Commerce Emperor - Chapter Fifty-Five: Interlude: The Monk

In the year 3000, the Earth shattered and it was torn open by a rift between realms that unleashed ancient beasts, magical chaos, and apocalyptic storms. Civilization crumbled, giving rise to a brutal new law: Tame or be Torn Apart. Beast Tamers, bonded to mutated and other creatures now rule what remains of the world through strength, savagery, and guild-driven power.Kelvin, a scavenger scraping by in the ruins, lives in the shadow of these warlords until he unearths Xerion, the End-Tyrant, a legendary primordial beast sealed beneath the earth. Bound by a forgotten bloodline and a cursed contract, Kelvin inherits the Sigil of the Overlord, thrusting him into a war-torn world where survival is no longer enough.He was hunted by guilds, worshipped by outcasts, and pursued by enemies both human and monstrous, Kelvin must rise from nothing to either unite or destroy what’s left of civilization. As forbidden powers awaken and ancient truths unravel, one man and his beast stand poised to reshape the fate of a world teetering on the edge of annihilation.

One day, I – a high schooler – found a paperback in the hospital. The “Disease Coexistence Journal” was its title. It was a diary that my classmate, Sakura Yamauchi, had written in secret. Inside, it was written that due to her pancreatic disease, her days were numbered. And thus, I coincidentally went from Just-a-Classmate to a Secret-Knowing-Classmate. It was as if I were being drawn to her, who was my polar opposite. However, the world presented the girl that was already suffering from an illness with an equally cruel reality…

The best-selling, award-winning debut work by Yoru Sumino:

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“Bestsellers 2015 (Literary Books) by TOHAN” – 6th Place

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I’m not a gamer. In fact, I barely touched games—never had the time or interest.I’m a 23-year-old college dropout, part-time construction worker, and full-time avoider of adult responsibilities.That is, until my little sister nagged me into trying a romance simulation game called Echoes of the Crimson Throne.I played it. Liked it more than I expected. I even completed it.And the next thing I knew… I woke up inside the game.Not as the hero.Not even as a love interest.I was now the personal attendant of Alice Draken—the villainess, the Prince’s fiancée, and the iron-fisted Ruler of the North.A woman whose downfall was guaranteed... unless I do something about it.