Hero? Are You Worthy? - Chapter 783 - 533 Divine Punishment (First - of 4000 Words)

Karl, a young man stuck in a rough patch after losing his job and burning through almost all his savings, wandered through the cold, dark streets of Eldoria. On the damp, silent sidewalks, he stumbled upon something bizarre: an old gacha machine mysteriously appearing at every corner he turned, almost as if it was following him. Driven by a mix of curiosity and the overwhelming weirdness of the situation, Karl finally gave in and used his last bit of money on the machine. From the gacha ball, he pulled out a card with a barcode.Back in his cramped apartment, curiosity finally won over caution, and Karl scanned the barcode. To his shock, an app called “Common Sense Manipulation App” installed itself on his phone, claiming it could alter people's “common sense.”------Support Me By Gifts or Power Stones-----

Cassian Ven Dyke, the bastard son of a powerful ducal family, grew up in the slums of Veldora under the care of his father figure, sword master Russel. When Russel passed away, Cassian was left with only a silver necklace as his inheritance. After putting it on, Cassian was attacked by three psychotic thugs who tortured him in an attempt to steal the necklace. Refusing to give in, Cassian was ultimately stabbed through the heart with the very same necklace. Instead of dying, he mysteriously vanished as the necklace lodged itself in his heart. Just before disappearing, he heard an eerie message echo in his mind:[True mana detected. Origin: Human...][Human detected. Compatibility with system: Confirmed.]

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.

Every night, he prayed. To every god on Earth.“Please, transport me to a fantasy world when I wake up tomorrow.”And then one day, his prayers were answered.Just not in the way he had hoped for.