The Grandmaster Strategist - Volume 5, Chapter 7: Dark Clouds Gather

In a world where might was magic, it was a crime to be a noble and magicless. And for this crime, the punishment was death.I grew up frail, bullied by my older siblings, but I thought I could finally turn things around on my sixteenth birthday, when as a noble I was supposed to awaken my magical abilities. The awakening orb, however, turned grey—and condemned me a dud.My father, a duke, could not believe he had fathered such a pathetic specimen. Calling me cursed, he ordered my death and had me thrown into a raging river.I hit the water hard. For a moment I lost consciousness, certain I would never wake again.But some time later, I opened my eyes to the agony of drowning, my body battered by the current. In front of me floated a curious blue sheet of light.[Base Trait: Deathless Acquired][Condition met: You have experienced death.][You can sustain injury, drowning, burning, poisoning, and all forms of bodily destruction—but you will not die. Pain and damage will persist until fully healed.]Thus began my journey—gaining outrageous traits from the suffering that seemed determined to follow me wherever I went.

Since a young age, Su Qing already knew she was adopted and that her adopted parents didn’t like her. Hence, she learned to be independent as a child and became quite aloof. Aside from being slightly warmer toward her grandmother who she had lived with, she was indifferent to everyone else. Fearful that Su Qing’s mental health might be affected after her grandmother’s death, the doctors helped Su Qing find her biological parents and threatened them into taking Su Qing back.

However, once Su Qing returned to Su Manor, she was immediately cornered by her five older brothers, all warning her not to get too close to them! Su Qing, who held no expectations for the Su family, chose to ignore them. To everyone’s surprise, after a certain period of time, these five brothers seemed to have changed and kept hounding Su Qing.

Big Brother: This luxury mansion is for you. Do you like it? Second Brother: I heard you like sports cars. I just acquired this company, so just tell them what kind of sports car you like and they’ll make it for you. Third Brother: There’s a hundred million yuan in this card. Just ask me for more if this isn’t enough. Fourth Brother, carrying his laptop: I have scandals on everyone. You can see them all! Popular hunk Fifth Brother: I’ll scold whoever bullies you with my main social media account! When a man, who was kicked under the bed the first time they met, appeared at Su Manor’s door, asking Su Qing to proceed with their marriage as promised, all five brothers flew into a rage. “Scram! She’s our sister!” The man said, “Excuse me, she’s my wife.”

“With your own strength, prove the worth of your species.”

Kim Taejong once believed that death was the only true end—a final mercy.He was once a rising star in the game Rise of Legacy, hailed as the prodigy who would one day dominate esports.But at the peak of his career, a hand injury ruined everythingThe championship title he had spent his entire life chasing slipped away.Taejong blamed himself. The pain, the regret, the endless cycle of what-ifs—it was unbearable.So when an accident took his life, it felt like mercy.But death wasn’t the end.Taejong woke up in the body of Seunghoon—an unknown and struggling player who was desperately chasing the dream Taejong once had.But Seunghoon had neither the talent nor the skills. Just desperation and a working computer.