Water Magician - Prologue

In the world of cultivation, countless tales follow righteous protagonists, fated heroes blessed by destiny, or those chosen by heaven to walk the path of immortality.But what of those who stand in their way?What of the villains? The so-called obstacles to the hero’s journey—do they not bleed, dream, and struggle as well?Xiao Ning was never meant to succeed.From the very beginning, the Grand Dao wove him as a stepping stone—a necessary sacrifice to elevate another. His path, like that of all designated ‘villains,’ was doomed to failure by design.But what happens when that design is defied?After death, Xiao Ning awakens—not in the cycle of reincarnation, but in the cold silence beyond it. There, he is offered the Eternal Paradox Codex—a forbidden artifact containing the hidden truths of the Grand Dao System itself.Rules. Loopholes. Vulnerabilities.Knowledge not meant for those like him.With this power, Xiao Ning is granted a single, impossible choice: accept oblivion, or step outside the Grand Dao entirely—to abandon fate, sever karma, and cultivate a path unbound by heaven or law.It is Xiao Ning’s journey, from ashes to something beyond comprehension.Not to become an Immortal among men.But something even the heavens dare not bind.If fate is a chain…Then let him forge his own path in the void beyond.Welcome to this humble tale.The cultivation world is vast and unkind.Let us begin again—on our terms.

In the year 241 of the 6th era, Constantinople was in turmoil.Emperor Constantine personally lead his army, which was completely annihilated. The pagan empire, riding on the wave of a great victory, annexed the entire eastern territory of the empire, and its military might pointed directly at the capital.The 17-year-old imperial princess Theodora ascended the throne in crisis, facing what was already a terribly damaged realm.Rome was about to fall.....................The wheels of fate spun wildly as a transmigrator appeared on the streets of Constantinople.“According to the original plot, it was only a matter of time before Constantinople would fall.” he pondered.“Perhaps I should first whisk away the empress.”(The book is categorized under game fantasy worlds, set in a magically altered Middle Ages, and another title is 'I Really Can't Lead This Team')

Reina Suzuki was an overworked office worker—until she died and woke up as Lavinia Devereux, the infamous villainess princess of the Elarion Empire.She knows how this story ends: she’ll drink poison and die. A painless, easy death. So why bother changing fate? Villainy, revenge, redemption—sounds like way too much work. She decides to do absolutely nothing and let the story play out.But her terrifying father, Emperor Cassius Devereux, won’t ignore her like he’s supposed to. He watches her, questions her, and—worst of all—starts acting like he actually cares.Lavinia just wanted a quiet villainess retirement… so why does everything keep changing?

Nine Characters, all bound to the whims of a 'Deranged Entity.'All the clues they have are the vast differences they have with those that bore them.His Madness has seeped into them, crowning them with Glory. They shall come to know the price of Sin & Virtue by Sacrilege & Madness:Krael _My Pride can overturn Creation, drowning it in the madness of an unwilling. And yet I have to offer servitude to one who will always be beneath me, in the twisted guise of learning Humility - If only she knew how I long to grind her bones, she would know to control her tongueBorn to Pride, servitude to Humility.:Kaelan_My Hunger can consume the very foundations of existence leaving behind an abyss born from my will. And yet I have to exercise temperance lest I lose meaning. Why do the gods mock me so...to give me all I can ever eat, and yet never to touch any satiate my growing hunger. I have seen the cruelty of the divineBorn to Gluttony, raised by Temperance:Zaen_My Envy stalks the might of existence, wishing for its grandeur to be mine. And yet, my envy is never allowed to fester for Kindness plagues me like a curse. Compassion that was never mine, empathy I could care less about, heavens know I would rather drown in my own spit than to share goodwillBorn of Envy, chained by Kindness:Xaelan_My Greed clouds the hearts of even gods, from the mortal coils to the vastness of the cosmos chaining the 'Old Ones to sin. I feel the sickening embrace of her love, and yet I can never have it, for whatever is mine, I must give. To know Charity—that bustard—is the punishment I was accordedBorn in Greed, defiled by Charity: ...My Wrath burns the Heavens and fuels the pits of hell, bringing the end to all, as I ride my mount to Herald the storm. -Oops, this is not my stage. Sorry, but worry not my progeny will carry the mantle on my behalf. As they unleash the wrath stocked in their blood. But soon they will learn just how deep my Lord intends to go and that only Patience is the key to his games...hahaha...poor children, if only I could march alongside you in misery.Born to Wrath, burial by Patience:Thaen_My Sloth... uhm mm... well, I am too exhausted to think of a monologue.But Yah, blah blah...something Diligence... All I know is that I am more hard working than all of them combined... that 'guy was truly not fair when dishing them out_Born to Sloth, death by Diligence:Laen_My Lust fuels the passion of Creation, all beings lost in the throes of my splendor, indulging in desires so dark, and yet I am the purest of them all, abstinence is second nature. I weep for desires unfulfilled and yet Chastity that horrendous bi*** mocks me with laughter. Yet it seems only I suffer this cruelty; others are free in indulgence only I am a slave to virtue_Born in the flames of Lust, sustained by Chastity:Haelan_My Hatred runs so deep that the abyss is flooded; the rivers of the underworld are mere streams to my Hatred. I hold nothing but hate in my heart and yet 'he wishes I hold onto compassion. In 'his twisted form of madness, 'he has left me with no other choice. I shall let 'it fester until the day I make 'him pay_Born in the depths of Hate, Compassion my Love and my Death:Raelin_My Despair has seeped into the cracks of existence, corrupting the Light' of the 'Creator. All I feel is the despair and sorrow of all those born and chained in the embrace of 'the sisters' misery.'Unlike them, I search for her, elusive like the wind. I despair for the sight of her, and yet she will always elude me, shunning my pleas_Born in Despair, mourning for Hope...I feel the twisted love 'he holds for us all and yet they do not see it, blinded by Sin and Virtue:>Long but necessary:) what is the story about? Simply it's about the interplay of Sin and Virtue with a hint of Madness and Malevolence. Complicatedly, what makes sense may not actually make sense.