Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king - Chapter 80: See what they are doing?

Athar VonCruz, an orphan, had always been at the bottom rung of the society. He had been bullied, belittled and pushed down for his entire life.Beast taming in this world is not a hobby or a profession but is the only way of survival for a human and to gain power.Athar invests his entire life savings for one of the beast eggs; the only chance he has to rise and get ahead in his life.The egg cracks, and a creature of unknown potential emerges from it. In that pivotal moment, Athar's destiny irrevocably shifted. In that moment, Athar unearths a strange and wondrous secret; a hidden power that would become his ultimate trump card.Read how Athar VonCruz carves out a path out for himself and strives to reach the pinnacle of life.

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.

Upon waking up, Jiang Fan became a low-level fisherman in Tonghe County, with a home empty as four walls and a stomach rumbling with hunger. Inside, he has a beautiful wife to support, and outside, he faces oppression from the Dragon King Gang and the Government, beset by internal troubles and external woes, nearly at the end of his rope.Fortunately, he awakens his Life Chart with the Great Blessings Equal to Heaven attribute: surviving great ordeals will certainly bring future happiness.As long as he gets through the tribulations, he will surely gain opportunities, with Destiny upon him.……Millions and millions of years later, Jiang Fan looks at the pieces of Immortal Family's supreme treasures in his home, along with the Sect's Fairies, the Dynasty's Goddesses, unparalleled demon queens, and peerless fox girls about to break into a fight, he wants to cry without tears.Heavens, please don't send more, really don't send more, at this rate, the house is about to catch fire, truly can't withstand any more.

When the First Wizarding War ended, and Lord Voldemort chased out Dumbledore from Hogwarts, he became the undisputed leader of the Wizarding World, cementing his rule as the new Minister of Magic. Yet everyone in power knew the war was far from over; it was now waged behind closed curtains and under the table. Behind the veil of secrecy, those still loyal to Dumbledore continued to fight, waging guerilla-like warfare against him and his forces, drawing in other countries' wizards and witches, opposing Voldemort and his plans to dominate all magic.The Anguine family, home of pure-blood wizards, part of Voldemort's new Ministry of Magic, were often tasked with confronting the Order of the Phoenix, raising their reputation year by year. Born into the Anguine family, Conrad just came to age, ready to attend Hogwarts to start his studies. He was excited to go to a school he had heard about from his father many times, but times have changed. It is not like in the old days. But who knows? One day, the school may return to what it was before the Era of Darkness.---- Author's Notes:Dear Readers! I'd like to welcome you to my first foray into writing fanfic and into doing a book from a first-person point of View. As to what to expect, let me give you more details so you won't be disappointed if it is not your cup of tea!- An alternate timeline: Voldemort killed the Potters and Harry as a baby. He never lost his body, thus winning the 1st Wizarding War.- Of course, a battle is still going on in the background, but that will only come later in the story.- Being in an alternate timeline, the dates may be a little bit off, but the story will mostly play out in the same time frame as the original.- Being an altered history, some main characters will not show up, and I mainly mean Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Or any of the Dumbledore supporting cast. (at least for a good portion of the story). For obvious reasons. If this is not what you want, please understand that I am going for a familiar yet different story than the original. I am taking inspiration from the original plot, but I am not planning mirroring it 1:1.- Of the returning characters, some may have altered personalities, although I will try my best to remain true to their book counterpart. But I will also think up ”what would they have done“ scenarios and modify their personality to match the alternative world we are in. I hope you will still enjoy it; that is my goal. To entertain you.- There is no transmigration, no isekai tropes, no reincarnation, no knowledge of in-lore events, none of that. The main character is someone who is born in-universe.