The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth - Chapter 34: The Black Market

Life used to be so simple,

Full of false hope and endless beliefs in one’s ability in wooing that beautiful girl.

But in a single instant,

Everything as you knew it, plummeted faster than a spoken rejection.

What is real and false can’t be determined,

As the world slowly falls into the maws of the apocalypse.

How will our simple friend respond to the call; the summons?

No matter what he chooses,

Chaos SHALL Reign!

- Description from Novelupdates

Ethan, an elite army commando, loses his life in the line of duty while eliminating a dangerous terrorist cell during a high-stakes anti-insurgency operation. Despite his unwavering dedication and discipline, Ethan dies with a deep sense of regret—he never fully embraced his personal desires and unfulfilled fantasies. As his final breath escapes, he vows that, should he be given another chance at life, he will live it to the fullest, without restraint.Fate, however, has its own plans. Ethan awakens in a strange, unfamiliar world—a land governed by strength, where power is the key to survival, and the strong hold dominion over all. In this brutal and unforgiving realm, Ethan discovers that the rules of life have drastically changed. The only currency that matters here is strength, and only the strongest can ascend to become the ultimate power.Gifted with extraordinary intelligence and a mysterious cheat that grants him unparalleled abilities, Ethan sets off on a path to conquer this new world. With each passing day, he hones his skills, builds alliances, and amasses power, all while exploring his deepest desires. This is a journey of self-discovery and unrestrained ambition, where Ethan’s focus is singular: to become the one true transcendent being, an existence unmatched by any other.Through intense battles, strategic brilliance, and encounters with those who would either aid or challenge him, Ethan fights not only for dominance but for the fulfilment of every longing he once held back in his past life. With each victory, he rises higher, carving his name into the annals of history as the peerless king, above all others—an immortal legend in the making.Content Warning: This story will explore mature themes, including R18 content, but will avoid extreme elements. The protagonist’s journey will also include romantic entanglements, with a harem dynamic, including themes like netori. No yuri, NTR, or netorare will be featured.

Cha Myung-jun, a sergeant who neared the end of his military service, found himself confined in the Ministry of National Defense’s bas**ent for over three decades due to his newly awakened abilities, just before the outbreak of war. Spending thirty years as the world’s most formidable blacksmith, wielding nothing but hammers, he skillfully outwits the watchful eyes of the Ministry of Defense to serve the war effort and reset the course of time. Now given a second chance at life, can he lead a successful campaign to avert humanity’s downfall and secure its salvation?

After being fired from his job due to a baseless accusation and dying while trying to save a girl from a robber, Maximilian is reincarnated into a world where caped heroes and superpowered villains clash in the streets.Disillusioned by a life of injustice and unrewarded good deeds, he vows to live for his own satisfaction. Armed with the Greatest Villain System—a golden finger that promises to make him the most feared villain in history—Maximilian sets out to embrace his dark side.First Mission: Beat up innocents.An old, retired hero thanks him for preventing a terrorist attack.Second Mission: Destroy a hero monument.Maximilian ruined an unlucky villain career.Third Mission: Beat up a famous hero.A detective hero praises him for exposing a criminal’s crimes.System: “Maximilian, are you messing with me?”Maximilian: “I’m innocent!”Several heroes who think they’re privy to the truth: “Maximilian, you are the most selfless hero we’ve ever met!”Maximilian: “I’m a villain, you idiots!”As Maximilian struggles with his new life as a villain and tries to prove his villainy, he uncovers numerous conspiracies within the new world’s government.Will Maximilian be able to prove his villainy? Or will he be remembered as the greatest hero of all time!?