Ascendance of a Bookworm - Volume 6, Extra 1: Eating in the Temple

Zack “Kazz” Foreman once was a human from the earth when humans went through a dramatic change because of an event. This forced them to evolve into energy-based beings but was sucked into another dimension.

Forced to start living out lives on random worlds in a fractured dimension, Humanity is placed on the path of complete extinction.

This is controlled by a demon king at a place called The Center of Everything.

The Demons try to force Humanity's mark from every reality, so there are only demons, but the Demon King feeds from anger and pain. A constant tournament going at the center of everything to feed his hunger.

Kazz made it to that point once, but was tricked, refused entry to the tournament because he had offed a place one of the gods of the worlds.

Refusing to give up, Kazz goes back to the beginning to start again. To do this, Kazz must give up all of his memories to choke the flow of demons born fully grown from a pool of recycled souls.

This journey starts after he lives a solitary life trying to get stronger but not knowing why. The world Kazz is on is like our earth, but it was only a mimic of the earth we know.

Caught using steroids and about to give up and join the army, Kazz stumbles onto a cave in the ground. He is transported to a world filled with demons and monsters, and a human god named Hero is speaking in his head.

Hero, a person Kazz knew but was not friends with, followed him to help but was lost from him. Upon meeting Kazz, Hero offers him the Hero System to help him advance in this new world.

Kazz refuses after trying to get to the top and failing to use the easy route. This starts a series of frustrating events for both Heroes, but they learn to work as a team over time.

Kazz will meet misbegotten monster girls and demons that he agrees to take care of in this world, using the Ranching System. It only gives bonuses to the girls and skills to help raise them, but he will also learn to control the Elements with Shamanic abilities.

After losing his parents to an accident, Haruto is thrust into a state of depression. Realizing he never had the power to change things, he eventually took his own life. Before moving on, he’s selected by beings greater than his understanding to balance out a world suddenly facing peril. The world of Mordell, where demon-like creatures and beasts roam, and Guilds of ability users called Warlords are the force to combat these creatures. Armed with the power to change things, he has the choice. Continue living in despair or accept his second chance and become a true Warlord.

They whisper my name in fear. Justin Black. The guy who sits in the back of the class, always in black, always untouchable. The one everyone watches but no one dares to approach.They don’t know me. Not really.Because if they did, they’d stay the hell away.I don’t do friends. I don’t do relationships. I don’t do attachments.But then there’s her.June Matthews—cheer captain, golden girl, a walking distraction. She’s everything I hate… and yet, she’s in my way. Assigned to me. Forced into my space. Testing my patience.She thinks she can handle me.She’s dead wrong.Because I have a secret. A place where I go to release the darkness inside me. Where names don’t exist, where pleasure and pain are one and the same. A world where people fulfill their deepest, most twisted fantasies.June doesn’t belong in my world.But the longer she stays, the more I want to pull her under.And once I do… I’m not sure I’ll ever let her go.

He is one of the most feared Mafia Don, built on blood, vengeance and silence. She is someone from a world he never planned to enter, or so he thought.Nero has a simple plan. Never fall in love. Never show weakness. And avenge his mother's death.He has been living according to his plans until he met her, Zoe Dean. A girl that shouldn't matter to him, but eventually she did.And now, with enemies closing in, and his past catching up. He must choose: Forgiveness or VengeanceLove or LegacyRise or FallKill or Be Killed.BOOK TROPESDark romanceTouch her and you dieBeauty and the beast vibesLove at first sightHe falls first but denies itPast traumaFeared DonForced ProximityLove Redeems the AntiheroRival Gangs.WARNINGThis book contains themes suited for mature readers only, including:Violence and organized crimeGun and knife use, murder, bloodKidnapping / captivity dynamicsProfanity and dark mafia languagePower imbalances (emotional and physical)Mentions of past traumaExplicit romantic/sexual contentThemes of obsession, vengeance, and betrayalNOTE: Although this is a dark mafia romance, the relationship between Nero and Zoe develops consensually. The story contains intense themes but ultimately centers on healing, redemption, and love.