Reincarnation - The Divine Doctor and Stay-at-home Dad - Chapter 22: The Old Blackmailer

Mana Awakening. Systems. Gates. Reincarnation.Any one of them would be enough to build a story around. But Ellis’s story has them all… and more.It began with the sudden changes to his world, and how Ellis believed he was adaptive enough. That maybe, finally, he could achieve something.But with coincidences and circumstances stacked against him, in the end… he was reincarnated into a different world.What awaits him there? Will he be able to return to Earth?And more importantly, will he let the circumstances dictate the course of his life again?

In humanity’s final war against the Demon Lord, the strongest heroes fell—not by the enemy’s hand, but by their own, twisted into madness by a cruel illusion. Betrayal. Bloodshed. Despair… and then, silence.Only one person remained: Riley—the weakest warrior of them all. Powerless. Ignored. Forgotten.But he saw through the Demon Lord’s deception. The tyrant was on the brink of death—so weak even a fly could’ve finished him off.And Riley did just that, drawing every last ounce of strength to bite off the demon’s head.Victory? Not quite. A final, desperate strike from the Demon Lord pierced him from behind, killing him instantly.But fate wasn’t done with him yet.Riley awoke ten years in the past—when the online game [Apocalypse] was launched. Before demons descended. Before monsters overran the world.And this time, he wasn’t starting from nothing. He had a decade of experience—and a second chance.Even more shocking, he didn’t awaken his old D-rank Strength Boost talent. This time, he received something far more terrifying: an SSS-Rank Gluttony talent!He could now devour anything—monsters, items, talents, even traits—and gain their power.Ding![You have devoured: Iron Fang Wolf][Acquired: +4 Strength, +2 Agility, Skill: Bite (F-rank)][You have devoured: Goblin ShamanAcquired: +8 Intelligence, Skill: Mana Bolt (E-rank), Talent: Minor Spellcasting Efficiency][You have devoured: Flaming Salamander Drake][Acquired: +22 Endurance, Trait: Dragon’s Resilience, Skill: Flame Breath (C-rank)]Now, there is no demon, no god, no monster who will stand in his way. He will devour everything—and save the world.But the power of Gluttony was a double edged sword. If he wasn’t careful… he could be the one getting consumed.

Another year of enlistment season, the recruit company is a rare encounter in a hundred years, bringing together a group of unruly thorns with sky-high backgrounds!

When everyone was at a loss, Qin Yuan recommended himself to be a recruit company commander and began to build the strongest special force!

In the annual large-scale military exercise, recruit companies are allowed to participate and are responsible for simple logistics.

However, when the red side was retreating, a miraculous scene appeared on the battlefield.

The head of a reconnaissance regiment of the Blue Army: “Report! The red team cheated! Our reinforcement regiment was defeated by the enemy’s special forces, but the enemy actually made a poor excuse to call himself a recruit company!”

Brigade commander of a rocket brigade of the Blue Army: “Can’t you afford to lose? Special forces are not allowed to participate in this exercise! Your red team actually dispatched special forces?”

The Blue Army’s superior roared angrily: “It’s just nonsense! I was shot in the head with special forces in violation of the rules? You also quibble that you are a recruit company?”

Qin Yuan smiled lightly: Don’t pretend, actually… I’m bringing special forces!

- Description from novelbuddy

In the world of cultivation, countless tales follow righteous protagonists, fated heroes blessed by destiny, or those chosen by heaven to walk the path of immortality.But what of those who stand in their way?What of the villains? The so-called obstacles to the hero’s journey—do they not bleed, dream, and struggle as well?Xiao Ning was never meant to succeed.From the very beginning, the Grand Dao wove him as a stepping stone—a necessary sacrifice to elevate another. His path, like that of all designated ‘villains,’ was doomed to failure by design.But what happens when that design is defied?After death, Xiao Ning awakens—not in the cycle of reincarnation, but in the cold silence beyond it. There, he is offered the Eternal Paradox Codex—a forbidden artifact containing the hidden truths of the Grand Dao System itself.Rules. Loopholes. Vulnerabilities.Knowledge not meant for those like him.With this power, Xiao Ning is granted a single, impossible choice: accept oblivion, or step outside the Grand Dao entirely—to abandon fate, sever karma, and cultivate a path unbound by heaven or law.It is Xiao Ning’s journey, from ashes to something beyond comprehension.Not to become an Immortal among men.But something even the heavens dare not bind.If fate is a chain…Then let him forge his own path in the void beyond.Welcome to this humble tale.The cultivation world is vast and unkind.Let us begin again—on our terms.