Unordinary
Read ch 94 on Webtoon as of 13/11/20 ** I hate bullying in all its grotesque forms so in this I seriously want the ML to totally bitchslap the fuck out of all those trash students. Such bullshit behaviour by them! Grrrrr makes me so pissed off.
Berserk of Gluttony
Ch 39 as of 18/03/22 - it’s Asuna and Kirito! - ML is Fate Graphite - Gluttony skill: Consumes the souls of those killed, granting their stats and skills. The more ML kills, the stronger he’ll become. The stronger he gets, the more he wants to consume. If he doesn’t kill, he could lose control due to his intense hunger and attack anyone. - With this skill, ML can’t gain any XP (experience points). So he can’t level up or join any parties as his level remains low. - Starvation boost: (temporary) - Night vision activated through reddened eyes - Paralyse with fear anyone with lower stats (status points) - Ability to detect prey through smell - FL is Roxy Heart, a holy knight and a noble - Her father, Duke Mayson Heart died recently while fighting the dragons and monsters in Galia. - Aisha Heart, FL’s mother who was a commoner. Her body seems weak and frail. She lives outside of the main estate, in a mansion on Heart territory. Seyfert the capital city: - ML has been working as a gatekeeper under House Brerick. - He’s constantly abused and tormented by Rafale Brerick, a holy knight and his siblings. - After ML reported robbers to FL, he managed to kill one that was badly injured and escaping. ML increased his stats and gained the skills of Mind reading and Appraisal. - ML accepts FL’s offer to work under House Heart. - ML buys a black sword that was treated like trash, just like ML. He can hear the sword’s voice. It’s called Greed. - ML kills goblins and gains the skills Strength and Stamina reinforcement. His stats increase considerably. ML earns money from killing goblins and buys new clothes. - ML saves an orphan girl who was kidnapped under orders from Chad Brerick. ML gains the skills Concealment, One-handed sword, and Art-sharp edge. - ML works at the Heart estate by day, and goes hunting at night. - ML fights hobgoblins and defeats the goblin king. His added stats are huge and he’s gained the skills Auto recovery and 2-handed sword. ML gave the goblin king’s ear as a secret donation to the orphanage. - ML has enough stats to release Greed’s 1st form, a large black bow. Any subsequent forms will require even greater stats to be sacrificed. In this way, ML and Greed can grow stronger together. - ML is in town with FL, and he buys a skull mask that has the ability to conceal one’s identity. ML buys a gem stone for FL. They help a lost boy find his mother. - FL takes ML with her to visit the family territory, help with the harvest, and ward off monsters. She visits her mother. - At night ML secretly hunts the kobolds before they invade the territory. He gains the skills of Close combat, Vitality and Agility reinforcement. - ML learns FL will be sent to Galia soon. It was proposed by House Brerick and the other nobles supported it. - Chad Brerick was sent to find the monster that was killing all of the goblins. In half starvation mode, ML kills his men then reveals his true identity before killing Chad. ML gains the Holy sword art: Grand cross. - Greed’s 2nd form is a large black scythe. - FL departs for Galia. ML also leaves soon after to follow her and secretly support her. He arrives in the southern city of Tetra. - ML’s hometown is nearby. His mother died when he was born. - His father had a spear skill and protected the village from monsters. 5yrs ago his father died from an illness. Seen as a useless orphan, ML was banished by the village chief and driven away by the villagers. - ML agrees to help Seto, the village chief’s son. Seto changed for the better after the birth of his daughter. His wife was killed by the gargoyles terrorising the village. - At night the gargoyles return and use fire bullets to fight ML, which decimate the village. ML protects Seto’s house and kills the gargoyles. Seto decides to leave with his daughter. ML gains the Fire bullet skill. - As ML continues on his travels, he’s joined by a Galian girl called Myne the Wrath. She also owns a Deadly Sins weapon called Sloth, a huge axe. - They arrive at a town governed by a holy knight. - Travellers are segregated from the residents and there’s a strict social class system using tattoos. - ML hunts sandmen at night. He saves a large group of mercenaries from the boss monster. ML gains the Sand / dust magic skill. - Aaron Barbatos, an old holy knight, a swordmaster and the village chief. His wife and son were killed by monsters while he was away fighting in Galia. - At the next village, ML is challenged for a duel by Aaron. Although ML lost, Aaron allows ML and Myne to stay in the village on the condition ML trains under Aaron. - ML and Aaron go to the nearby castle to destroy the undead monsters there. That castle used to be Aaron’s. - ML faces the Lich boss monster while Aaron subdues his family and servants. Together they use Grand cross and defeat the Lich which frees the souls of Aaron’s people. Then they work to clear out the rest of the undead from the castle. - ML promises Aaron to return on his way back. - ML and Myne defeat a group of orcs when they arrive in Galia. - The dragons and monsters destroyed Galia 4000yrs ago. - Myne takes ML to her birthplace to fight a giant chimera called Haniel. A human sacrifice was used as the core to create Haniel. Myne needs ML’s skill to consume the soul to prevent Haniel from regenerating. ML draws on half starvation mode himself and sacrifices more stats to Greed in order to defeat Haniel. - Greed’s 3rd form as a black shield is released. - ML saw the memories of the human sacrifice and discovers she was someone that Myne knew. ML asks Myne to kill him if he succumbs to a total berserk state. - Babylon the defence city: a garrison town in Galia. - ML meets Elise who has the Lust skill. - Elise says FL needs to die in order for more people with special powers to be born. Elise is just a bystander but others will be out to harm FL. - Now on his own, the masked ML killed orcs for money to pay for new equipment. He saves FL’s camp when they’re attacked by 4 giant fire salamander monsters. He travels with them until they reach the Great Valley. - FL’s group are attacked by 3 giant prototype chimeras with monsters used as their cores. The masked ML helps to defeat the chimeras but he, FL and the last chimera fall down a deep hole. - ML finds the badly injured chimera and destroys its core. - ML notices the same strange markings on the chimera as on the salamanders. ML and FL safely find their way out. - A horde of monsters advances towards Babylon. - The royal army led by FL ride out to meet them. - Greed senses a large monster underground. ML discovers it’s a giant slime that uses corrosive magic. ML destroys its core and gains its magic skill. ML is faced by multiple slimes created from the Deadly Sin weapon used by a masked man who suddenly appears. The weapon is a black bayonet called Envy. - While fighting, ML destroys the man’s mask to reveal Alistair Northern. He’s a holy knight under FL. His family have been defending Babylon for generations. - Alistair uses a whistle to call forth a celestial dragon. - ML gets over to the royal army and uses the black shield to block the blast from the dragon. ML’s mask is destroyed and reveals his true identity to FL. - Alistair is perched on the dragon’s head. ML immobilises the dragon using a variation of Grand cross. ML sacrifices his left arm to defeat Alistair using illusion magic. The dragon breaks free and ML has a colossal battle that carves another valley across the land. - With the dragon defeated, ML gives over most of his stats to activate Greed’s 4th form (a black spear) and also stop ML from being completely consumed by his gluttony skill. - Myne arrives to kill ML but is stopped by FL. - ML recovers back in Babylon and is unconscious for a week. - ML is taken away by Elise and Myne to restore his arm. - For a month ML is forced to go on large scale hunting raids in Galia to exponentially increase his stats and his proficiency in using the secret arts of Greed. He restores his arm using Greed’s 4th form secret art: Twilight healing. It can cure any injury or disease. - ML and Myne return to see Aaron. Construction has started around the castle and they help with the rebuilding. - ML agrees to be adopted by Aaron and become his noble family successor. ML’s name changes to Fate Barbatos. - ML, Aaron and Myne travel together to the capital. - On the way, ML stops by the Heart territory and uses his healing skill to completely cure Aisha. - Aaron and ML go to the royal palace for an audience with the king. There are many holy knights present. Aaron introduces ML as his heir and the killer of the celestial dragon. - The holy knights scoff and mock ML. Rudolph Lanchester challenges ML to a sword fight. Rudolph loses his eyes to ML, then he is killed by the king’s personal White Knights. - The king gives permission to ML for powerless people in the capital to be accepted into his territory. - The neglected Barbatos residence in the capital is next door to the Heart estate. - ML is notified by the nun from a church in the slums that powerless people have disappeared after going to the military district. The Brerick family invested in the church under the condition that people from the slums came to work for them at night. This time no one returned except for one who managed to escape and said the others were killed. - ML infiltrates the Brerick research facility inside the military district. He discovers mutant goblins are being fed the remains of the poor people. He finds Memil Brerick drugged and unconscious. When he tries to leave, he’s faced with the mutant goblins. - Greed identifies the monsters as nightwalkers. They’re corpses that move from tethered souls and are poison to the gluttony skill if ML kills them. Nightwalkers can infect others when bitten or scratched. - ML enters a lab room full of specimens in containers. ML sees Chad Brerick who opens his eyes and attacks ML. Chad is a nightwalker after being restored using monster parts. - Aaron suddenly appears to help ML. While fighting Chad, they find another room full of women in containers. Aaron recognises one as Lina Brerick who died over 10yrs ago. - Rafale arrives and says Lina was his mother who was abandoned by his father because she was a powerless commoner. His younger siblings were born from another woman. - The nightwalkers were created using Rafale’s blood, which is why he can control them. Rafale used Memil as his backup blood supply. When Rafale is injured or killed, the nightwalkers are also affected. - Rafale has Vanity the black spear, a Deadly Sins prototype weapon. It doesn’t have a heart like Greed. It requires the blood of the user to activate its power. - Rafale’s body is possessed by an undead archdemon. He opens rifts using dark magic to allow dark matter to enter and explode. - Elise arrives with the White Knights and holding Envy. She reveals her true identity as the ruler of this kingdom. She sends Aaron and the knights away to evacuate the city. - Myne appears when a massive rift is created. She closes it using Sloth and brings down the archdemon as well. - ML uses Greed to separate Rafale and Shin, the one possessing him. Myne has been pursuing Shin and they both disappear. - Elise explains to ML that long ago she and Envy established the kingdom and ruled together. They parted ways after an argument with Elise travelling to achieve her goals and Envy left to rule using a proxy body. - After an investigation into the research facility, the Brerick family are punished. They’re stripped of their title, expelled from the holy knights, and their properties seized. - Aaron is bringing Memil into the household as a maid. - ML and Aaron visit FL at her home. Aisha makes a surprise appearance.
