The Novel's Extra - Chapter 35. Exam Period (3)

The Empire's forces retreated in desperation—trampled by faceless horrors bringing darkness and death to these once beautiful lands.Only the most courageous stood in defiance, forming a last defence to buy the people time to flee—fighting until the final embers of hope burned out.A man stands with a silver sword, like a beacon of hope to those around him. He roared with all his might drawing his blade against the overwhelming enemy!“You face Lancelot, Sword of the Empire! ”These horrors tested the Lord's grit and loyalty in the final moments.“Should my blade break, I will use my body!”The knights had fallen, broken swords for their tombstones, and lords fled, betraying the Empire to survive.“If my body breaks, I'll use my Soul!”Lancelot, the sword of the Empire, fought alone.All hope seemed lost.“And if my Soul fails...”What could a single man and his army do?He fights against the dark tide, blade in hand, heart on sleeve.“I will sell myself to the devil for revenge!”But he was too weak, too fragile.The last Lord of humanity stood against the enemy.Lancelot was a master of the sword, a mortal, neither a God nor a Saint.Miracles were beyond his reach.Now only a broken man impaled on his own destroyed throne.His blade shattered—now, like rose petals, it was scattered across the charred ground.Lancelot's soul was fated for the abyss as the light faded from his eyes.His last ounce of resistance used staring at the man who betrayed the Empire.Now with only the desire to kill, crush and seek revenge smouldering inside him.Now unwilling to die and desperate to fight once again.He desired to fight for the people who supported him.Lancelot refused to surrender, to fall like this.As quietly in the abyss, a voice whispered to him.It tried to entice the Lord, ignite his desire to win and fight again.“If given a second chance, to relive your life with a different choice... Would you Accept?”Blood gathered in his throat, forcing him to reply in his mind.A frail and broken voice'There is no reason to ask, of course!'“No matter the cost?”'Even if I were to lose everything...''If my people can live on. I would sacrifice everything I have!'“You will no longer be the same, a monster, twisted and vicious.”“Will you still accept?”The Lord's heart ached, taking great pride in his humanity.To lose that caused his mind to falter.Finally, out of power, unable to speak or reply with a trembling arm.Lancelot reached out.Towards the raspy voice.Towards the abyss.Towards a new future.[So you would accept after all...]'I must accept.''I must stand tall.''I must not break.''Because...''I am the Lord of humanity![Nay, you are the king of demons]

Ye Bai was cryogenically frozen ten thousand years ago, and upon awakening, she found that Earth had entered the interstellar era.As an ancient human, merely surviving required exorbitant costs to filter out various viruses and radiation.At her wit’s end, she looked up and saw a massive game advertisement spanning half the sky—In her time, Ye Bai had been a renowned game developer.The ad displayed her unreleased game, *Boundless Realms*, which she had created before being frozen.Three years ago, *Boundless Realms* burst onto the scene, causing a massive stir across the universe.This was because the game could actually enhance players’ real-world mental and physical abilities, leading interstellar scholars to believe it might hold secrets of a higher civilization.However, the game was notoriously difficult. Despite investing immense effort, players couldn’t even complete their first class advancement.That is, until Ye Bai decided to enter the game to monetize her insider knowledge…Not long after, interstellar players received an unprecedented server-wide announcement, the first in the game’s three-year history:【Congratulations to the Milky Way Region’s Earth player ‘Baiye’ for becoming the first Lord in the game!】The entire universe was in an uproar!Who was this reclusive Earth-based expert? How did they unlock the method to become a Lord? After all, players had been wandering and adventuring for three years, only to be labeled as drifters by NPCs!Meanwhile, Ye Bai: “…Wait, was everyone in the universe playing on guest accounts before?!”

Lucy Gray was a tech genius—until a stranger smiled, pulled the trigger, and ended his life.But death wasn’t the end. It was a recruitment.Dragged before a pantheon of ancient gods, Lucy learns his soul has been drafted into the Holy War—an eternal bloodbath in which Gods fight across shattered realms. Out of thousands, he was soul #4,000, chosen by Seraphine, the Goddess of Rebirth and Suffering.Now reborn in a dying world of Ogres, Giants, Beastkin, Dragonkin, and Elves, Lucy is a human among legends—a species exiled and nearly forgotten, for reasons that make him hated.Armed with nothing but defiance, sarcasm, and a bizarre ability to steal and master the powers of others, Lucy has one job: survive the impossible.The gods wanted a pawn.They got the wrong dead man.