MTL - Today I Will Also Be the Male Protagonist’s Rival - Chapter 39

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.

After Reincarnating into Naruto World at the Warring State Era as an Uzumaki, Masahiko thought that he got a useless System. He lived for 48 years as a normal, below average Uzumaki Shinobi.

That changed when he finally knew how the system works the day of his 49th Birthday!

- Description from Novelupdates

The all-powerful boss is stripped of his identity again!One is handsome while the other is proud; the two-faced refined rascal versus a cynical girl with hidden identities.Everyone secretly jokei that Master Mo’s wife is an ignorant and incompetent little tyrant.Bad at her studies? Lu Mian emergei as the top student for science at her college entrance examination.No talent? Lu Mian shows everyone how competent she is at multitasking by playing the piano with one hand, and painting with the other during a live performance.A prodigal? She makes a small fortune in just two days with her limited knowledge.Boxing, Go chess, appraising treasures, car racing… Bring it on! She can do them all.The soft-spoken Xiao Qimo adjusts his glasses with pride. “Who else has something to say?”One of his subordinates raises his hand cautiously. “Master Mo, your wife seems to be the one who single-handedly destroyed the illegal laboratory.”Xiao Qimo looks at his wife who is quietly practicing calligraphy. “That’s impossible!”It isn’t until…During the general meeting for the International Elite Organization, both Xiao Qimo and Lu Mian wear a mask. They take the stage and succeed as the organization’s Chief and Deputy Chief, respectively.The Deputy Chief beside me looks like my wife. This is Xiao Qimo’s thought.The Chief looks like someone I know. Lu Mian is thinking the same thing, too.Soon, the newly appointed Chief is seen blocking his deputy at the ladies’ room.What happens when two strong and uncorrupted individuals fall for each other?

Most people already have their life planned out. Or at least they feel they do.They already have an idea of what and who they are going to become, and how they are going to go about achieving it.But more often than not, life always has an entirely different thing planned. And sometimes, it's something better.This was the same for James. As someone who already had his life planned out, with the best and the safest plan on how to go about it, he knew what had to be done.All he just wanted was to graduate and become a world renowned mechanical engineer. And this was why he studied hard and worked extremely hard at his part time job.Even with how life kept tossing him around and making it seem like he was the only one not moving forward while others were, he was still focused on his dreams.The truth is that he also wants to be like his peers. He also wants to drive the flashy cars the rich drives. He wants to travel the world and experience the best that life has to offer, but all that comes at a cost—money. Something that has eluded him even after busting his ass, working for three years.To make things worse, the job market wasn't looking too good either. It was looking like the two years he has already spent in the university and the two more years he's going to spend are going to be a waste. And there was very little he could do about it.Coming back to his apartment one night, after getting fired from his part time job, James just wanted to give up on everything. But no matter how much he wanted to do that, he couldn't. He has people he wants to make proud.Frustrated with everything and even more with himself, James went to bed after hoping that the next day would be different.But he had no idea that his wish would come true. Out of nowhere, James got a system and one with a feature that fixed the biggest problem he has.[Ding!][You spent $280. 10x Rebate has been applied. You have received $2,800. The money has been sent to the host's bank account.]“Oh, yeah! That's what I'm talking about!”.....Disclaimer: “World Domination Begins With Getting a System in a Modern World” is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.This book may reference real companies and organizations, but these references are for narrative purposes only and are not intended to depict actual conduct or involvement of these entities. The use of these names and references is not meant to harm, defame, or discredit these companies or organizations.