MTL - Pirates: Steel Chain Fingers - v2 Chapter 374 A battle that ends before it begins

After coming out of a tunnel… it was pitch dark.

Humanity achieved dominion over the galaxy long ago.Once that was accomplished, they turned their ingenuity inwards. With their prowess over biological engineering, they transformed themselves into deific beings now called the Gene Tyrants. For centuries, the Gene Tyrants terrorized the galaxy, designing and abusing their genetically engineered servants and serfs as their whims took them.No tyranny can last forever, though, and the Gene Tyrants were eventually overthrown. The rebels discovered a strange light of the mind called Aether, which gave them the strange and fantastical powers they needed to eradicate their creators. Once that was done, however, that by no means meant peace.In the thousand years since, the face of the galaxy has changed. The most powerful human civilization is called the Supremacy, the homeland of 'might makes right'. In the Supremacy, a crime committed by the strong is no crime at all. With their military strength and mastery of Aether, the Supremacy has spread across the galaxy -- with the other powers able to do little but stall their advance. This struggle has developed into a cold war, and that cold war has frozen over for years now.Dragan Hadrien, a low-level administrator in the Supremacy, cares nothing for any of this. Dragan's primary concern is getting himself a promotion and taking it easy for the rest of his days. When a mysterious prisoner is brought aboard his ship, he thinks he has found the means to do just that.How naive of him.

The vast seas are filled with abundant resources but are also home to numerous sea demons, making it a place difficult for human cultivators to tread.One day, Lu Li crosses into the vast and boundless sea realm of immortal cultivation, carrying with him a magical beast-refining pot that can transform into various sea monsters, allowing him to roam the seabed.While cultivators on the islands struggle for a single spiritual herb, Lu Li has already built an underwater spiritual farm base.Watch him strategize step by step, leaving a footprint with every move, as he grows into a top-tier power in the world of immortal cultivation. Looking back after countless years, the days spent fighting sea demons, refining evil spirits, and treasure hunting in the deep sea remain vivid in his memory...

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!---