Herald of Steel - Chapter 1439: Alexander’s Taxes

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.

Afraid? The relatives, friends, and even enemies around you may be my avatar.

In 2053, an aggressive player broke into the world of “Swallow the Stars”.

Like a virus invading, countless avatars quietly descended and merged into all forces in the universe.

At some point, the bigwigs from all over the universe were surprised to find that the cronies, senior officials, and soldiers around him had all changed.

Lu Ge, the mastermind behind the scenes, looked indifferent: “This world has no secrets for me.

What you think is what I think, what you see is what I see. ”

This book is also called “Terrorist Invasion, I Occupy the Universe Alone”.

- Description from novelbuddy

Tang was cheated by her husband who got another woman pregnant. Tricked by the mistress and mother-in-law, she had been criticized by the public and kicked out of her husband’s family. Then, there comes Su, who showed up like a saviour for her, prevented her from all the difficulties that her ex’s family made to her. He held her in his arms, haughtily said to them, ‘It will only be me that can bully my girl! Anyone who dares to bully her is opposing me!’ She was shocked. And her mother-in-law said she was a wanton woman. After that, he was always protecting her, treated her preciously. He made her realized that even the second marriage could also make her so happy!

- Description from Novelupdates

One of the seven strongest people on the continent, the King of Mercenaries. He started a war to avenge his fallen family and destroyed territory but failed and lost his life. However… “Wow, I’m alive?” I returned to the past, back through time. A perfect opportunity to right my regrets and reverse everything. It doesn’t matter if people around me point fingers, calling me a scoundrel, or dismiss me as tr*sh. Because… “I’ve got a plan.” “What plan?” “A plan to destroy everything.” There won’t be a second failure. This time, I’ll wipe out all my enemies. …But first, I need to rebuild this damn estate.