Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance - Volume 15, Chapter 9 - Vorpal Sword

“First, a hidden marriage.”“Second, the marriage period is one year.”“Third, you are not allowed to have any feelings for me!”These were his three stipulations to her at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau.She readily agreed and adhered to them one by one.But a year later, is the man holding onto her tightly and refusing to let go still the same cold person from a year ago?“Could you let go, please? Our one-year term is up.”“Wife, the contract you signed is indefinite!”

After the ‘100-Year War’ between the Necromancers and Priests, an all-time genius who’ll shake the power structure was born. “Am I a rare case or something? Do I have talent?” A potential beyond all imagination. He obtained his father’s undead army and entered the great Necromancer school of Kizen that divided the continent. Geniuses are geniuses, even when gathered among the elites. The research community was flipped on its head by the appearance of a new case. Professors wouldn’t leave him be alone, wanting to make him study directly under them. Officials from all over the kingdom and heads of organizations fidgeted over whether to scout him. “Professor! When can I make a Lich?” “Gimme a break. How talented are you? You’re crossing the line, honestly.” A genius among geniuses had appeared.

Su Changqing reincarnated into a fantasy world, directly starting with a heavenly advantage, being born into a Great Emperor family.His father is Su's contemporary family head at the quasi-emperor peak, his mother is the sword pavilion's legitimate daughter with Great Saint cultivation, and even a steward of the Su family is a Saint King.Born into such a powerful family, Su Changqing could easily reach the peak just by doing nothing.But his father, Su Nan, was afraid that his son would become a pompous and arrogant wastrel in such an environment, so he established a Truman World for Su Changqing!In a poor family, with no way to cultivate, Su Changqing struggled through hardships and finally joined a small sect.What he didn't know was that his enlightenment teacher was actually the contemporary Confucian Immortal.The taciturn elder teaching him Sword Techniques was actually the Sword Fool famous across the continent.The irritable elder who always blew up the alchemy furnace was known as the Pill Saint.To prevent Su Changqing from being arrogant due to his talents, many famous teachers were extremely harsh, and the Divine Techniques taught were very difficult to master.But soon, these teachers were all panicking.“Sword Fool master, the Nine Yang Sword is too simple, is there any other Divine Technique?”“Pill Saint master, don't leave, I've already mastered the Yin Yang Reversal Alchemy Technique, teach me something more powerful.”“Hey hey hey, Confucian master, don't run, I've finished reading the books you asked me to...”Looking at the retreating masters, Su Changqing sighed helplessly,“A small sect is really a small sect, unreliable...”

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.