MTL - Spiritual Recovery: Gamification of Reality - Chapter 2 Twenty-two years of experience stuck

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.

Rumor has it that the empire’s first general, Shen Chengfeng, has a quirk that does not allow anyone to touch his body!

But on a certain day, not only did he touch people, but also slept with a certain person!

…

For countless generations, it is rumored that the empire’s well-known Xiao family only had sons who became generals. But the fact is, they actually have a daughter named Xiao Jing!

However, she must dress as a man to become a young soldier.

…

Anybody who will have a contact with Shen Chengfeng’s skin will die. This is the secret of the Shen family that cannot be disclosed.

Xiao Jing, however, was careless and touched the general’s body everywhere!

…

The Shen family is well aware of the fact that Shen Chengfeng’s both hands are like strong sulfuric acid. Once touched, even the bones will not be saved.

Xiao Jing, however, was not paying attention and touched him all over!

…

The Shen family understood that the body of the imperial general is special and cannot have a wife and children in this life.

However, one day, the general suddenly announced that he is going to marry a certain soldier!

In other words…

Xiao Jing didn’t have a choice but to disguise herself as a man to become a soldier. Unexpected events led her to have physical encounters with the empire’s most distinguished general, Shen Chengfeng. However, unknown to the public, this military master has a mysterious secret – anything that he touches would all turn to ash! Surprisingly, Xiao Jing was an exception!

How will our hardworking Xiao Jing keep her little secret hidden when Shen Chengfeng is constantly keeping an eye on her? And how will our formidable general react when a certain soldier is not affected by his supernatural ability?

- Description from Novelupdates

Xiao Bing, who used to be a top soldier in mercenary and came back to normal life because of the death of his best friend. He started over, played dumb and coped with difficulties. He stood on the bones of others and held beauty by his side. Finally, he succeeded and became the emperor of the city.“Brother Bing, please protect my little sister as well as my families carefully. I feel lucky to accompany you during these 6 years. It is my honor to go through fire and water with you. I’m not regretful!”I’m not regretful!Thinking of what Su Peiya had said before dying, Xiao Bing clenched his fists tightly and cried. He made a decision to protect Su Peiya’s families before finding the spy of Long Men and to make rightful claims for Su Peiya.Xiao Bing did not love Su Peiya, but he regarded her as his only best friend!He unfastened the seat belt when the plane landed safely. Looking at the urn in his hands, he sighed, “We have arrived at Jiang City. You get home now, Peiya.”

Caelen died doing what he loved most: playing survival games non-stop like a sleep-deprived goblin. Unfortunately, dying in your chair from gaming overload isn’t exactly what you’d call a dignified exit. Even God laughed at him.But lucky for Caelen, or maybe unlucky, he gets a second chance in the world of his favorite survival game. It’s a brutal fantasy realm full of monsters, magic, swords… and absolutely zero indoor plumbing.Armed with only a stone pickaxe, a limited-use “Google Brain” search skill, and the stubbornness of a man who once built a Minecraft mansion out of dirt, Caelen sets out to survive. But surviving isn’t enough he wants to upgrade the world. Electricity? Toilets? Toasted bread? Why not all three?As he fends off nighttime horrors, awkwardly crafts furniture, and tries to avoid becoming monster chow, Caelen has one mission: bring modern convenience to a medieval world, one ridiculous invention at a time.And maybe, just maybe… not die again in a chair.[System Notes:No Ntr, No Yuri(gl), No Yaoi(bl)]