Shadow Slave - Chapter 268: Clash

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.

The six prefectures of Zhongbo were offered to foreign enemies on a silver platter, and Shen Zechuan was taken into custody in the capital, reduced to a drowning dog—loathed and condemned by all.Xiao Chiye followed the scent of the furor and made his way over. But instead of setting others on him, he kicked Shen Zechuan with his very own leg, rendering the latter an invalid. Who would expect this invalid to turn around and bite him in a counterattack until he was all drenched in blood?That was the start of an epic feud between both men who tore at each other every time they come face-to-face with one another.“Fate wants to bind me here for life, but this is not the path I choose. The yellow dust submerged my brothers deep under. I have no wish to bow in submission to an illusory fate. The imperial edict can’t save my troops, and the imperial court can’t fill the stomachs of my mounts. I’m no longer willing to lay down my life for this purpose. I want to surmount that mountain. I am going to fight for myself.”Note: A ‘drowning dog’ is someone who is down and out, having lost favor or power.

What are the odds that Zavian, the son of the devil, would fall for the only woman whose destiny is to destroy him?

In the beginning of time, war broke out between the fallen angels and the devil, and the devil was defeated and cast into the underworld. During the war, Zavian, the devil’s son, turned against his father and joined hands with the other demons to defeat him, which made the devil kill his son’s wife as a punishment for betraying him.

But 500 years later, there appeared a woman slave who looked exactly like his wife, and Zavian, who had longed for his dead wife, couldn’t help but get drawn to her.

But the devil had other plans for his son. To return to earth his son has to die. Is the queen’s doppelganger part of the devil’s plans?

Would Zavian fall right into his father’s trap or has fate got other plans for him?

…

Everyone stood before the king, the high and the low, with their heads bowed. This was the day they had waited for, for centuries.

King Zavian was finally getting remarried.

To strengthen the bond between the seven kingdoms of the earth, Zavian was to get married to one of the beautiful princesses standing in front of him.

But his eyes were drawn to the lowly maid standing afar off. The witches had warned him about her, and he knew he shouldn’t be with her, but she was something he couldn’t resist. The more he tried to run away from her, the more drawn he was to her.

Even though everything in him screamed not to, Zavian stood up and walked past the princesses in front of him and to the maid;

She was tiny in her dress, and her whole body trembled as he approached her, her eyes pinned to her feet, afraid to behold his face. He smiled as he held her face, tilting her head to look at him;

“Neera, will you be my queen?”

And that was when all of hell broke loose…

.....

Nine Realms Sword Emperor, a legend returns, leveling everything.Genius monsters, trampled underfoot, powerful beings, wiped out with a wave of a hand.If people do not offend me, I will not offend them; if people do offend me, annihilate their entire family.