Merchant Crab - Chapter 78: The Bravest of Crabs

In humanity’s final war against the Demon Lord, the strongest heroes fell—not by the enemy’s hand, but by their own, twisted into madness by a cruel illusion. Betrayal. Bloodshed. Despair… and then, silence.Only one person remained: Riley—the weakest warrior of them all. Powerless. Ignored. Forgotten.But he saw through the Demon Lord’s deception. The tyrant was on the brink of death—so weak even a fly could’ve finished him off.And Riley did just that, drawing every last ounce of strength to bite off the demon’s head.Victory? Not quite. A final, desperate strike from the Demon Lord pierced him from behind, killing him instantly.But fate wasn’t done with him yet.Riley awoke ten years in the past—when the online game [Apocalypse] was launched. Before demons descended. Before monsters overran the world.And this time, he wasn’t starting from nothing. He had a decade of experience—and a second chance.Even more shocking, he didn’t awaken his old D-rank Strength Boost talent. This time, he received something far more terrifying: an SSS-Rank Gluttony talent!He could now devour anything—monsters, items, talents, even traits—and gain their power.Ding![You have devoured: Iron Fang Wolf][Acquired: +4 Strength, +2 Agility, Skill: Bite (F-rank)][You have devoured: Goblin ShamanAcquired: +8 Intelligence, Skill: Mana Bolt (E-rank), Talent: Minor Spellcasting Efficiency][You have devoured: Flaming Salamander Drake][Acquired: +22 Endurance, Trait: Dragon’s Resilience, Skill: Flame Breath (C-rank)]Now, there is no demon, no god, no monster who will stand in his way. He will devour everything—and save the world.But the power of Gluttony was a double edged sword. If he wasn’t careful… he could be the one getting consumed.

Noel Cross. A model student. A kind brother. The man every girl once dreamed of.With his handsome looks and flawless manners, he seemed perfect—at least to most.But beneath the smile… beneath the pristine facade… lies a bottomless void.And one fine day, when his smile could’ve finally turned genuine, a message appears—one only he can see.[Binding with Codex Null: Complete.][You have one free simulation available.]Now, an impossible system lies within his grasp—one that simulates his life, reveals hidden truths, and grants power unimaginable to the former him.With it, his fragile sense of control finally slips away.Love that was, in truth, obsession. Possession, teetering on madness.And a world that feels even more fragile than these women’s insecurities.Faced with it all, Noel must make a choice:Keep pretending.Or embrace the chaos…And become something far worse than anyone ever imagined.

Bai Yang is the youngest son of a rich family who grew up spoiled, unambitious and having no one expect anything from him. He doesn’t really mind this though, because he’s still able to live a simple and happy life.

When I opened my eyes, I found my soul synced into the popular dating sim game, ‘Midnight’! And although I was clearly one of the female protagonists, I possessed the body of Evenes Harin, the saint who is treated like a trivial extra. What’s worse is that I must pursue one of the five male love interests and see it through to a happy ending in order to complete the game.

Having attended the triple combo of an all-girls middle school, high school, and university wasn’t enough of a debuff, having unintentionally put up an iron defense, I’ve been in ‘forever alone’ mode for 25 years. On top of that, I’ve possessed the Saint seldom played due to her atrociously difficult route! This life is screwed up, and I’m sure of it.