I Don't Want to Get Hurt, So I'll Max Out My Defense - Chapter 406: 407: Is This the Holy City?

“When the Lord Jesus comes for the second time, those who died in Christ’s name will be raised from the grave first.”

– “1 Thessalonians 4:16”

In 2019, an outbreak of zombie virus quickly swept the world within months.

Communications were interrupted, water and electricity support ceased, chemical plant leaked, nuclear power plant exploded, the world was reduced to be like hell on earth; without God, it became an era of legends and saviors, with the fire of survival instinct rekindled within mortals.

Resident Evil zombie-theme in ABO setting.

She breaks all the rules.When master thief Xavier Valentine died, he caught the attention of Calypso, the Goddess of Reincarnation who turned death into her personal gameshow. But rather than simply send him to a new life, she made an unprecedented choice:She followed him in.Now trapped in a world of magic until seven Primordial Gates are cleared, Calypso and Xavier form an unlikely alliance. He needs to level up to survive. She needs entertainment to stay sane. The prestigious Catalyst Academy needs them to stop causing chaos for five minutes.They're probably going to disappoint everyone.In a world where dungeons hold divine secrets and ancient gates lead to untold power, one thing is certain:This goddess isn't letting her favorite soul leave her alone.

Mo Chu was reborn. She opened her eyes to find herself in a world where a thousand years had passed. The docile animals and plants became very aggressive, and elemental abilities that existed only in stories and legends now appeared before her eyes! Fortunately, upon waking up, Mo Chu gained a nice-guy brother who had a sister complex. Unfortunately, she had a one-in-a-million sensitive constitution, so she couldn’t consume 99% of the available food. However, there would always be a solution. If she couldn’t eat the food of this era, couldn’t she come up with new food? And so, she made fries, grilled fish, beggar’s chicken, and various other delicacies that were not available in this future world. As a glutton, Mo Chu was satisfied with this outcome. However…

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.