Stone Mage: Revenge of the Villain System - Chapter 164 New Beginnings

You feel your strength is insufficient, Strength +1.You have practiced the Golden Bell Shield, Martial Arts Level +1.You have picked up a volume of Taoist scripture, Understanding +1.Your opponent is extraordinarily strong. The Golden Bell Shield has reached Great Perfection. You combined the Golden Bell Shield, Iron Cloth Shirt, and Thirteen Cross Training, all +1, and mastered the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill. Your opponent's knife cannot harm you and is utterly devastated. ...

In humanity’s final war against the Demon Lord, the strongest heroes fell—not by the enemy’s hand, but by their own, twisted into madness by a cruel illusion. Betrayal. Bloodshed. Despair… and then, silence.Only one person remained: Riley—the weakest warrior of them all. Powerless. Ignored. Forgotten.But he saw through the Demon Lord’s deception. The tyrant was on the brink of death—so weak even a fly could’ve finished him off.And Riley did just that, drawing every last ounce of strength to bite off the demon’s head.Victory? Not quite. A final, desperate strike from the Demon Lord pierced him from behind, killing him instantly.But fate wasn’t done with him yet.Riley awoke ten years in the past—when the online game [Apocalypse] was launched. Before demons descended. Before monsters overran the world.And this time, he wasn’t starting from nothing. He had a decade of experience—and a second chance.Even more shocking, he didn’t awaken his old D-rank Strength Boost talent. This time, he received something far more terrifying: an SSS-Rank Gluttony talent!He could now devour anything—monsters, items, talents, even traits—and gain their power.Ding![You have devoured: Iron Fang Wolf][Acquired: +4 Strength, +2 Agility, Skill: Bite (F-rank)][You have devoured: Goblin ShamanAcquired: +8 Intelligence, Skill: Mana Bolt (E-rank), Talent: Minor Spellcasting Efficiency][You have devoured: Flaming Salamander Drake][Acquired: +22 Endurance, Trait: Dragon’s Resilience, Skill: Flame Breath (C-rank)]Now, there is no demon, no god, no monster who will stand in his way. He will devour everything—and save the world.But the power of Gluttony was a double edged sword. If he wasn’t careful… he could be the one getting consumed.

Felix's life on Earth had become a series of dead-end jobs, ruined relationships, and rotating apartments smaller than most postage stamps. By all accounts, even his own, he was a coward. Too afraid to move forward, to take risks. Yet when given the chance to choose between risking his life or walking away from a deadly encounter, he didn't hesitate.Moments before his untimely demise, Felix was snatched from earth and thrust into a magical world known only as ‘The Continent’. Empowered by the ‘System,' he learns that he can strengthen himself through combat and dedication. To survive he'll have to push himself beyond his limits, or else fall to the monsters all around him.Levels, stats, and magic. Death is the start of a terrible fate, but if he lives…who knows what he will become.

**[Status: Remaining lifespan 29 days 17 hours 32 minutes]**After reincarnating into a modern fantasy novel he had read in his previous life and enduring all sorts of hardships, Ryu Seo-ha awakens as a precious S-class healer. However, he also sees in his status window that he has less than a month left to live. Then, after an unexpected encounter with Choi Gang-hu, the protagonist of the original novel, Seo-ha discovers that physical contact with Gang-hu increases his magical power. And Gang-hu begins to show a peculiar interest in Seo-ha.“Do you intend to repay me?”“Yes.”“With your body.”[Preview]As Ryu Seo-ha was leaving the bathroom to contact the Awakened Management Bureau, he stumbled back in surprise. Choi Gang-hu was leaning against the entrance wall.“Why are you here…”As he hastily stepped back and stumbled, Gang-hu grabbed his arm to steady him.[Magic Power 9]At that moment, Seo-ha’s magic power stat began to skyrocket.[Magic Power 17] [Magic Power 25] [Magic Power 33]The numbers increased dramatically with each blink of an eye. It was an impossible situation. Seo-ha’s eyes widened in shock. Gang-hu also seemed to sense the anomaly, raising his handsome eyebrows high.For some unknown reason, a chill ran down his spine. Reflexively, he shook off the hand holding his arm, and the feeling of every cell being filled to the brim suddenly stopped. Feeling dizzy, Seo-ha shakily leaned against the wall for support.[Magic Power 41]In that short time, his magic power stat had surpassed 40. This was a level that could only be barely achieved by investing all stat points gained up to level 40 into magic power. It was an astounding situation.Gang-hu, looking down at him with eyes as dark as an abyss, didn’t seem to have intentionally infused him with magic power. There was no reason for him to do so, and it was impossible for the stat itself to increase like this. Even if it were just an increase in magic power capacity, it would be enough to make him a research subject.“I thought I was imagining things,” Gang-hu muttered in a low voice as he slowly reached out his hand again. His long fingers lightly touched Seo-ha’s pale cheek. As he shrank his neck at the cool sensation, Gang-hu’s large hand cupped his entire cheek.