MTL - The Path of the Cannon Fodder’s Counterattack - Chapter 9 A small measure

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.

Swordmaster Karyl MacGovern.

He returned to the past, wanting to rewrite the future he was unable to change with his sword alone. And this time, he would acquire the power that once eluded him—magic.

This time, he would master both sword and magic, and stand on the peak.

At the age of eleven, the youth Ye Xuan's soul traveled through time to the distant Mythical Era, becoming an Undying monster emerging from the Emperor's Burial Ground, influencing one era after another. Yet behind Ye Xuan, an invisible force manipulated everything. Struggling to take control of his fate, Ye Xuan exhausted all means, but just as he was on the brink of success, he was betrayed by his disciple and wife, causing his soul to slumber for ninety thousand years.When Ye Xuan awoke, he found himself back in his own body and had become the son-in-law of the Emperor Immortal Sect, treated by others as a fool. The story begins from here.Eternal Emperor Soul, returned overnight.From then on, an emperor rose as a son-in-law, ushering in an invincible myth that dominated through the ages!Simplified version: The foolish son-in-law, soul returned, rose in one morning, invincible through all ages.Show-off version: “I am invincible; do as you please.” — Ye Xuan.Meme version: That year, my hands in my pockets, I knew no rivals.

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