HP: The Arcane Thief - Chapter 163 - : A King’s Return

[Webnovel Spirity Awards 2025 Entry]In a world of magic and machines, Blaine Lionheart had been proclaimed a once-in-a-lifetime genius since he was still just a child.Born to the Legendary Warrior who had earned himself the moniker of 'Supreme Sword', Blaine was seemingly destined for greatness from the moment he first opened his eyes.He awakened to his unique Mana Art at the age of eight and entered the Kingdom's Royal Guard at the age of twelve.However, despite all of this... There was one thing that the boy genius could never do.Protect the people he cared about.No matter how hard he tried... Everyone he cared about would slowly slip through his hands, with him powerless to save them.And now that he's being reassigned to be the princess's bodyguard... Blaine can only hope that history doesn't repeat itself.No... He wouldn't let it!

My brother* and I, from elementary school to university, had grown up together. We didn’t just get into the same degree, we’re also sharing the same dormitory room.

When a terminally ill young man awakens in the world of his favorite childhood game, he realizes he isn’t the protagonist, the destined hero, or even a major side character. Instead, he has become an extra—a disowned noble barely clinging to relevance in a world where strength determines everything. Worse, his fate in the game was to die an early, meaningless death.Armed with only his knowledge of the game’s storyline and a common system that tracks his stats and skills, he is determined to survive. But mere survival isn’t enough. He remembers a hidden easter egg from a long-forgotten anime collaboration: the Mangekyō Sharingan—a power limited by game mechanics but unrestricted in reality.With Kamui as his trump card, he walks the fine line between fate and freedom, seizing power from the shadows while avoiding suspicion. As the protagonist and his allies battle against demons and unravel the game’s grand destiny, he secretly builds his own strength—manipulating events, mastering forgotten arts, and even forging ties with villainous factions.Will he remain a footnote in history, or will he carve his own legend in a world that was never meant to be his?