I'm Not the Mastermind - Chapter 29

There was a popular comic that captured the hearts of readers not because of its plot, but rather the bromance between the two protagonists, a crown prince and a duke. Their friendship & mutual trust led fans to ship them endlessly, with countless fanfiction stories ranging from dating to marriage or even incorporating omegaverse settings.One particular m-preg fanfic novel became extremely popular among fans, where the previously cold duke becomes pregnant.But the popularity of both the original comic and this novel caused everything to become unbalanced, until something strange happened - these works of fiction turn into real worlds that collided, creating an error that connected them together.In the world of the comic:Carlton from the fanfic world gazed up at his husband with longing eyes. “Husband...” He pouted, “Why don't you kiss me today?”Alaric from the comic world recoiled slightly and goosebumps broke out over his skin as he moved away. “Please don't come close to me...” He said tersely.Meanwhile, in another world:Alaric from the fanfic world, pulled his beloved Carlton into a warm embrace and peppered kisses on his cheeks. “Darling, are you mad at me?” Alaric asked affectionately. “It's okay, you're still cute.” He leaned down to whisper into his ear before continuing. “But don't forget to comfort all our children, they think you're mad at them.”Suddenly, seven children barged into the room and called out to their fathers. “Father, Daddy!” they exclaimed.Carlton's frozen expression spoke volumes about his state of mind as he tried to process what was happening. His murderous gaze fixed on Alaric as he muttered through gritted teeth. “Whose children do you say they are....?”

David thought he would live a normal life when he awakened the banking system at the age of 18.However, fate seemed to have something else in store for him as his life turned upside down when following the death of one of his loyal client, a shiny window popped up in front of him.[Regretfully! You lost one of your clients today. However, the Bank of Eternal Origin can never suffer a loss.Even if he died, the client will have to pay back somehow, therefore his soul was captured. You now have the following options, keep in mind that you can only choose one.1 - Extract Client's Crystallion of Life (Money Talks, Grade - Uncommon)2 - Extract Bryan's memories from his birth till his death.3 - Any item that client owned in his lifetime.4- Do Nothing, let the compound interest do its thing and decide again when the Client dies in his next life.Please note as capturing the soul and imprisoning it requires a large amount of mana because of which you only have two hours left to make a choice.]

After marrying into the Gardiner Family for two years, Florence Fuller has become the topic of casual conversation among the wealthy ladies.“I heard that on the day of the two families' wedding, the young master of the Gardiner Family actually took another woman abroad.”“Yes, I was at the wedding scene that day, the man showed up once and left, leaving the girl there feeling awkward.”“No one outside knows she's the young mistress of the Gardiner Family. Her husband is constantly surrounded by scandals, and his female companions are never the same.”......Florence Fuller’s marriage was indeed as pitiful and unbearable as they said.Luke Gardiner would only occasionally pretend to be with her to appease the Gardiner family elder and never took this marriage of convenience to heart.Until someone showed him a video.Florence Fuller fell into a man's arms, her tearful eyes and expression distraught, while the man looked at her with deep affection, one arm holding her close. His other hand brushed away the tears from her eyes, and he lowered his head to kiss her.From that moment on, Luke Gardiner's world fell apart.He realized that from beginning to end, Florence had another man hidden in her heart.

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.