Phoenix's Requiem - Chapter 7: Purging Unsavory Elements

Somebody once told a joke.A man ran in place all his life. He worked a job he didn't love for people he couldn't stand. But at the end of the day, the number in his bank account went up.That man got a second chance at life. He woke up in another world, full of adventures and romances and monsters and gods. And floating above his head he saw the number “1”. So what did he say?“Gosh I better make the number go up.”Not today. Not for this old soul. Reborn as a beast of battle meant to live a short life and die screaming, Garek refuses. He puts the madness of skills and levels behind him and sets out to found a little farmstead. He grows crops. Maybe someday he'll get a pig, and have bacon.It's a shame the world won't let him be. It's a shame that the warmongers and level-grinders hate nothing more than a soul at peace.He put down his sword for a plowshare, but when trouble comes calling, he'll pick it up again.

Orphaned in the old world after taking care of his irresponsible and sick mother for years on end, Kyle finds his life turned upside down.His already dim world turns even gloomier and coupled with his trauma from losing her, Kyle felt like he had lost his purpose in life.Living day by day, akin to a soulless puppet, he struggled to keep his suicidal thoughts in check, all whilst trying to make ends meet as a cabbie.During those dark times, Kyle slowly begins to find solace in the world of music and movies. Even though it had always been there, it truly became something as a bloodline of sorts for him because, individually, both pieces of media, transported him to another world, one where he could feel happy, if even for a fleeting moment.And, as if the universe wanted even more for him, Kyle met some lovely old people, all of whom treated him as the son they never had, making him feel like he had a family after so long.This eventually, helped him let go of his trauma and turned him into the lovely soul he was always meant to be.But as fate would have it, these same people, wanted for Kyle to pursue his dreams because they saw the potential for greatness in him and the wonderous things he could go on to do, even if Kyle himself was oblivious to it.So, in an effort to make his dreams come true, they ended up gifting him a brand new chance, one that Kyle himself would only go on to realize after his untimely death in a fatal car accident.Now awake in the new world, still orphaned but with a brighter perspective on life, Kyle, armed with a System, another gift from his loved ones in the previous world, decides to take the chance to pursue his dreams of being a star, one that he was unable to pursue in his previous life due to his lack of talent.This is the story of a man who will go on to become the most versatile and renowned superstar all over the world... and it starts, just as he takes his first step into the cutthroat world of fame and fortune by registering for the popular singing reality TV competition, 'Rising Voices'.Known to be a fiercely competitive TV show, Kyle will meet with top contestants from around the world, go up against them, level up and become better, and ultimately, battle with them for the number one spot in the show as a dark horse!---

Yuan Xiao was reborn. Only after her death did she discover that she was living in a book. In the book, she was a fake heiress who did terrible things and made the real female protagonist look like a good person. After being reborn, Yuan Xiao decided to become a scholar. As long as she studied hard enough, she’d repeatedly get the opportunity to draw prizes and stop herself from being controlled by the storyline. She wanted to change her life. Yuan Xiao did not want the terrible fate of her past life to repeat itself.

She wanted a life that belonged to her! Other students looked down on her. She made sure to win as many prizes in competitions as she could and consistently claimed the number one spot in school. Some people suspected she might have forged her educational accomplishments due to her young age. She directly solved the toughest questions in the world to prove those people wrong. Did somebody mock her for not being able to do anything else but study? She’d show them her world-class piano-playing…

Yuan Xiao went down the scholarly path and never looked back. She was no longer the bad student she used to be. The smart student in school, who nobody dared to offend, forced her into a corner and nervously gave her a lollipop. “I just gave you a lollipop, the thing that I like the most. When will you be my girlfriend?” Yuan Xiao tapped on his chin and chuckled. “I’ll be your girlfriend if you get into Q College with me.”