White Blood
Ch 73 as of 19/07/21 on Webtoon - Ch 88 here ** Completed with 92 chapters “With great power comes great responsibility.” - No one knows where the vampires came from since they appeared 10yrs ago. But now they’re a real threat to society and daily curfews aren’t stopping them. - FL is Hayan Park 20yo and is a rare, white-haired pureblood vampire (since birth). All she wants is a normal life. She lived in the orphanage since she was 10yo, doesn’t remember anything before then, and didn’t go to school as a child. - FL was childhood friends with an older boy who was the victim of bullying. When she helped him by scaring off the bullies as a vampire, he called her a monster. - FL goes to college now and is struggling to make friends. Father Michael, the priest in charge of the church and orphanage is under pressure to sign the properties over for redevelopment. - The other orphans are 2 young children, Yerim and Yunsu. - FL meets ML, genius Detective Euntae Hwang 28yo from the vampire task force. He suspects she’s a vampire and befriends her. - FL manages to keep her vampire instincts under control with the help of a crown of thorns given to her by Father Michael. He said it would help her not to lose herself. - Vampires can’t eat normal food. They can only consume blood and beverages. Vampires recover right away from any injuries. - Vampires can’t use their full powers during the day when the sunlight is strongest. - Newly bitten mixed-blood vampires have 5yrs before they die. Their lives can be prolonged if they join a group led by an Angel of Death. The blood of a pureblood vampire holds the key to prolonging the lives of mixed-blood vampires. - The “Angels of Death” are the Kings and Queens who rule over the vampires in this country. They’re 6 leaders with extraordinary powers who can keep the other vampires in check after they’ve received the pureblood of the vampire “God”. - The Angel of Death Lucian (was Woojin Lee) comes looking for FL at the church. The vampire leaders have been waiting for FL’s heart to mature. - Father Michael is a former elite soldier called Myeongsu Choi. - He became a priest after an innocent child was killed while he was deployed overseas. He took in FL 10yrs ago when he found her collapsed in the snow with bloodied clothes. He soon realised that she was a vampire. - Father Michael moves FL and the other orphans to a new location. Back at the church, he faces Lucian’s minions head on with traps and a flamethrower, but he dies against Lucian. - Father Michael refuses to let FL save him and expose herself as a vampire. He tells her to survive and protect the others. - Later FL finds the last letter to her from Father Michael. - He says he was a lost soul wracked with guilt but found a new purpose in life after meeting FL. - FL declares war against all vampires. She breaks into the Red Bomb Club owned by Lucian and vaporises him. - FL approaches ML for help to take down all vampires. - They retrieve vital info about the vampires from within the police dept. Vampires have infiltrated all areas of society. - The next Angel of Death to investigate is Sahan, a high school counsellor with the fastest growth rate of vampire followers. His special power is hypnosis and mind control. In their fight, Sahan's ability helps FL bring back some repressed memories while awakening her own latent powers (ie hypnosis). - FL discovers ML is a vampire. He has a human younger sister Haeun who also knows he’s a vampire but she doesn’t know why. Their parents became vampires 5yrs ago and to save his sister, ML became vampire. He now only has 6mths to live. - Sahan escapes from prison but is turned to ash when he interrupts an Angels of Death meeting. - Angel of Death Ash (actress Song AYoung) can alter her appearance and sucks life force by touching another’s lips. She pretends to be FL and goes public as a vampire. Another awakened ability where FL changes to Ash’s old identity, FL defeats Ash by emphasising her guilt in killing her best friend and taking on her persona. Ash accepts her punishment to live on as her old self. - FL remembers the death of her pureblood parents and a warning to her to never be found by “him”. - FL and ML hit the road to find out more on the 0101 Project and the mysterious pills, made by the Angel of Death Mamon who owns a pharmaceutical company. - They stop at a village along the way and visit Yohan Seo, a priest and FL’s childhood friend who was bullied. - Bangsan Market Incident: “God” appeared shrouded in flames, turning people into vampires with his blood. He also killed FL’s parents. This was the 1st vampire incident in the country. - Turns out “Yohan” is “God”. FL’s parents saved him from the brink of death after Yohan was beaten up by local gang of thugs and FL begged them to. He drank her father’s blood and became part of their family. Before they were about to move away together, Yohan killed the bullies at school and killed FL’s father who went to stop him. Yohan ate the father’s heart. He killed the mother when she went against him. Her heart was glowing brightly at the time. - FL was told by her mother to run far away and forget all about what happened. The trauma and possibly hypnosis had suppressed her memories (tbc). - A mixed blood vampire’s power when they transform is matched to the size of their ambition. Yohan must’ve had immense ambition to have enough power to overcome 2 pureblood vampires. - ML nursed FL while she was unconscious for 2wks. - Angel of Death Vael intercepts the pair as they hit the road again. He wants to switch allegiances (more like he’s a double agent). He wants FL’s blood in exchange for the info he provides. - FL’s heart is now glowing, indicating it is ripe enough to be eaten. - Project 0101 is the anti-vampire vaccine that is secretly made of vampire blood, turning normal people into vampires when taken for 3mths. The vaccine taken by vampires increases abilities tenfold. - Mamon has a history of sex crimes against women and has kidnapped couples active on social media taking the vaccine. FL and ML infiltrate the factory by posing as one of these couples. They fight Mamon but Yohan interrupts them over the PA system and says he can block her powers if he’s nearby. - FL confronts Yohan who says because he couldn’t eat her mother’s heart, he’s only half pureblood. That’s why he needs FL’s heart to be complete. FL blacks out and unleashes immense power, injuring Yohan who escapes. She then injures ML. She regains her senses only when ML puts the crown of thorns on her head. - At a rest point, FL notices ML’s poor condition and offers her blood for him to drink and extend his life. ML refuses (NB: any vampire close to death that drinks Yohan’s half pureblood will die). - On the road, Vael attacks them under orders from Yohan to test his loyalty. ML appears to die but is saved by Vael. The reason Vael needs FL’s pureblood is to save his animals who don’t have long to live. Vael believes Yohan will get rid of him as the Angels of Death were used to awaken FL’s abilities and he’s no longer needed. He’s been saving the people speaking out against the vaccine and kept them in hiding. - Yohan knows about the people in hiding and orders Vael to kill everyone at the end of his comeback magic show. Yohan sits among the audience and is invited up by Vael who tries to reveal on live TV that Yohan is a vampire. Vael’s lion Daniel joins the fight after being revived by FL’s blood, and lastly FL joins in as well. - Yohan manages to escape but Vael is exposed publicly as a vampire. FL and ML help Vael escape from the police and he spends Daniel’s last moments with him. - Yohan plans to turn everyone into a vampire on Jan 1st. There’s still a factory on Jeju Island and FL with ML board the freighter ship heading for it. They face the last Angel of Death Gore, a cannibal and a gangster. FL destroys him. - Levi is Yohan’s secretary and lover. She can read minds and has set up a mind game trap in a hotel on the island. The walls and sprinkler system are filled with acid. ML guides FL using CCTV. - To help, Ash and Vael turn up to fight the never ending stream of vampires. - FL meets ML and they run together until he collapses as his time is up. FL bites her lip until it bleeds and kisses him to revive him. Vael takes ML out of the hotel before it collapses. - The final battle against Levi shows how twisted her love is for Yohan compared to FL’s pure love for ML. Yohan says his final goodbye to Levi who knows Yohan only feels sympathy for her, not love. FL faces off against Yohan. - Yohan tells his life story to FL up to the murder of her parents. He was always abused, neglected, bullied, unloved. He only experienced peace and happiness with FL and her family, but he decided all humans were evil and he needed power to kill everyone.
