Industrial Strength Magic - Chapter 154: desperate measures

Earth, thousands of years after the apocalypse.

Countless technologies and advances had been lost to time as the Specters, horrifying beings with terrifying powers, arrived and destroyed the world.

Over the coming thousands of years, humanity had built itself up but always died again.

Nobody remembers the past.

Nobody remembers what humanity had once accomplished.

Now, everyone is living in a world where the Specters reign supreme.

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A boy with amnesia woke up in the middle of the Dregs, the worst part of Crimson Fungus City.

The boy grows up and manages to become strong enough to pass an exam for one of the most prestigious jobs in existence, a Zephyx Extractor, someone that can harvest the powers of Specters.

Sadly, he had already gained a power from a Specter in the past, which made him ineligible for the position.

But then, a mysterious man visits him.

And his luck finally turns around.

……………………………………………………………

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VOLK SMAAAAASSH!Reincarnated with a body like a nuclear bomb, let's turn this magical world into a nuclear wasteland!As someone who loved fighting, Volk Mogger was the most miserable of them all.Born with a small frame, tiny limbs, and underdeveloped muscles, he struggled to grasp anything that was taught to him. He was relegated to merely watching others fight—whether on the internet, on television, or in real life.One day, while riding in his wheelchair, he was abducted and taken to a strange place for a radioactive experiment, which ultimately failed.However, Volk soon discovered that he had been reincarnated in a magical world as a member of an Orc horde, which was hunted by higher life forms despite merely wanting to establish a land where they could honor their traditions and build a home alongside their symbiotic partners, the Elven Witch races.Suddenly, a system screen appeared before Volk, announcing that he had acquired the power to transform into an invincible radioactive titan who yearns to be the strongest of them all.However, this transformation had a time limit, and to extend that limit, he had to win! But win what?Ding!| Beat up the Orcs thief who stole your spoil and a chance to have a wife!| Reward: Extend the radioactive time to 2 minutes.| Failure: Minus 1 minute.| Current radioactive time: 2 minutes. |

“I swear I will make them pay with everything I have. I will use my very own blood to sign the documents that will end them if I must!”To Champagne Gold, life was always like a fast-moving truck with no brakes and a drunk driver, one she couldn't avoid.At the age of five, she lost her parents in a helicopter crash. Life after that was one problem to another but she held on... until her grandfather passed away as well.With his death came the loss of her position of CEO and her hard-earned shares. As if that was not enough, she was served with divorce papers and the revelation of her husband's adultery with her cousin.Dealt with one too many blows, Champagne sought to end it all. Perhaps she could be reincarnated or whisked away to another world like the books she read before, but that was not to be. Instead, a mysterious man entered her life.“Rather than escape like a coward, I can give you the power and resources to carry out your revenge. I have but one condition―marry me.”Champagne held her lips between her teeth and took the offer.However, just when she believed her new life was going smoothly, she found out another painful secret. One more painful than any she had discovered before.She had undergone a uterus removal procedure and she didn't even know it.Now Champagne is more determined than ever to get revenge on everyone who wronged her. She would do and give everything to make them pay for taking away something so precious from her.

Elias “Grim” Kingsley, a nine-year-old orphan with a hardened heart and sharp tongue, dies alone from pneumonia in an overcrowded orphanage. Known for his perpetual scowl and biting remarks, he's labeled a “problem child” by caretakers and “damaged goods” by potential adopters. Years of rejection have built thick armor around his young heart.In death, he encounters the God of Balance who offers him a second chance at life in a different world—this time as Grim Van Ambrose, son of a noble house. Balance explains that every soul deserves to know love and connection, something Elias was cruelly denied in his first life.Promised the family and belonging he never experienced, Grim begins his new life only to suffer an immediate tragedy: his mother dies moments after his birth. This cruel twist of fate reinforces his belief that loss is inevitable, leaving him with a distant father and the mysterious voice of a “Guidance Assistant” in his head.As Grim grows into his new identity, he struggles with his dual nature—the emotional scars of his past life bleeding into his present one. His difficult personality and sharp tongue remain, now paired with noble privilege and expectations. Despite his outward brashness, he carries the deep wounds of his first life and the fresh loss that welcomed him into his second.What begins as one orphan's second chance evolves into an epic journey through a world of ancient beasts, elemental magic, and deadly political intrigue. As Grim uncovers the truth about the Ambrose Clan's fall from grace and the conspiracy that framed them for treason, he faces increasingly dangerous adversaries—both human and monstrous. His quest for revenge against those who destroyed his family's legacy will challenge him to master forbidden techniques, forge unexpected alliances, and ultimately decide whether to rebuild the Ambrose Clan as it was, or transform it into something entirely new.In a realm where power determines survival and ancient secrets lurk beneath noble facades, Grim must learn that sometimes the greatest battles aren't fought with swords, but with the choices that define who we truly are.