Arc of Fire - Chapter 43: Crossfire

Set in the Shadow Slave world...a time before Sunny was born...this story follows a simple soldier who must survive in a dystopian, apocalyptic landscape where magic and gun warfare collide.In a far-off Quadrant known as North America, a young soldier named Hope is 16 years old when he gets infected by the Nightmare Spell. He passed! But...he feels a bit scammed...?A flaw that makes him fade from people's memories...A cursed attribute that makes him remember everything endlessly in eternal wakefulness...It's as if the Spell is twisting his future and existence into an almost improbable one.All he has ever known his purpose to be was to serve as a simple soldier. Not too powerful. But not so weak either. And maybe, just maybe like some others, become an Awakened. Although he never dreamt of being one.Now that his whole life is compromised after his First Nightmare, his first objective is to survive on his own. But as he tries to escape his fate, his actions seem to lead him further from his goal.He struggles against obstacles that slowly grow bigger and out of proportion.Maybe the Dream Realm and the Real World aren't so different than one may think.Hope's journey involves uncovering secrets and gaining knowledge about his true nature and his new role in the world.Is he fit to be a hero?Could he redefine it?***Please read the READER DISCLAIMER in Volume 0.This is my spin-off novel of “Shadow Slave” by Guiltythree.But please don't expect the same writing style, setting, and characters, especially the main character.This story reveals more about how people/cities/governments operate after the Spell’s arrival. I always find it interesting how maybe one country handles it fairly, but how others handle it with desperation to the point that you question humanity.There will be easter eggs pointing to the original novel either intentional for the plot or unrelated to it, but all for fun.I am a new author so props to all who bear with me and helps me improve my writing. If it is not for you, please don't leave outright hate comments. Eat wassabi instead if you want pain. Critique and advice would be great too.

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!---

This is a great era belonging to the giant ship galaxy. The multiverse is shattered, and endless fragments of space and land are scattered in the void, turning into an endless sea of ​​broken stars.

Immortal Taoist soldiers, mechanical gods, golden giants, wizard masters…

Countless strange civilizations.

Star sea strange objects, genetic medicine, exogenous armor, floating land origin…

Rare treasures can be found everywhere.

Nether energy shuttle, Nether energy airship, Nether energy airship, frigate, battleship, Star Destroyer, superdimensional mothership…

A fireship with distinct layers.

Across the sea of ​​​​stars, we start from the fire of human civilization.

- Description from novelbuddy

Once a young business prodigy, Violetta’s company crumbled fast thanks to internal corruption and the greed of the more successful elites.Now, she’s a certified 31 year old dirt-poor shut-in, living her best (or worst?) life as a full-fledged otaku.With nothing but her anime merch and a shaky Wi-Fi connection, she scrapes by on streaming money, all while dodging the harsh reality outside her door.However, after an all-nighter to play Merlysian Realm, a newly released VR MMORPG, she died from her unhealthy lifestyle and passed out.[SYSTEM ERROR: 404 - ACCOUNT NOT FOUND][Rebooting...][Loading...[ERROR: SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. PLEASE WAIT.].....[SYSTEM MESSAGE][You Have Received A Legendary Class][User's account balance has been updated.][Balance: UNLIMITED][Class: Merchant][Rank: SSS]“Huh?!”Not only was she transmigrated into Merlysian Realms, she was reborn in a struggling farmer's family that lived in poverty from a poorly developed kingdom in medieval times!The real kicker? It’s crawling with corrupt nobles, dying crops, zero trade routes, and is so tiny it could probably fit on a map as a dot labeled “Who Knows Where.”Can our otaku-turned-financial wizard save this sinking ship of a kingdom, or is she doomed to relive her bankrupt nightmares?Watch as she proves those who doubted her to be wrong and be accepted as a genius by using her knowledge from the modern world!