Castle
Ch 95 as of 17/02/22 - this ch was cut short? ** all (mostly male) action with great visuals ** typical revenge plot, started off by bullying etc ** confusing to keep track of who’s who - ML is Kim Shin, a Korean contract killer. - His alias is “Amur Tigro” (Black Dragon River Tiger) - He became a legendary killer in Russia and led the strongest team of assassins. - ML’s father was a detective who was murdered 8yrs ago after going against “Castle” alone. It’s a secret organisation that’s a national crime syndicate with a global reach. - Lisa, Bar Iskra’s madame, contract broker (Russia). - Marina (Poisonous Toad), Iskra informant. - Krot (Mole), past killer for Bar Iskra, now Korea-Japan broker. - Shire (giant horse), Krot’s bodyguard, Iskra killer. - Medvedi (Bear), Iskra affiliated killer, manager of an illegal fighting ring in Club Ballerino. - Gustav, current top Iskra killer, has never been defeated. - Kang Min-Seong, the Master / Teacher and an assassin. - Seo Jin-Tae (Magpie), ML’s RH man, Iskra killer, main weapon: knife. He has a younger sister, Jin-Ah. - Pi Woo-Jin, 1st disciple of Kang Min-Seong. - Kim Dae-Geon, 2nd disciple of Kang Min-Seong, ex-Director of DS Security (Rank 2). - Cha Soo-Min, Bujin Faction, daughter and substitute boss. Castle killed her father, the previous boss. - ML returns to South Korea and goes to Hoeam, the city with the highest crime rate in the country. He plans to take over the city. - ML tries to recruit Pi Woo-Jin to help him in the fight against Castle. ML tells Pi that Kang Min-Seong was murdered by Castle. (Oh Do Hwa killed Kang Min-Seong?) - ML meets Cha Soo-Min and offers a business proposal. - He needs to borrow the influence of her gang, the Bujin Faction (previous boss of Hoeam) to obtain as much info and power in the area as he can. Cha Soo-Min agrees on the condition ML protects the junkyard. - 4yrs ago Kim Dae-Geon, Pi Woo-Jin and Cha Soo-Min were good friends. After Cha Soo-Min’s father refused to help Kim Dae-Geon’s drug addict brother, Pi Woo-Jin took Kim Dae-Geon to the Orient Faction HQ. Pi fought most of the men there and was exhausted. Yun Deok-Su appeared with Kim whose face was cut up. Instead of finding his brother, Kim said it was over and left with Pi. Kim disappeared for 2yrs then reappeared beside Yun as his dog. It’s likely Kim did a deal to protect his brother and everyone else. - Kim Jae-Hoon, President / CEO of Hasung Construction. - Kim Tae-Hoon, Kim Jae-Hoon’s older stepbrother - Kim Yong Sung, stepfather of Tae-Hoon (1st wife) and father of Jae-Hoon (2nd wife). To - DS Security (was Orient Faction), took over Hoeam 2yrs ago. - Yun Deok-Su, President of DS Security (was Orient Faction). - Kang Chang-Seok, RH man of Yun Deok-Su, DS Security. - Shin Tae-Jin, the cleaner (assassin) - “Barista”, SE Asia’s largest drug dealer, Baek Do-Chan‘s left arm. 7 Pillars of Castle: - Choi Min Wook, founder, head, and largest shareholder of Castle. - Kim Tae-Hoon, Chairman of Hasung Group. - Yoo Woo Sung, CEO of Huajin Consultancy, member of the Chinese Triad Black Dragon division. His brother is Liu Kai, head of Guangzhou. - Kim Hwang, Chairman of Gold Capital. - Im Mu Yol, CEO of Mori Investment Trust, former yakuza. - Chun il Do, CEO of Hotel Castle. - Baek Do-Chan, former Russian assassin “Python”, President of Advanced Trade Corp. He’s the symbol of strength for Castle. 10 Representatives of Castle: - Nam Goong-Hyuk (Jackie), Director of Sunjin. - Oh Do Hwa, 2nd-in-command / VP at Mori Investment Trust, and a top yakuza (cleaner / assassin) from Yanagawa Gumi. - Choi Dal-Cheon, President of Gold Capital. - Ryu Ji-Hak, Director of Hasung Group. - Castle VIP: Kim Sun Kyu, presidential candidate, Innovation Party. Once elected, Castle will have the Private Arms Act changed so they can legally have guns. Currently gun ownership is prohibited in South Korea. - Yun Deok-Su ordered Kim Dae-Geon to take over the junkyard and get rid of the Bujin Faction. Kim and his men go and are faced by the Bujin men, ML and Jin-Tae. Kim and ML fight 1-on-1. ML uses the fight to test Kim’s abilities then ML quickly finishes the fight and defeats Kim when he’s seen enough. - With help from Cha and Kim’s direct subordinates, ML convinces Kim Dae-Geon to join him against Yun Deok-Su and Castle. - All out gang warfare erupts in the streets between DS Security and Bujin Faction. Jin-Tae helps reduce the numbers with his skills. The battle is over when ML knocks down Yun Deok-Su in a series of punches. Everyone is shocked and stops fighting. - ML’s group have now taken over the north borough of the city. - South Borough Hope Young Adult Group: A vigilante corp formed to protect the weak and the merchants of Hoeam. - Yi Seul, President of South Borough Hope Young Adult Group, Director of New Hope. - Kim Dae-Geon approached Yi Seul on his own 1st. - Kim invited Yi Seul to visit ML and see for himself. - Yi Seul met ML who asked Yi Seul to lend his strength to ML so he could go after Castle. A former member of Yi Seul’s group was brought in to reveal he’d stolen money from the group and had joined DS Security instead. Difficulties with funds and business for Yi Seul’s group were due to secret actions taken by Kim Jae-Hoon to destroy them. - Yi Seul has a fight with ML and is defeated right away. - Yi Seul’s group agree to an alliance with ML’s group. - Kim Jae-Hoon had thought ML was dead. He calls ML. ML tells Kim to keep his men away from ML’s territory and ML will have control over all of Hoeam. - Kim Jae-Hoon sends a large force of men (his “cleaning crew”) to kill ML and his group. No one is there. ML predicted this and he’s with 2 teams at the Hasung Construction head office to attack Kim while most of his men are 30mins away. - Kim Jae-Hoon and ML attended the same high school. - Kim was the king at that school. No student or teacher could touch him. He had power and he used it to destroy ML and his father. - Kim 1st saw ML talking to a girl he fancied. - Then ML later saw the same girl being handled roughly by Kim’s stooges and ML stepped in to stop them. - ML beat up 2 thugs and was defiant towards Kim. - ML’s dad was framed for bribery and was demoted. - Kim provoked ML at school by saying he’d make his dad lose his job unless he kissed his feet and begged for forgiveness. ML punched Kim and his group of lackeys attacked ML. - The police arrested ML only. He was charged with assault and sent to juvenile detention. ML’s dad alone investigated Hasung Construction and discovered the existence of Castle. He was then murdered. - On the ground floor, Jin-Tae, Yi Seul and his men stop the security guards from entering. Jin-Tae can take on many of them at a time. - Nam Goong-Hyuk was visiting Kim Jae-Hoon at the time. Nam goes to deal with the intruders on the top floor. Kim Dae-Geon and Pi Woo-Jin fight Nam together so that ML can slip past. - The lights go out and ML kills the 10 bodyguards outside of Kim Jae-Hoon’s office. ML enters and avoids the bad shot by Kim with a handgun. ML takes the gun from Kim and shoots the glass windows so they shatter. ML forces Kim to the ledge and pushes him out. - Kim dangles from his