Steel and Mana - Chapter 19 – Progress (1)

“Mr. Joseph, what are you thinking?”

“I am thinking about you.”

“You … you are full of sweet nonsense!”

Enjoy a sweet love story of fun, with a scheming, domineering yet cute male lead, and a cunning, greedy and untamed female lead

Junpei Takeda, a high school student, is childhood friends with Noriko Tatsumiya and is bullied by Kido Shouta. One day, while bullying Junpei, they (Junpei, Tatsumiya, & Shouta) were suddenly summoned to a different world by the whim of “God”. Summoned Heroes with cheats, or so he thought. But it turns out Junpei’s stats were even worse than an average farmer. Tricked into a deathly labyrinth by the only one he trust, he walks the journey for revenge.

Crimson Vale Academy—where reputation is currency, and failure is a stain you wear on your sleeve.Behind gothic walls and spotless uniforms, students aren't just educated—they're measured, ranked, and pitted against each other in a brutal meritocracy. Privileges are earned, not given. The strong rise. The weak vanish.Enter Kairon Vale, a transfer student marked Rank D—the bottom of the bottom. No badge. Just a stitched black fang, branding him as “Obsidian”—a warning to others.In a system where points dictate your value, Obsidian-ranked students claw for every opportunity to ascend into the prestigious Golden or Platinum ranks—where comfort, power, and influence await. But for most, it’s a losing battle.Yet Kairon isn’t here to fit in, impress, or play by their rules. Cold, calculating, and impossible to read, he watches the system… and waits. Because while the academy judges worth by numbers and names—he understands something deeper:Everyone wears a mask. And every mask can be cracked.Let the games begin.

At the peak of her career, A-list actress Song Ning announced her withdrawal from the entertainment industry for love, shocking the nation.Everyone thought that she must have found her ideal home. That was why she was so determined.At first, Song Ning thought so too. For the rest of her life, she would not be a celebrity. She would only be a virtuous and virtuous woman who would take care of her husband and children at home.However, on the night before their wedding, she found out that her fiancé was having an affair with her best friend.Enraged, Song Ning found a random man to register their marriage at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau.She originally wanted to take revenge on her scumbag fiancé, but she did not expect that the man who registered his marriage with her was the heir of nation's largest financial group, Mu Chen.After they got married, Mu Chen doted on Song Ning and protected her in every way possible. He didn't allow anyone to bully her.Song Ning always thought that she would be happy for the rest of her life and live the best life she wanted.That's right, she got it. It was just a little different from what she had originally imagined. The person who gave her everything was someone else.Many years later…Song Ning looked at Mu Chen affectionately. "I'm really lucky. Thank God I met you and saved me from hell."Mu Chen smiled faintly. “Yes, thank God.”However, Song Ning would never know. Mu Chen wasn't talking about thanking God for letting him meet Song Ning. He was thanking God for letting Song Ning's fiancé cheated on her so that he would have a chance.There was no such thing as an accidental encounter. It was just a premeditated pursuit.That day, he waited for Song Ning outside the Civil Affairs Bureau for ten hours…