Shadow of the Abyss - Chapter 11: Half Awakened

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.

Jiang Yang and Qin Xu both dislike each other. Every time they meet they become filled with hatred. Both have feelings for the school idol but they didn’t expect that the other party was actually a cross-dressing man. In an instant, their world views were shattered.

“Bound to the system. I shall assist with building the friendship between you and Qin Xu. Tasks will be released randomly and punishments will be enforced if it is not completed on time.”

Jiang Yang scoffed coldly: “What a joke! I’m not doing it!”

Later….

The system exploded: “I wanted you to become friends but you became lovers instead?! You are the worst hosts I’ve ever had!”

Eventually the system transferred departments —– To the Matchmaking Department.

*****

Cold on the outside but soft on the inside cheap gong (Qin Xu) X hot-tempered and proud shou (Jiang Yang)

1. Both have systems and due to all kinds of misunderstandings they ended up becoming bent into a mosquito coil – hilarious high school life.

2. The system has a lot of functions to be explored =v=

3. The existence of the cross-dressing man is a big BUG. How he managed to hide his identity – only he himself knows.

- Description from Novelupdates

(1v1, pure and sweet) Xiliang’s Prince Residence.With a tiger-like energy and at just 5 years old, Little Prince Xiao Moxi saw his mother dash off to the fields again, and his steamed bun-like face scrunched up in frustration.Looking grievously at his father beside him, he complained with an air of worldly wisdom, “Father, how did you fall for my mother, who likes to run off all the time?”Xiao Yeyang gave his precociously mature son a sidelong glance, then pretended to ponder the question.Indeed, why had he fallen for that woman?After a long silence…“Who knows? Maybe I got my head caught in a door!”Sharing a look of mutual commiseration, father and son let out a helpless sigh in unison.What do you do when you’re stuck with a woman who’s never at home?There’s only one thing to do with your own Princess Consort (mother)—spoil her, of course!…Transported to ancient times with a space filled with rice flowers, all she wanted was to quietly live out her life in the fields. Unexpectedly, with a father who was a county magistrate, she was forced to leave the countryside for the city!Life in the city was bustling with activities, and in order to have a say at home, she bought estates, grew flowers and medicinal herbs, and developed high-yield, high-quality grain varieties. Remarkably, she helped her father, who had been a county magistrate for nine years, to rise step by step, bringing the lowborn Yan Family into Beijing’s elite circles!This is a story of a noble daughter from a humble family aiding her clan to thrive and prosper, and a sweet love story of mutual success and growing together!Male lead: In front of others, he is the prideful Little Prince, the domineering Prince of Xiliang. In front of the female lead, he is a soft and tender-hearted man.Female lead: Clearheaded in all matters, warm-hearted and self-reliant!

In the first episode, Little Palace Maid Lian Hua, holding tea leaves, thought to curry favor with Zhaoyi. The Emperor intercepted her halfway, and before she could react, he hijacked her tea leaves, leaving her bewildered.In the second episode, she wanted to curry favor with the Noble Consort. During the Noble Consort's birthday feast, she hadn't even presented the meticulously prepared tea leaves before the Emperor seized them, leaving her aggrieved.In the third episode, she had just sneaked out with the Palace Maids to pick bamboo shoots, planning to go back and cook something delicious when the Emperor burst out of nowhere wanting to freeload a meal. If it wasn't tasty, he would punish her, she managed to barely pass muster by exerting all her energy. Before she could feel relieved, the Emperor told her he was also staying to sleep!This time, he was thoroughly taking advantage of her, enjoying free food and lodging without the slightest intention of rewarding her.At night, the more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. All the silver she had saved up in earlier years had been used to sustain the Emperor. Now that the money was gone, she feared being punished for not being able to support him in the future. The more she thought, the sadder she got, her tears plopping down, which woke the Emperor sleeping beside her.In a flurry, the Emperor consoled her, “There, there, don't cry, don't cry. I haven't even had time to reward you, how could I punish you!”After much consoling, and finally with his promise to provide for her sustenance, she turned her tears into laughter.The Emperor breathed a sigh of relief. This Little Concubine would need to be favored properly from now on—he dared not make her cry again.→→【This story has concluded, thank you for reading】→→New book recommendation:“Consort of the Roll-Royce is Here, Run!”—It's a good read! Please add it to your favorites.