hands that are tied. He defecates himself and calls for help. ML says it’s too easy to kill Kim considering the things he’s done. He wants Kim to live in fear for the rest of his life. - ML’s teams escaped safely. The cleaning crew returned too late. - Kim seems to have gone insane. An employee working overtime took a photo of Kim and posted it online where it went viral. - The Hasung Group assign Shin Tae-Jin to assassinate ML and Jin-Tae. Shin arrives at the junkyard and is attacked by ML. As they fight, Shin gives up and wants ML to kill him. Shin is stabbed and faints but later wakes up after being treated. - ML gets in Kim Tae-Hoon’s car after Jin-Tae blocked it on the road. While they’re soon surrounded by more Hasung men, ML produces Shin Tae-Jin’s bloody knife. - ML has control of Hoeam and had his revenge on Kim Jae-Hoon. ML knows the Hasung group could finish off ML and his group at any time. ML offers to do any task Kim Tae-Hoon asks of him in exchange for Kim Tae-Hoon’s help. Kim Tae-Hoon will consider ML’s offer and contact ML later. - ML tells Shin that the Hasung Group and Castle think he’s dead now. ML offers to help Shin with a new life in exchange for info on Castle. Shin says the 10 representatives support the 7 pillars of Castle and were chosen by the 7 pillars. Nam is 1 of those 10. - ML wants to take down the 10 representatives next. - Shin says ML will need at least 5 world class fighters to defeat Castle. ML plans to attack Castle in 6mths time. - Komodo, an Iskra affiliated killer in Russia hears Python is gathering useful killers. Komodo goes to test Python’s abilities but ends up being tested instead. After being easily defeated by Python, Komodo accepts the offer to join him and pledges his loyalty. - After being defeated by ML in a fight to improve his skills, Pi Woo-Jin wants to train in Russia. - Cha Soo-Min, Kim Dae-Geon and the Hope Young Adult Group will stay in Hoeam to reorganise businesses and families. They’ll also absorb the remaining forces that have scattered. Kim is in charge of all decisions while ML is away. - ML wants to extend the search for strong people who are hostile to Castle. ML, Jin-Tae and Yi Seul will travel separately outside Hoeam to rally and recruit these people. - Kim Dae-Geon pleads with Shin to help train him. Kim wants to study the 10 representatives for any loopholes they can use. - Gu il Hwa of Cheonan. Wang Dok-Pil the Great Boss of Daejeon was like a father figure to Gu. Wang was crushed by Castle. - Yi Seul met Gu in jail 8yrs ago. He helped Gu when he was about to be attacked by other prisoners. Yi Seul found Gu in Cheonan at the Bar Bambino that he mentioned wanting to open with his men. Over the years Yi Seul knew Gu was leaving gifts at the New Hope children’s nursery that Yi Seul ran for abused kids. - Yi Seul asks for Gu’s help to fight Castle. Gu agrees and will be introduced to ML soon. - Pi Woo-Jin arrives in Russia. ML arranged for Lisa to be Pi’s guide. He asks to go see Medvedi as advised by ML. When Medvedi hears from Pi that he wants to surpass ML, Pi is put into the ring that night as a test. After Pi defeats his 1st opponent, Medvedi says he’ll grow stronger if he survives the ring. - Kwak Joong Heon, was the Beast Killer of Busan. - He and his men lost limbs and eyes to Castle. They’re broken mentally and physically. - Pyo Yong / Pong the “Busan Kid”, leader of Pinout, 2nd largest gang in Busan. He was trained by Kwak Joong Heon. (He might be the son of Kang Min-Seong?) - He thinks he was abandoned by everyone. He doesn’t know the truth that his father was killed and his uncles disappeared to protect Pyo from Castle. - Mo Seung Gyu, leader of the largest gang in Busan. He betrayed Kwak Joong Heon and wants to be acknowledged by the Mori Investment Trust and Castle. - ML and Jin-Tae go to Busan and meet Krot for local intel. Krot tells them that Busan is still ownerless. He warns them that Mori Investment Trust are making moves. - ML and Jin-Tae try to meet Pyo but he and his gang attack as they think they were sent by Mo. ML and Jin-Tae defeat them and leave a business card. ML is impressed with Pyo’s skills and sees potential. - Kwak Joong Heon had his men test ML and Jin-Tae to confirm they were students of Kang Min-Seong, and not from Castle. He explains that they just want to protect Pyo and tells ML to go away. - ML declares to Kwak and his men that ML will take over Busan. - Mo approached Oh Do Hwa to ask to work under Mori Investment. Mo is told to prove himself worthy by taking over Busan in 3 days. - Pyo is betrayed by some of his gang and attacked by Mo’s men. Pyo’s friend helps him and contacts ML. Pyo had fainted and wakes up. He learns the truth and wants revenge. He apologises to ML and asks to join him. ML tells Pyo to defeat Mo, be Oh Do Hwa’s dog and become the successor of Busan. - Pyo attack’s Mo’s base with some of his gang and Kwak’s men. Pyo makes it to Mo’s office and fights Mo. - ML intercepts Oh Do Hwa before he gets to Mo’s base. - ML fights Oh and his aide together, then is helped by Shire and later by Jin-Tae. ML ends the fight after checking Oh’s skills and retreats. ML won’t be contacting Pyo for awhile. - Pyo knocks down Mo. Oh arrives and Mo asks for help but is killed. Pyo faces Oh as the last man standing and offers to manage Busan for him. Oh is suspicious of Pyo but accepts him for now. - Kwak Joong Heon gives ML a journal with all the info he knows about Castle. - Krisa (Rat) / George Silva, Iskra killer, ML’s close friend. - After a month, Pi Woo-Jin has been on a winning streak since he started fighting in the ring. He met his match against Krisa. Medvedi stopped the match and declared it was Pi’s defeat. - Secretary Oh. Former aide to Kim Jae-Hoon, now works for Kim Tae-Hoon. In response to ML’s offer to Tae-Hoon, Secretary Oh met with Kim Dae-Geon and Cha Soo-Min. Before leaving, she tested Dae-Geon’s reflexes herself with a samurai sword in the office. - Secretary Oh suspects Shin Tae-Jin isn’t dead and decides to look for him before he causes trouble for the Hasung group. - In Hoeam, Kim Dae-Geon arrives at the place he trains with Shin Tae-Jin to find a stranger waiting for him. It’s Ryu Ji-Hak and Kim is no match for him when they fight after Kim refuses to answer his questions. Shin arrives and Ryu says he didn’t come to kill him this time. Ryu warns Shin that Secretary Oh knows he’s in Hoeam. - Shin leaves that night on a ship arranged by Kim. - Shin arrives in SE Asia and goes to get a fake passport from the black market. There he meets Barista who’s stocking up on weapons to take out ML’s group. Shin decides to kill Barista to pay his debt back to ML. Barista has his men chase Shin through a village. Barista pays the many beggars to also go after Shin. - In their final showdown, Shin injures Barista but ultimately dies at Barista’s hands. - A few years ago, Shin and Barista were part of the team Baek Do-Chan led to go after Kang Min-Seong in Russia. - They were under orders to kill everyone. Shin tried to spare the young son of a hunting couple he killed. Barista was stopped by Shin from killing the boy. That boy took his parents’ rifle and shot Shin in the back, then he took his own life. - Shin was in debt to the Hasung group who paid compensation for this incident. - ML meets Kim Tae-Hoon on a secluded private beach. - They’re surrounded by Hasung men. Kim now knows ML’s true identity and background. ML offers to kill Baek Do-Chan in exchange for financial backing and intel from the Hasung group. Kim agrees to be allies for now. - Pi Woo-Jin has been undergoing training sessions in Club Ballerino’s basement. Lisa assigns Pi’s 1st mission against a young, violent gang. Pi is unable to pull the trigger of his gun to kill someone. Another Iskra killer called Black Mamba was sent by Lisa to take over as she knew Pi would fail. - Gustav found out from Lisa that ML is in Hoeam. - An Iskra spy notified ML that Gustav is in Hoeam. - The spy arranged a private location at an abandoned water reservoir for them to fight. ML will use this fight as a test before facing Baek Do-Chan. The fight began with guns then switched to knives. They’re interrupted by a gun shot. 3 of Iskra’s killers arrive to stop the fight: Aquila, Frigate and Shamo. - After Gustav leaves, ML chats with Aquila who wanted to know what ML was doing in Korea. ML talks about Lisa’s intentions with setting up this fight between him and Gustav. Lisa wants ML to take out Baek Do-Chan to save Iskra from having to do it. She also wants ML to help her get into Castle. Her ambition has always been to form a large scale cartel with even greater power and money than what Iskra has now. - Pi is looking for the boy Alexia who usually helps him at the club. He finds out Alexia’s mother sold him to a gang who traffick organs from healthy children. He goes to the hideout and kills the whole gang. He frees Alexia and the other children. - Jin-Tae is in Suncheon to recruit Yeo Min-Soo who has bad history with Gold Capital due to Choi Dal-Cheon. Jin-Tae fights Yeo to test him and is impressed with his skills. He explains why he’s there and asks Yeo to join in the fight against Castle. - Yeo lost an eye to Choi to save and protect his men. He was able to stand the pain and make no sound while his eye was gouged out by Choi. - Marina contacts Jin-Tae to warn him about Yoo Woo-Sung. - She says Yoo is secretly the younger brother of Liu Kai, the head of the Chinese Triad in Guangzhou. - (Jin-Tae’s family have bad history with Liu Kai?) - Marina suggests it would be safer for Jin-Tae and his family to go back to Russia. - Yakuza from Japan arrive at Busan. They’re from Mori Investment. Hide leads them and is considered Oh Do Hwa’s successor. Hide suspects Pyo is the baby that Kwak Joong Heon’s gang were protecting. Hide reveals to Pyo that he knows Pyo has been secretly training under Kwak and his men. Hide gives Pyo a pair of knives to improve his skills with. - Barista arrives in South Korea, smuggling in many of his men. - In Hoeam, the men under Kim Dae-Geon were instructed to stamp out the drug trade in the city. During what they thought would be an easy drug bust, the men are surrounded and Barista makes his presence known. - Kim Dae-Geon receives a desperate call about the attack on his men. He notifies Yi Seul, telling him to take Cha Soo-Min somewhere safe and gather the other men. When Yi Seul meets Cha, she senses an all out war brewing and calls for everyone to be ready. - Kim goes to check it out himself 1st. He finds an abandoned factory that’s been turned into a hideout. - Kim recognises Barista and sees his men bleeding badly while they get beaten up. Kim decides to take on Barista. - Kim’s closest subordinate was killed before his eyes. He recognises Shin’s knife that Barista is using and realises Shin is dead. Against the odds and on the brink of death, Kim Dae-Geon kills Barista after an intense battle. Kim’s men used their last strength to stop Barista’s men from shooting Kim. - Cars pull up and Baek Do-Chan has arrived with Nam Goong-Hyuk and Komodo. Kim Dae-Geon commits suicide by directly challenging Baek and charging at him. Kim is crushed by Baek. - Barista grew up with Nam Goong-Hyuk and another friend called Noah in a 3rd world country. Poor and hungry, they took a job as teens to kill someone. At the house, everyone was already dead and the boys met Baek Do-Chan for the 1st time. - Nam asked Baek to take them with him or else kill them. Baek said if they take over the area in 3yrs, he’ll take them under him. - After 3yrs, the trio had 1 last gang to destroy before claiming the whole area. Noah saved Barista’s life but was killed instead. - Noah’s last wish was for Barista and Nam to run away and stop killing people. - ML and his group are gathered in the office when a delivery arrives for Kim Dae-Geon. The large box contains Kim’s head and a letter from Baek Do-Chan. It tells ML to meet at the pier at Incheon Port in 3 days if he wants to collect Kim’s remains. - ML and his group hold a funeral for Kim Dae-Geon. All recruited allies attend. One surprise attendee is Ryu Ji-Hak (who seemed to pay his respects on behalf of Shin Tae-Jin as well). - ML secretly meets with Kim Tae-Hoon. ML will proceed with the pier meeting but plans to take advantage of it. ML introduces Lisa as the joker who will shake up the board. - ML proposes a plan to destroy Advanced Trade, Mori Investment and Gold Capital, with help from Hasung and Iskra. - All of the recruited allies have gathered at the junkyard after the funeral. ML speaks to everyone, asking all to give him their strength to defeat Castle together. ML gets on his knees before them and says he will put his life on the line but he can’t do this without everyone. - One by one the recruited men also get on their knees and vow to follow ML. With everyone united, ML gives the new organisation the name “Baek-yi” (100 white ants / termites). Incheon Port: - 200 Advanced Trade men are at the pier. - 30 from the Death Squad are on the ship. Komodo, Nam Goong-Hyuk and Baek Do-Chan are also on the ship. - The main force of Baek-yi under Yi Seul are at the pier and engage in battle with the Advanced Trade men. - Ratel (Honey badger), Medvedi, and Krisa from Iskra join Jin-Tae, Pi Woo-Jin and ML to infiltrate the ship. - Im Jong-Tae, illegal info broker of Incheon Port. - He has bad history with Advanced Trade and he lost money so his family are suffering. He provides ML with maps of the pier and blueprints of the ship. Mori Investment Trust HQ: - Oh Do Hwa has summoned all his men together. Hide and the other yakuza are with Oh on the top floor. Pyo is called up by Oh from the car park where most of the men are. - Sensing danger, Pyo attacks the men in the lift and gets off on another floor. Hide tricks Oh and betrays him. Iskra sent Frigate and Shamo to help Pyo’s group in the car park. Some of Kwak’s men also arrive. - That night after the funeral, ML met secretly with Hide. Gold Capital HQ: - The Hasung men make a surprise attack. ML sent Yeo Min-Soo to deal with Choi Dal-Cheon. - Medvedi and Ratel are attacked by the Death Squad. - Baek Do-Chan joins in the attack. ML arrives to fight Baek before Medvedi is almost killed. - Jin-Tae is fighting Komodo. - Krisa is fighting Nam Goong-Hyuk.
