Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king - Chapter 638: Achievements on the colonial frontier

Cote: There is Something Wrong With HikigayaBy: XiaokoPatient Profile:Patient: Hikigaya Hachiman, Year 1 Class D, Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High SchoolDiagnosis: Adolescence SyndromeCondition Overview: The patient claims to have woken up in a parallel world, where both his physical age and relationships have drastically changed!Yukinoshita Haruno is now his classmate.Shizuka-sensei is somehow teaching at Sobu Middle School...And before he knows it, he ends up in a prestigious school with a 100% graduation and employment rate, stepping onto a fate that even destiny itself cannot predict!

In a galaxy ruled by warlords, guilds, and ancient tech cults, Kai Zareth is just another debt-ridden scavenger—until a legendary system descends upon him.“One Trader per 10,000 light years. One chance to rise.”Selected by the Cosmic Trade Nexus, Kai becomes the sole wielder of the Galactic Exchange System, a multidimensional platform that allows him to buy and sell across parallel worlds, forgotten realms, and alien civilizations.With only 12 hours to complete his first trade—or lose everything—Kai scrambles to make deals in a universe where information is power and one wrong barter could cost your life.From selling enchanted goblin toothbrushes in toxic slums to outwitting rival system users and forging alliances with forgotten races, Kai must build his empire item by item, realm by realm.But in a galaxy where traders kill for profit and system users are hunted like prey, being the Merchant Sovereign might be a bigger curse than a blessing.

Adam begins as an ordinary high school student whose life is shattered when his parents vanish. The police later declare their deaths a double suicide, a conclusion Adam refuses to accept.His persistent quest for a real investigation leads him into a dark conspiracy when two corrupt police officers kidnap, torture, and murder him. In his final moments, they reveal his parents were also murdered by an untouchable, powerful entity.Instead of dying permanently, Adam awakens with a new reality: he has been granted a 'System' and the supernatural ability of 'Return by Death,' forcing him to relive his final days.Confused, Adam tries to confide in his trusted teacher, only to be betrayed and killed once again. This time, he learns the staggering reason for his persecution: a $100 million bounty has been placed on his head, making everyone a potential enemy.Dying again and again is horrible. The pain changes Adam completely. The sad, normal boy he once was is gone. He becomes a cold and ruthless killer. He trusts no one. If he even suspects someone might be a threat, he will kill them without a second thought. His only goals are to survive this deadly game and get revenge for his parents.During one of his loops, while investigating, Adam crosses paths with a female classmate being tormented by bullies. He saves her in a moment of detached action and quickly forgets the incident, focused only on his own war. For the girl, however, this act of salvation ignites an intense and devoted love.This devotion becomes a tragic and recurring element in his nightmare. The girl, willing to do anything for him, repeatedly throws herself in harm's way to protect him, often dying in his place across multiple loops.Adam is now trapped not only in a fight against a vast conspiracy but also in a cycle of watching an innocent person die for him, further cementing his transformation into a hardened protagonist who has lost nearly everything, including his own humanity.

Master said, the woman I held in my hands, I must protect for the rest of my life.

Master said, it’s hard to cultivate as a Demon, and once you enter the Demon Dao, you should never look back.

Master said, Heaven is a Circle and the Earth is a Square; that Circle represents (is) consummate perfection, and that Square represents (is) the edges and corners of one’s Heart, it’s a rebellion against Fate, a Disobedience to Heaven.

My master is named Ning Fan, he’s not a person, he’s merely a Butterfly who has entered Demonhood. He was searching for someone. No one knew who he was searching for. No one knew how long he would search for…

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