MTL - The Mad Cultivator - Chapter 8 Determined

Derek Carter never asked for a System, an apocalypse, or the pressure of being humanity’s so-called “last hope.”He was just trying to survive the daily struggles of being an orphan in Paleview City—dodging bullies, scraping together meals, and lying his way into school. Life was already hard enough.Then, one day, a blue screen pops into his vision:[Warning: The world is doomed. Try not to die.]Yeah, great. Just what he needed—cryptic doomsday messages and no instruction manual.Now, monsters are creeping into the city, reality is unraveling, and Damien’s “legendary” starting stats are barely above zero. The System promises him power, but there's just one tiny problem—he’s never won a fight in his life.Armed with sarcasm, questionable decision-making skills, and the sheer refusal to die, Damien is about to embark on the worst (and possibly last) adventure of his life. Because if the world really is ending… he’s at least going to make it someone else’s problem first.After all, heroes are overrated—survivors get to tell the story.

After crossing over into a world of magic, Dean Bruce was mistaken for a powerful sorcerer. Though he initially intended to sternly refuse the beautiful woman’s request to become her mentor, she offered him far too much to say no!Completely clueless about magic, Dean Bruce had no choice but to make up spells on the spot. However, when he saw the astonishing power unleashed by the beautiful woman after chanting his random incantations, he was stunned.The spells he had carelessly invented… could they really comprehend magic and even forbidden spells?As Dean Bruce ascended to the pinnacle of magical prowess and became the Archmage, he candidly answered a reporter's question during an interview with the Alliance: “ never understood magic. I just made up a few incantations, that's all.”People were in awe of him—this, they believed, was the true humility of a Grand Archmage!

My name is Zhang Yanhang, just an ordinary Awakener and a part-time college student living a monotonous life, following the routine of school, cultivation, and home. I neither smoke nor drink; my only hobby is observing humanity during moments when time stands still.I thought my dull life would continue forever, but one night, as I lay in bed ready to sleep, I unexpectedly stumbled upon something interesting.【Enter the Ashen World?】【Option One: Yes (Successfully enter the Ashen World and gain the ability to digitize your body as well as ways to become stronger, the price might be oversleeping and being late for school tomorrow.)】【Option Two: No (Refuse to enter the Ashen World but feel it's a waste to sleep immediately, so decide to stay up all night gaming and cultivating, the price might be oversleeping and being late for school tomorrow.)】【Option Three: Ignore for Now (Suggested for those with difficulty making decisions, you will agonize over whether to enter the Ashen World and will only fall asleep at two in the morning, the price might be oversleeping and being late for school tomorrow.)】ps: The protagonist is not saintly, is decisive and ruthless, and thinks differently from the average person. Please refrain from criticism if this is not to your taste.

Sometimes. You face a choice in your life

“Choose. Between the two of them. Whom will you save, Michael Aroa?”

You look back into your life and wonder how you ended up here

“Michael please!! Save your mother!! Not me. Michael you don’t need to make a choice here!! Michael! I love you! I won’t hate you for your choices!! Please save your mother!!”

You question the path that you took that brought you to this point

“Son. She is your wife! She has your child. It’s not one life over another but two over one. I am already old but she has a long life. You are smart enough to make the right decision, Son, aren’t you?”

Since it hurts, you wish you could stop time and have some time to think

[Activating Ability: Temporal Pause!!]

[Activation failed!! Not enough Energy!!]

You wish to go back into the past and change everything that led you to here

[Activating Ability: Time Reverse!!]

[Activation Failed!! You don’t have the Requirements to use this ability!!]

And then when nothing works as it shouldn’t.

[Are you sure you want to use this ability?]

You make a decision that you had never thought you would

[Activating ability!]

And then... Chaos ensues

[Ability Activated]

[God Power: Time Collapse]