world, his fate is already written: to be exposed, condemned, and destroyed.But Licht refuses to accept that. He chooses to fight. To survive.Karma of the past be damned.Yet the deeper he falls into this world, the clearer it becomes—this is no game. It's darker, more twisted, and far less forgiving than anything he’s ever known.This isn’t a hero’s journey.This isn’t a warrior’s rise.This is a villain’s survival.

The end of the world comes suddenly, and when most people turn into zombies, order and morality collapses completely. Our Protagonist is determined to stay alive.But he isn’t completely alone. He has a special pet; a Thousand-Legged Blood Centipede, a powerful creature that gets stronger with every battle.As he fights through the chaos, the centipede transforms into a Six-Winged Blood Centipede, then into an Eight-Winged Golden Centipede, and finally into a Ten-Winged Divine Centipede. Together, they become a powerful team that can change the future, even in the darkest times.The protagonist isn’t a hero; He kills zombies and keeps some in captivity.He saves people, protects people, and draws human blood to feed zombies.As the remaining people fight over what little they have, the idea of right and wrong is forgotten. He walks a thin line between being a hero and a villain, doing whatever it takes to survive.

The Coinbound System lets him buy spells, skills, and stat boosts like a magical vending machine...But nothing comes free.Every fireball costs gold.Every body enhancement? Taxed.Even getting a suggestion comes with a convenience fee.While nobles train for years to master a single flame spell, he can just buy it off the System. From summoning spirit beasts to crafting forbidden runes, his power grows with every coin he scrapes together… and every unnecessary expense he dodges.But in a world where magic is passed down through noble bloodlines and ancient family grimoires, a broke outsider with a price tag on every spell has no business rising through the ranks.Still, he’s surviving. Thriving, even.So long as he tracks every copper and refuses to overspend on fireballs, he just might make it out alive.They call him cheap.They call him stingy.But one day… they’ll all remember the name:The Frugal Mage.