Cultivation starts with picking up attributes - Chapter 89: Ch-: Little Mei—A pastry thief

[WSA 2025 Entry]Ivan Mendoza, a world-renowned robotics engineer, met his end at the hands of those who feared his genius. But death was not the end. Awakening in the body of Kael Valtieri, heir to a destitute border territory in the magical kingdom of Ardania, Ivan finds a second chance in an unfamiliar world driven by arcane forces.In this realm, magic reigns supreme, yet it is woefully inefficient and bound by antiquated traditions. Armed with the knowledge of advanced robotics and engineering from his past life, Kael sets out to merge science with sorcery, aiming to revolutionize the very fabric of magic. His quest? To uplift his impoverished territory and safeguard it against the lurking dangers beyond the border.But Kael’s journey takes a thrilling turn when he stumbles upon the remnants of an ancient, forgotten civilization. Hidden within their ruins lies golem technology—astonishing constructs far superior to anything Earth’s science could fathom. Driven by curiosity and ambition, Kael deciphers their secrets, melding ancient ingenuity with his modern intellect to forge unprecedented defenses.As Kael uncovers the dark history of this world, he learns of rifts that once unleashed monstrous beings from other dimensions, nearly annihilating humanity. Though a powerful artifact sealed these rifts, its strength is waning, and an impending cataclysm looms.Now, with time running out and the continent teetering on the brink of another monstrous invasion, Kael must wield his hybrid mastery of science and magic to confront the rising tide of darkness. Can one man, armed with the knowledge of two worlds, avert a catastrophe and carve out a new destiny?Prepare for an epic tale of innovation, mystery, and survival in a world where the past and future collide.

Religious and cultural schisms wreak havoc on its internal politics, while revolutions are brewing in neighboring kingdoms. The aristocratic houses play endless power games amongst themselves, and the Emperor desperately abuses what little influence he has left to keep his rivals down.Amidst all of this, Arnold von Hohenfels, first son of the Margrave of Hohenfels, finds himself in the unfortunate position of having to attend the Imperial Academy, a notorious battleground of wits and brawn for ambitious young nobles.Armed with a magical gift that is as much a blessing as it is a curse, he must learn to navigate the treacherous waters of aristocratic entanglements. In the name of his family’s ambition, he must represent House Hohenfels' interests in this microcosm of Imperial politics, deal with his formidable enemies, form alliances of his own, and somehow keep his brash cousin Friedrich out of trouble.Frankly, he would much rather be anywhere else.

After the real daughter of the Jiang family fell sick, she became stupid and insisted on marrying the cold-blooded, cruel, and crippled Fu Jiu. Mother Jiang said, "So be it. She's a good-for-nothing anyway. I only asked her to marry in place of my sister." Father Jiang: "After you marry him, remember to ask 9th master to help your sister find a better marriage." The fake heiress said, "Sob, I feel so sorry for Sister, but… if you get beaten to death by the 9th master, the Fu family will compensate us a lot of money, right? I'm looking forward to it." Jiang Li sneered. She bid farewell to her hypocritical family and brought her shabby dowry to the Fu family. After having been reborn once, she knew very well that Fu Jiu was the only person who treated her well. Everyone was waiting for Jiang Li to be beaten to death. Finally, one day, she was photographed by reporters and posted online. "It's all your fault! You used so much force last night! The Jiang family is going to laugh at me again!" Fu Jiuxiao said, "With me around, no one will dare to laugh at you. Moreover, I will make them pay back tenfold for the pain that the Jiang family has caused you!"

A number of university students are given a simple survey in which they must watch a number of short films and rank them in order of preference. The reader takes the survey along with them with the short films being told as short stories.