This is really not mechanical ascension - Chapter 149 - 98: You All Be Fierce, I’ll Play it Safe - Part 2

For as long as he could remember, life had always been cruel.A young man in his early twenties—his name now lost to the past—was dealt a life filled with misfortunes.A cold, empty apartment, a soul-crushing job, and, finally, a terminal diagnosis.With nothing left to live for, his only comfort had been escaping into the fictional world of Path of the Elemental Sage, a story of heroes, magic, and survival.But fate had other plans.When death finally came for him, he didn’t fade into nothingness.Instead, he awoke in the world he had only read about—a world of chaos and danger where death lurked around every corner.The air smelled of magic, the sky was filled with possibilities.{«[Status Window]»}[Name: Lyrium Blackwood][Age: 16][Rank: D-][Skills: None][Elements: None}At first, confusion filled his mind.Who was Lyrium Blackwood?Why was he here?And why did this body feel so different?But as his memories returned, so did the realization: this wasn’t some blessing or second chance.He wasn’t reincarnated as the protagonist.No destined savior.No cheat abilities.No grand fate.He was just another mob, a face in the crowd meant to exist and die without leaving a mark.But this young man—the one who had left his old name and life behind—wasn’t the kind of person to roll over and accept his fate.“This world is dangerous. The protagonist isn’t the only one fighting for survival here,”he muttered, his red eyes deep and sharp.Unlike the naïve characters in the story, he knew the stakes.He’d read the web novel.He’d seen the carnage, the betrayals, the disasters that wiped out entire cities.And if there was one thing he refused to be, it was a pawn in someone else’s game.“I don’t care about glory. I don’t care about saving the world. All I care about is surviving—no matter what it takes.”Lyrium Blackwood wasn’t planning to live quietly or avoid danger.The only way to survive in this brutal world was to rise to the top.To be strong enough to stand above both heroes and villains.Using his knowledge of the story’s events and his iron will, Lyrium sets out on a relentless path to surpass the protagonist.Whether through clever manipulation, brutal training, or sheer desperation, he’ll climb higher and higher, leaving nothing to chance.But the deeper he gets, the more he realizes that this isn’t just the story he once read.As fate pushes him closer to the heart of the narrative, Lyrium begins to suspect that his reincarnation wasn’t an accident—and the world itself might be watching him.“I don’t care who or what stands in my way. If the story wants to kill me, I’ll rewrite the ending myself.”----------------------------------I apologize for any mistakes in this story, as it’s my first attempt at writing a novel.

Three-and-a-half-year-old little girl, also known as Ann, lived a life of scarcity and hardship in an orphanage, where even a single steamed bun could lead to beatings and scoldings from the headmaster.Just before Ann fainted from hunger, a mysterious and domineering daddy from a wealthy family descends from the heavens and took her home.President Qin sneered, “I will make them pay a thousandfold for the suffering my daughter endured.”With six doting and influential elder brothers:The Youngest Brother was responsible for beating people up.The Second Brother was responsible for saving lives.The Third Brother was responsible for fighting lawsuits.The Fourth Brother was responsible for capturing people.The Fifth Brother was responsible for providing financial support.And the Eldest Brother was responsible for salvation.With comprehensive and attentive service, are you afraid or not?The major prestigious families competed to stand up for the little prodigy: To bully Ann is to challenge the entire Qin family!Even the pet, a wise and future-seeing white goose, refused to be outdone: Protect Ann!Ann stood with hands on hips and said, “Stop arguing, line up properly, and listen to me.”The Qin family: Understood!

After waking up in the body of the Young Master of the Luo family, he finds he has the knowledge of hundreds of games and Light Novels. However, he finds his Dantian is crippled, so he can’t practice cultivation! Luckily, he has the Upgrade system.

Killing Monsters, doing Quests, and even killing people- it’s just too easy. I don’t have any Martial Arts? I have hundreds of light novels, just let me level up so I can get this Main Character’s Martial Art! The only problem is: Should I follow the “This OP character cultivation” or should I follow “Another OP character cultivation”?! The tragedy!

- Description from Novelupdates

This is a fan work of “Magic Forbidden Book Catalogue”, and some settings of “Puppet Circus” are added at the same time.

A traveler from a circus enters Academy City to study and live as a puppeteer; at the same time, he secretly fights against the enemies who keep coming to seize the original magic book in his hands, and protects the safety and peace of Academy City by the way.

…The Third World War? Does the mainland dare to call it “World War” without playing?

- Description from novelbuddy