MTL - Song Tan Jishi - Chapter 361 361. What wronged you?

I thought I had been abandoned,But I was actually the child that the Namgoong family had been searching for.It wasn’t until I was killed by the Blood Demon, whom I had called “teacher,” that I learned the truth. When I awoke again as a thirteen-year-old child, I decided to return to the Namgoong family.I didn’t seek to be recognized as family.I only wanted to prevent the Namgoong family from falling apart as it had before.“This is the jewelry, silk, gold bars, and elixirs that the family head has gifted to you.”“Here, little one. This is a congratulatory gift for your return.”As soon as I was recognized as the lost granddaughter of the Namgoong family,I gained delicious food, fine clothes, gold and silver treasures, and a high-quality sword!I also gained a grandfather and a father who cried and laughed for me.But what was that strange, tingling feeling in my chest every time that happened?In order to protect the smiles of those I had once killed,and to preserve this warm and ticklish sensation for as long as I could,I was determined to change the bloody future that awaited me, unlike my previous life…**Namgoong Mucheon’s face darkened.‘Is this child truly raised to be an assassin?’The sharp killing intent and the sword techniques essential for an assassin were reflected in her life, as if they were embedded in her very being.‘Damn brat.’Anger surged within Namgoong Mucheon.He restrained himself from cursing aloud in front of his granddaughter, muttering in his mind instead.‘How dare they raise my granddaughter as an assassin?’The blue energy surrounding Namgoong Mucheon grew even stronger.

I was on my way home with my friend when suddenly, I spotted a catgirl cosplayer who made my heart skip a beat.But something felt off—I couldn’t recall seeing her in any anime, manga, or games I had ever come across. Confused, I asked my friend standing next to me.To my shock, his response sent chills down my spine:“Huh? What catgirl? What are you talking about?”Suddenly, a truck came barreling toward the girl. Without thinking, I rushed to save her. In the end, both of us were hit by the truck.Now, I find myself reincarnated in another world—in the body of the very catgirl I had seen.But... who is this girl?How is she related to the dungeons that keep popping up in this new world?

“Hurry up and take them off!” she demanded with her eyes tightly closed.

His eyebrows lifted up. “No! Only my wife can see me naked!” he replied firmly.

Opening her eyes, she complained, “But you said I could look for the marks?”

She saw a playful smile on his face and she could tell that something cunning was brewing in the man’s mind.

She growled, traces of impatience evident on her beautiful face.

She had been trying to coax him, to seduce him to get her wish, but somehow it all ended up with her naked and him enjoying the view.

“Fine! I will be your wife! Happy? Now just strip out your clothes!”

Her words made his full lips curve into a cunning but alluring smile. He immediately reached into his drawer and grabbed the marriage contract he had prepared in advance and said, “I need to be sure before I let you take advantage of my body. So, if you will just sign here, now!”

Her jaw dropped hearing his conceited words. 'That sly wolf.'

She looked at the paper and her eyes widened. It was really a marriage contract.

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” she unconsciously uttered.

“Well, I told you. I’ve never been more serious in my life. I have been waiting for you to accept my marriage proposal but you are always insisting on seeing me naked. I’m a bit conservative in this matter, you see. I think I already told you numerous times that I will only allow my future wife to see my nude body.”

She picked up the pen and scribbled her name and signature on the contract and then handed it to him.

“What are you waiting for now? Just strip, will you?”

Hearing her command, he smiled viciously, and stepping closer to her he whispered, “Huh! Why don't you do the honors and satisfy yourself? This body and my whole existence are now all yours!”

“.....”

Brione Yu had everything one could ever want. She had always been an over-achiever who was good at everything she did. She was famous in the entertainment industry as a phenomenal model and actress.

She had everything which included a special person on whom she could rely for anything. Her best friend… her first love… Gavin Wu.

But she had lost him before she could confess her true feelings to him, that she was ready to take a chance and turn their friendship into love.

While she was missing him and longing for him, she had an unexpected encounter with a recluse Prince. He was the heir to the throne, in a foreign country. He was a cold and ruthless man who was feared by many. There were rumors that he was cursed and so he rarely came out of his palace which was situated on a secluded island.

But Brione could not explain her attraction for this Prince? Why did he remind her of Gavin every time she set her eyes on him?

The Prince resembled Gavin substantially but their characters were contradictory.

Was fate playing some kind of cruel game with her? Or was she being played by the Prince?

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.