Shadow's Hand - Chapter 26: A Confrontation

At nineteen, Dexter was already one of the world’s most celebrated authors. His books topped charts. Critics praised his genius. Fans devoured every word. But behind the acclaim was a lonely boy—raised without parents, love, or real friends—just stories.He published his first novel at fourteen. By seventeen, he was a literary star. But the higher he rose, the hollower it felt.Then came the writer’s block. The headaches. The blackout. And the transmigration.Dexter awoke in the body of Daylan, a disgraced young man in a crumbling, medieval world laced with steampunk tech, divine law, and political unrest. Daylan had already failed two of the three sacred Trials—rites that determine one’s magical potential. He was drowning in debt, entangled in plots to overthrow a corrupt Divine Church, and branded a lost cause.With no way back, Dexter took the final Trial—the most brutal of them all—and began a path that would earn him the whispered title: Soldier, Poet, King.But as his powers grew, one question haunted him: Did he truly die? And if so, who—or what—chose to bring him back?

I thought I had seen bad endings before—but nothing prepared me for the garbage conclusion of The Hero’s Path.Years of investment, countless struggles, and for what? The protagonist failed. The villain won. Everyone else? Dead. Furious, I sent a message to the author, only to get a chilling response:[Do you think you could do better?]Before I could even blink, my phone exploded in a blinding light, and the next thing I knew—I was waking up in a completely different body.Now, I’m Merlin Everhart, a fourteen-year-old with a 12-star talent, the kind of gift only the strongest should have.But here’s the problem: I have no idea who I am supposed to be.With nothing but a system and a first-day-of-school alarm ringing in my ears, I’m thrown into the world of The Hero’s Path.Am I just another side character in a world that already ended once?…Either way, I refuse to let this story beat me too.

Wen TianHe originally thought he was a man who’s going to be a domineering chairman. But in the end, he became the man alongside the domineering chairman.

The sharp edge of a knife is difficult to cross; thus the wise man said that the path to salvation will be hard.
—Mao Mu, (Blade)

The blade of a sword must be sad for its lack in friendship. Because no matter whom it wants to give a hug, the other would be divided into two.
—Vietnamese Overbearing Chairman, Si Guan (Silence is Golden)

- Description from Novelupdates

Yang Lujia, a sought-after, handsome, sports-driven, and seemingly perfect man with an outstanding family background was killed in a plane bombing orchestrated by his so-called pals. Before he even knew it, his soul traveled through space, and his supposed-to-be ending unexpectedly took turns.

Unknowingly, he set foot into a world made up of five realms where strength matters most. Then, one day, following a mission, he started accepting disciples.

[Ding! The system has discovered an S-Class Genius! System’s Fifth Ability Unlocked: Disciple Acknowledgment!]

[New Mission: Recruit and acknowledge the Holy Flood Empire's S-Class Genius. The reward will be issued upon acknowledgment from both parties.]