Horizon of War Series - Chapter 197: The Return Waltz

Five years ago, humanity’s strongest Tower Climber was betrayed at the peak of his conquest.Rael Arden, known only by his codename Phantom, was the silent genius who cleared impossible floors, crushed monsters with forbidden magic, and shaped the rules of Tower exploration. No one had ever seen his real face—yet his legend was feared across the world.But at the Tower’s summit, the teammates he carried to glory stabbed him in the back. For power. For godhood. For fear of what he might become.They thought he died.They were wrong.Reincarnated in secret, Rael awakens in a modern world that’s on the edge of collapse. Dungeons bleed into cities. Monsters evolve. The Tower is no longer just a gate—it’s infecting the world. And the very ones who betrayed him now rule from the shadows, hiding behind titles, guilds, and lies.But Rael isn’t alone. His soul split across hidden clone bodies, each designed to infiltrate, gather information, and prepare for war. As each clone reawakens, his power grows—and so does his rage.With him are three women tied to his fate:Selene, the shadow rogue who never betrayed him.Lyra, a curious researcher drawn to the legend of the Phantom.Aeris, the sword saint who still mourns his death… and may not be as loyal to the enemy as she seems.Now, Rael hunts the seven betrayers who destroyed his past.One by one, they will fall.But revenge is just the beginning.Because deep within the Tower, something else is waking—an ancient force that even Rael feared. And this time, the world may not survive unless the Phantom reigns again.

His mother died when she gave birth to him, his father a physically abusive alcoholic. Life is not kind to Darius King.

Darius would have dreams of being in a world of magic, but alas, his dreams would always end.

He hated life, and life hated him, so he ended both his and his father's.

When reincarnating into a peasant-like lifestyle as Liam, in the town of Ucladd, Darius realizes he has entered the world of cultivation!

With his ambitious, ruthless, and curious nature combining into one, he paves a bloody path to power.

Shifting his gaze from the Earth towards the Sky, nothing will stop him on his path for strength.

“I will touch the stars... or die trying.”

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“Dear, it's time for your medicine!”The beautiful and pure Holy Daughter brought over the medicine for treating his wounds.On this day, he saw betrayal with his own eyes and experienced despair with his soul...From this day forth, the Hero was dead, send paper offerings if you must!

[Ilyasviel completes the check-in and rewards himself for a height increase of 1cm]

Elijah: “???”

[Shizaki Kuangsan completes the task, rewarded with a historical video of Shizaki Kuangsan, please accept it! 】

Tokisaki Kurumi: “???”

[Fit Testrosa completes the quest and is rewarded with a whole set of bombardment flow for making friends with Takamachi Naiba! 】

Fett: “???”

[Shiroi Kuroko completes the task and rewards Misaka Mikoto Ai’s bento! 】

Shirai Kuroko: “…!!!”

Chu Chen silently watched the group of system hosts who had been playing with the system he created to the point of collapse, and drank tea very calmly.

“You don’t really blame me for the rewards you get. I’m only responsible for the system delivery system. You blame me for being like this…”

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