MTL - Tales of Herding Gods - ~ The fourth story of Miriam, I am Milo.

There was a mysterious old man who approached the failed swordsman with the “100 million years button”. A magic button which can achieve the same effect as training for 100 million years if you push it.

The failed swordsman who pushed the button had his doubts, but immediately felt tremendous power rising in his body. So he pushed the button many times.

However it was a cursed button. The moment it was pushed, he was confined to the 100 million years prison of time. The first 100 years were devoted solely to training. After 1000 years he had forgotten why he swung his sword. He stopped thinking completely after 10,000 years had passed. After 100 million years he became crippled and finally managed to return to the real world. At the same time losing all his memories from the past 100 million years, the only thing that remained were his sword techniques. “I can become stronger just by pressing the button!” or so he thought and pushed the button many times after that. Foolishly trapping himself in that 100 million years of hell each time.

As he continued this loop, he began to think “If I destroy this world, will I get out of here?” A few billion years later, he finally escaped from the loop.

This is the story of a failed swordsman trying to make a name for himself in the world.

In the year 2090, technology has advanced to the point where Simulation Boxes, (Sim Box for short) are common place, allowing for the user to link up their brain's neural network to a full dive Simulation. While initially used for educational purposes, recently a large gaming company, Averon, released a fully fledged immersive MMORPG simulation where users can become anyone they desire, level up, choose their class, and become a hero or a villain. The name of this simulation is The Shattered World Online.

Eli Winters had no interest in playing it. His father, a jobless bum who spent his entire life playing games in the hope of becoming a famous player or streamer, was able to use the release of The Shattered World Online to gain wealth and fame, quickly becoming the number one player and a household name as the game took the world by storm. He immediately abandoned Eli and his mother in favor of being with someone from his guild, despite his mother having worked two jobs to support them and raise Eli by herself. Eli had nothing but spite for his father and the game.

When Eli's best friend convinces him to try out the game, his father's fame begins to interfere, culminating in him being singled out and shunned by his peers, and his father offering to pay for his university tuition in return for Eli hiding their relationship and quitting the game. Instead of complying with his father's wishes, Eli decides to prove to everyone how useless a guy his father is by challenging him that if Eli is able to surpass him in the game world he must delete his account and quit his streaming career. His father accepts the challenge believing his son to be useless at games - but Eli will soon show him just how ambitious a spiteful person can be.

DESTINY GAMES. It has been 85 years since Earth-11 became aligned with Yggdrasil and 73 years since Icon became the first demigod from Earth. Icon, as the first demigod, was privileged to weave the thread of fate for everyone. He was supposed to cut off Yggdrasil and free Earth-11 from the grasps of the other Earths and their god kings. That’s why everyone helped him climb the tower of Destiny. But instead of ridding earth of Yggdrasil, he turned the destiny of mankind into seven rings of immortality. The first ring was for the immortality of power. The second was for the immortality of the knowledge. The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth were for the immortality of the mind, energy, body, and soul. The last ring, the ring of the paragon, was made to rule them all. Icon kept the ring of the paragon for himself and became a dictator. He ruled with an iron fist for many years. His was a reign of terror. But he was eventually vanquished by the collective effort of the world. It has been 62 years since then. Icon is no more, but the damage he had done still remains. Earth-11 is still connected to Yggdrasil. The deadly games of the Tower of Destiny still remain, and the fight for the seven rings of immortality still continues. Kelvin Thorn has just awakened his ability. It came at a good time too since he is running for his life. The ability he awakened saved him, but it came with a cost. He must climb the tower of destiny under the witness of the whole world and accumulate destiny, or he will die. His situation is not unique. Everyone that awakens, which is mostly everyone, must climb the tower of destiny. It is one of the curses that Icon left behind before he died. But Thorn is different because the seventh ring found him. The tower of destiny is where everyone granted power by destiny, be they humans, non-humans, or otherworlders, must fight in games of might, skill, and knowledge to gather the power of destiny. They will either die or eventually overcome death. Kelvin will be one of the latest in the line of billions of others in this struggle.

Astri White has always felt like an outsider, never truly belonging to any group or place in the world. Raised in an orphanage, she yearns for a sense of belonging and the feeling of genuine love. However, her life takes an unexpected turn when she finds herself mysteriously transported to another world, the enigmatic and magical realm known as the Beastmen World.In this strange and fantastical land, Astri encounters a diverse array of beings known as beastmen—creatures possessing both human and animal traits. As she navigates this unfamiliar world, she discovers that she possesses extraordinary powers, unlike anything seen before. Her unique abilities set her apart from both humans and beastmen, marking her as an exceptional and crucial figure in the realm.As Astri interacts with the various beastmen she meets, she begins to learn about the different facets of love. Through their diverse experiences and perspectives, she gains insights into the depths of love and the connections that bind individuals together. As her relationships with the beastmen grow, Astri discovers the true meaning of family and friendship, experiencing the warmth and support she had always craved.However, not everything is idyllic in the Beastmen World. There are dark forces at play, threatening the delicate balance of the realm and putting Astri and her newfound family in jeopardy. With her remarkable powers, she becomes a target for those seeking to exploit her abilities for their own nefarious purposes.As the danger escalates, Astri must embrace her role and harness her powers to protect the world and the ones she loves. In the process, she uncovers secrets about her own origin and the significance of her presence in the Beastmen World.“Beastmen Love” is a captivating tale of self-discovery, acceptance, and the transformative power of love. Astri White's journey from feeling like an outsider to finding her place in a fantastical world filled with extraordinary beings will resonate with readers as they follow her on a thrilling adventure of magic, romance, and personal growth.