Merchant Crab - Chapter 212: Ascendant Frustrations

A back-to-basics(?) monster evolution novel.

[WSA 2025 Entry]Ivan Mendoza, a world-renowned robotics engineer, met his end at the hands of those who feared his genius. But death was not the end. Awakening in the body of Kael Valtieri, heir to a destitute border territory in the magical kingdom of Ardania, Ivan finds a second chance in an unfamiliar world driven by arcane forces.In this realm, magic reigns supreme, yet it is woefully inefficient and bound by antiquated traditions. Armed with the knowledge of advanced robotics and engineering from his past life, Kael sets out to merge science with sorcery, aiming to revolutionize the very fabric of magic. His quest? To uplift his impoverished territory and safeguard it against the lurking dangers beyond the border.But Kael’s journey takes a thrilling turn when he stumbles upon the remnants of an ancient, forgotten civilization. Hidden within their ruins lies golem technology—astonishing constructs far superior to anything Earth’s science could fathom. Driven by curiosity and ambition, Kael deciphers their secrets, melding ancient ingenuity with his modern intellect to forge unprecedented defenses.As Kael uncovers the dark history of this world, he learns of rifts that once unleashed monstrous beings from other dimensions, nearly annihilating humanity. Though a powerful artifact sealed these rifts, its strength is waning, and an impending cataclysm looms.Now, with time running out and the continent teetering on the brink of another monstrous invasion, Kael must wield his hybrid mastery of science and magic to confront the rising tide of darkness. Can one man, armed with the knowledge of two worlds, avert a catastrophe and carve out a new destiny?Prepare for an epic tale of innovation, mystery, and survival in a world where the past and future collide.

The Jiuzhou Continent contains an era of chaos and fiendish demons, haunted by mysterious beings and fraught with feuding martial families, demonic sacred grounds, and endless struggles between various powers. Conflict is a constant throughout the world.Within such darkness, Gu Chen opened his eyes to this reality.At the same time, he discovered that as long as he slew these fiendish demons and ghosts, his cultivation strength could continually elevate.Killing a Panic Level Demon yields a decade's worth of cultivation.Slaying a Ghost Level Fiendish Ghost brings thirty years of cultivation....Eventually, one day, staring at the endless swarm of fiendish demons and world-renowned grandmasters in his path, Gu Chen chuckled lightly, “Are you able to withstand this fist of mine, charged with 1600 years of cultivation?”

After being imprisoned in the basement by her mother for ten years, she ended her cruel and tragic life in death when they forced her to hand over the key to the hidden treasure. Getting reborn in her teenage years, she woke up in the bed of that terrible and powerful man. This time, she must take revenge on her enemy, and now she must live.