Star Hedonist - Chapter 3: Hunt

Being a bottom feeder in society is an unpleasant experience.That's how Kiro felt after being left for dead in a back alley. Abandoned and disappointed by the 'work hard' ethic his parents left for him.'At least the heavens are weeping for me.' As the light from his eyes faded, he declared as the last act of defiance.He awoke in a room he hadn't seen in ten years. Whether it was due to sheer luck or divine intervention, he was grateful.'Through the VR game, Asgard, I'll become filthy rich in this life time.'Kiro was blissfully unaware that his return was a cry for something greater, for the underlying threats that hovered over his world.

Noan transmigrated to a world that blends advanced technology and magic, with countless gates leading to other strange worlds.In that world, he took over the body of a young man of the same name who had just died.He realised that in this world, he was one of the 0.1% of the population who had the ability to become a landlord and had the right to go to mysterious lands to build territories.However, he was only a Rank F lord, the lowest and weakest rank in the landlord rankings.Besides, his family was like blood-sucking demons. Not only did he wear out his labour, but his younger brother was also jealous of him becoming a landlord, so he hired thugs to beat him to death.Fortunately, the 'old Noan' died, giving the 'new Noan' a body to live again.This Noan was not a coward; he was not weak like the 'old Noan'.And of course, the goddess of luck smiled upon him. Although he is only a Rank F Landlord, who can only summon useless Skeletons, he possesses the only Rank SSS talent in the world - Almighty Fusion.He can fuse ordinary skeletons and transform them into the King of the Undead, the lord of hell.He can help a weak succubus become the almighty fallen angel.He can turn a small lizard into the King of Dragons, the nightmare of all creatures.Besides, Noan also begins to lift the curtain that has hidden the truth about the new lands.

I reincarnated as the wife of the cursed archduke in my own twisted novel.

As the author, I have a responsibility to fix this novel.

I have lifted the curse, which is the main problem of this story.

I thought my job was done. But when I was trying to go back, the archduke asked me, “Did you really think I wouldn’t know that you’re planning on returning to your fiance?”

‘My fiance?’

What I’m gonna do? He completely misunderstood the situation!

All I want is for him to please let me go home!

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.