Re: Blood and Iron - Chapter 5: The Cruelty of This World

Zhang Xiao Qiang is a nobody in this apocalyptic world with danger lurking everywhere, he is forced to wander around and learn the rules and principles to survive. Over the course of time, Zhang Xiao Qiang’s character and laziness slowly wore away from the experiences he faces. Zhang Xiao Qiang becomes more resilient, of course also gaining power whilst watching the lunatics of the apocalypse trampling on everything they could trample on. Zhang Xiao Qiang always maintained a bit of conscience in him. He never had the thoughts of being a hero, yet he doesn’t mind sharing bread from his plate. Zhang Xiao Qiang will continue to live in the cracks of the apocalyptic world until the crack can no longer hold him.

Some places have gruesome descriptions, so enter with caution!!! Zhang Xiao Qiang motto is: “Don’t talk to me about human rights, Don’t talk to me about the laws, Don’t talk to me about favors!”

TL note: ‘Xiao Qiang’ is slang for ‘cockroach’ but is also the name of the main character.

- Description from Novelupdates

How does it feel to lose your parents at the tender age of four?Imagine the trauma, the psychological scars. Now, take it a step further—what if they died right in front of you?That was Kael’s reality. As a young boy, he watched his parents perish while desperately protecting a golden coin.At the time, Kael had no idea of its significance. He only knew that their deaths were tied to it.Fleeing from his father’s murderers, he was forced to survive on the unforgiving streets, learning to fight, steal, and endure.Twelve years later, he had transformed into one of the deadliest assassins the world had ever known.He had no official title. No known employer. No traceable identity. Just a calling card.They called him The Coin Flipper.Not because he left his mark, but because after every kill—just as the body hit the ground, as the last breath escaped—he would flip a coin.No one knew why. Some believed it was mockery, a cruel reminder that fate had turned against them. Others thought it was ritual.But what they didn’t know was that each coin held power—literal currency of the Core System embedded in Kael’s soul.Every kill earned him millions. Digital fortunes funneled into off-grid accounts with each confirmed target. Blood turned into bounty, pain into profit.And one thing was certain: if you saw the glint of a coin spinning through the air, death had already found you.

Harry Morton was born in an age where magic and mana ruled everything.

He was unable to awaken his affinity and to make things worse he was born with a broken mana core foundation which meant he would never be able to create or develop a mana core. Since he couldn’t create a mana core, he would never be able to draw mana—not even the slightest strand.

He was the first person to be born without a mana core foundation, the only one with the inability to draw mana. Due to this, he was regarded as trash by everyone: his parents, his friends, the society and even the academy he attended.

It was until one day, during a mana beast attack when he almost lost his life.

He saw a strange white line rapidly moving downwards, towards him. Unbeknownst to him, the white streak went into his body.

When he woke up the next day, a strange message appeared in front of him.

DING!!

[Welcome Host to the Manaless mage system]

However things didn’t end there, a lot of secrets were revealed to him, things greater than he could have ever imagined.

Now that he had the power, would he save humanity?

Follow the protagonist in his journey as the Manaless mage, as he rises to the absolute top!

Just as a gamer found an overpowered skill book called ‘Item Upgrade’ in the hottest virtual reality role-playing game on Earth, something happened to the game’s system, causing his soul to leave his body and go to another dimension. Common sense dictates that he would be born anew then become the greatest overlord of this world by making use of his advanced knowledge. Not in this case! He was already dead. Only some fragments of his soul and that skill book managed to get into that dimension and merge with an ordinary common youngster called Bai Yunfei.

This was the enormous Tianhun continent, where humans could be said to have no limits. There was a group of humans here who could cultivate the power of their own souls then control their bodies, the natural elements and even other people’s souls with that power! These special beings were called — soul cultivators. Come witness how the several fragments of the dead inter-dimensional traveler’s soul and that skill book, which was not governed by the laws of this plane, were going to help Bai Yunfei become a legendary soul cultivator and craftsman!