Rise of the Horde - Chapter 403 -

“I was born as a princess in the most powerful lineage in the world… but that lineage is now on the verge of collapse.”In a kingdom where strength is everything, royal blood has long ceased to produce true powerhouses. Sects and clans are just waiting for our family to show weakness so they can tear us apart.But this lineage is not dead yet.He is still here.A being feared even by the strongest cultivators.The only reason this kingdom still stands.And me?If I want to survive in a world where only power matters… I must become a monster feared by all.

In old times a boy named Luis had lost his parents at a very tender age, he never even got to know who his parents were. With his parents gone he had to be taken care of by his wicked aunt who hardly fed him once a day, in effort to get food Luis was adviced to steal by a strange book without minding the punishment of burning given to thieves. When Luis was caught he ran into the forest and the villagers including his aunt chased him down with torches.

“I think it's best I surrender now” Luis stopped running and was panting now.

“I think I can see him!” he heard the village blacksmith shout.

He took a little step backwards and down a hole he went.

“Noooooo!!!” Luis screamed as he went down the hole, the last thing he saw was a red glowing light and then it was lights out for him.

“What happened?” Luis groaned. “Where am I? And why is my body so cold” he said touching his arm

A screen appeard in front of him.

[ System revived ]

“What?”

That was where the true journey began.

Now the fate of mankind lies in his hands as he keeps completing tasks and quests to get stronger.

Luis keeps getting stronger but the question is:

Will he be able to stop Lucifer?

In the land of the Xia Kingdom, every human being is born with what is known as a ‘resonance’, either to a specific element or a powerful, mythical beast. Unfortunately, Li Luo was born with an incredibly rare condition known as a blank resonance – as the name suggests, he doesn’t have one! Normally, this would be utterly crippling, but at least he has the advantage of being the young master of the mighty House Loulan, one of the five Great Houses of Xia. Unfortunately, his parents, the powerful masters of House Loulan, have gone missing for many years, and the other Great Houses are beginning to eye their holdings quite hungrily. For that matter, plenty are also eyeing his talented, beautiful childhood friend and fiancee Jiang Qing’e, who has been leading House Loulan in his parents’ stead! Li Luo would much rather keep a low profile and wants to call off the engagement – but Jiang Qing’e has flatly refused. What’s a ‘useless young master’ to do?

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.