Deviant: No Longer Human - Chapter 4: Family or group of strangers? (2)

For as long as he could remember, life had always been cruel.A young man in his early twenties—his name now lost to the past—was dealt a life filled with misfortunes.A cold, empty apartment, a soul-crushing job, and, finally, a terminal diagnosis.With nothing left to live for, his only comfort had been escaping into the fictional world of Path of the Elemental Sage, a story of heroes, magic, and survival.But fate had other plans.When death finally came for him, he didn’t fade into nothingness.Instead, he awoke in the world he had only read about—a world of chaos and danger where death lurked around every corner.The air smelled of magic, the sky was filled with possibilities.{«[Status Window]»}[Name: Lyrium Blackwood][Age: 16][Rank: D-][Skills: None][Elements: None}At first, confusion filled his mind.Who was Lyrium Blackwood?Why was he here?And why did this body feel so different?But as his memories returned, so did the realization: this wasn’t some blessing or second chance.He wasn’t reincarnated as the protagonist.No destined savior.No cheat abilities.No grand fate.He was just another mob, a face in the crowd meant to exist and die without leaving a mark.But this young man—the one who had left his old name and life behind—wasn’t the kind of person to roll over and accept his fate.“This world is dangerous. The protagonist isn’t the only one fighting for survival here,”he muttered, his red eyes deep and sharp.Unlike the naïve characters in the story, he knew the stakes.He’d read the web novel.He’d seen the carnage, the betrayals, the disasters that wiped out entire cities.And if there was one thing he refused to be, it was a pawn in someone else’s game.“I don’t care about glory. I don’t care about saving the world. All I care about is surviving—no matter what it takes.”Lyrium Blackwood wasn’t planning to live quietly or avoid danger.The only way to survive in this brutal world was to rise to the top.To be strong enough to stand above both heroes and villains.Using his knowledge of the story’s events and his iron will, Lyrium sets out on a relentless path to surpass the protagonist.Whether through clever manipulation, brutal training, or sheer desperation, he’ll climb higher and higher, leaving nothing to chance.But the deeper he gets, the more he realizes that this isn’t just the story he once read.As fate pushes him closer to the heart of the narrative, Lyrium begins to suspect that his reincarnation wasn’t an accident—and the world itself might be watching him.“I don’t care who or what stands in my way. If the story wants to kill me, I’ll rewrite the ending myself.”----------------------------------I apologize for any mistakes in this story, as it’s my first attempt at writing a novel.

Elijah unexpectedly travels back to the day when the virus broke out. Confronted with his zombified roommate and the perilous situation of the roommate's girlfriend, he decides to take action. In this post-apocalyptic world, he vows to become the strongest man and create an incredibly secure refuge.

The story begins with Elijah's rebirth as he discovers the opportunity to change the future. He becomes close companions with his roommate Bella and her husband Alexander. However, when Alexander is infected and turns into a zombie, Elijah must act decisively to protect himself and Bella.

Elijah awakens to a supernatural ability called the “Seed of Consciousness,” which allows him to control zombies, becoming his weapon for survival. He uses this power to strengthen himself continuously and seek the path of survival. However, his relationship with Bella starts to undergo subtle changes, forcing him to confront emotional challenges.

As the story unfolds, readers will immerse themselves in gripping plots and complex character relationships. Elijah's growth, struggles, and emotional development with numerous women in the post-apocalyptic world form the core of the story. It's a world full of challenges and opportunities, and Elijah's narrative is about continuous growth and overcoming oneself, showing readers the hardships of surviving in the apocalypse and the complexity of human nature.

The day a mysterious darkness enshrouded the world. It was theorized that the earth’s magnetic field had been changed, the data that corresponded to it also changed. The previous academic knowledge had been overturned, and numerous things had to be re-explored.

The science that humanity was familiar with had been disrupted, including the genes of human beings. One of the largest disasters brought by the change was that 80% of humanity transformed into zombies. After years of struggling, a few lucky survivors would evolve and awaken a power inside themselves. Chu Han was never that lucky.

While holding on against the first wave, humans weren’t the only ones getting stronger. Soon, stage 1 zombies evolved into stage 2 then 3 and so on. 10 years after the mysterious meltdown, the world of man belonged to the zombies. Humanity was nearing the of the end of the eschatology.

One day, Chu Han consciousness came back ten years before the end of the world came. He was awakened by a loud noise in a dormitory in Minqiu University. With only 1 day to prepare before the meltdown begins, he slowly begins to realised that he had undergone a rebirth. A power was awaking inside of him now despite never appearing in the hellish future. It calls itself the meltdown system.

Despite losing the monstrous strength gained through years of harsh training, this system claims to trade kills for talents. This is a story of a collapsing world, a meltdown system, and Chu Han being on stage as he travels to save those he could not save before.

- Description from Novelupdates

In the apocalypse, Bai Junjun and her arch-enemy wiped each other out fighting over resources.When she opened her eyes again, she unexpectedly found herself in ancient times.The apocalypse's big shot had turned into a refugee fleeing famine.War, famine, plague, bandits... dangers lurked everywhere.Fortunately, her Special Ability had followed her.The Wood-series Ability was incredibly useful in fleeing war and famine.Facing famine, a flick of her fingers made food grow wildly.Facing plague, by casting a Healing Technique, she became immune to all diseases.Facing bandits... as long as... as long as she aligned with the strongest Seven-Person Team, who would dare to attack?There was just one problem—the leader of the Seven-Person Team was her ex-fiancé, who was one foot in the grave. That was a bit awkward.They used each other for their mutual benefit,She provided food, and he ensured her safety.But... the ex-fiancé was a bit of a glutton, wasn't he?Until an accidental intimate encounter,Bai Junjun suddenly saw a vast Space.Wait a minute!The food that she had grown with her Special Ability... was it all in here?This guy actually had a Space!...They broke off the engagement at the height of prosperity, and they reunited amidst chaos.When both the male and female lead have changed their hearts...Two max-level bosses meet on a narrow path in ancient times, eventually joining forces in a story of internal spiraling competition.