The Returner - Chapter 401: That’s why we’ve ended up in this state (1)

It was just a normal morning but it was unknown to many that the apocalypse already started.

The origin was not determined but the infected started to appear after a cosmic event happened just outside of the Earth’s atmosphere.

The people and animals turned into man-eating mutants and zombies while some of the lucky ones gained superhuman abilities. Every living creature that had not “turned” started to evolve as the whole world was affected by the Mutagen.

However, it seemed that Earth also had its hidden side that humans would discover in a very uncanny way.

And was Mutagen the last of it?

Unfortunately, not.

Follow Mark, an Otaku, a Gamer, and a Shut-in that got trapped in the middle of the apocalypse due to an uncanny reason. Using his unconventional thinking, knowledge, and abilities, how far can he go in surviving the apocalypse filled with zombies, mutated beings, and dangerous people as a survivor in a world that was changing for the worse.

Noa’s life turned into a disaster.He was fired for no reason, betrayed by the woman he loved, and left drowning in debt for a wedding that would never happen.Then a truck almost killed him.And just before the world went black—time froze.Suddenly, Noa is no longer an average human—he is a Dimensional Tycoon, capable of buying and selling planets at market price.When gods need immortality, Noa sells them elixirs. When demon kings want weapons of mass destruction, they pay in cash. When heavens fall, he buys the land. When empires collapse, he auctions the ashes.Noa can trade anything, as long as the price is fair.He doesn’t conquer realms, because in this world, money is the greatest power—and Noa controls the market.After all, even divine beings knock on his door—not to fight, but to ask for a discount.But every tycoon has to start somewhere.For Noa, it began with selling shampoo to bald cultivators.

He was once the most feared villain in the empire, a master of manipulation who wove chaos from the shadows. Ruthless, untouchable—until the day he was betrayed and executed by the very man he sought to control.But death is not the end.He awakens in the body of Lady Elara Valcrest, a fragile noble girl doomed to be a pawn in political games. Stripped of her former power, she is forced into an arranged marriage with none other than Cairon Everhart—the man who once killed her. He does not recognize her, but she knows him. And she will never forget.To survive, Elara must play a new game. One where deception is her only weapon, and trust is a dangerous illusion. She must outmaneuver her enemies, uncover the truth behind her execution, and reclaim the power she lost. But as she navigates the treacherous world of court intrigue, one question lingers—Was Cairon truly her greatest enemy? Or had she been blind to an even greater threat?Time is running out. The villain has been given one last chance. And this time, she refuses to lose.