Blacksmith vs. the System - Chapter 23

When a fantasy kingdom needs heroes, they skip the high schoolers and summon hardened Delta Force operators.Lieutenant Cole Mercer and his team are no strangers to sacrifice. After all, what are four men compared to millions of lives saved from a nuclear disaster? But as they make their last stand against insurgents, they’re unexpectedly pulled into another world—one on the brink of a demonic incursion.Thrust into Tenria's realm of magic and steam engines, Cole discovers a power beyond anything he'd imagined: magic—a way to finally win without sacrifice, a power fantasy made real by ancient mana and perfected by modern science.But his new world might not be so different from the old one, and the stakes remain the same: there are people who depend on him more than ever; people he might not be able to save. Cole and his team are but men, facing unimaginable odds. Even so, they may yet prove history's truth: that, at their core, the greatest heroes are always just human.

What if I told you, right now, everything you know about what happens after death is a lie?

What if I told you that there is no afterlife after death, just an endless cycle of reincarnation after wiping your memory?

What if I told you that there is a way out of the cycle of reincarnation and all you have to do is wear a religious artifact, and if you die with it on, you are given the opportunity to reincarnate into a world of your choice while keeping your memories?

Would you take it...or would you continue with the mundane cycle that has gone on since the beginning of time?

This is a story about two brothers, one is a responsible police officer, the other a heartless weeb, who died during WW3 and are offered the opportunity to reincarnate into another world as brothers once more.

Upon their death, they are summoned to a mysterious Realm named the Hall of Gods, where they obtain a Game-like System from the Raven God Odin and The God of Light Yahweh.

Once the system, named The Over-Break System, is installed into their souls, the brothers are Reincarnated into a massive, ever-expanding, technologically advanced fantasy world called Vinestra, as newborn babies with the names, Cynrik and Brance Jetlensr.

But, in Vinestra, things aren't as they seem. Several types of Spatial Tears called “Egresses” frequently open up to an unknown dimension where monsters who drop items when killed spawn.

Cynrik and Brance, under the watchful eye of their respective Deities, learn how to utilize their new system, to become powerful existences who wield Mana like their plaything. But are they in control of their lives, or are the Deities?

((THIS STORY IS WRITTEN IN A VERY SPECIFIC WESTERN FORMAT, WHERE CERTAIN CHARACTERS WILL BE HIGHLIGHTED IN CERTAIN WAYS MORE THAN OTHERS! AT ITS CORE THIS STORY DOES HAVE 2 MAIN CHARACTERS EVEN IF EARLY ON IT DOES NOT SEEM THAT WAY!))

“Evil God of the Universe, You are in every space and time. Present in every dimension of reality and govern the darkness of our world.Oh, almighty Atticus! Hear our plea and grant us your presence tonight, awaken my Lord!”The rain had completely stopped and the strong gale had subsided into the fading raindrops. The night had turned eerily silent and only the sizzling and cackling of the fire entered their ears.Suddenly, they all felt like floating from their feet despite setting foot on the watery, hard ground, as if they were traversing into space. The darkness of the night gradually turned darker, enveloping them, morphing into everyone, like a void eating them slowly. Sequentially, their breathing turned oddly slower. Despite exaggeratedly inhaling air to breathe, it was to no avail, as if a higher entity was limiting them from breathing.Nolan felt his throat and tried to open his mouth to gasp more air but failed. Everyone but him was in a state of indignation and panic as they struggled to breathe to fill their lungs with air. Nolan tried to calm his heart. He closed his eyes and stopped inhaling air in pure panic, instead, he put his heartbeat and breathing into a rhythm. It was hard at first, but after a minute, he found his breathing gradually went stable.His whole being was in pure anticipation of what was going to happen next.After a couple more minutes, the storm completely subsided, the night turned to normal. Nolan remained standing, taking in his surroundings with his eyes closed. Everything turned silent. The eerie atmosphere and the crackling of the fire from the hay figure didn’t even enter his ears. Nolan waited for a couple more minutes, his breathing turning normal. He was reluctant to open his eyes, afraid he might ruin their ritual.“It’s alright now, Young Master. You can open your eyes now.”Nolan’s breathing hitched. He jolted on his feet as he fluttered his eyes open.“Atticus? W-why are you here?”The butler, standing in front of him, a raincoat hung on his arm, smiled. “I am everywhere, Young Master, in order to best serve you.”****Atticus, a demi-god from the underworld, was cast out of his parents' realm and banished to the human world. The reason? He had yet to give them any grandchildren.Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is purely the product of my imagination. Any resemblance to real people, events, or beliefs is entirely coincidental. The intention is not to disrespect or diminish any faith or tradition, but rather to explore ideas within a fictional context. Reader discretion is advised.

Demons, devils, ghosts and monsters

Plunge the mortals weak in horrors;

Arms of gods and blades of devils,

Shroud the world in untold evils.

Lu Sheng was an ordinary civil servant in the modern world. After waking from a drunken stupor one day, he found himself trapped in a dangerous world where demons, ghosts and supernatural monsters terrorize the land.

In this world, ordinary mortals live in dark fear and helplessness, without any means to fight against the supernatural.

As Lu Sheng struggles desperately for survival, he stumbles upon a game mod he had designed for a mobile phone app in his previous life. It unexpectedly becomes his special ability, which enables him to instantly level up any skill he learns, albeit at a cost.

Thus, Lu Sheng begins his journey, striving for power beyond the reach of a mortal as he treads the way of the Devil…