Smiling Under Lanterns - Chapter 21 - 20 Rave Reviews_1

In a world where 70% of the population possesses powers managed by a LitRPG chip, Kang Ji-Hoon, a timid young man, joins the prestigious Apex Academy to save his sick mother. Ranked last at F with his seemingly useless ability to summon a dagger, he becomes the target of relentless bullying. Pushed to his limit, he unleashes the true power of his weapon, a dark and destructive force. As he transforms into a ruthless anti-hero, a cosmic threat emerges to assimilate humanity. Ji-Hoon then realizes his dark destiny: to save everyone, he must destroy everything.

Oliver was a shy boy who always got nervous whenever he interacted with girls, which is why he had no girlfriend throughout high school.However, all that changes when his parents decide to help boost his confidence so that he doesn't have any problems interacting with people of the opposite gender in the future.But how do they do that?

The King Of Assassins was a monster that reigned over the world of hitmen for long years. He was the absolute peak that no other being could reach. His name reached the ears of every powerhouse in the world and sent shivers through every human.

Yet, his legend came to an end suddenly when he died in unknown circumstances.

However, instead of disappearing forever, he was given another chance in another world by the goddess of reincarnation. It was the world of an old book that he read back in the time. A world where everything was possible, where humans could reach new heights that were impossible in his old life.

But, this place didn't seem to be normal as it carried a huge surprise that will make his journey seem all the more interesting.

The Goddess of reincarnation wasn't as holy as anyone would think. She was nothing but a twisted being who found a toy to play with. The goddess manipulated the world that he was going to and changed all the heroines into these twisted beings that fit her character. They were all now harboring this unhealthy obsession toward him and trying with all their powers to take him away for themselves.

In the world of cultivation, countless tales follow righteous protagonists, fated heroes blessed by destiny, or those chosen by heaven to walk the path of immortality.But what of those who stand in their way?What of the villains? The so-called obstacles to the hero’s journey—do they not bleed, dream, and struggle as well?Xiao Ning was never meant to succeed.From the very beginning, the Grand Dao wove him as a stepping stone—a necessary sacrifice to elevate another. His path, like that of all designated ‘villains,’ was doomed to failure by design.But what happens when that design is defied?After death, Xiao Ning awakens—not in the cycle of reincarnation, but in the cold silence beyond it. There, he is offered the Eternal Paradox Codex—a forbidden artifact containing the hidden truths of the Grand Dao System itself.Rules. Loopholes. Vulnerabilities.Knowledge not meant for those like him.With this power, Xiao Ning is granted a single, impossible choice: accept oblivion, or step outside the Grand Dao entirely—to abandon fate, sever karma, and cultivate a path unbound by heaven or law.It is Xiao Ning’s journey, from ashes to something beyond comprehension.Not to become an Immortal among men.But something even the heavens dare not bind.If fate is a chain…Then let him forge his own path in the void beyond.Welcome to this humble tale.The cultivation world is vast and unkind.Let us begin again—on our terms.