The Next Big Thing - Chapter 9: Disbelief

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.

Ethan, an elite army commando, loses his life in the line of duty while eliminating a dangerous terrorist cell during a high-stakes anti-insurgency operation. Despite his unwavering dedication and discipline, Ethan dies with a deep sense of regret—he never fully embraced his personal desires and unfulfilled fantasies. As his final breath escapes, he vows that, should he be given another chance at life, he will live it to the fullest, without restraint.Fate, however, has its own plans. Ethan awakens in a strange, unfamiliar world—a land governed by strength, where power is the key to survival, and the strong hold dominion over all. In this brutal and unforgiving realm, Ethan discovers that the rules of life have drastically changed. The only currency that matters here is strength, and only the strongest can ascend to become the ultimate power.Gifted with extraordinary intelligence and a mysterious cheat that grants him unparalleled abilities, Ethan sets off on a path to conquer this new world. With each passing day, he hones his skills, builds alliances, and amasses power, all while exploring his deepest desires. This is a journey of self-discovery and unrestrained ambition, where Ethan’s focus is singular: to become the one true transcendent being, an existence unmatched by any other.Through intense battles, strategic brilliance, and encounters with those who would either aid or challenge him, Ethan fights not only for dominance but for the fulfilment of every longing he once held back in his past life. With each victory, he rises higher, carving his name into the annals of history as the peerless king, above all others—an immortal legend in the making.Content Warning: This story will explore mature themes, including R18 content, but will avoid extreme elements. The protagonist’s journey will also include romantic entanglements, with a harem dynamic, including themes like netori. No yuri, NTR, or netorare will be featured.

For the man’s promise, Xiao Chen returned strongly, the bodyguard of the body of the beauty president, sweeping the enemy of all directions, composing the legend of the king!

- Description from Uukanshu (translated)

Su Yun was a prodigy, blessed by the gods. However, life is never so easy. Soon after reaching 6th stage in spirit novice realm cultivation, his progress stagnated due to incurring a rare medical condition.

A few years go by, and Su Yun has spent all his time gambling or drinking, wasting his youth away, but one day everything changes. Qing Er, the only one who stood by him was forced by his clan to be a sacrificial bride to someone she didn’t love, only to be executed by the groom on the wedding night for fleeing. Burning for revenge, he scoured the world for a cure for his rare medical condition from both righteous and villainous side.

Countless years go by, and finally Su Yun not only found a way to cure his rare condition but also gain immense knowledge on a myriad of martial techniques.

But before he could fully cure himself, he received news that the groom suffered an assault that damaged his internal organs. Rather than wait for decades to become fully cured, Su Yun decided to hatch a plan for the assassinate of the groom. Unfortunately, he underestimated the strength of the groom’s family and was killed instead.

Then he regains consciousness. He comes to a realization that he went 15 years in the past. This time, he vowed to protect Qing Er, but first he must cure his rare medical condition. Will he learn from the mistakes of his previous life or is everything still set in stone?

- Description from Novelupdates