Nurturing the Hero to Avoid Death - Chapter 25.2

In the Central 46 Compound, the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 and the notorious scourge of the Female Shinigami Association, Masatsuki Aozaki, stood before the Sages and Judges.“You have improper relationships with numerous members, Seated Officers, and Captains of the Seireitei?”“As Captain-Commander, maintaining close relationships with them helps facilitate my work.”“...”The Judge narrowed his eyes. “Then how do you explain modifying the female Shinigami's Shihakushō into miniskirts?”“To transform the Seireitei into a perfect paradise.”“Tsk tsk… A paradise for all Shinigami? That’s not entirely unreasonable…”“No, a personal paradise.”“A private—wait! Captain-Commander Masatsuki, that kind of thinking is clearly wrong!”“Do you want to die?”“...”“Forget it, Captain-Commander Masatsuki. We’ll set this matter aside for now. Let’s discuss some of the outrageous statements you’ve made in the past. Those were jokes, right?”“No, I was completely serious.”Masatsuki calmly ran his hand along the hilt of his Zanpakutō and spoke with conviction. “I have a great relationship with my subordinates, I get along well with Hueco Mundo, and I’m even friends with all of your wives and girlfriends. But rest assured, I’m a good Shinigami. You can safely leave the world in my hands!”Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto: That damn brat! Shunsui, Jūshirō, don’t stop me—I need to teach him a lesson!Thus begins the tale of the most incorrigible Shinigami!

Liam was a nobody, whether it was grades or sports or appearance or social life. Not because he didn't have a brain but because his luck was just that bad. However, everything changed when a mysterious game called 'Evolution Online' was suddenly launched. The world he knew changed upside down!

There was blood, death, and carnage everywhere. While everyone from small companies and big governments scrambled to get a foothold on this mysterious video game, some people's lives turned for the better and some for the worse.

Liam, unfortunately, being the latter, still somehow ended up at the bottom of the barrel. His insignificant life was squished like an insect and his loved ones were destroyed right in front of him. In the end, he was already dead without ever having a single chance to fight back.

But his story did not end there. Liam found himself returned back to the time before everything began!

Watch as the young man who was once a nobody reaches for the pinnacle of strength and power wreaking havoc on the world that destroyed him once! This time everything will be different!

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.

Shi Qing’s task was to be a protector.