Mark of the Fool - Chapter 29: Selecting One’s Path

A sound, deep and unearthly, cracked across the sky — like the world itself had been struck with a sledgehammer. The stars flickered, then vanished behind creeping waves of ash and violet light. A fracture spread across the heavens, jagged and violent.And from that wound in the sky... they fell.Shapes. Twisted. Wrong. Crawling, jerking — no longer human.But inside a secluded estate tucked behind electronic gates and manicured hedges, the world still slept.Ryan stirred beneath the sheets, tangled in warmth. Jane Blackwood lay beside him, her breath calm and even. For a fleeting moment, the illusion held.Then—Bang! Bang! Bang!“Ryan!” Maggi’s voice, sharp with panic. A second slam, louder. “Open the door! Now!”Ryan groaned, still half-dreaming. “What the hell’s going on…”He slid out of bed, eyes heavy, limbs slow. When he opened the door, Eleanor nearly collapsed into him. Her hands were streaked with blood, her eyes wild.“They’re here,” she whispered. “The sky cracked open. Something came through. People are changing. Dying. Tearing each other apart—Ryan, this isn’t a dream. This is real. It’s happening.”He turned, pulse hammering. “Get dressed. We’re leaving.”Outside, the world had ended.And the dead had begun to rise.He reached for his clothes, yanking on a shirt. But just as he stepped toward the hallway. The ceiling of the household collapses on their bodies and they died instantly but the pendant given to him by his mother started flickering and next second, In the world unlike Earth, Ryan instantly opens eyes with a gasp and when he sees himself in the mirror. He got reincarnated in another world.Disclaimer : This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Thank you !.

Cricket System: Rise of Raj> Pavan Raj was born to play cricket. But when his dreams were crushed by strict parents, jealous rivals, and heartbreak, he gave up everything… until fate gave him another chance.One silent prayer, one wish to return—and he wakes up in his younger self’s body.But this time, something's different.[System Activated]With a mysterious Cricket System that levels up his batting, bowling, fielding, and strategy, Pavan Raj sets out to rewrite his life.No more hesitation. No more missed chances.From gully cricket to selectors' eyes, from self-doubt to sixers—this is his second innings. And this time…He’s playing to win.

[Interstellar+Spiritual Power+Pure Romance+Marriage First, Love After+Livestreaming+Gourmet Food+Disguises]Reborn overnight, Qu Tong cried to death; her vast wealth was gone, and she even ended up owing a billion in taxes.Stuck with a cheap husband her cousin didn't want who can't have children? Rarely comes home? And throws in an entire planet to boot?Qu Tong wondered if there could be such good fortune?She carefully guarded her full fertility value, perfunctorily yet sincerely playing the role of a big shot's dainty wife.She grew energy fruits and vegetables, fed them on schedule, and incidentally improved the food for the entire squad by taking care of their home.The Insect Clan attacked, His Highness was injured, ditching class to visit, pah! To check in.His Highness was too aloof; unable to charm him after a long time, she went online searching for strategies and even inquired about how to reasonably inherit all of her husband's wealth in the case of divorce.The next day, Si Yuting glanced at the top search trends, then looked at his guilt-ridden dainty wife and laughed, “That's difficult, considering I'm just divorced, not dead.”Well-behaved and clever in front of others, behind their backs she did nothing of the sort.When her shop was reported, she cursed everyone who dissed her in the comment section one by one and blocked them all, leaving the netizens stunned: “Who taught her to curse like that?!!”In the academy competition, the enemy lacked honor, ganging up to bully the weak; Qu Tong pulled out a potion, directly turned the tables, and kicked them all out of the competition—no one can play me for a fool.When encountering a Star Thief, Qu Tong reassured everyone, ”Don't panic, I'll go reason with them.“ Then she single-handedly drove her mecha, cornering the Star Thief: “This is a robbery, hand over everything valuable.”...One day.Qu Tong, holding her medical report, asked, “If I say I can reproduce asexually, would you believe me?”“Guess.”

Back in 1996, when the daughter of the Old Xie family, Xie Wanying, said she wanted to be a doctor, many laughed.“Phoenix begets phoenix, dog spawns dog. A truck driver’s daughter becoming a doctor is as likely as a sow climbing a tree.”“I’m not just going to be a doctor, I’m going to be a female chest surgeon,” said Xie Wanying.Her words provoked even greater waves of disdain within the doctors' community.Relatives who were doctors ridiculed her mercilessly: “Do you know how high the admission scores are for medical students? Do you think you can make it?”“There are zero female chief chest surgeons in the country. Who do you think you are!”A bunch of people mocked her: “You'll probably only get into a third-rate medical college and end up as a health worker in a small county town. It's easy to imagine what sort of marriage you'll have.”After the college entrance exams, Xie Wanying entered the top surgical class in the country with the highest science scores in the province, with department heads in the Capital’s top-tier hospitals vying for her from her internship beginnings.“Student Xie Wanying, come to our digestive surgery department.”“No, she must come to our urological surgery—”“Pediatric surgery is in short supply of female doctors like student Xie Wanying.”Circles of relatives and friends: …At this time, Xie Wanying independently completed the youngest Tetralogy of Fallot surgery in the country, represented the national association of chest surgery at an international medical forum, and published the world’s first minimally invasive heart valve repair surgery, becoming truly the foremost surgeon in the field of female surgery!As for the marriage concerns that everyone “worried” about:A brother from the Returned Overseas Faction, a hot bachelor within the Capital, changed his QQ profile picture to Junior Sister Xie.The young CEO, a handsome man, came to the hospital every day with flowers, keen to offer a diamond ring.Not to mention, a whole host of suitors had long since worn a path to the Old Xie Family's doorstep...