Standing Next To You - Chapter 107: At the Rooftop

In this world, there are those that are fortunate and those who are not.

Ethan Bellrose is neither; he is cursed. At nineteen, he has lived his entire life sheltered in his home as his fragile body blisters under sunlight, breaks under the slightest impact, and falls to any sickness.

However, the arrival of a world-changing digital service catches the hopeless young man’s eye: “Reincarnation Online”--a virtual reality experience that gives a new fantastical life to those who are unfulfilled with their current path.

For Ethan Bellrose, the choice is simple. Without hesitation, he orders the virtual reality headgear, choosing to abandon his current life and live forevermore in the world of fantasy, magic, and endless adventure–”Arcadius.”

Though what he finds is a world not full of leisure and trivial triumph, but a world just as alive and full of darkness, glory, and grandeur as Earth–if not greater.

Starting from square one as an infant, given a new name and family, this is the eventful life, full of dreadful lows and exhilarating highs, of “Emilio Dragonheart.”

[...Booting System…]

[Welcome to Reincarnation Online.]

[You will henceforth by the recipient of the Dragonheart System.]

[Please, enjoy your stay.]

Guys here is my pitch.....In the sprawling world of fantasy, we’ve often been treated to tales of heroes reincarnated with divine blessings, legendary powers, or cheat-like abilities, thrust into magical lands as shining saviors—or chaotic terrors. But what happens when the very concept of reincarnation becomes a curse? When the divine boon is a big fat joke, and the “cheat system” doesn’t quite… cheat?Enter John, the unluckiest reincarnate. Blessed by a god and thrust into a fantasy world, he dreams of glory, power, and adventure—only to wake up as a normal, utterly powerless bird. Not a mythical phoenix, not an ancient thunder eagle. Just… a bird.To make matters worse, this world is no ordinary realm. It's a land scarred by the devastating legacies of past isekai’d heroes and villains, whose reckless exploits piled skeletons into mountains and turned their cheats into harbingers of chaos. Fed up with these unruly intruders, the ancients of the realm banded together to create a world-shaking seal: all reincarnated souls are trapped in the bodies of harmless animals, confined to isolated sanctuaries that function more like fantasy zoos.Here’s the twist: this isn’t mercy. It’s a resource grab. The powerful beast tamers of this realm have turned these reincarnated souls into exotic pets, prized for their cheat-like potential.John finds himself at the bottom of the food chain in every sense. His cheat doesn’t work. His human form is gone. And his world is filled with predatory cultivators who see him as either a snack or a tool.But John isn’t one to give up so easily. What starts as despair quickly turns into cunning survival. With wings and wit as his only tools, John must navigate layers of misfortune, dodge fate’s sharp talons, and cheat his way through a world determined to keep him grounded.Get ready to join John on a wildly unconventional journey—one where reincarnation isn’t a ticket to greatness, but a death sentence he’s determined to rewrite. His story is one of humor, wit, and persistence, as he explores a world where he is the joke and his survival is the punchline.Main tags: reincarnation/isekai, beast taming cultivation system, comedy, action, adventure.Of course No-harem!

Qin Huai has traveled to a fantasy world where demons are rampant, and heroes coexist. He has no background and no qualifications for cultivation. Until that day he became an apprentice in a pharmacy and began to practice with his brothers.

He discovered that experience balls fell out of his master and senior brothers.

He followed the apprentice to grind the medicine.

“Ding! 【Pharmacy】experience value +3!”

Master and brothers practice martial arts.

“Ding! You picked up a [Nursing Qi Gong Essence (White)], [Nursing Qi Gong] experience value +3!”

He killed the bandits, and actually picked up the opponent’s martial arts.

“Ding! 【Expression Concentration Skill】experience value +13!”

The master said that Qigong is not good at attacking and attacking, there is an upper limit of practice, and it can only prolong life.

But when Qin Huai picked up his experience and forcibly picked up Qi Yang Gong to the 50th floor, the qi in his body was like a real dragon, his pushing hands were like a stormy wave, and his offense and defense were integrated.

People in the world say that the two kinds of exercises are in conflict, and if you practice them forcibly, you will explode and die.

Qin Huai picked up the experience and directly skipped the practice process in one step, without any side effects!

When Qin Huai practiced more and more exercises, he suddenly discovered that those exercises interacted in his body, evolving stronger skills.

…

Qin Huai, who was able to gain experience, began to wander among the various forces.

He saw bones and raw flesh, living another life.

He saw the evil spirit cooking thousands of people, and his evil spirit was soaring.

He saw Buddha statues chanting scriptures in temples, and the Sanskrit sounds were like mantras.

Qin Huai picked up experience silently in order to survive in the troubled times.

- Description from novelbuddy

Have you ever considered, what is a Limit? Well, I have. I’ve seen people who were as strong, as wild animals. Those that were faster than the wind. Some that shined with intellect. Yet, what are the Limits of mankind’s strength, or intelligence?

No one seems to know. We develop more and more, seemingly without an end. What if, someone was the smartest in the world? Would that suggest the Limit? What if, someone was the strongest in the world? Would that be the Limit? Would that make that someone, more than a Human? These are just questions, but what if I saw people reach their Limits? What if I know what happens, when you break the Limits? What if I were to tell you about it, would you believe me?
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The book is completed. The 1st volume (e-book) is available for my patreons or through amazon!
https://www.patreon.com/darkrayauthor
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086PY3HYV
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