Shadow Squad
** DROPPED. Very slow burn, disjointed Read ch 23 as of 04/01/21 - also on Tapas
Ranker who lives a second time
Ch 141 as of 13/12/22 - also on Tapas - getting harder to summarise … - ML’s father died when ML was really young. - His relatives cut ties with his poor family. - ML left home because he hated his personal situation and wanted to forget everything. He joined the military and was deployed overseas. He lived as if he was crazy and received the code name “Cain.” - ML’s brother Jeong-woo Cha (J-woo) wanted the cure-all elixir in the tower to save their dying mother. J-woo was eventually betrayed and killed by the people closest to him. - 5 swords pierced his heart: 3 swords were from ‘kings’, 1 sword was from his lover (Viera Dune, Witch of Stars), and 1 sword was from his close friend (Sir Leonte, the Fist god). - The 8 Great Guilds / Clans conspired together to destroy J-woo and his group Artia, since they couldn’t possess them. - ML already has extensive military experience. As J-woo’s successor, ML inherits these skills: Dragon Eyes (dragon visual prowess), Heightened 5 senses, Clairvoyance / Foresight (inherited memories through J-woo’s diary). - The tutorial tests if players are qualified to climb the tower and is split into 7 blocks (A to G). Blocks A-E are inside, while blocks E-G are outside. Players have 30 days to complete the tutorial. ML is starting a week late. - Mask-wearing ML meets Yool at end of Block A. He helps Yool get out in exchange for teaching him about magic and mana. ML saves Yool from his ex-team mates who betrayed him then try to kill him to keep him silent. - Build, an executive of the Arang group (backed by the Azure Sword Guild, 1 of the top 8 guilds. They have the 5 famous Martial gods that are top high rankers). He scouts players in Block B’s waiting room. He knew J-woo as he was close to Leonte. - Block B: ML chose the black door out of the 4 coloured doors. - Hidden quest: The Room of Frost and Fire. - ML eats white moss with the heart of the giant red centipede he killed. This repairs and strengthens his bones and muscles. - Extra skills: physical resistance, combat will. - Batori’s vampiric dagger: ML kills bats and giant ants to get to the Shrine of the Vampiric Monarch. He stabs himself with the dagger to reveal it's true form. This unique artifact extracts the life force from opponents and devours their souls. - After killing 1000 monsters, ML has obtained all of the pieces of the Flame Heart and Frost Crest. This gives him a reinforced anatomy. His body’s development and ascension process changes from “incomplete dragon body” to “immature dragon’s body”. - ML as ‘Cain’ agrees to team up with Doyle (Foxy Tail) and Khan (Blood Sword, son of tower ranker Iron Lion) to help them get “Hargan's crown” at Block E. This artifact increases the wearer’s commanding presence. - Blocks C, D: ML cleared solo. - Collecting tokens: can be used to get karma or buy from the mystery merchant. - Block E, Hidden quest: Lizardman King Hargan’s lair. - ML obtains the modified ‘flame infusion’ skill from the king. - ML sells the ownership of the lair to the mystery merchant. It’s highly likely the lair has high quality magic stones. - ML and co. release a group of human prisoners after killing the lizardmen. The freed humans betray the trio who are surrounded by the Scavengers. The trio kill everyone, then go their separate ways. - After seeing evidence of the Arang group supporting the Scavengers, Doyle and Khan decide to confront Build directly. The Arang group were supposedly formed to get rid of the Scavengers and their human farms, but instead are controlling them. - Hidden quest: Galliad the dark elf and J-woo’s 1st Master. - ML looks for Galliad to obtain Undine’s Glass, an artifact and spiritual gem that only he knows how to make. - ML passes the test of playing hide and seek with Galliad. ML catches him 7 times. ML learns the ‘Shunpo’ Blinking Steps skill from Galliad. It increases his movement speed and improves his stealth. ML seeks to further develop his body. - Hidden quest: Akashic snake resurrection ceremony. The orcs are conducting a ceremony to resurrect the snake that was killed by Phante and Edora. ML sets up a conflict between monsters to provide living sacrifices for the snake to consume and help it grow. - Humanoid mythical root 300yo: a divine root that increases magical potency. ML captured and consumed it, gaining the magic circulation skill. - Sudden quest: Monster rush. ML started a war between the monsters (orcs, goblins, lizardmen, kobolds, trolls, ogres) in Block E. They take out Arang’s 1st squad along the way, who were ordered to kill ML after what happened to the Scavengers. - ML kills the snake with the vampiric dagger. He consumes the snake’s core and his magical abilities increase. His body awakening progression and his growing dragon body continues. His reinforced anatomy changes to gold-plated body / adamantine physique. - ML returns a long-lost pendant with a photo of his family to Galliad, which ML happened to find. - Galliad administers Undine’s Glass to stabilise ML’s body after he consumed such a large core from the snake. - Black bracelet (wrist armour) and black magic: The bracelet is a unique artifact and belonged to the owner of the Akashic snake. It can reap souls and convert souls to magic that can be used to make cursed weapons. It also allows ML to see dead souls. - ML has achieved the title of Monster Hunter. He’s also attained the Eye of the Goblin and the Monster’s 5-Coloured Gem. - Block F: Arang group base. Doyle and Khan held prisoner there. - ML wipes out the Arang group then frees Doyle and Khan. Build swallows the forbidden philosopher’s stone that was made from the bodies and souls of countless players sourced from human farms. - ML takes off his mask for Build to recognise his face. ML lets the sacrificed souls finish off Build after ML tortured Build for info. ML obtains the incomplete philosopher’s stone and it stores itself near his heart. - Doyle and Khan decide to retire for now, and give their earnings to ML to use. After receiving tips from Doyle and Khan, ML finds Vigrid the demonic sword. It has both demonic and divine abilities because it used to be a holy sword. - Block G: Phante and Edora, siblings from the Cheongram family of the One Horned tribe. Ranked 2nd and 1st in the tutorial. - While fighting the siblings, ML distracts Edora and steals their tokens. He jumps to the top of the rankings by a huge margin, giving him the highest score in the history of tutorials. - ML refuses to enter his name into the rankings or the hall of fame, and he becomes known as “The Hoarder.” - ML receives Zeus’ key which is 1 of 12 keys needed to access the Treasury of Olympus. - ML enters the area of the Obelisk, Tower of god. - ML visits Henova the dwarf master blacksmith who used to work exclusively for Artia, and was like a father to ML’s brother. ML buys a special custom dagger and he commissions Henova to make the Eyes of Gyes. ML also learns blacksmith skills. - ML takes care of the Night Watch clan who harassed Henova. - Phante and Edora visit ML and Henova. Edora’s huge sword was made by Henova. Phante nags ML for a rematch fight but loses to ML again. - Bahal (Flame Fist) of the Red Dragon clan, former Artia member. - Henova finishes the Eyes of Gyes as both armour and amulet. - The Eyes have special defensive properties. It aids health recovery, while also enhancing and assimilating with one’s senses. - Henova also custom-made a demon mask for ML that’s a magical artifact with unique properties. - ML enters the Tower with Phante and Edora. He clears the beginner floors 1-10 in record time to obtain Hades’ key, the last one. The 12 keys combine and ML accesses the Treasury of Olympus. Hermès invites ML to be his apostle but ML declines. - ML tries to take Astrape (Zeus’ lightning bolt) but it shatters. Instead he receives the Black King’s Despair, a wrist guard cuff and arm chain made from divine iron. It’s abilities are Soul Collector, Spirit Familiar and Black Energy. The Black King was the owner of the Akashic snake. ML also receives Athena’s Aegis shield, a 9-layer holy item that can block most attacks. - Bahal led an ambush on Leonte and his group. Leonte escaped and now the Red Dragons are at war with the Azure Sword Guild. - 11th Floor: Nurture and hatch a mythical beast egg. The type of beast will change according to the dreams and devotion fed to it. - ML creates spirit familiars and trains with them, along with the Aegis shield. - ML helps to return a stolen Phoenix egg to it’s mother. He calls the hatchling Chirpy and forms a contract bond with it. ML collects materials to create the vessel for the Flames of Life. The mythical beast egg is infused with the Flames of Life many times from the Phoenix to help its growth. It grows to a huge size but refuses to hatch. The Phoenix believes the beast needs dreams to give it motivation to be born. - Phante and Edora are summoned back to their village. - Their father Nayu the Martial King says the village will be joining the war as mercenaries under the Azure Sword Guild, breaking the long-standing neutrality of the tribe. (NB: Flann is the Spear god of the Azure Sword Guild, and the uncle of Phante and Edora. The Sword god was a disciple of the Martial King). - ML is invited to the One Horned Tribe village and he takes his egg. The elders advise using a rare herb called the Lunar Seed. To get some, ML agrees to join the village as a mercenary in the war. - Jang Baeksun, half-brother of Phante and Edora. Jang challenges ML to prove himself. ML wins emphatically. - ML asks to learn the martial arts unique to the One Horned tribe. Nayu gives permission on the condition