MTL - Gratifying the Royal Family - Chapter 19 : A Century of Legends

After coming out of a tunnel… it was pitch dark.

We were a peaceful people living in harmony with nature in the vast lands of Lyréanor, but this peace was short-lived when our people were defeated by the dark elves, an ancient people even older than this world. It is said that they arrived in Lyréanor by boat and since their arrival, chaos has been unleashed. Proud of their obscure power, derived from dark rituals, they have raised gigantic armies of monsters whose name is synonymous with terror: ‘Obscurus’.They went on the rampage, and everywhere they went the grass didn't grow back, life died and disintegrated. Seven, there were seven. The seven dark elves known as the Lords of the Apocalypse. A single gesture from them was enough to strike us all down, a single gesture from one of them was enough to decimate us in blood and terror.And as I, Foster, contemplate the macabre scene before me, the bloodied and deformed bodies of my fellow elfes beings, and as death grips my soul, a strange sign appeared before me.[Ding... Activation of the world tree system]

He lived like a king, died like a grandpa... and woke up as a bratty villain inside a fantasy novel.Nice.Born into the mighty Arkanveil family, he’s expected to grow up spoiled, arrogant, and doomed. But sorry, fate — he’s got better plans.Armed with a broken Proficiency Panel, two god-tier Traits, and the mind of a seasoned conqueror, he’s here to rewrite the script.Demigods plotting. Councils scheming. Demon Emperors laughing.They’re all just EXP waiting to happen.Pretending to be a clueless baby genius, he secretly trains, conquers, and stacks power like a final boss.Because this time, the EX-Rank Villain isn’t playing to survive.He’s playing to win.The world’s greatest families have no idea what’s coming. But hey... they’ll find out soon enough.“EX-Rank problems require EX-Rank solutions.”

Betrayed. Ridiculed. Killed.That was my past life.I trusted the wrong people, and they buried me for it. But fate wasn’t done with me yet. When I opened my eyes again, it wasn’t in my old body—it was in a world overrun by the undead. And this time, I was one of them.A fucking zombie!But I’m not like the others. I think. I feel. I remember.What’s this voice in my head?[Welcome to the Silent Requiem System!]The system feeds me power, unlocking missions and skill buried within this body. I have one goal: rise in rank, take control, and make sure no one ever tramples me again.The humans I move with have no idea what I really am. To them, I’m just another survivor, clawing my way to the top. But in battle, I use my abilities in secret—manipulating the undead, eliminating threats, and turning every fight in my favor.But rumors are spreading. There’s talk of an undead hiding among them, unseen and unstoppable. If they find out the truth, they’ll hunt me down like a monster.And my past? It’s here too. The people who betrayed me in my last life are standing right beside me, unaware of who I am. But I remember them. They turned on me once—I won’t give them the chance to do it again.Then there’s him. The commander of the city, sharp-eyed and ruthless. He’s watching me too closely, asking too many questions. If he figures out the truth, I’ll have to make a choice: eliminate him, outplay him… or pull him into my trap before he can destroy me.Because in this world, power is the only thing that matters. And this time, I refuse to be at the bottom.***“How did you survive when everyone else died?”I guess death just didn’t want me.“Why do the zombies ignore you?”Maybe I just have a face they don’t like.“You were just a nobody yesterday—how are you suddenly so strong?”Hard work, luck… and a little bit of hex.“Why do I feel like I've seen you somewhere before?”Déjà vu’s a funny thing, isn’t it?“What are you?”Wouldn’t you like to know?