Master Of None - Chapter 47 - 47. Bookworm

Eli Turner had perfected the art of coasting through life, gaming, lounging, and vibing with no grand ambitions beyond the next high. But his laid-back existence is upended when his laptop inexplicably transforms into a gateway to another world. What starts as a surreal escape becomes a perilous journey as Eli finds himself wielding a mysterious system that allows him to level up, fight monsters, and gain abilities beyond his wildest dreams.At first, the portal world feels like a haven, offering purpose and adventure Eli never knew he craved. Guided, or manipulated, by Azrael, a mischievous god orchestrating the game, Eli rises as one of the system's chosen players. But as the quests grow more dangerous and Azrael’s true intentions begin to surface, Eli struggles to balance the fantasy world with his life back home. His girlfriend, Sara, and his friends are left grappling with a version of Eli they hardly recognize, as the lines between his two lives blur.When the system expands to players worldwide, Eli crosses paths with others drawn into Azrael’s cosmic experiment: Yumi Tanaka, a fiercely disciplined Japanese student with a perfectionist streak, and Arjun Mehta, a charming Indian playboy with secrets of his own. Each carries their own burdens and ambitions, but all three must face the harsh truth: Azrael’s game is far more than it seems.As alliances are forged, rivalries ignite, and the stakes escalate, Eli must confront not only the dangers of the portal world but the growing rift between the person he is and the hero he’s becoming. In a game where every move is a test and every choice ripples across both worlds, the question remains: can Eli, Yumi, and Arjun uncover the truth before the system consumes them all?

In the year 2030, Samsara Online, a 100% immersive VRMMORPG that allows players to bring their innate real-world skills to the virtual world, is launched and supported by the World Central Bank.

“Xavier Lancaster, the richest and most influential man on Earth, lives by one simple motto: 'Money First'. A brilliant strategist, ruthless businessman, and master negotiator, he built an unshakable financial empire. But when a mysterious incident transports him to a medieval world on the brink of collapse, he finds himself… the ruler of a weak and crumbling kingdom.Faced with corrupt nobles, hostile neighbors, and a shattered economy, Xavier decides to use the one thing he knows best: the law of the market. Armed with his cunning, modern strategies, and cutthroat business sense, he turns every problem into an opportunity and every enemy into an investment.His goal? To become the richest and most powerful emperor this world has ever seen. But in a land where strength rules and magic exists, will money really be enough to buy everything?Get ready to witness the rise of a man who’s ready to put a price on the throne itself.”

“You must take her place... Just tonight!”****Aria Thorne is an Omega—lowest in the pack and lowest in her own home. Abused by her mother, hated by her twin sister Celeste, and treated like nothing more than a burden, Aria’s life has been nothing but pain and survival. But everything changes the day the Alpha’s royal guard arrives with a scroll in hand and a single, shocking message: the new Luna must come from Aria’s family… and she must be a virgin.Celeste can’t qualify. Aria does. But instead of celebrating her fate, Aria is forced to impersonate her sister in a cruel scheme—just to save her own skin and earn a sliver of love from the mother who blames her for the death of an unborn child. Dressed in her sister’s skin, Aria is sent to marry a powerful Alpha she’s never met. But what happens when the Alpha senses something’s off... and ends up claiming the wrong Luna?What starts as a lie soon sparks something deeper. A connection. A bond. A war.Can Aria survive in a world built to break her? Will the Alpha protect her once the truth comes out—or destroy her like everyone else ever has?