Steampunk Era: Mad Abield - Chapter 1053: Section 666: Sudden Turn (Part 1)

In the wake of the first wave of shadow creatures, the world was plunged into ruin, a desolate yet enchanted wasteland. Humanity, driven underground, clung to survival while desperately plotting to reclaim their shattered world.But from the abyss of darkness, something miraculous stirred—a mysterious tree, shimmering with ancient power, appeared overnight. It chose only the strongest of heart, those with unbreakable will, gifting them extraordinary abilities. With these powers, humanity rose from the depths, waging war against the shadows.Yet beneath the surface of their heroic deeds lay a hidden rot. Corruption seeped into their ranks, and arrogance clouded their judgment. As their powers grew, so did the whispers of betrayal. The true battle may not be against the creatures lurking in the shadows—but against the darkness festering within their own hearts.A question lingers: When heroes fall, who will rise to take their place?

The year is 2025. A devout Christian named Arthur Bennett wins a lottery to participate in a revolutionary virtual reality experience at a high-tech company called Elysium. The program utilizes a unique VR pod to immerse users in a world based on a popular anime.As the other participants—a mix of personalities with varying degrees of anime knowledge—prepare to enter the simulation, Arthur remains the only one who has never indulged in anime. Upon entering this new world, he discovers an unsettling truth: pain is excruciatingly real, despite the creators' claims of a dampened pain response.He eventually finds himself trapped in prison, unable to log out, and demanding to be released from the program. Calls go unanswered, and the world of ninjas becomes a nightmare where hunger, thirst, hygiene, and even death are all real.Angered that he was deceived, he abandons all sense of logic and vows to become a villain no one would have ever anticipated.

Aaron, a wildlife biologist, became a military strategist right after a global war between nations began.He never wanted to participate in the war but he had to, because he wanted to continue his studies on endangered species the moment the war was over, but to his surprise, everyone in his unit were killed, including him, and the next thing he knew, Aaron woke up in the body of a young noble having a similar name to his.However, he also noticed he had awoken in a world different from Earth.In this world, demonic beasts ran rampart with only one thought in mind, causing them to feed on anyone they see, be it humans, elves or even magical beasts as well.During his first encounter with a magical beast, Aaron awakened a system which allowed him to bond with magical beasts and to obtain terrifying abilities from these bloodcurdling magical beasts, so he used his experience as a wildlife biologist to help make it easier for him to bond with these beasts.However, Aaron also noticed he could evolve these beasts if their loyalty towards him had reached a certain level, so he vowed in his heart to grow strong enough to protect those he cared about in this world with the hope of living a happy, peaceful life where he'll be able to focus fully on his passion as a wildlife biologist.

The protagonist is reborn at the end of the Roman Republic, becoming a gladiator under Spartacus. How will he escape the tragic fate of being crucified and survive in the Mediterranean under Roman rule? Stay tuned!--------------Rome must perish! As long as it exists, we find it difficult to escape the fate of death! —Maximus