The Stonehearted Knight - Chapter 381: The pre-competition Challengers (4)

Eli Turner had perfected the art of coasting through life, gaming, lounging, and vibing with no grand ambitions beyond the next high. But his laid-back existence is upended when his laptop inexplicably transforms into a gateway to another world. What starts as a surreal escape becomes a perilous journey as Eli finds himself wielding a mysterious system that allows him to level up, fight monsters, and gain abilities beyond his wildest dreams.At first, the portal world feels like a haven, offering purpose and adventure Eli never knew he craved. Guided, or manipulated, by Azrael, a mischievous god orchestrating the game, Eli rises as one of the system's chosen players. But as the quests grow more dangerous and Azrael’s true intentions begin to surface, Eli struggles to balance the fantasy world with his life back home. His girlfriend, Sara, and his friends are left grappling with a version of Eli they hardly recognize, as the lines between his two lives blur.When the system expands to players worldwide, Eli crosses paths with others drawn into Azrael’s cosmic experiment: Yumi Tanaka, a fiercely disciplined Japanese student with a perfectionist streak, and Arjun Mehta, a charming Indian playboy with secrets of his own. Each carries their own burdens and ambitions, but all three must face the harsh truth: Azrael’s game is far more than it seems.As alliances are forged, rivalries ignite, and the stakes escalate, Eli must confront not only the dangers of the portal world but the growing rift between the person he is and the hero he’s becoming. In a game where every move is a test and every choice ripples across both worlds, the question remains: can Eli, Yumi, and Arjun uncover the truth before the system consumes them all?

He praised her, “Wifey, you are a genius!”

Roland died and transmigrated into the body of the third son of a Baron. Having reincarnated, at first he looked forward to the grace of the system or any other golden finger; alas, it seemed not everyone was lucky.In the end, he accepted that those were fantasies, whereas this was reality.Being the third son, he couldn't inherit land according to laws; however, he had a bit of warrior aptitude suitable to become a knight.Knowing that this might cause trouble in succession later, his father enrolled him in the army.Several years later, he became a 3rd-rank knight in the Beginner Stage and was going to be promoted but was injured when he tried to save the commander of his battalion.Amidst that, he received shocking news about his family's demise due to a monster tide, leaving him alone to inherit the barony.Weighing the pros and cons, he decided to escape from the risky venture and settle in a poor backwater barony village to lead a peaceful life; however...Just when he thought it was over, he awakened the Children's Blessing System.[Host's child detected, Family System activated.][Begin testing the child's aptitude.]“What, for real?”