Spirit's Awakening: The Path of Lightning and Water - Chapter 343: The Fortress, Joryk Vrel

How did he meet such a bandit-like man? He drags you away the second he sees you! And yet, the only thing he can do is try his best to set the boundaries between them.

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“Don’t you ever try to leave and reason things out. It’s futile. Yelling is also useless. This lao zi has already fallen for you and I shall make you mine.”

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“Be obedient and wait for me at home, so I can pamper you till the day I die.”

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“Running away? What about it?

You dare to run away again and this lao zi will spend his lifetime seeing you try.”

- Description from Novelupdates

[The citizens of planet #674589 has been given the opportunity to awaken.]With this abrupt message that appeared out of nowhere, the world as everyone knew it had ended.A series of apocalyptic level of natural disaster washed over the Earth, claiming numerous lives in the process.Every lifeform on earth that managed to survive the apocalyptic natural disaster was given immense power.Animals metamorphosed into terrifying beasts and various plants gained self-awareness, while the surviving humans gained powerful supernatural abilities.Leo, a young man finally left the orphanage, a place he'd called home for his entire 16 years of life. With his dreams of finally breaking free and experiencing adult life outside of the orphanage finally coming true, his world was turned upside down after receiving the message with the rest of the world.Freedom was no longer something given, it now had to be earned. This apocalyptic and ruined world was something that could take kill him in an instant.[Requirements met. First Seal Broken.][Innate skill awakened: Regeneration.]

Takahiro Nao, a 25-year-old drowning in debt and despair, lives only for his struggling family. Every sacrifice he makes is for them—until a selfless act costs him his life. Instead of the end, Nao encounters a Goddess of Benevolence who offers him a miraculous deal: “Live in a new world, and your efforts there will support your family back on Earth.”Reborn into the dead body of Naoki von Blackmore, the so-called “Failed Hero,” he finds himself burdened with the daunting task of saving the world by defeating the Demon King—all while supporting the family he cherishes. Armed with formidable powers yet haunted by his past failures, Nao steps into a dangerous realm of swords, magic, and ferocious monsters. Facing relentless enemies, harrowing trials of life and death, and an unyielding fate, he’s forced to confront the ultimate question: how far is he willing to go to protect the people he loves?Filled with emotional struggles, determination, unexpected humor, and a touch of romance, this story asks a powerful question to the readers: What would you sacrifice for the people you love?