The Master Programmer - Chapter 53: To Hold Back and Not to Hold Back 1

After hatching endless plots and suffering innumerable hardships, the demons of the Demonic Realm finally managed to resurrect the Ancient Demon King.

The demons of the Demonic Realm had hoped that the Ancient Demon King would not only lead them in waging a war against the Heavenly Realm and enable them to lord their superiority over the Immortals, he would also ultimately gain control over the entire realm.

Gradually, however, they discovered that their thoughts were very, very wrong.

Whilst it is true that this Ancient Demon King still retains his aura of superiority and possesses unlimited powers, he…

He seems to be a mental case…

It’s alright even if he changes orders and does things in an incomprehensible way.

But what’s with his habit of muttering under his breath, nagging and conversing with himself the entire day!

Small Orchid: He’s not ill, he’s just despicable (贱jian)…can’t stand to see (见jian) people live a good life.

Dong Fang: I am only unable to endure seeing you live a good life.

Small Orchid: …

*T/N: The Chinese pronunciation for the word “despicable” is the same as the word “see” – thus, the author is trying to show that Small Orchid, while trying to scold Dong Fang, is also careful not to incur his wrath, which is why she tried to imbue another meaning into her sentence after scolding him.

- Description from Novelupdates

An unexpected discovery in Machu Picchu has transported a young professional thief from Earth to a world filled with mystical powers and evil plots. With his beloved teacher and best friend killed during the calamity, his only goal is to become stronger, so that he can take revenge for them.This is a novel filled with politics, the struggle for power, evil beauties, and of course, Divine Immortals.

- Description from Novelupdates

Holo’s life was once a series of relentless hardships—bullies at school, abusive parents, and heartbreak at the hands of those he trusted. After a failed suicide attempt, a mysterious man offers him a deal: help rehabilitate four psychopathic girls, and in return, earn ten million dollars. Desperate and naive, Holo accepts, not realizing the chaos and danger awaiting him.Each girl comes with her own dark tendencies—Trixie, a violent and feral girl who acts on impulse; Scarlet, a master manipulator who delights in breaking people down; Felicia, a dangerously seductive woman battling a sex addiction; and Eleanor, a cold, calculating girl with a desire to watch the world burn. As Holo works to bring out their humanity, the girls become obsessively devoted to him, their love transforming into something darker.

Birth rates are decreasing. Hope is vanishing. The world has gone gray.Humanity, drifting in quiet collapse, receives an email.Every person on Earth. Simultaneously.The Aegis Mandate.Disguised as a cosmic aptitude test, it triggers The Incident of Separation—a global psychic cataclysm that erases identities, wipes memories, and divides all survivors into three factions: Law, Neutral, and Chaos. Overnight, cities become battlegrounds. Apartments become dungeons. Ordinary people become monsters—or the ones who hunt them.Ragnar Vhagar was just a loner university student. Now, thanks to a system he didn’t ask for, he’s a newly minted Demon King, locked in a crumbling apartment with goblins under his sofa and a glowing soul crystal next to his frozen peas. His new job? Build a deadly domain, defend it from invading “Heroes,” and somehow level up fast enough to not die.Alongside him is Isabelle Thorne, a razor-sharp warrior of few words and one very sharp sword. Their reluctant alliance, born in blood and snark, evolves into trust—and maybe something dangerously close to affection—as they rise together through the layers of the game-like world they’re trapped in.With each conquered domain and defeated boss, Ragnar realizes the truth: the dungeons aren’t meant to crown a winner. They’re meant to break the players. The Law faction wants control. The Chaos faction craves destruction. But Ragnar? He wants something they’re all too afraid to say out loud:Freedom.In the ruins of Kanta’s ogre stronghold, Ragnar and his misfit warband take their biggest step yet—claiming a kingdom, unifying a fractured system, and preparing for what comes next. The Heroes are watching. The gods are stirring. The world is watching a war.And somewhere deep beneath it all... Ragnar is rewriting the rules.