Deus Necros - Chapter 18: Standing

Avery Asteria was far from having anyone's dream job. Family circumstances had him drop out of school and flying around the expanse of space looking for treasure among the discarded trash in an old ship his father had been restoring. It was far from glamorous work, but it was all he could do to earn the money he needed.He was not the only one looking for fortune among the stars, though. One day a score that looked too good to be true led to a run in with a band of pirates. With some quick wits and a bit of luck, Avery managed to escape the worst, but he ended up missing out on collecting the valuable salvage he had his sights on.Having lost a large chunk of his gear in his flight from the pirates, Avery seemed to be truly at the end of his rope. However, a twist of fate led him to discovering an experimental vessel that had been lost to the far reaches of space.With this new ship in his possession, his prospects were looking up. It had everything and more than what any spacefarer could want. And Avery was going to use it to become the leader of the greatest band of mercenaries in the galaxy.

“W-w-w-welcome to the simulation zone.”“New user recognized.”“Proceeding to register...”“Please wait...”“Register complete.”“Welcome, user number 4956: Evan Rotewed.”In a world of mana, those without reserves for it gets left behind. Rules and regulations are set to categorize everything into neat piles, each promising the highest potential a person with mana can get. Starting his life at the rock bottom, Evan Rotewed swore he will rise above it all, even if he had to break the ironclad system the entire world holds close to its chest. Wave a hand to the broken reflection beyond the mirror of ones and zeroes. System Discord.

Bizarre clouds billowed by in the sky, as if in a hurry.

During an anti-drug operation in the city of Gongzhou three years ago, a chain explosion had gone off on site due to a mis-judgement made by the Commander-in-Chief Jiang Ting, and caused the anti-drug detachment team to suffer great casualties as a result. Three years now, Jiang Ting, who was supposed to have already been killed in the line of duty with not even a body left to bury—miraculously woke up from a coma.

His heroic soul had never been at peace. He returned from Hell back to the living, to give everything he had to bring the bloody and bizarre truth back to light.

- Description from Novelupdates

'A Culinary Adventure in the Game World!!'Kai never asked for this. One minute, he’s stuck in a dead-end life, barely scraping by. Next, he’s reincarnated into a game world, trapped in the body of the Darklord. But there's a twist—he doesn’t just inherit the Darklord’s power. No, Kai is cursed with something far worse: a Culinary System that can turn food into magic, potions, and weaponry.In a world where culinary prowess is power, Kai has to master his cooking skills to survive. Can he turn scraps into a full course of victories, or will he fall victim to the game's deadly rules? As he navigates treacherous quests, forms unlikely alliances, and battles powerful foes, Kai learns that his new identity as the Darklord isn't just about power—it's about survival.But he's not the only one after the game’s ultimate secrets. A mysterious Crimson Guild, bent on using Kai’s Culinary System to take control of the world, is hot on his heels. To escape this game, Kai will need to unlock the true potential of his cooking, master ancient recipes, and discover how to break free from the game... but can he do all that before the Guild catches up with him?A world of dangerous quests, supernatural enemies, and magic-infused meals await!The Culinary System. The Darklord’s power. And a feast of deadly secrets.The game has just begun.