Soul of Searing Steel - Chapter 1013 - The Approaching Shadow

Emperor Ian Veroshion, the first noble mage, was betrayed and executed. Cursed to never be reborn, he awakens a century later as the illegitimate son of a disgraced ducal line, destined to be a hostage in a barbaric land. Stripped of his magic and his throne, he must navigate a world vastly different from the one he ruled, facing political machinations and a resurgent monster threat. But the embers of his past life still burn, and Ian will not surrender his legacy. He will reclaim his name, his magic, and perhaps, even his empire.

Ethan's head throbbed violently as he opened his eyes, his vision hazy and unfocused. A dull ringing filled his ears, drowning out his thoughts.“What’s happening…?” he thought, his mind sluggish, struggling to catch up with reality. One moment, he was asleep—or at least, he thought he was—and the next, searing pain forced him awake.His vision swam, shapes blurring together in a disorienting mess. But then, muffled noises filtered through the haze—frantic, panicked sounds. Someone was trying to scream, their voice smothered, choked by something.A cold shiver ran down his spine.As his sight gradually sharpened, Ethan's breath hitched.He was on all fours, looming over someone. A girl.Her body twisted and writhed beneath him, ropes biting into her wrists and ankles. Her mouth was gagged, muffling her cries. Her wide brown eyes, brimming with fear and fury, glared up at him.Ethan's body locked in place, his blood running cold.“What the…?” His mind reeled, thoughts slamming into each other in chaotic disarray. “What kind of bizarre dream is this?”Panic clawed at his chest. His breath came in ragged, uneven gasps as he scrambled backward, only to realize his limbs felt sluggish, uncooperative, like they didn’t belong to him.“Is this… is this some kind of twisted fantasy I never knew I had?” A sickening thought slithered through his mind, making his stomach churn.The girl's frantic squirming slowed for a moment, her gaze flickering with confusion as she took in his expression—his trembling hands, his wide, horrified eyes. But the fear returned just as quickly. She struggled harder, her body arching, her muffled screams rising in pitch.Ethan wanted to speak, to say something, anything, but before he could force out a word, a glowing blue window materialized before his eyes.His breath caught.A translucent, hovering screen?“What…?”Lines of glowing text scrolled across its surface.---[System Activated…][Host Confirmed.][Simulating Previous Data…]Ethan awakens in a mysterious world, shackled by a curse that clouds his judgment and drives him toward choices he never wished to make. Burdened by guilt and responsibility, he must navigate the fallout of his actions while unraveling the truth behind the curse—and his place in this enigmatic new reality.

Six thousand years ago, Su Changsheng traveled through the fantasy world. He practiced hard and wanted to reach the peak, but he failed to even attain sainthood and was backlashed. He was disheartened, and when he wanted to die…The system was accidentally activated.‘As long as you marry a wife and have children, and develop the family, you can continue to get rewards and resources.’Su Changsheng suddenly realized the right way to advance to the peak.[You married Gu Qingge, the Empress of Destiny, and she gave birth to your first daughter. Talent: Indestructible Body, Aptitude: Peerless in the world!] [Rewards: Indestructible Body of the First Demon of All Calamities; Emperor-level Scripture!] [You vigorously developed the family and successfully promoted it to the ancient family!] [Rewards: Ancient Clan Gift Package; Luck-Golden Dragon; Imperial Weapon from Ancient Clan] [You married the Ancient Queen…] [You married Quintuplet Goddess from the Celestial Clan…]“I can have such achievements in my life, it’s all thanks to my own efforts!”Several years later, Su Changsheng, the supreme immortal master of the heavens, revered as the Great Heavenly Emperor Changsheng, humbled himself.

After crossing over into the game world he had played before, Su Nan finds himself as a nobleman who has lost his title. At this time, the continent is still a barren wasteland of elements; powerful wizards abandoned this world a thousand years ago to explore the multiverse, becoming little more than elusive legends.Only Su Nan knows that, a thousand years later, the elements will revive, the wizards will return, and the continent is about to enter a prosperous era of magic.So, his task is quite simple: work hard to cultivate and become a wizard, surviving until the age of wizards arrives!“Resource-poor?”“There’s nothing for it; I’ll just have to synthesize everything myself.”Su Nan opens the synthesis cube. This is the story of a traveler with a player panel and a synthesis cube, leveraging a slight advantage of foresight to make a name for himself in a foreign world.