Shadow Over the Heavenly Throne - Chapter 55: Mirror Bloom

I thought I had seen bad endings before—but nothing prepared me for the garbage conclusion of The Hero’s Path.Years of investment, countless struggles, and for what? The protagonist failed. The villain won. Everyone else? Dead. Furious, I sent a message to the author, only to get a chilling response:[Do you think you could do better?]Before I could even blink, my phone exploded in a blinding light, and the next thing I knew—I was waking up in a completely different body.Now, I’m Merlin Everhart, a fourteen-year-old with a 12-star talent, the kind of gift only the strongest should have.But here’s the problem: I have no idea who I am supposed to be.With nothing but a system and a first-day-of-school alarm ringing in my ears, I’m thrown into the world of The Hero’s Path.Am I just another side character in a world that already ended once?…Either way, I refuse to let this story beat me too.

The Ye family’s foolish girl is reborn one day!With an omnipotent divine cauldron and a spiritual space in hand, she is no longer the good-for-nothing, abandoned girl that everyone bullies at sight!She is so invincible with both medicine and poison that even a divine doctor will be nothing beside her, Spiritual beasts beg her to make contracts… Oops, excuse her, even the Beast God calls her Boss.When her scumbag father dares to abandon his wife and daughter, she wrecks and destroys his family.When people dare to bully or humiliate her, she would return that favor a hundred times greater.Reincarnated as a human once more, she returns like a powerful sovereign. However, she never expects to be involved with the devilish and bloodthirsty him.Originally meant to be a decisive Ghost King, he ends up reincarnated into a ditsy, cute and harmless hostage prince in a neighboring rival nation…

An unnamed 34-year-old Japanese NEET is evicted from his home following his parents' death.

Upon some self-introspection, he concludes that his life was ultimately pointless.

Walking down a street he intercepts a speeding truck heading towards a group of teenagers, in an attempt to do something meaningful for once in his life he manages to pull one of them out of harm's way before getting himself in the way of the truck and dying.

Awakening in a baby's body, he realizes he has been reincarnated in a world of sword and sorcery.

He resolves to become successful in his new life, discarding his past identity for his new life as Rudeus Greyrat.

My end was not majestic, my beginning was not beautiful, but I will make damn sure that I rise once more. No more shall I bend a knee, no more shall I hide, no more shall I cower. No more shall the light guild my path, for only Darkness remains.

***

Killed by the universe's greatest killer, Truck-Kun. My existence was twisted as I gazed up at King-Yama, staring down at me with revulsion, “You sick bastard, you ate people.” He bellowed, glaring at me with disgust.

Snorting, I gathered my courage raising my head high and proud, my voice carrying a hint of pride, “So what, have you ever tried it...Let me ask you, have you ever had sex.”

A bewildered expression hung on his rugged appearance as he absentmindedly nodded. A slight smirk crossed my face as I declared, “then have you ate ass,”

“WHAT!!!” He balled in panic, shivering like a guilty man on trial.

“HAHA, you call me disgusting, but it appears you were sucking ass, now that is truly disgusting. I don't judge, but if you ask me, I will stick to cannibalism.”

“THAT NOT A FAIR COMPARISON, YOU LITTLE SHIT,”