MTL - Fast Transmigration: Monster Host Online Short Guard - Chapter 158 alternative ending

“The masterminds are cooler than heroes,” I mutter as I stare at the chess pieces before me. It is easier to be the one who sits in the shadows and moves the pieces, likewise deciding the flow of the game.Heroes will foolishly sacrifice their lives for the good cause and villains will sacrifice the world for their own gain, but masterminds will use both the heroes and villains to their own benefit.Why, you ask? Well, that's because I've lost my life once while trying to be a hero so, I don't want that anymore. I'd rather be a mastermind who molds the world as per my convenience and live peacefully. Because, why not?***[Defender of Divine Glory says you are the hope of this world.]What?[Goddess of Wisdom believes that you will be the one to save the world.]Wait, what?![Propose the Grand Duke the idea of a fake marriage.]And, why would I do that?![Stop the assassination of Prince Eric.]Why would I save him?![The candidates for the throne are:... Who will you choose?]Ah! I give up...It seems like a curse that anyone who wishes for a slacker life in Isekai will have to go through the most troublesome things.In my past life, I died because of one rookie mistake but after being transmigrated in the world of fantasy I've gotten an opportunity to start afresh, but unlike the protagonists who look for their love and glory, I'd rather make money and live a life of a slacker.I have magic, I have power and I have money, what else do I need?Well, that was the plan but this damn system is getting on my nerves. I mean who in their sane mind would want to mess with the complicated royal family and political affairs? But that's not all though.I've also become the saviour of this world. Things just can't be anymore worse!Besides, the penalty of failing this quest is...[Failure: Destruction of the World.]It seems like if I screw up in selecting the right person then the destruction that is going to befall the world won't be stopped.If I speak of my reward then it's this vague thing.[Reward: Fulfillment of any wish.]“If that's the case then, I'd rather choose the person who would be the best fit for the throne.”And that's how I decided that I would become the Kingmaker.

Do you believe in destiny？

Zhao Yuan made a bet with the guys in his dorm. If he successfully made Chen Wanxin, the most attractive girl in their university, his girlfriend within 3 months, the guys would give him their No.23 jersey with Jordan’s personal signature on it.

Chen Wanxin found Lin Wenxi, a roommate of Zhao Yuan, somewhat attractive when she first met this elegant pretty boy in the university.

One night, when the students gathered and played games, Chen Wanxin asked Lin Wenxi to kiss her, but Lin Wenxi just left her on the spot alone in front of everyone and put her in an awkward situation. After that, when Zheng Kai asked Chen Wanxin to be his girlfriend, Chen Wanxin made a deal with him. “Help me bend Lin Wenxi. Make him fall for you and then dump him.”

Gradually, Chen Wanxin found herself falling in love with Zhao Yuan, but to her surprise, Zhao Yuan really seemed to have a thing for Lin Wenxi. She had no choice but to turn to Mo Qian, a mysterious and powerful man who had some connection with her family.

Because of the interference of Mo Qian, more and more dust-laden secrets were revealed.

There are times when you’ll still never be good enough no matter how hard you try.

Born with a frail twin sister, Li Caiyi gives most of her time to take care of Li Chunhua. Her parents and older brother trust her to take care of her sister, yet Li Caiyi can’t help but feel the disparity in treatment and affection given to both of them.

In her whole life, she has never become anyone’s first priority. Not in the heart of her family, and especially not in the heart of her childhood friend, the Young Master of Meng family, Meng Renshu.

When Li Caiyi became Meng Renshu’s wife, Li Caiyi thought she could finally become someone’s first priority, but everything fell apart in just three years.

She decides to let everything go. Then she meets Shen Qiang in the most unexpected place. No one wants to accompany her in her life, yet this stranger offers to accompany her in death.

“Do you want to jump together?”

When she opened her eyes, Li Caiyi had gone back to her high school times.

This time, she won’t make the wrong choice again.

But where can she find Shen Qiang?!

For as long as he could remember, life had always been cruel.A young man in his early twenties—his name now lost to the past—was dealt a life filled with misfortunes.A cold, empty apartment, a soul-crushing job, and, finally, a terminal diagnosis.With nothing left to live for, his only comfort had been escaping into the fictional world of Path of the Elemental Sage, a story of heroes, magic, and survival.But fate had other plans.When death finally came for him, he didn’t fade into nothingness.Instead, he awoke in the world he had only read about—a world of chaos and danger where death lurked around every corner.The air smelled of magic, the sky was filled with possibilities.{«[Status Window]»}[Name: Lyrium Blackwood][Age: 16][Rank: D-][Skills: None][Elements: None}At first, confusion filled his mind.Who was Lyrium Blackwood?Why was he here?And why did this body feel so different?But as his memories returned, so did the realization: this wasn’t some blessing or second chance.He wasn’t reincarnated as the protagonist.No destined savior.No cheat abilities.No grand fate.He was just another mob, a face in the crowd meant to exist and die without leaving a mark.But this young man—the one who had left his old name and life behind—wasn’t the kind of person to roll over and accept his fate.“This world is dangerous. The protagonist isn’t the only one fighting for survival here,”he muttered, his red eyes deep and sharp.Unlike the naïve characters in the story, he knew the stakes.He’d read the web novel.He’d seen the carnage, the betrayals, the disasters that wiped out entire cities.And if there was one thing he refused to be, it was a pawn in someone else’s game.“I don’t care about glory. I don’t care about saving the world. All I care about is surviving—no matter what it takes.”Lyrium Blackwood wasn’t planning to live quietly or avoid danger.The only way to survive in this brutal world was to rise to the top.To be strong enough to stand above both heroes and villains.Using his knowledge of the story’s events and his iron will, Lyrium sets out on a relentless path to surpass the protagonist.Whether through clever manipulation, brutal training, or sheer desperation, he’ll climb higher and higher, leaving nothing to chance.But the deeper he gets, the more he realizes that this isn’t just the story he once read.As fate pushes him closer to the heart of the narrative, Lyrium begins to suspect that his reincarnation wasn’t an accident—and the world itself might be watching him.“I don’t care who or what stands in my way. If the story wants to kill me, I’ll rewrite the ending myself.”----------------------------------I apologize for any mistakes in this story, as it’s my first attempt at writing a novel.