In a world divided by war and ambition, Torraven-once a proud border city-falls like many before it. Its rulers are slain, and its last hope, a young warrior named Alistair, escapes with the last surviving son of the city's lord. Forced into the service of a ruthless king, Alistair swears an oath of loyalty, becoming the sword of a ruler whose promise of wealth and power is as much a gift as a chain.
As kingdoms crumble before them, Alistair and the lord's son rise as legendary conquerors-one a master of war, the other a mind of strategy. But shadows lurk in the heart of the empire. A forbidden love with the king's daughter threatens everything. When betrayal casts him into a dungeon, fate offers him one last chance-fight for the kingdom that imprisoned him, or perish as a traitor.
With an invasion on the horizon, Alistair must decide: Is he just a soldier bound by duty, or is he destined to carve his own legacy in blood and fire?
Other Title: Guide to Cultivating as a Cannon Fodder (炮灰修真指南) by Qinglian Yuefu
Becoming a cannon fodder supporting a female character who is destined to die within the first three chapters, Zhang Yiyi decisively begins her self-rescue mode. This is the story of a young girl fighting her way out from among countless cannon fodder, ultimately achieving enlightenment and ascending by breaking through the void.