MTL - The Path Toward Heaven - Chapter 21 Sword Return to Qingshan

“I wished them immortality but my thirst for redemption caused them suffering, I gave them eternity yet brought the end of the world” Ethan mumbled as he dragged himself from the ruins of the Golden throne. “You should understand me, human, what I wanted, was eternal happiness...yet I received torments from my own wish” “You call me a human, aren’t you the same?” Replied a faint voice. Ethan laughed in response before saying “ Human? I am beyond humanity, I am...a God!” _____ The world was no longer what it once used to be. A thousand years after the birth of Nexulytes, people who were able to wield Nexus energy and awakened miraculous talents with unimaginable abilities, the earth had fallen to the brink of near extinction with just less than twenty percent of its population left. The Dreamscape, also known as the reflection of the real world, was a space that was shockingly similar to the real world and copied every small detail of the real world. Their only difference was that the Dreamscape was not a place where humans could move about easily as even the strongest Nexulyte could die without knowing how. Years after the appearance of the dreamscape and multiple gateways spammed all across earth, giving the horrors of the dreamscape access to the real world; they unleashed chaos and a hundred years of bloody battle were the consequences of humanity’s late response. In a world where those with talents were worshiped and respected, a boy who hated Nexulytes and wished all of them could die ended up becoming one himself. Not only did he become what he hated, but he awakened a talent that he had never heard of or known about. How was he supposed to survive the fusion with a seemingly useless talent or was he ever going to find out the secret of his talent and the birth of the dreamscape?

Earth is the human civilization’s cradle, but humans cannot possibly live within its cradle for eternity.In 2264, the first deep-space colonization spaceship of human civilization leaves the solar system and enters the boundless darkness…Zhang Yuan, son of the man behind the spaceship’s main control system, is one of the half a million volunteers to embark on the 20 light-year journey to a new planet.Follow Zhang Yuan on his journey of gaining new knowledge, exploring the unknown, and finding out what's the secret behind the intelligence enhancer his father left him.

I, Maehara Maki, someone who couldn’t make any acquaintances or friends in high school, finally had someone I can hang out with outside of school. A girl.

Her name was Asanagi-san. The boys in my class called her ‘The class’ second cutest girl’ behind her back.

On Fridays, she would refuse her best friend, Amami, ‘the cutest girl in class’ invitation just to hang out in my house with me.

Together, we played games, watched some movies, read some manga while eating junk foods like pizza and hamburgers, and chugging cola without a care in the world. To others, we may seem sloppy, but it was a precious, secret time together for Asanagi-san and myself.

Isabella was supposed to be sipping champagne at a luxury spa, not waking up in the middle of a forest. Worse, a SYSTEM had attached itself to her like some clingy ex, spouting nonsense about survival, quests, and—oh, hell no—manual labor.“System, I was NOT built for the wilderness! My ideal ‘roughing it’ experience involves a five-star hotel with bad WiFi!”Now, instead of lounging in silk robes, she’s being ordered to farm? To hunt?“A farming quest? You want me—a city girl—to grow food? System, I once killed a cactus by overwatering it. This is NOT my calling!”And don’t even get her started on the hygiene situation.“You want me to bathe in a cold river? Darling, I require warm water, scented oils, and an ambience! What do I look like—some barbarian?!”Unfortunately, the locals—big, muscular beastmen—don’t seem to understand the concept of self-care. The women? Neglecting their skin like it’s a crime to be radiant. The men? Walking hygiene disasters.“Ladies, if your man can smell you before he sees you, we have a problem.”“You see this? This is lotion. It exists so you don’t look like a dried-up leaf. Use it.”“A beard should be majestic, not tragic. Let me fix it.”And the beastmen? They don’t just stare at her like she’s an oddity. No, they hover. They smirk. They lean in too close, fangs flashing with amusement.“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” she huffed, crossing her arms.The panther grinned, his tail flicking. “Because you’re fascinating when you’re annoyed.”No, absolutely not. She was not here for this nonsense.“If you have time to stare, you have time to moisturize.”She didn’t ask to be here. She didn’t ask to be their savior. But if she has to suffer through this world, she’s making everyone around her suffer less—through skincare, style, and some serious attitude.“If I hear one more ‘We don’t season our food here,’ I’m launching a war.”“If you have time to gossip, you have time to do squats.”“You want to impress a woman? Start with not smelling like the battlefield.”Survival isn’t just about fighting monsters; it’s about looking good while doing it. So what if the System keeps throwing impossible quests her way?“What do you mean ‘you can’t skip quests’?! Since when?! Where is the skip button?! I demand a skip button!”But somewhere between dodging ridiculous quests and fixing these people’s tragic grooming habits, Isabella found herself in situations. Uncomfortable, heart-racing situations.Like being trapped against a tree by the red python, his red eyes half-lidded as he murmured, “You talk too much, little star. Should I silence you?”Like waking up with the lion lord’s fur-lined cloak draped over her shoulders, his deep voice gruff, “You shiver in your sleep. I’ll fix that.”Like the phoenix watching her every move, his burning gaze searing into her skin as he mused,“You cause chaos wherever you go, but I find that I don’t mind.”Oh, hell. No. She was not about to fall for four beastmen. She was too pretty for this much stress.“If you insult me again, I’ll make sure your soul needs a beauty upgrade.”“I refuse to be disrespected by anyone who dresses like an unwashed tree branch.”And yet, when a rival tribe came to challenge her, when danger lurked too close, those same beastmen stood beside her—smirking, taunting, fighting for her.“A beastman growled at me today. I growled back. He ran. I am the alpha now.”Isabella isn’t just surviving. She’s thriving. And this world better keep up.