Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king - Chapter 579: Sovereign(2)

When the admissions office of Witch Academy called, I was stunned—I had been accepted into a school I never imagined I could touch.Yes, I am a boy and it is an all-girls’ academy, but they did not mind, so I saw no reason to object. I had applied secretly, without telling my family, just to take a chance.But as soon as those striking seniors greeted us newcomers—pressing every boy against the wall with a knowing smile—I realized things were about to spin out of control.“Oh, come now, you sweet little freshman,” one of them said smoothly, her voice full of mischief. “Don’t make this difficult for me, your big sis. Swallow this core and transform into a witch like me, alright?”She held the glowing orb before us, half-threatening, half-teasing, almost inviting the new boys to react. It was clear she enjoyed it—the blend of fear and resistance in their expressions. Our unease seemed to be her personal amusement.After all, they only had this opportunity once a year.

“Next, we have the most noble recipient of the Order of the Garter, the Grand Cross of Saint Michael and Saint George, the Grand Cross of the Bath, the Victoria Cross and the lower grades of Knighthood, the leader of the anti-colonial movement, the bell-ringer of the East India Company, the hero of the Crimean War, a Fellow of the Royal Society, a lifelong dear friend of literary giants such as Dickens and Great Dumas, a steadfast supporter of scientific luminaries like Faraday and Darwin, having served as assistant under-secretary, deputy under-secretary, and permanent under-secretary in departments of the Home Office and the Navy Department of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the inaugural Cabinet Secretary and head of the civil service, the first graduate and most distinguished alumnus of our school. Please welcome Sir Arthur Hastings to deliver a speech on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the University of London.”Arthur's gaze swept across the crowd before him, looking at the young faces and murmured, “Agares, what do you think I should say?”The Red Devil's wraith hovered behind him, saliva almost dribbling from the corner of his mouth, “Look at these ignorant souls; they still worship you as a hero. Why not say something they'd like to hear?”Arthur took a deep breath and let out a deafening roar, “Oxford is a bunch of whores' bastards!”“Oh!!!!”The audience erupted into thunderous applause.“Cambridge is the same!” he added immediately.The applause grew even more fervent...(The protagonist, possessed by a devil, travels through 19th-century Britain in a world without magic)

Dane Harper's life was a monotonous grind. Stuck in a soul-sucking 9-to-9 job with barely any time to breathe, his only escape was the world of visual novels. From anime to manga, light novels to webnovels, Dane had consumed it all, but nothing compared to his ultimate obsession: Harem, Dragons, and Deities (HDXD).This legendary visual novel was a masterpiece of high fantasy, packed with detailed lore, jaw-dropping twists, and, of course, an insane harem of monster girls and powerful women.Dane had spent nearly 7,000 hours playing it, chasing every ending possible, especially the legendary [Overlord of Humanity Ending], where the protagonist builds a massive harem and spreads his superior genes across the HDXD universe.But when a cosmic accident caused by a mischievous witch-in-training, Beatrice, wipes out the entire human universe, Dane's life takes an unexpected turn.As the first soul to be reincarnated, Dane is offered two wishes by Beatrice: a world of his choosing and a fragment of her power. Without hesitation, Dane chooses the world of HDXD, a place he knows inside and out, and a unique ability to help him survive: the Omni Harem System. This system not only helps him level up and gain unique powers but also guides him in building the ultimate harem.Now, reborn as some random extra of this hellish game, Dane is ready to live out his wildest fantasies. His life goal, walk over the MC, and replace him... But this isn't just a game anymore; it's real life, and the stakes are higher than ever.From battling dragons and deities to navigating the complex personalities of the women around him, Dane must use his knowledge of HDXD and his new powers to carve out his destiny without getting curve stomp by the overpowered people around him.But let's be real, becoming the Overlord of Humanity isn’t going to be a walk in the park. This is HDXD we’re talking about; a world where one wrong move can lead to a bad ending so messed up it'll haunt your dreams.As such, every step towards that ending requires heart, commitment, and sheer will, and you best believe Dane is aiming for that ending at all costs.

What if a power to level up or upgrade everything—your way of living, battle skills, military prowess, etc.—but this power is limited to your Eldritch tribe.Would you expand your tribe to rise above all adversaries, would you use it to gain more personal power or use it to toy with everyone?Lyerin wanted nothing more than peace on himself, but all he had was regret. He possessed a secret ability that allowed him to quickly excel at anything he chose, but he could only use it once.While others had to spend a long time to reach higher levels or master new skills, he only needed to complete a simple, specific task to level up.However, he had already used this ability to count a specific number of sand grains to save his own life. After that, his existence became a living hell.One day, he was unexpectedly sent back in time, where he would witness numbers appearing in the sky, signaling the end of the world again—an apocalypse he despised the most!But Lyerin realized he could use his ability once more, this time on a certain group of people.A TRIBE!```[ Ding! ][ You have chosen to level up knife slash! As a Wildling of your tribe, you can level up your knife slash. ][ Condition: Slash the knife 500 times. ][ You have chosen a random tree to level up! The tree is part of your tribe; you can level it up. ][ Condition: Water the tree 300 times. ][ You cannot level up anymore due to your limited rank within the tribe. Raise your rank in the clan first. ][ Condition: Give honor to the tribe. ][ You have reached the peak level of your tribe. If you want to level up further, improve and level up your clan! ][ Condition: Level up the Ancestral Healing Ritual, level up the Newborn Den, and level up the tribe's farm. ]```With this overpowered ability, can he still hold onto his selfish wish for peace within himself?