Reborn as a Mountain: I Defy the Heavens with a Smile - Chapter 136: The Trial of Emptiness

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?

When you grow up, you’re mine.

~~~

Lu Feng, with her fiery character and short temper, only had one fatal weakness. That was the lukewarm and soft Xu Mu.

There were so many youths in the capital, yet she took fancy to none of them. She instead sought after her newly arrived neighbor’s sweetie and secretly planned to kidnap him home.

Until one day, the two became cousins…

Lu Feng: … That nutrient-rich water cannot flow into someone else’s field!

Xu Mu: =v=

~~~

Xu Mu: What am I to you?

Lu Feng: You are my sweetest candied fruit!

~~~

In their previous life, Xu Mu and Lu Feng were married for only half a year when she died in battle. Xu Mu couldn’t bear the news of her death and followed her three days later.

Who knew that after he died, time flowed backward and returned him to their childhood. Xu Mu sat on his bed, dazed. In this life, he needed to think of a way to first find his wife, then chase her with all his strength. Only until he made up their past life to her would he “leave”.

Xu Mu: Last life, I didn’t love you enough. This life, I want to love you even more. Starting from innocent little childhood friends to the grey-haired and weak elderly, I will not let you go.

- Description from Novelupdates

Ruins stretched across the landscape in the apocalypse after the nuclear war.

Mirian Castrella, a student in her final year of a magical academy, unexpectedly finds herself caught in a time loop and haunted by strange dreams of the Elder Gods. Her plan had been to become an artificer to support her struggling family, but when the Akana Praediar army betrays her country in a surprise attack, everything changes. Instead, she finds herself delving into the dark secrets of the world, mastering magic, finding allies, and uncovering a vast conspiracy. However, just because the time loop can save her life doesn’t mean it can save her from everything. Mirian must navigate a dangerous world changed by the magitech revolution. Her quest to save the world from the apocalypse will lead her to battle magi and beasts, into the unfathomable underground Labyrinth, across distant lands, and into forgotten ancient ruins. Only through becoming a master arcanist who understands the true nature of the world can Mirian hope to stop the apocalypse she relives through time and time again. If she fails, everything she loves will be lost. ‍ What to expect: - Slow burn power progression - A clever protagonist who changes as the story moves from arc to arc - Expansive world-building full of complexity and secrets - A focus on magic - Intrigue and spell-flinging fights - A rotating cast of characters in each arc - Starts slow, then picks up speed