Re: Blood and Iron - Chapter 406: The Weight of Names

I thought I had seen bad endings before—but nothing prepared me for the garbage conclusion of The Hero’s Path.Years of investment, countless struggles, and for what? The protagonist failed. The villain won. Everyone else? Dead. Furious, I sent a message to the author, only to get a chilling response:[Do you think you could do better?]Before I could even blink, my phone exploded in a blinding light, and the next thing I knew—I was waking up in a completely different body.Now, I’m Merlin Everhart, a fourteen-year-old with a 12-star talent, the kind of gift only the strongest should have.But here’s the problem: I have no idea who I am supposed to be.With nothing but a system and a first-day-of-school alarm ringing in my ears, I’m thrown into the world of The Hero’s Path.Am I just another side character in a world that already ended once?…Either way, I refuse to let this story beat me too.

I closed my eyes and let out a long, shuddering breath. The needle slipped through my numb fingers and clattered onto the rough pavement. Nothingness swirled around me, bringing the first peace I'd felt in my short, miserable life. No one would miss me, and if any did...? Well, there was always someone else to beat or rape. They'd move on quickly.But then...gods? Since when did nothingness have so many gods?Chosen by the goddess of Fate, I'm thrust into a world of magic and wonder alongside nine other heroes. A world where the gods reign supreme, and evil is vanquished before it can spread its blight.Can such a place truly exist? Could life really be worth living?I've heard that the brightest lights cast the longest shadows, but my life has been nothing but darkness. Perhaps this new world will be the chance I need to find the light, to see the other side.

Ade has lived in an incense burner for over a thousand years, her days spent sleeping. Longing for the outside world she hears about from her fairy friends, her wish is finally granted when a man brings her home, releasing her from the seal. Ade, tears streaming, vows to repay her savior to the fullest extent.Qin Yu, known as the cold and ruthless Third Master Qin of Kyoto, finds his life upended when strange occurrences plague his bedroom after he places an antique incense burner given to him as a New Year's gift there. Chaos ensues, with items displaced and unexplained puddles of water; he even senses something in his bed while half-asleep.One afternoon, Qin Yu comes home early to find a young girl cleaning up spilled milk. The girl, her black hair cascading, her skin porcelain, is startled by his return and tries to flee. Upon being caught and questioned by Qin Yu, she timidly speaks of repaying her debt.To Qin Yu's amusement, she lists her belongings: pearls, antiques, even her savings. None of these interest Qin Yu, who instead sweeps her into his arms and suggests a more personal way of repaying the debt. Terrified, the girl's beautiful fish tail is revealed.

Su Jianan was marrying the love of her life. It all seemed picture-perfect, except for a few catches. One, it was a marriage of convenience. Two, she would be divorced after two years.