Steel and Mana - Chapter 165 – Merlin’s Intervention

Bought it right away.

*UPDATE: Read the sequel to this novel here:

He doesn’t know why his mind has been transferred into that of a petty thief named Soran within the VRMMO . The new ‘Soran’ though possesses both the body’s previous occupant’s memories and his own. Using his experience as a Legendary Rogue who had reached the apex known as the Realm of Legends, he will now have to survive in this world which had once been a game to him.

Soran will have to grow stronger while avoiding the upcoming dangers and protect his younger sister, Vivian, from the chaotic times which will soon devastate the world. He shall eliminate everything and everyone that threatens them, but perhaps Vivian might not need his protection?

When the demons of the Abyss rise and the gods fall, a massacre will take place across the world.

Divinity has fallen, and evil is surging from beneath.

The Time of Troubles has begun.

- Description from Novelupdates

In a fractured world ravaged by the collision of dimensions, humanity faces an apocalyptic threat from three fronts—vengeful ghosts from the past, sinister alien invaders from beyond the stars, and rogue artificial intelligences that have turned on their creators. Amid the chaos, a resistance rises, blending human courage with AI innovation to battle the horrors plaguing the Earth.Leading the charge is Elara Myles, a brilliant yet haunted survivor who holds a mysterious nexus device—one that connects to a realm between the living and the dead. As the veil between dimensions thins, Elara must confront phantom enemies and inner demons while uncovering the secret behind the Nexus—before it becomes humanity’s doom.With every heartbeat, the war intensifies. Ghosts whisper secrets, machines evolve with emotion, and the skies rain down terror. In Phantom Nexus, survival isn't just about fighting back—it's about understanding the enemy that once was us.

On the dawn of a fresh New Year, an ominous figure emerged, shrouded in a guise of an angel but harboring the malevolence of a devil. With a chilling voice, it proclaimed, [Every month, you humans will be thrust into a perilous quest. Your survival hinges on overcoming 20 grueling rounds.]Suddenly, I found myself ensnared in this dangerous survival game, a grotesque merry-go-round where every turn carried the stench of death. Yet, I was not without any defenses. I possessed an unusual power: the power to regress 100 times, a chance to rewrite my fate.I stand on the precipice of my final regression, and I swear, ‘This time, I will conquer it. I will emerge victorious.’I’m no longer the insignificant shuttle that I once was. Today, I shed my former self, the one who had reached the pinnacle of power. Today, I am reborn for the last time as Black Scythe, a rookie player, a novice that once again will be become the Grim Reaper!