Short, Light, Free - Chapter 86: The Value of Art I

In the year 4 Before the New Calendar, just four years before the arrival of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Lyle finds himself sitting by the roadside, gnawing on a piece of coarse black rye bread. His gaze is hollow, tinged with despair—he has been transported to the world of Overlord.The prospect of facing the devastating events to come chills him to the bone. In just a few years, the Great Tomb will unleash its might, razing nations and reshaping the world. Lyle foresees two grim paths ahead: perishing in the cataclysmic aftermath or surviving to live under the rule of the Sorcerer Kingdom.But as hopelessness threatens to consume him, a unique panel materializes before his eyes: Innate Ability: “Player”.Armed with the same advantage as the feared entities of Nazarick, Lyle resolves to carve his destiny. If they're all players in this grand game, why should he cower before them? The race against time begins as he seeks to grow stronger, navigate the treacherous world, and defy the fate that looms ever closer.

The year was 2026, and the world wasn't what it used to be. Ever since the Abyss Gates cracked open three years ago, spilling monsters and dungeons across the planet, life had turned into a chaotic mess. Cities were half-ruined, half-rebuilt, and people clung to whatever normalcy they could find. Hunters—those brave or crazy enough to fight the monsters—became the new heroes. Everyone else? Well, they just tried to survive.Fin wasn't a Hunter. He wasn't a hero either.He was just… Fin. A lanky 19-year-old with messy brown hair, a chipped front tooth from a dumb skateboard accident, and a power that everyone called useless. Absorption. Sounds cool, right? Like he could suck up energy or steal someone's strength. Nope. All it did was let him “feel” things he touched a little more than normal. He could tell you the exact texture of a brick wall or how warm a coffee mug was—big whoop. No fireballs, no super strength, no flashy moves. Just a glorified touchy-feely trick.“Fin, you gonna eat that sandwich or just stare at it like it's gonna confess its life story?” Meg's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.He blinked and looked across the rickety table at his best friend. Meg was short, loud, and had a wild mop of dyed purple hair that she swore made her look “intimidating.” It didn't.

Gu Yunjiao, the eldest young lady of a medical family, was reborn with a pharmacy and became a village girl who failed in Chongxi.

Her father is missing, her mother is a crybaby, her in-laws are the star of her death, and there is a mischievous femininity next to her.

Not having a good day.

Fortunately, her mother-in-law is sturdy, her younger siblings are strong, and her family is very supportive of her.

Her mother-in-law made an agreement with her to observe the festival for three years, and then set her free.

Three years later, she is already a well-known god of medicine, and she is very rich.

She packed up and prepared to go to freedom. The big one cried and the little one screamed. A certain handsome man hugged her and said, “Don’t go! You look at people’s bodies, and you have to be responsible to them.”

Gu Yunjiao snapped her fingers: “When I was treating my illness, I saw men ranging from 100 to 80.”

Someone gagged her, “They’re all sick, only I’m a man.”

Later, there was a legend in the capital that the young and handsome Lord Shoufu was afraid when he heard that.

Who are you asking about? Isn’t it just a three-year-old dumpling in the family of Lord Shoufu?

- Description from novelbuddy

Parents dead, clan exterminated, body burned, hands mutilated, inflicted with innumerable diseases, tossed into the dump, and even the magic ring with the ghostly grandpa in it has been sabotaged. A reasonable person would roll over and die. Tian isn't that reasonable. And as it happens, neither is Grandpa Jun. A very tough kid meets a very cunning old man. And together, they will shake the heavens. What to expect:-1 chapter a day M-F. Volume 1 is already complete.-2k words per chapter (aprox, some run long) with a longer first chapter.-No Harem-Earned power growth-An MC who isn't a goodie two shoes OR an edge-lord psychopath-A power system based on actual Daoism -Sects, giant monsters, natural treasures, flying swords, spells, talismans, secret arts, and a gentle sprinkling of young masters whose face need rearranging.