Star Instructor, Master Baek - Chapter 35: How Did You End Up In A Place Like This?

Five years ago, humanity’s strongest Tower Climber was betrayed at the peak of his conquest.Rael Arden, known only by his codename Phantom, was the silent genius who cleared impossible floors, crushed monsters with forbidden magic, and shaped the rules of Tower exploration. No one had ever seen his real face—yet his legend was feared across the world.But at the Tower’s summit, the teammates he carried to glory stabbed him in the back. For power. For godhood. For fear of what he might become.They thought he died.They were wrong.Reincarnated in secret, Rael awakens in a modern world that’s on the edge of collapse. Dungeons bleed into cities. Monsters evolve. The Tower is no longer just a gate—it’s infecting the world. And the very ones who betrayed him now rule from the shadows, hiding behind titles, guilds, and lies.But Rael isn’t alone. His soul split across hidden clone bodies, each designed to infiltrate, gather information, and prepare for war. As each clone reawakens, his power grows—and so does his rage.With him are three women tied to his fate:Selene, the shadow rogue who never betrayed him.Lyra, a curious researcher drawn to the legend of the Phantom.Aeris, the sword saint who still mourns his death… and may not be as loyal to the enemy as she seems.Now, Rael hunts the seven betrayers who destroyed his past.One by one, they will fall.But revenge is just the beginning.Because deep within the Tower, something else is waking—an ancient force that even Rael feared. And this time, the world may not survive unless the Phantom reigns again.

Immortal arts, magic weapons, magical powers*, and the boundless spiritual Qi between heaven and earth vanished into obscurity overnight, and all the exorcists became mere mortals.

300 years later, the Five Barbarians traversed the pass, a prelude to an era of great turmoil in China. They heralded the end of the world, where thousands of drought fiends stalked the night and the collapse of the Divine Land** was imminent.

Fortunately, within this long, dark night*** where silence had fallen on all magic, a lone star still glistened brightly on the horizon.

The Heart Lamp appeared, illuminating the vast expanse around it. A 16-year-old young man, who will end his life on his 20th birthday, embarked on a journey of reclaiming the spiritual Qi of the heavens and earth that had been sealed away — only four years remain.

The road ahead was filled with countless thistles and thorns, and it seemed improbable for him to succeed.

Chen Xing, “The important thing is that I’m the last exorcist in this world, yet the only magic I am capable of is emitting light. What can I do?”

Wait patiently then. When the Dinghai pearl reappears on earth, the uncertain trajectory of everyone’s fates will be completely disrupted before converging once more.

Chen Xing, “Could I be partnered with a more normal Protector martial god?”

Isn’t your Protector really skilled in fighting?

Chen Xing, “He is good at fighting, but when he loses it he’ll hit even me……”

There’s nothing that can be done about that, you can only blame yourself for losing yourself to lust.

—

*: Buddhist term: Abhijñā, a mysterious force that surpasses the limits of mortals gained through meditation

**: old name for China

***: figurative meaning: long period of misery and oppression

- Description from Novelupdates

“Infinite Abilities Academy”On his first day at Infinite Abilities Academy, Class F freshman Su Bei awakened a new ability. It was only then that he realized their world was actually a manga. And the protagonist of this manga was his classmate Jiang Tianming.But that’s not the main point. The main point is that in the next chapter of the manga, he, Su Bei, is destined to die tragically in the restroom! This event would kick off the protagonist’s first challenge at the ability academy.Su Bei: …The only good news is that this chapter of the manga hasn’t been published yet. He can alter the course of the story and save himself from a cannon fodder’s fate through his actions.As everyone knows, becoming friends with the protagonist doesn’t guarantee escape from plot-induced death, but becoming the protagonist’s enemy will certainly result in defeat at the protagonist’s hands.Under the blazing sunlight, the golden-haired boy smiled recklessly, yet there was a hint of solemnity in his purple eyes: “Saluting you on behalf of fate, the unluckiest of the unlucky in this generation~”

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.Please note that this work of fiction is not safe for work (NSFW). It contains words, scenes, and phrases not suitable for audiences below 18. Be aware.—All the characters here are 18 and above—SynopsisOkumura Kouhei is in love with Saonji Hina, but she’s as cold as ice and doesn’t let anyone get close—she's like a flower that’s impossible to reach. However, everything changes when Kouhei uncovers a secret about Hina that turns his world upside down.To make matters even more complicated, members of the student council decide to get involved, adding to the chaos swirling around him. And let’s not forget about his neighbor next door, who seems to have her own agenda.What will happen to Kouhei now that he’s stumbled upon something he wasn’t meant to discover as a mere human?