Blue Phoenix - Chapter 3: Unexpected Visitors

Once upon a time, there was a makeup artist who possessed outstanding skills and top-notch aesthetic judgement. When he did makeup for various stars, he could embellish sharpness onto the smooth vases that lacked edges, and he could make models who exceeded the boundaries of aesthetics to appear delicate and soft, more approachable to people.

Male stars loved to request him, for he had a thorough understanding of masculine charm in particular, and the makeup he did was never garishly slathered in oils or powders, instead exuding a natural, dashing air of elegance.

Female stars loved to request him, because not only was he excellent in his skills, he was also everyone’s closest confidant; when they chatted, he could easily hold any conversation, and his mouth would be tightly sealed, never allowing anyone’s privacy to slip out.

Although this person was quite young, after getting by in the makeup industry the past few years, he was virtually considered as a distinguished personality in his profession, and would be referred to as a ‘master’ wherever he went.

But he had a terrifying secret. He needed to carefully tread on thin ice and couldn’t expose even the slightest traces; otherwise, nobody would invite him to work ever again, and nobody would apply to the classes he led anymore.

—He was a straight man.

- Description from Novelupdates

【Brand New Setting】【Fully Developed System】When you awoke, you had become an official known as “Minister of Agriculture” in a fantasy game.“Dynasty's Prosperity” version: You diligently cultivated the “Seasonal Order,” from “Harmonizing Winds and Rains” to “Summoning the Winds and Commanding the Rains,” from “Bountiful Grain Harvests” to “All Things Flourish,” commanding the seasons and quietly developing.You achieved minor successes, joined the army on expeditions, and controlled the “Four Books of Agriculture.” You froze thousands of miles of great rivers to pave the way for the army. With “Miasma” you slew enemies, “Fog Shadow” obstructed tens of thousands of troops, establishing unparalleled military exploits and rising to the position of Director of Agriculture, secretly seizing the fate of the dynasty, all falling into your hands.“Spiritual Energy Resurgence” version: You nurtured “Mountain Spirits and Wild Creatures”: Twin lotus make you invulnerable to both water and fire, the Seven Star Sword cools the light across Nineteen Provinces, Parasitic Species feeding on living beings, Void Species rooting in the void to absorb the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth... You established an inner scenic area, cultivated immortal species, with “Grand Taiyi Lotus” replicating en masse! “Ancient Tree of Life” immortal and indestructible!“A true seed falls into the Dantian, can nurture spiritual sprouts for ten thousand years, one day when the cultivation is complete, my life is governed by me, not by the heavens!”“Heart fire shines like the sun, kidney water is the source, spleen stores earth, lungs refine through metal, liver sustains with qi. Using the body as the foundation, nurture original species, foster all laws, achieving the status of Shennong Dao Master !”

He is an undead who is devoid of all humanity, he is the one and only supreme overlord, he is a man who has severe mysophobia.

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.