Secret Buyer - Chapter 22: Fight Without Breaking, Kill Without Leaving

Ethan was betrayed, he was broken, left crippled by those he trusted most: Zachary and Ivy, the people who ruined his life. Stripped of everything, Ethan crawled through three grueling years in the abandoned depths of despair, desperate to regain what he lost.Until one final act of defiance opened the door to something greater.When Ethan completed a hidden quest, fate granted him a miraculous reward: a second chance.He awakens years in the past, on the eve of a revolution: the launch of Ethereal, the world's first fully immersive VR game and humanity’s obsession. Armed with memories of four years in Ethereal, he’s no longer the helpless pawn who lost everything.This time, Ethan knows every secret, every hidden quest, every exploit to climb back to the top. But when he steps into the game, the system unveils a shocking twist: a divine bloodline, legendary abilities, and a class no one believed could dominate.Ethan vows to rise once more, but this time, he knows where the paths of glory begin, where betrayal lurks, and where to find legendary treasures that will crown him king in this brutal new world.The stakes are higher than ever. Factions are forming, alliances are shattering, and the clock ticks toward an event that will rewrite reality itself.The weak will perish, and the strong will thrive.They betrayed him once.They won’t live to do it again.

When struggling actor Liam Cross is gunned down during a bar robbery, he expects the lights to fade for good.Instead, he opens his eyes in a throne room surrounded by demons – standing inside a summoning circle meant to call forth an ancient Demon God.Only, the god never came.Just him.With no magic, no divinity, and no clue how he got there, Liam is mistaken for Azrakul, the Primordial Demon: a being of infinite power the Demon Queen desperately sought to save her crumbling empire.But when a mysterious System awakens, Liam learns the truth:He’s not a god… yet.[Designation: “Infernal Sovereign” — Activated.][Requirement: Subjugate the Realm of Demons.][Power Source: Fear. Faith. Belief.]The System doesn’t just grant strength.Instead, it feeds on the belief of others – turning fear, faith, and lies into real, tangible power.And as an actor who’s spent his whole life pretending to be something greater, Liam finally finds the role he was born to play.Now trapped among ancient monsters and scheming demon nobles, he must perform the part of a god convincingly enough to survive.Because if the demons ever discover he’s a fraud…He’ll die as the man he’s always been—or ascend as the monster he pretended to be.

A new work from the author of 'My Senior Brother is Too Steady', welcome to enjoy it!-------[Science Fiction Apocalypse Setting + Alone Cultivation Protagonist, Not a Mindless Feel-Good Story]This is a shattered world where human civilization barely gasps for air on a planet ravaged by the Blade Beast catastrophe, the flame of civilization in underground fortresses flickers intermittently, and human elites in space are brewing a final plan to strike back at the Blade Beasts, but the future of humanity is dimly lit by fading stars…“So,”a Mahayana Realm expert, who after cultivating alone for one hundred and twenty-five years failed his tribulation and became a Residual Soul in this 'peculiar' world, sighed deeply as he looked up to the sky:“What the hell does this have to do with me?!”

Ethan Crowe walked out of prison after seven years with nothing to his name and nowhere to belong.The world he returned to was unrecognisable.Gates had torn open across the globe, monsters roamed beyond human control, and society now revolved around the Titled - people chosen by mysterious voices and granted supernatural powers that made them heroes, weapons, and rulers all at once.Ethan wasn’t one of them.Not at first.Lost, angry, and with no future worth chasing, Ethan was barely surviving when a voice finally spoke to him.“Your title is… Lord Of Beasts.”But his awakening was wrong.Instead of power manifesting in the real world, Ethan was dragged into the Tower of Beasts - a brutal, game-like realm he could only enter while asleep. There, he hunts, tames, and evolves monstrous beasts that persist beyond his dreams…Registered as an E-Rank Titled with D-Rank potential, Ethan should have been insignificant.Yet the Lord Of Beasts cannot be measured by ordinary means.As Ethan grows stronger at an impossible rate, his existence begins to ripple outward - drawing the attention of elite Titled, criminal syndicates, and the Gates themselves.His past refuses to stay buried. His beasts grow more dangerous. And the truth behind his title hints at something far older and far more terrifying than anyone realises.In a world ruled by power, Ethan Crowe starts at the bottom.But as Lord Of Beasts, it's only a matter of time before he reaches the top!P.S. This is my WSA 2026 Entry - all support with powerstones and reviews is appreciated :)Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real events, locations, or people are purely coincidental and not intended to portray anything.