The Beginning Of A Five Year Agony - Chapter 45: The Desert of Malice

A thousand years ago, the Great Calamity struck Earth. Countless rifts tore through reality, opening portals between the Demon Realm and the Human World. Overrun by monsters, humanity was on the brink of extinction. But at its darkest hour, something miraculous happened—those who died returned, awakening strange new powers that allowed them to fight back.Vale knew that story well. Maybe that's why he wasn't surprised when he heard the voice of the system speak to him.[ Congratulations! You have died. ][ Your First Trial of Death begins now. ]What truly shocked him, however, was the question burning in his mind:“Who would dare to assassinate the Second Prince of Verythmia?”

In a world ruled by mana and bloodlines, John White was born with none.Reborn from Earth into a noble family, he became the forsaken son of a duke (a bastard) bullied by siblings, ignored by servants, and banished at fifteen like trash.Two years later, he's dragged to a mana mine to be quietly killed by his brother's lackey. But fate has other plans.Deep underground, an ancient abyss-grade ring awakens. It merges with Earth’s forgotten technology with the world’s magic. Fueled by pure mana, it unlocks the Black Hole magic, granting him power never seen before.From a worthless outcast to a terrifying Void Lord, John begins crafting magical tech tools that warp reality itself. His enemies have no idea what’s coming.Will he burn his past to ashes… or rebuild the world in his own image?

Civilizations change and the era restarts.

The world returned to the age of steel and steam is full of chaos, madness, twist and evil.

Among them, a group of sorcerers called truth followers have done all their bad things.

They sacrificed to evil gods, besieged the Pope, assassinated the emperor, and even provoked the First World War…

All of this had nothing to do with the transmigrator Melon. When the world was in turmoil, he was the one who squatted aside and watched the show.

Until one day, this group of people came to him and insisted on recognizing him as the leader, and also said that he was the son of destiny. Everything they did before was because they followed his instructions…

- Description from novelbuddy

Cho Kang-hyuk, the owner of a large fitness center, woke up to find himself a young disciple at Shaolin Temple.