Middle Child Syndrome - Chapter 45: Ch : Welcome back, Rika

“I am an evil god. Would you like to make a contract?” In “Phantom Heroes Online,” a VRMMO where in-game currency can be converted to real money, a man, worn out by society, decides to quit his job and earn a living through gaming. In this fantasy world of swords and magic, players contract with advanced AI NPCs, aiding and nurturing them. The protagonist, Zephyr, whimsically tells a young girl a lie, claiming to be her savior. Believing Zephyr to be the “god who rescued her from despair,” the yandere girl transforms into the formidable “Reaper Loli,” a top-tier berserker feared as the “Fanatic” across the continent. She rises to become one of the game’s top players, dominating the leaderboards. Unbeknownst to Zephyr and the other players, their actions in the game are actually leading to saving of another world.

Sophia Alcott, the daughter of Earl Alcott, lives a lonely life as a maligned and infamous shut in, with nothing to do but to work on her skills as a budding apothecary in the dusty storeroom she’s forced to call home.That is until she suddenly wakes up one day and finds herself in the body of an even more infamous villainess (one who actually earned her reputation) locked up in a tower.Although the only clue she has about how this happened is a cryptic note, instead of despairing about her new situation, she’s in awe at just how luxurious the treatment she’s receiving in this ‘prison’ is compared to how she had to live before.Meanwhile, back at Earl Alcott’s mansion, all hell is about to break loose.That’s because…

Damien reveals an ugly truth.His sister and only family, Ahara, leaves the house every midnight whilst he's asleep—a time that he soon discovers is when man-eating beasts named Rouges start hunting for prey.Unable to question her directly, he decides to investigate her and quickly figures that Ahara isn't human but rather, a vampire hero who saves them from beings like herself coming from a world she calls Gibbous—a place where entities like vampires, wizards, and beast shifters alike reside. What’s more, he also learns that the real reason behind his parents' death was the leader of the Rogues, who's rumored to have escaped after Damien’s father almost killed him.A series of fateful events lead to Damien’s long-lost power reawakening in him, and he finds himself with no choice but to return to Gibbous, a strange world where power means survival, and weakness leads to death. As such, Damien enrolls in an academy to train his newfound abilities with one thing in mind...Becoming more powerful.However, he soon discovers that the path to power is one filled with troubles and pain, and he isn’t alone in this lust for more at the academy. It’s a bloody competition against time and formidable opponents, and only those willing to sacrifice their comfort are the ones who can attain it.With a deadly foe lurking in the shadows somewhere and a strong desire to protect his sister, Damein has no choice but to fight.The only way is up, and he is going to be standing at the top of them all, ready to counter any enemy.

Humans are clever in tens of thousands of ways, Gu are the true refined essences of Heaven and Earth.