Stray Cat Strut - Chapter Eleven - Like Santa, but With Guns

Ethan Carter never thought much about heroism—until the night he pushed a girl out of the way of a speeding truck and felt cold steel and shattering bones instead of pavement. He expected to die. Instead, he woke up in a hospital, completely healed, with a strange blue screen floating in front of him.[System Activated.][Welcome, User. Your journey begins now.]At first, he thinks he's hallucinating. But when his body starts changing—his strength skyrocketing, his reflexes sharpening—Ethan realizes this is real. The System grants him quests, skills, and rewards, pushing him to break human limits. And yet, there’s more. Locked away in his interface is something called *World Travel*—but it remains inaccessible, its conditions unknown.As he grows stronger, Ethan catches the attention of powerful forces—some eager to recruit him, others determined to stop him. And amidst the chaos, women drawn to his power and charisma begin to enter his life, each with their own mysteries.But one question haunts him: *Why was I chosen?*The answer lies beyond this world. And when the time comes, Ethan won’t just step into new worlds—he’ll conquer them.

In the endless Universe is eight primordial laws. Each of the eight laws have been fused with a supreme expert, but unbeknownst to everyone, there is a ninth law in the universe. It tears open the Primordial Chaos and is beyond reach.

Di Jiu—whose name is a homophone for ‘ninth’—is the ungifted son of a powerful Di family clan in the Ji Nation as he lacks martial roots. Unwilling to resign to his fate, he practices medicine, hoping to one day cure himself.

- Description from Novelupdates

Under a twist of fate, Aurus was struck by a bolt of lightning, making him realize that he would never have the chance to play the game he poured most of his time and effort into ever again.

Fortunately, a goddess took pity on his miserable fate and gave him two choices: the first one was to reincarnate through the Six Paths of Reincarnation, and the second one…was to reincarnate as a stick. Hearing the second choice, Aurus could not help but remember...that this was exactly the starting character of the game he used to play!

Without hesitation, Aurus chose the latter, bringing a smile to the goddess’ face…which seemed to contain secrets and desires hidden to the naked eye.

And so, Aurus was reborn into a world that he was familiar with, albeit this time—he was now living a life as a stick!

Though that may be the case, witness the adventures of Aurus as he turns the expectations of everyone around him upside down as he gradually returns to his previous heights… and perhaps, far beyond it!

Witness the birth of a supreme being...from its roots!

Note: Please understand that the beginning of this novel was written at a time where I didn't know a lot about pacing and other important stuff crucial in writing. Once you get past that point (around the midpoint of Volume 2), it gets better. I hope you enjoy reading!

On the haunted mountain in the kingdom, they say there lived a witch.

She was born a princess. But even before her birth, the priest declared her to be cursed and demanded her death. They poisoned the mother to kill the baby before she gave birth, but the baby was born out of the dead mother—a cursed child.

Again and again, they tried to kill the baby but she miraculously survived every single attempt. Giving up, they abandoned her on the haunted mountain to die but she still survived on that barren land— A witch

‘Why won’t she die?’

Years later, the people finally had enough of the witch and decided to burn the mountain. But someone arrived to her rescue and took her with him from that burning place, because dying was not her destiny even then.

Draven Amaris.

The Black Dragon, who ruled over supernatural beings, the Devil who no one wished to cross a path with. He hated humans but this certain human girl would pull him towards her whenever she was in danger.

‘Is she really a human?’

The devil named this mysteriously tenacious girl “Ember”, a piece of glowing coal in a dying fire.

This is a tale of the man who brings death and the girl who denies it.