ML attains enlightenment on his own in 4 days. There will be a test which if he passes, Nayu will teach him the martial arts. ML agrees. - ML studies the tribe’s skill archives. He creates a new magic circuit concept, core theory and a new type of mugong. The gods and demons of the 98th floor show interest, as does Hermes. - ML passes the test with his Heavenly Wing Mana Control. - ML starts to learn the 8 Extreme Fists martial arts. - ML also becomes the successor of the Yin(g) Sword, an ancient vessel sword of great intelligence. - Edora inherited the Yang Sabre with her insight ability. - The tribe start the siege of Kuram City on the 11th floor against the Red Dragons. To see the progress of what ML’s learnt so far, Nayu takes the top 5 enemy warriors from the siege to fight 1-on-1 with ML. The last one is Shanon, a semi-ranker (cleared 50th floor) and the most challenging. ML learns about focal points that are the power to choose possibilities. - The Azure Sword Guild are hunting the legendary beasts. ML finds Chirpy alone, as the Sabre god killed the Phoenix. ML receives the Flame of Life / Holy Fire skill. Ebora followed ML and they go to save the other beasts (ie Void Dragon, Abyss Turtle, Sabretooth Tiger) but they’re too late. - ML becomes the Legendary Beasts’ Successor and feeds the spirit core of the Sabretooth Tiger to Chirpy. The Sabre god was most likely harvesting materials from the legendary beasts to use in treating his son who was born with a weak body. - Because of the Azure Sword Guild, ML leaves the One Horned tribe and says Nayu will always be his master. Edora and Phante follow him. ML approaches Bahal at the Red Dragon clan base. - ML gives Bahal a map of the Azure troop locations. ML is made team leader of 3000 mercenaries. To subdue them, ML gets Phante to break them then ML heals them. This happens over and over again. With the men fully subdued, Phante is left in charge of training them. - ML goes through the 12th to 15th floors with the help of his men. ML takes his men to the 16th floor to find the Sabre God’s son, Hanbin. They wreck havoc at the temple of the future (Skuld) and bring Hanbin back to base on the 11th floor. The Sabre god receives messages with a finger then an eye that his son is being held hostage for the philosopher’s stone. - ML upgrades his witch doctor spirit familiar named Bu to a lich, a magician of death. He also assigns the spirit of Shanon as his 1st Death Knight. They lead his ever growing ghost army. - The Sabre god leads a rebellion against the Sword god and Fist god (Leonte). Taking the Reverse Blood pill to increase his magic power, the Sabre god fights the Sword god but is still defeated. Before he dies, the Sabre god uses the now fused Legendary Beasts core to open a portal that allows the Summer Queen (in red dragon form) to teleport through with the Red Dragon forces. - ML absorbs the fused core and his dragon body transformation and awakening is complete. His adamantine physique has changed to complete draconic body. He’s also obtained the Territory, Knowledge and Authority of the Dragon. He’s awakened the power of the dragon, and can emit Dragon Fear to his opponents. - The One Horned tribe are not present for this battle. Nayu probably thought there was no point in continuing the alliance and broke it off. He may have been approached by Red Dragon too. - ML intervenes in the fight between Leonte and Bahal. Leonte had just badly injured Bahal by using the internal energy of the mythical dragon core, given to him by the Sword god, and Gungnir the legendary sword of Odin. ML cuts off Leonte’s head and after a fierce battle does the same with Bahal, who sees ML’s face behind the mask before he dies. - ML absorbs the mythical dragon core from Leonte, which was taken from J-woo. ML lets his ghost army take care of the remaining Red Dragon forces in the vicinity. - ML’s bracelet absorbs the many souls of the dead. ML, Edora and Phante withdraw from the battle. - The Bow god betrayed the Azure Sword Guild, and now the Sword god and Spear god are on the run. The Guild has collapsed and a new power struggle is expected to fill the vacuum. - ML receives lunar seeds from the tribe’s head elder. With these seeds, the ‘blessing of the 4 legendary beasts’ crystal that was created by the fused core, and the mythical dragon core, ML hatches his now massive egg by reviving / awakening the suspected legendary beast inside. It’s a demonic dragon that absorbed the energy of the 4 other legendary beasts, and was reborn from the mythical dragon that was connected to ML’s brother. - ML plans to make the beasts hatched by Phante and Edora to become legendary beasts that will take over the vacant positions on the 11th floor. He gives them the Bead of the Abyss created by the Void Dragon, and the Pure Flower of the Legendary Beasts elixir created by the tribe’s head elder. With these beasts, he’ll have control over the 11th floor. - ML interrogates the spirits of Leonte and Bahal. The philosopher’s stone was created using an emerald tablet (that is now broken). The Summer Queen has a broken dragon heart from her last fight with ML’s brother. She needs the stone to repair it. - A magic ring called the Key of Intrenian is given to ML by Bahal. It allows access to an infinite storage space and the Red Dragon treasury. ML finds the materials needed to complete the philosopher’s stone stored in the treasury. To do this, he needs help from Brahm the Exile, 1 of 2 alchemists that J-woo knew. He’s a ranker on the upper floors of the tower. - ML lets his ghosts eat the souls of Leonte and Bahal. - ML calls the spirit of the Sabre god who pledges his loyalty to ML when he learns his son Hanbin survived. The Sabre god becomes the 2nd Death Knight, Han Ryeong. - ML visits Henova to commission magic swords for use by his 2nd Death Knight, who needs strong swords to meet the requirements of his signature moves. - Nayu the Martial King conducts an inspection of ML and they have an epic spar. Although ML lost, his growth and strength impress Nayu who has nothing left to teach ML. Nayu tells him to continue going up the tower. - The Sword god is the lone survivor as he emerges from a cave and sees his men who died while protecting the entrance. His childhood friend the Spear god is also dead. He decides to use the forbidden qi ‘Cannibal’ which allows him to absorb the powers of the dead person whose heart is consumed. - After declining to join Red Dragon, the Bow god (now Zhang Wei) is given a mission by the Summer Queen to find someone. Zhang Wei is from Earth around the same place as ML and J-woo. - The Queen suspects the Red Dragons and the Azure Sword Guild were used as puppets by someone. Zhang Wei investigates the people close to Bahal. - ML commissions the Night Watch to search for Brahm the Exile. - On the 16th floor (Life’s Wheel), ML is invited to the temple of the past. He passes the trial of meeting the goddess Urd and breaks free of her will, which tried to trap him by using his past. She orders ML to be killed but he beheads her high elf apostle Hepburn instead. - ML escapes from the temple which implodes. His shadow knights take care of the soldiers that come after them. - ML uses the divine power from the apostle’s soul to cleanse and purify Vigrid the demonic sword. It’s returned to it’s original state. - ML progresses with record speed and achievements through the next few floors until he reaches the 20th floor and the Gate of the 5 Penance Mountains. The penances are sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. ML’s senses are already outstanding plus he has dragon senses. To increase the difficulty, ML puts away his magical equipment and limits his magical power. He learns to sense the wavelengths of objects around him. He concentrates using his combat will, becoming enlightened with Soul Control. - Being able to use Soul Control, Soul Power and one’s soul signifies the start of training to become a transcendent. ML’s shadow knights advise him to expand his 6th sense. - After the 5th penance, ML maxes out his sensory reinforcement skill and 6th sense skill. This leads to ML gaining the ultra sense skill, which gives him extrasensory cognition and perception. It includes the skills of intuition and automatic defenses. He is now also able to perceive the mana flow. - Khan suddenly reappears before ML and uses ‘open speech’ (telepathy?) to communicate. - There are people who live on the 20th floor to continually train under penance, and are called Sadhu. - Victoria, the Crimson Divine Tree. She’s one of the few rankers who can use rune magic, the language of the gods. - Kindred the Pestilence Ghost. He’s the 2nd Bishop of 9 bishops that lead the Demon Army. - Kindred suddenly attacks ML to test him. - ML goes all out and passes the test. As ML wants to be a Sadhu, Khan shows him to a hut he may use. - Night Watch contacts ML. Brahm is on the 23rd floor. - ML trains with his shadow knights to improve his swordsmanship and eventually create aura. His 8 Extreme Fists skill changes to 8 Extreme Sword Arts. As a Sadhu, ML gains the Hermit trait and Parallax Gap skill. - ML agrees to a deal with Victoria to let her study him for a month in exchange for teaching rune magic to him. Victoria is unable to learn anything as she can’t analyse a dragon’s mental system. - ML gets Bu the lich to carve rune magic onto his body. - ML has been a Sadhu for 6mths. - Victoria announces to everyone that Kindred is dead. - Sol Luna, the Dark Sword. A vampire swordsman. - Rebecca, a high ranker and apostle of Cernunnos, god of hunting. - Victoria received a hidden quest after she sensed Kindred’s death. It involves King Mihu (the monkey king). She wants to make a deal with all of the Sadhus