Valerian Empire - Chapter 16

For as long as he could remember, life had always been cruel.A young man in his early twenties—his name now lost to the past—was dealt a life filled with misfortunes.A cold, empty apartment, a soul-crushing job, and, finally, a terminal diagnosis.With nothing left to live for, his only comfort had been escaping into the fictional world of Path of the Elemental Sage, a story of heroes, magic, and survival.But fate had other plans.When death finally came for him, he didn’t fade into nothingness.Instead, he awoke in the world he had only read about—a world of chaos and danger where death lurked around every corner.The air smelled of magic, the sky was filled with possibilities.{«[Status Window]»}[Name: Lyrium Blackwood][Age: 16][Rank: D-][Skills: None][Elements: None}At first, confusion filled his mind.Who was Lyrium Blackwood?Why was he here?And why did this body feel so different?But as his memories returned, so did the realization: this wasn’t some blessing or second chance.He wasn’t reincarnated as the protagonist.No destined savior.No cheat abilities.No grand fate.He was just another mob, a face in the crowd meant to exist and die without leaving a mark.But this young man—the one who had left his old name and life behind—wasn’t the kind of person to roll over and accept his fate.“This world is dangerous. The protagonist isn’t the only one fighting for survival here,”he muttered, his red eyes deep and sharp.Unlike the naïve characters in the story, he knew the stakes.He’d read the web novel.He’d seen the carnage, the betrayals, the disasters that wiped out entire cities.And if there was one thing he refused to be, it was a pawn in someone else’s game.“I don’t care about glory. I don’t care about saving the world. All I care about is surviving—no matter what it takes.”Lyrium Blackwood wasn’t planning to live quietly or avoid danger.The only way to survive in this brutal world was to rise to the top.To be strong enough to stand above both heroes and villains.Using his knowledge of the story’s events and his iron will, Lyrium sets out on a relentless path to surpass the protagonist.Whether through clever manipulation, brutal training, or sheer desperation, he’ll climb higher and higher, leaving nothing to chance.But the deeper he gets, the more he realizes that this isn’t just the story he once read.As fate pushes him closer to the heart of the narrative, Lyrium begins to suspect that his reincarnation wasn’t an accident—and the world itself might be watching him.“I don’t care who or what stands in my way. If the story wants to kill me, I’ll rewrite the ending myself.”----------------------------------I apologize for any mistakes in this story, as it’s my first attempt at writing a novel.

Shion, the ‘Hero of Darkness’. He was said to be the strongest hero ever. He believed one thing, and that was his current party members.

“I’ll defeat the Demon Lord with this party!”

That is what he swore to do, but a tragedy occurs. He was painfully betrayed by the girls that he trusted.

He barely held onto his life, but the incident left a deep scar in his heart.

He gave up on living, and while he was wandering around in a forest, looking for a way to die, a single monster appeared in front of him.

“Will you kill me, please?”

The monster asked Shion, who was still strong, despite losing his powers.

What Shion, who wanted to die as well, did was―

Jiang Xiaoman was bound to a system when she was three years old. The system told her that she was the lost daughter of a wealthy family assigned to play the cannon fodder in this script. The fake daughter that her parents adopted was the heroine of the story. 

Jiang Xiaoman blinked her eyes and asked, “What is a cannon fodder?” 　 

System: “You all live in a book, and everyone is assigned their role. From now on, you should keep on blackening and be a bad child. Do you see that little boy? He has a bigger role than you, in the future, he will become the big bad villain. Why don’t you bully him now, and show him up real good!” 

The naïve Jiang Xiaoman picked a handful of colorful flowers and stuffed them into his hands. “I’m showing you something really good!” 

System: “…”

Darling, you got it all wrong! Not showing him something good that way!

The little boy: “I don’t need friends, I don’t need company. I’m just a burden that no one wants. It’s my destiny to be abandoned.” 

Jiang Xiaoman: “That’s wrong. Everyone’s existences have meaning. System said you are especially important, even more important than me. You’ll be a really really useful person in the future!” 

System: “…??”

Did it say that?? 

Later on, the system stopped giving Jiang Xiaoman any tasks. Jiang Xiaoman was very sorry and said, “Mr. System, why won’t you play with me anymore?” 

System: “… just try to grow up first and learn to understand every word! You’re killing me!!” 

Jiang Xiaoman worked hard to blacken (not really) under the system’s supervision until she was reunited with her wealthy parents. She scratched her little head and asked, “Mr. System, what about the task? Didn’t you say that we should fight over the family’s wealth?” 

System: “What kind of wealth do you still want to fight over? You already have more money than your wealthy parents!”

{Ding! You've seduced the Ice queen}{Reward: you've earned 10× her net worth: $20M}{Multiple orgasm!}{Extra reward: $10M}As if losing everything wasn’t enough—his job, his pride, and his life, all stolen in a single day. First came betrayal. Then came Truck-Kun.Caleb Monrrow thought it was the end.Until he woke up in another world.Now reborn as the bastard son of a ruthless business tycoon, Caleb enters a life where his name is ignored, his worth dismissed, and his powerful siblings want him erased.He has one mission:Rise above them all and claim the legacy that should’ve never been his.But then…{Ding!}[10X Rebate System Activated]Seduce and conquer all female Cardholders. Receive 10X their wealth.“Getting rich while having fun? Sounds like the perfect deal.”Or so he thought.What the system didn’t say was that every Cardholder is linked to Group X—a shadowy organization that controls wealth, media, and power from the shadows.Each cardholder is powerful, seductive… and hunted.Rival Cardholders, deadly assassins, and secret alliances threaten to unravel everything.And now Caleb is in the middle of it all—with his life, heart, and future on the line.“Wait… the system never mentioned this!”In a game of lust, betrayal, and survival, Caleb must seduce, outsmart, and endure—because in this world, love is a weapon... and wealth is war.