MTL - The Sweet Stepmother and Her Cute Cubs - Chapter 119

“Here you go, this is your wage for the week.”After passing over a small pouch, the woman with her legs crossed behind the desk casually made a 'Check' in a notebook and then, without looking up, waved her hand to dismiss him and said:“Remember to file your taxes... Next!”“Wait a minute!”After pouring out the coins from the pouch and looking at the eight large and one small, totaling nine filthy coins in his palm, Leon couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock, almost wanting to pounce on her and fight to the death right there and then.“Damn it! I just repelled the evil god who was trying to erode the world this Tuesday! You bastard even wants to deduct the salary of the savior?”

I will not die. Not for someone else.

...

For as long as Kairos could remember, he experienced things twice. Originally, Kairos believed that was completely normal. However, as he grew up, he realized that it was not nearly that simple.

Kairos would experience things one second before they happened. At first, he used it to avoid stubbing his toe or having a plate fall on his head. But as he got older, he realized that being too different from other people was essentially a sin.

And so, Kairos quickly covered his ability up and pretended to be a loner. He let himself get shoved around even when he knew he could avoid it, just to blend in with the crowd.

However, things weren't just left at that.

Along with his strange ability, Kairos always had dreams.

Dreams of a rising red sun.

At first, they were infrequent and more confusing than anything else. But as time went on, he had this same dream more frequently.

And it also became more terrifying.

Kairos would wake up in a cold sweat, not truly understanding why he was so afraid. That is, until one day.

When the red sun rose.

And the apocalypse descended.

……………………………………………………………

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I was on my way home with my friend when suddenly, I spotted a catgirl cosplayer who made my heart skip a beat.But something felt off—I couldn’t recall seeing her in any anime, manga, or games I had ever come across. Confused, I asked my friend standing next to me.To my shock, his response sent chills down my spine:“Huh? What catgirl? What are you talking about?”Suddenly, a truck came barreling toward the girl. Without thinking, I rushed to save her. In the end, both of us were hit by the truck.Now, I find myself reincarnated in another world—in the body of the very catgirl I had seen.But... who is this girl?How is she related to the dungeons that keep popping up in this new world?

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.