Tree of Aeons - 296. Braided branches

The 'Black Phantom'. A name when uttered would send chills down the spines of anyone who worked in the underground world. That name was akin to a boogeyman to every rich and powerful individual. No one knew his face or his identity as everyone who met him never lived to tell the tale.

It was said that if the Black Phantom was to target you, you have two choices. Either commit suicide or pray that you get a quick, painless death.

However, in unknown circumstances, that legendary hitman suddenly vanished from the underworld, never to be seen again. The reasons were a mystery and the uproar it created was nothing short of historical.

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Kai Miller, a normal high school boy, lived his life in obscurity. He didn't have any particular hobbies, friends, or a girlfriend. Even in school, no one gave him a glance as he was the 'quiet kid' of the class. However, when a mysterious person appears in his class, a secret that the boy had tried to hide for years was going to be revealed and along with it, his past comes back to try and pull him back into the darkness.

However, Kai had one simple goal, to protect his peaceful daily life... Even if it means he will have to eliminate every enemy he had and will have.

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If you like a badass MC and likable female leads each with her unique character, goals, and actions, set in a mysterious and intriguing world that keeps getting more and more interesting as the story develops then this book is for you.

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Dear readers! Without any ads, maybe you will prefer .

Based on the popular Vocaloid series, by HoneyWorks, called “Kokuhoku Yokou Renshuu (Confession Rehearsal)“:

Natsuki, a third-year at Sakuragaoka High School, who holds unrequited feelings for her childhood friend, Yuu, who’s in the Film Club. However, instead of being honest about her feelings, she makes him be her confession “rehearsal” partner. Unable to say her true feelings, things start to get complicated when Miou and Akari, who are also in the Art Club, get involved! Will she ever be able to confess for real!?

Notice: This story contains R18+ themes, including violence, sensual and sexual content, blood-related addiction, and dark psychological elements. Reader discretion advised.I died in a library, crushed under centuries of forgotten knowledge. Fitting.Now I’ve woken up in a coffin, starving, undead, and very much not human.They call me a Fledgling—a bottom-feeder vampire barely above a ghoul. I’m weak, hunted, and tethered to a world straight out of a cursed tabletop campaign. It’s a classic fantasy realm—elves, knights, guilds, and dungeons—but twisted by a dark, rotting magic. The moon shines red, the gods are silent, and every town smells like fear.To make matters worse, I’ve been bound to a LitRPG system called the Blood Codex.Level up by draining blood.Unlock skills by embracing your monstrous nature.Resist Corruption... or don’t.There's no prophecy. No chosen one nonsense. No noble title. Just fangs, rot, and whatever I can steal, trick, or kill to survive.But the deeper I sink into this world’s underbelly, the more I realize something is watching me through the system. The rules are breaking. Dungeon bosses are going mad. Entire towns are disappearing.And I think I’m supposed to fix it… or maybe finish the job.

Several hundred thousand players are trapped in a gritty zombie apocalypse survival game just after game launch. There are hints that deaths in the game might be serving some other terrible purpose in the background of reality…