Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System - Chapter 41: Return From The Nightmare

Welcome! If you want to jump in without any spoilers, feel free. Otherwise, here's a story primer, with a list of more specifics on what to expect from my work further below.Our story follows a fallen knight haunted by his past, in a world afflicted by war and supernatural wounds. Alken is the Headsman of Seydis, an executioner tasked by the divine powers of his homeland to hunt dark sorcerers, warlords, and traitors of all varieties, lest they drag the world into calamity.Once a paladin, this role ill suits him. Forced to cross lines that shake his beliefs, tempted by dark forces, and seen as an ill omen wherever he wanders, his path is often a bloody one. The longer he spends in the shadows of his world, the more he comes to realize just how many have been disenfranchised by the existent order. During his lonely battles through a land haunted by the restless dead and ancient magics, his journey becomes increasingly strange and personal.Enter a realm where the dead stir in every shadow and brooding demigods wage a millennia long war for a ruined heaven, where blessed knights wield gilded flames and sorcerers battle with weapons forged of their own souls. Enter a world of faustian alchemists, of saintly demons, and of time-weary elves.From Oathbreaker you can expect— A setting heavily inspired by Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Fromsoft games, and authors such as Michael Moorcock and Kentauro Miura. — A first person POV from an older protagonist who already knows a lot about his world’s history and cultures, who shares this information with the reader as it becomes relevant.— A mix of action adventure and quieter moments where the focus is on character development. Lore is shared piecemeal, usually only as it relates to a particular arc or character beat.— A heavy focus on mystery, both with the setting and the protagonist. The main character’s backstory isn’t shared up front, and a lot of the narrative involves learning about him a bit at a time, either from his own narration or other characters interacting with him.— A semi-soft magic system where many mages manifest unique powers tied to their own soul, or gain unique powers through eldritch pacts.— Romantic elements. These don’t crop up much until later in the story.— A variety of supernatural beings, such as elves, vampires, gargoyles, chimera, and trolls. Many are familiar, some are not, and most of the familiar ones have my own twists put on them.—Nobledark fantasy. This means that the world is often themed around tragedy and horror, but it’s not dedicated to being gritty. There are elements of high fantasy intermixed with the scarier stuff.—Episodic arcs. Each story arc usually has a specific locale and antagonist or set of antagonists, but certain overarching plots tie them together.— A long running narrative. I don’t have a specific projection of how long or how many arcs or books, but you should expect this to be equivalent to a long running serialized work.This is my first web serial! I hope everyone enjoys it. For trigger warnings, readers should beware that there are some heavy topics in here. When I think something might upset certain readers, I’ll put a warning in the author notes above a chapter. If I miss or overlook anything, feel free to let me know in the comments! I am currently publishing the same story on my wordpress, which is linked below and in my profile. I release three chapters a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Thanks for reading!(I originally had a link to a wordpress, but I'm in the process of overhauling that space. It's not a priority since my readership is all here, but just in case anyone noticed and was wondering)

“Greatness comes after third death”.

....

Joanna Anderson, had nothing except the empty title of being the King's mate, making her a foe to everyone in the kingdom.

Losing her mother in infancy, despised by her father and having suffered so much for years, she was pushed down a cliff and left to die.

Kayden Greyson, fifth King of Twipera, was a gentle and loving soul until the day he lost his beloved and everything changed.

With the bitterness of heart and the mysterious death of all kings in their sixth year of reign, bothering him, he is helplessly faced with death.

Can he find out the true cause and save himself or would he fall prey? And what has her survival had to do with his life?

****

The wind howled in response as its sweetness, welcomed the body that was thrown into its embrace.

“I have suffered too much all my life to end up like this. I don't want my life to end like a joke. I deserve more than what I got from life. I, Joanna, refused to die.”

Tears rippled through her face as she closed her eyes waiting for the final destination at death’s door. But… it never came.

No one has ever entered the Ancient Forest of No Return and come out alive but this powerless werewolf girl did.

Not only coming back alive but with a system, making her powerful through completing missions.

The last thing on Joanna's mind after returning was having a relationship or anything that has to do with love but the first mission she got changed everything.

[Main mission: Seduce and make your mate hard and say I LOVE YOU]

[Reward: 50 exp]

[Failure: returning to level 1]

Almost pulling out her hair or crying, the mission remained unchanged? She needed to seduce the king either way.

……………………………………………………………

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He shall call forth the bone dragon! Summon the lich and the grim reaper! Li Jiayu, the dark summoner, has been reborn and everything returned to the moment before the outbreak of the devastating apocalypse.

Spaces tremble violently and dimensional cracks connected to various worlds appear! In an instant, never-seen-before civilizations invade our homeland. Insects the size of humans and walking corpses sweep through Earth in legions. An imminent crisis is approaching humanity and billions of human lives are at risk!

In regards to Li Jiayu’s uncorrupted soul, his summons shall no longer be limited to creatures which lurk in the darkness. They will also include the entities that bask in the light.

Under the lingering shadow of death, he vows to prevent a repeat of past tragedies!

Struggling within the exhausting apocalyptic world, he chooses to trudge on the bloody path of slaughter.

Walking hand in hand with death, he no longer lives under the cold embrace of the darkness. He shall embark on the bright path towards glory.

‘This is an opportunity to make a comeback… I will put everything on the line to right the wrongs and to protect the loved ones that were once lost.’

- Description from Novelupdates

Born as a lowly goblin, Leav refused to accept fate’s cruelty. Through sheer will and tactical brilliance, he clawed his way up—evolving, battling, and commanding monsters who once saw him as nothing. But power comes at a cost. As war rages and enemies lurk in shadows, Leav faces betrayal, brutal losses, and the cold truth—strength alone won’t forge a kingdom. With ancient magic resurfacing and rival factions closing in, can he rise above mere survival and claim true dominion? In a world where the strong rule and the weak perish, Leav must choose: remain a pawn or become a king.