Hero? Are You Worthy? - Chapter 2 - 1 Hero? Are You Worthy?_

In a world torn apart by rifts that release dangerous monsters, Espers—humans imbued with powerful abilities—serve as humanity's last line of defense. But the power of an Esper comes with a price. Overuse of their abilities leads to dangerous corruption, a force that can destroy them from the inside out. This is where Guides come in: individuals with the unique ability to calm the corruption within Espers and restore their balance.Rowan Mercer, an S-class Guide, is one of the best in his field, capable of stabilizing even the most dangerous Espers. He has worked quietly behind the scenes, helping those in need, but his life takes a dramatic turn when he is called to work with Lucian Vaughn, an S-class Esper whose immense power and unstable corruption levels make him a dangerous threat to himself and others.Lucian, a tall, stoic, and enigmatic figure, has long fought against the growing corruption within him. At first, his relationship with Rowan is purely professional—Rowan as his Guide, helping him to stay in control. However, as their interactions grow more frequent, their bond deepens in ways neither expected. What started as a simple duty soon turns into a complex relationship where power, trust, and vulnerability collide.As the world around them faces escalating threats from rifts, Rowan and Lucian must navigate not only their personal challenges but also the dangerous world of Espers and Guides. Their bond will be tested as they fight together against the corrupting forces that threaten them both.In Corrupted Bonds, survival isn’t just about battling monsters from the rifts—it's about fighting the darkness within themselves and finding a way to stay connected in a world that’s constantly pulling them apart.

Reborn as a sword, he lived for hundreds of years, and then he occupied the body of a 15-year-old prince.

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.

Entering a clichéd female novel world by accident. As long as he changes the negative perceptions of four female protagonists towards men, he can return to the real world with a reward of one billion. At first, Ji Mu thought this was a way to get rich, but as time went by, he gradually realized that something was wrong.“System, didn’t you tell me that these female protagonists extremely despise men, and no matter how good I am to them, it would purely be a friendship?”As Ji Mu looked at the few female protagonists in front of him, their cheeks blushing, their eyes filled with pink hearts, and constantly closing in on him, he broke out in a cold sweat, shrinking into a corner and shaking.“I’m going to ask you one last time, are you really sure that this is just pure friendship?”[Host, forget about friendship, do you know what a juicer is?]Faced with the system’s sudden nonsensical question, he swallowed nervously, feeling an increasingly ominous premonition.“W-what do you mean?”[Just a friendly reminder…]The system paused, its tone filled with helplessness and despair.[All four of them are in front of you.]…If you were simultaneously pursued by beautiful girls with different personalities, what would you choose?Only children make choices; normal people know to turn around and run.“I can’t even handle one, let alone four!”Ji Mu desperately clung to the doorframe and struggled in desperation before being dragged into the room: “System, save me!!!”