Finding light in the darkest places—through love - Chapter 86 – Fractures and Firelight

Eli Turner had perfected the art of coasting through life, gaming, lounging, and vibing with no grand ambitions beyond the next high. But his laid-back existence is upended when his laptop inexplicably transforms into a gateway to another world. What starts as a surreal escape becomes a perilous journey as Eli finds himself wielding a mysterious system that allows him to level up, fight monsters, and gain abilities beyond his wildest dreams.At first, the portal world feels like a haven, offering purpose and adventure Eli never knew he craved. Guided, or manipulated, by Azrael, a mischievous god orchestrating the game, Eli rises as one of the system's chosen players. But as the quests grow more dangerous and Azrael’s true intentions begin to surface, Eli struggles to balance the fantasy world with his life back home. His girlfriend, Sara, and his friends are left grappling with a version of Eli they hardly recognize, as the lines between his two lives blur.When the system expands to players worldwide, Eli crosses paths with others drawn into Azrael’s cosmic experiment: Yumi Tanaka, a fiercely disciplined Japanese student with a perfectionist streak, and Arjun Mehta, a charming Indian playboy with secrets of his own. Each carries their own burdens and ambitions, but all three must face the harsh truth: Azrael’s game is far more than it seems.As alliances are forged, rivalries ignite, and the stakes escalate, Eli must confront not only the dangers of the portal world but the growing rift between the person he is and the hero he’s becoming. In a game where every move is a test and every choice ripples across both worlds, the question remains: can Eli, Yumi, and Arjun uncover the truth before the system consumes them all?

A young boy named Tang Jie was searching for a path into immortalhood when he happened to save an immortal in need, resulting in the latter owing him a karmic debt.

What? You want to repay me with mere Spiritual Enhancement Pills? Is that how cheap you view your life to be?

As a result, Xu Muyang ended up having to drag the brat with him.

You’ll never shake me off now, thought Tang Jie.

Reborn into the body of a poor young boy in an unknown village in another world, Lu Qing felt quite helpless.Fortunately, he awakened an ability to see through the information of objects, which gave him a bit of capital to survive.He looked at a weed by the road.[Cow bone grass, average quality, medicinal, highly effective in treating bone injuries.]He looked at a red carp in the river.[Red moon carp, excellent quality, delicious meat, a top-grade nourishing food.]He looked at a wild rabbit in the mountains.[Gray rabbit, ordinary wild rabbit, edible.]...With his innate ability, Lu Qing gradually established himself in the village, able to survive.Just when he thought he would lead a peaceful life in this ancient world with low productivity,one day, he suddenly saw a figure sweeping across the sky...

A huge guy is bawling his eyes out. In this day and age? Sure, maybe the world changed while I was away in that other place. I’m not some old-fashioned boomer.But what if that guy is clinging to my pant leg, sobbing and sniffling—And we’re not even acquaintances?Even in modern times, that’s just messed up. Ask any passing kid, they’d agree.So yeah, I shook my leg. He was gross and too close.“The hell’s wrong with you? Crying just ’cause you saw a ghost?” “N-no! I swear, it was really there! You didn’t see it!!”I let the disrespect slide. Barely. He was asking for help and still talking down to me just because I look young?Obviously, I’m not the one who lost his balls. He is.And yet… when I looked where he pointed—Something was there.I threw some coarse salt and looked again.He stared at me like I was insane, but I ignored it.…Yeah. Something was definitely there.It made eye contact.