MTL - Becoming a Saint by Leisure Reading - v4 Chapter 216 I am the lord of Dongcang City

In a distant future, the empires of mankind span the galaxy, and glorious Earth has devolved into a peripheral backwater.

In Shanjing city in the Asian region, Wang Zheng’s dreams of becoming a mech pilot are crushed when his college entrance exam genetic score turns out a pathetic twenty eight, barely above an animal.

To make things worse, people get the impression he attempted suicide after being rejected by the campus beauty.

Then the closest thing to a family he has, the old man in the book store across the road, goes missing, leaving him only a mysterious birthday present.

- Description from Novelupdates

Qiao Zhiya is a hybrid. Before he was born, his elf father wanted him to have a strong physique unique to dwarfs; his dwarf mother wanted him to have a tall body unique to elves. And then he was born, his features delicate and beautiful, his body weak and thin… his strength at the peak of the dwarfs!

Then he crossed. With his beloved little hammer, we walk along females-who-is-as-tall-as-he-is and male-who-is-a-head-taller-than-him-on-average future… blue, thin mushroom wants to go home.

Chu Rong: picked up a small dwarf who always wants to run away. Its cute, wanna drag home.

Qiao Zhiya: ??? Mama, there’s a pervert!

- Description from Novelupdates

Amakawa Haruto died before he’d the chance to reunite with his childhood friend who disappeared five years ago. Rio, a young boy living in the slums seeks revenge for his mother who was murdered in cold blood in front of him when he was only five years of age.

There exists the earth many knows of and there exists an alternate world. Two people, each with their own backgrounds and values. For odd reasons, the memories and personality of Haruto, one who should have died resurrects in Rio’s body. As the two are confused over their memories and personality fusing together, Rio (Haruto) decides to live in this new world.

Along with Haruto’s memories, Rio awakens an unknown but special power. If he’s to use it, it looks as if he can live a better life, but before that, Rio encountered a kidnapping which results in involving the two princesses of the Bertam Kingdom.

After saving the princesses, Rio is given a scholarship to attend the Royal Academy, a school for the rich and powerful. His background being a poor orphan who once lived in the slums, the school full of nobles was rather a detestable place to stay at.

Eli Turner had perfected the art of coasting through life, gaming, lounging, and vibing with no grand ambitions beyond the next high. But his laid-back existence is upended when his laptop inexplicably transforms into a gateway to another world. What starts as a surreal escape becomes a perilous journey as Eli finds himself wielding a mysterious system that allows him to level up, fight monsters, and gain abilities beyond his wildest dreams.At first, the portal world feels like a haven, offering purpose and adventure Eli never knew he craved. Guided, or manipulated, by Azrael, a mischievous god orchestrating the game, Eli rises as one of the system's chosen players. But as the quests grow more dangerous and Azrael’s true intentions begin to surface, Eli struggles to balance the fantasy world with his life back home. His girlfriend, Sara, and his friends are left grappling with a version of Eli they hardly recognize, as the lines between his two lives blur.When the system expands to players worldwide, Eli crosses paths with others drawn into Azrael’s cosmic experiment: Yumi Tanaka, a fiercely disciplined Japanese student with a perfectionist streak, and Arjun Mehta, a charming Indian playboy with secrets of his own. Each carries their own burdens and ambitions, but all three must face the harsh truth: Azrael’s game is far more than it seems.As alliances are forged, rivalries ignite, and the stakes escalate, Eli must confront not only the dangers of the portal world but the growing rift between the person he is and the hero he’s becoming. In a game where every move is a test and every choice ripples across both worlds, the question remains: can Eli, Yumi, and Arjun uncover the truth before the system consumes them all?