Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story) - Chapter 8. The Calm of the First Night

The Third Dimension is collapsing. The Fourth Dimension is descending.

First it seemed that only technology would evolve, but who knew the world itself could too? It wasn’t as simple as climate change or tectonic movement. No, the fundamental laws of physics that governed everything were changing.

Leonel was fairly lucky. His family was decently well off, his father loved him enough to brew vomit inducing nutrient rich smoothies every morning, and this was both the day of the National Championship and his 521st confession to his dream girl, Aina. As his father always said, nothing was more important than respect and persistence.

Unfortunately, everything changed that night. At the after party of ages, the world reached a saturation point and an apocalypse descended.

Abilities awakened. Sub-Dimensional Zones opened. Invalids rampaged through the Earth like a virus…

Those who could evolve would have a slim chance for survival. Those who couldn’t would die.

This novel will be a unique spin on the dungeon/system genre. Dungeons won’t be dungeons and the system won’t be a system… Take a look to find out what I maen :)

This novel is also known as The Demons Beside Me

Chen Zhao can summon demons and see Death.

“Beelzebub, use your Gluttony ability to treat this patient’s anorexia.”

“Raymond, this old man wants to regain his manly function. You know what I mean.”

- Description from Novelupdates

Five years ago, humanity’s strongest Tower Climber was betrayed at the peak of his conquest.Rael Arden, known only by his codename Phantom, was the silent genius who cleared impossible floors, crushed monsters with forbidden magic, and shaped the rules of Tower exploration. No one had ever seen his real face—yet his legend was feared across the world.But at the Tower’s summit, the teammates he carried to glory stabbed him in the back. For power. For godhood. For fear of what he might become.They thought he died.They were wrong.Reincarnated in secret, Rael awakens in a modern world that’s on the edge of collapse. Dungeons bleed into cities. Monsters evolve. The Tower is no longer just a gate—it’s infecting the world. And the very ones who betrayed him now rule from the shadows, hiding behind titles, guilds, and lies.But Rael isn’t alone. His soul split across hidden clone bodies, each designed to infiltrate, gather information, and prepare for war. As each clone reawakens, his power grows—and so does his rage.With him are three women tied to his fate:Selene, the shadow rogue who never betrayed him.Lyra, a curious researcher drawn to the legend of the Phantom.Aeris, the sword saint who still mourns his death… and may not be as loyal to the enemy as she seems.Now, Rael hunts the seven betrayers who destroyed his past.One by one, they will fall.But revenge is just the beginning.Because deep within the Tower, something else is waking—an ancient force that even Rael feared. And this time, the world may not survive unless the Phantom reigns again.

Yu Sui and Shi Luo met each other when they were much younger. One was a pro-gamer, a widely-renowned, best of the best, in-game medic. The other was an e-sports newcomer who was just starting out. The two originally played for the same team, during which their relationship became increasingly deep.