MTL - Illusion - Chapter 169 Rong Mei

The strongest doesn’t need cheats.

Haruka, a high schooler who spends his life as a “loner,” is suddenly summoned to another world with his classmates.

Noticing the god in front of him, Haruka was going to get cheat abilities by picking what he wanted from the skill list so that he could live in the other world――or so he thought, but the skills were first come, first serve.

All the cheat skills were taken by my classmates?!

After not being able to get any amazing skills, Haruka’s “loner” skill made him unable to join any parties. Even in another world, he’ll adventure in solitude.

Haruka, recognizing the crisis of his classmates, decided to secretly help them out while not relying on cheats. He’ll surpass cheats as he walks the path of the strongest――.

Let the curtains raise for the tale about the strongest loner’s attack on the different world!

Earth’s top weapon specialist’s soul crossed over to an alternate world, merged with Rebirth Martial Emperor’s memories, cultivating Nine Dragons War Sovereign Technique, sweeping through all opposition with invincible might!

Able to refine medicine, capable of crafting weapons, and knows the art of inscription….

Being skilled in all professions is the way of kings!

Baek Yigang is a son of the Baek Clan, one of the seven great clans of Zhongyuan. Afflicted with the Taiyin Qi Blockage, he is cursed with a shortened lifespan and the inability to collect internal energy. He had been peacefully spending the rest of his days indoors when he was ambushed by a group of masked people. During the ambush, he lost his servant who was like a sister to him. Chased by the attackers, Baek Yigang escaped through a secret underground path. When he came across a blocked path, he decided he’d at least die fighting and picked up a rusted sword that was stuck in the ground…

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.