Cultivation Nerd - Chapter 182: My First Friend

Adam begins as an ordinary high school student whose life is shattered when his parents vanish. The police later declare their deaths a double suicide, a conclusion Adam refuses to accept.His persistent quest for a real investigation leads him into a dark conspiracy when two corrupt police officers kidnap, torture, and murder him. In his final moments, they reveal his parents were also murdered by an untouchable, powerful entity.Instead of dying permanently, Adam awakens with a new reality: he has been granted a 'System' and the supernatural ability of 'Return by Death,' forcing him to relive his final days.Confused, Adam tries to confide in his trusted teacher, only to be betrayed and killed once again. This time, he learns the staggering reason for his persecution: a $100 million bounty has been placed on his head, making everyone a potential enemy.Dying again and again is horrible. The pain changes Adam completely. The sad, normal boy he once was is gone. He becomes a cold and ruthless killer. He trusts no one. If he even suspects someone might be a threat, he will kill them without a second thought. His only goals are to survive this deadly game and get revenge for his parents.During one of his loops, while investigating, Adam crosses paths with a female classmate being tormented by bullies. He saves her in a moment of detached action and quickly forgets the incident, focused only on his own war. For the girl, however, this act of salvation ignites an intense and devoted love.This devotion becomes a tragic and recurring element in his nightmare. The girl, willing to do anything for him, repeatedly throws herself in harm's way to protect him, often dying in his place across multiple loops.Adam is now trapped not only in a fight against a vast conspiracy but also in a cycle of watching an innocent person die for him, further cementing his transformation into a hardened protagonist who has lost nearly everything, including his own humanity.

※ This book contains coercive relationships and violent scenes. Please be aware before proceeding.※ The names, locations, and characters mentioned in this book are entirely fictional.The calculation method of gamblers is truly peculiar.They lend money at exorbitant interest rates to those who haven’t even spent any money as collateral.For 15 years, Hongju has been collecting debts from housemates while being tied to collateral.One day, a man appears, claiming he will invest in the house.A rich fool, a money tree.The housemates called him Mookyung.“As long as you do as I say, I’ll help you.”Mookyung makes a suspicious proposal, offering to repay the debts in exchange for house information.Why would he make such a proposal to a debtor who is already struggling?Still, there is suspicion about him…“Do you think I’m a swindler right now?”“No.”“You shouldn’t. It’s all too obvious. Swindlers can tell just by looking.”Hongju has no choice but to accept that proposal.Growing up on scraps, he knows exactly where to stretch his legs.

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?

I, Lin Yun, with my exceptional aptitude, had thought that I would be trained as a key disciple, however...“The Demon Sect will never expect us to send such an excellent disciple undercover. Once you attain a high position within the Demon Sect, with our help both from within and without, why would we worry about the Demon Sect's destruction?”Three years later.“The Righteous Path will never expect us to send such a promising disciple undercover. Once you attain a high position within the Righteous Path, with our help both from within and without, why would we worry about the Righteous Path's destruction?”Lin Yun: I just want to quietly cultivate to immortality...