The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years - Chapter 22 - Sonia Aquarid (2)

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.

In this era filled with countless wonderful talents, no one has any expectations for a pair of weak fists anymore!In the human world, there are swords that surpass all the heavens, spears that sweep away thousands of armies, fires that burn everything, and thunder that shatters the sky!Young people have too many choices, and everyone will move towards the most handsome, coolest, and most powerful!Only the stubborn boy chose to practice the fragile fists in front of him.Everyone thought he was crazy until the disaster struck.

After putting in over 8000 hours into the game, he had achieved the status of being a true no-life god. Sadly, one day his save data disappeared and the shock of losing so many hours of effort killed him.However, this was not the end, for he awoke surrounded by the world that before now, he had only seen through a screen. This is the story of Zephyrus, who uses his gaming knowledge to enjoy his time in the new world.

Within the world of Arcadia, there exists an eccentric restaurant. The restaurant causes countless apex Mages to set aside their arrogance and pride, just to feast upon its delicacies. What did you say? You want to abduct the Chef? Could it be that you also want to force him to be your personal Chef? Are you an idiot? You would first have to get through a legion of men and women whose stomachs and bodies were thoroughly satisfied. Not to mention, the restaurant is guarded by a Divine Fox who killed a Mana God Realm Mage with a casual whip of her tail. What, a Divine Fox isn’t strong enough to scare you? Then, how about a group of Yanderes?