Swordsmeister of Rome - Chapter 18: Clash

It started off peculiarly; first, his domestic cat refused to let him cuddle it.

Lin Qiushi soon found that a sense of disharmony and incongruity began to pervade everything around him.

Then, one odd day, he pushed open a door, and he discovered that the hallway he was familiar with turned into a boundless corridor.

At both ends of this corridor were twelve, identical iron gates.

Thus, the story began.

Ruan Nanzhu said to Lin Qiushi, “When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes back at you.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Qiushi sank into deep contemplation. He then pulled down the zipper of his trousers and aimed at the abyss…

Ruan Nanzhu: “…Put your pants on properly!”

Super shameless, ill, pampered gong X Shameless, calm shou; a combination of double [or extreme] shamelessness.

- Description from Novelupdates

At the end of the world, a legendary hero gave his life to save a dear friend, only to be reborn as a four-year-old orphan with 'Crab Affinity'.The apocalypse has come and gone, claiming humanity with it. All humans have had their 'Souls' stolen and claimed by monsters - vampires, demons, zombies - you name it.Reborn as Barnacles (Barns for short), the once-legendary hero claws his way back to strength under the tutelage of the gluttonous King Crab, a sentient crustacean with more vice than virtue in his shell.Follow Barns' journey as he rediscovers his power of rebirth, which when combined with a little 'crab magic' has the power to reset humans back to their original selves.It's time to take a crack at resetting the apocalypse.

The Imperial Court of Tang Empire became dim and corrupt. The Emperor believed eunuchs. The officials vied with each other for authority. The Tang Empire was about to collapse. The flouring Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism eyed it covetously. The three sects wanted to contend for the domination of the whole world. Which one would win in the end? Or would they coexist peacefully at last? Armies of different nations invaded the frontier on all sides. People and the whole world were in extreme misery. Who could save them?

Can't a man maintain his dignity while preparing for the end of the world? Is that too much to ask?

The Tower was all I knew... all any of us knew, and just like that, it was gone. Monsters the likes of which I'd never seen ravaged the land of my ancestors. They burst through the outer walls and stormed the city. No one could have been ready for that. But now... Now I have a second chance.

After the collapse of the known world, I woke up to find myself on the First Floor of the Tower. I was young and healthy, 18 again, and sitting in the same classroom that marked the worst days of my life. Confused and excited, I accepted this gift, deciding to use my vast knowledge of the future to climb the Tower in preparation for the end of the world.

Maybe I'll help some folks along the way? Who knows. Survival comes first.

The clock is ticking, and I'm left with only a century to build a Deck powerful enough to survive the end. Things to do... What's first? I need Essence, and I need power. I'll have to climb the Tower to acquire both of these. Some of the zealots will try to stop me, need to look out for those. What if-

“Hey, kid! Hand over the pouch or-”

Stab

Sorry, where was I? Ah... there's a spot of blood on my suit. What a lousy morning.

In this world of blood and fantasy, century-old Rowan Wilder has to not only survive, but thrive as he powers his way to the top of the Tower. The Demonic Plague that has twisted the creatures on the upper Floors is the least of his worries. Cane in hand and Summons by his side, he'll have to tear his way through the monsters, as well as the humans who want to stop his ascent. Of course, he can maintain a sense of decorum while he faces these trials, right?