to get her to where Kindred’s body is in the quest area. In exchange she’ll give the location of one person anywhere in the tower. Victoria, Rebecca, Khan and ML go to the dungeon called King Mihu’s Palace for the hidden quest. - ML’s cold blooded trait and ghost army help to resist the curses and avoid the traps. He takes the lead to guide them through the dungeon maze. Sol Luna is secretly following them. - They enter a room full of stone monkey statues before an empty throne. The Monkey King’s 72 divine transformations are etched into a large stone tablet. Kindred’s dead body lies in front of it. - Sudden quest: King Mihu’s terracotta soldiers. - Escape after memorising the 72 divine transformations and obtain the qualification to become the successor of King Mihu. - Kindred’s body turns out to be a fake. This was a trap set up by Kindred to get others to complete the quests. - The statues come to life and attack. Rebecca is killed while protecting Victoria. ML gets Khan and Victoria to escape first through another door. ML demonstrates 1 of the 72 transformations to pass the test. He passes the final test when he asks “Who are you” to a vision of the Monkey King. - ML obtains the title, Successor to the Monkey King. - He also obtains the skill, 72 divine transformations. - He clears the sudden and hidden quests to receive 25k karma pts. - Hidden quest: the Golden Cudgel’s Owner - ML receives a piece of the Monkey King’ holy artifact, the Golden Cudgel / Staff. With no time limit, the quest is to gather all of the pieces to complete this artifact. Once completed, ML will inherit the title “Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal”. - Black King’s Despair and the Golden Cudgel are made of divine iron, the only material that can imprison or seal gods or demons. - ML visits the One Horned tribe. The mythical beast eggs of Phante and Edora have hatched. They’re both griffins. - ML decides to name the demonic dragon after Nemesis, the goddess of revenge and laws. He renames Chirpy after Nike, the goddess of victory. - ML finally visits Henova to pick up the weapons for his shadow knights. ML commissions Henova to upgrade his armour, which means revealing his strengths and weaknesses to Henova. ML shares his player info. Later ML picks up the upgraded magic armour set. It is strengthened by the addition of Hell’s Tears that were a gift to Henova from J-woo. - ML checks the skills of Nemesis and Nike. - Nemesis: Dreaming Illusion (AA+), Violent Whirlwind (A). - Nike: Fire Spirit (resurrection and reincarnation of fire). - Blessing of the Blue Spirit skill from the Abyss Turtle. - ML infuses the Blue Spirit with Cernunnos’ apostle, Rebecca’s vestige. Then she absorbs the souls of Sol Luna and Urd’s apostle, Hepburn, and evolves into a high level spirit. - 21st floor: Break the shadow training hall. - Clear at least 20 of the 33 sections inside the hall. - You must defeat the shadows (illusions) of the ranked players from when they cleared this trial. - ML starts from the lowest ranked shadow player (165th) and progresses to the higher ranks. He tests his upgraded equipment and uses this trial as a training opportunity. - Carshina’s Dagger (A): Trainee’s Passion, Black Blade - One of the ranked shadow players is Valdebich the Rebel Swordsman. He is a giant who was a founding member of Artia and J-woo’s first friend. He went into hiding after J-woo’s death. He was the first one that led Artia’s downfall. - ML continues to progress as he defeats the shadows of Kindred, the Sword god and: - #11 Nocturne (Nayu’s 2nd disciple) - #5 Summer Queen - #4 J-woo, his brother (Ch 124) - #3 Hegel - #2 Nayu the Martial King - #1 Vivasvat, known as “All For One” - ML’s cold blooded trait is temporarily deactivated when he faces the shadow of J-woo. ML and Nemesis fight J-woo and his mythical dragon. ML has never lost to his brother and after an epic battle, ML wins. J-woo’s shadow smiles and says it was fun, then disappears. - ML thought J-woo had abandoned his family when he disappeared. Their mother asked ML to protect J-woo’s place at home for when he returned. - ML created a new and unique skill from his battle with J-woo. - Fire Wave: Fire Thunderbolt, Blazing Embers - Hegel is the archbishop of Satan’s army. - He’s a demon messenger with characteristics of a god. - After ML defeated Hegel, he receives a Golden Cudgel piece. - At first Nayu’s young shadow tries to trick ML but he doesn’t fall for it. ML utilises everything he’s learnt from the top ranked shadows and defeats this Nayu. - The shadow for Vivasat has been deleted (?) - It’s impossible for the gods and demons on the 98th floor to interfere. It’s a mystery how the system was changed. - ML automatically passes the trial for the 21st floor and ties with Vivasvat to be ranked 1st. - ML easily kills the Kraken on the 22nd floor. - At the 23rd floor, ML lets his shadow army deal with the spawn of the Devil Trees while he looks for Brahm. - The Elohim: a group of 8 clans. Only tribes of strong descent (ie high rankers or transcendents) can join. - Light of Aether, an Elohim Elder and ex-Artia member. He’s from the Protogenoi tribe, the highest order in Elohim. - Brahm was expelled from the Elohim. - Brahm is the incarnation of Brahma the high god. - Galliad is Brahm’s friend. Galliad attacks the Elohim who seem to be looking for Brahm. ML saves Galliad when the Elohim counterattack and they escape. Galliad takes ML through a massive and elaborate illusion barrier created by Brahm. - Brahm is protecting Sesha, a dragon human child (half dragon and half human). - Ananta, a dragon human who was in love with J-woo then later disappeared. Ananta was Brahm’s estranged daughter. She left Sesha with Brahm. Sesha is the daughter of J-woo and Viera Dune. - Brahm and ML make a deal. - ML will teach Sesha about dragons and act as her guardian. - Brahm will teach the Book of Mercury he wrote to ML. He will only teach about the alchemy from the book. - The Elohim project for ancient species renewal: to restore extinct dragons and giants, then subjugate them to the Elohim. - Phante and Edora took the griffins to the territory of the Abyss Turtle on the 11th floor. They meet ML on the 23rd floor. - Bloodland, 1 of the 8 Great Clans. - Baron Lao the Venomous Ice Snake and a ranker. - He has the 9 Snake Eye skill that allows him to see the characteristics and traits of others. - Hidden quest: Dinosaur annihilation - ML, Phante and Edora enter the dinosaur’s mouth and defeat it from the inside to prevent Lao from assessing their skills. - The dinosaur’s body is destroyed by a massive explosion that kills Lao, the Blood Land members and the Elohim pursuing ML. - ML obtains the Demonisation skill. - Brahm vs Kindred - Agaris, no.2 of the 72 demons from Hell. J-woo refused to make a contract with Agaris so Agaris came to take Sesha and ML. - Hermes and Athena - demonic factor: demonic gem? - 24th floor …
Dear Benjamin 1.5
Read ch 37 as of 03/04/21
Promised Orchid
Ch 10 as of 09/09/21 - main characters are annoying. DROPPED. ** NB: last updated in Sept 21. Completed? - ML is Yang Jaesin / Jae-Shin - ML has a recurring dream of a beautiful lady who says ‘I’ll be waiting’ as she walks by the Temple of the Promised Orchid. - He meets a strange fortune teller who marks his arms with an invisible stigma to protect him. She also says he should carry his ‘eyes of truth’ (a pair of weird glasses). - ML sees a painting of the Temple at a cafe and with his glasses he sees the true form of a bird yokai instead of a human. The stigma on his arms saves him from being forced into the painting by the yokai who flees. He saves the children who were trapped in the painting by pulling them out. - His glasses seem to be related to a traumatic incident as a child … he witnessed a massacre at his orphanage? by a powerful and monstrous spectre / yokai. - ML moves into the old ghost house on Promised Orchid St in search of answers to his dream (and for the cheap rent). At night he sees a large bridal procession of spectres / yokai outside. - Inside the house, ML is attacked by a killer spectre but it’s scared off by a strange stick (exorcism sword) that was stuck in the ceiling and reacted to the stigma on ML’s arms. - The next night ML can’t sleep, so he takes the sword and visits the abandoned Temple at the top of the hill. He meets a beautiful woman (Socheon) but she’s not the one in his dreams. Before she kills him, the sword reacts and she backs away from its aura. - The killer spectre followed him there. Socheon helps to distract it while ML looks to strike its real body within the illusion. - The sword seems to be self aware and together with ML, the true form of the killer spectre is revealed to be a small black dog that’s a spectral god. - The dog was possessed by the vengeful soul contained in a jade hairpin stuck in its body. The hairpin was the last keepsake from the mother of a girl who died after being chased over a cliff. The girl’s soul is released and the hairpin disappears. - ML takes Socheon who’s holding the dog back to his place, the old ghost house. The oak spectre comes for Socheon. ML attacks it with the sword but to no avail. Before ML is killed, he’s saved by the guardian god of the house. The guardian was awakened by Socheon and attacks the oak spectre, turning it into a tree. - Socheon was intended to be the next sacrifice for the Golden Crown at the next full moon. She was a warrior who fought and died in the last big spectre war. Her ashes were stolen and she was forced to become a spectre herself and lure humans as sacrifices. - Socheon asks ML to help her to retrieve her ashes so she may reincarnate and guard the barrier once more from the spectres of the nether world.
Noblesse