Douluo Dalu: Starting With Tom Cat - Chapter 176: Tch, What An Act

A Wicked Witch, trailed by vengeful spirits and curses.“Hey, Tin Can! Did I not tell you to stop causing trouble?!”A Courageous Lion, descended from the bloodline of a hero.“Uh, no matter what, this seems like a bit much, no? Huh? Whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger? Um, Sir Knight? Sir Knight!?”A Scarecrow, sealed away for pursuing the taboo.“Despite appearances, I’m quite capable from the shoulders up. Below that, you say? Let’s see, if I had to give a cold self-assessment… perhaps an emergency shield?”A Solitary Tin Knight, forever barred from human warmth.[The ‘Tin Knight’ urges everyone to initiate the boss battle, saying the cut scene is over!]This is a cruel, fairytale-like adventure story told by twisted protagonists.…Maybe!

Ethan's head throbbed violently as he opened his eyes, his vision hazy and unfocused. A dull ringing filled his ears, drowning out his thoughts.“What’s happening…?” he thought, his mind sluggish, struggling to catch up with reality. One moment, he was asleep—or at least, he thought he was—and the next, searing pain forced him awake.His vision swam, shapes blurring together in a disorienting mess. But then, muffled noises filtered through the haze—frantic, panicked sounds. Someone was trying to scream, their voice smothered, choked by something.A cold shiver ran down his spine.As his sight gradually sharpened, Ethan's breath hitched.He was on all fours, looming over someone. A girl.Her body twisted and writhed beneath him, ropes biting into her wrists and ankles. Her mouth was gagged, muffling her cries. Her wide brown eyes, brimming with fear and fury, glared up at him.Ethan's body locked in place, his blood running cold.“What the…?” His mind reeled, thoughts slamming into each other in chaotic disarray. “What kind of bizarre dream is this?”Panic clawed at his chest. His breath came in ragged, uneven gasps as he scrambled backward, only to realize his limbs felt sluggish, uncooperative, like they didn’t belong to him.“Is this… is this some kind of twisted fantasy I never knew I had?” A sickening thought slithered through his mind, making his stomach churn.The girl's frantic squirming slowed for a moment, her gaze flickering with confusion as she took in his expression—his trembling hands, his wide, horrified eyes. But the fear returned just as quickly. She struggled harder, her body arching, her muffled screams rising in pitch.Ethan wanted to speak, to say something, anything, but before he could force out a word, a glowing blue window materialized before his eyes.His breath caught.A translucent, hovering screen?“What…?”Lines of glowing text scrolled across its surface.---[System Activated…][Host Confirmed.][Simulating Previous Data…]Ethan awakens in a mysterious world, shackled by a curse that clouds his judgment and drives him toward choices he never wished to make. Burdened by guilt and responsibility, he must navigate the fallout of his actions while unraveling the truth behind the curse—and his place in this enigmatic new reality.

An era where the desperate, miserable, and tragic tale of the six heroes who sealed the Dark Mage, who sought to destroy Maple World, became the favorite legend of children.

“The Cygnus Knights have fallen, the Resistance has collapsed, the Cross Hunters have been destroyed, and the adventurers have been annihilated. And the six heroes are dead.”

An era where no one dared to resist the reappearance of the Dark Mage and his followers.

“You are the only one left, El Paume. You’re the last adventurer.”

In that era, there was an adventurer who continued to fight until the end.

After a year of relentless effort, Alex becomes the first to conquer a tutorial quest deemed impossible by the entire playerbase of Endless Leveling Online. But instead of loot or leaderboard fame, he earns something far stranger—an invitation from the God of Games.His prize? A one-way trip to Arcana, a living, breathing world where stories shape reality—and a chance to become the Protagonist of his own story.In a land of endless possibilities and ever-shifting destinies, Alex would try to bend the rules, rewrite fates, and forge his own legend. But being the Protagonist means more than glory.It carries a heavy responsibility.As secrets unravel and alliances are tested, Alex must decide whom he must protect, and save before the world collapses under the weight of its own story.