Duskbound - Chapter 113 - Book 2, 34

The Empire's forces retreated in desperation—trampled by faceless horrors bringing darkness and death to these once beautiful lands.Only the most courageous stood in defiance, forming a last defence to buy the people time to flee—fighting until the final embers of hope burned out.A man stands with a silver sword, like a beacon of hope to those around him. He roared with all his might drawing his blade against the overwhelming enemy!“You face Lancelot, Sword of the Empire! ”These horrors tested the Lord's grit and loyalty in the final moments.“Should my blade break, I will use my body!”The knights had fallen, broken swords for their tombstones, and lords fled, betraying the Empire to survive.“If my body breaks, I'll use my Soul!”Lancelot, the sword of the Empire, fought alone.All hope seemed lost.“And if my Soul fails...”What could a single man and his army do?He fights against the dark tide, blade in hand, heart on sleeve.“I will sell myself to the devil for revenge!”But he was too weak, too fragile.The last Lord of humanity stood against the enemy.Lancelot was a master of the sword, a mortal, neither a God nor a Saint.Miracles were beyond his reach.Now only a broken man impaled on his own destroyed throne.His blade shattered—now, like rose petals, it was scattered across the charred ground.Lancelot's soul was fated for the abyss as the light faded from his eyes.His last ounce of resistance used staring at the man who betrayed the Empire.Now with only the desire to kill, crush and seek revenge smouldering inside him.Now unwilling to die and desperate to fight once again.He desired to fight for the people who supported him.Lancelot refused to surrender, to fall like this.As quietly in the abyss, a voice whispered to him.It tried to entice the Lord, ignite his desire to win and fight again.“If given a second chance, to relive your life with a different choice... Would you Accept?”Blood gathered in his throat, forcing him to reply in his mind.A frail and broken voice'There is no reason to ask, of course!'“No matter the cost?”'Even if I were to lose everything...''If my people can live on. I would sacrifice everything I have!'“You will no longer be the same, a monster, twisted and vicious.”“Will you still accept?”The Lord's heart ached, taking great pride in his humanity.To lose that caused his mind to falter.Finally, out of power, unable to speak or reply with a trembling arm.Lancelot reached out.Towards the raspy voice.Towards the abyss.Towards a new future.[So you would accept after all...]'I must accept.''I must stand tall.''I must not break.''Because...''I am the Lord of humanity![Nay, you are the king of demons]

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.

As the apocalypse arrives, Song Ke, who grew up in the abandoned area, unexpectedly awakens her special ability. Within her field of vision, all objects can be transformed into handy spiritual tools with just a thought. She becomes the sharpest blade, now possessing the most flexible scabbard. Wherever she goes, zombies of all kinds cower in fear.

After wandering alone for several days, Song Ke encounters a troublesome man. The man has a broken leg, and speaks weakly as if on the verge of death, yet there’s a smile at the corner of his mouth that is strangely beguiling.

“Little girl, I have nothing to offer you in return. How about offering myself to you?”

Suspiciously eyeing him for a couple of seconds, Song Ke slowly summons her spiritual tool.

“Speak up, how do you want to… die?”

One thing leads to another, and her adventurous path… takes a peculiar turn? She ends up gathering a series of strange teammates.

A year after the apocalypse, a bizarre rumor circulates among the major surviving bases:

It’s said that the top-ranked awakener team “V587” on the scoreboard are all burly and sturdy, capable of frightening children with their bear-like physiques and iron-like strength.

Their name alone exudes power: V587, how commanding and domineering!

V587 punches the Zombie King, kicks mutant beasts, robs the Death Prison of Sin City, and KOs the tyrannical rulers of District C with one move!

No matter how difficult the mission, it’s flawlessly cleared when it falls into their hands.

Their feats become the talk of the Alliance, earning admiration from countless ability users.

Until the grand opening of the inaugural global awakeners challenge, the enigmatic V587 members gather, making their first appearance.

The crowd’s faces turn dumbfounded, “Wait, who are these elderly, young, sick, and two wheelchair-bound cripples? V587? Nooo!”

Overpowered Stutterer x Cunning Smiling Tiger

【Reading Guide】

This is not a space-oriented story. It’s set in an alternative future with a significant technological gap (about 50 years ahead) and uses fictional terms with no direct prototypes.

Combines superpowers with cyberpunk elements, featuring a main storyline alongside team adventures.

Team recruitment is relatively slow at the beginning. The protagonist’s team consists of 7 members, each with their own flaws.

One sunny afternoon, Kyle finally received the admission notice he had longed for and came to Hogwarts, a prestigious school with thousands of years of history.

Here, Kyle lived a very fulfilling life. In addition to studying every day, he would also use his spare time to plant vegetables and flowers, or go to a dark underground chamber to provide psychological counseling to a small animal that had been abandoned for thousands of years. .

Dumbledore: Kyle is a good boy who is upright, brave, kind and sincere.

Professor McGonagall: The Headmaster is right, Kyle never breaks school rules.

Snape: Ah, yes, yes…

Quirrell originally thought so, but until one day, he pushed open the trap door and jumped into a room full of biting cabbage…

- Description from novelbuddy